Overarching theme for 114: Wrestling (real, not fake)
We saw from the first fight of the night (Dan Lauzon vs Effy Escudero) that marginal wrestling won't get you anywhere and it also will set even further apart from your fellow fighter brethren. Dan Lauzon, desperate for offense took bad shots on Effy only to be shook off and beat up again on the feet. Luiz Cane took Diabate down but not maintain proper top control and Diabate got up. When Cane tried again he was shook off and later finished with a jab and short right hook. Amir Sadollah had to deal with being hulked by Stun Gun for 15 minutes. Diego and his state wrestling was dismissed easily by John Hathaway who decided to use his reach to beat DIego up on the feet. Jason Brilz and his ability to get Lil Nog and throw him off enough to be afraid to throw hands on feet. While Todd Duffee shook off his takedown attempts, Mike Russow found a way to land a crisp jab on the temple and win his 13th fight. Finally, Rashad was too quick and powerful with his double for Rampage who admittingly has great takedown defense. Basically, having marginal wrestling isn't going to cut it anymore. Guys are evolving and leaving other veterans behind. People better start going to wrestling rooms instead of practicing wrestling from a submission grappling background. (Tip of the hat to Jason High for this perspective)
Thoughts I managed to have while semi-sober and the next day
I agree with what Joe Lauzon did. He had to send a message to Dan and it had to be harsh. Did that make watching Dan Lauzon fight even more depressing? Yes. I can't tell Dan how to live his life but if you are going to be in the top promotion in this sport, you gotta start taking shit seriously or else you will be come just Joe Lauzon's brother.
Possible opponents for Escudero
Melvin Guillard
Aaron Riley
Mac Danzig
I think Effy has a tough time with all three of these guys, but his most realistic chance at a win I think is Mac Danzig.
Stun Gun has one of the best single leg takedowns in the game. He had beautiful technique throughout the fight and when he was controlling Amir on the ground he utilized a great ankle pick to keep him on his back. It was a joy to watch. He's a hidden gem in the WW division.
Possible opponents for Stun Gun
Mike Pierce
Mike Swick
Jake Ellenberger
I want to see all three of these fights, well now that I think about this Mike Swick wouldn't be a joy to watch but Jake Ellenberger? Sign me up right fucking now.
+100 for Diabate for stopping the takedown and getting back up. Also, I really like how quick and stiff his jab was. Muscle memory ftw.
Possible opponents for Diabate
Phil Davis
Ryan Bader
Jason Brilz
I don't actually mind the Phil Davis fight because Davis would have to deal with that reach.
John Hathaway used his 3.5 inch reach to beat up Diego Sanchez on the feet. I hope from now on the state wrestling champion line disappears from Diego's three strengths graphic. Diego had a horrible shot and wasn't effective in actually getting John down while they were up against the cage. On the feet, he lacked head movement and was consisently dropping his right hand and ate way too many punches. I don't think Diego had a gameplan. He was just going to come in and be aggressiveness and make John Hathaway quit. Honestly, if any fighter can withstand the initial onslaught, you are on your way to a win. Hathaway has to work on his counterpunching and seeing angles but he did show a good jab.
Possible Opponents for Hathaway
Stun Gun
Johnny Hendricks
Mike Swick
Right now, I feel like they are both on the same path, but Hathaway is a little quicker than Hendricks.
I had Brilz winning the fight with the first two rounds to him 10-9 and Lil Nog with the last round 10-9. Brilz 29-28.
The decision going to Lil Nog was disappointing and even worse disheartening. It's not the robbery of the year, but it is a screw-up from another sanctioned judge in Las Vegas. It's time to starting out these people and their scorecards each and every PPV.
Possible opponent for Lil Nog
Thiago Silva
If Thiago wants to get back on track, beat Lil Nog.
Congrats to Mike Russow who I had losing 20-16 going into the 3rd round.
Possible opponents for Russow
Frank Mir
Gabriel Gonzaga
Frank Mir needs to go to the back of the line and since he doesn't want Roy Nelson, then go down another level and beat Mike Russow. I mean, that 25 extra pounds should help him right?
Melvin Guillard adds another vicious body KO to his record. Move over Gabe Rudiger
Cut List
Jesse Forbes
Joe Brammer
Dan Lauzon
I do think Brammer has gotten a raw deal with two tough opponents in Mark Bocek and Aaron Riley. It's tough being 155 right now. And yes we will see Jesse Forbes back in the UFC again. RAGE IN THE CAGE ftw
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
What UFC 114 will look like
So when I thought about how to actually spice up my picks for 114, I thought I would find videos and links that go along with my thinking of how the fight is going to turn out. In all of the videos, the winner of the fight is who I think will win. Unfortunately no video for the Rampage/Suga Rashad fight. Oh well.
Enjoy the videos and the links!
Enjoy the videos and the links!
UFC 114
Ryan Jensen vs Jesse Forbes
Aaron Riley vs Joe Brammer
Efrain Escudero vs Dan Lauzon
Dong Hyun Stun Gun Kim vs. Amir Sadollah
Todd Duffee vs Mike Russow
Lil Nog vs. Jason Brilz
Rampage vs Suga
I think the fight will look alot like Dan Henderson vs. Rampage. Alot of stand up and Rashad will eventually go in for the takedown. Whether or not he has enough gas to get it, I don't know. I am expecting Rampage to win via decision.
Aaron Riley vs Joe Brammer
Efrain Escudero vs Dan Lauzon
Dong Hyun Stun Gun Kim vs. Amir Sadollah
Todd Duffee vs Mike Russow
Lil Nog vs. Jason Brilz
Rampage vs Suga
I think the fight will look alot like Dan Henderson vs. Rampage. Alot of stand up and Rashad will eventually go in for the takedown. Whether or not he has enough gas to get it, I don't know. I am expecting Rampage to win via decision.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Bucket List
I love the idea of a bucket list. It's a good barometer of what I want to do in my life except for being happy. I accidentally left my list in a pair of pants I washed and now I have to start all over again. I will keep updating the list on the blog. If you have your own ideas then chime in on the comments.
1. Go to a NHL game.
2. Go to every major sporting championship (Super Bowl, World Series, Finals, Daytona 500, National Championship)
3. Go to a WWE Raw
4. Go to La Jolla
5. Try a beer from every San Diego Brewery
6. Go to a live UFC
7. Publish year long project
8. Go to Vegas
9. Go to Disneyland
10. Climb a mountain
11. Watch Exit through the gift shop
1. Go to a NHL game.
2. Go to every major sporting championship (Super Bowl, World Series, Finals, Daytona 500, National Championship)
3. Go to a WWE Raw
4. Go to La Jolla
5. Try a beer from every San Diego Brewery
6. Go to a live UFC
7. Publish year long project
8. Go to Vegas
9. Go to Disneyland
10. Climb a mountain
11. Watch Exit through the gift shop
Friday, April 30, 2010
What Illusion?
What Illusion?
Today the respectable author Jonathan Snowden posted a response to Saturday’s UFC card Aldo vs. Faber. I’m going to start this off by saying I respect his thoughts as a author and wish him no ill will. It’s just that something is off in his post. I’m trying to explore the faults in his explanation. I didn’t pour over the comments on BE, I don’t have that kind of time. This is just straight from my thoughts.
First thing Snowden brings up is the gripe about Cerrone and Henderson being the co-main event. He says they aren’t high level prospects therefore they shouldn’t be in that slot. I feel Snowden is undercutting the compelling five round match-up the first fight was. They had a fight so good it was fight of the year on some sites. He also says they aren’t high level prospects. In my world, you can’t still be a prospect when you have the title. Nor can you have it when you have fought for the title before. I feel prospects are those who aren’t in the big show yet. Once they have made it they are just building their way to the title. If your in the WEC, are you really still a prospect? I mean, Anthony Pettis is a dynamite fighter. Is he still a prospect? No. Is Mighty Mouse? No. He’s made it. He now has the label of a WEC fighter. Cerrone and Henderson aren’t prospects. They are 155 pound fighters who eventually are going to merge into the UFCs 155 division according to Dana White. Some say Benson isn’t a top 10 LW fighter. So what? Rankings are subjective. They are used to incite conversation. They are just talking points for fighters in the gym and fans behind their keyboard.
Let’s look at the first fighter he mentions as part of the illusion: Carlos Condit. Carlos dominated a lot of people in WEC. The competition was no where near UFC level but hey he did what was asked of him. I can’t fault him from that. Snowden says Condit has quickly faded into the middle of pack. After only TWO fights in the UFC how can you say that? Since when did two fights track your career trajectory? Both of his fights against Kampmann and Ellenberger were razor thin close. Should Condit be punished for those close decisions? No. Kampmann once was a title contender at 185 and 170. Ellenberger has proven to be a handful for anyone at 170 and slowly making his rise in the division. Does a 1-1 record move him to the middle pack? In my opinion, no. We all knew the 170 division didn’t measure up to the best in the UFC. Should Condit’s talent and possible future achievements be hampered because of that? No.
Move on to Brian Stann and Steve Cantwell, who have fought each other three times and have had limited success in the UFC. Who knows what in the world is happening with Cantwell who had to back out of a UFC card in the past due to personal problems/injury. Stann’s losses are against a fringe guy in the “Polish Experiment” and Phil Davis who is a stud. He has always been pushed a little too hard in his stint with the WEC. He has a great story but his actual progression in MMA has been limited. What do people really expect from Brian Stann? Yes, he was a champion but he quickly lost it back to Cantwell. So what did that really say about Stann in the first place? He has marginal stand up and could beat lower level guys, but anyone with actual talent he has a slim chance against. Cantwell just slowed down and took his time picking Stann apart in their rematch. It was a workmen like win for the last stand of the 205s in the WEC. What did anyone expect of the 205 champion in the WEC? Nothing. How could you when you know that they were only facing a portion of the best in the world? I argue Stann and Cantwell were always in the middle of pack in the big picture regardless of a title. If you think any titles in the WEC above 145 mean anything, you are living in a dream world. All kinds of titles are present in MMA. What really matter though? UFC ones. Everything else is moot.
I believe it’s the WEC’s duty to make the casual fan believe that there fighters are viable challengers to the title. Each of their titleholders should be put up as invincible. What are they supposed say? In terms of 145 and 135 the best are in the WEC. Faber did have the 145 division by the balls for a couple of years and then he ran into Brown. Brown, then went on to look good against Faber twice and Leonard Garcia. When Brown lost to Aldo, we went damn, “Should Aldo who has run through people for now, not be promoted as the best in the world?“ Why does the WEC have to be humble? MTB yes was a journeyman but when was he given the actual opportunity to be the best he won the title. All of these men did. The illusion is more for hype than anything else. Anyone taking Zuffa on their word either are casual or don’t care enough to form their own thoughts about MMA.
I believe Snowden is saying we are supposed to look at the rankings to confirm the illusion. Ben Henderson isn’t (according to BE rankings) as good as Joe Stevenson, Nate Diaz or JZ Calvan. If you believe those rankings sure the illusion is there. You should ultimately feel betrayed that you are buying into Zuffa promotion. You have been told that Ben is a dominant 155 but supposedly it’s been against meager opposition. Cerrone doesn’t have the resume, right? Well, can either man get the resume in the WEC? No. Dana said it. They are going to be folded into the UFC. Plain and simple. Then we really know. But right now? It’s nice Ben has the title but even he knows that there are more people to beat outside of his promotion to be the best. Right now, the best is in the UFC. Where is the illusion? This is just real talk. Zuffa is good at selling their product. But is it inferior because they choose to promote their fighters as the best? No. Is it inferior because BE rankings say he’s not even top 10? No. Because if you stop and think about what’s really going on you know that Ben isn’t the best 155er in the world. He’s a good fighter, but he’s not the best. But he’s the best the WEC can offer. We shouldn’t punish or insult them if they try to make us believe otherwise. If you choose to adopt the illusion, that’s on you. Not Zuffa. They are doing their job and doing it well.
So if you disagree with me please know that I am female. So if you curse me, please say “SHE doesn’t know what the 5 bucks she’s talking about.”
Today the respectable author Jonathan Snowden posted a response to Saturday’s UFC card Aldo vs. Faber. I’m going to start this off by saying I respect his thoughts as a author and wish him no ill will. It’s just that something is off in his post. I’m trying to explore the faults in his explanation. I didn’t pour over the comments on BE, I don’t have that kind of time. This is just straight from my thoughts.
First thing Snowden brings up is the gripe about Cerrone and Henderson being the co-main event. He says they aren’t high level prospects therefore they shouldn’t be in that slot. I feel Snowden is undercutting the compelling five round match-up the first fight was. They had a fight so good it was fight of the year on some sites. He also says they aren’t high level prospects. In my world, you can’t still be a prospect when you have the title. Nor can you have it when you have fought for the title before. I feel prospects are those who aren’t in the big show yet. Once they have made it they are just building their way to the title. If your in the WEC, are you really still a prospect? I mean, Anthony Pettis is a dynamite fighter. Is he still a prospect? No. Is Mighty Mouse? No. He’s made it. He now has the label of a WEC fighter. Cerrone and Henderson aren’t prospects. They are 155 pound fighters who eventually are going to merge into the UFCs 155 division according to Dana White. Some say Benson isn’t a top 10 LW fighter. So what? Rankings are subjective. They are used to incite conversation. They are just talking points for fighters in the gym and fans behind their keyboard.
Let’s look at the first fighter he mentions as part of the illusion: Carlos Condit. Carlos dominated a lot of people in WEC. The competition was no where near UFC level but hey he did what was asked of him. I can’t fault him from that. Snowden says Condit has quickly faded into the middle of pack. After only TWO fights in the UFC how can you say that? Since when did two fights track your career trajectory? Both of his fights against Kampmann and Ellenberger were razor thin close. Should Condit be punished for those close decisions? No. Kampmann once was a title contender at 185 and 170. Ellenberger has proven to be a handful for anyone at 170 and slowly making his rise in the division. Does a 1-1 record move him to the middle pack? In my opinion, no. We all knew the 170 division didn’t measure up to the best in the UFC. Should Condit’s talent and possible future achievements be hampered because of that? No.
Move on to Brian Stann and Steve Cantwell, who have fought each other three times and have had limited success in the UFC. Who knows what in the world is happening with Cantwell who had to back out of a UFC card in the past due to personal problems/injury. Stann’s losses are against a fringe guy in the “Polish Experiment” and Phil Davis who is a stud. He has always been pushed a little too hard in his stint with the WEC. He has a great story but his actual progression in MMA has been limited. What do people really expect from Brian Stann? Yes, he was a champion but he quickly lost it back to Cantwell. So what did that really say about Stann in the first place? He has marginal stand up and could beat lower level guys, but anyone with actual talent he has a slim chance against. Cantwell just slowed down and took his time picking Stann apart in their rematch. It was a workmen like win for the last stand of the 205s in the WEC. What did anyone expect of the 205 champion in the WEC? Nothing. How could you when you know that they were only facing a portion of the best in the world? I argue Stann and Cantwell were always in the middle of pack in the big picture regardless of a title. If you think any titles in the WEC above 145 mean anything, you are living in a dream world. All kinds of titles are present in MMA. What really matter though? UFC ones. Everything else is moot.
I believe it’s the WEC’s duty to make the casual fan believe that there fighters are viable challengers to the title. Each of their titleholders should be put up as invincible. What are they supposed say? In terms of 145 and 135 the best are in the WEC. Faber did have the 145 division by the balls for a couple of years and then he ran into Brown. Brown, then went on to look good against Faber twice and Leonard Garcia. When Brown lost to Aldo, we went damn, “Should Aldo who has run through people for now, not be promoted as the best in the world?“ Why does the WEC have to be humble? MTB yes was a journeyman but when was he given the actual opportunity to be the best he won the title. All of these men did. The illusion is more for hype than anything else. Anyone taking Zuffa on their word either are casual or don’t care enough to form their own thoughts about MMA.
I believe Snowden is saying we are supposed to look at the rankings to confirm the illusion. Ben Henderson isn’t (according to BE rankings) as good as Joe Stevenson, Nate Diaz or JZ Calvan. If you believe those rankings sure the illusion is there. You should ultimately feel betrayed that you are buying into Zuffa promotion. You have been told that Ben is a dominant 155 but supposedly it’s been against meager opposition. Cerrone doesn’t have the resume, right? Well, can either man get the resume in the WEC? No. Dana said it. They are going to be folded into the UFC. Plain and simple. Then we really know. But right now? It’s nice Ben has the title but even he knows that there are more people to beat outside of his promotion to be the best. Right now, the best is in the UFC. Where is the illusion? This is just real talk. Zuffa is good at selling their product. But is it inferior because they choose to promote their fighters as the best? No. Is it inferior because BE rankings say he’s not even top 10? No. Because if you stop and think about what’s really going on you know that Ben isn’t the best 155er in the world. He’s a good fighter, but he’s not the best. But he’s the best the WEC can offer. We shouldn’t punish or insult them if they try to make us believe otherwise. If you choose to adopt the illusion, that’s on you. Not Zuffa. They are doing their job and doing it well.
So if you disagree with me please know that I am female. So if you curse me, please say “SHE doesn’t know what the 5 bucks she’s talking about.”
So You Want to Date a Fighter?
I feel like my blurb about being single/fighter relationship was crap. I wrote it while inebriated. I’m going to try to take a stab at this sober.
I will tackle fighter relationships first. This whole concept was brought up when I was chatting with @chaosthemonster about something funny/silly/non-MMA related. I brought up how I would never be in a relationship with a fighter. Now, when I was still in college and naïve (I am still the same way don’t worry), I thought ‘”Damn wouldn’t it be great to be with a fighter or with someone just as passionate as about MMA as I am? I would get to share the my rich thoughts about rubber guard. We could eat popcorn and drink Root Beer on the couch while watching WEC on Versus. Then I graduated, saw what the real world is like and started realizing it could be disastrous.
I watch the UFC PPV’s at a local bar and at first I looked high and low for someone to watch them with. I wanted to build a good friendship through MMA. I didn’t find anyone. Then a thought then popped in my head. “If I actually started dating anyone right now, would I want to watch the fights with them?” NO. I don’t need or really want to be with someone who watches/knows about MMA. I love to watch MMA and probably will for the rest of my life. I just don’t need my significant other to share that passion I have for the sport. It would be a little weird arguing over who is more of a dick: Tito Ortiz or Jamie Varner.
So on my checklist of the perfect guy (calm down I don’t really have one. At least one written anyway) is a box saying MMA knowledge: unnecessary. Would they get some bonus points if they knew who Keith Kizer was? Sure. Would I date a fighter though? No. I think there are several reasons for that.
1. A guy being a MMA fighter isn’t that attractive to me. If a guy dropped that he trains out at the Throwdown Center, it wouldn’t make stop and go, “Ohh. That’s hot.” This means most amateurs or wannabe fighters are out. Most guys who lead with a line like that isn’t going to be enjoying my company for long period of time anyway. Now, what if a serious professional MMA guy came up to me with that line? I would still be like, “ok.” I would go home and check their record out if I didn’t know them but still that’s not something that would get my engine going. At this point, I can’t imagine a professional fighter coming up to me and actually hitting on me since they don’t go out much anyways. Most of them stay in their social circles created inside the gym.
2. Tie Me Down by New Boyz is my theme song. Listen to the lyrics boys and girls. Live by these. I’m just kidding. Ok let’s go down this road assuming I meet someone who is doing MMA full time. It will make talking about this way easier. So, Roger Huerta comes up to me hits on me (hey it’s my scenario!), and asks me out on a date. Of course I say yes and then jump up in the air like on Anchorman when they decided they were going to go suit shopping.
What do we talk about? Oh so, hey that Clay Guida fight? Amazing. Nah. Oh so tell me more about yourself? Oh yeah I’ve already watched the countdown about your harsh beginnings. Er. So what do you like to for fun when you aren’t training would be the only acceptable question to ask him. If I don’t know the fighter then of course the conversation could flow a little more easier and be more insightful. When the conversation switches to me though, I will probably mention that MMA is a passion of mine and a significant part of my life. As this is starting to play out in my head, I see that it may not be that big of a hurdle after all. I have many more interests in life than MMA. I like to be outdoors and see cool things. I read, workout, watch TV, listen to a lot of music and pretty much up for anything. I don’t like sitting at home all the time. I am perfectly willing to go to a new place I heard by myself. Would that part of my personality of wanting to go out and do new things coincide with a fighter and their lifestyle?
3. How would I react to my dude going through a eight, or twelve week training camp? I’m pretty sure sleep would be on the top of the list every night during that time. Of course, I have a job which would keep me busy and various side projects that would occupy my time. Do I have the strength to go through the dieting, the three a day workouts, promotions? If I want to go have a drink, would I feel guilty because he can’t have one? If I wanted to go visit a friend, have a weekend in Vegas, wouldn’t it have to wait until after the fight? Now, I know he wouldn’t be tired every night and would be taking days off from training because one’s body eventually has to rest. I don’t have to go out every weekend. Date nights don’t have to be on the agenda either. On the other hand, a ton of effort would have to be put out by both parties to see each other. Would I willing to put that effort at this point in my life? Well I’m a Scorpio and we don’t do anything half assed. We are loyal to a fault. We also tend to get really strong feelings about whoever we are with and typically do anything we can to hang on anyone we care about. So I guess the answer would be yes. If I really liked that person I would want to be with them and would do anything to see them. Is that healthy or smart? I mean is dropping everything or moving everything around in my day really something I should be doing for every guy I go out with? I don’t know.
Yes, I do know their will be time when he’s not fighting. Those times will probably be pretty provided he is has good health.
4. To put it simply, how do you deal with a fighter after a loss? I find it excruciating to even bring up a loss in a interview, so how would I conjure up coherent and appropriate words that are comforting afterwards? Maybe they will come to me. Maybe they won’t. Also, could I watch someone I’m going out with lose, get their arm broken, be put to sleep, or quit? I honestly don’t know. I don‘t like too many fighters because something inside of me burns when the ones I actually do like lose. It’s not a great feeling. I can only imagine how emotional I would be if it was someone I cared about. I feel like my reaction would matter a great deal if I were to go out with a fighter. Fighters when they lose, often talk about feeling like they let people down. Honestly, when the lose, they do. I know the fan in me would be let down.
I think a important distinction needs to made here about the difference between fighter and the actual man. I wouldn’t go out with any guy just because he’s a fighter. So why would it affect me when he loses? I would be going out with the person rather than the fighter. It would suck seeing the guy I’m going out with deal with a loss, but in the end, everything would be ok wouldn’t it? I mean, he will go on living. Eventually he will get back in the gym. The order of the world would be restored. It’s much easier to move past things like losses with someone by your side. As I said before, I tend to stick by people through thick and thin. So doesn’t that mean I would date a fighter?
At the beginning of this blog, I had made my mind up about dating a fighter: No. But now at the end of this, I would. I wouldn’t make my relationship about MMA. That would be the last thing I would want to talk about. But I would be able to support and “L word” a fighter.
I will tackle fighter relationships first. This whole concept was brought up when I was chatting with @chaosthemonster about something funny/silly/non-MMA related. I brought up how I would never be in a relationship with a fighter. Now, when I was still in college and naïve (I am still the same way don’t worry), I thought ‘”Damn wouldn’t it be great to be with a fighter or with someone just as passionate as about MMA as I am? I would get to share the my rich thoughts about rubber guard. We could eat popcorn and drink Root Beer on the couch while watching WEC on Versus. Then I graduated, saw what the real world is like and started realizing it could be disastrous.
I watch the UFC PPV’s at a local bar and at first I looked high and low for someone to watch them with. I wanted to build a good friendship through MMA. I didn’t find anyone. Then a thought then popped in my head. “If I actually started dating anyone right now, would I want to watch the fights with them?” NO. I don’t need or really want to be with someone who watches/knows about MMA. I love to watch MMA and probably will for the rest of my life. I just don’t need my significant other to share that passion I have for the sport. It would be a little weird arguing over who is more of a dick: Tito Ortiz or Jamie Varner.
So on my checklist of the perfect guy (calm down I don’t really have one. At least one written anyway) is a box saying MMA knowledge: unnecessary. Would they get some bonus points if they knew who Keith Kizer was? Sure. Would I date a fighter though? No. I think there are several reasons for that.
1. A guy being a MMA fighter isn’t that attractive to me. If a guy dropped that he trains out at the Throwdown Center, it wouldn’t make stop and go, “Ohh. That’s hot.” This means most amateurs or wannabe fighters are out. Most guys who lead with a line like that isn’t going to be enjoying my company for long period of time anyway. Now, what if a serious professional MMA guy came up to me with that line? I would still be like, “ok.” I would go home and check their record out if I didn’t know them but still that’s not something that would get my engine going. At this point, I can’t imagine a professional fighter coming up to me and actually hitting on me since they don’t go out much anyways. Most of them stay in their social circles created inside the gym.
2. Tie Me Down by New Boyz is my theme song. Listen to the lyrics boys and girls. Live by these. I’m just kidding. Ok let’s go down this road assuming I meet someone who is doing MMA full time. It will make talking about this way easier. So, Roger Huerta comes up to me hits on me (hey it’s my scenario!), and asks me out on a date. Of course I say yes and then jump up in the air like on Anchorman when they decided they were going to go suit shopping.
What do we talk about? Oh so, hey that Clay Guida fight? Amazing. Nah. Oh so tell me more about yourself? Oh yeah I’ve already watched the countdown about your harsh beginnings. Er. So what do you like to for fun when you aren’t training would be the only acceptable question to ask him. If I don’t know the fighter then of course the conversation could flow a little more easier and be more insightful. When the conversation switches to me though, I will probably mention that MMA is a passion of mine and a significant part of my life. As this is starting to play out in my head, I see that it may not be that big of a hurdle after all. I have many more interests in life than MMA. I like to be outdoors and see cool things. I read, workout, watch TV, listen to a lot of music and pretty much up for anything. I don’t like sitting at home all the time. I am perfectly willing to go to a new place I heard by myself. Would that part of my personality of wanting to go out and do new things coincide with a fighter and their lifestyle?
3. How would I react to my dude going through a eight, or twelve week training camp? I’m pretty sure sleep would be on the top of the list every night during that time. Of course, I have a job which would keep me busy and various side projects that would occupy my time. Do I have the strength to go through the dieting, the three a day workouts, promotions? If I want to go have a drink, would I feel guilty because he can’t have one? If I wanted to go visit a friend, have a weekend in Vegas, wouldn’t it have to wait until after the fight? Now, I know he wouldn’t be tired every night and would be taking days off from training because one’s body eventually has to rest. I don’t have to go out every weekend. Date nights don’t have to be on the agenda either. On the other hand, a ton of effort would have to be put out by both parties to see each other. Would I willing to put that effort at this point in my life? Well I’m a Scorpio and we don’t do anything half assed. We are loyal to a fault. We also tend to get really strong feelings about whoever we are with and typically do anything we can to hang on anyone we care about. So I guess the answer would be yes. If I really liked that person I would want to be with them and would do anything to see them. Is that healthy or smart? I mean is dropping everything or moving everything around in my day really something I should be doing for every guy I go out with? I don’t know.
Yes, I do know their will be time when he’s not fighting. Those times will probably be pretty provided he is has good health.
4. To put it simply, how do you deal with a fighter after a loss? I find it excruciating to even bring up a loss in a interview, so how would I conjure up coherent and appropriate words that are comforting afterwards? Maybe they will come to me. Maybe they won’t. Also, could I watch someone I’m going out with lose, get their arm broken, be put to sleep, or quit? I honestly don’t know. I don‘t like too many fighters because something inside of me burns when the ones I actually do like lose. It’s not a great feeling. I can only imagine how emotional I would be if it was someone I cared about. I feel like my reaction would matter a great deal if I were to go out with a fighter. Fighters when they lose, often talk about feeling like they let people down. Honestly, when the lose, they do. I know the fan in me would be let down.
I think a important distinction needs to made here about the difference between fighter and the actual man. I wouldn’t go out with any guy just because he’s a fighter. So why would it affect me when he loses? I would be going out with the person rather than the fighter. It would suck seeing the guy I’m going out with deal with a loss, but in the end, everything would be ok wouldn’t it? I mean, he will go on living. Eventually he will get back in the gym. The order of the world would be restored. It’s much easier to move past things like losses with someone by your side. As I said before, I tend to stick by people through thick and thin. So doesn’t that mean I would date a fighter?
At the beginning of this blog, I had made my mind up about dating a fighter: No. But now at the end of this, I would. I wouldn’t make my relationship about MMA. That would be the last thing I would want to talk about. But I would be able to support and “L word” a fighter.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
UFC 48
I went to the bar looking forward to not having to deal with tools in Affliction shirts since no one knows what the WEC is or who those fighters actually were. I have to say this was the most annoying experience I had in the my time watching the fights. On one side of me was a group of guys who whispered more secrets to each other than two teenage girls on Harriet the Spy. The other side featured a guy who actually knew his shit, a girl who was that “rah-rah” girl who is always at the fights and a black guy who said 145 and 135 fighters shouldn’t be in the UFC nor fighting on TV. Ugh. It was like going on chat roulette. (I’ve never been on there but I’ve heard the stories. Honestly.)
Fights
I’m glad Anthony Pettis disposed of Alex Karalexis like that. I would have liked to see Karalexis’ KO face, but I’ll take his triangle one instead.
Chad Mendes finished someone. Is he still that boring ground and pound guy? I feel bad for Anthony Morrison and then I’m like “This was his one chance to fight a non ATT guy. He should have jumped all over it.”
Korean Zombie and Leonard Garcia. I didn’t score this fight. The crowd at the bar loved it. I enjoyed it like I do previews at the movies. Both guys won more fans. By the way, does Leonard Garcia get all of our respect for fighting through a broken hand? (cough Brian Bowles cough)
Antonio Banuelos vs. Scotty Jorgensen
This was my favorite fight of the night. I have to admit I was taken aback when I saw Antonio getting over on Scotty in the first round. I was thinking, “Damn. Has this guy regressed? Has the Jordan Breen hype machine got me rooting for someone who is going to lose again?" Then he came out in the second and absolutely embarrassed Antonio. He used his reach to just land pinpoint jabs and he cut the cage in half. It was really, really sexy boxing. Scotty put a lot on the line in this fight and I want to see him avenge his loss to Demacio Page. I also became a huge fan of his. Anyone who can adjust mid fight like that is always going to be a favorite of mine. IMO Antonio Banuelos will always be a gatekeeper at 135. He is well rounded but he just isn’t getting better in his career. Everyone else at 135 is and they are leaving him behind quickly.
Congratulations to Brad Pickett and Takeya Mizugaki for their UD wins. Tyler Toner thank you for finally being on JBS and winning emphatically. It’s good to finally have you in the WEC.
419 Nigerian Mail Scam vs. Team Takedown
Shane Roller did exactly what he needed to do. Very disappointing to see 419s gaping holes. MMA can be such a bitch sometimes.
Manny Gamburyan vs. Mike Thomas Brown
I didn’t give Manny any chance in this fight. I thought Mike Brown would toss him around the cage and then ground and pound him. I like how there is a new contender at 145 because it’s something Jose Aldo needs, but I’m also sad at the same time for MTB. It came out from Dana that he had a lot of personal problems and quit training for two weeks during camp. That’s not good. I’m worried about him because when he’s not 100% mentally there, he gets absolutely worked in the cage. I don’t know what it’s going to take for him to get mentally right but I hope it happens soon because he’s in the prime of his career. I would hate for him not to get back to the top because he has poor choice in women.
Cowboy vs. Smooth
Donald damn near broke my heart losing that way. That being said, Ben has a great guillotine. It’s one of the best in the game. He’s a tough match up for anyone at 155 WEC or UFC wise. It’s great to have a champion like him. Honestly though, this sets up a great fight between Varner and Cowboy. These two don’t like each other and they need to throw on the gloves and settle this like the homosexual skinheads they are.
Aldo vs. Faber
Urijah Faber got a little black in him and decided not to check leg kicks. Aldo chopped the Sacramento Kid down. It was brutal to watch. A dominating performance by one of the baddest men in the world.
I’m not going to touch the issue about the WEC brand not being built upon. Zuffa put on a damn good show. This is what Strikeforce’s April 17th show should have been like. No matter what number they pull, it was one of the best cards of the year so far.
Fights
I’m glad Anthony Pettis disposed of Alex Karalexis like that. I would have liked to see Karalexis’ KO face, but I’ll take his triangle one instead.
Chad Mendes finished someone. Is he still that boring ground and pound guy? I feel bad for Anthony Morrison and then I’m like “This was his one chance to fight a non ATT guy. He should have jumped all over it.”
Korean Zombie and Leonard Garcia. I didn’t score this fight. The crowd at the bar loved it. I enjoyed it like I do previews at the movies. Both guys won more fans. By the way, does Leonard Garcia get all of our respect for fighting through a broken hand? (cough Brian Bowles cough)
Antonio Banuelos vs. Scotty Jorgensen
This was my favorite fight of the night. I have to admit I was taken aback when I saw Antonio getting over on Scotty in the first round. I was thinking, “Damn. Has this guy regressed? Has the Jordan Breen hype machine got me rooting for someone who is going to lose again?" Then he came out in the second and absolutely embarrassed Antonio. He used his reach to just land pinpoint jabs and he cut the cage in half. It was really, really sexy boxing. Scotty put a lot on the line in this fight and I want to see him avenge his loss to Demacio Page. I also became a huge fan of his. Anyone who can adjust mid fight like that is always going to be a favorite of mine. IMO Antonio Banuelos will always be a gatekeeper at 135. He is well rounded but he just isn’t getting better in his career. Everyone else at 135 is and they are leaving him behind quickly.
Congratulations to Brad Pickett and Takeya Mizugaki for their UD wins. Tyler Toner thank you for finally being on JBS and winning emphatically. It’s good to finally have you in the WEC.
419 Nigerian Mail Scam vs. Team Takedown
Shane Roller did exactly what he needed to do. Very disappointing to see 419s gaping holes. MMA can be such a bitch sometimes.
Manny Gamburyan vs. Mike Thomas Brown
I didn’t give Manny any chance in this fight. I thought Mike Brown would toss him around the cage and then ground and pound him. I like how there is a new contender at 145 because it’s something Jose Aldo needs, but I’m also sad at the same time for MTB. It came out from Dana that he had a lot of personal problems and quit training for two weeks during camp. That’s not good. I’m worried about him because when he’s not 100% mentally there, he gets absolutely worked in the cage. I don’t know what it’s going to take for him to get mentally right but I hope it happens soon because he’s in the prime of his career. I would hate for him not to get back to the top because he has poor choice in women.
Cowboy vs. Smooth
Donald damn near broke my heart losing that way. That being said, Ben has a great guillotine. It’s one of the best in the game. He’s a tough match up for anyone at 155 WEC or UFC wise. It’s great to have a champion like him. Honestly though, this sets up a great fight between Varner and Cowboy. These two don’t like each other and they need to throw on the gloves and settle this like the homosexual skinheads they are.
Aldo vs. Faber
Urijah Faber got a little black in him and decided not to check leg kicks. Aldo chopped the Sacramento Kid down. It was brutal to watch. A dominating performance by one of the baddest men in the world.
I’m not going to touch the issue about the WEC brand not being built upon. Zuffa put on a damn good show. This is what Strikeforce’s April 17th show should have been like. No matter what number they pull, it was one of the best cards of the year so far.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
What does this song mean to me?
I think I'll break down a song from time to time and it's personal meaning to me.
Today it's Expo 86 by Death Cab for Cutie.
Sometimes i think this cycle never ends
We slide from top to bottom and we turn and climb again
And it seems by the time that i have figured what it's worth
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse.
But if i move my place in line i'll lose.
And i have waited, the anticipation's got me glued.
I am waiting for something to go wrong.
I am waiting for familiar resolve.
Sometimes it seems that i don't have the skills to recollect
The twists and turns of plots that took us from lovers to friends
I'm thinking i should take that volume back up off the shelf
And crack it's weary spine and read to help remind myself
But if i move my place in line i'll lose.
And I have waited, the anticipation's got me glued.
I am waiting for something to wrong
I am waiting for familiar resolve
I am waiting for another repeat
Another diet fed by crippling defeat
And i am waiting for that sense of relief
I am waiting for you to flee the scene
As if you held in your hand the smoking gun
And on the floor lay the one you said you loved.
And it's strange
They are basically the same
So i don't ask names anymore.
Sometimes i think this cycle never ends
We slide from top to bottom and we turn and climb again
And it seems by the time that i have figured what it's worth
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse.
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse [x2]
I do believe sometimes that I am waiting for the other shoe to drop in my life. It's a silly way to live, but I often fear the repercussions of my actions a year or two years later. Then I think I may not have that much left on this Earth, which leads to my fear of death, and the whole damn argument leaves me scared. This song has a great guitar part and always gets to me with it's great chorus part.
Like the song says though, I am waiting for that sense of relief. I know that I probably won't be able to get it living in my parents life and being a security guard. I honestly feel stuck though. Stuck in this irrelevant BS. oh well.
Today it's Expo 86 by Death Cab for Cutie.
Sometimes i think this cycle never ends
We slide from top to bottom and we turn and climb again
And it seems by the time that i have figured what it's worth
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse.
But if i move my place in line i'll lose.
And i have waited, the anticipation's got me glued.
I am waiting for something to go wrong.
I am waiting for familiar resolve.
Sometimes it seems that i don't have the skills to recollect
The twists and turns of plots that took us from lovers to friends
I'm thinking i should take that volume back up off the shelf
And crack it's weary spine and read to help remind myself
But if i move my place in line i'll lose.
And I have waited, the anticipation's got me glued.
I am waiting for something to wrong
I am waiting for familiar resolve
I am waiting for another repeat
Another diet fed by crippling defeat
And i am waiting for that sense of relief
I am waiting for you to flee the scene
As if you held in your hand the smoking gun
And on the floor lay the one you said you loved.
And it's strange
They are basically the same
So i don't ask names anymore.
Sometimes i think this cycle never ends
We slide from top to bottom and we turn and climb again
And it seems by the time that i have figured what it's worth
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse.
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse [x2]
I do believe sometimes that I am waiting for the other shoe to drop in my life. It's a silly way to live, but I often fear the repercussions of my actions a year or two years later. Then I think I may not have that much left on this Earth, which leads to my fear of death, and the whole damn argument leaves me scared. This song has a great guitar part and always gets to me with it's great chorus part.
Like the song says though, I am waiting for that sense of relief. I know that I probably won't be able to get it living in my parents life and being a security guard. I honestly feel stuck though. Stuck in this irrelevant BS. oh well.
Friday, April 23, 2010
What am I watching right now?
What am I watching right now?
Good question. I watch a lot of good and bad TV. I thought it would be interesting to start talking about what I watch and the effect it has on my life.
Right now: Lost, Treme, Justified, PParty Down and Damages
Lost:
Their is only 4 episodes left of Lost. Do I know what's going on? No. Do I care? Not necessarily. This is one of those shows that come around every five years that sucks people in. People are going to be talking about it for years to come. I have started listening to Lost podcasts which has heightened the Lost experience but ultimately has left me with little clarity. I don't know how I want the show end. I just know that on May 23rd, it will and I'll be sad.
Spoilers ahead
At this point, everything is being turned on it's head. We have a fake Locke running around. A timid Jack, and crazy Claire. This season of Lost has scaled back Jack's character alot which makes me sad. I like Jack and could always connect with him and his demons. We have all had people in our lives that have told us that we weren't good enough. Jack is a perfect example of what happens when you actually listen to that kind of shit.
Treme
David Simon, The Wire creator, has given us another drama this time about Nah Orleans. I don't know much about the the culture or how things go down there but I do know he has done a spot on job of showing us how different things are. In NO, people throw on costumes with normality, play in bands, and yes still struggle after Katrina. I know that it's three months after the hurricane, but I can still feel their despair and feelings of being out of place. I don't know what Simon plans to do on a long term basis for the show or that it's going to back for another season. While it's on though I will take performances by Bunk and Steve Zahn over David Caruso in CSI:Miami.
Justified
Plain and simple it's a western set in modern times. I can't say I have heard about Timothy Olyphant before but in this role, he does it for me. He is spot on in his portrayal of a US Marshall who still has the small town roots in him, but big city wit. It's a good hour of TV. I'm not really emotionally invested in the characters but I like the pace of the show.
Party Down
I love Paul Rudd. Anything Paul Rudd does, I'm for. So when I saw him created in creating Party Down, I was all for it. I first heard of the show through the Firewall and Iceberg podcast, and I just recently picked it up. It stars Adam Scott as a down and out waiter for a catering company. The show follows them around when they are at various gigs from a college Republicans meeting to a after party for the porn awards. Now, I will say Jane Lynch is great in this and carries the show whenever she is on screen. The lady is seriously talented but Adam Scott as the main character also does a great job. He's addicted to pain pills, a drunk, sarcastic and doesn't really give a damn about anything. It's my kind of character. I will hold off a more big picture perspective of the show until I'm done with it though.
Last
Damages
Now I am 1/4th through the first season. I've always heard great things about the show. It's a whodunnit with Glenn Close playing the head bitch. She plays her part well. I have no idea where it's headed and I definitely can't say anything about the show until I'm done with it. The way it ends will def have a huge part in my opinion about the show.
Well that's what I'm watching right now. I'll do something like this every week. I'll be either updating the shows I am watching or bring a new show to the table.
thanks
Good question. I watch a lot of good and bad TV. I thought it would be interesting to start talking about what I watch and the effect it has on my life.
Right now: Lost, Treme, Justified, PParty Down and Damages
Lost:
Their is only 4 episodes left of Lost. Do I know what's going on? No. Do I care? Not necessarily. This is one of those shows that come around every five years that sucks people in. People are going to be talking about it for years to come. I have started listening to Lost podcasts which has heightened the Lost experience but ultimately has left me with little clarity. I don't know how I want the show end. I just know that on May 23rd, it will and I'll be sad.
Spoilers ahead
At this point, everything is being turned on it's head. We have a fake Locke running around. A timid Jack, and crazy Claire. This season of Lost has scaled back Jack's character alot which makes me sad. I like Jack and could always connect with him and his demons. We have all had people in our lives that have told us that we weren't good enough. Jack is a perfect example of what happens when you actually listen to that kind of shit.
Treme
David Simon, The Wire creator, has given us another drama this time about Nah Orleans. I don't know much about the the culture or how things go down there but I do know he has done a spot on job of showing us how different things are. In NO, people throw on costumes with normality, play in bands, and yes still struggle after Katrina. I know that it's three months after the hurricane, but I can still feel their despair and feelings of being out of place. I don't know what Simon plans to do on a long term basis for the show or that it's going to back for another season. While it's on though I will take performances by Bunk and Steve Zahn over David Caruso in CSI:Miami.
Justified
Plain and simple it's a western set in modern times. I can't say I have heard about Timothy Olyphant before but in this role, he does it for me. He is spot on in his portrayal of a US Marshall who still has the small town roots in him, but big city wit. It's a good hour of TV. I'm not really emotionally invested in the characters but I like the pace of the show.
Party Down
I love Paul Rudd. Anything Paul Rudd does, I'm for. So when I saw him created in creating Party Down, I was all for it. I first heard of the show through the Firewall and Iceberg podcast, and I just recently picked it up. It stars Adam Scott as a down and out waiter for a catering company. The show follows them around when they are at various gigs from a college Republicans meeting to a after party for the porn awards. Now, I will say Jane Lynch is great in this and carries the show whenever she is on screen. The lady is seriously talented but Adam Scott as the main character also does a great job. He's addicted to pain pills, a drunk, sarcastic and doesn't really give a damn about anything. It's my kind of character. I will hold off a more big picture perspective of the show until I'm done with it though.
Last
Damages
Now I am 1/4th through the first season. I've always heard great things about the show. It's a whodunnit with Glenn Close playing the head bitch. She plays her part well. I have no idea where it's headed and I definitely can't say anything about the show until I'm done with it. The way it ends will def have a huge part in my opinion about the show.
Well that's what I'm watching right now. I'll do something like this every week. I'll be either updating the shows I am watching or bring a new show to the table.
thanks
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Domination or what happened in Nashville on April 17th
Very special thanks to Sherdog.com for the King Mo and Jake Shields pictures.
ASTRA card Yoshida's farewell
Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Michihiro Omigawa vs. Micah Miller
Ryo Chonan vs. Jung Hwan Cha
Jorge Masvidal vs. Naoyuki Kotani
Daisuke Nakamura vs. Ganjo Tentsuku
Yuya Shirai vs. Che Mills
Tatsunao Nagakura vs. Akihiko Mori
Enson Inoue vs. Antz Nansen
This is happening the same night as the WEC. I thought it was worth throwing up the fights. I'm excited to see the ever improving Micah Miller fight big competition in Omigawa.
Michihiro Omigawa vs. Micah Miller
Ryo Chonan vs. Jung Hwan Cha
Jorge Masvidal vs. Naoyuki Kotani
Daisuke Nakamura vs. Ganjo Tentsuku
Yuya Shirai vs. Che Mills
Tatsunao Nagakura vs. Akihiko Mori
Enson Inoue vs. Antz Nansen
This is happening the same night as the WEC. I thought it was worth throwing up the fights. I'm excited to see the ever improving Micah Miller fight big competition in Omigawa.
WEC 48: Good analysis in two sentences!
WEC Featherweight Championship
Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber
Is Jose Aldo faster than the speed of light?
Can Urijah Faber lose in Sacramento with that much of a push by the WEC, UFC and the city?
Verdict: Aldo way too quick for Faber. Grease Lightning to a first round TKO.
WEC Lightweight Championship
Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone
Will Ben come to wrestle or fight?
Can Donald stop a takedown in all five rounds?
Verdict: Donald will find it acceptable to fight off of his back and therefore lose the fight.
Mike Thomas Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
Does Mike Thomas Brown want to fight Manny Gamburyan?
Will Manny's shoulder pop out?
Verdict: If Brown wants to win this fight he will by beating up Manny on the feet and shrugging off those takedown attempts.
Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
Can the 419 Nigerian Mail Scam stop the takedown?
Can Shane Roller handle the explosive kicks and punches of the feet?
Verdict: I see the mail scam getting taken down to the ground and pounded on for all three rounds.
Scott Jorgensen vs. Antonio Banuelos
Scott Jorgensen is always improving in his fights as of recent.
Antonio Banuelos gets to prove that the first fight wasn't a fluke.
Verdict: Scotty J will run over Antonio and make us all forget that he lost to Antonio (supposedly) in the first fight.
Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung
Leonard Garcia has barely got by in his last few WEC fights.
Korean Zombie finally has his debut in the US.
Verdict. Zombies always win.
Anthony Pettis vs. Alex Karalexis
Anthony Pettis is a dynamic striker.
Alex Karalexis is a old UFC holdout.
Verdict: Any way Pettis feels like on the feet. Just make it pretty.
Brad Pickett vs. Demetrious Johnson
Brad Pickett trains with ATT and Mike Brown.
DJ trains with Matt Hume and is undefeated.
Verdict: DJ outworks Brad on the feet and then ground and pounds him.
Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison
Mendes took this fight on short notice
Anthony Morrison is just fighting out his WEC contract against non-ATT guys.
Verdict: Mendes by strong wrestling and top position.
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya
Mizugaki just got worked over by Scotty Jorgensen.
Yahya just got clink. clink. boomed by Joseph Benavidez
Verdict: Hm. I think Mizugaki wins the scrambles and therefore wins the fight.
Brandon Visher vs. Tyler Toner
Visher KO'd Courtney Buck into the unemployment line back at WEC 45.
Tyler Toner went over in Shoot Boxing in June of 2009 and KO'd 2006 S-Cup Champion Kenichi Ogata.
Verdict: Toner by fast hands and better movement.
Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber
Is Jose Aldo faster than the speed of light?
Can Urijah Faber lose in Sacramento with that much of a push by the WEC, UFC and the city?
Verdict: Aldo way too quick for Faber. Grease Lightning to a first round TKO.
WEC Lightweight Championship
Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone
Will Ben come to wrestle or fight?
Can Donald stop a takedown in all five rounds?
Verdict: Donald will find it acceptable to fight off of his back and therefore lose the fight.
Mike Thomas Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
Does Mike Thomas Brown want to fight Manny Gamburyan?
Will Manny's shoulder pop out?
Verdict: If Brown wants to win this fight he will by beating up Manny on the feet and shrugging off those takedown attempts.
Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
Can the 419 Nigerian Mail Scam stop the takedown?
Can Shane Roller handle the explosive kicks and punches of the feet?
Verdict: I see the mail scam getting taken down to the ground and pounded on for all three rounds.
Scott Jorgensen vs. Antonio Banuelos
Scott Jorgensen is always improving in his fights as of recent.
Antonio Banuelos gets to prove that the first fight wasn't a fluke.
Verdict: Scotty J will run over Antonio and make us all forget that he lost to Antonio (supposedly) in the first fight.
Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung
Leonard Garcia has barely got by in his last few WEC fights.
Korean Zombie finally has his debut in the US.
Verdict. Zombies always win.
Anthony Pettis vs. Alex Karalexis
Anthony Pettis is a dynamic striker.
Alex Karalexis is a old UFC holdout.
Verdict: Any way Pettis feels like on the feet. Just make it pretty.
Brad Pickett vs. Demetrious Johnson
Brad Pickett trains with ATT and Mike Brown.
DJ trains with Matt Hume and is undefeated.
Verdict: DJ outworks Brad on the feet and then ground and pounds him.
Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison
Mendes took this fight on short notice
Anthony Morrison is just fighting out his WEC contract against non-ATT guys.
Verdict: Mendes by strong wrestling and top position.
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya
Mizugaki just got worked over by Scotty Jorgensen.
Yahya just got clink. clink. boomed by Joseph Benavidez
Verdict: Hm. I think Mizugaki wins the scrambles and therefore wins the fight.
Brandon Visher vs. Tyler Toner
Visher KO'd Courtney Buck into the unemployment line back at WEC 45.
Tyler Toner went over in Shoot Boxing in June of 2009 and KO'd 2006 S-Cup Champion Kenichi Ogata.
Verdict: Toner by fast hands and better movement.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Bellator April 15th: Hopefully it doesn't get pre-empted by Stanford women's softball
Local Feature Fight Card:
Jeff Curran vs. Bryan Goldsby
Felice Herrig vs. Jessica Rakoczy
Louis Taylor vs. Ryan Sturdy
Daniel Strauss vs. Jonatas Novaes
Televised Tournament Bouts:
Ben Askren vs. Ryan Thomas
Shad Lierley vs.Wilson Reis
Mike Ricci vs. Pat Curran
Patricio “Pitbull” Freire vs. William Romero
Just a few quips about the fights
I like Curran vs Goldsby. Curran will outbox him but will have to deal with Goldsby quickness. It's a nice resume builder for both men.
Notable that former boxer Jessica Rakoczy is fighting. Throw both of the fighter's records out as they both have sub .500 records. This will Rakoczy's change to get his first win in MMA. She's a great boxer, but has had zero success in MMA so far.
We finally get to see Ben Askren in a bigger promotion against a very experienced Ryan Thomas. Thomas, who went 0-2 in the UFC and is going for his second win a row after his UFC stint.
Wilson Reis gets another shot at Featherweight glory this year and it starts against Shad Lierley. He should get the win.
Mike Ricci comes in with a lot hype coming out of GSP's camp in Montreal.
Those are my thoughts and I'm sticking to them
Jeff Curran vs. Bryan Goldsby
Felice Herrig vs. Jessica Rakoczy
Louis Taylor vs. Ryan Sturdy
Daniel Strauss vs. Jonatas Novaes
Televised Tournament Bouts:
Ben Askren vs. Ryan Thomas
Shad Lierley vs.Wilson Reis
Mike Ricci vs. Pat Curran
Patricio “Pitbull” Freire vs. William Romero
Just a few quips about the fights
I like Curran vs Goldsby. Curran will outbox him but will have to deal with Goldsby quickness. It's a nice resume builder for both men.
Notable that former boxer Jessica Rakoczy is fighting. Throw both of the fighter's records out as they both have sub .500 records. This will Rakoczy's change to get his first win in MMA. She's a great boxer, but has had zero success in MMA so far.
We finally get to see Ben Askren in a bigger promotion against a very experienced Ryan Thomas. Thomas, who went 0-2 in the UFC and is going for his second win a row after his UFC stint.
Wilson Reis gets another shot at Featherweight glory this year and it starts against Shad Lierley. He should get the win.
Mike Ricci comes in with a lot hype coming out of GSP's camp in Montreal.
Those are my thoughts and I'm sticking to them
Strikeforce Challengers 8: Night of fights with fighters that you are like "Oh yeah, they fight for Strikeforce"
A new Strikeforce: Challengers is coming to Portland on May 21st starring who else but MMA vet, Matt Lindland. A opponent hasn't been named. I have no interest in seeing him fight ever again, but I can't hate on Strikeforce trying to capitalize on the local boy. I bet you some Sportfight shit is going to be on sale at the show though.
In a another profile building fight, Tyrone Woodley takes on another local favorite in Nathan Coy. Coy, who has impressive wins against UFC vet Ricky Story and Jesse "Money" Taylor. Woodley has looked great in his last two Challengers fight and actually will face a stiff test in Coy. He is best competition Woodley will have faced in his career. I like the matchup. If Woodley wins though, he has to start fighting on Strikeforce main cards. It just has to fucking happen.
In a women's bout Kerry Vera faces Julianna Pena the last of the three local names announced. Vera ran over Kim Couture and now will be looking to add another win to her resume over the Spokane, WA product.
Overall, Strikeforce can't ask for a better Challengers card. Good job Strikeforce. You finally did something right this month.
In a another profile building fight, Tyrone Woodley takes on another local favorite in Nathan Coy. Coy, who has impressive wins against UFC vet Ricky Story and Jesse "Money" Taylor. Woodley has looked great in his last two Challengers fight and actually will face a stiff test in Coy. He is best competition Woodley will have faced in his career. I like the matchup. If Woodley wins though, he has to start fighting on Strikeforce main cards. It just has to fucking happen.
In a women's bout Kerry Vera faces Julianna Pena the last of the three local names announced. Vera ran over Kim Couture and now will be looking to add another win to her resume over the Spokane, WA product.
Overall, Strikeforce can't ask for a better Challengers card. Good job Strikeforce. You finally did something right this month.
Kenny Florian Staph
Pretty brutal but Kenny will be ok. Keith Florian talked to Sherdog.com and Greg Savage about his brothers impending surgery.
“Kenny had a bursa sac in his knee that popped and it got infected with staph,” said the younger Florian brother, “and now he has to have intravenous antibiotics and a minor surgical procedure to scoop it out tomorrow.”
If it's minor, then Kenny would still be on track to fight in Boston, which the UFC has to be hoping for. Here's to Kenny's speedy recovery.
The reason I threw this up there is that I thought this was a pretty rad picture. I'm waiting eagerly for news about Kenny because I don't want to see Gray Maynard get the title shot. I was disgusted (one of the few times in my MMA career) at his wild abandon and unpolished boxing against Nate Diaz. He embarrassed himself by not listening to his corner. Come on, Gray. Just do what you always do: smother people and then get the decision. Don't try to convince us that you are something that your not.
I do understand that Gray beat Frankie hands down in their first fight. I just don't think he's done anything extraordinary to get the shot.
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Florian-Hospitalized-With-Staph-Infection-In-Knee-23838
Doug Crosby
I just had to quickly put up this link to the madness that is Doug Crosby. He is the judge who put up a 50-45 scorecard on the Frankie Edgar/BJ Penn fight. Please read this and just bask in the idiocy of this man. This is one of the reasons MMA isn't mainstream because of guys like this being able to judge/speak.
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=forum_framed.posts&forum=1&thread=1624568&page=1
just copy and paste the link
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=forum_framed.posts&forum=1&thread=1624568&page=1
just copy and paste the link
Friday, April 9, 2010
112 Picks
Hey just a quick post of my 112 picks.
Anderson
BJ
Matt Hughes
Mr Wonderful
Jon Madsen
Matt Veach
Munoz
Etim
Gunderson
Ricky Story
DJohnson
Anderson
BJ
Matt Hughes
Mr Wonderful
Jon Madsen
Matt Veach
Munoz
Etim
Gunderson
Ricky Story
DJohnson
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
UFC Fight Night 21 Thoughts...or a little less than that
RANT: I hate having tape delayed MMA. It sucks. I live on the west coast in a beautiful city. Why should I be punished for that?
Very disappointed that Jason High lost, but he's still young and will be back.
Gerald Harris is sneakily becoming a special fighter. He beat a tough guy in Miranda tonight. Very impressed that he actually finished him.
Yushin Okami actually finishing someone is very impressive. The loss to Chael Sonnen was a wake up call for him. Linhares was the kind of opponent he needed to get back on track.
Caol Uno's return to the UFC hasn't been exciting nor has it been impressive. He went to a stalemate with Spencer Fisher (something I never expected) and he got worked a bit on the feet by Gleison Tibau and then muscled on the ground. We haven't seen Tibau be that aggressive in a while. Not a good sign for Uno's future in the UFC. Tibau was able to do what Fisher couldn't which is kind of puzzling. Fisher had the stand up to pick Uno apart but yet Tibau hit him with a big shot and worked him on the ground. Very odd.
I can't wait to see the Volkman vs Torres and Andre Winner fights. I'll hold my comments til then.
Ross Pearson looked very good. He's slowly building on his game and used fakes effectively to catch Siver off guard. Siver never could get Pearson's timing down and was pretty much helpless the whole fight. I definitely underestimated Pearson coming off of TUF. I'm sorry Ross Pearson.
I'm pretty much done with seeing Nate Quarry fight. It's just too sad now.
Big Country did what I thought he would do. He hit Struve hard. It was pretty. I know Dana hates that he wins in impressive fashion but if Nelson keeps winning he could become a huge draw. I like it. I like it alot.
The fight went exactly the way I thought it would except that Kenny actually finished Gomi. Very impressive. Kenny is a top 5 lightweight but unfortunately can't beat BJ Penn. Until then we get to see him beat up lightweights with his jab. I'm down for it. Gomi looked like he was trying to goad Kenny into something into brawling but it wasn't working. Kenny is too smart. I want to see him fight Diego Sanchez. Diego will definitely quench his thirst for a brawl.
I went 6-3 putting my total to 12-7 for the year so far...at least on the blog.
Well if you have anything interesting to tell me email me at balletofviolence@gmail.com, twitter @blackzag05, or call me....errr just leave a comment on the post. We haven't got that far in this relationship yet.
Very disappointed that Jason High lost, but he's still young and will be back.
Gerald Harris is sneakily becoming a special fighter. He beat a tough guy in Miranda tonight. Very impressed that he actually finished him.
Yushin Okami actually finishing someone is very impressive. The loss to Chael Sonnen was a wake up call for him. Linhares was the kind of opponent he needed to get back on track.
Caol Uno's return to the UFC hasn't been exciting nor has it been impressive. He went to a stalemate with Spencer Fisher (something I never expected) and he got worked a bit on the feet by Gleison Tibau and then muscled on the ground. We haven't seen Tibau be that aggressive in a while. Not a good sign for Uno's future in the UFC. Tibau was able to do what Fisher couldn't which is kind of puzzling. Fisher had the stand up to pick Uno apart but yet Tibau hit him with a big shot and worked him on the ground. Very odd.
I can't wait to see the Volkman vs Torres and Andre Winner fights. I'll hold my comments til then.
Ross Pearson looked very good. He's slowly building on his game and used fakes effectively to catch Siver off guard. Siver never could get Pearson's timing down and was pretty much helpless the whole fight. I definitely underestimated Pearson coming off of TUF. I'm sorry Ross Pearson.
I'm pretty much done with seeing Nate Quarry fight. It's just too sad now.
Big Country did what I thought he would do. He hit Struve hard. It was pretty. I know Dana hates that he wins in impressive fashion but if Nelson keeps winning he could become a huge draw. I like it. I like it alot.
The fight went exactly the way I thought it would except that Kenny actually finished Gomi. Very impressive. Kenny is a top 5 lightweight but unfortunately can't beat BJ Penn. Until then we get to see him beat up lightweights with his jab. I'm down for it. Gomi looked like he was trying to goad Kenny into something into brawling but it wasn't working. Kenny is too smart. I want to see him fight Diego Sanchez. Diego will definitely quench his thirst for a brawl.
I went 6-3 putting my total to 12-7 for the year so far...at least on the blog.
Well if you have anything interesting to tell me email me at balletofviolence@gmail.com, twitter @blackzag05, or call me....errr just leave a comment on the post. We haven't got that far in this relationship yet.
Monday, March 29, 2010
UFC Fight Night 21 Picks
Well the MMA Madness ends with a very sneaky and one of the more underrated UFC Fight Nights in a while. If you want a overlooking theme to the night, go check out Sherdog.com or MMAWeekly.com.
Mario Miranda vs Gerald Harris
This fight is much closer than I expected to be. Miranda, as former Brazilian wrestling hopeful is going to against TUF vet Gerald Harris. Harris who didn't make the UFC after TUF, rattled off seven wins before getting the call to face John Salter in Virginia at Fight Night 20. He got the win, in a slow moving fight and now faces undefeated Miranda. I've peeped some of Miranda's fights and I was impressed by his ability to get the fight on the ground and finish. Both men are equal in the wrestling department in my opinion. I don't though think their wrestling will cancel each other out and they will stand. I think it will hit the ground and Miranda will get the submission. Very hard fight to pick though.
MIRANDA BY SUBMISSION
Charlie Brenneman vs Jason High
Disclaimer: I like Jason High the person and the fighter. So I'm not going to pick this fight. That's not saying anything bad, it's just I can't be objective about this one fight. I think Jason is going to win, but I want to win which makes picking pointless.
Jacob Volkman vs. Ronys Torres
Last time we saw both of these fighters, they were on the losing end. Volkman, who has had no favors thrown to him by facing Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann in his first two UFC fights, faces Nova Uniao product Ronys Torres. Torres gassed against Melvin Guillard at UFC 109 and now has a chance at redemption. This is actually a really good matchup for both since Volkman is a wrestler and Torres is a ground specialist. I see Torres being able to get Volkman on the ground and submitting him though.
TORRES BY SUBMISSION ROUND TWO
Caol Uno vs. Gleison Tibau
We all know what Tibau is going to: take Uno down. Uno won't be able to stop it. Too bad. I like Uno too.
TIBAU BY DECISION
Yushin Okami vs. Lucio Linhares
Okami will be a handful for Linhares to deal with on the feet and in the clinch. It will be nice to see Okami getting back to his winning ways especially after a change in training.
OKAMI VIA DECISION
Robert Emerson vs Nik Lentz
How has Emerson managed to stick around all this time? A very crafty and heavy handed Emerson goes against Minnesotan Nik Lentz. Emerson has the power to KO Lentz. If he was smart he would just stand up with him. Lentz on the other hands wants to take it to the ground and finish. I think if Emerson tries to do what he did against Nover, this will be a very boring fight. If he tries to knock him out, I think he will succeed.
A DRAW
Andrew Winner vs Rafaello Oliveira
Winner looked great against one dimensional Roli Delgado. He showed really polished boxing en route to a knock out win. I see Winner really putting it on Oliveira stand up wise and hurting him pretty bad. Ross Pearson tried his hardest to put Winner on his back and couldn't so I don't see Oliveira being able to do the same. Winner has great takedown defense.
WINNER VIA 2ND ROUND STOPPAGE
Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver
Pearson put it on Aaron Riley at UFC 105. Very impressive. Siver rattled off three wins last year and looks to take the TUF winner. I can't get that performance Pearson had against Riley out of my head. Siver has his hands full.
PEARSON VIA DECISION
Nate Quarry vs Jorge Rivera
Two old men going at it. Nate has enough power to stop Jorge in what should be a sloppy, somewhat entertaining fight.
NATE QUARRY VIA 3RD TKO
Roy Nelson vs Stefan Struve
I see this fight going like this, "straight jab and hook from Nelson. Struve goes down faster than one of the girls next door."
NELSON VIA ROUND ONE TKO
Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi
This fight earlier in KFLO's career could have sent him on a different path. Right now is the perfect time to fight a declining Gomi. Florian is just way too polished for Gomi especially on the feet. If he finishes Gomi it would fucking impressive.
FLORIAN VIA DECISION
all right that's it folks...
email me hate at balletofviolence@gmail.com and you can find me on twitter at @blackzag05!
Mario Miranda vs Gerald Harris
This fight is much closer than I expected to be. Miranda, as former Brazilian wrestling hopeful is going to against TUF vet Gerald Harris. Harris who didn't make the UFC after TUF, rattled off seven wins before getting the call to face John Salter in Virginia at Fight Night 20. He got the win, in a slow moving fight and now faces undefeated Miranda. I've peeped some of Miranda's fights and I was impressed by his ability to get the fight on the ground and finish. Both men are equal in the wrestling department in my opinion. I don't though think their wrestling will cancel each other out and they will stand. I think it will hit the ground and Miranda will get the submission. Very hard fight to pick though.
MIRANDA BY SUBMISSION
Charlie Brenneman vs Jason High
Disclaimer: I like Jason High the person and the fighter. So I'm not going to pick this fight. That's not saying anything bad, it's just I can't be objective about this one fight. I think Jason is going to win, but I want to win which makes picking pointless.
Jacob Volkman vs. Ronys Torres
Last time we saw both of these fighters, they were on the losing end. Volkman, who has had no favors thrown to him by facing Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann in his first two UFC fights, faces Nova Uniao product Ronys Torres. Torres gassed against Melvin Guillard at UFC 109 and now has a chance at redemption. This is actually a really good matchup for both since Volkman is a wrestler and Torres is a ground specialist. I see Torres being able to get Volkman on the ground and submitting him though.
TORRES BY SUBMISSION ROUND TWO
Caol Uno vs. Gleison Tibau
We all know what Tibau is going to: take Uno down. Uno won't be able to stop it. Too bad. I like Uno too.
TIBAU BY DECISION
Yushin Okami vs. Lucio Linhares
Okami will be a handful for Linhares to deal with on the feet and in the clinch. It will be nice to see Okami getting back to his winning ways especially after a change in training.
OKAMI VIA DECISION
Robert Emerson vs Nik Lentz
How has Emerson managed to stick around all this time? A very crafty and heavy handed Emerson goes against Minnesotan Nik Lentz. Emerson has the power to KO Lentz. If he was smart he would just stand up with him. Lentz on the other hands wants to take it to the ground and finish. I think if Emerson tries to do what he did against Nover, this will be a very boring fight. If he tries to knock him out, I think he will succeed.
A DRAW
Andrew Winner vs Rafaello Oliveira
Winner looked great against one dimensional Roli Delgado. He showed really polished boxing en route to a knock out win. I see Winner really putting it on Oliveira stand up wise and hurting him pretty bad. Ross Pearson tried his hardest to put Winner on his back and couldn't so I don't see Oliveira being able to do the same. Winner has great takedown defense.
WINNER VIA 2ND ROUND STOPPAGE
Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver
Pearson put it on Aaron Riley at UFC 105. Very impressive. Siver rattled off three wins last year and looks to take the TUF winner. I can't get that performance Pearson had against Riley out of my head. Siver has his hands full.
PEARSON VIA DECISION
Nate Quarry vs Jorge Rivera
Two old men going at it. Nate has enough power to stop Jorge in what should be a sloppy, somewhat entertaining fight.
NATE QUARRY VIA 3RD TKO
Roy Nelson vs Stefan Struve
I see this fight going like this, "straight jab and hook from Nelson. Struve goes down faster than one of the girls next door."
NELSON VIA ROUND ONE TKO
Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi
This fight earlier in KFLO's career could have sent him on a different path. Right now is the perfect time to fight a declining Gomi. Florian is just way too polished for Gomi especially on the feet. If he finishes Gomi it would fucking impressive.
FLORIAN VIA DECISION
all right that's it folks...
email me hate at balletofviolence@gmail.com and you can find me on twitter at @blackzag05!
111 impressions and a bit about Strikeforce Challengers
Well I went 6-4 for the night. Bleh.
I was disappointed in Matt Brown's performance. Brown has made great progress and started to show signs of being better than advertised especially with his win against James Wilks. He had to know that Ricardo was just going to double leg him to death. Why he didn't have a better answer to that strategy than running straight at him with punches, I will never know. Ricardo on the other hand did gas in the second but was able to finish Brown once he immediately got him on the ground. I don't know how far he gets at 170 with a one round gas tank.
Nate Diaz did exactly what he needed to against Rory. He looked a teeny bit bigger in his frame but Rory outsized him by a lot on fight night. If Nate continues to fight at 170 he's going to almost always look across the cage at bigger guys. Rory can't hack it anymore in the UFC which is sad. The game is progressing a lot faster now and just being one-dimensional isn't cutting it anymore. This fight doesn't make it excited to see Nate fight again at 170 but it does get him back on the winning track.
Palhares deserved his suspension. He held on way too long. End of story.
I scored Miller vs. Bocek as a draw. The first went to Miller, second to Bocek and then the third obviously as a draw. Neither guy did anything offensively to gain my scorecard in the round. Bocek on the ground is def a force at 155. He had Miller in a beautiful arm trap in the second. He obviously slowed down in the 3rd but he was a serious test for Miller. It's obvious Miller still needs time to groom before he takes that next big step at 155.
Jon Fitch did what he does. Wins.
Batman's tenacity got him the win against Camoes. I don't know if this moves him from gatekeeper to mid-level guy but he did look very good in his transitions from the feet to the ground and the during scrambles.
I was duped into thinking Mir had actually grown as a MMA fighter. He really hasn't. His chin isn't that great along with his actual clinch work. He's not able to move quickly with the extra weight, which was the problem against Carwin. Carwin manhandled him and now is going to fight Brock in July. The right man won. Now we can wait until next year for a Brock vs Mir rubber match. Thank God.
GSP dominated Dan Hardy. He didn't finish him, but who cares? The man is the best 170er on the planet and also top two pound for pound.
Those waiting for my thoughts on Showtime: Challengers, here they are:
I have none. Mediocre fights. That's pretty much it.
Until next time, don't forget to make your UFC Fight Night Bets!
I was disappointed in Matt Brown's performance. Brown has made great progress and started to show signs of being better than advertised especially with his win against James Wilks. He had to know that Ricardo was just going to double leg him to death. Why he didn't have a better answer to that strategy than running straight at him with punches, I will never know. Ricardo on the other hand did gas in the second but was able to finish Brown once he immediately got him on the ground. I don't know how far he gets at 170 with a one round gas tank.
Nate Diaz did exactly what he needed to against Rory. He looked a teeny bit bigger in his frame but Rory outsized him by a lot on fight night. If Nate continues to fight at 170 he's going to almost always look across the cage at bigger guys. Rory can't hack it anymore in the UFC which is sad. The game is progressing a lot faster now and just being one-dimensional isn't cutting it anymore. This fight doesn't make it excited to see Nate fight again at 170 but it does get him back on the winning track.
Palhares deserved his suspension. He held on way too long. End of story.
I scored Miller vs. Bocek as a draw. The first went to Miller, second to Bocek and then the third obviously as a draw. Neither guy did anything offensively to gain my scorecard in the round. Bocek on the ground is def a force at 155. He had Miller in a beautiful arm trap in the second. He obviously slowed down in the 3rd but he was a serious test for Miller. It's obvious Miller still needs time to groom before he takes that next big step at 155.
Jon Fitch did what he does. Wins.
Batman's tenacity got him the win against Camoes. I don't know if this moves him from gatekeeper to mid-level guy but he did look very good in his transitions from the feet to the ground and the during scrambles.
I was duped into thinking Mir had actually grown as a MMA fighter. He really hasn't. His chin isn't that great along with his actual clinch work. He's not able to move quickly with the extra weight, which was the problem against Carwin. Carwin manhandled him and now is going to fight Brock in July. The right man won. Now we can wait until next year for a Brock vs Mir rubber match. Thank God.
GSP dominated Dan Hardy. He didn't finish him, but who cares? The man is the best 170er on the planet and also top two pound for pound.
Those waiting for my thoughts on Showtime: Challengers, here they are:
I have none. Mediocre fights. That's pretty much it.
Until next time, don't forget to make your UFC Fight Night Bets!
Friday, March 26, 2010
111 Picks
Matt Riddle vs. Greg Soto
Riddle is one of the many TUF vets I find myself saying “Really? He’s still in the UFC?” I’m not going to rag on him like Jordan Breen does against George Roop. I last remember seeing Riddle fight for the first time against Dante Rivera in the TUF 7 finale. He’s a good wrestler who is on the fourth fight of his career. He’s a lucky SOB for being able to progress in his entire career in the UFC. But don’t think he will last long if he loses to Kurt Pelligrino student Greg Soto. I will plead the fifth on knowing anything about Soto. I think Riddle will have enough wrestling and stand up to grind out a boring decision.
30-27 Riddle
PS Soto and Riddle will probably be starting off the night and with Soto being the local guy I’m stoked to see how those crazy SOBs react to a local boy.
Rousimar Palhares vs. Tomasz Drwal
I just want to start this off by saying I didn’t know Drwal had any other skills other being able to “stand and bang.” ugh. Let’s get rid of that moniker please! That being said. I am tempted to go two different ways in this fight. Drwal has KO power and Palhares has the skill on the ground to submit a lot of people at 185. Palhares couldn’t deal with Dan Henderson power and tried to bait him to the ground the whole fight. It didn’t work and he lost. I see this fight going the exact same way. Drwal will be able to land shots standing and get a takedown or two scoring points and the win.
Drwal Round Three TKO stoppage
Rodney Wallace vs. Jared Hamman
The Sho Nuff Master (I won’t call him by his name ever) shouldn’t be at 205. He’s too short, but he has a incredible build and style. He wants to get his opponents on the ground and either submit them or grind them out. He showed a vastly improved ground game in the 8 man tournanment in Aruba en route to winning the whole damn thing. Jared Hamman is a EliteXC/Strikeforce Challengers guy that will always go for the exciting fight. He lost to up and comer Alexander Gustaffsson in brutal fashion at 105. He’s going to get worked by the clinch game of the Sho Nuff Master most of the fight. Hamman will want to brawl with him but the Sho Nuff Master should be smart enough to avoid and submit him
Sho Nuff by 1st Round Sub
Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
Nate’s debut at 170 is against journeyman and owner of one of my favorite Kos ever Rory Markham. Nate went up to 170 after putting on a mediocre performance against Gray Maynard. I thought Nate put a ton of punches on Gray (like his brother) but just didn’t have anything of significant power to win the fight. Nate’s problem at 155 was getting taken down at will by wrestlers. He is willing to fight off his back but if he can’t get the sub, he’s basically screwed. Unfortunately, he will face more of the same at 70. Guys at 170 has great wrestling and can really put it on anyone when they get on top. Nate has nothing to worry about along those lines with Rory. Rory does have heavy hands but Nate has a good chine. I think Nate will drop Rory in the second and get him in a guillotine for the win.
Nate via sub Round Two
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
Another joining Nate at 170 is BJJ Black Belt Ricardo Almeida. Ricardo in as a 185er and looked rather unimpressive throughout his run there. Now he comes in against a stiff test in the ever improving Matt Brown. Brown looked great against TUF winner James Wilks and is always a guy overlooked by fans and the media. He probably still one of the most underrated guys to come out of TUF. I think Brown can tag Almeida on the feet and won’t get caught up in Almeida’s ground game.
The Immortal 30-27
Kurt Pelligrino vs. Fabricio Camoes
Gatekeeper Kurt Pelligrino goes against Camoes in a fight moved up to the main card. I expect a boring 3rd round decision for Kurt
Batman 29-28
Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek
Jim Miller has looked great in his last few fights. This however is his first true test against a black belt in Bocek. Bocek is pretty transparent with his gameplan: Get his opponent down on the ground and submit. I think this fight will about scrambles and Miller will win those.
Miler via decision 30-27
Jon Fitch vs. Ben Saunders.
Jake Ellenberger stepped aside so Jon Fitch could take on Ben Saunders. Thiago Alves was found to have a brain irregularity and was pulled. I wish for his speedy recovery. Ben was already prepared to take on a great wrestler and now he just faces a better wrestler with a iron chin. It doesn’t look good for Ben but if he’s able to work the jab and stay off the fence, he could frustrate Fitch with his reach. I will play it safe though and choose Fitch.
Fitch 30-27
Mir vs. Carwin
Carwin has been out for year while Mir has done what is necessary to get the third fight with Brock. I don’t’ care that he has put on 25 extra pounds. I don’t care that he wants Brock to die. The only real question in this fight is about stand up. Carwin has a marginal chin after being almost stopped by Gabriel Gonzaga. Mir’s stand up has come along but hasn’t impressed me since he KO’d a guy with his hands at his waist in Kongo. I think Carwin needs to put pressure on Mir on the feet and try to make this a stand up battle. If he finds angles on the feet, he could pick Mir apart. I don’t think that will happen though and we will see Mir pick up the win.
Mir by 1st round Sub
GSP vs. Hardy
GSP will win this by a double and ground and pound. That’s it. Hardy does have power but GSP isn’t stupid enough to fall into a slug fest. GSP stops Hardy in the 3rd
I’m not going to be long winded just because this is the main event. It’s that damn simple.
Riddle is one of the many TUF vets I find myself saying “Really? He’s still in the UFC?” I’m not going to rag on him like Jordan Breen does against George Roop. I last remember seeing Riddle fight for the first time against Dante Rivera in the TUF 7 finale. He’s a good wrestler who is on the fourth fight of his career. He’s a lucky SOB for being able to progress in his entire career in the UFC. But don’t think he will last long if he loses to Kurt Pelligrino student Greg Soto. I will plead the fifth on knowing anything about Soto. I think Riddle will have enough wrestling and stand up to grind out a boring decision.
30-27 Riddle
PS Soto and Riddle will probably be starting off the night and with Soto being the local guy I’m stoked to see how those crazy SOBs react to a local boy.
Rousimar Palhares vs. Tomasz Drwal
I just want to start this off by saying I didn’t know Drwal had any other skills other being able to “stand and bang.” ugh. Let’s get rid of that moniker please! That being said. I am tempted to go two different ways in this fight. Drwal has KO power and Palhares has the skill on the ground to submit a lot of people at 185. Palhares couldn’t deal with Dan Henderson power and tried to bait him to the ground the whole fight. It didn’t work and he lost. I see this fight going the exact same way. Drwal will be able to land shots standing and get a takedown or two scoring points and the win.
Drwal Round Three TKO stoppage
Rodney Wallace vs. Jared Hamman
The Sho Nuff Master (I won’t call him by his name ever) shouldn’t be at 205. He’s too short, but he has a incredible build and style. He wants to get his opponents on the ground and either submit them or grind them out. He showed a vastly improved ground game in the 8 man tournanment in Aruba en route to winning the whole damn thing. Jared Hamman is a EliteXC/Strikeforce Challengers guy that will always go for the exciting fight. He lost to up and comer Alexander Gustaffsson in brutal fashion at 105. He’s going to get worked by the clinch game of the Sho Nuff Master most of the fight. Hamman will want to brawl with him but the Sho Nuff Master should be smart enough to avoid and submit him
Sho Nuff by 1st Round Sub
Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
Nate’s debut at 170 is against journeyman and owner of one of my favorite Kos ever Rory Markham. Nate went up to 170 after putting on a mediocre performance against Gray Maynard. I thought Nate put a ton of punches on Gray (like his brother) but just didn’t have anything of significant power to win the fight. Nate’s problem at 155 was getting taken down at will by wrestlers. He is willing to fight off his back but if he can’t get the sub, he’s basically screwed. Unfortunately, he will face more of the same at 70. Guys at 170 has great wrestling and can really put it on anyone when they get on top. Nate has nothing to worry about along those lines with Rory. Rory does have heavy hands but Nate has a good chine. I think Nate will drop Rory in the second and get him in a guillotine for the win.
Nate via sub Round Two
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
Another joining Nate at 170 is BJJ Black Belt Ricardo Almeida. Ricardo in as a 185er and looked rather unimpressive throughout his run there. Now he comes in against a stiff test in the ever improving Matt Brown. Brown looked great against TUF winner James Wilks and is always a guy overlooked by fans and the media. He probably still one of the most underrated guys to come out of TUF. I think Brown can tag Almeida on the feet and won’t get caught up in Almeida’s ground game.
The Immortal 30-27
Kurt Pelligrino vs. Fabricio Camoes
Gatekeeper Kurt Pelligrino goes against Camoes in a fight moved up to the main card. I expect a boring 3rd round decision for Kurt
Batman 29-28
Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek
Jim Miller has looked great in his last few fights. This however is his first true test against a black belt in Bocek. Bocek is pretty transparent with his gameplan: Get his opponent down on the ground and submit. I think this fight will about scrambles and Miller will win those.
Miler via decision 30-27
Jon Fitch vs. Ben Saunders.
Jake Ellenberger stepped aside so Jon Fitch could take on Ben Saunders. Thiago Alves was found to have a brain irregularity and was pulled. I wish for his speedy recovery. Ben was already prepared to take on a great wrestler and now he just faces a better wrestler with a iron chin. It doesn’t look good for Ben but if he’s able to work the jab and stay off the fence, he could frustrate Fitch with his reach. I will play it safe though and choose Fitch.
Fitch 30-27
Mir vs. Carwin
Carwin has been out for year while Mir has done what is necessary to get the third fight with Brock. I don’t’ care that he has put on 25 extra pounds. I don’t care that he wants Brock to die. The only real question in this fight is about stand up. Carwin has a marginal chin after being almost stopped by Gabriel Gonzaga. Mir’s stand up has come along but hasn’t impressed me since he KO’d a guy with his hands at his waist in Kongo. I think Carwin needs to put pressure on Mir on the feet and try to make this a stand up battle. If he finds angles on the feet, he could pick Mir apart. I don’t think that will happen though and we will see Mir pick up the win.
Mir by 1st round Sub
GSP vs. Hardy
GSP will win this by a double and ground and pound. That’s it. Hardy does have power but GSP isn’t stupid enough to fall into a slug fest. GSP stops Hardy in the 3rd
I’m not going to be long winded just because this is the main event. It’s that damn simple.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Little by Little: The Best DamnBreakdown of UFC on Versus 1
So we have at least 15 fights in three days. It will be crazy. It will be epic. Let's just remember to mute the commentary on each UFC show. It will make your experience dynamic and explosive.
I will be breaking down two fights a day for UFC on Versus 1.
The first two are:
Julio Paulino vs. Mike Pierce
Eric Schafer vs. Jason Brilz
Julio Paulino steps in for Rob Kimmons as a late replacement against the "stop me" style of Mike Pierce. Paulino is a Alaskan Fighting Championship journeyman, holding the Middleweight title in the promotion. Pierce is the white Antonio McKee. He has a style that isn't visually pleasing, but it's effective. Jon Fitch was a able to out wrestle him and punish him on the ground for another mind-blowing decision. It's real simple. Paulino is going to come out swinging and Pierce is going to clinch and lock him down.
Mike Pierce UD
Eric Schafer vs Jason Brilz
I tried to watch Eric fight again and I remember why I'm not a huge fan of his. His takedowns are ugly and he also will be held down by a bigger, stronger guy. Jason Brilz is that guy. He has decent stand-up which he could catch Schafer with and should be able to shake off his takedowns.
Easy win for Jason Brilz via 2nd TKO stoppage.
I will be breaking down two fights a day for UFC on Versus 1.
The first two are:
Julio Paulino vs. Mike Pierce
Eric Schafer vs. Jason Brilz
Julio Paulino steps in for Rob Kimmons as a late replacement against the "stop me" style of Mike Pierce. Paulino is a Alaskan Fighting Championship journeyman, holding the Middleweight title in the promotion. Pierce is the white Antonio McKee. He has a style that isn't visually pleasing, but it's effective. Jon Fitch was a able to out wrestle him and punish him on the ground for another mind-blowing decision. It's real simple. Paulino is going to come out swinging and Pierce is going to clinch and lock him down.
Mike Pierce UD
Eric Schafer vs Jason Brilz
I tried to watch Eric fight again and I remember why I'm not a huge fan of his. His takedowns are ugly and he also will be held down by a bigger, stronger guy. Jason Brilz is that guy. He has decent stand-up which he could catch Schafer with and should be able to shake off his takedowns.
Easy win for Jason Brilz via 2nd TKO stoppage.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Mountain Man
For a guy that has only been fighting professionally for a year and half, Jessie Riggleman (8-0) is on the fast track in MMA. He is WEC bound after beating Bryan Goldsby in the last Respect is Earned card in Virginia. Unfortunately, his win was surrounded in controversy. In the first round of the fight, Riggleman was using knees in the clinch effectively while Goldsby was landing clean shots on the feet. Ultimately, Riggleman ended up on top winning the round. The remaining rounds were back and forth but Riggleman was the clear winner in a 29-28 decision. Unfortunately, the judges screwed it up and declared Goldsby as the winner by split decision. Riggleman then left the cage in shock. Right before the next fight started, they brought both men back out and announced that it was a unanimous draw, again to the ire of Riggleman. Finally, Riggleman got back into the cage after it was discovered one judge had his name on the wrong side of the card, which gave Goldsby the round. Instead of focusing on what was a great win against a Goldsby, who was been hailed by Shonie Carter (who was doing play by play) as the next great WEC prospect, Riggleman has to deal with questions not about his fight career, but about how badly the judges screwed up that night.
Regardless, Riggleman is moving on and focusing on the next phase in his career: a possible drop to flyweight. The WEC has plans to adopt the division in early 2011. Riggleman says he feels “much bigger than other flyweight fighters” but he also has no problem fighting at bantamweight as he did against Goldsby. At either weight, he is looking to use the Muay Thai clinch to get the win. “It’s very important in my game. If I can put the guy against the cage and control him with ties, I can wear him out faster.”
Riggleman’s rise in the sport has been fast but with an undefeated record and a progressive camp in the MMA Institute, he will either be fighting for the title in the local promotion, UWC or in the WEC by the end of the year.
Riggleman would like to give a big thanks to my sponsor Kimura wear and to all my training partners and trainers at the best school in Virginia, MMA Institute! Check them out at http://www.Kimurawear.com and http://www.MMAinstitute.com
Regardless, Riggleman is moving on and focusing on the next phase in his career: a possible drop to flyweight. The WEC has plans to adopt the division in early 2011. Riggleman says he feels “much bigger than other flyweight fighters” but he also has no problem fighting at bantamweight as he did against Goldsby. At either weight, he is looking to use the Muay Thai clinch to get the win. “It’s very important in my game. If I can put the guy against the cage and control him with ties, I can wear him out faster.”
Riggleman’s rise in the sport has been fast but with an undefeated record and a progressive camp in the MMA Institute, he will either be fighting for the title in the local promotion, UWC or in the WEC by the end of the year.
Riggleman would like to give a big thanks to my sponsor Kimura wear and to all my training partners and trainers at the best school in Virginia, MMA Institute! Check them out at http://www.Kimurawear.com and http://www.MMAinstitute.com
WEC 47 Thoughts and Ramblings
Ricardo Lamas' recent win against Bendy Casimir shows his growth as a LW prospect. After being thought of as just a wrestler, Lamas is starting to put together effective strikes with his tenacious wrestling. He is on the rise in the shallow WEC LW division.
Sweet GIF of the KO
http://urdirt.com/2010/03/09/wec-47-quick-gifs-ricardo-lamas-kos-bendy-casimir-mouthpiece-with-flying-knee/
Roop vs. Garcia wasn’t the fight of the night. Torres vs. Benavidez was. The point deduction was deserved since Roop was warned once. I had the fight scored 29-27 Roop. Neither are getting cut so I looked forward to seeing more improvement by Roop and the swinging Garcia.
Pettis has dynamic striking and can really put together offense on the feet. Castillo got caught. It happens. It’s good see both get on the broadcast and Pettis’ first win in the WEC even after dropping the controversial loss to "Bartimus".
Chad George took a bad shot and got caught in a nasty guillotine. Enough said. This should be a warning to all fighters. You can’t afford to take bad shots in MMA. Sharpen up your game.
Darabedyan was working Bart but Bart used good hips to catch him in a armbar. It was another technical mistake similar to Dany Lauzon against Cole Miller. It was good to see Bart get a finish for the second time in his WEC career.
I felt Miguel Torres forgot that it was only a three round fight. He had a slow pace which helped the aggressive Benavidez. With a 11 inch reach, Miguel should have jabbed Joe to death. He didn’t. Instead he ate shots and then got bum rushed on the ground. Getting submitted by a textbook guillotine was shocking, but it showed great improvement for not only Joseph but all the Team Alpha Male guys. Joe actually came with a game plan and submitted the WEC’s poster boy. Miguel has to go back the drawing and maybe even needs a lesser opponent to get all the rust of his game.
Cruz vs. Bowles
I’m not going to touch the “Bowles quit” conversation. I’m just going to talk about Cruz’s ability to slip, bob, weave and feint past Brian Bowles punches. He put on a clinic:how to be fluid and smooth on the feet. It’s probably the most put together stand up I’ve seen since Anderson put a hurting on Forrest. Cruz is going to be a great champion. I don’t want to see him and Joseph Benavidez rematch yet. I’d rather him and Scott Jorgensen throw down. Yes, Jorgensen is still developing but hot damn so is Cruz. I don’t think Cruz has truly peaked which is scary. The 135ers are just now starting to get some parody and that will be something WEC can bank on in the future.
Sweet GIF of the KO
http://urdirt.com/2010/03/09/wec-47-quick-gifs-ricardo-lamas-kos-bendy-casimir-mouthpiece-with-flying-knee/
Roop vs. Garcia wasn’t the fight of the night. Torres vs. Benavidez was. The point deduction was deserved since Roop was warned once. I had the fight scored 29-27 Roop. Neither are getting cut so I looked forward to seeing more improvement by Roop and the swinging Garcia.
Pettis has dynamic striking and can really put together offense on the feet. Castillo got caught. It happens. It’s good see both get on the broadcast and Pettis’ first win in the WEC even after dropping the controversial loss to "Bartimus".
Chad George took a bad shot and got caught in a nasty guillotine. Enough said. This should be a warning to all fighters. You can’t afford to take bad shots in MMA. Sharpen up your game.
Darabedyan was working Bart but Bart used good hips to catch him in a armbar. It was another technical mistake similar to Dany Lauzon against Cole Miller. It was good to see Bart get a finish for the second time in his WEC career.
I felt Miguel Torres forgot that it was only a three round fight. He had a slow pace which helped the aggressive Benavidez. With a 11 inch reach, Miguel should have jabbed Joe to death. He didn’t. Instead he ate shots and then got bum rushed on the ground. Getting submitted by a textbook guillotine was shocking, but it showed great improvement for not only Joseph but all the Team Alpha Male guys. Joe actually came with a game plan and submitted the WEC’s poster boy. Miguel has to go back the drawing and maybe even needs a lesser opponent to get all the rust of his game.
Cruz vs. Bowles
I’m not going to touch the “Bowles quit” conversation. I’m just going to talk about Cruz’s ability to slip, bob, weave and feint past Brian Bowles punches. He put on a clinic:how to be fluid and smooth on the feet. It’s probably the most put together stand up I’ve seen since Anderson put a hurting on Forrest. Cruz is going to be a great champion. I don’t want to see him and Joseph Benavidez rematch yet. I’d rather him and Scott Jorgensen throw down. Yes, Jorgensen is still developing but hot damn so is Cruz. I don’t think Cruz has truly peaked which is scary. The 135ers are just now starting to get some parody and that will be something WEC can bank on in the future.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Northwest MMA
The Northwest fight scene has been known for producing fighters who initially come into the sport as tough, hard nosed wrestlers. Most of those wrestlers start training up at Team Quest in Oregon. Led by Matt Lindland, some of the best talent trains there starting with the new number one Middleweight contender and possible Oregon State Representative Chael Sonnen. He put on a masterful performance against Nate Marquardt at UFC 109. He smothered him with takedowns and pounded on him for three rounds earning himself a unanimous decision win. More interestingly is how marketable he has become. He has made boisterous claims about the current MW champ Anderson Silva speaking perfect English and that he has only fought bums. He’s also called him a bully who he is going to stand up to and beat. Whether Anderson wins or loses at UFC 112, these two are going to fight in the future. With the recent change in the MW title bout at UFC 112, Sonnen could also be facing a familiar foe in Demian Maia if Maia pulls out the win. He embarrassed Sonnen on the ground en route to a triangle choke win at UFC 95.
Another up and comer out of Team Quest is WEC lightweight Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen. He lost the first fight of his career at WEC 46 to Kamal Shalorus in a primarily stand up bout. Once he works on his stand up, he will become a force to be reckon with along with his wrestling.
The local promotion in Oregon is called Sportfight and is run by the aforementioned Matt Lindland. They are running their twenty-seventh card on March 12, which will have a mixture of amateur and professional fights. Two intriguing fighters on this card are Colt Toombs and Nathan Coy. Toombs, who is the son of famous WWE wrestler Roddy “Rowdy” Piper will fight for the second time as a pro. He lost his debut at the Tachi Place Fights in February and will be looking to come back against local Roy Bradshaw. Second is the Welterweight title fight between Team Quest product Nathan Coy and Sikjitsu fighter Travis Bush. Nathan Coy is 7-2 with wins over UFC veterans Ricky Story and Mike Pierce. A win over a tough local guy in Bush could get him in the UFC very soon.
In Idaho, high profile fighters come from the Combat Fitness gym in Boise, Idaho. Scott Jorgensen is a top 135 prospect who is coming off a win against recent title contender Takaya Mizugaki. He has shown great improvement since his first fight against Damacio Page in the WEC. He showed polished boxing and clinch work against a very game Mizugaki. His next fight is against Chad George at WEC 47. It’s another opportunity for him to work on his skills and get one step closer to fighting the winner of Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz in the summer.
Washington is a tale of two sides. On the west side of the state their are two main camps located in the capital Olympia and the bustling city of Seattle. In Kirkland, AMC Pankration is turning out top prospects under Matt Hume. Hume, who trains current UFC fighters Matt Brown and Rich Franklin has two prospects who are up and coming: Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Caros "The Future" Fodor. Johnson started training at a AMC gym in Auburn, WA after being signed up by UFC and IFL vet Reese Andy. He then moved to the original AMC in Kirkland and fell under Matt Hume’s tutelage. He is currently 9-0 and coming off a impressive head kick KO win against Combat Fitness product Jesse Brock.
Fedor on the other hand started out kickboxing in Greenalke, WA and wound up wanting to compete. He was told AMC was the place to be and has won six straight fights by submission since. Both fighters agree with the reputation that fighters in the Northwest are tough. Johnson attributed this to have a well run amateur system in the state, which few states actually have.
Bryan Caraway (14-4) is also a interesting prospect who came up through SportFight shows and fights out of Olympia, WA. He trains out of Victory Athletics which is headed by UFC vet Dennis Hallman along with Brad Blackburn and Miesha Tate. He lost his WEC debut versus veteran Mark Hominick. He was lured easily into being swept while on top of Hominick and feel swiftly into a triangle. He had to pull out of his fight at WEC 47 against Fredson Paixao on March 6 due to a injury.
Finally, on the east side of the state in Spokane is Sikjitsu. Lyle Beerbohm, the self proclaimed trainer in the gym and aspiring fighter is the most established prospect. He is undefeated at 13-0 and a tough guy to deal with at 170. He fights at a fast pace the whole time and adopts the same strategy as Urijah Faber: win the scrambles. His last win was in a local show in Spokane but before that he won against talented kick boxer Duane “Bang” Ludwig. He has fought on the undercards of Strikeforce: Challengers cards but has never seen garnered any significant TV time inside the promotion. With his amazing story of being a recovering meth addict, he is going to either be stuck in Strikeforce’s lame duck of a business model or will hopefully be headed to the UFC or even the ever growing Bellator.
Another up and comer out of Team Quest is WEC lightweight Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen. He lost the first fight of his career at WEC 46 to Kamal Shalorus in a primarily stand up bout. Once he works on his stand up, he will become a force to be reckon with along with his wrestling.
The local promotion in Oregon is called Sportfight and is run by the aforementioned Matt Lindland. They are running their twenty-seventh card on March 12, which will have a mixture of amateur and professional fights. Two intriguing fighters on this card are Colt Toombs and Nathan Coy. Toombs, who is the son of famous WWE wrestler Roddy “Rowdy” Piper will fight for the second time as a pro. He lost his debut at the Tachi Place Fights in February and will be looking to come back against local Roy Bradshaw. Second is the Welterweight title fight between Team Quest product Nathan Coy and Sikjitsu fighter Travis Bush. Nathan Coy is 7-2 with wins over UFC veterans Ricky Story and Mike Pierce. A win over a tough local guy in Bush could get him in the UFC very soon.
In Idaho, high profile fighters come from the Combat Fitness gym in Boise, Idaho. Scott Jorgensen is a top 135 prospect who is coming off a win against recent title contender Takaya Mizugaki. He has shown great improvement since his first fight against Damacio Page in the WEC. He showed polished boxing and clinch work against a very game Mizugaki. His next fight is against Chad George at WEC 47. It’s another opportunity for him to work on his skills and get one step closer to fighting the winner of Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz in the summer.
Washington is a tale of two sides. On the west side of the state their are two main camps located in the capital Olympia and the bustling city of Seattle. In Kirkland, AMC Pankration is turning out top prospects under Matt Hume. Hume, who trains current UFC fighters Matt Brown and Rich Franklin has two prospects who are up and coming: Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Caros "The Future" Fodor. Johnson started training at a AMC gym in Auburn, WA after being signed up by UFC and IFL vet Reese Andy. He then moved to the original AMC in Kirkland and fell under Matt Hume’s tutelage. He is currently 9-0 and coming off a impressive head kick KO win against Combat Fitness product Jesse Brock.
Fedor on the other hand started out kickboxing in Greenalke, WA and wound up wanting to compete. He was told AMC was the place to be and has won six straight fights by submission since. Both fighters agree with the reputation that fighters in the Northwest are tough. Johnson attributed this to have a well run amateur system in the state, which few states actually have.
Bryan Caraway (14-4) is also a interesting prospect who came up through SportFight shows and fights out of Olympia, WA. He trains out of Victory Athletics which is headed by UFC vet Dennis Hallman along with Brad Blackburn and Miesha Tate. He lost his WEC debut versus veteran Mark Hominick. He was lured easily into being swept while on top of Hominick and feel swiftly into a triangle. He had to pull out of his fight at WEC 47 against Fredson Paixao on March 6 due to a injury.
Finally, on the east side of the state in Spokane is Sikjitsu. Lyle Beerbohm, the self proclaimed trainer in the gym and aspiring fighter is the most established prospect. He is undefeated at 13-0 and a tough guy to deal with at 170. He fights at a fast pace the whole time and adopts the same strategy as Urijah Faber: win the scrambles. His last win was in a local show in Spokane but before that he won against talented kick boxer Duane “Bang” Ludwig. He has fought on the undercards of Strikeforce: Challengers cards but has never seen garnered any significant TV time inside the promotion. With his amazing story of being a recovering meth addict, he is going to either be stuck in Strikeforce’s lame duck of a business model or will hopefully be headed to the UFC or even the ever growing Bellator.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Five Quick Jabs
I have been really bad about updating the blog but I am back on the grind now as @ACCbiggz would say on Twitter.
I am going to start a new thing called 5 Quick Jabs. It will highlight five top stories the blogs and websites are talking about in MMA. I hope you enjoy!
1. Bellator Sets Up Initial Featherweight Tournament Match-ups
April 8
Joe Warren vs John Eric Marriott
Georgi Karakhanyan vs Bao Quach
April 15
Wilson Reis vs Shad Lierley
Patricio Freire vs William Romero
The highly anticipated Featherweight tournament will kick off April 8th in Hollywood, Florida with two quarterfinal fights featuring two heavy favorites against two underdogs.
Joe Warren, exploded on the MMA scene in 2009 with two highly improbable wins against two of MMA's best in Chase Beebe and Kid Yamamoto in the DREAM Featherweight tournament. Warren a TRUE world class wrestler, was then submitted in the finals by the highly respectable Bibiano Fernandes with a armbar in the opening round. His opponent John Eric Marriott is on a nine win streak, and has probably been one of the most active fighters in 2009. I will admit I do not know much about Marriott but it's going to be tough for any of the featherweights in this tournament to wrestle with Warren. But anyone with prowess on the ground like Marriott (half of his wins are by submission) can submit the very raw but talented Warren.
Georgi Karakhanyan is also carrying in a win streak (eight) against seasoned veteran Bao Quach. My initial thoughts are that it's Quach's fight to lose. To me, Quach has always been the sort of guy who beats most guys, except for WEC quality talent. I have Bao as a favorite, but he is known to be a slow starter in fights giving Karakhanyan a shot.
On April 15 the rest of the bracket will be filled out with Wilson Reis vs. Shad Lierley and Patricio Freire vs William Romero.
Reis, who lost in the semifinals in last year's Bellator Featherweight tourney goes against IFL vet Shad Lierley. Lierley said to MMAfighting.com that he's going to show how much he has grown. Well, he will definitely get a chance to do that against a very experienced Reis. I will still put Reis as a slight favorite because of his propensity to grind out wins.
Patricio "Pitbull" is a undefeated Blackhouse product that will go against Canadian prospect Will Romero. I think Pitbull will be able to finish the up and comer in my eyes just because I think his experience and the gym he trains with gets him a win against the Canadian paratropper.
2. The CSAC gets a new leader
George Dodd is the lucky SOB who gets to pick up the mess that Armando Garcia left behind. I'm not even going to take any of his promises or goals seriously because he needs to focus on the problems left behind rather than trying to implement anything new. Problem number one: Make sure fighters from Team Bodyshop get paid for their fights. It's terrible.
3. Challengers 6 card is finalized
On Feburary 26 we will get another card from Strikeforce which will give us only five fights one of which is a title fight for the Womens Welterweight title (the name makes no sense, but fuck it. It's Strikeforce. They don't plan ahead for anything).
* Takayo Hashi vs. Sarah Kaufman (Title Fight)
* Karl Amoussou vs. Trevor Prangley
* Paul Bradley vs. Luke Rockhold
* Tarec Saffiedine vs. James Terry
* Raul Castillo vs. Yancy Medeiros
I'm excited for any kind of MMA. The winner of Kaufman/Hashi will be looking at facing the winner of the 135 tournament later on in the year and we get to see if Trevor Prangley has anything left in the gas tank. A interesting under the radar fight is Bradley vs Rockhold. Rockhold has been a staple of Challenger's cards and a win over Bradley could send him right onto a Strikeforce main card in the future.
2.UFC 110 Main Card analysis
Cro Cop went lightly on Perosh, showing that he still can beat up unprepared fighters.
Bader hit the glass chin of Jardine after Jardine was actually winning the fight. Bader still has cardio problems but it's a good win for him.
Sotiropoulos definitely has to start fighting upper level guys and I think Mac Danzig should be in his future.
Bisping tried to make us think he had power in his hands. Right...either way, it's time for Bisping to re-evaluate somethings going on in his camp. Is the Wolfslair's good for him? I just feel like he needs a new stand up coach. Yes, he did improve his movement but his defensive boxing is still pretty bad. Wandy will continue to fight guys who could make their name off of him. A bout against Drew McFederies would make me a bit warm inside.
Cain is the man to beat in the UFC Heavyweight division. I feel like if Carwin wins against Mir at 111, he should get the shot but if Mir wins, Mir should have to face Cain. I don't want to see Mir/Lesnar III every July.
1. Mir wants Brock to die; Apology coming
Supposedly, Jim Rome the resident "Look at me. I have a show and can call out people whenever I want" person at ESPN talked about Mir's comments. Now, people said Mir is out of line and shouldn't say that he wants to kill him in the Octagon. My take: Who cares? Does anyone think this is not said at local King of the Cage fights or Ring of Fire shows? BJ Penn said he was going to make GSP "see God," when he faced GSP, but no one cared enough to make a big deal about it. Mir is obsessed with Brock and doesn't like him. This isn't news. The word "kill" is the only news here.
I am going to start a new thing called 5 Quick Jabs. It will highlight five top stories the blogs and websites are talking about in MMA. I hope you enjoy!
1. Bellator Sets Up Initial Featherweight Tournament Match-ups
April 8
Joe Warren vs John Eric Marriott
Georgi Karakhanyan vs Bao Quach
April 15
Wilson Reis vs Shad Lierley
Patricio Freire vs William Romero
The highly anticipated Featherweight tournament will kick off April 8th in Hollywood, Florida with two quarterfinal fights featuring two heavy favorites against two underdogs.
Joe Warren, exploded on the MMA scene in 2009 with two highly improbable wins against two of MMA's best in Chase Beebe and Kid Yamamoto in the DREAM Featherweight tournament. Warren a TRUE world class wrestler, was then submitted in the finals by the highly respectable Bibiano Fernandes with a armbar in the opening round. His opponent John Eric Marriott is on a nine win streak, and has probably been one of the most active fighters in 2009. I will admit I do not know much about Marriott but it's going to be tough for any of the featherweights in this tournament to wrestle with Warren. But anyone with prowess on the ground like Marriott (half of his wins are by submission) can submit the very raw but talented Warren.
Georgi Karakhanyan is also carrying in a win streak (eight) against seasoned veteran Bao Quach. My initial thoughts are that it's Quach's fight to lose. To me, Quach has always been the sort of guy who beats most guys, except for WEC quality talent. I have Bao as a favorite, but he is known to be a slow starter in fights giving Karakhanyan a shot.
On April 15 the rest of the bracket will be filled out with Wilson Reis vs. Shad Lierley and Patricio Freire vs William Romero.
Reis, who lost in the semifinals in last year's Bellator Featherweight tourney goes against IFL vet Shad Lierley. Lierley said to MMAfighting.com that he's going to show how much he has grown. Well, he will definitely get a chance to do that against a very experienced Reis. I will still put Reis as a slight favorite because of his propensity to grind out wins.
Patricio "Pitbull" is a undefeated Blackhouse product that will go against Canadian prospect Will Romero. I think Pitbull will be able to finish the up and comer in my eyes just because I think his experience and the gym he trains with gets him a win against the Canadian paratropper.
2. The CSAC gets a new leader
George Dodd is the lucky SOB who gets to pick up the mess that Armando Garcia left behind. I'm not even going to take any of his promises or goals seriously because he needs to focus on the problems left behind rather than trying to implement anything new. Problem number one: Make sure fighters from Team Bodyshop get paid for their fights. It's terrible.
3. Challengers 6 card is finalized
On Feburary 26 we will get another card from Strikeforce which will give us only five fights one of which is a title fight for the Womens Welterweight title (the name makes no sense, but fuck it. It's Strikeforce. They don't plan ahead for anything).
* Takayo Hashi vs. Sarah Kaufman (Title Fight)
* Karl Amoussou vs. Trevor Prangley
* Paul Bradley vs. Luke Rockhold
* Tarec Saffiedine vs. James Terry
* Raul Castillo vs. Yancy Medeiros
I'm excited for any kind of MMA. The winner of Kaufman/Hashi will be looking at facing the winner of the 135 tournament later on in the year and we get to see if Trevor Prangley has anything left in the gas tank. A interesting under the radar fight is Bradley vs Rockhold. Rockhold has been a staple of Challenger's cards and a win over Bradley could send him right onto a Strikeforce main card in the future.
2.UFC 110 Main Card analysis
Cro Cop went lightly on Perosh, showing that he still can beat up unprepared fighters.
Bader hit the glass chin of Jardine after Jardine was actually winning the fight. Bader still has cardio problems but it's a good win for him.
Sotiropoulos definitely has to start fighting upper level guys and I think Mac Danzig should be in his future.
Bisping tried to make us think he had power in his hands. Right...either way, it's time for Bisping to re-evaluate somethings going on in his camp. Is the Wolfslair's good for him? I just feel like he needs a new stand up coach. Yes, he did improve his movement but his defensive boxing is still pretty bad. Wandy will continue to fight guys who could make their name off of him. A bout against Drew McFederies would make me a bit warm inside.
Cain is the man to beat in the UFC Heavyweight division. I feel like if Carwin wins against Mir at 111, he should get the shot but if Mir wins, Mir should have to face Cain. I don't want to see Mir/Lesnar III every July.
1. Mir wants Brock to die; Apology coming
Supposedly, Jim Rome the resident "Look at me. I have a show and can call out people whenever I want" person at ESPN talked about Mir's comments. Now, people said Mir is out of line and shouldn't say that he wants to kill him in the Octagon. My take: Who cares? Does anyone think this is not said at local King of the Cage fights or Ring of Fire shows? BJ Penn said he was going to make GSP "see God," when he faced GSP, but no one cared enough to make a big deal about it. Mir is obsessed with Brock and doesn't like him. This isn't news. The word "kill" is the only news here.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Kyle Dietz Interview
After a disappointing loss in his debut bout in the WEC Kyle 'K-Deezy' Dietz looks to rebound against the experienced Brad Pickett. "In my first WEC fight, I felt overwhelmed and I came out too gung ho. My adrenaline was up and down. Now that I've experienced that, I am going to come out more focused for this fight." Pickett is a wily veteran from the UK and a veteran of the Cage Rage promotions. When asked why he took this fight, Dietz said, "I think this is a good fight for me to test myself and see where I am at in my career." After training at Pat Miletich's in Iowa, he followed ex-Miletich and UFC fighter Spencer Fisher to his gym, Evolution MMA. "It's a great team. I have a great camp. I trained a lot with Drew Mcfederies on my standup and he has pushed me a lot to get better." When asked how he fits into the WEC bantamweight division, K-Deezy acknowledged he knows the top people are better than he is but he would hang with them just fine. "I haven't peaked yet and I still have a lot to learn. I'm still a sponge who is has a lot to learn in this sport." Even though he it is early in his career, a win over a well-rounded Pickett Dec 19th will get him one step closer to being a top guy in the WEC bantamweight division.
Sean "The Destroyer" Loeffler
Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler has three motivations for fighting: His daughter who he has not seen in four years, beating the shit out of people (always a good one in my opinion) and last but not least, to be known as a great fighter and a top coach. His motivations so far have landed him a 24-4 record and a position rarely held in MMA: in control.
At five years old, Sean began training martial arts and like many people saw the first UFC in his teenage years. It inspired him to start training BJJ at the local Gracie academy. He then started training for MMA soon after and for the past three years has been training in Hermosa Beach and at the Compound in Oceanside, CA. After winning three fights in a row in local promotions, “The Destroyer” is weighing his options. When I asked him why he just does not jump into Strikeforce and UFC (especially with the recent rash of injuries) a confident Loeffler said, "I'm intelligent. I know what is and is not good for me. I am always in good shape. I do not want to go into the UFC and lose two fights because I know I will be done. I want to be relevant. I know the hard work I put in will pay off. I'm trying to be smart." Since his debut in 2000, he has grown from being a person with a lot of power and KO wins, into someone who submitting people left and right. “I feel like I am now a more well-rounded fighter. I’m good in all aspects.”
He is a currently getting UFC vet Krystof "The Polish Experiment" Sosynski ready for his war against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 110. He also worked on an independent film called "War Von Haust" about the life of a fighter. It is now in the hands of a major production company to develop into a full-length feature. "It was a fun experience and has given me some more exposure which is nice," says the independent film star. He also teaches classes at his local gym. "I would love to pass on technique to the up and comers. I get a lot of gratification out of teaching classes. I feel like I can live vicariously through them long after my career is done."
Sean would like to thank his sponsors Wicked Kingdom Fight Gear who is making affordable MMA clothing for the masses this year at a great price, ShipShape.net Apparel, and Nutrition Zone.
At five years old, Sean began training martial arts and like many people saw the first UFC in his teenage years. It inspired him to start training BJJ at the local Gracie academy. He then started training for MMA soon after and for the past three years has been training in Hermosa Beach and at the Compound in Oceanside, CA. After winning three fights in a row in local promotions, “The Destroyer” is weighing his options. When I asked him why he just does not jump into Strikeforce and UFC (especially with the recent rash of injuries) a confident Loeffler said, "I'm intelligent. I know what is and is not good for me. I am always in good shape. I do not want to go into the UFC and lose two fights because I know I will be done. I want to be relevant. I know the hard work I put in will pay off. I'm trying to be smart." Since his debut in 2000, he has grown from being a person with a lot of power and KO wins, into someone who submitting people left and right. “I feel like I am now a more well-rounded fighter. I’m good in all aspects.”
He is a currently getting UFC vet Krystof "The Polish Experiment" Sosynski ready for his war against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 110. He also worked on an independent film called "War Von Haust" about the life of a fighter. It is now in the hands of a major production company to develop into a full-length feature. "It was a fun experience and has given me some more exposure which is nice," says the independent film star. He also teaches classes at his local gym. "I would love to pass on technique to the up and comers. I get a lot of gratification out of teaching classes. I feel like I can live vicariously through them long after my career is done."
Sean would like to thank his sponsors Wicked Kingdom Fight Gear who is making affordable MMA clothing for the masses this year at a great price, ShipShape.net Apparel, and Nutrition Zone.
State of Women's MMA
With promotions in Japan and the US, it would seem as if the female MMA world is splintered. In Japan, all the talent is in the lighter weight classes. (135 and below) The best women’s fighter in the world is the still relatively unknown and undefeated Megumi Fuji. In the US, this honor is bestowed on Gina Carano, whose good looks and charm makes her one of the most marketable commodities Strikeforce posses. Japan is ahead of the US in producing female talent and female based MMA shows. Unfortunately, the biggest promotion in the US, the UFC does not display any of this talent. Strikeforce has capitalized on their lack of interest by putting on fights in the 135 and 145 divisions. They hope to create more stars when they eventually put on a 135-pound tournament. To gain a full perspective of the current state of women’s MMA we have to look at the how female’s MMA is progressing (or not) in both the US and Japan.
Strikeforce: Two women sharing the top of the mountain, the others climbing
It is very interesting that two women share the top of the mountain in Strikeforce both for very different reasons. One spot is held by Cris ‘Cyborg’ Santos the current 145 champion. She beat the “face of women’s MMA” Gina Carano by TKO stoppage in the first round in August. Her aggressive style along with her propensity to throw an exorbitant amount of punches overwhelmed the under trained and overexposed Carano. Cyborg’s next fight will be this month in Miami against Dutch star Marloes Coenen for the 145 strap. While Cyborg is more talented than arguably anyone in the 145 division is, she does not have the marketability Carano possesses. She is not a fluent English speaker, which makes it difficult for her connect with any of the casual fans who do not know anything about her except she has a muscular, so-called intimidating physique.
Carano, who has been described as funny, sweet, humble and more importantly to the 18-34 demographic, hot, holds the other spot on the mountain. She however held a lot of responsibility on her shoulders before her fight with Cyborg. She was forced to do even more media than usual, which she admitted hindered her ability to train. This showed in the fight where she seemed content to just stand in front of Cyborg and hit repeatedly. She has taken time off from fighting to do movies, but Strikeforce does expect her to be back later this year. We will see if she rededicates herself to fighting and getting a win, unlike her movie star counterpart Cung Le.
Marloes Coenen, the newest addition to the Strikeforce 145 division is a Dutch fighter from the world-renowned camp, Golden Glory. She debuted stateside in November avenging her loss to Roxanne Modaferri with an armbar win. Coenen has fought exclusively overseas in various Dutch and Japanese promotions. She is well rounded and the best opponent Cyborg has faced in her career so far.
As mentioned above Strikeforce is going to put on a tournament in the 135 division to crown their new bantamweight champion. One of the front-runners is Kerry Vera, who fought on a recent Strikeforce: Challengers card against Kim Couture. Kim Couture, former wife of Captain America Randy Couture, was overmatched and showed up to get a paycheck. Kerry dominated her on the feet on and won via TKO stoppage in the first round. She is talented on the feet and an interesting prospect that could turn out to be the next star in women’s MMA. An interesting wild card could be Tara LaRosa, who has been fighting at her natural weight class, 125 for a bit. She has one of the best ground games in women’s MMA and would be a favorite to win the tournament.
UFC: Not doing any favors
The UFC plays a huge part in women’s MMA because they have not chose to put on any fights. Dana White has been quoted, as saying there is not enough talent or depth to put on consistent fights in the women’s division. Whether or not he is right, the UFC could help women’s MMA explode if they started highlighting their fights. Even putting these talented athletes on a Fight Night card would help the division gain more exposure than a Strikeforce: Challengers card could ever do.
Japan: The land of the forgotten
Megumi Fujii is considered the top ranked women’s MMA fighter in the world. She is undefeated and having trouble finding fights because of her prowess to just tap people at will. She has been fighting on and off in JEWEL and Shooto card’s for the past year. A trip stateside is unlikely with her weight being around 115, so she is stuck in MMA purgatory until promotions expands their wants to more than just two weight classes.
Strikeforce: Two women sharing the top of the mountain, the others climbing
It is very interesting that two women share the top of the mountain in Strikeforce both for very different reasons. One spot is held by Cris ‘Cyborg’ Santos the current 145 champion. She beat the “face of women’s MMA” Gina Carano by TKO stoppage in the first round in August. Her aggressive style along with her propensity to throw an exorbitant amount of punches overwhelmed the under trained and overexposed Carano. Cyborg’s next fight will be this month in Miami against Dutch star Marloes Coenen for the 145 strap. While Cyborg is more talented than arguably anyone in the 145 division is, she does not have the marketability Carano possesses. She is not a fluent English speaker, which makes it difficult for her connect with any of the casual fans who do not know anything about her except she has a muscular, so-called intimidating physique.
Carano, who has been described as funny, sweet, humble and more importantly to the 18-34 demographic, hot, holds the other spot on the mountain. She however held a lot of responsibility on her shoulders before her fight with Cyborg. She was forced to do even more media than usual, which she admitted hindered her ability to train. This showed in the fight where she seemed content to just stand in front of Cyborg and hit repeatedly. She has taken time off from fighting to do movies, but Strikeforce does expect her to be back later this year. We will see if she rededicates herself to fighting and getting a win, unlike her movie star counterpart Cung Le.
Marloes Coenen, the newest addition to the Strikeforce 145 division is a Dutch fighter from the world-renowned camp, Golden Glory. She debuted stateside in November avenging her loss to Roxanne Modaferri with an armbar win. Coenen has fought exclusively overseas in various Dutch and Japanese promotions. She is well rounded and the best opponent Cyborg has faced in her career so far.
As mentioned above Strikeforce is going to put on a tournament in the 135 division to crown their new bantamweight champion. One of the front-runners is Kerry Vera, who fought on a recent Strikeforce: Challengers card against Kim Couture. Kim Couture, former wife of Captain America Randy Couture, was overmatched and showed up to get a paycheck. Kerry dominated her on the feet on and won via TKO stoppage in the first round. She is talented on the feet and an interesting prospect that could turn out to be the next star in women’s MMA. An interesting wild card could be Tara LaRosa, who has been fighting at her natural weight class, 125 for a bit. She has one of the best ground games in women’s MMA and would be a favorite to win the tournament.
UFC: Not doing any favors
The UFC plays a huge part in women’s MMA because they have not chose to put on any fights. Dana White has been quoted, as saying there is not enough talent or depth to put on consistent fights in the women’s division. Whether or not he is right, the UFC could help women’s MMA explode if they started highlighting their fights. Even putting these talented athletes on a Fight Night card would help the division gain more exposure than a Strikeforce: Challengers card could ever do.
Japan: The land of the forgotten
Megumi Fujii is considered the top ranked women’s MMA fighter in the world. She is undefeated and having trouble finding fights because of her prowess to just tap people at will. She has been fighting on and off in JEWEL and Shooto card’s for the past year. A trip stateside is unlikely with her weight being around 115, so she is stuck in MMA purgatory until promotions expands their wants to more than just two weight classes.
Who Am I?
Well, I figured I would introduce myself to the three people who actually read this. My name is Anyaa Carter I am female, 22, and a recent college graduate. I went to Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. I graduated with a BA in Criminal Justice. I am now working to pay off loans in San Diego, CA.
So what's my MMA background? I am a TUF fan. TUF got me into this sport. Well, TUF helped my progression in the sport. At the time, I was in my junior year of high school and on the wrestling team.(I wasn't good at all)I remember turning to Fox Sports Net and seeing Chuck Liddell Tito Ortiz II. I was hooked. I was amazed that Chuck had actually said "I'm going to knock him out" and that he actually DID. He's my favorite fighter and the guy who got me into this sport. Yes, he's over the hill but he's still a legend and a big draw for the casual fans.
So with that being said, what can you expect to see on this blog?
Interviews with fighters
Reviews of the fights
Brief rundowns of the stories of the day in MMA
Enjoy!
So what's my MMA background? I am a TUF fan. TUF got me into this sport. Well, TUF helped my progression in the sport. At the time, I was in my junior year of high school and on the wrestling team.(I wasn't good at all)I remember turning to Fox Sports Net and seeing Chuck Liddell Tito Ortiz II. I was hooked. I was amazed that Chuck had actually said "I'm going to knock him out" and that he actually DID. He's my favorite fighter and the guy who got me into this sport. Yes, he's over the hill but he's still a legend and a big draw for the casual fans.
So with that being said, what can you expect to see on this blog?
Interviews with fighters
Reviews of the fights
Brief rundowns of the stories of the day in MMA
Enjoy!
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