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STRIKEFORCE: Lawler vs Shields Preview

2009-06-04T18:40:00.001-07:00

June 6, 2009 in St.Lous, Missouri at Scottrade Center

Robbie Lawlers vs Jake Shields

Robbie Lawler (16-4) is one of the best strikers in the middleweight division. Currently ranked #4 on Sherdogs Middleweight Rankings, Lawler is on a 5 fight win streak where he has finished each of his opponents with strikes.

For Lawler to win he must avoid Shields' take downs and finish the fight before his opponent can be successful in dragging him to the mat.

Jake Shields (22-4-1) is the last welterweight champion of EliteXC. He is currently riding a 11 win streak, finishing his last fights by submission.

For Shields to win he has to get the match on the ground. He has quick transitions which will let him get superior position in seconds so that he can finish the fight. He has to avoid staying in a stand up battle for long and really needs to time his take downs just right.

Prediction: Lawler by TKO
This is a hardcore grappler vs striker match up that could go either way depending on where the fight takes place. The edge goes to Lawler as his takedown defense should be able to buy him enough time to finish Shields who is willing to exchange on the feet.

Andrei Arlovski vs Brett Rogers

Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-6) looked great in his WAMMA Heavyweight Championship fight againist Fedor Emelianenko. He was winning the first round with brilliant striking until he made a fatal mistake and was finished by Emelianenko.

For Arlovski to win he just to avoid Rogers powerful strikes. Arlovski has great movement and brilliant boxing abilities. He should be able to dodge the heavy hands of Rogers while countering with some great strikes. If Rogers gets close Arlovski can easily clinch and use his Sambo skills to take him down.

Brett “The Grim” Rogers (9-0) is a powerful up and coming star. He has finished all his opponents with strikes but now he has a daunting challenge as he is fighting one of the top 10 heavyweights in the world.

For Rogers to win he just has to land one good punch on the chin of Arlovski. It may be a daunting task but if he can close the gap and avoid any clinch battles with Arlovski he can get that highleet reel knock out.

Prediction: Arlovski by KO
Arlovski boxing game is top notch. As long as Arlovski doesn't get cocky and decided to go for a flying knee or some suicidal finishing move he should be able to finish Rogers.

Nick Diaz vs Scott Smith

Nick “Bad Boy” Diaz (19-7) comes off a dominate win against MMA legend Frank Shamrock this passed April. He is a UFC veteran and has fought in many organizations around the globe.

For Diaz to win he has to make no costly mistakes. All the advantages belong to Diaz as he is a better striker and grappler than Smith. His boxing is technically sound but to make sure that Smith doesn't get lucky with one of those "hands of steel" he should try to get the match on the mat where he can definitely win against Smith either by submission or ground and pound.

Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (16-5) is a powerful brawler that seems to lack any grace. He was nearly finished in his last fight against Benji Radach but with some luck he was able to pull of some powerful strikes in the 3rd to knock out Radach.

For Smith to win he'll need improved movement to avoid the strikes of Diaz. He also has to avoid all take down attempts as he will be in a huge disadvantage on the mat. His best chance is to keep it standing and get close so he can force Diaz into a brawl and not a boxing match.

Prediction: Nick Diaz by TKO
Diaz is going to win this one on the ground. There is no doubt that he will either be successful with a take down or that one of his strikes will put Smith to the mat.

Phil Baroni vs Joe Riggs

Phil “New York Bad Ass” Baroni (13-10) is a former amateur boxer and kickboxer. He is currently riding a 3 fight win streak.

For Baroni to win he has to use his striking skills to score on the cards. He also has to avoid mat battles, which shouldn't be too hard considering Riggs isn't the grappling type.

Joe “Diesel” Riggs (29-10) is a former WEC Middleweight Champion and contender for the UFC Welterweight title. His last match was in November 2008 where he defeated Luke Stewart by TKO in the 2nd round.

For Riggs to win he has to avoid gassing and take advanatage of any opportunity for a ground and pound.

Prediction: Riggs by TKO
I'll be honest I just want to see Phil Baroni get his ass kicked after I saw this picture of him;

Now tell me that guy doesn't deserve to get punched in the face a couple of times.

Kevin Randleman vs Mike Whitehead

Kevin “Monster” Randleman (17-12)

For Randleman to win

Mike Whitehead (23-7)

For Whitehead to win

Prediction:

.........................
This is going to be a great event. An oppurtunity

UFC 98: Evans vs Machida in Review

2009-06-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

Holy fucking shit UFC 98 had to be one of the best events UFC has thrown in awhile. There were some great battles and powerful hits through out the night.

My picks were pretty shitty though. I was only right on 2 of my 5 picks.

Anyways this is how the night went.

Sean Sherk vs Frank Edgar - Edgar by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Sherk got worked this match. Instead of making this a grappling competition he decided to make it a boxing match where he got dominated. Edgar was able to use his reach brilliantly to counter all the looping hands of Sherk while avoiding taking any hits. One of the biggest flaws of Sherk's game plan was not threatening any takedowns. This let Edgar keep his feet planted to improve his striking with no fear of being taken to the mat.

This victory has put Edgar a win or 2 away from title contention for the lightweight belt.

Dan Miller vs Chael Sonnen - Sonnen by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

This was a pretty one sided battle. Sonnen just repeatedly took down Miller and pounded him from the guard. Miller went for a few submissions from the bottom including 2 guillotines that left him gassed. Miller must have had a shitty training camp for this battle since he didn't even attempt to sweep from the guard or do anything really. This was the end of Millers 10 win fight streak and it was a dominate end to it.

Drew McFedries vs Xavier Foupa-Pokam - McFedries by TKO at 0:37 of Round 1

Talk about a quick fight. Fans were barely able to take a sip from their beers before McFedries started landing strikes on Foupa-Pokam. Within seconds of the opening round McFedries landed this huge leaning right hook that hit Foupa-Pokam square on the chin. From that moment Foupa-Pokam was wobbly and unable to defend himself as McFedries continued to land powerful right punches that kept his opponent from being able to fight back. This definitely would have won Knock Out of the Night honors if it weren't for the Evans vs Machida bout.

Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra - Hughes by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

This match should have happened a while time ago but still it was very entertaining fight to watch. This one definitely earned Fight of the Night honors.

It was a close battle in which Serra dominated the stand up while Hughes dominated the ground. Unfortunately the match up was mostly on the ground. Serra was successful in the 1st and 3rd round with strikes, especially in the first stunning Hughes with some brutal hits after an inadvertent head butt. However this match was all about Hughes amazing take downs as he was successful in getting Serra to the mat in all 4 of his attempts.

Rashad Evans vs Lyoto Machida - Machida by KO at 3:57 of Round 2

Animated Gif courtesy of MMATKO

Wow this is one of the most brutal knock outs to ever occur in the octagon. Those hits by Machida had Evans out on his feet. Evans may have appeared to be fighting back but there is little doubt that he was done after the first hit. When he was pressed against the cage it was game over as Machida landed two right hooks to Evans chin before stepping back and landing a short left that made Evans crumble to the ground.

Machida has often been criticized for being too defensive of fighter since he always backs away from his opponents, striking and running. However this match shows that Machida is even more dangerous when he presses forward. Machida earned the light heavyweight belt and Knock Out of the Night honors.

....................

This event has definitely changed the atmosphere of the UFC.

The Lightweight division rankings were rocked when Sherk was dominated by Edgar.

Will the welterweight division see a return of Matt Hughes?

And to quote Joe Rogan, "The era of Machida has begun." Who will be able to end the era and take the belt from the karate master, Lyoto Machida?

UFC 98: Evans vs Machida Preview

2009-05-19T19:01:00.001-07:00

UFC 98 has definitely had some setbacks. Houston Alexander, Yushin Okami, James Irvin, and Josh Koscheck were all scheduled to fight in this event but all pulled out due to injury.

The biggest injury was suffered by Frank Mir as his title unification bout with Brock Lesner was originally set to be the main event of this evening.

Instead of the heavyweight championship battle we will have a battle of the undefeated between Lyoto "the dragon" Machida and Rashad "sugar" Evans for the Light Heavyweight belt. Which is a pretty damn good replacement.

Lets get to this and describe the match ups and who will come out on top.

Rashad Evans vs Lyoto Machida

Rashad Evans (13 - 0 - 1) has had an amazing run in the UFC going undefeated on a path straight to the belt. While many fans and critics said his knock out win against Liddel was luck he quickly proved his abilities when he was able to finish Griffin for the title.

For Evans to win he is going to have to use his speed to try and get the pressure on Machida. This is going to be difficult considering Machida's ability to dart around the cage. His best bet is to use his speed during clinch moments with Machida to land short hooks, uppercuts, or elbows. Evans should also try and get the match to the ground which will be difficult but if he can do it then he will be able to land powerful strikes that could end Machida.

Lyoto Machida (14 - 0) is a ghost in the cage. He has the supernatural ability to avoid taking any damage from opponents while he picks them apart. This man is so good at avoiding damage while dealing it he has yet to lose a single round in the UFC.

For Machida to win he just has to do what he does. His fighting style will keep him from avoiding big risks and if he can guard takedowns like he did in his match againist Ortiz, Evans will have a hard time of winning rounds.

Prediction: Lyoto Machida by Unanimous Decision
Expect the first 2 rounds to be slow as both fighters will feel each other out. Machida will do what he does best in avoiding damage while landing hits here and there. The biggest factor will be cardio, neither fighters has gone the distance in a 5 round war, and in the later rounds fatigue could lead into either fighter getting KO. However Machida is a ghost, Evans will have a hard time touching him.

Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra

Matt Hughes (42 - 7) is the American country boy that everyone loved but soon hated after his two ventures coaching on TUF. He hasn't fought June 2008 where he was knocked out by Thiago Alves.

For Hughes to win he will have to avoid Serra's powerful strikes. Hughes is a heavy favorite the only real concern is how his age has hurt his game? Will his takedowns be as quick as they once were?

Matt Serra (9 - 5) once defeated Georges St-Pierre to claim the welterweight title but lost it in his first defense which was a rematch with Pierre. That was the last fight he fought which was also a year ago in April 2008.

For Serra to win he is going to need excellent sprawl to avoid the takedowns. His Jiu Jitsu skills better be top notch in case the match does go to ground to prevent Hughes from transitioning positions. Serra should avoid going for submissions unless he is in a dominant position and should focus to keep the match standing and on getting a strong hit that will finish Hughes.

Prediction: Matt Hughes by Decision
Matt Hughes is the better fighter. He may not be as explosive as he once was but his wrestling techniques and stand up ability will surely win him the points. He is sure to get numerous take downs through out the three rounds which will win him the fight.

Drew McFedries vs Xavier Foupa-Pokam

Drew McFedries (7 - 5) is the reason that Thales Leites got a title shot against Anderson Silva. For some odd reason the UFC saw Leites submission victory over McFedries as an indicator that he could be competition against Silva. Never mind the fact that McFedries always seems to lost ground battles.

For McFedries to win he will have to close the range between him and Pokam and use his powerful strikes to score points or even a KO. He definitely has the power in his hands to do so but it will be a difficult task against a skillful kick boxer like Pokam.

Xavier Foupa-Pokam (20 - 9) is replacing James Irvin in this match up. He has had only one previous match in the UFC, a decision loss to Dennis Kang at UFC 97.

For Foupa-Pokam to win he will have to use his superior kickboxing ability to strike from a distance negating McFedries boxing. If and when the opportunity presents itself Pokam should definitely take this match to the ground where McFedies has shown no ability to defend himself.

Prediction: Pokam by TKO
Pokam definitely has both ground and striking advantages. The biggest question is his turn around times between fights. Having fought 5 weeks prior to UFC 98 it is hard to say whether he has sufficient time for a training camp. Still he has all the ability to win this match and should be considered the favorite.

Dan Miller Vs. Chael Sonnen

Dan Miller (11 - 1)(1 NC) is on a 3 win streak in the UFC and in a 9 win steak in his MMA career. His sole loss was in a split decision to Mike Massenzio in 2006.

For Miller to win he has to avoid taking big hits from Sonnen. Miller has an excellent submission game which are Sonnen's weakness. Miller will definitely be able to take advantage of any ground battles.

Chael Sonnen (21 - 10 - 1) is replacing Yushin Okami in this match up. He is a former WEC Middleweight Championship contender but in his premiere match in the UFC he was submitted by Deiman Maia.

For Sonnen to win he must avoid being sloppy on the ground. If he is able to secure a top position on the ground he must take great care in keeping his arms from hanging as bait for submission. If he can grab and hold on to top control he can secure the win.

Prediction: Miller by Submission
This is definitely going to be a ground battle. Sonnen is the better wrestler but Miller has a better submission game which will definitely come into play. Miller is apt at working from his back so it should be easy for him to secure a submission win.

Sean Sherk vs Frank Edgar

Sean Sherk (33 - 12 - 1) is the former UFC Lightweight Champion who was stripped of the title after testing positive for banned substances.

For Sherk to win he has to use his strong takedowns to take Edgar to the mat. He can use his ground and pound to seal the match. His stand up is pretty good but he lacks knock out power and his small stature might make it hard to box with Edgar.

Frank Edgar (9 - 1) is a well rounded fighter who has earned fight of the night honors in wars within the cage againist Hermes Franca and Tyson Griffin, both of which he defeated.

For Edgar to win he has to avoid the takedowns. This is going to be a challenge since Sherk has one of the best shoots in MMA. However if he can keep it standing he might be able to use his reach to score on the judges' cards.

Prediction: Sean Sherk by TKO
Sherk is a top contender. He wants this win bad and won't let anything stop him from getting a title shot. He has everything he needs to win with his wrestling ability and should take it.

........................................

Even with all the injuries this event is definitely going to be a good one. Both main events are sure to be good battles and it is going to be fun to see who will walk out this night still undefeated and with the light heavy belt.

Funny Shit; Jackson shows girl some GnP

2009-05-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has to be one of the most entertaining fighters in and out of the ring. His fights, interviews, and police chases are legendary.

Check this video out, Jackson show's an Asian reporter some grappling techniques...

Man I think it is pretty obvious that Jackson suffers from a little yellow fever. I can't blame him I got that disease too.

Amazing Submission! Toby Imada's Triangle of Jorge Masvidal

2009-05-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

This is an insane triangle.

I'm not sure what to call it; an Inverse Standing Triangle?

UFC Fight Night 17 in Review

2009-02-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

You got to love these free events by the UFC especially nights like these that are better than some of the latest Pay Per Views.

My picks were right on the money. Here are how the main card events turned out;

Luigi Fioravanti vs Anthony Johnson - Johnson by TKO(strikes) at 4:39 of the 1st Round

With a reach advantage as large as Johnson combined with the his striking ability, Luigi had an impossible time getting close enough to strike Anthony. He did a decent enough job though darting in a few times through out the match and landing blows before ducking out of the exchange. Still it was just a matter of time before Anthony Johnson would land the blow to finish the match and near the end of the 1st he was able to.

Johnson's humble post fight interview with Joe Rogan where he announced how much he hated his own performance and his desire to improve. As a young welterweight his talents will definitely have a future in the UFC.

Mac Danzig vs Josh Neer - Neer by Submission(Triangle Choke) at 3:36 of the 2nd Round

Josh "the Dentist" Neer earned his nickname within seconds of the match when he dropped Danzig with a headkick that adjusted the teeth of Mac. However the first round definitely went to Danzig as he was able to land numerous combination and drop Neer a couple of times. Still Neer was very persistent and could not be stopped. Even after being worked Neer taunted Danzig challenging him to strike.

The second round was all Neer even if his face was bloody and red. Neer ground and pounded with vicious elbows in the first minute of the 2nd round and even when Danzig was able to sweep Josh and get the better position on the ground, Neer merely mocked Mac as he locked a triangle choke that finished the bout. This match won Fight of the Night honors for good reason.

Cain Velasquez vs Denis Stojnic - Velasquez by TKO(strikes) at 2:34 of the 2nd Round

"Denis you got to work," sums up the entire match as Stojnic was unable to create an offense. For 1 and a half rounds Cain Velasquez gave Denis a beating with every single strike possible. Amazingly Denis just absorbed them. The knees, kicks, hooks, and straights that would have finished a majority of fighters were unable to finish the job against Stojnic. Finally the referee just got tired of watching Denis get worked and ended the match after about a minute of vicious ground and pound from Cain.

It was an excellent performance by Cain. His powerful and technically amazing strikes make his stand up something to reckon with. And although Velasquez has an amazing background with wrestling he was unable to use any take downs successfully. It's disappointing to see that Cain couldn't finish the match but his dominant performance will make for some great matches in the future.

Joe Lauzon vs Jeremy Stephens - Lauzon by Submission(Armbar) at 4:42 of the 2nd Round

This was a beautiful match between a striker and grappler. The technical striking ability of Stephens had him dominate the stand up game even though Lauzon braved through the exchange. On the ground it was Lauzon's game where he often swept into a dominant position. Stephens threw so many power shots hoping to knock out and Lauzon and finish the match and if it weren't for the submission I believe Stephens could have won a decision. But things went to the ground in the 2nd and for awhile Stephens had a dominate position that he lost when Lauzon swept and grabbed the arm and finished Stephens.

This is was probably the best UFC event of the new year so far. Future stars Anthony Johnson and Cain Valasquez had great matches that highlighted their potential and the Mac Danzig and Josh Neer fight was one of the most competitive matches in awhile.

So what was your favorite match of the night? Where do you see these fighters going in the future?

UFC Fight Night 17: Lauzon vs Stephens

2009-02-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

The UFC will be traveling to Tampa for the first time as the Sun Dome will be hosting UFC Fight Night 17 on February 7. This event will be broadcast for free on Spike TV.

The main event will be a lightweight match between Joe Lauzon and Jeremy Stephens.

The following is short examination of the main card;

Joe Lauzon vs Jeremy Stephens

Joe Lauzon(16 - 4) is 24 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a reach of 70 inches. He holds a Bachelor's degree in computer networking and use to work as a network administrator before he began training full time in MMA. He now runs a MMA gym in Massachusetts and has been competing in Mixed Martial Arts competitions since 2004.

Lauzon is great ground fighter. His Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is top notch and he has ended 13 of his matches by submission. His stand up isn't as good but is better than most competitors. His take down ability is what makes him really dangerous as he can take opponents down in unpredictable ways like the way Lauzon used a flying scissors heel hook to take Kyle Bradly down in his last fight at UFC Fight Night 15.

Jeremy Stephens(16 - 3) is 22 years old and 5 feet 9 inches tall.. He has been training in MMA for 6 years and began competing in 2005. He is the former Universal Gladiator Championships and Midwest Cage Championships 155 pound champion before relinquishing the titles as he joined the UFC in 2007. Stephens is taking this match on short notice since Hermes Franca had to withdraw from the match due to injury.

Stephens last fight was in November 2008 at UFC 91 where he was able to score a brutal KO victory over Rafeal dos Anjos using a powerful right hand uppercut near the end of the 3rd Round. This knock out earned him the Knock Out of the Night honors.

Stephens KOs Anjos

A majority of Stephens victories come by KO, 12 to be exact. But he also has a solid ground game that stems from his wrestling abilities. He is capable of pulling off submissions brilliantly like getting an Armbar from the guard position

Prediction: Joe Lauzon by Submission
Jeremy Stephens has a chance to make a big name for himself in this match up, but in order to do that he most avoid the brilliant take downs from Lauzon. The stand up battle will be even but Lauzon will be able to get a take down in the middle of an exchange and pull of a submission.

Cain Velasquez vs Denis Stojnic

Cain Velasquez(4 - 0) is 25 years old, 6 feet 1 inch tall with a reach of 77 inches. He is a 2 time All-American collegiate wrestler from ASU and a Junior College National Champ. He began his MMA career in October 2006 with Strikeforce. In 2008 Velasquez joined the UFC and in his debut match he defeated Brad Morris in the 1st Round by TKO (strikes).

In his last fight Velasquez came out strong againist Jake O'Brien at UFC Fight Night 14. The match quickly went to the ground where Cain was able to trap O'Brien's one arm with his legs and the other with his head leaving O'Brien's head open for some powerful pounding. The match was over at 2:02 of the 1st Round, a TKO victory for Velasquez.

Denis Stojnic(5 - 1) is 28 years old and 5 feet 11 inches tall. He is kickboxer and samba practitioner fighting out of Bosnia. This will be Stojnic's debut match in the UFC.

A majority of Stojnic's wins come by Decision. He has competed in several MMA organizations in Europe including Shooto Holland and Obracun Ringu.

Prediction: Cain Valasquez by TKO(strikes)
It's hard to predict this match with so little information on Stojnic. But considering the dominance of Valasquez wrestling ability and the fact that Stojnic's wins come by decisions.

Mac Danzig vs Josh Neer

Mac Danzig(18 - 5 - 1) is 28 years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall with a 70 inch reach. Mac has competed in several MMA organizations in the past 8 years including Gladiator Challenge, World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage. He was then accepted into The Ultimate Fighter 6 where he won the lightweight division. He currently trains at Xtreme Couture and is a proud Vegan.

Danzig is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner and an amazing Boxer. He has won 10 fights by Submission (mostly by Rear Naked Choke) and 4 by KO. His grappling game is top notch so look forward to seeing him work this game against Neer.

Josh Neer(24 - 7 - 1) is 25 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall with a 73 inch reach. He has competed in several MMA organizations since 2003 fighting for a few groups before joining the UFC in 2005.

Neer practices Muay Thai and has a strong wrestling background. He is a great striker with powerful punches and he uses his wrestling abilities to achieve great position on the ground for some ground and pounding.

Prediction: Josh Neer by Unanimous Decision
Neer has the wrestling ability to negate Danzigs grappling. With excellent striking skill he should be able to pull off the victory.

Luigi Fioravanti vs Anthony Johnson

Luigi Fioravanti(13 - 4) is 28 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall with a 70 inch reach. He is a former Marine who began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and kickboxing while stationed in California and Iraq. He is currently a member of American Top Team.

His last match was a catchweight match with Brodie Farber at UFC Fight Night 16 where he won by Unanimous Decision. In that match Fiorvanti was able to use superior grappling skills to dominate Farber on the ground almost catching Farber in a few chokes.

Anthony Johnson(6 - 2) is 24 years old, 6 feet 2 inches tall with a 78 inch reach. He began his UFC career in 2007 at UFC Fight Night 10 winning in his debut match against Chad Reiner by KO. He is currently 3 - 2 in the UFC.

Johnson has won 4 of his matches by KO. His speed and power make his striking a dominant force in the ring. He has good wrestling ability that helps him control fighters in the clinch or grapple on the ground.

Prediction: Anthony Johnson by Split Decision
Johnson's size will make a big difference in the bout. When Fiorvanti goes for some grappling he'll wear himself out against the bigger opponent. Plus with an 8 inch reach advantage Johnson should dominate the stand up.

Those are the main events there should be few good matches. I'm looking forward to the Johnson bout and seeing how well his striking game is.

Anyways which fights are you looking forward to? Think any of my picks are wrong?

UFC 94: St-Pierre vs Penn 2 In Review

2009-02-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

In the beginning of the PPV the announced said, "everyone in the world believes this will be the most magical night of the Ultimate Fighting Championship." I think everyone in the world most have been very disappointing once all the fights were done. But I'll get into that later.

My predictions were all correct this event and a couple of the fights were pretty fucking good. Here is how the night went;

Nate Diaz vs Clay Guida - Guida by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

I predicted that Guida would win by TKO but I had no idea that he was 5 inches shorter than Diaz and had an 8 inch reach disadvantage. However the size advantage was negated throughout the match as Guida would shoot in for take downs some successful some leading to clinching stalemates. Still Guida was relentless and would not get off Diaz never allowing Diaz to be successful with his strikes until the 3rd round. Diaz finally had some great offense but it was too late as Guida had already won the 1st 2 rounds.

This was definitely one of the best fights of the night and won fight of the night honors.

Karo Parisyan vs Dong Hyun Kim - Parisyan by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

This was a slow grappling match between 2 great Judo practitioner. The fighters spent a majority of the fight within the clinch trying to trip the other one up. The first round went to Kim as he was able to take down and control Parisyan the entire round. In the 2nd round Parisyan scored a beautiful Judo throw that had the crowd cheering and controlled that round. The final round was really close and in all honesty I would have given it to Kim for the few strikes he was able to land within the clinching. I thought Parisyan was going to win this by submission but Kim is the one that went for submissions more often whatever though I still predicted the right winner.

Stephan Bonnar vs Jon Jones - Jones by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Jim Jones came out strong pressing the action constantly. He used a variety of techniques to dismantle Bonnar with sound striking and powerful takedowns. Unfortunately near the end of the 2nd round Jones was getting fatigued from fighting to hard but was still able to pull off a suplex on Bonnar and then attempted a flying scissors trip. The 3rd round was a little more even as Bonnar was able to capitalize on the fatigue of Jones even attempting to submit Jones by a Triangle Choke that Jones was able to escape. I had predicted Jones would be able to finish Bonnar and he came close to it, especially in the 1st Round when Jones landed a spinning back elbow that sent Bonnar to the mat but Bonnar was able survive till the end of the match and lost in the cards.

Lyoto Machida vs Thiago Silva - Machida by KO (Punch) at 4:59 of the 1st Round

Lyoto Machida fought the type of fight he is known for; striking and running. Thiago Silva was suppose to be the aggressive striker but Machida's movement never let Silva get a strike. Instead Lyoto kept landing shots here and there even knocking down Silva a couple of times. Finally with a few seconds left in round 1 both fighters were locked in each others clinch and Lyoto tripped Silva sending him to the mat. Lyoto then capitalized on a grounded Silva and threw a punch down that knocked Silva out with a second left in the 1st Round. A great KO that earned Machida Knock Out of the Night honors.

Georges St-Pierre vs B.J. Penn - St-Pierre by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at the end of the 4th Round

This match was dubbed as the greatest match in the history of MMA before it ever even happened. That claim turned out to be a joke. While the first meeting of these two turned out to be an epic battle that St-Pierre narrowly won, this rematch turned out to be a beating with St-Pierre dominating Penn using his size and skill. It was amazing to see St-Pierre going for take downs and pounding Penn on the ground where B.J. is a world champion.

Click here to watch the fight between GSP and BJ

For four rounds we saw St-Pierre taking Penn to ground and passing guard so easily before begining to pound with hammer fists, elbows and punches. By the end of the 3rd round you can tell Penn lost the heart to keep fighting. And at the end of the 4th round he was simply done. His corner called over the doctor and had him stop the fight. It's a shame to see such a great fighter like Penn get utterly controlled but St-Pierre deserves credit for making Penn look like an amateur in the ring.

And that was the most magical night in MMA. It wasn't a bad night of fights just really disappointing. Both main events were really one sided and the lack of competition from such top fighters sucks. $44.95 to watch a beating doesn't seem worth it, I want to see a fight.

Still great performances by Clay Guida and up and coming UFC star Jon Jones. Keep an eye out for Jones he definitely has a future within the light heavy weight division.

So what was your favorite fight of the night? Any decisions you felt went the wrong way? Who you looking forward to seeing fight again?

UFC 94: St-Pierre vs Penn 2 Preview

2009-01-31T17:58:00.001-08:00

On January 30th, Georges St-Pierre and B.J. Penn, champions of the UFC lightweight and welterweight divisions will clash for a second time in the octagon for the welterweight championship.

Also headlining the event is a light heavy weight bout by 2 undefeated fighters, Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva, the winner of which will most likely be considered #1 contender for Rashad Evans light heavy weight belt.

The following is a preview of the main events of the night with a prediction of who will win each bout.

Georges St-Pierre Vs. BJ Penn

Georges St-Pierre(17 - 2) is considered by many as one of the best fighters in all of MMA. Sherdog currently ranks St-Pierre #2 in their top pound for pound fighters list, sandwiched between #1 Anderson Silva and #3 BJ Penn.

St-Pierre is a two time UFC welterweight champion having originally won the title in November 2006 at UFC 65 against Matt Hughes in a bout where St-Pierre dominated Hughes with punches that led to a TKO victory. Then Pierre would lose the belt to Matt Serra at UFC 69 only to crush Matt Serra at UFC 83 with knees to reclaim the title.

Pierre is a versatile fighter. He has excellent technical striking ability and a superb ground game. In this match up he will want to keep it standing unless he can get a guaranteed full mount position.

If Pierre is able to successfully defend his title Dana White has stated he will set up a catch weight bout between St-Pierre and Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.

B.J. Penn(13 - 4 - 1) has an opportunity to make history in this bout. If he can win this fight he will be the first fighter in the UFC to hold titles in two different divisions at the same time.

Penn is a naturally gifted athlete who has dominated a majority of his opponents. His ground game is one of the best in the world, in fact he was the first non-Brazilian to win at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships black belt division.

In this match up Penn will need to force Pierre down to the mat into his area of expertise. This may prove difficult since Pierre has one of the best takedown defenses in MMA. However if shooting doesn't work Penn has a powerful right that can knock down the best opponents.

Prediction: Georges St-Pierre by TKO
Pierre is the better striker in the match up. Combine that with his amazing take down defense and we are going to have a battle where Penn will be throwing haymakers from the outside that Pierre will either dodge or counter.

Lyoto Machida vs Thiago Silva

Lyoto Machida (13 - 0) has been fighting since he was 4. He is the son of Shotokan karate master Yoshizo Machida and earned a black belt in karate by age 13. In his teens Lyoto began studying Sumo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu before adventuring off into the world.

His MMA career began in Japan fighting in K-1 where he met up with B.J. Penn who he defeated via a unanimous decision. Soon after that win Machida was signed to the UFC where he won 3 bouts by decision before defeating Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke). He then faced former UFC light heavy weight champion Tito Ortiz and defeated him by unanimous decision.

A majority of Machida's win come by decision. This is because he is a technically sound fighter who fights very defensively. Machida prefers to strike and move avoiding taking any serious damage. He uses kicks more often than punches and his spinning back kick is said to have knocked down Frank Trigg a couple of times during their sparring sessions.

Thiago Silva (13 - 0) is a fighter who once trained at the Brazilian Chute Boxe Academy with fighters like Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua. Now he trains at American Top Team.

His last 3 UFC bouts Silva has finished his opponents with punches on the ground. These include victories over Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes.

In fact Silva has finished 10 of his bouts by TKO. He has a vicious ground and pound combined with his excellent Jiu-Jitsu and he's a scary opponent from the ground. Standing up he is a powerful striker who can launch powerful punches from every direction.

Prediction: Lyoto Machida by Unanimous Decision
Machida's defensive fight style will make it hard for Silva to be aggressive. Silva's ground game will be negated by Machida's takedown defense, which was able prevent Tito Ortiz's takedowns.

Stephan Bonnar vs Jon Jones

Stephan Bonnar(12 - 4) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter who received his purple belt from Carlson Gracie. He currently trains at Xtreme Couture.

Bonnar was a staple of UFC Fight Night facing many competitors and defeating the likes of Keith Jardine and James Irvin while losing to eventual light heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans.

Bonnar is a ground fighter using his submission skills to win 7 of his matches. Yet his stand up game is continuously improving as he has began to incorporate Muay Thai and Boxing techniques. Bonnar should focus on using his stand up to deferat Jones as a ground game may prove to be unreliable.

Jon Jones(7 - 0) is a strong rookie having only fought in MMA competetion 3 monthes prior to signing with the UFC. In his UFC debut Jones was able to defeat Andre Gusmao by unanimous decision.

Jones is a Iowa state high school wrestling champion and National Junior College wrestling champion. This gives him excellent takedown and take defensive skills that will be put to the test with a a great ground fighter like Bonnar.

Prediction: Jon Jones by TKO
The underdog has so much to prove this fight. After only one fight he is now on the main card on one of the biggest PPV events and he will definitely shine. He was able to defeat Jiu-Jitsu fighter Andre Gusmao and he will be able to defeat Stephan Bonnar.

Karo Parisyan vs Dong Hyun Kim

Karo Parisyan(18 - 5) is a Judo practitioner and claims to be one of the first to use this form of martial arts successfully in the ring. For 13 years Parisyan trained in Hayastan Grappling System which combines forms of Judo, Sambo, catch wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, shoot wrestling, freestyle, Greco-Roman wrestling, and Muay Thai.

In the octagon he uses these skills to control his opponents and via unanimous decision.

Dong Hyun Kim(11 - 0 - 1) comes off a controversial split decision win against Matt Brown at UFC 88. The fans at attendance booed the decisions and Joe Rogan even commented saying he thought Brown had won the match.

Kim is a also a Judo practitioner who uses this skill to slowly breaking down an opponent and then taking advantages of the weakness he has made.

Prediction: Karo Parisyan by Submission
Parisyan Judo skills should negate Kim's and with the other arsenal at his disposal he should be able to hand Kim's first loss.

Nate Diaz Vs. Clay Guida

Nate Diaz(10 - 2) is the younger brother of UFC fighter Nick Diaz. Nate is well trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He studied under the famous Ceasar Gracie.

7 of this wins come by way of submission. Look for Diaz to try and get this match on the mat where he can work his magic the best.

Clay Guida(24 - 9) is a powerful wrestler with amazing stamina. His pursuit of his opponents have mad him a favorite to watch as he is looking to finish the bout

Prediction: Clay Guida by TKO
Guida will be able to prevent much of Diaz's takedown attempts and when the time comes he will secure top position for some heavy ground and pound.

That will be UFC 94 some great matches with a headlining bout that will probably be one of the best fights of the year.

Who do you favor in the Penn Pierre match up? Which fight will be the best of the night?

WEC 38: Varner vs Cerrone In Review

2009-01-27T19:51:00.000-08:00

The San Diego Sports Arena hosted WEC 38 this passed weekend. The event was headlined by a title bout between Jaime Varner and Donald Cerrone for the WEC lightweight championship. Urijah Faber and Jaime Varner also met for a rematch of their 5 round war in a co main event.

The following is a description of each of the fights on the main card, as well as video of Varner and Cerrone.

Jose Aldo vs Rolando Perez - Aldo by TKO at 4:15 of the 1st Round

Aldo was quick with his striking, landing blows at every opportunity he got. He landed many unchecked kicks on Perez. Still Perez was doing excellent job throwing numerous hand combination that unfortunately mostly hit gloves. Near the end of the round Aldo started landing more shots making Perez's fave turn red, then Aldo landed a knee while Perez went for a body shot that sent Perez to mat. Aldo celebrated his win by running up into the audience.

Mike Campbell vs Danillo Villefort- Villefort by TKO at 3:53 of the 1st Round

Campbell walked into this match undefeated and started the match off strong. Within the minute he was able to slam Villefort but when it got on the ground Villefort was happy to take the match to the ground. He went for a knee bar that seemed locked on really tight but Campbell was able to pull away. On their feet Campbell landed another blow that sent Villefort to the mat but when Campbell punched he was ready and able to sweep Villefort using the kneebar as leverage. Once they stood the clinched and VIllefort used a Judo Hip Toss to send him to the ground. He mounted and than got Campbell back where he just kept punching Campbell till the ref called it.

Urijah Faber vs Jens Pulver - Faber by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:34 of the 1st Round

Faber come out in top form. He was aggressive as soon as the bell rang and stood with Pulver exchanging blows. He landed a hook to the stomach of Pulver that took his breath away. Pulver began to buckle from the blow and Faber took the oppurtunity to keep swinging till Pulver fell to the ground. Urijah quickly locked in a choke and was able to finish the fight just like that.

Jamie Varner vs Donald Cerrone - Varner by Split Decision (49-46, 47-48, 49-46)

Cerrone would seem to have the advantage since he was taller and had a reach advantage but that made no difference in Varner's eyes. Varner would fight within Cerrone's reach with no worries but what made the difference was that in every round Varner would score 1 or 2 take downs. From the top position he was able to land some blows but nothing that could really seal the fight. Finally it got to the 5th round and Cerrone felt the pressure knowing he was behind in the score cards. So he attacked viciously. Varner was on the ground getting up when Cerrone threw a knee that struck Cerrone in the eye leaving Cerrone unable to continue.

Varner vs Cerrone from www.myvideofight.com

Unfortunately that knee came when Varner was still technically on the ground, therefore it was an illegal blow. So instead of Cerrone winning by TKO it went to the score cards that favored Varner.

WEC 38 had plenty of good matches that all ended too early. All the early knock outs and submissions reminded me of UFC 92. Now it's time to look forward to a rematch between Varner and Cerrone in the coming months. Plus Urijah Faber clearly earned himself a title shot for the featherweight championship. Will his opponent be Matt Brown or Leonard Garcia? That will be decided at WEC 39.

So how did you enjoy WEC 38? What was your favorite fight of the night?

Affliction: Day of Reckoning In Review

2009-01-26T22:01:00.000-08:00

Afflictions 2nd mixed martial arts event proved that the clothing line has the legs to stand and compete with other MMA promotions.

The night was full of great matches which added to every fighters highlight reels. Lets get to it and describe the outcomes of the PPV events.

Bobby Green vs Dan Lauzon - Lauzon by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:55 of the 1st Round

Bobby Green took the fight with 30 hours notice and fought hard to try to take the victory. He pressed the action the entire round swinging wildly, kicking constantly, and stuffing every takedown attempt Lauzon threw at him. However Green's aggressive and reckless nature cost him. He landed 3 low blows costing him a point, but more importantly giving Lauzon time to regroup. Near the end of round Lauzon quit trying to strike and went for submissions. He went for a triangle that Green popped out of, went for a heel hook the Green slipped away, but Lauzon got Green's back and was able to secure a rear naked choke that made Green tap.

Paul Buentello vs Kirill Sidelnikov - Buentello by TKO at 4:18 of the 3rd Round

Buentello used a jab combination beautifully to keep, "Baby Fedor", Sidelnikov at bay. Buentello constantly threw a left jab that helped set up some beautiful right hooks and uppercuts that would have ended most opponents. Sidelnikov was able to take most of the hits and still kept pressing Buentello but there was little he could do to really win this match. By round 3 the jabs had finished Sidelnikov, they had landed one time too many, and Kirill kept spitting out his mouthpiece till the doctor called it.

Renato Sobral vs Thierry Sokoudjou - Sobral by Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 2:37 of the 2nd Round

Sobral didn't try to strike too much against Sokoudjou instead he went for takedowns. In the 1st Round Sokoudjou was able to stuff most Sobral's attempts and was even able to use his Judo to counter takedown. In the 2nd round Sobral was more sucessful with his takedowns and had Sokoudjou on his back for quite awhile and he ground and pounded to tire him out till he was able to get the choke locked.

Vitor Belfort vs Matt Lindland - Belfort by KO at 0:37 of the 1st Round

Lindland pressed the action and Belfort simply moved around the cage till Lindland went in with a right hook that Belfort counter quickly with a left hook that sent Lindland to the ground. Belfort kept striking him while he was on the ground and one of the punches sent Lindland to sleep.

Josh Barnett vs Gilbert Yvel - Barnett by Submission (Strikes) at 2:55 of the 3rd Round

Barnett took down Yvel every chance he had. In the 1st Round Yvel was taking down close to 2 minutes in. Barnett tried to get a Kimura but was unable to so instead he passed Yvel's guard and rained down punches from the full mount. However he was not able to finish him in the 1st as Yvel kept moving his head preventing him from taking any huge hits. The rest of the rounds were pretty much the same thing. Credit to Yvel for taking so many strikes from Barnett's mount and even throwing some strikes from his back. However in the 3rd all the strikes were too much and Yvel had to tap out.

Fedor Emelianenko vs Andrei Arlovski - Emelianenko by KO at 3:14 of the 1st Round

courtesy of Sherdog.

Andrei Arlovski established control of the match early. Using his refined boxing skills that Freddie Roach had been training him for in this match solidly. Arlovski used his punches and kicks to control Fedor around the ring which would have won him the round. But a little after the midpoint of the first round Arlovski landed a viciouse leg jab that pushed Fedor into the corner. Seeking to capitalize on the moment Arlovski went for a flying knee strike, but Fedor just bounced off the ropes and threw an overhand right that landed squarly on the chin of Arlovski which sent him spinning in the air and face first to the mat.

Affliction threw a great event, with some awesome production value that made it a pleasure to watch on TV.

I look forward to the next Affliction event I just hope that they do not let Tito Ortiz do the post fight interviews in the ring.

So what was your favorite fight of the night? are looking forward to the next Affliction event?

WEC 38: Varner vs Cerrone Preview

2009-01-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

WEC will hold its first event in San Diego on January 25th, which will be broadcast for free on the Versus network.

Jamie Varner will defend his lightweight title against Donald Cerrone in the headlining fight. Also on the main card will be a rematch between Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver to determine the #1 contender for the featherweight championship.

The following is a short examination of the main card of WEC 38.

Jamie Varner Vs. Donald Cerrone

Varner(15 - 2)(1 NC) is the current lightweight champion of the WEC winning the belt at WEC 32 by defeating Rob McCullough via TKO (Strikes) in the 3rd round. Since then he has defended his belt against Marcus Hicks at WEC 35 also defeating Hicks by TKO (Strikes) in the 1st round.

The majority of Varener's victories come by way a submission, those that don't are by TKO. His last fight to go to decision was in 2003.

Cerrone(9 - 0)(1 NC) is the undefeated contender for the lightweight championship. He recently defeated Rob McCullough by Unanimous Decision in a violent match at WEC 36.

Razor Rob McCullough Vs. Donald Cerrone
by versus_348

Cerrone is the 2006 United States S1 Muay Thai Champion and as the previous video showed he has excellent striking skills. Yet his training with Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting has led him to win all his matches but the McCullough bout by Submission.

Prediction: Cerrone by TKO
Cerrone stand up game is too good for Varner and if it goes to the ground Cerrone will chose to Ground and Pound to a victory. Varner can't really take Cerrone to the ground and his stand up won't stand a chance against him, so the title will switch hands this night.

Urijah Faber Vs. Jens Pulver

Faber(21 - 2), known as the California Kid, is the premiere featherweight MMA fighter. He has been #1 on Sherdog's top featherweight rankings for as long as I can remember. Only recently dropping to #2 after he suffered a loss to Mike Brown at WEC 36 where he lost his WEC featherweight championship.

The California Kid is one of the quickest and versatile fighters in the cage. He darts in and out of people's range to deliver a variety of kicks and punches. When he scored knock downs he pounces immediately and when he is mounted he often wiggles his way out of it. Fabers speed and agility ave made him a force, and the chin on this featherweight has made him a force that's hard to stop.

Pulver(21 - 10 - 1) is the former UFC lightweight champion. He successfully defended his title against BJ Penn at UFC 35, but soon after the UFC erased it's lightweight division. After that Pulver did some boxing, fought in IFL and overseas at PRIDE. Then UFC brought back the lightweight division and Pulver rejoined the UFC. Unfortunately he lost in his return bout and then lost to BJ Penn after coaching The Ultimate Fighter 5.

After his loss to Penn, Pulver announced he would drop weight and fight in the featherweight division of the WEC. After submitting Cub Swanson at WEC 31, Pulver fought Urijah Faber for the title at WEC 34. The match went the distance with neither fighter able to finish the other. For the first time in the WEC a Faber match went to the judges. Pulver lost by unanimous decision as the judges scored the bout 50-45, 50-44, 50-44 in favor of Faber.

Pulver is a great boxer and wrestler. His takedown defense was able to stop Penn and he was even able to counter takedowns with his own.

Prediction: Faber by TKO
Urijah Faber has alot to prove in this match. First of all he needs to prove he deserves a title shot again, so he can reclaim the title the world was shocked he lost. Second he needs to prove that he can finish Pulver. He will prove himself in this battle.

There you have it the 2 main events at a glance. They will definitely be worth watching, and I shall be there live! Expect some dope pictures next week.

Affliction Day of Reckoning: Preview

2009-01-21T17:43:00.001-08:00

On January 24th, Affliction Entertainment will hold its second pay per view event known as the "Day of Reckoning" at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

The headlining match of the night will be a championship bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski for the WAMMA heavyweight belt. Let's examine this match and the rest of the PPV card.

Fedor Emelianenko vs Andrei Arlovski

Emelianenko (29 - 1)(1 NC), known as "The Last Emperor", is one of MMA's greatest champions. He won the PRIDE Heavyweight championship in 2003, by defeating Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira in a unanimous decision victory. Since then he has successfully defended his championship at every turn.

His only career lost was to Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in a RINGS tournament. Kohsaka landed an illegal elbow strike that opened a cut on Emelianenko's brow. Since it was a tournament format and fights had to end in either win or loss, no draws or no contests could occur, Kohsaka was given the victory since the injury left Emelianenko unable to compete in the tournament.

Emelianenko is an accomplished sambo practitioner having won several Russian and world sambo championships. He uses this skill in the MMA ring to take his opponents to the ground where he either uses submission maneuvers or ground and pound for victories. While his striking is not the greatest, his punches have proven lethal often knocking opponents to the ground where he can finish the match.

Arlovski (15 - 5), known as "the Pitbull", is a former UFC heavyweight champion. In February 2005 Arlovski defeated Tim Sylvia for the interim title via a first round submission. He successfully defended his championship twice, during which the interim title was promoted to the undisputed title, till meeting up with Sylvia again in April 2006 where he lost the belt in a first round TKO. The 2 met up a third time for the championship but Arlovski lost the bout in a unanimous decision.

Arlovski won the last 3 fights of his UFC contract before leaving the organization. He fought Ben Rothwell at Afflictions premiere event "Banned", and was scheduled to face Josh Barnett at Day of Reckoning. However a recent KO victory againist Roy Nelson, the last and only IFL Heavyweight champion, has granted him a shot at Fedor.

While Arlovski began his MMA career as a sound technical striker he has slowly shifted to a brawler. Relying less and less on wearing opponents down but focused more on landing that victory blow. Arlovski also has great grappling ability being a former Sambo champion.

Prediction: Emelianenko by TKO
Simple logic would defend the pick, Emelianenko destroyed Sylvia, Syliva beat Arlovski, therefore Emelianenko will best Sylvia. However the reality is Emelianenko is a powerhouse in this division and has yet to show any real wear from his years as champion. It'll be sometime before anyone topples the Emperor.

Josh Barnett vs Gilbert Yvel

Barnett (24 - 5) is the youngest title holder of the UFC heavyweight belt after he defeated Randy Couture in a TKO victory in March 2002. Unfortunately soon after his victory Barnett tested positive for steroids and had his title stripped and had his fighting license in Nevada suspended thus ending his UFC career.

Luckily PRIDE gave Barnett a home where he was able to defeat Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on one occasion and a few other competitors before the organization went defunct. Barnett also scored a KO victory at Afflictions premiere event "Banned" against MMA legend Pedro Rizzo.

Barnett is a brawler and wrestler. A majority of his victories come via submission usually by some sort of arm lock. A pretty funny fact about Barnett is he is a former professional wrestler for the New Japan Pro Wrestling organization.

Yvel (35 - 12)(1 NC) is pretty much an asshole and quite proud of it. He has been disqualified in 3 separate matches and even held the yellow card from one of his DQ's proudly as he walked out of the ring towards the backstage area.

In fact the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to give Yvel a fighters license, maybe California should have done the same.

Yvel is a powerful striker winning almost all but 5 matches by TKO or KO. He is famous for his flying knee strikes which he has used on more than one occasion to score a KO victory. He hates the ground game and goes to great lengths to avoid it, hence one of the DQs for eye gouging an opponent trying to take him down.

Prediction: Josh Barnett by TKO, maybe DQ
Barnett is a wrestler going up against a man that hates the ground. All Barnett has to do is take Yvel to the ground and he can secure the win. If anything Yvel may just return to his dirty tactics and land himself another DQ.

Vitor Belfort vs Matt Lindland

Belfort (17 - 8) is a former UFC lightweight champion and the last Cage Rage lightweight champion. He has defeated big names like Wanderlei Silva, David "Tank" Abbott, Heath Herring, and Randy Couture.

Belfort is black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a formidable boxer. He recently began to train alongside Randy Couture at Xtreme Couture.

Lindland (21 - 5) is a former Olympian who represented the United States at the 2000 summer games in greco-roman wrestling. He is also the former Republican candidate for the US House of Representatives in Oregon. If a former pro wrestler can become a governor, why can't an MMA fighter become a congressman?

Anyways Lindland is a strong wrestler who uses this skill in the ring to often time secure submission or ground and pound positions.

Prediction: Belfort by TKO
This is going to be a competitive match up. Belfort's training at Xtreme Couture will give him the advantage. It will have given him the practice to stuff and avoid take downs and given him practice fighting within the clinch.

Renato Sobral vs Thierry Sokoudjou

Sobral (31 - 7) is the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and a former UFC fighter. He has fought and defeated great fighters like Jeremy Horn and Mauricio Rua and taken Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko to decisions he would lose.

Sobral was kicked out of the UFC after he refused to release an Anaconda Choke on David Heath at UFC 74 causing Heath to pass out. In a post fight interview with Joe Rogan he said, "[Heath] has to learn respect. He deserved that."

While he maybe an asshole, Sobral has an impressive Jiu Jitsu game that works with his quick and strong take downs.

Sokoudjou (5 - 3) is also a former UFC fighter who was released after losing to Luis Cane at UFC 89.

Sokoujou is a formidable kick boxer that practices Judo. He has finished 3 of his fights with knock outs in the first round.

Prediction: Renato Sobral by Submission
Sokoujou is to green for Sobral. While his judo may help turn things around in the clinch Sobral's ground game will overwhelm Sokoudjou.

Chris Horodecki vs Dan Lauzon

Horodecki (12 - 1) is a Canadian kick boxer who use to fight in the IFL. 6 out of his 7 first fights Horodecki was able to finish in KO or TKo. However his last 5 wins have all come by decisions.

His striking skills have earned him a place at Xtreme Couture Toronto as an MMA striking instructor.

Lauzon (10 - 2) victories all come by way of submission or knock out. He is currently on a 6 win streak.

Lauzon is a wrestling and jiu jitsu fighter who has moved to using more ground and pound techniques than submissions.

Prediction: Lauzon by TKO
Lauzon will ride his win streak through Horodecki. While Horodecki may have the advantage if this match up stays standing up, I doubt Lauzon will allow that to happen for too long.

"Affliction: Day of Reckoning" will definitely be a great shoot out with some great fighters from around the world. Expect some huge hits and definite highlight reel material.

BONUS!!! BOXING !!!BONUS
This night will also be the night of a great boxing match between the world's top welterweights, Sugar Shane Mosely and Ricardo Mayorga. This event will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA and will be televised for free on HBO. I highly recommend bouncing between the Affliction event and the boxing fight. Or just TiVO this event since it'll be worth watching.

Shane Mosely vs Antonio Margarito

"Sugar" Shane Mosely (45 - 5, with 38 KOs) is a technical fighter who strikes intelligently but responds to hits with haymakers. Mosely barely has a reach advantage of 1 inch.

Antonio Margarito (37 - 5, with 27 KOs) known as the Tijuana Tornado is an aggressive fighter who loves to throw punches in flurries. He is 2 inches taller than Mosely and just looks much bigger

Prediction: Antonio Margarito by Unanimous Decision
Margarito is just so aggressive he is going to be pounding Mosely all night. Mosely is sure to get some good hits in but Margarito will be pressing the action the whole fight.

UFC 93: In Review

2009-01-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

The first UFC PPV of the year didn't disappoint but it was definitely a slow start of MMA.

My picks were solid I was right 4 out of 5 of the matches.

And this is how the night went;

Marcus Davis vs Chris Lytle - Davis wins by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

This turned out to be a great stand up battle between two amazing boxers. Lytle was the aggressor of this match, for the most part, pressing the action with huge haymakers and amazing flurries. Davis played a lovely technical game throw jabs to keep Lytle at bay and using an impressive clinch game to deliver knees against Lytle. What really one Davis the match was his kicks. He constantly attacked Lytle's right side, so that by the 3rd Lytle was winded and had dropped his hands in order to defend his side.

This bout won fight of the night and thus I have the video;

MMA Videos from www.myvideofight.com

Alan Belcher vs Denis Kang - Belcher by Submission via Guillotine Choke at 1:36 of the 2nd round.

Kang was dominating this match up. He was able to take down Belcher at every turn tried numerous submission attempts but was never able to finish Belcher. In the 2nd round Kang shot in and Belcher was able to stuff it by getting hooks around Kang's neck. He tightened his grip and sealed off the Guillotine Choke and Kang tapped just as he hit the ground.

Jeremy Horn vs Rousimar Palhares - Palhares by Unanimous Decision (all judges scored 30 -27)

Palhares dominated this match up. He kept Horn on the ground in a variety of position. He was never able to mount a significant offense though, his ground and pound wasn't as damaging and Horn was able to stuff all the submission attempts. Still Palhares looked impressive as he succeeded at almost every take down attempt he made even lifting Horn and slamming him.

Mark Coleman vs Mauricio Rua - Rua by TKO at 4:36 of the 3rd round

This fight was just. Argh. Ok much respect is due to Coleman who was impressive. He secured numerous take downs was able to land good punches against a younger quicker opponent. Rua looked pitiful. Even though he won the bout, Coleman was exhausted at the end of the 1st. In the 2nd his mouth was wide open as he struggle to breath and his hands were down by the waste. But somehow Rua wasn't able to finish him, instead Coleman kept taking Rua down. Then for some odd reason Rua lost his breath and he couldn't keep his hands up. Rua was finally able to get the KO but my god it was pitiful.

Rich Franklin vs Dan Henderson - Henderson by Split Decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

Franklin did the exact opposite he needed to do in this match up. Instead of avoiding the clinch he constantly got caught in Henderson's clinch game. This gave Henderson the opportunity for take downs that succeeded and led to some powerful ground and pound. In the third round Franklin got on track was able to strike beautifully however the effort was too late.

The scoring on this match bugs me. One of the judges scored all 3 rounds for Franklin. Now the 3rd round could definitely go for Franklin but the 1st and 2nd there is simply no way. Henderson pressed the action those 2 rounds, secured take down, landed big blows, etc. So the judge must be smoking crack.

Anyways UFC 93 has gone and passed, UFC's next PPV will definitely speed up the pace.

UFC 93: Franklin vs Henderson Preview

2009-01-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

The UFC will be holding it's first event of the year in Dublin, Ireland on January 17. This night promises to have some strong match ups. After reviewing all the headlining bouts I am excited to watch this PPV.

Let's get into it and describe the match ups and who will win.

Rich Franklin vs Dan Henderson

Franklin (24 - 3)(1 NC) is a former high school math teacher and UFC middleweight champion. He is also well known for walking into the octagon with pink trunks or half pink trunks.

2 of his career loses come at the knees of Anderson Silva who took the middleweight championship away from Franklin October 14. His other career loss came at the knee of Lyoto Machida in a light heavyweight bout.

Franklin has a well rounded striking game that centers around a mix of Muay Thai and boxing. He is also currently a brown belt at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In this match againist Henderson, Franklin will definitely have to rely on striking from a distance to avoid any take downs from the Olympian.

Henderson (23 - 7) is a former Olympic greco-roman wrestler who competed in the 1992 and 1996 summer games. He was also the last welterweight (183lb) and middleweight (205lb) champion of PRIDE.

Henderson is a fighter that is prepared to go the distance. He has taken some of best fighters in MMA to decisions; Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Quinton Jackson, etc. He also has a powerful fist that has knocked out the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Renzo Gracie, and Ryo Chonan.

In this match up Henderson will play it slow, allowing Franklin be the aggressor. Henderson has the disadvantage in the cage since most his MMA experience is within the confines of a ring however if he can establish control over the center and avoid hard hits while countering intelligently the decision will go his way.

Prediction: Dan Henderson by split decision
Franklin doesn't have the power to knock out Henderson. While Franklin will no doubt be the aggressor in this bout Henderson will intelligently press the action and take control of the cage.

Mark Coleman vs Mauricio Rua

Coleman(15 - 8) is the original UFC Heavyweight champion winning the title at UFC 12 back in February 1997. His most recent bout was in October 2006 where he lost against Fedor Emelianenko.

Coleman has faced Rua before in PRIDE. During one of Coleman's take downs Rua landed awkwardly dislocating his arm. Coleman took advantage and began to ground and pound on him before the ref called the bout. This upset Rua's teammates who entered the ring and so did Coleman's and it pretty much became a scene out of professional wrestling. Why does MMA get mixed in with pro wrestling?

Anyways Coleman is a wrestler. He is known as the inventor of ground and pound and has used his superior wrestling ability to make matches go into stalemates that lead to his victory.

Rua (16 - 3) is considered by many as one of the top light heavyweight fighters in MMA. Before his loss to Forrest Griffin at UFC 76 many thought Rua was on a straight path towards a title shot.

You can blame that loss to Griffin to poor conditioning since Rua was exhausted in the 2nd round and lost 15 seconds before the end of the 3rd round when Griffin caught Rua in a rear naked choke.

Rua is a Muay Thai practitioner and a powerful striker. He has won 13 of his fights by knock out, one of which was againist Quinton Jackson. In this fight he will have to use his striking to keep Coleman at a distance and avoid the take downs.

Prediction: Mauricio Rua by TKO
Coleman is getting old and although I'm sure he has the strength and power to fight, he is walking into the octagon after a 2 year break from MMA competition. Rua is a powerful competitor that will use this opportunity to erase his previous loss to Coleman off his record.

Alan Belcher vs Denis Kang

Belcher (13 - 5) has been in the UFC since the end of 2006. His performance in the octagon has been mediocre losing 3 of his 7 UFC fights. He won his last match againist Ed Herman by a split decision but near the end of the 3rd Herman almost caught Belcher in a submission.

Belcher is a Muay Thai practitioner who mixes his kicks and punches beautifully. He has a powerful left hook which he uses to set up hard kicks. His clinching skills is lack luster and his ground game needs to improve. Belcher will definitely try and keep this match up off the mat.

Kang (31 - 10 - 1)(2 NC) will be fighting in the octagon for the 1st time. He has spent plenty of time in Asia competing in PRIDE and other organizations which have led him to this opportunity with the UFC.

Kang holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. He also has a strong boxing game with powerful punches that have knocked out 12 of his opponents. If he doesn't finish it standing his ground game can lead to victory with 15 previous win by submission.

Prediction: Kang by Submission
This will be a stand up match till Kang can land a blow that will lead to a ground assault. Either Kang will finish Belcher via ground and pound or if Belcher is able to pull guard Kang will use his jiu jitsu to get him in position for a submission.

Jeremy Horn vs Rousimar Palhares

Horn (80 - 18 - 5) has fought in MMA competitions since 1996. He has competed with some of the best in the game; Randy Couture, Chuck Liddel, Matt Lindland, Forrest Griffin, Anderson Silva, etc. In Horn's last two bouts he has lost via submission.

Horn is a brilliant jiu jitsu fighter with remarkable take down abilities. In many fights Horn is able to pull people into the guard in the midst of a stand up game. 49 of Horn's victories are by submission so expect Horn to take this match to the ground.

Palhares (8 - 2) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who has recently signed with the UFC to compete within the octagon. His most recent match was in September 2008 where he lost a decision againist Dan Henderson.

Palhares is also a jiu jitsu practitioner who has won nearly all his bouts via submissions. While his stand up game is weak he makes up for it with his quick shooting abilities.

Prediction: Palhares by Submission
This bout will go to the ground within the 1st minute. While I think Horn will be able to take Palhares down first, Palhares will be able to work from his back better.

Marcus Davis vs Chris Lytle

Davis (15 - 4) is a former boxer turned mixed martial artist after suffering a TKO in a boxing match in 2000. Since then he has joined Team Sityodtong and trained with likes of Kenny Florian and Patrick Cote.

With a nickname like "the Irish Hand Grenade" it's easy to understand where Davis' strength lies. He's a powerful boxer and brings that skill into the octagon. He stays close to his opponents and uses a jab to set up big strikes. His ground game is very skilled an he has been able to submit 8 of his opponents.

Lytle (26 - 16 - 5) is a professional boxer and mixed martial artist. He appeared on The Ultimate Fighter 4 and since then has fought some of the best in the UFC; Thiago Alves, Josh Koscheck, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes, etc.

Lytle has a strong boxing game but within the octagon it is less technical. He swings wildly from the outside throwing huge haymakers. In other words Lytle has a boxing style opposite of Davis.

Prediction: Marcus Davis by TKO
This should be pretty much a stand up fight. Davis will get close and strike with jabs that will disrupt Lytle's punching game. This could either way since if any fighter can land that big hit, but Davis has a better striking game and his rounded ground game will give him the edge.

These are some strong match ups, that are sure to turn out some awesome fights.

Which one of the match ups are you looking forward to see?

9 Year Old BJJ Practitioner Chokes Pitbull

2009-01-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

If you ever needed to justify to your wife why it is a good idea for your child to take jiu jitsu classes here is reason #1;

Boy Stops Pitbull Attack With Jiujitsu Choke Hold

A 9-year-old Bakersfield boy is being called a hero after he saved a girl and her dog from a pit bull attack.

Drew Heredia said he and a friend were walking a small dog Dec. 30 when a pit bull jumped on the dog. The unidentified 12-year-old girl reportedly tried to save her dog, prompting the pit bull to turn on her.

Heredia said he jumped on the pit bull and applied a choke hold that he learned while taking classes at a Brazilian jujitsu studio in southwest Bakersfield.

"It was kind of a hear-pounding moment," Heredia said. "It was very scary."

He said he held the dog for 20 minutes until an animal control officer arrived.

"At first, I wanted to kick it, but then I thought it's not a good idea, because it could get my leg," Heredia said.

The girl was taken to Mercy Southwest Hospital where she was treated for puncture wounds.

The pit bull was quarantined at the animal control office, where it will be euthanized after 10 days. No one has claimed the dog.

The girl's dog was injured, but it's expected to survive. The dog ran away during the attack but returned home Friday afternoon.

reported by the Associated Press

Damn crazy story and what an impressive kid.

But here at mmapost.blogspot we have the exclusive play by play of the encounter!

Boy enters ring and looks timid as the pitbull enters. The pitbull eyes the boy vigorously. The bell is rung and the pitbull immediately goes for a take down and succeeds. The boy pulls guard and attempts to secure one of the pitbulls arm in a lock. Dog begins to ground and drool. Boy sweeps dog and controls it's back. Boy gets hooks in and begins to lock a rear naked choke. Pitbull begins to tap. Boy wins by submission!

Not really sure if that's the way it went down but that's how I imagine it.

Does anyone else want to have this boy as their son? and I really wish the article would have told us what hold the boy used.

UFC 92 in Review

2008-12-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

UFC 92 turned out to be the ultimate event of the year even if my predictions were a bit off (I was 2 for 5 this night).

Still the way things went were so amazing I could care less.

Cheick Kongo vs Mustapha Al Turk - Kongo wins via TKO in the 1st (4:37)

Kongo did exactly what he does. He used his size and power to control the match against Al Turk. The start of the first and only round had Al Turk trying to stand up and strike against Kongo but he quickly reverted to his old strategy of going for some ground and pound.

Unfortunately Kongo had none of it and was able to defend the take down attempts. Instead Kongo knocked Al Turk down and began to smash through Al Turks guard with elbows and fists before securing the win.

One odd thing about this fight was the exchange of low blows. Al Turk accidentally kneed Kongo in the crouch. In response Kongo clinched Al Turk and purposely kneed him in the groin. I thought Kongo should have lost a point for that but it wouldn't have mattered.

Wanderlei Silva vs Quinton Jackson - Jackson wins via KO in the 1st (3:21)

Jackson finally got his revenge after being made a fool in their last 2 Pride matches and he was elated after scoring the perfect left hook to deck Silva.

Silva pressed the action for the most part till the near the end of the bout. Jackson was able to knock Silva down but wasn't able to secure a good ground position for some ground and pound. Instead Silva rose back to his fight and unloaded a fury on Jackson. None of the punches really connected and Jackson wound his whole body back and unloaded a left hook that sent Silva to the mat. He was done while Jackson leaped onto his unconscious body for some ground and pound before the ref called it.

CB Dollaway Vs. Mike Massenzio - Dollaway wins via TKO in the 1st (3:01)

This match was really even and could have gone either way. Both fighters were doing well during their stand up exchanges and once things got to the mat it looked like Massenzio was going to take it.

Massenzio locked a really tight Guillotine choke on Dollaway that turned him red but Dollaway was able to pull out of it and then began raining some blows to seal the match in his favor.

I have no idea what was up with Massenzio's left knee. He had it wrapped heavily, it seemed like he may have injured it during training, but I'm not sure if that really is the case.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Vs. Frank Mir - Mir wins via TKO in the 2nd (1:54)

Mir fought the perfect fight. He kept the match on his feet and kept attacking Nogueira. In fact Nogueira really did nothing in this match up besides eat punches.

In the 1st Round Mir secured a take down againist Nogueira but quickly stood up instead of attempting any submission. Then in the rest of the 1st Mir landed a couple of punches that sent Nogueira to the mat twice. Both times Nogueira fell he pulled guard but Mir just stood and waited for Nogueira to stand up.

In the 2nd Mir came out even more confident and landed a punch that dazed Nogueira and made him fall empty headed to the mat. Mir pounced on top of Nogueira and ground and pounded him to victory.

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans - Evans wins via TKO in the 3rd (2:46)

Griffin kept control of the fight the first 2 rounds. He used his size and reach to keep Evans at a distance. He used his kicks very similarly to his bout against Quinton Jackson. Unfortunately he was never really able to secure any hard hits againist Evans to slow him down.

The entire bout was Evans bouncing around. Quickly dashing in for a jab here and there. Then in the 3rd Evans caught one of Griffins kicks and landed a punch that sent Griffin to the mat. Evans pounced and gave Griffin some powerful ground and pound using hammer fists before Griffin was able to close guard. However Griffin guard was weak and after awhile Evans was able to posture up and rail down some big blows onto Griffin that sealed his victory.

This was my favorite match of the night. Evans boxing style and quick foot work have made him one of my favorite fighters;

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UFC 92 was a solid event, with 2 titles switching hands and a great upset victory, the UFC definitely ended the year with one of the Ultimate Events.

So what did you think about UFC 92? Were the fight worth the hype? Or were you just disappointed by some of the match ups?

PREVIEW: UFC 92

2008-12-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

As the end of the year draws near UFC will hold its final event of 2008 which promises to be its most spectacular. With 3 fights that could be the main event of it's own Pay Per View UFC 92 seems to be well worth the money.

Let's go over the card, starting from the main event, and predict who will come out on top.

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans

Griffin(16 - 4) will be defending the light heavyweight belt for the first time after wining a decision over Quinton Jackson at UFC 86.

Griffin has come a long way since winning The Ultimate Fighter light heavyweight division in 2005. Since then he steadily climbed the ladder beating opponents Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and narrowly losing against Tito Ortiz.

Griffin is a fan favorite because of his fighting spirit. He often goes into the ring as the major underdog only to take his opponents the distance.

Evans(16 - 0 - 1) has yet to lose a match up. His latest victory was against Chuck Liddel which he won via a stunning knock out in the 2nd round that is sure to make highlight reels for decades to come.

look at the way his neck bent.

Evans is a really well rounded fighter with great take down defense and excellent movement around the ring. His agile nature in the ring makes it hard for him to get caught in take downs or strikes.

A major concern for Evans will be his conditioning. Since he has never been in a championship match it's hard to say if he can truly last 5 rounds in the ring without slowing down in the later rounds.

My pick: Rashad Evans by decision
Evans is too quick for Griffin. He'll easily be able to move away from any dangerous situations Griffin and can throw a powerful counter punch when he can catch Griffin off guard.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Vs. Frank Mir
Nogueria (31 - 4 - 1) is the current UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion. He is one of the best Jiu Jitsu practitioners in MMA. 19 of his previous wins were by submission including victories over opponents Jeff Barnet, Heath Herring, Tim Sylvia, and Dan Henderson.

He is also one of the few opponents to really challenge Fedor Emelianenko, forcing their 2 fights to go to decisions which Fedor would win. Many argue that if one of these bouts could have gone beyond the normal round limits Nogueira could have pulled away with the victory.

What seperates Nogueira from other Jiu Jitsu practitioners is his threshold of pain. Nogueria is famous for taking a pounding from his opponents till the match goes his way, the ground, and then it is moments before Nogueira pulls off a submission.

Mir (11 - 3) held the UFC Heavyweight title after defeating Tim Sylvia back in 2004 at UFC 48. Unfortunately Mir was in a horrible motorcycle accident that took him out of the MMA world for 2 years.

Mir returned a different man in 2006. He was no longer as agile and quick as before and it hurt him in a couple of matches he should have won. Still in last match against Brock Lesnar, he was able to pull of a knee bar after being dropped by a heavy right delivered by Lesna. Mir has said he feels better than ever before since the accident and finally nears being a 100%.

Mir is also a Jiu Jitsu practitioner but his ground game is no where near the level of Nogueira. Mir will have to use his Jiu Jitsu skills to avoid take downs and keep the match off the mat. If Mir can keep himself off the ground and force Nogueira into a 5 round stand up match he can win the decision.

My pick: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by submission
Nogueira is too good at the ground for Mir and can take too much of a pounding on his feet. Mir won't be able to knock Nogueira out and when the oppurtunity for a take down presents Nogueira, Mir will soon be tapping to whichever submission Nogueira uses from his arsenal.

CB Dollaway Vs. Mike Massenzio
Dollaway (7 - 1) is the runner up of The Ultimate Fighter 7 losing to Amir Sadollah via an armbar in the finale.

In his next and most recent fight Dollaway was able to secure a Peruvian Necktie against Jesse Tyler in the first round, being the first person in the UFC to successfully pull off this maneuver.

Dollaway definitely has a good ground game with his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Collegiate Wrestling background. Yet a majority of his fights end with him winning by knock outs.

Massenzio (11 - 2) has fought only once before in the UFC against Drew McFedries. Before that he was in the IFL, Ring of Combat, and Reality Fighting.

6 of his victories come in the way of submission while the majority of the rest are decision wins.

Basically Massenzio is a great ground fighter.

My pick: Mike Massenzio by submission
This match up should be pretty close. However Massenzio has a great ground game and pushes the matches to the floor so either wins via submission or by decision.

Wanderlei Silva Vs. Quinton Jackson
This will be the third time these 2 have met in the ring. The 2 previous times were in pride where Silva made a highlight reel from his TKO victories over Jackson.

Silva (32 - 8 - 1) comes off a spectacular first round KO victory over Keith Jardine at UFC 84.

While his career in the UFC has only recently begun again he has been in contention for the light heavyweight belt as soon as he came in. This is due because of his astounding career in PRIDE. Silva held the PRIDE Middleweight title for 6 years before losing it to Dan Henderson in 2007 shortly before PRIDE died.

What makes Wanderlei "the Axe Murderer" Silva such a dominant force in the ring is his killer Muay Thai. 22 of his victories are by Knock Outs. Expect Silva to use his Thai clinch and try to finish Jackson off with knees like he has before.

Jackson (28 - 7) has not fought since he lost his light heavyweight title to Forest Griffin at UFC 86 by a decision that caused much uproar in the MMA community. There are many people, including I, who thought the match should have been called a draw.

So now Jackson is fighting to become the number 1 contender for the belt and to do this he will have to win against the man who has stopped him twice before.

Jackson has power and speed. His brawler fighting style makes him hard to predict but in this bout trying to stand up against a technical striker like Silva may end up hurting him. Jackson has to get Silva on the ground and try to out wrestle him for a dominant position.

My pick: Wanderlei Silva by decision
Wanderlei is just a type of fighter that Jackson can not over come. His previous losses will hurt his spirit and he will not be able to get passed Silva's superior striking ability. I doubt this match will end with knees to Jackson's face but I can not see Jackson winning this match.

Cheick Kongo Vs. Mustapha Al-Turk
Kongo (12[22] - 4 - 1) is one of the best up and coming heavyweights in the UFC. He is still climbing the ladder but will soon find himself in contention for the title if he continues to dominate like he does.

Kongo most famously took Mirko "Cro Crop" Filipovic the distance. He went 3 rounds with the former PRIDE heavyweight contender and ended winning the bout via unanimous decision.

Kongo has size and power that challenges many of his competitors but what makes Kongo such a threat is his speed and agility. He moves quickly when attempting take down or in throwing counter punches.

Al-Turk (6 - 3) was the last heavyweight champion of Cage Rage before the company went out of business.

He is notorious for his ground and pound, winning all 6 of his bouts in this fashion.

In this match up Al-turk will have to take Kongo down to win. He has a solid ground game but the speed of Kongo may present a challenge for him.

My pick: Cheick Kongo by KO
This match can go either way. If it stays up Kongo will take it. If it goes down to the mat Al-turk will take it. I favor Kongo because of his great stand up game and I don't think Al-turk will have an easy time getting Kongo to the ground.

There you go. Those are my predicitons of how UFC 92 will go. Do you agree or disagree?

Fight Night! Post Koscheck Victory

2008-12-11T00:24:00.001-08:00

Wow what a great event. It does not matter that it was not a pay per view and had little to no big names it was still off the chain.

The main event, I predicated wrong.

I thought Yoshiyuki Yoshida would win the bout via decision but as soon as the match began it all went Koscheck's way.

Koscheck pressed the action the whole time till he was able to land a right that dazed Yoshida, before landing a second one that scored him the KO victory in the first.

Hopefully this will earn him the right to stay in the UFC.

"Fight Night" - Fight for the Troops Preview

2008-12-04T23:03:00.001-08:00

Fight for the troops will be a 3 hour live event broadcasted on the Spike network on December 10 to raise money for a charity that supports the families of US soldiers in Iraq.

Since it is a free event the card doesn't have many big dollar names but the main event will be pretty entertaining.

Josh Koscheck vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Koscheck (11 - 3) is one of those memorable fighters. He always puts on a great show whether he is winning or losing.

His last fight was at UFC 90 where he lost by decision against Thiago Alves. Koshceck took some pretty big hits from Alves, but kept his composure and was not only able to survive all 3 rounds but fight back solidly.

Even though he lost the match it speaks well for the versatility of Koscheck since he took the fight with only 2 weeks notice, even though he should of just been training for his headlining bout against Yoshiyuki Yoshida.

Speaking of which this fight with Yoshida just may be his last in the UFC. Disputes between UFC and his fellow Zinkin Entertainment fighters over a merchandise contract has already ended teammate Jon Fitch's UFC career.

So this will be a do or die bout for Koscheck.

Koscheck's strength in this match up will definitely be his spirit and his wrestling ability. He should go for take downs and mount Yoshida to do some major ground and pound to secure the win. He has the skill to do this.

For Yoshida (10 - 2) this will be his 2nd bout in the UFC. He won his first UFC match against, War Machine (formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver), by submission via an anaconda choke.

Before the UFC, Yoshida competed in SHOOTO and Cage Force where he scored a majority of victories in the first round with Knock Outs or TKOs.

Yoshida is definitely a superior striker. Unfortunately Koscheck has a great chin and can take some great blows while delivering a few good ones himself. Yoshida must be wary of Koscheck's ground game and avoid getting mounted.

MY PICK: Yoshiyuki Yoshida by decision
It's hard for me not to choose Koscheck because I like his spirit in the cage and I honestly believe this do or die situation will make him a better fighter. However Yoshida striking will make the major difference. In the end it will earn him the score cards needed to win the match.

So what do you think? Will Yoshida strike Koscheck down? or will Koscheck prove he should be in the UFC with a win?

WEC 37: Miguel Torres vs Manny Tapia

2008-12-04T16:13:00.000-08:00

On December 3, Miguel Torres sucessfully defended his WEC Bantamweight belt againist Manny Tapia.

Torres (35 - 1) is considered by many as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world. Sherdog.com currently ranks Torres #6 in it's list of top pound for pound figters.

Tapia (10 - 1 - 1) was handed his first loss in this title shot but still seems to be in contention for the title.

The first round of the match seemed even with both fighters pressing the action. Torres was able to catch Tapia with some a good hits that would make the difference in scoring the round.

In the second round a different Torres came out the corner. This time Torres was more aggressive striking Tapia more frequently before knocking him to ground and pounding him for the TKO victory.

Don't take my word for it. Watch the fight.

Torres has some fancy moves and definitly showed them off in this bout. The little kick roll he did at the end of the first had me rewinding the vid a few times.

UFC 91: Review

2008-11-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

What an exciting night! Not one fight from the main card went to decision and most of them ended in the first round. Thankfully that had all those undercards to fill up the time or else this event would have ended within the hour.

I was accurate on the picks I made in my PREVIEW: UFC 91 article. I got 3 out of 4 of my picks correct;

Demian Maia

Maia secured a rear naked choke on Nick Quarry at 2:13 of the first round. That rest of that round pretty much went his way as well. His striking game was on par with Quarry and once it went to the ground, Quarry could not respond.

Gabriel Gonzaga

Gonzaga got a TKO(strikes) victory at 1:01 of the first round. He pretty much dominated Josh Hendricks the UFC rookie. However Hendricks deserves a ton of respect for being able to stand with Gonzaga and exchange blows. He really couldn't do much against a fighter of Gonzaga's calibar.

Also I have to say the referee in this match was an asshole. He pretty much made Gonzaga strike a finished Hendricks. Once Gonazaga knocked down Hendricks, he went and struck Hendricks again, who did nothing to defend himself. He winded up for another punch but hesitated expecting the ref to stop the match there. Gonzaga then looked at the ref almost asking him, "you want me to hit him again?"

He did.

Kenny Florian

Florian submitted Joe Stevenson with a Rear Naked Choke at 4:03 of the first round. I thought this match was gonna go to the cards but I really underestimated Florian's ground game. Still I knew Kenny Florian would not lose this match, he couldn't lost contention for the lightweight belt, and he secured his spot as the number 1 contender for BJ Penn's title.

Brock Lesnar

Lesnar was able to drop Couture in the second round and secured the win with a TKO. It was a pretty even fight.

I underestimated the advantage Lesnar had with his size. He was 40lbs heavier and so much larger. When things went to the ground it was hard to even see Couture under Lesnar. Still Couture gave Lesnar a challenge and was slowly wearing him down.

There is so much to cover for this that I'll write a blog dedicated to Couture and Lesnar match within the week

Also there was a main event that I did not cover in my preview since it was initially scheduled an undercard. It turned out to be my favorite match of the night.

Dustin Hazelett
Hazelett submitted Tamden McCrory with an Armbar at the 4 minute mark of the first round. What made it really awesome was the way Hazelett controlled McCrory while securing the Armbar. His use of the rubber guard made it impossible for McCrory to roll out or get out of that position.

The rubber guard is getting more and more popular.

Anyways the UFC awards went down like this

Fight of the Night: Aaron Riley vs Jorge Gurgel (an undercard bout)
Knockout of the Night: Jeremy Stephens (another undercard bout)
Submission of the Night: Dustin Hazelett

Anyways my favorite match of the night was the Gonzaga match, probably just cause that delay in throwing that final punch.

Overall it was a great event and I hope to see more of this calibar.

PREVIEW: UFC 91

2008-11-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

This event marks the return of Randy Couture who will defend his heavyweight title against Brock Lesnar in the main event.

The undercard is just as impressive. Let's first examine the main event and then explore the undercards.

Randy Couture vs Brock Lesnar

Couture (16 - 8) will be walking back into the ring after a 14 month break. Whether this will make him well rested or rusty has yet to be seen however since he has been training with Wonderlei Silva it would seem to keep him from being the ladder.

Couture has developed his own style of fighting. Drawing upon his years as a greco-roman wrestler he has impressive takedown ability, as well as takedown defense. In previous matches he has used his wrestling ability to mount opponents and submit them via ground and pound.

Experience and technique are definitely on Couture's side. He will be defensive in this match up and careful not to be caught by one of Lesnars haymakers. Couture will instead be throwing counter punches while he waits for an opportunity to take down Lesnar or reverse one of Lesnar's attempts.

Lesnar (2 - 1) has only been competing in MMA for a year. He has a strong wrestling background and not the WWE bullshit either. As a collegiate wrestler Lesnar was able to win the NCAA Championship and ended his amatuer career with a 106 - 5 record.

In MMA he has yet to really use his wrestling skills. Instead Lesnar relies on his size and speed to take advantage of his opponents. He often throws big haymakers and with a fist as big as his it has sent most of his opponents to the mat.

Count on Lesnar to use his speed against Couture. He will go for takedowns from the outside in between throwing haymakers.

My Pick: Randy Couture with a TKO (strikes) in the 3rd
Randy Couture's experience will let him capture the victory. Lesnar will rush in too much and attack wildly expecting his strength and speed to be too much for Couture. Couture will simply wait for one of Lesnar's mistakes and will capitalize on it just like Frank Mir did.

Kenny Florian vs Joe Stevenson

Florian (10 - 3) got a little screwed over. Ken Flo was the #1 contender for the lightweight championship. He should be facing BJ Penn for the belt. However Penn will be fighting George St. Pierre so as an MMA fan I can't really complain, although I gotta admit I feel bad for Florian.

Anyways Kenny Florian has some amazing elbows. This will be really helpful within clinches and since Stevenson is Jiu Jitsu practioner, Florian elbow strength will assist him when they grapple.

Stevenson (29 - 8) already had a title shots a few months ago against BJ Penn. Penn was able to open up a huge gash across Stevenson's forehead with an elbow during the first round. That gash made it hard for Stevenson to see since he had blood flowing down his face and Penn was able to submit Stevenson in a Rear Naked Choke hold during the second round.

Still Stevenson is a great Jiu Jitsu practioner. He has won 14 of his matches by submission. He is famous for using the Guillotine Choke and is referred to as a master of that move.

My Pick: Kenny Florian by decision

This is gonna be a close match. Florian's elbows may make the huge difference in the match up, probably stopping Stevenson from conducting any sort of submission. It can still go either way, but I'm going with Florian because I think he has something to prove; that he should be contending for the belt.

Gabriel Gonzaga vs Josh Hendricks

Gonzaga (10 - 3) is a monster. This man broke Couture's arm. I repeat this man broke Couture's arm! Gonzaga went for one of his signature kicks to the head and Couture used his forearm to block it. "Snap!" went Couture's arm.

If he doesn't submit or knock out his opponent he loses. None of Gonzaga's fights have ever gone to a decision which sounds really awesome. Obviously he has a great kick but he has excellent submission skills as well. He's pulled off some pretty complicated submissions (ie Americana and Triangle) and has competed against some of the best fighters the UFC has to offer

Hendricks (15 -4 ) has never fought in the UFC before so he will have a night to prove his worth.

He has won 10 of his fights by submission. He uses rear naked chokes quite frequently and sucessfully along with an occasional armbar and triangle choke.

My pick: Gabriel Gonzaga by maybe a KO (Head Kick), not really sure.

Gonzaga broke Couture's arm with a kick. He can probably break other bones too. While Hendricks definitly will put up a good fight I just have to go with the UFC veteran.

Nate Quarry vs Demian Maia

Quarry(10 - 2) was a show stopper. He won his first 3 UFC bouts with KOs in the first rounds. Then he fought Rich Franklin for the Middleweight title and was knocked out in the first. After that Quarry took a 2 year break from competition due to injuries but returned in '07 and has won 2 matches via decision.

Maia(8 - 0) is a second degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is the 2007 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion and the 2005 runner up and has won the UFC Submission of the Night honors 3 times in a row. He could probably choke out Superman given the oppurtunity.

My pick: Demian Maia by Submission

I don't think Quarry has ever truly recovered from his injuries or at least not returned to his glorious form before his Franklin fight. Maia has too good of ground game for anyone not at 100%. Expect Quarry to tap in the first or second round.

So there you go. Those are my picks for the nights. What do you think? Do you disagree or agree with any of my picks? Do you think I'm a complete idiot? Well tell me why asshole.

The Return of 'The Natural'

2008-11-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

There are no words to describe the excitement for this event. It is the return of "The Natural" Randy Couture!

Simply put, Randy Couture is a great. He is one of the best fighters to ever enter a MMA ring.

And it has been over a year since Couture has.

His last fight was in Aug 27, 2007 where he successfully defended his heavyweight title against Gabriel Gonzaga in a match that ended in a TKO in the 3rd round.

Since then contract disputes with the UFC have kept him from fighting in or out of the octagon.

However in Sept 2008 Couture made a 3 fight deal with the UFC. The first of these 3 fights will be to defend his heavyweight championship against Brock Lesnar .

vs.

Many MMA fans are excited to see this bout, including myself. It should be an exciting match between an experienced veteran and an up and coming star, only one thing bothers me.

Lesnar does not deserve a title shot.

Lesnar has been in a total of 3 fights in his MMA career and is 2 - 1.

His first MMA fight was in June 2007 at K-1 Dynamite!! USA where he was scheduled to fight Choi Hong-man but instead fought Min Soo Kim. The match ended by submission (due to strikes) just after the first minute.

In his first UFC fight Frank Mir used a knee bar to submit Lesnar within the 2nd minute.

In his second UFC fight he fought against Heath "The Crazy Horse" Herring, who took the place of Mark Coleman. This match went the full 3 rounds ending in a unanimous decision in favor of Lesnar.

That is Lesnar's MMA career;

3 Fights

1 win by submission

1 win by unanimous decision

1 loss by submission

And he is getting a title shot against Randy Couture.

It's bullshit. Exciting bullshit, but bullshit none the less.

So the older veteran who has mastered his technique will fight the young up and comer who overwhelms his opponent with his size and speed.

So do you really think Lesnar deserves a title shot? Who do you think Randy Couture should be facing in his return to the octagon?

Welcome

2008-11-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Hello there anonymous Internet user. Thank you for stumbling upon my blog and staying long enough to read this.

This blog is dedicated to covering MMA from every aspect I may wrap my head around. I'll be covering must major events, from previews to post fight commentaries. I'll also be highlight specific fighters and fighting styles.

Well enjoy the articles, pics, and videos. Feel free to comment anything with either love or hate.

-Miguel