MMA Crossfire (as in "controversy, debate, etc.")

Anderson Silva vs.... Several Interesting Possibilities

2010-04-20T13:42:00.007-04:00

Anderson Silva, UFC middleweight champion, has spoiled his last three title defenses by dancing, prancing and making a fool of himself in the Octagon. A little bit of antics isn't bad, and sometimes is quite entertaining. Round after boring round of such silliness gets very old very quickly.

Some say that Anderson Silva is simply bored. I agree. If he's had enough spare time inside of fights to physically tire himself out with antics (and that's what happened at UFC 112), then he's certainly bored. He needs an opponent who will bring out his inner warrior and make for a compelling match.

Before I get to my list, I want to point out that the UFC is equally to blame for Silva's crappy fights. C'mon. Maia? Yes, Damian Maia is a jits legend. But against Anderson Silva... especially after the Thales Leites/UFC 97 debacle?!

Okay, here's my list:

Cheick Kongo -- Must I elaborate?! It's a perfect match.
James Toney -- He's a pure boxer, he just signed with the UFC, and he's looking for a compelling match. It's a perfect fight. Silva was aching to fight a pure boxing match with Mayweather. Here's the next best thing. Inside the Octagon!
Georges St. Pierre -- This is a no-brainer, assuming either GSP moved up to middleweight, or Silva moved down to welterweight.
Jon "Bones" Jones -- "Bones" is young and still relatively untested, yet, without question, he is a star on the rise. He made easy work of Stephen Bonnar, Matt Hamill and Brandon Vera. Isn't it time the UFC gave him a tough test?
Vitor Belfort -- No, I didn't forget about Belfort! I think Vitor is the only real competition for Anderson in the middleweight division. Other middleweights are relative cans.

And there you have my top five list of compelling fights for Anderson Silva.

No Time Like the Present... or Just No Time

2009-08-08T16:13:00.010-04:00

I wasn't planning on posting an entry, since I've essentially abandoned this blog for real life. However, I left comments on another MMA blog site, realizing my old MMACrossfire blog URL was in the URL field of the comments. Oops! Wasn't intentional, as I'd intended for this blog to fade into oblivion. I simply don't have time to maintain it. My daughter is with me full-time now, and my life is rather full. I don't have time to write predictions, and even less time to regurgitate news you can find on other sites. All I have to offer are opinions. As it turns out, the original purpose of blogs was to publish opinions! Imagine that. So, perhaps I won't abandon this blog after all.

The post in question was an article on MMAMania.com regarding and eventual bout between Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones Junior. The reality is: Jones isn't merely a legend. He's an enigma. Not since Ali or Sugar Ray has there been a boxer with such unorthodox creativity in the ring. I agree with many who say that even a 40-something Jones could out-box a spritely-by-comparison Anderson Silva. I would most certainly watch such a fight. But I'd expect Anderson Silva to be handed a defeat at the hands of the master.

I hope Anderson Silva does, in fact, begin his boxing career following his UFC career. If that's his passion, by all means I think he needs to follow it. Whether he excels at boxing is another matter. But I hope he pursues it with gusto, nonetheless.

The World the Way it Used to Be

2008-11-24T20:10:00.006-05:00

I have been VERY lax in keeping up with this blog. That's because I have been VERY busy. Hopefully I will get back to making predictions for upcoming events.

A Long, Long Time Ago...
Once upon a time, Randy Couture was the crafty veteran who would outsmart the new bully in town, Brock Lesnar. And... we all know how it turned out. 2nd round TKO victory for Lesnar, and the end of Couture's reign as UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Randy Couture is still a top-10 heavyweight. Nobody disputes this, at least as far as I know. He got caught, and the rest is history. It was a great fight up till that moment, though. Randy was doing really well. Lesnar simply did better.

And what about that Brock Lesnar? "Wrastling" phenom turned mixed martial artist. Legit mixed martial artist no less. Here is sits atop the world's foremost MMA promotion, just four fights into his professional career. We would need to rewind the clock to the inception of the UFC to find another fighter who has accomplished the same in such a short time. But such is the life of one of the world's most gifted atheletes.

I'll be very interested to see how the heavyweight division plays out over the next year. We still need to see Frank Mir and Big Nog face off. Will Mir surprise us all? Or will Big Nog put another explamation point at the end of his reputation? It will be a very interesting fight.

EliteXC/CBS 3 Predictions

2008-10-01T14:46:00.010-04:00

Predictions for Saturday's EliteXC/CBS event.

[As usual, I'll come back and mark my good guesses in blue, and my bad guesses in red.]

~~Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock - Slice by stoppage, R1~~
(Actual result: Seth Petruzelli def Kimbo by TKO, R1)
Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley - Shields by stoppage, R3
(Actual result: Shields def Daley by submission, R2)
Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson - Nelson by stoppage, R2
(Actual result: Arlovski def Nelson by TKO, R2)
Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobald - Carano by decision
(Actual result: Carano def Kobald by decision)
Marilo Rua vs. Benji Radach - Rua by decision
(Actual result: Radach def Rua by TKO, R2)
"Cyborg" vs. Yoko Takahashi - Justino by stoppage R3
(Actual result: Cyborg def Takahashi by decision)
~~James Edson Berto vs. Mike Aina - Berto by decision~~
(Actual result: Conor Heun def. Edson Berto via TKO R2)
~~Robert McDaniel vs. Alexander Shlemenko - Shlemenko by stoppage, R1~~
(Neither fought on this card)
~~Seth Petruzelli vs. Aaron Rosa - Rosa by decision~~
(NOTE: Petruzelli replaced Sharock as an alternate in the main event)
"The Borg" vs. Mickey Gomez - Borgomeo by stoppage, R2
(Actual result: Mickey Gomez def Borgomeo by submission, R2)
~~David Gomez vs. Nicholas Cardella - Gomez by decision~~
(Actual result: Bryan Hamade def Gomez by submission, R1)
~~David Martinez vs. Nicolae Sinicio - Martinez by stoppage, R2~~
(Actual result: Nicolae Cury def Jorge Bouchat by submission, R1)

Post-event Update
Predictions were based on the lineup published on EliteXC's official site. Unfortunately, most of the fights were not paired accordingly. However, the night's big upset occurred during the main event when Seth Petruzelli stepped in as an alternate to Ken Shamrock and dismantled Kimbo Slice in under 15 seconds. (Petruzelli's original opponent, Aaron Rosa, did not fight on the card.)

"Sugar" Puts "The Iceman" to Sleep

2008-09-07T00:53:00.021-04:00

Wow. Who saw that one coming? Tonight, in the main event of UFC 88, "Sugar" Rashad Evan became the first man to put Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell to sleep.

Just shy of two minutes into the second round, Rashad Evans landed a perfect overhand right, placing it squarely and powerfully on the chin of Chuck Liddell. Chuck's head jerked violently to his right, which caused him to go limp and collapse to the canvas. Out cold.

Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan were discussing the uppercut that Chuck almost simultaneously landed as Evans' overhand right found its mark. However, viewing the replay, Chuck's uppercut would not have connected because Evans' head was out of the way. It may have hit Evans' collar bone, or even his throat -- which certainly would not have been pleasant -- but Evans would not have been rocked by it.

Evans displayed outstanding, if not somewhat odd, body movement as he locked horns with "The Iceman". I was surprised to see Evans repeatedly enter into Chuck's strike zone. Evans landed jabs, kicks, and displayed superior striking speed. He also took a page out of Machida's playbook by eluding most of Chuck's strikes. Chuck managed to get off a couple solid strikes, but that was it. Evans not only seemed confident in his striking at the beginning of the fight, but his confidence seemed to increase as the fight wore on.

I will watch with great interest as the UFC tries to figure out how to organize the light heavyweight division now that their #1 rock star has fallen for the third time in his past four fights.

I was very impressed with Evans' performance. He displayed his true potential tonight: lightening quickness, powerful striking, and the ability to step out of danger. Congrats to Evans as he will very likely get the "Knockout of the Night" bonus, which would be well-deserved.

UFC 88 Predictions

2008-08-31T16:10:00.010-04:00

Here are my predictions. Last time, I got eight right out of 10. I don't expect to do as well this time, since I'm making some out-of-the-box predictions, especially for fights scheduled for the untelevised portion of the undercard.

[As always, I will come back after the event and mark my good guesses with blue and my bad guesses with red.]

Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans - Liddell by stoppage, R3
(Actual result, Evans by KO R2)
Rich Franklin vs. Matt Hamill - Franklin by decision
(Actual result, Franklin by TKO R3)
~~Karo Parisyan vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida - Parisyan by stoppage, R2~~
Dan Henderson vs. Rousimar Palhares - Henderson by decision
(Actual result, Henderson by decision)
Martin Kampmann vs. Nate Marquardt - Kampmann by stoppage, R3
(Actual result, Marquardt by TKO R1)
Thiago Tavares vs. Kurt Pellegrino - Tavares by decision
(Actual result, Pelligrino by decision)
Tim Boetsch vs. Michael Patt - Boetsch by decision
(Actual result, Boetsch by TKO R1)
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Matt Brown - Kim by stoppage, R3
(Actual result, Kim by split decision)
Jason Lambert vs. Jason MacDonald - MacDonald by stoppage, R2
(Actual result, MacDonald by submission R2)
Roan Carneiro vs. Ryo Chonan - Chonan by stoppage, R3
(Actual result, Chonan by split decision)

Couture is Willing to Face Fedor in the UFC

2008-08-14T09:39:00.007-04:00

That's right. Randy Couture recently stated that he is willing to face Fedor Emelianenko under the UFC banner. He wouldn't be simply willing:

"I'd love for the UFC to step up and make the fight happen. It has the potential to be the biggest mixed martial arts fight to date..."

This tidbit came by way of MMAMania.com by way of The Adam Carolla Show.

As significant as his comment seems to be, Couture's little wish has gotten buried under the weight of his other comment (that he and Fedor could/should get paid between $6-$10 million each).

Has everyone missed the significance of Randy mentioning the UFC as a vehicle for the Fedor fight?!

UFC 87 Predictions

2008-08-09T13:27:00.008-04:00

Yes, I'm making my predictions very late. But better late than never. I am a software engineer by day -- and lately by night too. I have had very little time to devote to MMA, other than watching events, and commenting on MMAJunkie.com and MMAMania.com.

My last event prediction was a stinker. But not my worst! (I'm shooting for 0% as a badge of honor.) Seriously, it doesn't matter. I have spent very many hours researching fighters' records for an event only to achieve very low accuracy for the event (UFC 80). I have spent zero time researching, and achieved very high accuracy (UFC 78). There is no science to this, only intelligent guessing. So, let the chips fall where they may. "Let's get it on!"

[As always, I will come back and mark the good guesses in blue, and the bad guesses in red.]

Georges St-Pierre vs. Jon Fitch - GSP by stoppage, R4
(Actual result: GSP by decision)
Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring - Lesnar by stoppage, R3
(Actual result: Lesnar by decision)
Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta - Huerta by stoppage, R3
(Actual result: Florian by decision)
Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson - Emerson by decision
(Actual result: Emerson by TKO R1)
Jason MacDonald vs. Demian Maia - McDonald by stoppage, R3
(Actual result: Maia by submission R3)
Luke Cummo vs. Tamdan McCrory - McCrory by stoppage, R2
(Actual result: McCrory by decision)
Cheick Kongo vs. Dan Evensen - Kongo by stoppage, R2
(Actual result: Kongo by TKO R1)
Andre Gusmao vs. Jon Jones - Jones by decision
(Actual result: Jones by decision)
Chris Wilson vs. Steve Bruno - Wilson by decision
(Actual result: Wilson by decision)
Ben Saunders vs. Ryan Thomas - Saunders by decision
(Actual result: Saunders by arm-bar R2)

Trivia: The 10-10 Round

2008-07-06T16:22:00.014-04:00

Did you know that it is possible for a round to be judged 10-10? This was an interesting point of debate brought up in thread on MMAMania.com.

10-10 rounds are very rare, and few fans can point to an example. But they are possible. There is a section in the Unified Rules that deals specifically with 10-10 rounds.

Here is the verbiage from the
New Jersey State Athletic Control Board - MMA Unified Rules:

13:46-24A.13 Judging
(a) All bouts will be evaluated and scored by three judges.
(b) The 10-Point Must System will be the standard system of scoring a bout. Under the 10-Point Must Scoring System, 10 points must be awarded to the winner of the round and nine points or less must be awarded to the loser, except for a rare even round, which is scored (10-10).

And also further down in the same section on Judging:

(j) The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the judges when scoring a round;
1. A round is to be scored as a 10-10 Round when both contestants appear to be fighting evenly and neither contestant shows clear dominance in a round;
2. A round is to be scored as a 10-9 Round when a contestant wins by a close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes, grappling and other maneuvers;
3. A round is to be scored as a 10-8 Round when a contestant overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
4. A round is to be scored as a 10-7 Round when a contestant totally dominates by striking or grappling in a round.

Forrest Griffin Steals the Title from Rampage at UFC 86

2008-07-06T01:49:00.009-04:00

First, congrats to Forrest Griffin for a very hard-fought battle, showing superior strategy and drive!

In a close bout, Forrest Griffin out-pointed Rampage Jackson to win the UFC light-heavyweight title at UFC 86. By my scoring, the first round went to Rampage, while the second round clearly went to Forrest as he delivered vicious kicks to Rampage's leading left leg. The third round saw Rampage pick up the pace again, probably winning the round. Rampage did a decent job of attempting to end the fight in the fourth round, but would not push the pace once he started landing good shots. By the fifth round, Rampage looked as though he'd hit a wall. He got off two or three decent flurries, but not enough to counter Forrest's overall aggression.

I had the fight going to Jackson by three rounds (1, 3, 4), and Forrest by two (2, 5). The judges saw the fight differently.

Forrest Griffin becomes the first UFC title-holder to have started his UFC career on Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter series. (Forrest Griffin was the winner of season one of The Ultimate Fighter.) Undoubtedly, this fact will be used as marketing fodder for the future of the series, as Spike is poised to begin airing season eight at the end of July.

I can't wait to see how the light-heavyweight division is shaken as several top-level fighters edge their way toward a shot at the division's title.

Forrest Griffin Pre-UFC 86 Interview

2008-07-05T02:45:00.007-04:00

Another great multi-part interview put together by the fine folks at MMAMadness.

Part 1 of 2

Part 2 of 2

"Rampage" Pre-UFC 86 Interview

2008-07-04T23:34:00.007-04:00

MMAMadness put together this cool three-part interview with the one and only "Rampage" Jackson.

Part 1 of 3

Part 2 of 3

Part 3 of 3

UFC 86 Predictions

2008-07-04T16:53:00.021-04:00

UFC 86 poses several tempting predictions, though I think most fights will go expected. I'm open to big surprises. I just don't expect anything unusual to happen here. On the other hand, what I view as "expected" may not agree with your view.

Will Griffin clock Jackson with a perfect, fight-ending right hook? Will Lytle best Kos? Will elite-level BJJ fighter Gurgel lay aside his penchant for stand-and-bang and actually use his elite-level BJJ? Has Guillard learned any defense off his back? We shall see.

[As usual, I will come back and mark my correctly-guessed predictions in blue, and my bad guesses in red.]

Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin - Rampage by stoppage, R2

(actual result, Griffin by decision - new LHW champion)
Patrick Cote vs. Ricardo Almeida - Almeida by stoppage, R2

(actual result, Cote by split decision)
Joe Stevenson vs. Gleison Tibau - Stevenson by decision

(actual result, Stevenson by guillotine R2)
Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Lytle - Lytle by stoppage, R3

(actual result, Koscheck by decision)
Tyson Griffin vs. Marcus Aurelio - Griffin by decision

(actual result, Griffin by decision)
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Justin McCully - Gonzaga by stoppage, R3

(actual result, Gonzaga by kimura R1)
Jorge Gurgel vs. Cole Miller - Gurgel by stoppage, R2

(actual result, Miller by triangle R3)
Melvin Guillard vs. Dennis Siver - Siver by stoppage, R3

(actual result, Guillard by KO R1)
Corey Hill vs. Justin Buchholz - Hill by stoppage, R2

(actual result, Buchholz by rear naked choke R2)

My Long Absense

2008-07-04T16:29:00.004-04:00

Wow, it has been a while since I've posted a blog entry. Literally, since UFC 82. The simple fact is: I have been so insanely overwhelmed by the "busy-ness" of my own life, that I haven't had the time nor energy to post anything, not even "Hey, Whazzup?" My apologies. I will do my level best to visit my own blog, and post my thoughts and predictions. And thanks for dropping by to check in. Stay tuned.

UFC 82 Predictions

2008-02-28T18:04:00.022-05:00

[After the event, I will mark my good guesses in blue, and the bad ones in red.]

Dan Henderson vs. Anderson Silva - Silva by stoppage R2
Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo - Herring by stoppage R1 (actual SD)
Alessio Sakara vs. Chris Leben - Leben by stoppage R3 (actual R1)
Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner - Okami by stoppage R3 (actual R2)
Chris Wilson vs. Jon Fitch - Fitch by decision
Jake O'Brien vs. Andrei Arlovski - Arlovski by stoppage R2
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Luke Cummo - Cummo by stoppage R1 (LF by UD)
Dustin Hazelett vs. Josh Koscheck - Hazelett by decision (Kos R2)
David Bielkheden vs. Diego Sanchez - Sanchez by stop R3 (actual R1)
John Halverson Vs. Jorge Gurgel - Gurgel by stoppage R2 (actual UD)

UFC 82 is Coming

2008-02-18T15:26:00.010-05:00

The great MMA debate of the moment is whether Dan Henderson can defeat the seemingly invulnerable Anderson Silva. Some say that Dan Henderson is the only middleweight capable of dethroning the UFC's reigning Middleweight champion. Others say that Dan is good; he's just not good enough.

I think Dan will give Anderson a run for his money -- or at least for his belt. But Dan will lose, probably by early stoppage.

I have been wrong before, and certainly bigger surprises have come (especially in 2007!). I simply do not believe that Dan Henderson -- regardless of strategy -- has the skills to out-Spider "The Spider".

UFC 81 Results

2008-02-03T01:23:00.001-05:00

The UFC 81 results text below was borrowed from MMAJunkie.com (my favorite haunt on the web). If you've never been to MMAJunkie.com, you're missing out. Excellent news, intelligent discussions.

I guessed 7 out of 9 fights correctly for UFC 81. But I'm not celebrating. I haven't yet redeemed the horrid analysis and predicting I did for UFC 80 (guessing an embarrassing 2 out of 10 correctly). If I do well for UFC 82, I'll feel a little better.

NOTE: Wow! Though I guessed two wrong, those two fights were sick! I was jazzed that newcomer Tim Boetsch absolutely destroyed David Heath. What a fight. Congrats Tim! I was also really happy for Big Nog. The guy comes back from serious beatings time and again. What heart. Congrats Champ! Well-earned victory.

Now for the results. Red marks fights I did not guess correctly.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira def. Tim Sylvia
via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 3, 1:28
Frank Mir def. Brock Lesnar
via submission (knee bar) — Round 1, 1:30
Nate Marquardt def. Jeremy Horn
via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 2, 1:37
Ricardo Almeida def. Rob Yundt
via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:08
Tyson Griffin def. Gleison Tibau
via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Chris Lytle def. Kyle Bradley
via KO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:33
Tim Boetsch def. David Heath
via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:52
Marvin Eastman def. Terry Martin
via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Rob Emerson def. Keita Nakamura
via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

UFC 81 Predictions

2008-01-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

UFC 81: Breaking Point
Saturday, February 2nd - 10PM ET / 7PM PT
Live on Pay-Per-View & UFC On Demand

Except for the top four fights listed here, I have gone totally "gut" for this event.

[Note: After the event, I will mark correctly guessed fights in blue, and bad guesses in red.]

Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - Sylvia by decision
Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar - Mir by early stoppage, R2
Jeremy Horn vs. Nate Marquardt - Marquardt by decision
Rob Yundt vs. Ricardo Almeida - Almeida by early stoppage, R2
Tyson Griffin vs. Gleison Tibau - Griffin by early stoppage, R1
Chris Lytle vs. Kyle Bradley - Lytle by decision
David Heath vs. Tim Boetsch - Heath by decision
Marvin Eastman vs. Terry Martin - Eastman by early stoppage, R3.
Keita Nakamura vs. Rob Emerson - Emerson by early stoppage, R2.

The Theory of Over-Analysis

2008-01-19T17:27:00.000-05:00

I've been kicking around the theory that the excessive analysis of fights is counterintuitive. UFC 80 seems to be proving my theory. I spent hours reviewing fighters stats, watching fights, etc., to make those predictions. I managed to guess every one of the scheduled broadcast fights wrong! Whether that validates my theory, I have no idea. But it is very interesting.

Also, interestingly, at least two of the fights I mis-predicted went counter to my gut. Gouveia and Penn. Two of the others I basically mailed in: Werdum and Rivera. The first fight I actually guessed right was a gut call, and that was Paul Kelly. The second fight I guessed right was Hardonk.

My recent event prediction accuracy has been: UFC 76 = 70%, UFC 78 = 90%, UFC 79 = 70%, and UFC 80 = 20%. And the amount of analysis is "reciprocal" to to my accuracy! The more effort I put into analyzing, researching, watching fights, the worse I have done. Wild. (My accuracy average for the four UFC events above was 62.5%.)

Statistically, predictions will average out to 50% over time when fights are consistently well-matched, as they are in the UFC. So, I'm not too disappointed. You can see how my earlier good averages were humbled by this very bad set of predictions, bringing down my overall average closer to 50%. When fights are as well-matched as are Joe Silva's, eventually the overall average must approach 50%. (Ask a stats major; they'll tell you.)

Great experiment.

For UFC 81 and UFC 82, I will change up my predictions and pre-event analysis. I will shift back to more "gut" calls, to see how things go. I have predicted far too few major MMA events to make any conclusions, but at this juncture I think I am seeing a pattern.

UFC 80 Predictions

2008-01-06T20:51:00.001-05:00

Once again, Joe Silva has done an excellent job matching fighters for UFC 80. He has made predicting winners very difficult! Even after hours (and I do mean hours) researching individual matches, I was still left scratching my shaved skull on some of these. In the end, it still came down to a gut feeling based on the best info available.

I have made several controversial choices here. Especially from a U.S. MMA perspective. Simply put: U.S. fans will discover (or be reacquainted with) several excellent European fighters.

[Note: after the event, blue will mark correctly guessed wins, and red the incorrect ones.]

BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson - Stevenson by early stoppage, R5
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabricio Werdum - Gonzaga by early stop, R3
Jess Liaudin vs. Marcus Davis - Liaudin by early stop, R2
Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason Lambert - Lambert by early stop, R2
Jorge Rivera vs. Kendall Grove - Grove by early stop, R3
Antoni Hardonk vs. Colin Robinson - Hardonk by decision
Paul Kelly vs. Paul Taylor - Kelly by early stoppage, R2
James Lee vs. Alessio Sakara - Lee by early stop, R2
Per Eklund vs. Sam Stout - Eklund by early stop, R3

UFC 80 Fight-by-Fight Prediction Analysis

BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson - I went back and forth on this. BJ has had a consistent tendency to gas early. It happened with St. Pierre, and again with Hughes 2. In his most recent fight with Little Evil, he submitted Pulver in R2, so we don't know how how he would have performed in R3 had the fight lasted longer. Supposedly, he has been working hard on conditioning. However, I put the conditioning advantage in Stevenson's corner. I predict that Stevenson will avoid the early pitfalls, push an incredible pace for the first several rounds, and wear down BJ Penn. In R3 Stevenson he will fire up the afterburners, begin to out-point Penn, and then finally stop him early in R5. Yes, I realize I may be embarrassed by this prediction, but gotta go with my gut.

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabricio Werdum - I don't expect any surprises in this fight. Certainly Gonzaga cannot underestimate Werdum, or else he will be Werdum's victim for a second time. But nowadays Gonzaga is a superior and more powerful striker. He is Werdum's equal on the ground. And he is stronger and heavier. As long as Gonzaga fights an intelligent fight, he will avenge his old loss by early stoppage in R3.

Jess Liaudin vs. Marcus Davis - Once upon a time, the biggest secret in the welterweight division was Jon Fitch. I think the biggest secret in the division is French-born UK fighter Jess Liaudin. He's a nasty kicker, great striker, solid stance with good body movement, excellent on the ground, and always relaxed. I watched his UFC fights, as well as whatever I could find on YouTube. Unless Davis lands the perfect fight-ending strike, I believe he will be outclassed by Liaudin. Liaudin by early stoppage R2.

Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason Lambert - Brazilian fighter Gouveia usually comes out strong, good on his feet, great kicks, good striker, relaxed style, strong ground game. He dropped a decision loss to Keith Jardine when he debuted at the TUF 3 Finale, but now he is riding a three-fight winning streak. Lambert's last lost was to Rashad Evans at UFC 63. He then came back to defeat Babalu at UFC 68. Prior to his loss to Evans, he was on an eight-fight winning streak stretching back to 2004. I give the early advantage to Gouveia (R1, first half of R2), and the later advantage to Lambert. In the past, Gouveia has been known to gas, but he has won early in his recent fights. Lambert, a monster-strong guy with excellent arm submissions, lasts into later rounds, but his overall skill set isn't as well-rounded as Gouveia. Not to mention, Lambert has not fought since March 3, 2007. Very difficult to call! This is a coin toss. (Actually a guitar pick toss, since that's what I had in my pocket. Lambert was heads, and tossed best 2 out of 3.) Lambert by early stoppage, R2.

Jorge Rivera vs. Kendall Grove - Grove is nearly 10 years Rivera's junior, is looking to redeem his knockout loss to Patrick Côté, trains at XTreme Couture, and has yet to reach his fighting prime. Jorge Rivera is a skilled fighter in his own right, but based on their respective histories and the above, I give this fight to Grove by early stoppage, R3.

Antoni Hardonk vs. Colin Robinson - Very difficult to call. Holland-born Hardonk has fought thrice in the UFC. British-born Robinson has fought once in the UFC. Hardonk is coming off back-to-back losses in the UFC. Robinson is coming off a Total Combat win preceded by a UFC loss. That loss was to Eddie Sanchez at UFC 72. Hardonk is a kickboxer, a protégé of Rickson Gracie, and he is 30 years old. Robinson, who is not a full-time fighter, is a very good boxer, throws good knees in the Thai clinch, has done well in smaller promotions, and has held several championships. He is nearly 40. On average, both tend to win fights in R1. If Hardonk is hungry to redeem his two UFC losses, he will fight smartly, utilize kicks, and possibly take the fight to the ground early. (On occasion, Robinson has been an easy take-down.) If Robinson is hungry to prove he's not a "can", he will look to finish Hardonk early with punches and knees. On paper, Hardonk should have the advantage with his kickboxing background and Gracie jujitsu. However, Robinson is strong, has heavy hands, a good clinch, and likes to finish with strikes... and he will be fighting on his home turf. This is a toss-up. I'm calling it for Hardonk by decision.

Paul Kelly vs. Paul Taylor - (Note: this is the UFC's first Brit vs. Brit match.) I was unable to find any footage of Paul Kelly. However, his record looks great. He is undefeated, and has never gone past R2. He appears to be a strong striker, and also well-rounded on the ground. Kelly has fought in a cage, so the UFC octagon itself won't intimidate him, though the atmosphere might. He will be hungry to make a first impression, so I predict a strong showing. Kelly's opponent, Paul Taylor, has fought twice in the UFC. I was impressed with Taylor's dismantling of Edilberto Crocota at UFC 70. Taylor next fought at UFC 75 and was defeated by Marcus Davis by submission. I was not impressed with his performance against Davis. (Both of Taylor's pro losses have come by way of armbar.) Taylor will be looking to redeem his less-than-stellar showing against Davis. Both fighters will want to prove that they belong in the UFC. Because of Paul Kelly's strong record, and tendency to finish fights in the first round, I pick Kelly by early stoppage R2.

James Lee vs. Alessio Sakara - James Lee (13-2) is a strong and aggressive fighter from Michigan. He has nasty knees, a mean clinch, crazy neck throws, and powerful punches. He seems to be very well-rounded from the two fights I watched, both of which where reffed by Herb Dean, interestingly. Alessio Sakara (11-6-1 MMA), the Italian boxer-turned-MMA-fighter, is a powerful striker who has shown skill in the Thai clinch. But overall he has not fared well in the UFC (2-3-0-1 UFC). As much as I would love to see things go well for Sakara, I think this will be another loss--possibly a quick one--unless Sakara has something truly new and interesting up his tattoo sleeves. Lee by early stoppage R2.

Per Eklund vs. Sam Stout - These warriors have complementary styles. Eklund, hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, is a ground-and-pound and submission specialist, sometimes turning GnP into fast arm submissions. Canadian Sam Stout is a quick, powerful kickboxer and Muay Thai specialist, holding a well-known, well-fought win over Spencer Fisher at UFC 58. However, after that win, Stout suffered back-to-back losses--first to Kenny Florian by armbar at TUF 3 Finale, then to Spencer Fisher by decision in their rematch at Ultimate Fight Night 10. If Eklund can take the fight to the ground, he has a chance to pound out a victory. If Stout can keep the fight standing, he may be able to floor Eklund. I expect Stout to attempt to neutralize Eklund's normally aggressive opening style, and to keep him on the defensive early in the fight, wearing him down with superior striking. I expect Elkund to attempt to neutralize Stout's strike attack by closing the distance almost immediately, and taking it to the ground where he is more comfortable. I give a very slight advantage to Eklund here. Eklund by early stoppage, R3.

Paul Kelly, The British Dark Horse

2008-01-06T01:30:00.000-05:00

In my desperate scrounging for tidbits--basically anything of substance--about British fighter Paul Kelly (6-0), I found a Google-cached page that originally appeared on the Hawaii Martial Arts News & Rumors site, but the original page appears to be long gone. The Kelly tidbit helped fill the void left by the dearth of online video fight footage. (There is none; trust me.) This particular quote is attributed to The Fight Network, though I was unable to browse for the original story on that site because of the site's extremely poor JavaScript implementation. (Get same error using IE and Firefox.)

[MMA Crossfire note: Paul Kelly seems to be a dark horse on the UFC 80 card. His fight is the first British vs. British bout in UFC history, as he faces two-fight UFC veteran, Paul Taylor (8-2-1, 1-1 UFC).]

Without further ado...

THE BRITISH BARK
News and Notes from the United Kingdom
By Stash Capar of The Fight Network

Mixed martial arts fans will witness the UFC's first-ever Brit-versus-Brit bout when undefeated Paul Kelly takes on Paul Taylor at UFC 80 "Rapid Fire" on Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England. A member of the Wolfslair Academy – home to Michael Bisping, light heavyweight winner from season three of "The Ultimate Fighter" – Kelly has signed a four-fight deal with the promotion.

"Paul is definitely one to watch out for," Bisping said. "He was to make his Cage Rage debut earlier this year, but things didn't quite work out. Either way, we're glad he's UFC bound."

Kelly (6-0) began his professional career in 2005, with a match against Nigel Whitear at FX3 "Battle of Britain." The bout lasted all of 54 seconds. In the two years since, the welterweight has finished off five more opponents. Five of his six wins have come in the opening round.

Kelly was originally scheduled to make his television debut against Cage Rage welterweight champion Paul Daley at Cage Rage 21 in April. The fight was called off, and though no official reason was provided, some speculate the UFC approached Kelly with a superior offer. He defeated Jordan James at Cage Gladiators 4 in August, as he scored a second-round TKO.

Taylor (8-2-1, 1-1 UFC), meanwhile, has already fought in two of the three UFC shows in the UK and is coming off a submission loss to Marcus Davis at UFC 75 in September.

I also found a description of his last fight before signing with the UFC. The following was pulled from MMAScoops.com - Cage Gladiators 4 Results & Photo Gallery:

Up and coming welterweight charger Paul Kelly worked his patented ground and pound attack on the tough, but wild, Jordan James forcing a ground and pound stoppage at the 2:40 mark of the second. There were protestations to the stoppage coming from James, who argued that it was premature, but from where I was sitting, being held in a crucifix, unable to defend yourself against strikes from above and having a nasty cut opened above your left eye is hardly grounds for complaint. Clearly upset, he stormed off to the dressing room to ponder how he could have possibly escaped such a disastrous position.

In Related News: My UFC 80 Predictions will be posted on Jan 6th.

UFC 80 Predictions in Progress...

2008-01-04T00:22:00.000-05:00

This week has been hectic, and I am working through my UFC 80 Predictions. I have the top several fights picked; still working my way through video footage. Instead of writing two or three prediction analyses, this time I am writing one for each fight.

Stay tuned! Plan on having them up on Saturday.

UFC 79 Results / MMACrossfire = 70%

2007-12-30T01:39:00.001-05:00

Here are the results of UFC 79. Out of sheer laziness and because it's late, I have quoted the results text verbatim from MMAJunkie.com's article UFC 79: Georges St. Pierre Dominates Matt Hughes for Interim Title; Chuck Liddell Outlasts Wanderlei Silva. (I batted 70% this event. Not bad, not great.)

[Correctly guessed fights in blue, and the incorrect ones in red.]

Georges St. Pierre def. Matt Hughes
via submission (arm-bar) — Round 2, 4:54
Chuck Liddell def. Wanderlei Silva
via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Eddie Sanchez def. Soa Palelei
via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 3:24
Lyoto Machida def. Rameau Sokoudjo
via submission (arm-triangle choke) — Round 2, 4:20
Rich Clementi def. Melvin Guillard
via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 1, 4:40
James Irvin def. Luis Cane
via disqualification (illegal knee) — Round 1, 1:51
Manny Gamburyan def. Nate Mohr
via submission (ankle lock) — Round 1 — 1:31
Dean Lister def. Jordan Radev
via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Roan Carneiro def. Tony DeSouza
via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 3:33
Mark Bocek def. Doug Evans
via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

(You can read my original predictions for the entire card, and my analysis of how I thought the fights would go for Machida, Liddell, and St. Pierre here: UFC 79 Predictions.)

This was such a satisfying UFC event! I especially enjoyed the three "big" televised fights. Machida fought the kind of fight I expected and he looked so sharp. Liddell fought well against chin-of-steel Silva (who came close to KOing Liddell a couple times). St. Pierre far outperformed my expectations with a R2 submission.

On the "red" side of the scale: I overestimated Palelei's potential. He didn't listen to his corner. And I suspect that he'd already lost the fight in his mind by the beginning of R2, and wasn't able to find the mental strength to fight for a win. I really underestimated Gamburyan. What a sick submission. And my coin-toss guess of an Evans win flopped too.

Stay tuned for my UFC 80 predictions. I intend to have those up in the next couple days. Let the speculating begin!

UFC 79 Analysis by MMAJunkie.com Comedian Poster 'Mop Lanker'

2007-12-29T09:59:00.000-05:00

Those of you still living in the MMA Dark Ages, who somehow have not heard of MMAJunkie.com, you are missing the best morsel of the online MMA news buffet. Not only do MMA Junkie and Performify run the leanest, meanest MMA news site on the web, they report with an even hand, and they are conscientious regarding fact-checking (e.g. delaying "breaking" stories that have been reported by other sites until they can verify the information for themselves). They're as close to perfect as I have found on the web for MMA news.

Some of the discussion contributors have become stars in their own right. With online names like "bigfish042", "Archean Life", and "John Q", you know the follow-on discussions will be colorful and lively. Aside from the occassional troll who attempts to hijack a thread, the discussions are intelligent and interesting, with nary a dull comment.

[I will save a detailed discussion about the history of MMAJunkie.com and its meteoric rise to popularity for another article.]

Without further ado... drum roll please... here is the expert humorous analysis of UFC 79 by one of MMAJunkie.com's frequent discussion contributors, 'Mop Lanker':

Mop Lanker's 100% correct predictions:
Having seen (on TV) Chuck and Wandy fight the past few years, there is only one absolute conclusion... anything can happen. Joe Rogan will conclude the fighting with, "I can’t believe what I just saw, bro."

GSP will steamroll Hughes. Joe Rogan will find a clever way to suggest Hughes' best days are behind him. Then he makes fun of Canada.

Some voice-over guy will hype up an upcoming, breaking news/mind-blowing Dana White announcement. The announcement will turn out to be a waste of our time. Somehow, Joe Rogan can't believe what he just heard.

The camera will pan to Tito Ortiz and Jenna; Joe Rogan will say something he believes is clever, when it is clearly juvenile and distasteful.

There will be some other fights no one will care about at first. But it's MMA and some nobody will impress the hell out of us. Joe Rogan will say "Wow!" 48 times.
NO ONE ELSE HAS BETTER PREDICTIONS THAN I!!!

You can read Mop Lanker's original comment here, along with the original MMAJunkie.com article:
Weigh-In Results for UFC 79

UFC 79 Is Coming...

2007-12-22T20:03:00.001-05:00

It is not MMA's defining event, but it sure looks to be a fun night for fans!

Undoubtedly, Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva is the fight most people are anticipating. Even though both of these fighters are coming off two-fight losing streaks apiece, the question still remains: Can Chuck beat Wanderlei? (Or, if you prefer: Can Wanderlei beat Chuck?) This match has been hotly debated for years, ever since Chuck Liddell publicly called out Wanderlei Silva, famously declaring, "I want Wanderlei Silva. I want to knock him out. He’s next." I am predicting that Liddell defeats Silva.

Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre should be a good one! But this fight loses some of its luster because (a) it is not Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra, and (b) because it is overshadowed slightly by Chuck vs. Wanderlei. It should prove to be a great fight, nonetheless. And it is the big rubber match of 2007. I am predicting that St. Pierre defeats Hughes for the second time.

Another intriguing fight is Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. Sokooudjou is fairly new to MMA with only five fights under his belt (4-1-0). The 23-year-old Cameroonian's only loss was to Glover Teixeira at WEC 24 in October of 2006. However, following that loss he went on a two-win streak, defeating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in 23 seconds at PRIDE 33 on Feb 2007, then Ricardo Arona in 119 seconds at PRIDE 34 a month and a half later. Sokoudjou is no joke. I hope that that he has a bright and dominating MMA career ahead of him. His biggest test to date will be facing 29-year-old undefeated Japanese-Brazilian fighter Lyoto Machida (11-0) who trains with #1 world middleweight Anderson Silva. Machida is a dangerous counter-striker who tends to frustrate his opponents with (among other things) his ability to quickly evade incoming strikes. This should be an excellent fight! Though I would love to see Sokoudjou succeed in his UFC debut, I am predicting that Machida wins.

You can see the rest of my predictions for this card here:
UFC 79 Predictions

"Anderson Silva and I Have Unfinished Business" Says Yushin Okami

2007-12-19T11:34:00.000-05:00

Excellent interview with UFC middleweight Yushin Okami on Sherdog.com. Among the many salient details:

Okami would now like to go by the moniker "Phoenix".
He knows he is not regarded as an especially exciting fighter, and he wants to change that image.
He has upped his standup training in particular.
He wants a rematch with Anderson Silva, and he intends to win this time.

Highly recommend reading the whole article at Sherdog.com:
A "Phoenix" Rises From Japan

Shogun and Ninja say Goodbye to Chute Boxe

2007-12-19T11:16:00.000-05:00

MMANews.com and MMAJunkie.com have reported that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (UFC) and older brother Murilo "Ninja" Rua (EliteXC) have left Chute Boxe. Some have stated that the brothers intend to open their own U.S.-based gym. However, the brothers have not yet officially explained their reasons for leaving.

[Props to MMAJunkie.com junkies "phyteguru" and "paulo" for the info regarding the Rua brothers planning to open their own gym.]

To read the Porteguese-to-English transliteration taken from the official Chute Boxe site, see the MMANews.com story at:
MMANews.com - Shogun & Ninja Officially Leave Chute Boxe Academy

Read more detailed coverage at MMAJunkie.com, including the fighters' recent fight histories:
MMAJunkie.com - "Shogun" and "Ninja" Depart Chute Box

Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter at UFC 82 [Updated]

2007-12-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

UPDATE - Dec 20, 2007:
The fight will not happen. Rich Franklin is suffering from a torn meniscus. (The meniscus is the "crescent-shaped cartilage located within the knee that works to absorb weight and provide stability". Found the definition on the NBA "Glossary of Medical Terms" site.) MMAJunkie.com has a lengthier discussion of the issue surrounding Franklin's sidelining, as well as a lively blog discussion following the article here:
Rich Franklin Sidelined Until June with Torn Meniscus

UPDATE - Dec 19, 2007:
Apparently this is not a done deal. MMAJunkie.com is reporting that Rich Franklin's camp says that nothing official has been inked.
Rich Franklin: UFC 82 Fight with Travis Lutter not Official

MMAMania.com is reporting that Rich Franklin and Travis Lutter are booked to square off UFC 82. Rich Franklin is coming off a big loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 77. Lutter is coming off a long layoff due to a chronic neck injury, which forced him to pull out of a scheduled fight with Ryan Jensen at UFC 74. Prior to that, Lutter suffered a submission loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 67.

Betting will likely favor Rich Franklin, but I'm rooting for Lutter to pull off an upset. I like Rich; I've just been a Lutter fan for longer.You can read the original story at:
UFC 82: Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter fight booked

Kimbo Slice vs. Tito Ortiz? (Someday, Maybe)

2007-12-15T18:15:00.000-05:00

MMAFightline.com is reporting that MMA promoter and EliteXC president, Gary Shaw, has called out Tito Ortiz on Kimbo Slice's behalf. Shaw claims that Ortiz of late has yammered publicly and frequently about Slice. Gary Shaw has responded by calling out Ortiz to face Kimbo.

Of course, there is virtually no way these men will ever meet inside any cage. Ortiz recently signed a new contract with the UFC. Kimbo Slice is part of the EliteXC promotion. The UFC is not in the business of promoting other organizations. Not to mention, EliteXC is in the junior leagues compared to the UFC promotion-wise. (No disrespect to EliteXC.) But it's an interesting fantasy match!

You can read the original story at:
Gary Shaw Wants To Make A Match Between Kimbo And Tito Ortiz

[Props to MMAJunkie.com reader "McArthur" for tipping this story.]

Bisping moves to Middleweight

2007-12-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

MMANews.com is reporting that UFC fighter Michael Bisping, winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 3, has decided to drop one weight class -- from light-heavyweight (over 185 lbs to 205 lbs) to middleweight (over 170 lbs to 185 lbs). At a reported height of 6' 2", and a "walking weight" of 211, Bisping has not been one of the bulkier fighters in the UFC's light-heavyweight division, which he says played into his decision.

You can read the full article at:
UFC Confirms Michael Bisping's Move Down To 185 LBS.

UFC 79 Predictions

2007-12-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

Once again, I am very impressed with Joe Silva's match-making prowess. After reviewing these fighters' pro histories, several of the matches are simply coin tosses. From the Clementi/Guillard fight to the bottom of the card, I relied on indicators like: fight frequency (rusty vs. fresh), caliber of past opponents, size advantage, and in which rounds they tend to finish fights. Not easy to choose winners for most of these! Major mega props to Joe Sliva! I am very impressed with how evenly he matched these fighters.

Here are my predictions. Obviously, any details beyond win/lose don't mean anything, but they're fun to predict too.

[Correctly guessed fights in blue; incorrect are in red.]

Hughes vs. St. Pierre - St. Pierre by decision *
Liddell vs. Silva - Liddell by early stoppage R2 **
Machida vs. Sokoudjou - Machida by early stoppage R3 ***
Clementi vs. Guillard - Clementi by early stoppage R2
Palelei vs. Sanchez - Palelei by early stoppage R3
Cane vs. Irvin - Irvin by early stoppage R2
Mohr vs. Gamburyan - Mohr by decision
Radev vs. Lister - Lister by early stoppage R3
Carneiro vs. DeSouza - Carneiro by decision
Bocek vs. Evans - Evans by decision ****

* This will be the fight of Hughes' life, and it will go the distance. Unfortunately, it won't be enough to give Hughes the victory. St. Pierre by decision.

** This is the fight of Liddell's life. Silva will look to end the fight early, and he will rock Liddell once or twice in the first round. Having sized up Silva in the first round, Liddell will go in for the kill and catch Silva with counter strikes, putting him way before the bell of R2. Liddell by early stoppage.

*** Machida--the human phantom--will frustrate Sokoudjou with his Flash-like ability to elude takedowns and strikes. Sokoudjou's inexperience in the octagon will work against him here in his debut (but only in his debut!), and he will gas early from nerves. Machida will surprise us all in R3 by rocking Sokoudjou, then finishing him. Machida by early stoppage.

**** These guys are so evenly matched, that it's a toss up. I picked Evans because he has one more pro fight under his belt, and he lasted longer against Huerta than Bocek did against Edgar. Aside from those two arbitrary indicators, it's a coin toss. Evans by decision.

Tim Sylvia vs. Big Nog - UFC 81

2007-12-03T11:07:00.000-05:00

MMANews.com is reporting that Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo "Big Nog" Nogueira will face off for the UFC interim heavyweight title at UFC 81 on February 2, 2008 in Las Vegas. The moderator of a forum on the Brizillian site "Portaldovt" posted an entry (in Portuguese) stating that Sylvia and Big Nog inked the deal only hours before the moderator's post.

You can read the short MMANews.com article and the Portuguese-to-English transliteration at:
Report: Sylvia vs. Nogueira Title Fight Set For UFC 81.

Rampage: "I Can Market My Damn Self"

2007-12-03T01:15:00.000-05:00

The ever-colorful Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (admittedly, my favorite fighter) loves to spice up a conversation. Jesse Holland of MMAMania.com caught up with Rampage to ask him 10 questions about his life and career.

When asked whether he thought the UFC could have marketed him better, Rampage replied:

"The UFC is very smart with their marketing. They just want to make sure I have the belt for a while. Marketing is expensive. Why they gonna spend all that money and then have me get knocked out by Dan Henderson like he did to Wanderlei. Then they gotta market Dan and then he gets knocked out. The UFC been around awhile that’s why they’re on top. I’m not trippin’ on them for marketing ’cause I can market my damn self."

And here's my favorite quote of the interview:

"I don’t talk crap about nobody until after I whoop their ass except in some cases if they have bad breath or they ugly as hell."

You can read the entire interview at
"MMAMania.com - I love Mexicans: 10 questions with UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson"

MMAJunkie.com Confirms Hughes vs. St. Pierre

2007-11-25T00:19:00.001-05:00

MMAJunkie.com has confirmed that "Hughes vs. St. Pierre 3" will indeed take place at UFC 79 on December 29, 2007. The fight will be a five-round Welterweight "interim title" fight. MMA Junkie reports that GSP did not hesitate to take the fight.

Yesterday, it was widely reported that Matt Serra had backed out of his UFC 79 title bout with Matt Hughes due to an untimely herniated disc injury.

Read the full article at:
UFC 79: Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre III for Interim Title (Updated)

Hughes vs. GSP at UFC 79 (According to Hughes)

2007-11-24T21:00:00.000-05:00

Props to MMAJunkie.com readers "Archean Life" and "johnnyu" for posting the breaking news from the Matt Hughes web site. Matt Hughes claims that he will now fight GSP at UFC 79 instead of now-injured Matt Serra.

Read Matt Hughes' announcement here:
BREAKING NEWS: Matt Fighting Georges St. Pierre at UFC 79!

Tavares Prediction: Stevenson Wins at UFC 80

2007-11-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

UFC fighter Thiago Tavares offers a prediction: Joe "Daddy" Stevenson will outlast and out-muscle B.J. Penn at UFC 80. The quote appears at the end of the Sherdog.com interview/article:
"Sherdog.com - Tavares Training for Return Against Omigawa".

Tavares also discusses his UFC 76 decision loss to Tyson Griffin, and his disappointment with the judging (one judge scored 30-27 Griffin). He says that he will be back at the top of the UFC lightweight division by the end of 2008, and that he especially wants a rematch with Tyson Griffin.

Shogun Could Face Ortiz

2007-11-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

MMANews.com is reporting that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua could face Tito Ortiz, or at least that's what the Chute Boxe camp hopes will happen. MMANews.com spoke with Rua representative, Julio Heller, about Shogun's knee surgery, and about his future.

Julio Heller: It is a little early right now. Shogun was the number one light heavyweight in the world but with his last loss he is back to the end of the line. I think that Tito Ortiz would be a good option.

Julio Heller: Both need a good fight and are on comebacks. I say, "Let's do it."

You can read the full article at MMANews.com - Exclusive: News On Shogun, Ninja, Werdum, Silva-Liddell.

UFC 78 Predictions

2007-11-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

Here are my predictions for UFC 78. For fun, I've added how and when each fight will be won. Predictions with this much detail are rarely right, but at least we'll see how close I come with the wins/losses.

[Correctly guessed wins in blue; incorrect in red]

Bisping vs. Evans - Evans by early stoppage, R3
Silva vs. Alexander - Silva by early stoppage, R2 *
Doerksen vs. Herman - Doerksen by early stoppage, R1
Chonan vs. Parisyan - Parisyan by decision
Edgar vs. Fisher - Edgar by decision **
Lytle vs. Alves - Alves by early stoppage, R3 ***
Reinhardt vs. Lauzon - Lauzon by early stoppage, R2
Caudillo vs. Aurelio - Aurelio by early stoppage, R3
Gono vs. McCrory - Gono by early stoppage, R3 ****

* I realize that this is an unpopular prediction, but I believe Silva will weather Alexander's early attempts to finish the fight. Silva will have better endurance entering R2, and he will finish Alexander before the bell.

** This one was very difficult to call. I switched names twice. I finally went with Edgar for his speed and endurance, though I believe Fisher is more well-rounded.

*** Another tough one to call. Went back and forth, watched/rewatched several fights on UFC On Demand. Both Lytle and Alves have looked great recently. Lytle is on a two win streak; Alves is on a three win streak. Very slight advantage to Alves for youth and endurance. I have it as "early stoppage" above, but this could just as easily go to a decision.

**** Yet another tough one. Too bad this fight is not scheduled for broadcast. Gono is very experienced, has fought some well-known fighters, has great takedowns. McCrory is a banger -- fast, furious, and tall. To the casual UFC fan, these two are probably the least well-known on the card. Gono's experience will win him this fight.

UFC 78 Will Kick the Crybabies to the Curb

2007-10-28T01:08:00.000-04:00

I am tired of all the crybabies whining about UFC 78. "It won't have any big stars." Wah, wah, wah. Shut up and watch the event. Can't you diaper-wearing adolescents complain about something substantive for crying out loud (literally)?

Here's the definition of "crybaby" on WordNet. That's you.

I predict that UFC 78 will be among the most memorable UFC events of 2007. It will eclipse UFC 77, and the future (and now-vaunted) UFC 79. In short, it will rock.

Viva UFC 78!

Couture vs. UFC - Who's Right?

2007-10-26T20:49:00.000-04:00

Will we ever see a resolution to this tangled mess? Not anytime soon, apparently.

During Randy Couture's press conference on HDNet (and currently available on ProElite.com), he reiterated many of the points most of us had already heard. In summary, Randy Couture felt slighted and disrespected by the UFC on many occasions. To enumerate them would seem petty, he stated. He explained that the UFC's behavior added up to a consistent pattern of disrespect toward him, though he was (is) the organization's marquee fighter and personality.

Among other things, Randy claimed that he was not offered a signing bonus upon his return to active duty prior to his fight with Tim Sylvia at UFC 68. He stated the this was just another sign of the lack of respect the UFC showed toward him.

By contrast, Dana White claims that Randy Couture not only received a signing bonus, but that Dana can prove it because he possesses the cashed check.

Check MMANews.com's excerpt at Dana White Says Despite Claims, Couture Received Bonus.

Check out the original article by Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports at Couture's Issue is Money, Not Respect.

It's On! Liddell vs. Silva at UFC 79

2007-10-23T22:56:00.000-04:00

Okay, the suspense is over. It is now official. I saw the announcement myself tonight on Spike TV. Wanderlei Silva will face former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion, Chuck Liddell, at UFC 79 on Saturday, December 29, 2007.

See the UFC.com official announcement here:
UFC.com - FINALLY, TWO LEGENDS MEET

UFC 79: Liddell vs. Wande... Maybe Not!

2007-10-19T10:36:00.000-04:00

The ever-reliable MMAJunkie.com held back on this story till they could confirm the info. Apparently, this fight is not a certainty. Fanboy blogs like mine were quick to jump on the story, but the Junkie conspicuously held back till this morning.

It looks like Direct TV has since taken down their Liddell vs. Wande graphic, which (as of yesterday) was included in their "UFC Fight Pack" promo. Though the rumored fight is a strong possibility, it has not been set in stone. Here's hoping!

You can read the MMAJunkie.com update here:
MMAJunkie.com - Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell Update

Are you ready? Are you ready? Apparently not...

Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva - UFC 79

2007-10-18T14:58:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like Direct TV blew it. The surprise was set to be sprung at UFC 77 this weekend. But somebody apparently messed up. Dana White is probably dropping F-bombs at the moment.

Now that the cat is out of the bag, who wouldn't be jazzed to see this fight? It's the fight that was meant to happen, but looked as though it wouldn't. "The Iceman" will finally get to face "The Axe Murderer" in the eight-sided cage once and for all. And not a moment too soon. With Randy Couture's recent departure, it was high time for some good news.

Thank you UFCMania.com for breaking this story! And thanks to UFCMania.com reader "James" for helping get that information to the fore. You can read the original story here: UFC 79: Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva confirmed.

You can see Direct TV's slip-up here: Direct TV - UFC Fight Pack.

Are you ready? Are you ready? Let's get it on!!!

On a Lighter Note...

2007-10-16T18:48:00.000-04:00

With all the bizarre news of late, I thought a little humor might be nice to leaven the mood.

Reggie F-bombing Warren, Jr.
YouTube is a treasure trove humorous delights. See Reggie Warren, Jr. as he faces his demons. Cameramane (that's not a misspell) has called in Dr. Mac Danzig to counsel Reggie about his relationship problems. Grab a tissue. This one will rip out your heart... not unlike Reggie's patented Tiger Claw® strike:
YouTube - Reggie Warren, Jr. Gets a Visit from Dr. Mac Danzig.

(Note: Reggie Warren, Jr. is the greatest unsigned mixed martial artist the world has ever known. If you haven't heard of him, be ashamed. Very ashamed.)

Randy Couture Says "Goodbye" to UFC

2007-10-11T16:48:00.000-04:00

In a shocking turn of events, today Randy "The Natural" Couture has tendered his resignation to UFC president, Dana White. Some who are now reporting this news at first thought it was a joke. But this is not a hoax. Couture cited two primary reasons for his departure: (1) the UFC's failure to obtain Fedor Emelianenko, and (2) the lack of respect Couture has received from the UFC, and in particular UFC president, Dana White. There is more to this story, so please see the links below.

To read details of this late-breaking story, see Exclusive: Couture Talks UFC Resignation on Sherdog.com.

You can also read MMAJunkie.com coverage: Report: After UFC’s Failure to Sign Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture Leaves UFC.

Fan-Friendly Houston Alexander

2007-10-10T07:32:00.000-04:00

Photograph © 2007 Jamison Hiner
Note: Photograph available on Flickr by Non-Commercial License only

MMAFighting.com recently interviewed UFC Light-Heavyweight fighter, Houston Alexander. If that name is not familiar to you, soon it will be. Houston is a rising star in MMA, and specifically in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, because of his fight-ending speed and power. (His total time spend inside the UFC octagon over the course of his two fights in the organization has been a little over two minutes.)

But Alexander is far more than a UFC brawler. He is also a D.J., an artist, and an educator. His D.J. gig happens over the airwaves of Omaha's NRG Media Power 106.9 KOPW. His latest artistic turn came in the form of a graffiti project for Red Bull. And his educational gig comes in the form of the Culture Shock School Tour, where Alexander and friends teach children about the roots and true culture of hip-hop, void of its commercial trappings.

You can read the original MMAFighting.com interview at Houston Alexander: A grateful and enthusiastic fighter.

Also check out a great interview on Complex.com in their celebrity section: Renaissance Man Redefined.

"The Assassin's" home site can be found at Houston Alexander "The Assassin".

Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic Eyes the UFC Title

2007-10-09T12:13:00.000-04:00

Former PRIDE mega-star, and now UFC heavyweight fighter, Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic, has his eye on the UFC title.

MMANews.com excerpted a story first published by MMAScoops.com that describes Cro Cop's recent nasal surgery. Apparently, since his debut in the UFC, Mirko's breathing has been significantly impaired. In fact, so impaired that the operating doctor did not believe Mirko was an athlete at first. The doctor remarked that Cro Cops breathing and stamina were at least 50% reduced from normal. This explains why Cro Cop breathed out of his mouth, with his mouthpiece partially out of his mouth, during his UFC fights.

On several MMA forums following Cro Cops dismal UFC 75 performance, readers posted comments disparaging his performance and doubting his future with the UFC. He seemed to tire soon into the second round, then lost to Cheick Kongo by unanimous decision. There was speculation (and even an apparent quote) that Cro Cop had broken a rib.

Following his successful nasal surgery, Filipovic stated that he still has his eye on the UFC title. Furthermore, he recently removed the smaller octagon he was using for training, and replaced it with a full-sized octagon so that his perception of of distance is correct during training. This should be good news for Cro Cop fans.

You can read the excerpted story at MMANews.com: CroCop Has Successful Surgery, Still Focused On Title.

You can read the original article at MMAScoops.com: 'Crocop' Undergoes Successful Nose Surgery, More.

Ortiz Explains Why Evans Must Wait

2007-10-05T22:27:00.001-04:00

As reported by MMANews.com, Tito Ortiz posted a comment on MMA.tv's The Underground Forum explaining why his immediate rematch with Rashad Evans must wait. Assuming that user "FUTA1" truly is Ortiz, he explains: "Getting in shape. I'm doing rehab for my injurys [sic]. I'm sick of fight [sic] 75%. I'm trying to pay my bills injured and making guys like evans and forrest look good. I can't do it anymore. I'm going to take some time to take care of myself. Everone [sic] wants the old Tito back and I'm going to give it to them."

You can read the original article at Ortiz Explains Why He Turned Down Immediate Evans Rematch.

UFC minus HBO equals Spike TV

2007-10-05T22:09:00.000-04:00

MultiChannel.com reported today that HBO and the UFC have parted ways. Apparently, negotiations came to an unsuccessful end after months of wrangling.

This "bad news" may be good news for Spike TV. As reported by MultiChannel.com and elsewhere, Spike TV aired UFC 75 in August 2007, garnering 4.7 million viewers, which was the largest ever viewership for a UFC event in North America.

You can read the full story at HBO, UFC Part Ways.

CSAC Sued for $500 Million

2007-10-03T11:50:00.000-04:00

MMANews.com is reporting today that the CSAC has been sued by New Era Fighting promotion. New Era Fighting alleges that the CSAC issued a cease and desist order only minutes prior to NEF's highly publicized tryouts in July 2007. The order forced NEF to cancel the tryouts. The details get more interesting: The CSAC issued their cease and desist order in July because they claimed that NEF president Ron Kort was not licensed. However, NEF claims that the CSAC not only approved his application, but awarded him a promoter's license, and cashed his $1k licensing fee check. (NEF is making copies of the cashed check available upon request.) You can read the full article by clicking the MMANews.com link at the top of this post.

UFC 76... WOW!

2007-09-23T00:57:00.000-04:00

What a night of upsets! I called it for Forrest Griffin fairly accurately, though I expected it to go to a decision. (I never expected Forrest to SUBMIT Shogun!) But what about Fitch over Diego? Or Jardine over Liddell? Talk about exciting fights!

I'd love to know how these judges come up with their scores. I do not understand why one of the judges gave the fight to Liddell. What exactly did Chuck do to win the fight in that judge's mind? I'm beginning to grasp Joe Rogan's complaint about the "boxing-based" scoring in MMA.

Keith Jardine fought a very smart fight. Very impressive. Those kick to the body, and especially to the left leg, were so effective! This seems to be the trend. Fighters are training hard and specifically to match their opponents' styles.

Chuck must begin training to counter specific opponents, because they are now training to counter his style. Before the Rampage Jackson fight, Chuck commented that he didn't change his training for specific fights. Then he got TKO'd in the first round. He looked like the same Chuck Liddell in this fight too. Nothing seemed to have changed in the octagon. Except for Jardine. He fought a smart fight against The Iceman.

This is what MMA is all about! This is what makes MMA the fastest-growing spectator sport in the world. Exciting, complex, ever-evolving and unpredictable. Oh so satisfying.

UFC 76 Predictions (Out on a Limb)

2007-09-22T06:52:00.001-04:00

I have absolutely no credentials, so I can make my predictions without consequence. That's what makes being an armchair MMA fanboy so fun.

Matches Made in Heaven
When I looked up each fighter using Sherdog's Fight Finder, it immediately became apparent how much thought went into these match-ups. E.g. Strong striker with a weakness for getting submitted (Jeremy Stephens) vs. a weak striker whose wins, save one, are all by submission (Diego Sariava). My respect for Joe Silva, the UFC's "match maker", continues to grow.

So, without further ado...

Jon Fitch vs. Diego Sanchez
Not only will Diego Sanchez defeat Jon Fitch, I predict that he will dominate. Though this fight has the makings of a three-round brawl, my gut says Sanchez will take out Fitch early. After watching the weigh-ins, I give the edge to Sanchez. Sanchez by TKO, second round.

"Shogun" vs. Forrest Griffin
This fight will go the distance. Shogun will be as sharp as ever, good kicks, good strikes. But he will gas earlier than Griffin. That is when Forrest Griffin will begin to rack up points. Later in the fight, Forrest will take down Shogun almost at will. This fight will go to decision, possibly a split decision. Griffin by decision.

Chuck Liddell vs. Keith Jardine
There won't be any surprises here. I will be pleasantly surprised if Jardine manages to make much headway with Liddell, not because I favor Jardine, but because it will make the fight more interesting. Liddell will exhibit his classic counter-fighting techniques, like heavy strikes while moving away from Jardine. This fight will not go the distance. Liddell by TKO, first round.

[Correctly guessed wins in blue; incorrect in red.]

UFC 76 Fight	Prediction
Chuck Liddell vs. Keith Jardine	R1/Liddell/TKO
"Shogun" vs. Forrest Griffin	Decision/Griffin
Jon Fitch vs. Diego Sanchez	R2/Sanchez/TKO
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Lyoto Machida	Decision/Machida
Thiago Tavares vs. Tyson Griffin	R3/Taveres/Submission
Anthony Johnson Vs. Rich Clementi	R2/Clementi/TKO
Diego Saraiva vs. Jeremy Stephens	R3/Stephens/TKO
Scott Junk vs. Christian Wellisch	Decision/Wellisch
Michihiro Omigawa Vs. Matt Wiman	Decision/Wiman
On the under-undercard:
Reggie Warren, Jr. vs. Karo Parsnippian-ish	R2/Warren/KTFO

Robbie Lawler defeats "Ninja" Rua

2007-09-16T22:29:00.000-04:00

As reported by MMAjunkie.com and several other MMA news sites, Team Hughes fighter Robbie Lawler defeated Murilo "Ninja" Rua at EliteXC: Uprising. On Saturday night, September 15th, Robbie Lawler defeated "Ninja" by TKO via strikes at 2:04 of the third round. The win earned Lawler the EliteXC Middleweight belt. (Note: Murilo Rua is the older brother of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua who will face Forrest Griffin at UFC 76 on September 22nd.)

The event also marked the return of former UFC fighter Nick Diaz. He had previously been suspended for testing positive for marijuana earlier this year. Looking rusty and trying to find his rhythm in the cage, Diaz squeezed out a split decision.

Gina Carano chalked up yet another in her now 5-0 MMA win record. She defeated Tonya Evinger by rear naked choke at 2:53 of the very first round. If you are unfamiliar with Gina, you can find her profile on the ProElite site.

(If you are unfamiliar with women's MMA in general, I strongly recommend heading over to BodogFIGHT to watch Paradise Lost, Season 4, Episode 8: The Best of Women's MMA.)

For more information, see the MMAjunkie.com story linked above. Also visit the ProElite site to watch the post-event press conference. I don't know how long they will make the press conference available on their home page, but you can see it as of late Sunday the 16th. You can also watch several of the undercard fights online at the ProElite.com site, but you will be required to register first (user name, password, email address, and that's the only required info).

Cro Cop Breaks Rib

2007-09-09T19:48:00.000-04:00

As has been reported on at least two sites, it appears that Cro Cop suffered a broken rib in the first round of his fight with Cheick Kongo at UFC 75. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović has never been known to back down or away from an opponent. But after dominating and stalking Kongo in the first round, Cro Cop appeared to fight tentatively and cautiously landing few punches, and seemed to be tired. Today it was reported on both MMANews.com and UFCMania.com that Cro Cop indeed suffered a painful broken rib in his fight. Also of note, he suffered two serious knees to the groin in rapid succession that very obviously caused a great deal of pain.

MMANews.com - Mirko Cro Cop Breaks Rib In UFC 75 Fight

UFCMania.com - UFC Quick Quote: Cro Cop breaks rib during fight with Kongo?

UFC 75 Past, UFC 76 Future

2007-09-09T01:48:00.000-04:00

It is late and I am exhausted. Great UFC event! Rampage not only held onto his LHW title, but he is now the undisputed LHW champ! Bisping eeked out a difficult win over Matt Hamill who did very well against "The Count". Houston Alexander once again devastated his opponent in the first round. Cro Cop lost his bout with Kongo. And Marcus Davis pulled off a beautiful armbar submission. I'm way too tired to include details of these matches, so for now head over the MMAJunkie.com for the latest news. I'll come back with more thoughts shortly.

Gonzaga Broke Own Nose, Fedor News

2007-08-31T20:28:00.000-04:00

Apparently the nose of Gabriel Gonzaga was broken by his own knee! Listen to the Sherdog.com broadcast Beatdown: Randy "The Natural" Couture, where Randy Couture explains that after closer analysis it appears that Gabriel Gonzaga's nose was broken by his own knee during Randy's fight-changing take down.

Randy also discussed the UFC's efforts to acquire Fedor Emelianenko. Current rumor says that Fedor may get up to $2 million per fight, and also have the opportunity to fight in Russia.

Read MMANews.com coverage of the latest Fedor rumors at Rumor: Fedor Likely To Sign $2 Million Per Fight.

UFC 75 Media Conference Call

2007-08-31T08:14:00.000-04:00

I won't repeat the text of the Thursday, August 30th UFC media conference call (you can read a great recap on UFCjunkie.com: UFC 75 Media Conference Call Recap), but there were some interesting highlights, and I'll quote directly from UFCjunkie:

Sept. 5 is open workouts for UFC 75, the press conference is Sept. 6 at noon, the weigh-ins are Sept. 7, and the event is Sept. 8. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. local time. The undercard starts at 6 p.m., and the main card starts at 8 p.m.
White said that he’s been meeting with Fedor’s people for months and that he hopes to have an announcement soon.
Henderson said that Jackson is going to be tough all-around and that he expects to go the full 25 minutes for the fight. He said he understand Jackson is explosive and a little bit bigger than him. Someone talked over Jackson, but I think he said he’s a whole lot “prettier” than Henderson too.
White said that Babalu has been cut from his contract because of the episode this past weekend at UFC 74.
White said he doesn’t know what the future of PRIDE will be and that it’s far more complicated than anyone realizes.
Couture’s next opponent is not yet known.
White said he doesn’t “give a sh*t” what Josh Barnett says about anything, including his recent comments about Couture being a paper champion.

Dana White: "What Babalu did was real bad."

2007-08-26T22:18:00.000-04:00

Alex Marvez of FOX Sports on MSN is reporting that Dana White had something to say about about Babalu's behavior at UFC 74. Comparing Babalu's behavior to other fighters' antics, he said, "What Babalu did was real bad." The article was mostly about how the UFC will deal with steroid use going forward. You can read Alex's article at: Notes: White Will Wait to Hand Out Bonuses.

Babalu Gets Slapped by NSAC

2007-08-26T15:47:00.000-04:00

As reported by UFCjunkie.com, Renatu "Babalu" Sobral got slapped in the pocketbook for his immature antics during UFC 74. The Nevada State Atheletic Commission withheld half of Babalu's $50k purse pending review. Read the entire UFCjunkie article here: Half of "Babalu's" Pay Withheld Because of Saturday’s Antics.

UFC 74 was soooo Satisfying!

2007-08-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

UFC 74 was the most satisfying UFC event I've ever watched. Hands down! And here's a first: I was on a 9-0 winning streak picking winners for last night's card. Admittedly, I had no money on the line. Nice coincidence though! I'm sure it'll never happen again.

UFC 74 Summary:
Randy Couture > Gabriel Gonazaga = TKO (ref stoppage at 1:37 of R3)
Georges St-Pierre > Josh Koshcheck = Decision (30-27/29-28/29-28)
Roger Huerta > Alberto Crane = TKO (ref stoppage at 1:50 of R3)
Joe Stevenson > Kurt Pellegrino = Decision (30-27/30-27/29-28)
Patrick Cote > Kendall Grove = TKO (ref stoppage at 4:45 of R1)
Renato Sobral > David Heath = Submission (anaconda choke at 3:30 of R2)
Frank Mir > Antoni Hardonk = Submission (kimura at 1:17 of R1)
Thales Leites > Ryan Jensen = Submission (arm bar at 3:47 of R1)
Clay Guida > Marcus Aurelio = Split Decision (30-27/30-27/28-29)

For a kickass summary, check out Thomas Gerbasi's recap on UFC.com at: Naturally Disastrous - Couture Stops Gonzaga in Three to Retain Crown.

For another great recap, check out UFCjunkie.com's recap at: UFC 74: Couture Defends, St. Pierre Rebounds, and "Babalu" Disgraces

Also check out Sherdog's play-by-play at: UFC 74 "Respect" Play-by-Play.

Countdown - Prelude to UFC 75

2007-08-22T12:29:00.000-04:00

Rampage and Henderson are ready for UFC 75! The fighters will spend their final two weeks in England.

Carlos Arias of The Orange County Register stopped by both camps this week (you can read his article here: FIGHT BLOG: Rampage, Henderson media days). First he stopped by Big Bear to interview Jackson who has been training with Michael Bisping, Cheick Kongo and Brandon Vera. Then he headed to Team Quest to talk with Henderson who leaves for England the day after the C-section birth of his third child. Both fighters seem to be focused and ready.

Interesting trivia: On the wall of Team Quest hangs the blood-stained canvas from PRIDE: Shockwave 2005 where Henderson beat Murilo Bustamante. He says some of that blood is his.

Few people have predicted that this fight will go five rounds. I'm predicting that Rampage will win by TKO. Either way, UFC 75 will be an exciting event! The fact that it will be free on Spike TV (U.S. and Canada only) is icing on the cake.

(Carlos Arias is the sports writer and boxing reporter for The Orange County Register.)

Rampage: Chronicles of a Champion

2007-08-17T17:15:00.001-04:00

It's about time Quinton "Rampage" Jackson got some media love. Not that he has been neglected altogether. But he hasn't garnered the kind of attention you might expect a world champion to achieve. MSNBC's David A. Avila wrote an article in his "Mixed Martial Arts Notebook" section entitled Soft-hearted 'Rampage' ready to bring the heat. Great article; check it out.

(Ironically, I happen to be wearing a Rampage 71 Signature T-Shirt that I bought from Sherdog.com.)

Let Fedor Fade Away

2007-08-17T09:23:00.000-04:00

As of this witing, Fedor Emelianenko's MMA career is in limbo. When I first read online that he was negotiating with various MMA promotions, and that the UFC was at the front of the line, I was excited. In fact, my first thought was, "Dana White, do whatever it takes!"

I've changed my mind. Let Fedor fade away. Let him wither on the vine. There is enough talent in MMA, and plenty of up-and-comers. Fedor may be a big star in Russia, but he is virtually unknown in the U.S. Let him stay that way. I'm sick of the drama. Randy Couture, Gabriel Gonzaga or Andrei Arlovski would have kicked his ass anyway.

GSP Comeback

2007-08-16T18:29:00.001-04:00

On the AM 940 Montreal site's news page, Georges St. Pierre talks at length about how he is training for his UFC 74 fight with Josh Koshcheck. Read the article at: Georges St. Pierre retools after Serra loss, preps for comeback fight.

UFC 74 Conference Call Notes

2007-08-16T18:16:00.000-04:00

Today Sam Caplan for UFCjunkie posted notes about the conference call, arranging the article in a summary-by-subject format that is easy to read. I'd suggest reading this before reading the Bloody Elbow version mentioned below. UFCjunkie: UFC 74 Media Conference Call Notes. Sam again mentions his prediction that Koscheck will defeat GSP.

Luke Thomas at Bloody Elbow posted the full text of the call without commentary. Luke mentioned that he had difficulty understanding Gabriel Gonzaga, but did his best to interpret. Read the conference call text at: Bloody Elbow: UFC Conference Call Notes - FULL.

Women's MMA = Intense!

2007-08-14T23:29:00.000-04:00

Earlier tonight, I watched BodogFIGHT: Paradise Lost EP8: The Best of Women's MMA on ION TV. It was one of the most interesting and exciting fight presentations I've ever seen. Bodog's women's division is great. (Can't say as much about their male roster, with the exception of Mark Lindland.) I believe the show I watched earlier this evening is available in its entirety at the BodogFIGHT link above, though in discrete segments. It's a great intro to the world of women's MMA if you have not been initiated yet.

Listening to Sherdog Radio's "Beatdown" recently, co-host T. J. De Santis mentioned that he's a big fan women's MMA. I understand why! Yeah, many of the fighters are just babes. But the actual fights... wow! Very fast-moving, and more exciting than most men's featherweight fights I've seen. And most of the women have mad skills.

Bloody Elbow's Luke Thomas Says GSP will beat Koscheck

2007-08-14T22:16:00.000-04:00

I won't belabor the point. Read Luke's essay on Bloody Elbow: Why Georges St. Pierre Will Defeat Josh Koscheck. Well-written, and well-argued. It is a rebuttal to an article claiming the opposite, and there's a link to that article on Luke's post. Check it out.

Ed O'Neill on the State of MMA

2007-08-14T07:19:00.000-04:00

Ed "Al Bundy" O'Neill has a thing or two to say about MMA! As reported in BodogBEAT's MMA News: Al Bundy Talks About Mixed Martial Arts, Ed O'Neill and his kids have been associated with Royce and Rorion for years. He was attending the grand opening of the new Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy in Torrance, California where Ron Yacovetti of ProElite.com caught up with him to discuss MMA. Checkout the BodogBEAT article linked above, or watch the video straight from the ProElite site: Ed O'Neill Interview. Whether or not you agree with O'Neill, he makes some interesting points about the current state of MMA, and whether it is "evolving" as Yacovetti put it.

Funny Boy Joe Lauzon

2007-08-13T22:13:00.000-04:00

Gotta love J-Lau! Besides being a good fighter, he's very funny. His sharp sarcasm was highlighted and discussed on UFCMania.com's article UFC 78: 'Troll-zon,' er, Lauzon at it again with Karo fight?. In summary, Joe Lauzon posted a comment on his site that describes how he is prepping to fight Karo Parisyan. But the devil is in the details, and the details are funny! Looks like the UFC has another bona fide comedian!

In my book, the reigning king of UFC comedy is still Forrest Griffin (great sense of humor and octagon badass), but Lauzon comes in a close 2nd. With some fighters seeming to take themselves so seriously, it's great to see these guys having fun.

[Of special note, Joe also mentioned the honorable Reggie Warren, Jr. as Karo's judo instructor. Which is not hard to believe at all.]

Hendo vs. Rampage

2007-08-10T09:29:00.000-04:00

The Hendo vs. Rampage fires are stoked and burning hotter than ever. UFCMania's blog post UFC 75: 'Dangerous' Dan vs. 'Sloppy' Jackson has generated a lot of comments that are more heat than light, though the debate has been interesting. Some argue that Dan Henderson's striking ability is more deadly, and that his ground game smokes Jackson's. Others point out that Rampage simply isn't the same fighter that he was in Pride FC (sharper and more focused now), and that Jackson can not only stand and throw hands with the best of them, but he's next to impossible to take down. Furthermore, others have pointed out that the disparity in "natural" weight disposition between the fighters makes this at least very interesting. Henderson seems to be more of a "natural" middleweight, whereas Jackson is a "natural" light heavyweight.

If you haven't seen Hendo and/or Rampage fight in Pride bouts, I'd recommend buying a subscription to UFC On Demand, the "Subscriptions" graphic on right side of that page.

What say you? Will Hendo steal Jackson's UFC Light Heavyweight belt? Or will Jackson walk away with Hendo's Pride belt?

Tito and Rashad II: Does it Matter?

2007-07-25T20:24:00.000-04:00

UFCJunkie posted more information today about a possible rematch between Tito Ortiz (16-5-0) and "Sugar" Rashad Evans (15-0-0) in his blog Tito Ortiz Booked for USO Tour to Visit Troops; Update on Evans vs. Ortiz II. This, of course, is a boon for Evans since it once again pits him against one of the most recognized names in MMA. But does it really help Ortiz? Tito slowly seems to be slipping into a kind of caricature of his former glory days. "Which newbie or has-been will they throw at Tito next?" That is an exaggeration, of course. In his last 10 fights, he fought Randy Couture (UFC 44), Forrest Griffin (UFC 59), Chuck Liddell twice (UFC 47, UFC 66), and he gave Patrick Cote his first loss (UFC 50). But he also beat Ken Shamrock three times (UFC 40, UFC 61, Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter), and Dana White has used that fact to bludgeon Tito and paint him as washed up fighter.

I confess that I was cheering for Evans. I was just hoping the underdog would win. And I dug the "fightin' words" they threw at each other. Rashad showed he could give as good as get. But the fight itself? Eh. I'd like to have seen more action. They both looked like they were fighting not to lose. I was glad to see Rashad push the pace toward the (very) end, but it was a yawner for the most part.

What do you think? Does "Ortiz vs. Sugar II" matter? Or is it just more breadcrumbs in the meatloaf?

Dana White vs. Josh Gross

2007-07-22T02:19:00.000-04:00

Oooooh, them's fightin' words! If you've missed the fuss over the past couple days, check out UFCMania's blog post Sherdog vs. UFC: Dana White responds to Josh Gross. Quite the war of words. Some have questioned whether White's response was authentic. It seems to be legit, and apparently posted by an UFC employee on White's behalf.

The war of words started when our kindly, gentle friend, Joss Gross of Sherdog fame, posted an open letter to Dana White of UFC fame. Gross used colorful words and metaphors with all the flair of a true armchair expert. White responded with colorful words, though with fewer but more potent metaphors, essentially checking Gross'es head kick by reversing it into a nasty heel hook. Who won? You be the judge!

Josh Gross: An Open Letter to Dana White
Dana White: My Response to Idiot Gross

Gross came out strong at the beginning of the round. But White gained momentum and didn't let up till the bell. Does this 10/9 round go to Gross or White?

Fedore Isn't Superman (but Pretty Close)

2007-07-22T00:21:00.000-04:00

Where o where will Fedor Emelianenko go? Will he ever find a worthy opponent? (Let me break out my violin.) The way some people talk, you'd think Fedor was Superman. Undefeatable! Forever!!! Some claim that if he moves to the UFC he will own the UFC heavyweight title with his first fight. Others suggest that he'll suffer the same "jitters" Cro Cop experienced. Who knows?!

Certainly no other organization has as good a heavyweight roster right now as the UFC. Sure, he may clean up. But where else will he find this many high-caliber heavyweights? He wouldn't be able to use stomps or soccer kicks like he could in Pride FC. And don't forget those lovely UFC elbows. Cro Cop found himself on the other end of Gonzaga's elbows, which led to impaired vision that ultimately cost him the fight.

Let's be reasonable: Recently-acquired PRIDE fighters have not proven that Pride successes translate directly into octagon show-stoppers. Heath Herring was lackluster. Nogueira was soft. Cro Cop got his ass handed to him at UFC 71. The exception so far has been Quinton "Rampage" Jackson who soundly defeated "The Iceman" at UFC 71, earning himself the light heavyweight title. [UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva also briefly fought in Pride, so he is another successful adoptee.]

I realize that Fedor is in another league skills-wise. But he has never been inside the UFC octagon. It simply isn't the same as being inside the Pride ring. The crowd vibe is different. The rules are different. And whomever he fights undoubtedly WILL have fought in the octagon previously.

Is Sherk a Jerk?

2007-07-22T00:07:00.000-04:00

To say that responses to the UFCJunkie's article UFC Lightweight Champ Sean Sherk Appealing Fine, Suspension have been polarized would be an understatement! Some posters flame Sherk and condemn him wholesale. Others -- including yours truly -- are holding judgment until Sherk gets his day in "court" (appeal before the commission). Most of the responders to the above UFCJunkie blog are parrots and monkeys and asses. I think they just want to stir up the pot. But I have appreciated the scant few level-headed posts, some citing research articles, others calling for patience while Sherk appeals the ruling.

What say you? Is Sherk a jerk? Or will his test result turn out to be a false positive? Or are you holding out till August 6th when he officially defends himself?

UPDATE: On Monday August 6th, 2007, Shawn requested and was granted an extension to his case before the CSAC. His case will now be heard in October.