I have been severely derelict in keeping this blog up to date lately. My apologies for that. As a token of my regret, I am posting a UFC 86 preview. Given my track record of late, you should have plenty of laughs at my predictions come Sunday morning. On to the show.........
Tyson Griffin 11-1 vs. Marcus "Maximus" Aurelio 14-5
Tyson Griffin is quickly emerging as a contender in the lightweight division only suffering defeat one time in twelve fights. Griffin has a lethal combination of strong cardio and knock out power. The only loss of his career thus far is to highly respected Frank Edgar. Marcus Aurelio is extremely tough and has not been stopped in 21 fights (5 losses are by decision.) This is a tough one to call. Aurelio has fought much tougher opponents than Griffin and I have to give the nod to experience.
Prediction: Aurelio by decision.
Josh "Kos" Koscheck 13-2 vs. Chris "Lights Out" Lytle 35-15-4
Koscheck is a very tough kid. He has fought some tough opponents and even went the distance with the current welterweight champ just one year ago. The problem....BORING! The guy seems to have absolutely no interest in finishing fights. With his wrestling skills, I would love to see him train with Tito Ortiz at Team Punishment and learn some ground and pound. Chris Lytle has had a tough career. Ever time he gets some momentum going, he ends up losing a fight. He posted 3 wins then lost to Robbie Lawler, 4 wins then lost to Karo Pariysan, 2 wins then back to back losses to Serra and Hughes, then 2 more wins and a loss to Thiago Alves. He doesn't seem to be able to win any big fights. I don't see this one being any different.
Prediction: Koscheck by decision...yawn.
Joe "Daddy" Stevenson 33-8 vs. Gleison Tibau 27-4
Stevenson is coming off the biggest fight of his career after losing a title fight to BJ Penn. In my opinion, he will one day hold the lighweight belt in the UFC. Enter the sacrificial lamb, Tibau. I see this as a bounce back fight for Stevenson. Despite being a jiu-jitsu specialist, Tibau is no match for Stevenson's wrestling and cardio.
Prediction: Stevenson by TKO, 2nd Round
Patrick "The Predator" Cote 13-4 vs. Ricardo "Big Dog" Almeida 9-2
Cote is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division. Considered small for his division, he still packs knockout power. Almeida, a jiu-jitsu specialist is currently riding a 7 fight win streak. Almeida however lacks knockout power which will give Cote the courage to stand in front of him and throw.
Prediction: Cote by knockout, 1st round
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson 27-6 vs. Forrest Griffin 15-4
Finally, a championship fight that earns my distinction as fight of the night! How can you not love Rampage. He is a fun loving, jokester out of the ring and a vicious savage inside the ring. Rampage is making a laughing stock out of the light heavyweight division defeating previous poster boy Chuck Liddell and Pride veteran Dan Henderson. The only marks on his career at this point are two brutal beatings at the hands of Wanderlei Silva and a loss to "Shogun" Rua. Forrest certainly is the sentimental favorite. In my opinion, his fight against Stephan Bonner in the TUF season 1 finale is the best MMA fight I have ever seen. He also holds a last second victory via naked choke over the last man to beat Jackson, "Shogun" Rua. Couple that with the fact that he has been training with Wanderlei Silva and this on has the makings of a real brawl. His only career losses are to Dan Severn, Jeremy Horn, Tito Ortiz, and Keith Jardine, which is nothing to be ashamed of. Both of these guys have amazing chins. In a total of 53 combined fights, they have been knocked out only 5 time combined. This is going to be an all out war with both guys willing to stand and trade. The problem is, I don't think Forrest can hurt Jackson with punches. The champ is just too tough.
Prediction: Jackson by decision.
This is one of the best PPV events the UFC has put on all year and should be well worth the $45 bones. Lets hope the Gonzaga vs. McCully fight is a good one and gets bumped to the main show.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sigh.......
It seems my prediction skills have been lacking as of late.
On a brighter note, watching Diego Sanchez return to form Saturday night was exciting. He had the swagger back in his step and really came out like a pit bull. The Sanchez we saw Saturday night is the Sanchez that we saw win The Ultimate Fighter. I predict this guy will be a champion someday.
C.B. Dolloway is a cry baby. Now I know why he enjoys wearing women's sunglasses. Maybe he should switch to kids sunglasses because that is exactly what he acted like after Amir kicked his can. His protesting to the stoppage of the fight was absolutely ridiculous. Anyone who knows anything about MMA and even those who don't, would agree that he tapped. All he did was make himself look like a total jerk. If its one thing you learn watching the UFC, it is that Dana White doesn't like cry babies. I don't think we will be seeing much if any of C.B. Dolloway in the future.
On the other hand, has there ever been a more fun guy to root for than Amir Sadollah? Granted, it wasn't the greatest fight in T.U.F. history, but I think that had more to do with his opponent than anything else. Amir had a genuine "I'm just happy to be here" attitude the entire show. He doesn't seem the least bit impressed with himself. I tend to think he is a love able version of Chris Leben. At any rate, I think the right guy won the show and I cant wait to watch him in the Octagon. He is exactly the type of fighter that fans get behind and with a couple of wins against bigger names, he could be a marketing machine for the UFC.
All in all it was a pretty good night of fights. With the exception of one snoozer (Riddell vs. Rivera) the fights were action packed. It just goes to show that even with a night full of fights that would normally be an under card, the UFC can still put on a better show than Elite XC on prime time TV.
On a brighter note, watching Diego Sanchez return to form Saturday night was exciting. He had the swagger back in his step and really came out like a pit bull. The Sanchez we saw Saturday night is the Sanchez that we saw win The Ultimate Fighter. I predict this guy will be a champion someday.
C.B. Dolloway is a cry baby. Now I know why he enjoys wearing women's sunglasses. Maybe he should switch to kids sunglasses because that is exactly what he acted like after Amir kicked his can. His protesting to the stoppage of the fight was absolutely ridiculous. Anyone who knows anything about MMA and even those who don't, would agree that he tapped. All he did was make himself look like a total jerk. If its one thing you learn watching the UFC, it is that Dana White doesn't like cry babies. I don't think we will be seeing much if any of C.B. Dolloway in the future.
On the other hand, has there ever been a more fun guy to root for than Amir Sadollah? Granted, it wasn't the greatest fight in T.U.F. history, but I think that had more to do with his opponent than anything else. Amir had a genuine "I'm just happy to be here" attitude the entire show. He doesn't seem the least bit impressed with himself. I tend to think he is a love able version of Chris Leben. At any rate, I think the right guy won the show and I cant wait to watch him in the Octagon. He is exactly the type of fighter that fans get behind and with a couple of wins against bigger names, he could be a marketing machine for the UFC.
All in all it was a pretty good night of fights. With the exception of one snoozer (Riddell vs. Rivera) the fights were action packed. It just goes to show that even with a night full of fights that would normally be an under card, the UFC can still put on a better show than Elite XC on prime time TV.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Boxing vs MMA
Back in high school our athletic department was deep in a bitter rivalry. The two opposing sides however, attended the same school. Either you played soccer, or you played baseball. The two sides hated each other. Soccer players continually questioned the intelligence of the baseball squad. The baseball squad constantly questioned the sexual preference of the soccer team. Pranks were also commonplace. One day we arrived at practice to find that someone (gee I wonder who), relieved themselves on home plate. Subsequently, later that evening, the soccer nets found themselves with a few extra holes in it. The point is the rivalry was costly to both teams, and the sad part is, we really didn't seem to care.
Boxing and MMA have found themselves in a similar situation. Boxing writers would like you to believe that MMA is human cockfighting and the fans that enjoy it are blood thirsty savages. MMA on the other hand would label boxing as boring and its fighters as "wussies" for having to wear padded gloves. I'm going to do my best to make a case for both.
As a youngster I was not a huge boxing fan. My dad loved to watch the fights on TV and I would often wander in and watch for a few minutes in the hopes of seeing a big knockout. Often times it wouldn't come and I would quickly lose interest and return to my video game system. As I got older however, my dad started taking me to the "Friday Night Smoker" at our local military base. This is where my love for the sport grew. The gym on the base was awful. The bleachers were hard and the smell of stale popcorn was stuck in the air. The lighting was terrible. The great part is though, the seats were all close. One time a guy was getting beat in the corner and the sweat flying off his head was landing on us. It was gross, but it was cool. I got to sit ringside and really grew an appreciation for the "Sweet Science." Typically, only one or two of the bouts each night featured any fighters with experience, but watching up close as two men engaged in a 10 round chess match was thrilling. Equally exciting were the fights that featured two Navy boys fresh off the boat standing in the middle of the ring and throwing hay makers until one collapsed. Sometimes the collapse was a result of a punch but more often than not it was due to exhaustion. I found myself looking forward to Friday nights the older I got.
UFC 1 was held on my 19th birthday. I didn't see it live, but a buddy and I found the videotape on the bottom row at the local video store. We had heard about it but didn't really know what we were getting into. We rented it, and within the first few minutes, I was hooked. Watching Royce Gracie dominate guys on the ground was a whole new world for me. I had never seen such skill in the way these guys were winning fights. We also say a 400 pound sumo wrestler get a tooth knocked out just 30 seconds in to his fight by a guy much smaller. Watching David vs. Goliath was thrilling, certainly something I had never seen in boxing with its weight divisions. The concept was flawed however. No time limits or rounds would sometimes produce fights that lasted over 30 minutes, most of it on the ground. Some fans labeled it as boring and not being action packed. Zuffa came along and purchased the UFC, introducing weight classes, timed rounds, and abandoning the tournament format in favor of single fighting with championship belts in each class. The sport took off and is considered to be the fastest growing sport in the world.
The biggest argument is safety. Un-educated watchers see cuts and blood in MMA and assume the worst. Turn on a boxing match after 10 rounds and usually one if not both of the fighters have at least an eye swollen shut. Boxing certainly has more fatalities than MMA even when compared on a percentage basis. I have only ever heard of one fight related death in the history of organized MMA. On the other hand, small injuries are much more liable to occur in MMA and often times fighters are injured in training and forced to withdraw from a fight. This can most certainly be attributed to the different chokes and submissions used when training for an MMA bout. I believe however that non padded gloves and choke holds actually improve fighter safety. Unlike boxing, there is no standing 8 count in MMA. Once a fighter is down and not intelligently defending himself, the fight is over. Also, the use of submission holds greatly reduces the amount of blows to the head a fighter is subjected to in a fight. Lastly, non padded gloves can easily produce cuts which can also cause a fight to be stopped early. In short, while the abuse taken by an MMA fighter is certainly high and potentially dangerous, it pales in comparison to a boxer taking shots to the head for over 30 minutes in a night. Typical MMA fights are only 3 five minute rounds and with the likely hood that some of that is spent on the ground, the damage toll is much smaller that that of a 12 round boxing match.
So which is better? Both sports have their disadvantages. While some MMA fights can drag on when the fight is on the ground and neither fighter is trying to better position, the same can be said for two boxers that throw a punch or two and then clinch. Both also provide excitement. While boxing can be fascinating while two men pick each other apart round after round, a true display of MMA skills is equally exhilarating.
As far as my personal opinion, if I know an MMA event is on at the same time as a boxing match, without question I will tune into the MMA event every time. I find the pace of the action to be quicker and more involved. I also like the fact that MMA develops its fighters and their characters, through marketing, TV shows, and fighter interviews. I feel that MMA is making a greater push to put its product out there and develop rivalries and subplots for each fight. Fight fans like to know who the underdog or favorite, the hero or the villain. This makes for a better overall watching experience.
Hopefully MMA will one day garner the same respect as the sport of boxing. The fighters are far from the knuckle dragging neanderthals that the boxing press would like you to believe. They are highly skilled athletes who put their bodies on the line to entertain the fans. If you have never seen an event, you can turn on Spike TV or the VS network almost anytime and see some fights. You will be glad you did.
Boxing and MMA have found themselves in a similar situation. Boxing writers would like you to believe that MMA is human cockfighting and the fans that enjoy it are blood thirsty savages. MMA on the other hand would label boxing as boring and its fighters as "wussies" for having to wear padded gloves. I'm going to do my best to make a case for both.
As a youngster I was not a huge boxing fan. My dad loved to watch the fights on TV and I would often wander in and watch for a few minutes in the hopes of seeing a big knockout. Often times it wouldn't come and I would quickly lose interest and return to my video game system. As I got older however, my dad started taking me to the "Friday Night Smoker" at our local military base. This is where my love for the sport grew. The gym on the base was awful. The bleachers were hard and the smell of stale popcorn was stuck in the air. The lighting was terrible. The great part is though, the seats were all close. One time a guy was getting beat in the corner and the sweat flying off his head was landing on us. It was gross, but it was cool. I got to sit ringside and really grew an appreciation for the "Sweet Science." Typically, only one or two of the bouts each night featured any fighters with experience, but watching up close as two men engaged in a 10 round chess match was thrilling. Equally exciting were the fights that featured two Navy boys fresh off the boat standing in the middle of the ring and throwing hay makers until one collapsed. Sometimes the collapse was a result of a punch but more often than not it was due to exhaustion. I found myself looking forward to Friday nights the older I got.
UFC 1 was held on my 19th birthday. I didn't see it live, but a buddy and I found the videotape on the bottom row at the local video store. We had heard about it but didn't really know what we were getting into. We rented it, and within the first few minutes, I was hooked. Watching Royce Gracie dominate guys on the ground was a whole new world for me. I had never seen such skill in the way these guys were winning fights. We also say a 400 pound sumo wrestler get a tooth knocked out just 30 seconds in to his fight by a guy much smaller. Watching David vs. Goliath was thrilling, certainly something I had never seen in boxing with its weight divisions. The concept was flawed however. No time limits or rounds would sometimes produce fights that lasted over 30 minutes, most of it on the ground. Some fans labeled it as boring and not being action packed. Zuffa came along and purchased the UFC, introducing weight classes, timed rounds, and abandoning the tournament format in favor of single fighting with championship belts in each class. The sport took off and is considered to be the fastest growing sport in the world.
The biggest argument is safety. Un-educated watchers see cuts and blood in MMA and assume the worst. Turn on a boxing match after 10 rounds and usually one if not both of the fighters have at least an eye swollen shut. Boxing certainly has more fatalities than MMA even when compared on a percentage basis. I have only ever heard of one fight related death in the history of organized MMA. On the other hand, small injuries are much more liable to occur in MMA and often times fighters are injured in training and forced to withdraw from a fight. This can most certainly be attributed to the different chokes and submissions used when training for an MMA bout. I believe however that non padded gloves and choke holds actually improve fighter safety. Unlike boxing, there is no standing 8 count in MMA. Once a fighter is down and not intelligently defending himself, the fight is over. Also, the use of submission holds greatly reduces the amount of blows to the head a fighter is subjected to in a fight. Lastly, non padded gloves can easily produce cuts which can also cause a fight to be stopped early. In short, while the abuse taken by an MMA fighter is certainly high and potentially dangerous, it pales in comparison to a boxer taking shots to the head for over 30 minutes in a night. Typical MMA fights are only 3 five minute rounds and with the likely hood that some of that is spent on the ground, the damage toll is much smaller that that of a 12 round boxing match.
So which is better? Both sports have their disadvantages. While some MMA fights can drag on when the fight is on the ground and neither fighter is trying to better position, the same can be said for two boxers that throw a punch or two and then clinch. Both also provide excitement. While boxing can be fascinating while two men pick each other apart round after round, a true display of MMA skills is equally exhilarating.
As far as my personal opinion, if I know an MMA event is on at the same time as a boxing match, without question I will tune into the MMA event every time. I find the pace of the action to be quicker and more involved. I also like the fact that MMA develops its fighters and their characters, through marketing, TV shows, and fighter interviews. I feel that MMA is making a greater push to put its product out there and develop rivalries and subplots for each fight. Fight fans like to know who the underdog or favorite, the hero or the villain. This makes for a better overall watching experience.
Hopefully MMA will one day garner the same respect as the sport of boxing. The fighters are far from the knuckle dragging neanderthals that the boxing press would like you to believe. They are highly skilled athletes who put their bodies on the line to entertain the fans. If you have never seen an event, you can turn on Spike TV or the VS network almost anytime and see some fights. You will be glad you did.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
T.U.F. Finale Predictions
Time for some fight predictions for The Ultimate Fighter Finale.
Matt Riddle 0-0 vs. Dante Rivera 10-2
This one ain't gonna be pretty folks. Riddle is younger, stronger, faster, and in my opinion tougher. He was so raw on the show but showed amazing toughness and strength. He has been training the last few months in Arizona with C.B. Dolloway and you can bet he is going to be a best in the octagon. Rivera gets the edge for experience, but that's about it.
Prediction: Riddle by knockout, first round.
Spencer "The King" Fisher 21-3 vs. Jeremy "Lil Heathen" Stevens 15-2
Fisher has had a rough go of late posting a 3-3 record in his last 6 fights. He is a well rounded fighter out of the Miletich camp in Betandorf, Iowa and boasts notable wins over Thiago Alves and Matt Wiman. Stephens is a puncher who is currently riding a 3 fight win streak. When having trouble predicting a fight, I always go with the boxer. Plus, I just cant get behind a guy who chose a bird for his nickname.
Prediction: Stephens by TKO, second round.
Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez 21-2 vs Luigi Fioravanti 14-3
Sanchez appeared to be on the fast track to a title fight following his dominating performance in The Ultimate Fighter. Losses to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch have derailed those plans momentarily. Make no mistake though, this guy has the goods to be a champion. He has vicious ground and pound and is a world class wrestler. Fioravanti is a striker out of American Top Team. He also saw back to back losses knock him down in the rankings. This should be a great showing of MMA skills and is my pick for fight of the night.
Prediction: Sanchez by submission, second round.
Amir Sadollah 0-0 vs. C.B. Dolloway 6-0
This is a really tough fight to call. Experience and technique heavily favors C.B., but I cant get away from a few facts. A. Sadollah finished every one of his fights on the show, B. Sadollah doesn't appear to feel pain, C. I love rooting for the underdog. Regardless of how this ends up, I think both guys are going to have great careers in the UFC.
Prediction: C.B. Dolloway by split decision.
Kendall "Da Spyder" Grove 10-5 vs. Evan "Grizzly Adams" Tanner 34-8 (OK the nickname was a joke but have you seen this guys beard this week?)
Grove is another T.U.F. champion who has hit a rough spot in the UFC with back to back loses to Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera. To his advantage, he trains with some of the toughest guys in the sport at Team Punishment. Grove is a submission specialist who at 6'6" holds a major height advantage over his opponents. Tanner is also a submission artist and a former UFC champion. His experience is a huge advantage and Grove certainly has his work cut out for him. The T.U.F. Finale has always been about young fighters and I think this night will be no different.
Prediction: Grove by TKO, second round.
This is a very entertaining card with a lot of fights that could go either way. I think we will see Diego Sanchez and Kendall Grove with impressive victories as both begin their climb to the top of their divisions.
Matt Riddle 0-0 vs. Dante Rivera 10-2
This one ain't gonna be pretty folks. Riddle is younger, stronger, faster, and in my opinion tougher. He was so raw on the show but showed amazing toughness and strength. He has been training the last few months in Arizona with C.B. Dolloway and you can bet he is going to be a best in the octagon. Rivera gets the edge for experience, but that's about it.
Prediction: Riddle by knockout, first round.
Spencer "The King" Fisher 21-3 vs. Jeremy "Lil Heathen" Stevens 15-2
Fisher has had a rough go of late posting a 3-3 record in his last 6 fights. He is a well rounded fighter out of the Miletich camp in Betandorf, Iowa and boasts notable wins over Thiago Alves and Matt Wiman. Stephens is a puncher who is currently riding a 3 fight win streak. When having trouble predicting a fight, I always go with the boxer. Plus, I just cant get behind a guy who chose a bird for his nickname.
Prediction: Stephens by TKO, second round.
Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez 21-2 vs Luigi Fioravanti 14-3
Sanchez appeared to be on the fast track to a title fight following his dominating performance in The Ultimate Fighter. Losses to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch have derailed those plans momentarily. Make no mistake though, this guy has the goods to be a champion. He has vicious ground and pound and is a world class wrestler. Fioravanti is a striker out of American Top Team. He also saw back to back losses knock him down in the rankings. This should be a great showing of MMA skills and is my pick for fight of the night.
Prediction: Sanchez by submission, second round.
Amir Sadollah 0-0 vs. C.B. Dolloway 6-0
This is a really tough fight to call. Experience and technique heavily favors C.B., but I cant get away from a few facts. A. Sadollah finished every one of his fights on the show, B. Sadollah doesn't appear to feel pain, C. I love rooting for the underdog. Regardless of how this ends up, I think both guys are going to have great careers in the UFC.
Prediction: C.B. Dolloway by split decision.
Kendall "Da Spyder" Grove 10-5 vs. Evan "Grizzly Adams" Tanner 34-8 (OK the nickname was a joke but have you seen this guys beard this week?)
Grove is another T.U.F. champion who has hit a rough spot in the UFC with back to back loses to Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera. To his advantage, he trains with some of the toughest guys in the sport at Team Punishment. Grove is a submission specialist who at 6'6" holds a major height advantage over his opponents. Tanner is also a submission artist and a former UFC champion. His experience is a huge advantage and Grove certainly has his work cut out for him. The T.U.F. Finale has always been about young fighters and I think this night will be no different.
Prediction: Grove by TKO, second round.
This is a very entertaining card with a lot of fights that could go either way. I think we will see Diego Sanchez and Kendall Grove with impressive victories as both begin their climb to the top of their divisions.
Jesse Taylor - Fallen Angel
Watching Jesse Taylor throw away a 50/50 lottery ticket last night, I couldn't help but hear one of my favorite 80's hair band songs screaming in my ear.
OK, so you have to sub out a few words but you get the picture. Seeing Taylor self destruct was a real shame. For those that didn't see it, J.T. (as he is known on the show) indulged in a few spirits the night the show was over. He got drunk, kicked out the window of a limo (see lyrics above) and made a jerk of himself in the hotel and casino. As everyone knows, cameras are everywhere in Vegas, and to top it off J.T. ran around screaming "Don't you know who I am? I'm a UFC fighter!" The security staff sent the tapes to Dana White and the handwriting was on the wall for poor Jesse. Dana White kicked him out of the finals, off the show, and out of the UFC.
After hearing about the incident my knee jerk reaction was to be upset. The source for my frustration was simple, here was just another reason for the naysayers to drag my favorite sport through the mud. The more I started to think about it though, I felt sorry for the kid. In fact, J.T. himself predicted something would go down.
Jesse is a great young fighter with tremendous skills. He is a guy the common fans can relate to with his junk food diet and quirky antics. He seemed generally well liked in the house and many fighters commented that he was a great training partner. Quite simply, he made a mistake. I for one hope that Dana White can forgive him for his mistake and give him a shot in a few months. I think he deserves a second chance.
Just like a lost soul
caught up in the Hollywood scene
All the parties and the limousines
Such a good actress hiding all her pain
Trading her memories for fortune and fame
Win big--Mama's fallen angel
Lose big--livin' out her lies
Wants it all--Mama's fallen angel
Lose it all, rollin' the dice of her life
OK, so you have to sub out a few words but you get the picture. Seeing Taylor self destruct was a real shame. For those that didn't see it, J.T. (as he is known on the show) indulged in a few spirits the night the show was over. He got drunk, kicked out the window of a limo (see lyrics above) and made a jerk of himself in the hotel and casino. As everyone knows, cameras are everywhere in Vegas, and to top it off J.T. ran around screaming "Don't you know who I am? I'm a UFC fighter!" The security staff sent the tapes to Dana White and the handwriting was on the wall for poor Jesse. Dana White kicked him out of the finals, off the show, and out of the UFC.
After hearing about the incident my knee jerk reaction was to be upset. The source for my frustration was simple, here was just another reason for the naysayers to drag my favorite sport through the mud. The more I started to think about it though, I felt sorry for the kid. In fact, J.T. himself predicted something would go down.
“I have a good feeling it’s going to hit me tonight,” he said. “It’s definitely going to hit me tonight.”
Jesse is a great young fighter with tremendous skills. He is a guy the common fans can relate to with his junk food diet and quirky antics. He seemed generally well liked in the house and many fighters commented that he was a great training partner. Quite simply, he made a mistake. I for one hope that Dana White can forgive him for his mistake and give him a shot in a few months. I think he deserves a second chance.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
State Of The Union
Don't make plans to go camping every weekend this summer just yet. Instead of spending $4.50 a gallon to drive to the woods and get eaten alive by mosquito's, check out the line up of MMA talent that is sure to make staying home seem like a great idea. The action is really heating up this summer with a plethora of exciting events.
May 24th - UFC 84 - The return of Shawn Sherk and the dominating performance by B.J. Penn. Not to mention what was most likely the last time Tito Ortiz stepped foot in the octagon.
May 31st - Elite XC debuted on Primetime T.V. The topics have been beaten to death so I wont go there, but you cant not be excited that MMA came to live network television.
June 1st - WEC 34 - Faber vs. Pulver lived up to the bill as the two best featherweights in the game squared off in a slug fest. The WEC also showed up the debacle the night before on CBS.
June 7th - UFC 85 - This event showcased the end of an era. Most are now convinced that Matt Hughes best days are behind him.
June 14th - Elite XC - K.J. Noons vs Yves Edwards. Noons defends his lightweight belt against Edwards in a fight that many, myself included, believe should have been the main event on CBS. This should be an outstanding fight.
June 14th - Adrenaline 1 - Not much interesting on this card after wrestling beast Jeff Monson came off the card, but it will be interesting to see how their inaugural event comes off.
June 15th - Dream 4 - Fear not. Even though Cro Cop had to withdraw from his grappling match due to injury, purists will love the next round of the middleweight grand prix.
June 20th - Sportfight 23 - The Matt Lindland/Mark Cuban promotion promises to deliver some great fights from the hotbed for MMA, the Pacific Northwest.
June 21st - TUF 7 Finale - Evan Tanner vs Kendall Grove is a huge match up. The winner steps up in the title picture while the loser puts himself in a huge hole to reach the top spot.
June 27th - Strikeforce - Don't let this one pass. Lots of great fights including a light heavyweight title fight between Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson.
July 5th - UFC 86 - Jackson vs Griffin. The UFC has done a terrible job of promoting Jackson as the next big thing. Neither fighter has fought since last September making the build up for this fight a little slow. Trust me however, these two guys are animals and this is my pick for fight of the year.
July 19th - Affliction Banned - The one we are all waiting for, Fedor vs Silvia. Affliction has gone out and signed the top heavyweight talent in the world. Even though they seem to put all their eggs in the heavyweight basket, this card should reveal an exciting night of fights.
UPDATE: July 19th - Ultimate Fight Night - To counter promote against Affliction, the UFC has added an event. Not a lot of great fights on the card but this is a good chance for up and coming fighters to make a showing. That coupled with the fact that Anderson Silva will make his debut at light heavyweight should make this a fun one to watch.
One of the best things about this sport is that there is no season. Competition breeds a better product and all of these upstart organizations will hopefully push the big boys to continue to bring the best fights in MMA. At any rate, its an exciting time to be a fan.
May 24th - UFC 84 - The return of Shawn Sherk and the dominating performance by B.J. Penn. Not to mention what was most likely the last time Tito Ortiz stepped foot in the octagon.
May 31st - Elite XC debuted on Primetime T.V. The topics have been beaten to death so I wont go there, but you cant not be excited that MMA came to live network television.
June 1st - WEC 34 - Faber vs. Pulver lived up to the bill as the two best featherweights in the game squared off in a slug fest. The WEC also showed up the debacle the night before on CBS.
June 7th - UFC 85 - This event showcased the end of an era. Most are now convinced that Matt Hughes best days are behind him.
June 14th - Elite XC - K.J. Noons vs Yves Edwards. Noons defends his lightweight belt against Edwards in a fight that many, myself included, believe should have been the main event on CBS. This should be an outstanding fight.
June 14th - Adrenaline 1 - Not much interesting on this card after wrestling beast Jeff Monson came off the card, but it will be interesting to see how their inaugural event comes off.
June 15th - Dream 4 - Fear not. Even though Cro Cop had to withdraw from his grappling match due to injury, purists will love the next round of the middleweight grand prix.
June 20th - Sportfight 23 - The Matt Lindland/Mark Cuban promotion promises to deliver some great fights from the hotbed for MMA, the Pacific Northwest.
June 21st - TUF 7 Finale - Evan Tanner vs Kendall Grove is a huge match up. The winner steps up in the title picture while the loser puts himself in a huge hole to reach the top spot.
June 27th - Strikeforce - Don't let this one pass. Lots of great fights including a light heavyweight title fight between Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson.
July 5th - UFC 86 - Jackson vs Griffin. The UFC has done a terrible job of promoting Jackson as the next big thing. Neither fighter has fought since last September making the build up for this fight a little slow. Trust me however, these two guys are animals and this is my pick for fight of the year.
July 19th - Affliction Banned - The one we are all waiting for, Fedor vs Silvia. Affliction has gone out and signed the top heavyweight talent in the world. Even though they seem to put all their eggs in the heavyweight basket, this card should reveal an exciting night of fights.
UPDATE: July 19th - Ultimate Fight Night - To counter promote against Affliction, the UFC has added an event. Not a lot of great fights on the card but this is a good chance for up and coming fighters to make a showing. That coupled with the fact that Anderson Silva will make his debut at light heavyweight should make this a fun one to watch.
One of the best things about this sport is that there is no season. Competition breeds a better product and all of these upstart organizations will hopefully push the big boys to continue to bring the best fights in MMA. At any rate, its an exciting time to be a fan.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Where Does Chris Leben Fit In?
Where exactly does a fighter like Chris Leben fit in the UFC 185 pound division. In my book, near the top.
Granted Leben got destroyed by current champ Anderson Silva, but who doesnt? Trust me, I know what you are going to say next. What about the back to back losses to Jason MacDonald and (gulp) Kalib Starnes?
Lets analyze those two losses for a second. First off, I believe Kalib Starnes was treated unfairly. Yes he ran, but the dude had a broken foot. A lot of guys would have quit. His strategy was to continue the fight in hopes of catching his opponent in a submission. It didnt work for him. MacDonald on the other hand has made a great showing in the UFC, losing only to former champ Rich Franklin and the only UFC fighter to beat Silva, Yushin Okami.
A closer look tells us what is even more impressive about Leben. The guy stepped into the cage 5 times in 2006. With that kind of pace, a loss or two is almost expected.
In short, Chris Leben may be one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, regardless of whether he ever gets the chance to fight for the title again or not. Leben attacks the cage like few fighters do. Seldom does he ever take a step back. He never stops working, never stops throwing punches until the horn sounds. That is what fighting is all about. Rest assured, when I see Chris Leben on the card, I shell out the $45 to watch the fight and you should too. A fighter like him is much better suited for primetime TV than the likes of Kimbo Slice.
Granted Leben got destroyed by current champ Anderson Silva, but who doesnt? Trust me, I know what you are going to say next. What about the back to back losses to Jason MacDonald and (gulp) Kalib Starnes?
Lets analyze those two losses for a second. First off, I believe Kalib Starnes was treated unfairly. Yes he ran, but the dude had a broken foot. A lot of guys would have quit. His strategy was to continue the fight in hopes of catching his opponent in a submission. It didnt work for him. MacDonald on the other hand has made a great showing in the UFC, losing only to former champ Rich Franklin and the only UFC fighter to beat Silva, Yushin Okami.
A closer look tells us what is even more impressive about Leben. The guy stepped into the cage 5 times in 2006. With that kind of pace, a loss or two is almost expected.
In short, Chris Leben may be one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, regardless of whether he ever gets the chance to fight for the title again or not. Leben attacks the cage like few fighters do. Seldom does he ever take a step back. He never stops working, never stops throwing punches until the horn sounds. That is what fighting is all about. Rest assured, when I see Chris Leben on the card, I shell out the $45 to watch the fight and you should too. A fighter like him is much better suited for primetime TV than the likes of Kimbo Slice.
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