As the title suggests, the UFC basically just reintroduced us to fighters we should already know about, but just seemingly got lost in the shuffle or have been elsewhere as of late.
Forrest Griffin defeats Tito Ortiz via Decision
A righteous decision, if you ask me.
Forrest put on a vintage Forrest display but again showed that weakness when getting taken down and fighting from bottom - no real viable sub attempts or positional defense. He'd have been in real trouble if Ortiz had more gas to unleash his brutal, trademark elbows.
Now that Forrest is back on the wagon, he deserves a step up in competition and someone closer to the title shot. I like Thiago Silva, if he can get through "Sugar".
Tito just makes himself look worse if all he does is make excuses on why he lost. I enjoy hype and trash talk when its reasonable, but claiming a "cracked" skull and 1 sparring session in your fight camp?
"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" did catch him with a couple takedowns and elbows but nothing that really damaged him to the point where it affected his performance. People are going to point out how bloody Forrest got during the match but have you ever seen his face in high def? Dude has some HEAVY scar tissue.
Tito looked less worse for wear, but easily absorbed more damage. He was catching leg kicks and straight punches like he was on Deadliest Catch. He also really couldn't get a hold of Forrest very well and use some of that body strength he's got going for him. His takedown attempts lacked any real speed or explosion and were quite poor overall.
I'm not sure where Tito goes from here but maybe a mid level, but known LHW, like Keith Jardine.
Josh Koscheck defeats Anthony Johnson via Submission
This was a battle between two very dangerous and skilled opponents that made some stupid mistakes that could have easily cost each other the match. We'll find out in a couple days if the eyepokes on either side really affected the outcome of the match, based on the injuries each man reports. Nevertheless, Koscheck scored a well deserved win and proved he's probably next after Hardy for the WW title. He hung with "Rumble" standing and his wrestling put the nails in Johnson's coffin.
Johnson just looked like a fish out of water on his back. The best he could really do was hold full and half guard which obviously isn't enough against a D-1 wrestler AND a top 10 UFC WW. Johnson's strikes always come with power but were just slightly off the mark that night; Nothing landed flush or cleanly enough to affect Koscheck. I have a suspicion that Johnson didn't really work on takedown defense, which was probably the most important thing to utilize against a standout wrestler like "Kos". Maybe he'll adapt to a better gameplan the next time he's up against someone that can easily put him on his back.
Paulo Thiago defeats Jacob Volkmann
Well fought victory by Thiago and should definitely move him up on the next card he fights. He mixed it up well with standup and grappling and kept Volkmann guessing. His standup combination's were right on the money and definitely took "Christmas" out of his game. He had a couple missteps working his ground game and surprisingly showed a lack of positional defense for a BJJ black belt.
And for a guy with less submission accolades, Volkmann displayed some well put-together ground offense. We also now know that Volkmann's like a Timex and has a hard noggin.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeats Luis Cane via TKO
Excellent debut for "Minotauro" and a fairly embarrassing loss for "Banha". We'd never really seen Cane that exposed, especially on the feet. He's excelled in that area since he came into the UFC.
Rogerio's performance should be a warning to all future opponents - don't box with a world class southpaw unless you enjoy kissing canvas.
Amir Sadollah defeats Phil Baroni via Decision
A very good rebound win for Sadollah, after the embarrassingly, quick loss to Johnny Hendricks. Who knew he had extensive Muy Thai experience?
It's like they added that stat and all of a sudden, BOOM. He can throw devastating knees in the Thai Plum.
Getting Baroni back in the UFC was an excellent defensive play by DW and the Fertittas. Him in the UFC means not in Strikeforce or Dream. Plus, how can you hate on the NYBA's sparkly, red robe?
He seriously needs to change up his training routine if he wants to be a UFC regular for any sort of duration. All that muscle is not doing him any good, other than winning toughest fighter at the local Crunch award. His current gas tank allows him about 1.5 rounds of reasonable offense (on a good day). Even in a lighter division, I'm surprised he's still packing on that much bulk.
Next up TUF Finale in 2 weeks and hopefully quick analysis of ADCC '09.
~S
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
WEC 45 - Aldo vs. Brown
Gonna switch up the format a bit and try and keep these shorter and start from the top down.
Easier for you guys to move on if you get bored and to get to the good stuff sooner.
Nothing ground breaking in this card except a new FW champ is crowned.
Jose Aldo defeats Mike Brown via TKO
What should have been a spirited competition between 2 top level FW's was in reality, a spectacular beatdown by the new champ, Jose Aldo. This kid is so good that he hasn't really had the match go anywhere he hasn't wanted it to be taken. His speed and reflexes have been overwhelming all his opponents. He's got the unique ability to throw strikes with such speed and accuracy that's frankly unheard of, in a cage fight. He's doing stuff straight out of a gym training session.
MTB didn't really have anything in his arsenal to neutralize Aldo, and I really think his strength and wrestling are good enough to take on most of the FW division. His pitter-patter jab wasn't really useful and I was looking for the 1-2 into a double leg to get some offense going.
At least something to distract Aldo long enough to get him down and work his top game.
It's a forgone conclusion that they need to do Aldo and Faber, just a matter of when.
Manvel Gamburyan defeats Leonard Garcia via Decision
I was expecting a KO from Garcia because he certainly had the timing and power to overwhelm Manny. "The Anvil" executed his standard gameplan: strike to clinch, and go for the throw and GNP. His strength in the clinch definitely proved the tide turner. He didn't really connect and hurt Garcia standing (even when "Bad Boy" dropped his hands) but he did enough to control him standing and on the ground.
Karen Darabedyan defeats Rob McCullough via Decision
Strictly a kickboxing affair, with not much else thrown in for flavor.
"Razor" Rob looked a bit flabby here and it showed in the later rounds when he slowed down. As usual, he comes out with some crisp, technical, strikes. But it wasn't enough once Karen got his timing down with Rob's kicks. Neither man really showed any killer instinct that a standup guy should really have, especially against another striker.
Sorry, cutting it short here.
Eager to move on to UFC 105.
Easier for you guys to move on if you get bored and to get to the good stuff sooner.
Nothing ground breaking in this card except a new FW champ is crowned.
Jose Aldo defeats Mike Brown via TKO
What should have been a spirited competition between 2 top level FW's was in reality, a spectacular beatdown by the new champ, Jose Aldo. This kid is so good that he hasn't really had the match go anywhere he hasn't wanted it to be taken. His speed and reflexes have been overwhelming all his opponents. He's got the unique ability to throw strikes with such speed and accuracy that's frankly unheard of, in a cage fight. He's doing stuff straight out of a gym training session.
MTB didn't really have anything in his arsenal to neutralize Aldo, and I really think his strength and wrestling are good enough to take on most of the FW division. His pitter-patter jab wasn't really useful and I was looking for the 1-2 into a double leg to get some offense going.
At least something to distract Aldo long enough to get him down and work his top game.
It's a forgone conclusion that they need to do Aldo and Faber, just a matter of when.
Manvel Gamburyan defeats Leonard Garcia via Decision
I was expecting a KO from Garcia because he certainly had the timing and power to overwhelm Manny. "The Anvil" executed his standard gameplan: strike to clinch, and go for the throw and GNP. His strength in the clinch definitely proved the tide turner. He didn't really connect and hurt Garcia standing (even when "Bad Boy" dropped his hands) but he did enough to control him standing and on the ground.
Karen Darabedyan defeats Rob McCullough via Decision
Strictly a kickboxing affair, with not much else thrown in for flavor.
"Razor" Rob looked a bit flabby here and it showed in the later rounds when he slowed down. As usual, he comes out with some crisp, technical, strikes. But it wasn't enough once Karen got his timing down with Rob's kicks. Neither man really showed any killer instinct that a standup guy should really have, especially against another striker.
Sorry, cutting it short here.
Eager to move on to UFC 105.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
UFC 105 - The Brits and Captain America
It was definitely a night for the British to celebrate.
Of the 8 matches with Brits in them (excluding Taylor and Hathaway who are both from the UK), 6 of them beat their opponents.
It feels like TUF 9 all over again.
Too bad Hendo wasn't there...
Ross Pearson defeats Aaron Riley via TKO
I think the ref saw what I saw and mercifully stopped this fight early.
Pearson was using Riley as his own personal punching bag. Everything he threw connected with relative ease: knees, punches, kicks, rinse and repeat. He also exhibited some nice moves in his Thai plum and can add the flying knee onto his highlight reel.
On the other hand, Riley played his part as the human punching bag. All he did was back up and throw a couple one's and two's, when he wasn't getting tagged or bullied in the clinch. These things and him being super tentative cost him the match and probably some of his dignity.
Matt Brown defeats James Wilks via TKO
I think Wilks had "Fight of the Night" bonus on the brain. Based on his performance, I don't see why he didn't just immediately take it to the ground and constantly go for various sub attempts. It's blatantly obvious by his previous losses and his TUF matches that the key to beating Brown is submissions. Instead, Wilks preferred to grit it out with "The Immortal", get beat down, lose the match and a few brain cells in the process. The last sub attempt, before the match was called, probably would have been successful executed if he could have held onto his focus and technique.
I gotta hand it to Brown - What the man lacks in a ground game, he makes up for it with a decent chin and resilience. It also helps that he doesn't give a crap about getting tagged so he can dish out some punishment.
Michael Bisping defeats Denis Kang via TKO
The only Brit that I didn't want to win, of course, HAD to win. With his shoddy standup and meh takedowns, he beat Kang to a helpless pulp. He does get props for his active ground game, even though he sorta looked like a white belt flailing on the mat against a brown belt at certain points. I still think he's highly overrated and should be nowhere near a title defense. Isn't Cote returning soon?
I'm sad to see another Pride import implode in the Octagon.
Other than the right hook he threw, Kang has nothing else to be proud of. He couldn't make use of his superior ground game, other than some fleeting moments in the mount and in side control. The combination of his impetuous ground game, weak will under pressure, and disappointing losses probably means this was a short lived trip to the UFC.
Dan Hardy defeats Mike Swick via Decision
I see this match as a parallel to the Kampmann/Daley and Okami/Sonnen matches. Each loser was incredibly close to title shots and blew it against a relative UFC noob.
Swick probably had the roughest challenge of the three incumbents, given Hardy was riding a decent win streak against some exceptionally game opponents. The last time "Quick" was roughed up this badly was against Okami, who coincidentally, was recently roughed up by Chael Sonnen. Swick also looked very lost in the Octagon after getting rocked in the 1st round. If recent history is any indicator for this type of fighter, Swick may not see a title opportunity in a while.
Let's just call Hardy the new King of Thieves because he straight stole the next WW title shot. His strong punches should give GSP fans a cause for concern but I'm not so sure his hooligan, brawlin' style will make the difference. He should also re-evaluate his gameplan for his next match, since his clinch is a bit suspect for his size and strength as a WW.
Randy Couture defeats Brandon Vera via Decision
This was definitely a Couture crowd and I wouldn't be surprised if the judges fell into that category as well. The match was Octagon control vs. damage to your opponent. Aggression would have to be my toss up category given the styles of each fighter and how they affected their opponent. Randy dominated the entirety of the match, just bullying Vera up against the cage fence for minutes at a time.
Vera spent little time engaging with his patented Muy Thai striking but when he did, he maximized every bit of output he could. The key shots were the ones that dropped and nearly put Couture down. It also helped that the "The Natural" looked slower and less agile than "The Truth". It also wasn't clear to me if he was trying to take Vera down, or just pin him against the fence.
People can argue that Couture unfairly won the match, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that if you don't beat the man standing directly across from you, you might now have 3 extra opponents to deal with when the bell sounds.
Next up, WEC 45.
Love the mid-week cards!
~S
Of the 8 matches with Brits in them (excluding Taylor and Hathaway who are both from the UK), 6 of them beat their opponents.
It feels like TUF 9 all over again.
Too bad Hendo wasn't there...
Ross Pearson defeats Aaron Riley via TKO
I think the ref saw what I saw and mercifully stopped this fight early.
Pearson was using Riley as his own personal punching bag. Everything he threw connected with relative ease: knees, punches, kicks, rinse and repeat. He also exhibited some nice moves in his Thai plum and can add the flying knee onto his highlight reel.
On the other hand, Riley played his part as the human punching bag. All he did was back up and throw a couple one's and two's, when he wasn't getting tagged or bullied in the clinch. These things and him being super tentative cost him the match and probably some of his dignity.
Matt Brown defeats James Wilks via TKO
I think Wilks had "Fight of the Night" bonus on the brain. Based on his performance, I don't see why he didn't just immediately take it to the ground and constantly go for various sub attempts. It's blatantly obvious by his previous losses and his TUF matches that the key to beating Brown is submissions. Instead, Wilks preferred to grit it out with "The Immortal", get beat down, lose the match and a few brain cells in the process. The last sub attempt, before the match was called, probably would have been successful executed if he could have held onto his focus and technique.
I gotta hand it to Brown - What the man lacks in a ground game, he makes up for it with a decent chin and resilience. It also helps that he doesn't give a crap about getting tagged so he can dish out some punishment.
Michael Bisping defeats Denis Kang via TKO
The only Brit that I didn't want to win, of course, HAD to win. With his shoddy standup and meh takedowns, he beat Kang to a helpless pulp. He does get props for his active ground game, even though he sorta looked like a white belt flailing on the mat against a brown belt at certain points. I still think he's highly overrated and should be nowhere near a title defense. Isn't Cote returning soon?
I'm sad to see another Pride import implode in the Octagon.
Other than the right hook he threw, Kang has nothing else to be proud of. He couldn't make use of his superior ground game, other than some fleeting moments in the mount and in side control. The combination of his impetuous ground game, weak will under pressure, and disappointing losses probably means this was a short lived trip to the UFC.
Dan Hardy defeats Mike Swick via Decision
I see this match as a parallel to the Kampmann/Daley and Okami/Sonnen matches. Each loser was incredibly close to title shots and blew it against a relative UFC noob.
Swick probably had the roughest challenge of the three incumbents, given Hardy was riding a decent win streak against some exceptionally game opponents. The last time "Quick" was roughed up this badly was against Okami, who coincidentally, was recently roughed up by Chael Sonnen. Swick also looked very lost in the Octagon after getting rocked in the 1st round. If recent history is any indicator for this type of fighter, Swick may not see a title opportunity in a while.
Let's just call Hardy the new King of Thieves because he straight stole the next WW title shot. His strong punches should give GSP fans a cause for concern but I'm not so sure his hooligan, brawlin' style will make the difference. He should also re-evaluate his gameplan for his next match, since his clinch is a bit suspect for his size and strength as a WW.
Randy Couture defeats Brandon Vera via Decision
This was definitely a Couture crowd and I wouldn't be surprised if the judges fell into that category as well. The match was Octagon control vs. damage to your opponent. Aggression would have to be my toss up category given the styles of each fighter and how they affected their opponent. Randy dominated the entirety of the match, just bullying Vera up against the cage fence for minutes at a time.
Vera spent little time engaging with his patented Muy Thai striking but when he did, he maximized every bit of output he could. The key shots were the ones that dropped and nearly put Couture down. It also helped that the "The Natural" looked slower and less agile than "The Truth". It also wasn't clear to me if he was trying to take Vera down, or just pin him against the fence.
People can argue that Couture unfairly won the match, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that if you don't beat the man standing directly across from you, you might now have 3 extra opponents to deal with when the bell sounds.
Next up, WEC 45.
Love the mid-week cards!
~S
Sengoku 11 - Brief Review of Sorts
Wasn't too interested in seeing this card, but Sengoku still translates to "Japanese MMA", so how can I pass it up?
Jorge Masvidal defeats Satoru Kitaoka via TKO
This was the most entertaining match on the card for me. Both fighters went at it and stuck to their guns, when it came to strategy. Each guy took some punishment - Masvidal through joint locks and Kitaoka with punches to his face. The advantage that "Gamebred" had in striking reach made all the difference, when he was abusing his shorter, stockier opponent.
If you've seen Satoru fight before, you probably weren't surprised by the outcome. If he can't get it done in the opening round, his chances of winning decrease dramatically. This is because he relies on the early takedown and submission, when his opponent is neither slippery or ready to defend. As rounds go by, either his cardio or the beatings he take causes him to gas rapidly. Either way, I admire his tenacity to go for the sub and latch on until he gets it.
Or gets lit up like a Christmas tree.
Mamed Khalidov defeats Jorge Santiago via TKO
It looks like Mamed was following Dave Herman's gameplan and go for the KO from bottom. And WOW, did his plan work to perfection. He pulled off the upset against a good opponent, and he did it well.
Not much else to say other than Santiago got caught trying to execute a hasty guard pass and left his chin out there, for a nice ole hammerfistin'.
At least the man's still got his belt, right?
Michihiro Omigawa defeats Hatsu Hiko via Decision
This was a very dull fight for me. Although there was a lot of back and forth between fighters, nothing of substance or consequence really happened. Omigawa did a lot of ducking and bobbing, with some haymakers thrown in and Hioki used his range to jab well and threw in some decent, successful double legs attempts.
Maybe I was watching another match, but it looked like Hioki won. He was backpedaling and not moving forward for most of the match, but I thought Hioki did more damage and implemented a better offense as a whole. Omigawa tagged him good a couple times, but there were other points where he could barely reach Hioki's face with his fists.
So it looks like that was the last Sengoku event of the year, but with the quality of matches they've been recently putting on, I'm not going to be broken up about it.
Next up, UFC 105, WEC 45 and ADCC 2009.
Well, maybeeeeeeeeee ADCC.
~S
Jorge Masvidal defeats Satoru Kitaoka via TKO
This was the most entertaining match on the card for me. Both fighters went at it and stuck to their guns, when it came to strategy. Each guy took some punishment - Masvidal through joint locks and Kitaoka with punches to his face. The advantage that "Gamebred" had in striking reach made all the difference, when he was abusing his shorter, stockier opponent.
If you've seen Satoru fight before, you probably weren't surprised by the outcome. If he can't get it done in the opening round, his chances of winning decrease dramatically. This is because he relies on the early takedown and submission, when his opponent is neither slippery or ready to defend. As rounds go by, either his cardio or the beatings he take causes him to gas rapidly. Either way, I admire his tenacity to go for the sub and latch on until he gets it.
Or gets lit up like a Christmas tree.
Mamed Khalidov defeats Jorge Santiago via TKO
It looks like Mamed was following Dave Herman's gameplan and go for the KO from bottom. And WOW, did his plan work to perfection. He pulled off the upset against a good opponent, and he did it well.
Not much else to say other than Santiago got caught trying to execute a hasty guard pass and left his chin out there, for a nice ole hammerfistin'.
At least the man's still got his belt, right?
Michihiro Omigawa defeats Hatsu Hiko via Decision
This was a very dull fight for me. Although there was a lot of back and forth between fighters, nothing of substance or consequence really happened. Omigawa did a lot of ducking and bobbing, with some haymakers thrown in and Hioki used his range to jab well and threw in some decent, successful double legs attempts.
Maybe I was watching another match, but it looked like Hioki won. He was backpedaling and not moving forward for most of the match, but I thought Hioki did more damage and implemented a better offense as a whole. Omigawa tagged him good a couple times, but there were other points where he could barely reach Hioki's face with his fists.
So it looks like that was the last Sengoku event of the year, but with the quality of matches they've been recently putting on, I'm not going to be broken up about it.
Next up, UFC 105, WEC 45 and ADCC 2009.
Well, maybeeeeeeeeee ADCC.
~S
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Strikeforce - The Emperor and his peasants
I have a confession to make.
Although I had some interest in all the televised cards, I would have paid just to see the last match.
When the "Last Emperor" fights, his followers shall watch.
Otherwise, somewhat of a lackluster card, if you ask me.
And you are, if you're reading my blog.
Fabricio Werdum defeats Antonio Silva via Decision
I was really favoring Silva in this match, because he's got a lot of potential in a division where hype seems to be all that matters. He's got good endurance and standup for a HW and dangerous on the ground with his BJJ. He was smart to make Werdum get up when he wanted to tangle on the ground and the only things he really had to fear standing were Werdum's knees and leg kicks, which were somewhat sparse.
In contrast, not only did I NOT want Fabricio to win, I think he's very overrated and should have lost this match. I thought round 2 could have gone either way, but that could be my bias towards "Bigfoot". His accolades in ADCC are definitely nothing to scoff at, but I think he's got a lot of unused potential and he hasn't really shown anything new or even try to develop any other skills that could make him a formidable HW. If he wants to get owned by Fedor in his next match, so be it. Overeem's probably going to come up with some health related excuse and end up vacating the title anyway.
Gegard Mousasi defeats Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via TKO
For those of you that haven't been watching Dream, you just saw the finals of the Super Hulk tournament.
"Judo Terry" really needs to change up his training regiment. He's sooooooooooo talented and athletic, but he's come up short recently against anyone not under 285 lbs. I think he's packing on way too much muscle and needs to up his cardio and technical acumen. He was definitely holding his own in the 1st and even beat Mousasi to the punch a couple times. I believe his quickness won't diminish if he loses some muscle.
Mousasi looked a little less sharp than usual and it showed in his standup and on the ground. His GNP and his guard were both quite loose and had he been up against an opponent with a better ground game, he'd have been in trouble. Nonetheless, he still had that ability to turn it on when he needed to and he'll probably face a really tough opponent for his first title defense.
You sign that contract yet, Hendo?
Jake Shields defeats Jason Miller via Decision
If you talked to my friends, they'd tell you that I have this illogical reverence for Matt Lindland. The man has no standup and just looks plain goofy. BUT, he's an elite wrestler, specifically Greco-Roman and uses it very well in his MMA career. He's easily in the top 15 of the MW division. How does this relate to this match?
I'd think it's quite obvious - Jake Shields is Matt Lindland, 2.0!
Both guys can't strike for squat, use their wrestling skills to dominate and outpoint their opponents to decision victories.
Shields has some added bonuses, with his BJJ skills and upper body strength. I don't think we'll ever see him change up his gameplan for the simple fact that he can't advance his striking skills and he's already too heavily reliant on his wrestling to win him matches. Regardless of those facts and opinion, I still give him props for going the distance against the wily Jason Miller.
Miller showed some flashes of brilliance and skill in the match, especially in round 3 where he almost put Jake to sleep. I was somewhat disappointed by his performance and granted, he was expected to lose, I really felt like Shields didn't really have much over "Mayhem" that he couldn't overcome. It was clear that Miller's standup was better and he had some pretty flashy suplex takedowns. I didn't really think he was that patient standing because he got taken down way too easily and he could have controlled a standup battle for all 5 rounds if he wanted. I hope his cockiness didn't convince him to try and beat Jake at his own game by trying to match him on the ground. Does he remember anything from his first match with Jacare?
Fedor Emelianenko defeats Brett Rogers via TKO
It makes me sad when you meet someone that likes to watch MMA, but has never heard of Fedor.
"He's the best HW in the world?!"
"But he's so pudgy and looks out of shape."
Then you realize these guys have been limited to watching TUF and owning clothing from Affliction or Ed Hardy.
But anywho, to really understand the awesomeness that is the best HW to ever set foot in a cage or ring, you must go through his Pride run and watch his matches in the context that he was going up against the top rated guys of the time. AND he demolished EVERYONE one of them.
He rarely lost rounds, gave up position or got caught.
This fight went a little different.
Right at the opening bell, Fedor's nose was busted open and Rogers proved he wasn't a flash in the pan, with his bear strength, composure and ground defense. He definitely was not afraid to stand and trade, while utilizing some patience to throw more feints than sloppy, wild punches. His upper body strength clearly helped him on the ground and his GNP on Fedor in the 1st round nearly made my heart stop.
THIS man-beast was going to defeat the #1 HW in the world?!
Luckily, Fedor's jaw is a composite of bone, vodka and adamantium, so he was barely fazed by the punches. The second round was appearing to go the same as the first, until Fedor realized the ice cream truck outside was waiting for him, thus spoiling the night for "The Grim".
As usual, Fedor showed no emotion upon using his Right Hand of Doom to knock Brett into last week. I think he was a little surprised by Brett's strength and defense on the ground. This was one of the rare matches where Fedor proved somewhat ineffective on the ground. First he got caught in that GNP sequence when he was on bottom and then he was unable to keep Brett on the ground, which would have been his biggest advantage. I actually thought if Rogers were to win, it would be via KO or TKO.
Did I ever doubt Fedor's standup against "The Grim"?
Course not.
My main concern for him standing is that he puts so much of his body into his punches, that he may eventually get caught, or lose his quickness at that exact wrong moment.
I give both men respect in this war: Rogers for having the heart and composure to last longer than any of Fedor's opponents in the last 3 years and Fedor for overcoming an early broken nose and the brutal, heavy hands of Brett Rogers.
Next up, I'll do some quick Sengoku analysis and then another rewind to ADCC 2009.
Yay for the grappling junkies!
~S
Although I had some interest in all the televised cards, I would have paid just to see the last match.
When the "Last Emperor" fights, his followers shall watch.
Otherwise, somewhat of a lackluster card, if you ask me.
And you are, if you're reading my blog.
Fabricio Werdum defeats Antonio Silva via Decision
I was really favoring Silva in this match, because he's got a lot of potential in a division where hype seems to be all that matters. He's got good endurance and standup for a HW and dangerous on the ground with his BJJ. He was smart to make Werdum get up when he wanted to tangle on the ground and the only things he really had to fear standing were Werdum's knees and leg kicks, which were somewhat sparse.
In contrast, not only did I NOT want Fabricio to win, I think he's very overrated and should have lost this match. I thought round 2 could have gone either way, but that could be my bias towards "Bigfoot". His accolades in ADCC are definitely nothing to scoff at, but I think he's got a lot of unused potential and he hasn't really shown anything new or even try to develop any other skills that could make him a formidable HW. If he wants to get owned by Fedor in his next match, so be it. Overeem's probably going to come up with some health related excuse and end up vacating the title anyway.
Gegard Mousasi defeats Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via TKO
For those of you that haven't been watching Dream, you just saw the finals of the Super Hulk tournament.
"Judo Terry" really needs to change up his training regiment. He's sooooooooooo talented and athletic, but he's come up short recently against anyone not under 285 lbs. I think he's packing on way too much muscle and needs to up his cardio and technical acumen. He was definitely holding his own in the 1st and even beat Mousasi to the punch a couple times. I believe his quickness won't diminish if he loses some muscle.
Mousasi looked a little less sharp than usual and it showed in his standup and on the ground. His GNP and his guard were both quite loose and had he been up against an opponent with a better ground game, he'd have been in trouble. Nonetheless, he still had that ability to turn it on when he needed to and he'll probably face a really tough opponent for his first title defense.
You sign that contract yet, Hendo?
Jake Shields defeats Jason Miller via Decision
If you talked to my friends, they'd tell you that I have this illogical reverence for Matt Lindland. The man has no standup and just looks plain goofy. BUT, he's an elite wrestler, specifically Greco-Roman and uses it very well in his MMA career. He's easily in the top 15 of the MW division. How does this relate to this match?
I'd think it's quite obvious - Jake Shields is Matt Lindland, 2.0!
Both guys can't strike for squat, use their wrestling skills to dominate and outpoint their opponents to decision victories.
Shields has some added bonuses, with his BJJ skills and upper body strength. I don't think we'll ever see him change up his gameplan for the simple fact that he can't advance his striking skills and he's already too heavily reliant on his wrestling to win him matches. Regardless of those facts and opinion, I still give him props for going the distance against the wily Jason Miller.
Miller showed some flashes of brilliance and skill in the match, especially in round 3 where he almost put Jake to sleep. I was somewhat disappointed by his performance and granted, he was expected to lose, I really felt like Shields didn't really have much over "Mayhem" that he couldn't overcome. It was clear that Miller's standup was better and he had some pretty flashy suplex takedowns. I didn't really think he was that patient standing because he got taken down way too easily and he could have controlled a standup battle for all 5 rounds if he wanted. I hope his cockiness didn't convince him to try and beat Jake at his own game by trying to match him on the ground. Does he remember anything from his first match with Jacare?
Fedor Emelianenko defeats Brett Rogers via TKO
It makes me sad when you meet someone that likes to watch MMA, but has never heard of Fedor.
"He's the best HW in the world?!"
"But he's so pudgy and looks out of shape."
Then you realize these guys have been limited to watching TUF and owning clothing from Affliction or Ed Hardy.
But anywho, to really understand the awesomeness that is the best HW to ever set foot in a cage or ring, you must go through his Pride run and watch his matches in the context that he was going up against the top rated guys of the time. AND he demolished EVERYONE one of them.
He rarely lost rounds, gave up position or got caught.
This fight went a little different.
Right at the opening bell, Fedor's nose was busted open and Rogers proved he wasn't a flash in the pan, with his bear strength, composure and ground defense. He definitely was not afraid to stand and trade, while utilizing some patience to throw more feints than sloppy, wild punches. His upper body strength clearly helped him on the ground and his GNP on Fedor in the 1st round nearly made my heart stop.
THIS man-beast was going to defeat the #1 HW in the world?!
Luckily, Fedor's jaw is a composite of bone, vodka and adamantium, so he was barely fazed by the punches. The second round was appearing to go the same as the first, until Fedor realized the ice cream truck outside was waiting for him, thus spoiling the night for "The Grim".
As usual, Fedor showed no emotion upon using his Right Hand of Doom to knock Brett into last week. I think he was a little surprised by Brett's strength and defense on the ground. This was one of the rare matches where Fedor proved somewhat ineffective on the ground. First he got caught in that GNP sequence when he was on bottom and then he was unable to keep Brett on the ground, which would have been his biggest advantage. I actually thought if Rogers were to win, it would be via KO or TKO.
Did I ever doubt Fedor's standup against "The Grim"?
Course not.
My main concern for him standing is that he puts so much of his body into his punches, that he may eventually get caught, or lose his quickness at that exact wrong moment.
I give both men respect in this war: Rogers for having the heart and composure to last longer than any of Fedor's opponents in the last 3 years and Fedor for overcoming an early broken nose and the brutal, heavy hands of Brett Rogers.
Next up, I'll do some quick Sengoku analysis and then another rewind to ADCC 2009.
Yay for the grappling junkies!
~S
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
MFC 22 - Would like my money back
Sorry for slacking on this entry.
I know the card was back last month, but I just started a new job so I'm behind on a lot of things.
I chose this card because most of the main card fighters were previously in the UFC, so there was some names that I was familiar with, so I felt it would make for a pretty decent and competitive regional
card.
So let's see what happened...
Ryan Jimmo defeats Marvin Eastman via Decision
What a snooze fest.
I know both guys came in with a game plan but I have no clue what either of them had in mind. Between both fighters' poor standup, wrestling and ground game, I would have liked to see this a draw to teach
both guys a lesson.
I always expect Eastman to perform better than he does, but that's probably due to the fact his physique makes him look like a video game character.
Mike Nickels defeats David Heath via Submission
This was a standup war, with one side trying to shoot itself.
Nickels was clearly getting the better in the standup arena, while Heath felt his machismo was more important than defending himself. There was also a clear difference between Nickels' concentration in
throwing strikes while Heath couldn't even keep his mouthpiece in.
Nickels could work on his power or put more follow through in his strikes to land more KO strikes next time.
John Alessio defeats Luigi Fioravanti via TKO
I thought this match was pretty even throughout the first 2 rounds.
I was looking for combos and a little more risking taking to try and steal rounds.
Nice hook to put Fioravanti down but nothing else really impressive.
Antonio McKee defeats Carlo Prater via Decision
Any chance of Prater winning was thoroughly diminished when he couldn't make weight, but it did cut the match an extra 10 minutes.
Between McKee's superior takedowns and creative GNP, Prater had nothing to offer. Somebody should have told Prater that he should have tried more to stand after getting taken down, rather than get pummeled
like raw meat at a butcher shop.
Travis Lutter defeats Jason McDonald via Decision
This match went the exact opposite of how I expected.
I felt Lutter's ground game was overrated, he gassed fairly easily and had no real standup to speak of.
McDonald, on the other hand, is usually in decent shape, and has a ton of experience trading strikes and sub attempts with some decent fighters. I really hated his rally in the 3rd round because it was more
than too late at that point for "The Athlete."
Or maybe Lutter just gassed out by then and was just clearly better than McDonald in the first 2 rounds.
Nonetheless, I'd have still put this as a main event on an UFN card.
My hope for a decent card were met but nothing to write home or really an entry about.
Learned my lesson for next time.
~S
I know the card was back last month, but I just started a new job so I'm behind on a lot of things.
I chose this card because most of the main card fighters were previously in the UFC, so there was some names that I was familiar with, so I felt it would make for a pretty decent and competitive regional
card.
So let's see what happened...
Ryan Jimmo defeats Marvin Eastman via Decision
What a snooze fest.
I know both guys came in with a game plan but I have no clue what either of them had in mind. Between both fighters' poor standup, wrestling and ground game, I would have liked to see this a draw to teach
both guys a lesson.
I always expect Eastman to perform better than he does, but that's probably due to the fact his physique makes him look like a video game character.
Mike Nickels defeats David Heath via Submission
This was a standup war, with one side trying to shoot itself.
Nickels was clearly getting the better in the standup arena, while Heath felt his machismo was more important than defending himself. There was also a clear difference between Nickels' concentration in
throwing strikes while Heath couldn't even keep his mouthpiece in.
Nickels could work on his power or put more follow through in his strikes to land more KO strikes next time.
John Alessio defeats Luigi Fioravanti via TKO
I thought this match was pretty even throughout the first 2 rounds.
I was looking for combos and a little more risking taking to try and steal rounds.
Nice hook to put Fioravanti down but nothing else really impressive.
Antonio McKee defeats Carlo Prater via Decision
Any chance of Prater winning was thoroughly diminished when he couldn't make weight, but it did cut the match an extra 10 minutes.
Between McKee's superior takedowns and creative GNP, Prater had nothing to offer. Somebody should have told Prater that he should have tried more to stand after getting taken down, rather than get pummeled
like raw meat at a butcher shop.
Travis Lutter defeats Jason McDonald via Decision
This match went the exact opposite of how I expected.
I felt Lutter's ground game was overrated, he gassed fairly easily and had no real standup to speak of.
McDonald, on the other hand, is usually in decent shape, and has a ton of experience trading strikes and sub attempts with some decent fighters. I really hated his rally in the 3rd round because it was more
than too late at that point for "The Athlete."
Or maybe Lutter just gassed out by then and was just clearly better than McDonald in the first 2 rounds.
Nonetheless, I'd have still put this as a main event on an UFN card.
My hope for a decent card were met but nothing to write home or really an entry about.
Learned my lesson for next time.
~S
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