MMA Thread

[zenryan]

I'm starting to think I can KO AA. Guy has a glass jaw. But nice win by Rogers. I'd like to see him fight a top grappler.

 

Diaz looked great once again.

[MHizzle85]

Randleman should of finished that fight...that fight blew chunks.

 

Riggs owned Baroni for 3 rounds there.

 

Diaz showed why I like watching him fight, it'll be interesting to see what they do with him now.

 

AA is done. We'll see what they give Rogers next.

 

Shields is the s***. Plain & simple. I would love to see this guy in the UFC. Easily the best guy @ 170 not in the UFC. /end nuthugging rant.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Shields is the s***. Plain & simple. I would love to see this guy in the UFC. Easily the best guy @ 170 not in the UFC. /end nuthugging rant.

I wouldn't call that nuthugging because it is the truth. Outside of the UFC the WW division is really lacking. Shields is #1 no doubt, then I'd go Sakurai, after that it's debatable. There's nothing left for Shields outside of the UFC.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

The Rogers KO didn't shock me. I would have picked him but was a bit hesitant due to him not having fought major competition. I wouldn't say AA has a glass chin either, or that he's done. Rogers has sick power. The problem with fights like this is that no doubt AA has the speed and technique, but Rogers is a legit HW, not some tweener who could make the cut to a 225-230 division if one existed. All Rogers had to do is connect with one big shot in order to daze AA enough to finish him. AA would have had to back him against the cage and connect with a flurry, all the while avoiding the clinch, so it was a tough fight for him. AA still is very good but I think what we're seeing with Carwin, Lesnar, and now Rogers mainly is the emergence of true dominant HW fighters. The HW division has been the last major division to evolve, but it will. Soon enough size will matter a lot more than skill, and then we'll get to a stage where you need both. I've said for a long time that there needs to be a division between 205 and 265 and I think sooner or later we'll see it.

 

The Diaz fight didn't shock me either. The guy has proven now that he can compete with high level MW and he can let his body fill out in that division and be successful without having to make the cut to WW.

 

The only thing that shocked me was Shields beating Lawler. Had no idea that was going to happen, picked Lawler by KO/TKO early. I didn't think Shields would be able to take him down and I didn't think Shields would be able to strike with him, but he caught him in that standing guillotine which was really unexpected IMO. I think if those two were to fight again Lawler would take it though, and no discredit to Shields either. Hopefully Shields' contract is up soon so he can go to the UFC and fight the best in his division. Enough with the catchweights. I want to see Shields-Condit II and tons of other fights. I also really want to see the UFC pick up the guy who Shields beat prior to this, which is Semtex. I think there are a lot of great fights for him in the UFC, specifically Tamdan McCrory and the loser of Swick-Saunders.

 

Riggs, Baroni, Randleman, and Whitehead are all mediocre fighters at best, but props to Strikeforce for capitalizing on known names to draw an audience. They should have put Feijao on the main card though. Even though he lost, he'll be back. The big guys at Blackhouse all love his potential and say he's a beast, and when those guys talk somebody up, it's not hype.

 

I'd say that was a good card overall though. Really, really excited about WEC tonight. Taking Brown via stoppage. Urijah is going to have trouble getting Brown down and Brown has the reach and power, plus he's very technical and experienced, and IMO he's a lot more capable of fighting the perfect fight than Urijah is. Urijah's recklessness I think will show itself, and I think Urijah is at a disadvantage also standing up because if he gets in close and hurts Brown, Brown is capable of putting him on his back, defending subs and GNP'ing Faber.

 

Also, go Jose Aldo! The dude is a freak! Cub Swanson is no joke but he has the P4P worst tattoos in all of MMA and I don't see how he can deal with Aldo's kicks. The dude is so quick in and out and such a great finisher, so what do you do? Take him down? Aldo also has a strong BJJ game so I think he can hold his own there, unless he's in there with a truly awesome wrestler with a great base and strong top game, and I don't think Swanson fits that description. Wagnney Fabiano might give him trouble though in the future if he has to get another fight before a title shot, but I predict Aldo-Brown being made for WEC 43 after tonight. Bowles and Torres will go at it for WEC 42.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

I'd love to see a Henderson/Couture fight at 205.

Ditto. Strength + power vs. technical boxing + cardio. Both have great chins, both great wrestlers, both smart fighters who stick to their gameplans. I'd love to see the clinch battles, plus how Randy would approach the first round, and how Hendo would approach the third if it got there, which I think it would.

 

I don't think Randy is in any way done either. I think he looked great against Brock but Brock's size, wrestling, power, and athleticism was just too much for any traditional boxer/wrestler his size. I'd love to see him back at 205 after Nog, but of course he signed the 3-fight extension and without a belt around his waist, he's allowed to leave the UFC after that expires. After fighting Nog he'll get one more fight, and then he might either retire or chase Fedor again. I hope he sticks around though because he's a great fighter still, and he's still very capable of neutralizing an opponent's strengths by pinning him up against the cage and wearing him down and turning a fight into a conditioning battle. He's one of the best ever, and still very good even at his age. There are still tons of great match-ups for him.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Fedor and Barnett on promoting their PPV, I believe it was part of the deal to let AA on the card since his contract is held by Affliction. Man, Fedor is a bad man, but it's tough to promote him, he lacks the entertainment value outside the ring and stuff like that means alot to grabbing casual fans, especially when the UFC owns most of his old fight footage.

Ultimately I think fighters promote themselves through their performances and for that reason I see Fedor as very promotable.

 

The problem is that you can't run a promotion off of Fedor only. If Strikeforce had Fedor I think it would work very well, but Affliction's model has just been idiotic from the get-go. You need to put out a strong overall product that is visible and constantly out there (not like a couple shows per year on PPV), and then you can start putting franchise pieces like Fedor in there as an added benefit. Basically, I feel that neither the UFC nor Strikeforce NEEDS Fedor, and that is why those are the best destinations for him as far as marketability goes. Any promotion that NEEDS Fedor is in really, really big trouble.

Edited June 7, 2009 by Kenny Hates Prospects

[southsideirish71]

Faber versus Brown II

 

Faber broke his right hand on Brown in the first round. Brown dominated the 2nd through 4th rounds. Faber sunk a choke, but couldnt hold it with the broken hand. Brown was just too strong and too good on the ground.

 

Brown wins via unanimous decision. Faber couldnt throw any punches after he jacked his hand up, he couldnt hold any chokes. Brown was very strong on the ground.

Edited June 8, 2009 by southsideirish71

[MHizzle85]

Faber/Brown was a WAR. Big props to Faber for going the distance with a broken hand.

[SoxFan562004]

very good match and over all very entertaining night for the WEC, as is par for the course for them.

 

 

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

It appears Reed Harris is still non-committal about Brown-Aldo being made soon, but that fight has to go down. I guess Fabiano is Aldo's training partner, so they're not going to make Aldo go through him. There's no way they'll risk Faber and Aldo both by making that fight when it could easily be a big title fight, so Aldo should fight for the belt in his next fight. There's probably a 98% chance Aldo-Brown is next and the 2% chance it isn't can probably be chalked up to a surprise injury.

 

Aldo-Brown, when it does happen, is going to be a f***ing war. Even more excited about that one than Faber-Brown II because it will answer a lot of questions about both guys. Brown is freakishly strong and powerful for his size so he can get Aldo down and hurt him or press him up against the cage and basically have his way with him, but that's only if Brown can catch him. Urijah showed how vulnerable Brown is to the speed game, and Aldo IMO is even quicker than Faber and has more powerful, more accurate strikes - although Urijah showed again how deadly he is with his elbows standing, probably the most dangerous elbow guy outside of top position I've ever seen. So will Brown look to take the center of the cage and fight the same way he fought Urijah, hoping to catch him coming in and then clinch or shoot for the takedown? Or will he maybe try something else, and go after Aldo the way he went after Leonard Garcia, and try to drawn Aldo into a brawl or something? That's such an awesome fight. And what's so great is that if Brown loses, we can get Brown-Faber 3, or if Aldo loses, we can get Aldo-Faber which would be about as much speed, power, and technique that you could ever imagine packing into one fight.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

very good match and over all very entertaining night for the WEC, as is par for the course for them.

When it comes to action, technique, and heart, plus overall production, energy, and value, IMO WEC is the best promotion out there. My pick for FOTY last year was Torres-Maeda with Faber-Pulver I in the top 5 or 6, and this year so far it's still Torres-Mizugaki with Brown-Faber II up there as well. Can't wait until they bring in the flyweights.

[SoxFan562004]

http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/3936

 

this isn't a site I'm use to, but I've seen the rumor numerous places, so I'm linking this one... apparently Roy Nelson and Wes Simms are on the next season of TUF... if so, Roy Nelson has to be the big fav. Looks like the UFC stacked TUF to build people's awareness of some of the fighters so if they don't win it they can keep them around and stock up the HW div a little

[MHizzle85]

http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/3936

 

this isn't a site I'm use to, but I've seen the rumor numerous places, so I'm linking this one... apparently Roy Nelson and Wes Simms are on the next season of TUF... if so, Roy Nelson has to be the big fav. Looks like the UFC stacked TUF to build people's awareness of some of the fighters so if they don't win it they can keep them around and stock up the HW div a little

It's not as if I wasn't gonna watch, but this just made it more so that I would watch.

[SoxFan562004]

It's not as if I wasn't gonna watch, but this just made it more so that I would watch.

yeah, that would be crazy... again, not sure if it's true, but I've seen it a few places

[SoxFan562004]

the countdown show for 99 was very good, this has a chance to be an extremely entertaining card

[MHizzle85]

Predictions for UFC 99:

 

Franklin by KO in the 1st

Velasquez by TKO in the 2nd

Swick by TKO, prob. the 3rd.

Davis by sub. in the 2nd

Uno by UD

Al-Turk by decision.

[zenryan]

Silva KO rd 2

Kongo KO rd 3

Mirko KO rd 2

Swick split dec.

 

[SoxFan562004]

Silva KO rd 2

Kongo KO rd 3

Mirko KO rd 2

Swick split dec.

if that happens, that could be one hell of a fight

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Franklin KO/TKO within first 2 rounds

Davis UD

Swick decision.... but this could be a very close fight, and this is the fight I'm most looking forward to. The winner here should be close to a title shot IMO - maybe Swick/Saunders winner vs. Anthony Johnson or Kampmann for #1 contender or something.

Uno-Fisher... toss-up, but probably taking Fisher via stoppage because Uno has slowed down, but his wrestling could still be a problem for Fisher... tough fight to call I think

CC-Al Turk... have to go with CC again but Al Turk is fired up for this and CC is a shell of himself, maybe an upset here?

Velasquez - CV has been hyped up far too much and IMO he's not even the best prospect in the UFC HW division, much less the best fighter, much less the future of the sport and all that stuff - but he does have a strong wrestling base so if he uses it against Kongo he should get the stoppage. Rooting for CupCheik here though, can't stand the hype around CV.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/3936

 

this isn't a site I'm use to, but I've seen the rumor numerous places, so I'm linking this one... apparently Roy Nelson and Wes Simms are on the next season of TUF... if so, Roy Nelson has to be the big fav. Looks like the UFC stacked TUF to build people's awareness of some of the fighters so if they don't win it they can keep them around and stock up the HW div a little

If Nelson does well on the show and ever picks up a remotely interesting striking game I think he'll win over a ton of fans in the UFC. He has that fatass Tank Abbott look that you know will sell. Just watching him take someone down and then rub his belly all over his opponent while looking for a sub is laughably sick. I'm sure he's a future draw if he can KO a couple cans along the way.

[MHizzle85]

Thoughts on 99...

 

Hardy had a good gameplan in this fight. It worked out for him well.

 

Uno got robbed. Yeah it was a boring fight, but Uno did more to win than Fisher did.

 

Swick looked good, but you'd be a fool to think he was top 5. Let's see how he'd do with say Kampmann or Condit before we start saying that.

 

CroCop looked okay...I don't think he has it in him to compete with Lesnar, Mir, Carwin, etc. But he'll keep fights somewhat interesting.

 

Velasquez showed off his wrestling today, showed that his chin was decent. But he just seemed content with overwhelming Kongo & grinding him out. i.e. a weaker version of GSP/Fitch. If Kongo would of wised up & realized that he can win the fight by exchanging with Cain, then Kongo wins that fight. So for me to take Cain as the "next big thing" he's gonna have to work on his striking. I think a fight against CroCop would be interesting.

 

The main event felt a little odd to me. Both men started off the fight looking like they didn't wanna make the first mistake. IMO, this caused both men to miss on opportunities to finish the fight. Wand was better when he was aggressive, but Rich should of tried to make him pay more when he was aggressive (ala Rampage). But Rich has endless possibilities at 205 & Wand should really think about staying at 205, it looks like the cut took a bunch out of him & word is he had to cut 12 pounds the day of the weigh in. That's not good.

 

One more note: I'm tired of hearing Rogan talk about how first time/casual fans don't get things. Such as people booing during Uno/Fisher. He did the same spiel during Silva/Leites. I know you're trying to promote a product but don't try and sugar coat a s***ty fight. People boo because the fight sucks.

[MHizzle85]

Also just in: CroCop told Dana that he signed a contract with Dream. Safe to say two things after this...Mirko won't be back in the UFC & Dana will never do a one-time appearance type deal in the UFC ever again.

[SoxFan562004]

OK card, suprised by the amount of decisions considering some of the firepower in the fights (I don't mind decisions at all, just thought there would be more subs or KOs)

 

Cro Cop doesn't have many fights in Dream except a rematch with Overeem, possibly just hates the cage or fighting in U.S. It's too bad, would have like to see a Randy or Nog vs. Cro Cop in the UFC.

 

Ray Mercer KO'd a 310lb Tim Sylvia in like 10 seconds in a MMA match. I haven't seen the fight, just relaying what I've read. It was originally going to be boxing, but they couldn't get it sanctioned, so supposedly they would agree to a boxing match, just sanctioned under MMA so it could go forward. Mercer lost a similar bout to Kimbo a few years ago.

Edited June 14, 2009 by SoxFan562004

[MHizzle85]

ALL 10 seconds of Sylvia embarrassing himself.

 

[zenryan]

Boxing message boards are going to go apes*** over this.