Due to a friend's birthday celebration I was unable to catch UFC 119 live last Saturday. I did, however, order the fights the next day so that I could be sure to see all the fights with ease and in HD quality. I had managed to stay away from results and other reports, so I went into the event completely unspoiled. After watching I really wish I had read up on the fights beforehand so that I could just try and find the fights online rather than shell out the money for the PPV. The event had its moments, but some of the fights that I had high hopes for didn't really deliver.
UFC 119
Stephens vs. Guillard: This fight played out a lot like I expected with Guillard using his speed and accuracy to get in and out. Stephens threw his usual wild haymakers, but never really connected with a good solid shot. Melvin didn't engage as much as I thought he would, and Stephens didn't utilize the leg kick enough despite the success he was having with it. Not the barnburner many expected, but a good win for Guillard. Fights with Cole Miller or Evan Dunham would be good. As for Stephens I'd like to see him fight Duane Ludwig or Ross Pearson.
Dunham vs. Sherk: Definitely my pick for Fight of the Night, but also disappointment of the night thanks to the bogus decision. I gave Sherk the first thanks to the takedowns and vicious cut he put over Dunham's eye, but I gave Dunham the 2nd and 3rd. Dunham defended the takedown well (or got up quickly when he was taken down), had several deep submission attempts, and absolutely battered Sherk on the feet. I was impressed with Sherk, though, considering how long he's been away from the cage. Dunham won't be hurt too much by the loss, and as I stated earlier I'd like to see him fight Guillard or maybe Kurt Pellegrino.
Serra vs. Lytle: While I'm sure this was entertaining to some people, but I didn't see it as much more than a sloppy kickboxing match. This was definitely a much better fight than the first, though, and really showed how tough Matt Serra is. Lytle controlled much of the fight with his boxing and really took it to Serra all three rounds. I think a Serra/Marcus Davis fight makes a lot of sense, and would be a good fight for two guys looking to rebounded from losses. As for Lytle I'd like to see him take a jump in competition and maybe take on Thiago Alves in a rematch, or maybe Mike Swick.
Bader vs. Little Nog: Once again Little Nog showed that wrestling is a weakness in his skill set. He did show good takedown defense at times and clipped Bader a couple times, but Bader controlled most of the fight with his takedowns and ground and pound. Nog really needs to bounce back to show he deserves to be in the UFC, so fights Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin could be ways to go. As for Bader, he could get Jon Jones next, but to preserve both stars I think Bader vs. Forrest Griffin is a good way to go.
Cro Cop vs. Mir: I don't have much to say here considering how much of a dud this fight turned out to be. Neither guy looked impressive and the win doesn't really do anything for anybody. Cro Cop doesn't look motivated despite what he says, so if he wants to keep fighting then maybe a fight with Gilbert Yvel or Ben Rothwell could be the way to go. As for Mir, I think a fight with Roy Nelson makes sense considering how Nelson submitted him in a grappling match.
WEC 51
Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick: I say Hominick by decision. Garcia will through his usual wild haymakers and look for a KO, but I think Hominick will be more technical and pick Garcia apart.
Chang Sung Jung vs. George Roop: I'll take the Korean Zombie by TKO. Roop will have a significant reach advantage but Jung can take so much punishment which leads to longer fights which leads to more opportunities for Roop to get dropped.
Miguel Torres vs. Charlie Valencia: This is an attempt to resurrect Torres, and I think he'll take a win via TKO here. Torres has been spending time at TriStar in Montreal and I think that will help him immensely.
Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner: Tough fight for me to call. I don't really care for either guy, but I think Cerrone is the better fighter if he doesn't start of so slow. I'll take a stab at a pick and say Cerrone by submission.
Jose Aldo vs. Manny Gamburyan: Aldo by TKO. Aldo has already won fights against better fighters and I think he takes the easy W here.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Guest Entry: Billy Peden's Thoughts On Mir's Desire To Go To 205
Frank Mir, during his pre-fight media routine, has spoken of his thoughts of moving down in weight class to the Light Heavyweight division. Stating that, after seeing Forrest Griffin being able to walk around at the same weight as himself yet take that size to 205 has made Mir more aware of the possibility. Frank Mir has never been a huge Heavyweight and when he does push the limit of 265, he looks unnatural and bloated so; does this potential drop in lbs. improve his strengths and decline his weaknesses? Is Mir just too small to fight the likes of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin? No and no. Frank Mir's disingenuous approach to conditioning and game planning as well as his inability to react intelligently when getting hit in the face play way more into his recent woefulness than the ill conjured excuse of "Oh, he's is too small for Heavyweight".
First of all, it is common sports’ science that it is more of a detriment to be a 285 pound behemoth and try and maintain a steady pace in any cardiovascular activity. Guys like Lesnar and Carwin do not have athletic doppelgangers in any other sport but Professional Football. These NFL linemen perform anaerobic activity for about 10 seconds then receive almost a minute’s break before the ball is snapped again. They are certainly not pushing and pulling an opponent 5 minutes straight. Packing on weight, whether it’s muscle or fat, exponentially deteriorates your cardio. Who were the “who’s who” of the Heavyweight division at the launch of the new millennium: Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Filipovic, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Randy Couture who all weighed, in their prime, less than 240 lbs. Frank Mir would be entering a whole new class of athletes in joining 205. He is successful because he is able to use his dangerous guard against slower lethargic fighters, whom do not possess the explosiveness needed to stop a well strategized submission from the bottom. Not to be said for Machida, Rashad, Shogun, Griffin etc...Frank Mir has always been one to fold immediately when becoming the landing pad for a well placed fist to the grill.
Did size matter when Brandon Vera thrashed him senselessly in less than 2 minutes while weighing 25 lbs fewer than Mir, or when 5'11 Ian Freeman TKO'd him in the first round 4 years ago? The greatly physically inferior "Pe de Pano" picked up 1 of his 7 wins in 5 years at Mir's expense. What happened when Vera, Lesnar, Carwin, Cruz, and Freeman all put leather on his chin? Fight over. Maybe Mir is a natural 205'er but dropping weight does not buff out the noticeable chinks in his armor. Dropping weight is not the saving grace as many fighter/fans see it. Just ask Brandon Vera, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, Justin McCully, Josh Haynes... So, as two “under sized” Heavyweights square off this Saturday, don’t imagine how they could be if they trickled down a division but how they could be if they fixed the reoccurring errors in their respective games. Mir is a great Heavyweight and deserves to be in big fights but until he starts following a game plan and learns to take a salvo of strikes without wilting, it does not matter what he tips the scales at.
First of all, it is common sports’ science that it is more of a detriment to be a 285 pound behemoth and try and maintain a steady pace in any cardiovascular activity. Guys like Lesnar and Carwin do not have athletic doppelgangers in any other sport but Professional Football. These NFL linemen perform anaerobic activity for about 10 seconds then receive almost a minute’s break before the ball is snapped again. They are certainly not pushing and pulling an opponent 5 minutes straight. Packing on weight, whether it’s muscle or fat, exponentially deteriorates your cardio. Who were the “who’s who” of the Heavyweight division at the launch of the new millennium: Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Filipovic, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Randy Couture who all weighed, in their prime, less than 240 lbs. Frank Mir would be entering a whole new class of athletes in joining 205. He is successful because he is able to use his dangerous guard against slower lethargic fighters, whom do not possess the explosiveness needed to stop a well strategized submission from the bottom. Not to be said for Machida, Rashad, Shogun, Griffin etc...Frank Mir has always been one to fold immediately when becoming the landing pad for a well placed fist to the grill.
Did size matter when Brandon Vera thrashed him senselessly in less than 2 minutes while weighing 25 lbs fewer than Mir, or when 5'11 Ian Freeman TKO'd him in the first round 4 years ago? The greatly physically inferior "Pe de Pano" picked up 1 of his 7 wins in 5 years at Mir's expense. What happened when Vera, Lesnar, Carwin, Cruz, and Freeman all put leather on his chin? Fight over. Maybe Mir is a natural 205'er but dropping weight does not buff out the noticeable chinks in his armor. Dropping weight is not the saving grace as many fighter/fans see it. Just ask Brandon Vera, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, Justin McCully, Josh Haynes... So, as two “under sized” Heavyweights square off this Saturday, don’t imagine how they could be if they trickled down a division but how they could be if they fixed the reoccurring errors in their respective games. Mir is a great Heavyweight and deserves to be in big fights but until he starts following a game plan and learns to take a salvo of strikes without wilting, it does not matter what he tips the scales at.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
UFC 119 Predictions
Well I'm still not sure how to edit the video Billy and I recorded and I can't figure out how to make it into several shorter videos so that I could put them on youtube. I'll talk to my techy friend and hopefully we can figure something out before the video is irrelevant. Anyways, here are my picks for this Saturday's PPV.
Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens: This is my early pick for fight of the night. I actually called this fight after Stephen's win over Sam Stout. Guillard then called out Stephens after his win over Waylon Lowe. Thankfully Joe Silva was listening and set up this fight that is going to be an absolute slugfest. Both guys are known primarily for their striking, so don't expect to see too much, if any, grappling in this fight. Guillard is probably the better technical striker and will likely have a little bit of a reach advantage. What Stephens lacks in technique he makes up for with brutal KO power. In Stephen's last fight, he faced another technical striker in the Tompkins trained Sam Stout and dropped him several times. His power is just a game changer, and after seeing Guillard get dropped by a Joe Stevenson jab, it makes me wonder how he'll fair with a much better striker and much harder hitter. Guillard hits much harder than Stout, though, so he could stun Stephens as well. Guillard is also the better wrestler, and if the fight isn't going his way, Guillard has the ability to take Stephens down and steal some rounds. As much as I like Stephens and think he could certainly catch Melvin and put him out cold, I think Guillard's reach, smoother striking, and ability take the fight to the mat if he needs to gives Guillard the win by unanimous decision.
Evan Dunham vs. Sean Sherk: After Dunham submitted Efrain Escudero at Fight Night 20, I was excited to see Dunham progress as a fighter. When I then heard that he was being put in a fight against Tyson Griffin, I was worried that Dunham was getting pushed too hard too fast, but I was totally wrong. Dunham is certainly among the new guard at 155 as has shown that he is able to hang with the UFC's elite. Sean Sherk on the other hand is coming off a loss to current champ Frankie Edgar, which was well over a year ago. Ring rust is a real issue here, and I think it will play a major role in this fight. Sean Sherk's bread and butter is his wrestling, but as we saw in the Edgar fight, Sherk seems to be content to strike despite his short reach and limited head movement. Dunham will obviously hold a major reach advantage and is also just a better striker. Dunham will have to deal with Sherk's wrestling and takedowns, but Dunham is good off of his back and is completely capable of taking Sherk down himself. Sherk is a talented fighter, but I think the long lay off and Dunham being much more well-rounded will lead to a Sherk loss by decision or late submission.
Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle: This is a rematch from the finale of the comeback season of the Ultimate Fighter. Serra won via split decision in a fairly lackluster fight. While the first fight was certainly not much to write home about, I think this fight will be much much different. Lytle has boxing experience, but he has shown that he has much more to offer in a fight. Lytle's last two wins have come via spectacular submission, showing that Lytle is extremely talented on the mat. Serra is coming off a KO win over Frank Trigg in a fight he showed that despite is small stature, his compact build allows him to put a lot of power behind his punches. Serra is a talented grappler, but he seems favor a stand up fight and in the Hughes fight, Serra wasn't able to do much once Hughes put him on his back. I'm leaning towards Lytle via submission because I think he'll find a way to get Serra on his back and out grapple him. I would not be the least bit surprised, though, if Serra was able to clip Lytle and put him off his game. Either way I'm expecting a great fight.
Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: After the Jason Brilz fight, this is a great fight to see if Little Nog is the real deal who just had a bad fight, or if he's got a major weakness that happens to be Bader's strength, wrestling. Nog showed in the fight against Luis Cane that he is an extremely dangerous striker thanks to his training with the Brazilian Olympic Boxing Team. Nog is also a talented grappler as one would expect with anyone who spends any sort of time training with Big Nog. The Brilz fight, though, showed that Nog can be taken down, put on his back, and kept there. Yes, Nog was able to sweep Brilz at one point, but that was one move in a three round fight that I scored for Brilz. Bader is a solid, strong wrestler who is also not afraid to throw heavy heavy hands. If Bader can win this fight he will certainly prove that he belongs in the upper tier of 205 and if Nog can win he'll show the casual fans that he deserved the hype he got when he came into the UFC and destroyed Cane. That being said, I'm going to have to go with Bader via unanimous decision. I think Bader is a better wrestler and striker than Jason Brilz and I also think he will be much stronger than Nog. Nog is the crisper striker, but I think Bader is smart enough to realize that he doesn't want to get into too many exchanges on the feet, will take Nog down, and work three rounds of top control and ground and pound.
Frank Mir vs. Mirko Cro Cop: The main event for UFC 119 was originally supposed to be the rematch between Mir and Big Nog, but Cro Cop stepped in after Big Nog was forced to back out due to injury. This isn't likely to garner a lot of PPV buys, but I still think it's a pretty cool fight. Cro Cop is coming off a win over Pat Barry while Mir is fighting for the first time since he was destroyed by Shane Carwin. Cro Cop has won 4 of his last 5 fights with the loss coming to Junior Dos Santos, but even in winning performances we've seen Cro Cop be tentative with his striking. After coming back from knee surgery it seems as though he's a little tentative and was even dropped a couple of times in the Barry fight. I'm hoping Cro Cop really lets his punches and kicks go so that he'll have more of a chance to keep this fight competitive. Mir has shown in both the Kongo and Nog fights that he has improved drastically with his striking to go along with his stellar BJJ. Mir doesn't have the best takedowns, though, and if Cro Cop is able to put on a performance of old, then he'll have excellent takedown defense anyways. Mir has been finished by guys not named Carwin or Lesnar as well as we saw that he can be knocked down and out in fights with Brandon Vera and Pe De Pano. For Cro Cop to win this fight, though, he's going to have to perform like the Cro Cop of old, and unfortunately I think those days have passed. I look for the fight to stay on the feet for the most part, but I think at some point during a scramble Mir will lock in a submission (likely a choke) and get the win.
Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens: This is my early pick for fight of the night. I actually called this fight after Stephen's win over Sam Stout. Guillard then called out Stephens after his win over Waylon Lowe. Thankfully Joe Silva was listening and set up this fight that is going to be an absolute slugfest. Both guys are known primarily for their striking, so don't expect to see too much, if any, grappling in this fight. Guillard is probably the better technical striker and will likely have a little bit of a reach advantage. What Stephens lacks in technique he makes up for with brutal KO power. In Stephen's last fight, he faced another technical striker in the Tompkins trained Sam Stout and dropped him several times. His power is just a game changer, and after seeing Guillard get dropped by a Joe Stevenson jab, it makes me wonder how he'll fair with a much better striker and much harder hitter. Guillard hits much harder than Stout, though, so he could stun Stephens as well. Guillard is also the better wrestler, and if the fight isn't going his way, Guillard has the ability to take Stephens down and steal some rounds. As much as I like Stephens and think he could certainly catch Melvin and put him out cold, I think Guillard's reach, smoother striking, and ability take the fight to the mat if he needs to gives Guillard the win by unanimous decision.
Evan Dunham vs. Sean Sherk: After Dunham submitted Efrain Escudero at Fight Night 20, I was excited to see Dunham progress as a fighter. When I then heard that he was being put in a fight against Tyson Griffin, I was worried that Dunham was getting pushed too hard too fast, but I was totally wrong. Dunham is certainly among the new guard at 155 as has shown that he is able to hang with the UFC's elite. Sean Sherk on the other hand is coming off a loss to current champ Frankie Edgar, which was well over a year ago. Ring rust is a real issue here, and I think it will play a major role in this fight. Sean Sherk's bread and butter is his wrestling, but as we saw in the Edgar fight, Sherk seems to be content to strike despite his short reach and limited head movement. Dunham will obviously hold a major reach advantage and is also just a better striker. Dunham will have to deal with Sherk's wrestling and takedowns, but Dunham is good off of his back and is completely capable of taking Sherk down himself. Sherk is a talented fighter, but I think the long lay off and Dunham being much more well-rounded will lead to a Sherk loss by decision or late submission.
Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle: This is a rematch from the finale of the comeback season of the Ultimate Fighter. Serra won via split decision in a fairly lackluster fight. While the first fight was certainly not much to write home about, I think this fight will be much much different. Lytle has boxing experience, but he has shown that he has much more to offer in a fight. Lytle's last two wins have come via spectacular submission, showing that Lytle is extremely talented on the mat. Serra is coming off a KO win over Frank Trigg in a fight he showed that despite is small stature, his compact build allows him to put a lot of power behind his punches. Serra is a talented grappler, but he seems favor a stand up fight and in the Hughes fight, Serra wasn't able to do much once Hughes put him on his back. I'm leaning towards Lytle via submission because I think he'll find a way to get Serra on his back and out grapple him. I would not be the least bit surprised, though, if Serra was able to clip Lytle and put him off his game. Either way I'm expecting a great fight.
Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: After the Jason Brilz fight, this is a great fight to see if Little Nog is the real deal who just had a bad fight, or if he's got a major weakness that happens to be Bader's strength, wrestling. Nog showed in the fight against Luis Cane that he is an extremely dangerous striker thanks to his training with the Brazilian Olympic Boxing Team. Nog is also a talented grappler as one would expect with anyone who spends any sort of time training with Big Nog. The Brilz fight, though, showed that Nog can be taken down, put on his back, and kept there. Yes, Nog was able to sweep Brilz at one point, but that was one move in a three round fight that I scored for Brilz. Bader is a solid, strong wrestler who is also not afraid to throw heavy heavy hands. If Bader can win this fight he will certainly prove that he belongs in the upper tier of 205 and if Nog can win he'll show the casual fans that he deserved the hype he got when he came into the UFC and destroyed Cane. That being said, I'm going to have to go with Bader via unanimous decision. I think Bader is a better wrestler and striker than Jason Brilz and I also think he will be much stronger than Nog. Nog is the crisper striker, but I think Bader is smart enough to realize that he doesn't want to get into too many exchanges on the feet, will take Nog down, and work three rounds of top control and ground and pound.
Frank Mir vs. Mirko Cro Cop: The main event for UFC 119 was originally supposed to be the rematch between Mir and Big Nog, but Cro Cop stepped in after Big Nog was forced to back out due to injury. This isn't likely to garner a lot of PPV buys, but I still think it's a pretty cool fight. Cro Cop is coming off a win over Pat Barry while Mir is fighting for the first time since he was destroyed by Shane Carwin. Cro Cop has won 4 of his last 5 fights with the loss coming to Junior Dos Santos, but even in winning performances we've seen Cro Cop be tentative with his striking. After coming back from knee surgery it seems as though he's a little tentative and was even dropped a couple of times in the Barry fight. I'm hoping Cro Cop really lets his punches and kicks go so that he'll have more of a chance to keep this fight competitive. Mir has shown in both the Kongo and Nog fights that he has improved drastically with his striking to go along with his stellar BJJ. Mir doesn't have the best takedowns, though, and if Cro Cop is able to put on a performance of old, then he'll have excellent takedown defense anyways. Mir has been finished by guys not named Carwin or Lesnar as well as we saw that he can be knocked down and out in fights with Brandon Vera and Pe De Pano. For Cro Cop to win this fight, though, he's going to have to perform like the Cro Cop of old, and unfortunately I think those days have passed. I look for the fight to stay on the feet for the most part, but I think at some point during a scramble Mir will lock in a submission (likely a choke) and get the win.
Monday, September 20, 2010
UFC Fight Night 22 Post Fight Thoughts and Chael Sonnen F's Up Big Time
Better late then never, but here are my quick post fight thoughts from UFC Fight Night 22. I apologize for not getting predictions up in time. I'm going to start having a couple friends write guest pieces so that we can have a little more activity on here, and we even recorded close to two hours of fight talk the other night. I start a GTS MMA youtube page, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get the video into smaller pieces so that I can actually post them.
I still don't really care for Cole Miller considering his recent and continuing comments towards wrestling, but I couldn't help but be impressed by his performance. Ross looked like he was landing solid in a couple of the exchanges, but I don't think he ever really got comfortable dealing with Cole's reach. Miller just called out Gomi, but it looks like Gomi and Clay Guida is being set up. I'd like to see Miller take on recent signing Antonio McKee, especially when you considering McKee's style is exactly was Cole has been hating on.
Jim Miller improved to 7-1 in the UFC with an impressive win over Gleison Tibau. I was hoping Tibau would switch his gameplan up after he started getting clipped by Miller, but even when he got Miller down, Tibau didn't really look like he knew what he wanted to do. Miller is definitely putting himself in a good position to earn a title shot, especially with one more win. Cole Miller is definitely an option.
Charles Oliveira showed that he's definitely going to be a force at 155 while Efrain Escudero became the first TUF winner (aside from Lutter) to be cut from the UFC. Efrain did not impress in this fight, and he also missed weight big time for the second time in his UFC career. Oliveira is only 20 years old so he's just going to get better with time. I'd like to see him fight Ross Pearson or maybe Aaron Riley in his next fight.
Wow Palhares really screwed himself. You HAVE to protect yourself at all times otherwise you're going to get popped and that's exactly what happened here. Marquardt saw an opportunity and he jumped on it, and got the quick win. Palhares pulled a Pe De Pano there and decided it be better to look at the ref instead of the guy trying to punch him in the face.
In other news, it was announced that Vitor Belfort will face Yushin Okami in main event of UFC 122 in Germany. It was originally expected to serve a fight to set up an eventual contender, but Chael Sonnen failed his pre-fight drug test for UFC 117, and is facing fines and suspension. It is now looking like the winner of Okami/Belfort will get the next crack at Silva, but we will have to wait and see how this fight goes, and if the winner comes out healthy enough for a quick turn around.
I still don't really care for Cole Miller considering his recent and continuing comments towards wrestling, but I couldn't help but be impressed by his performance. Ross looked like he was landing solid in a couple of the exchanges, but I don't think he ever really got comfortable dealing with Cole's reach. Miller just called out Gomi, but it looks like Gomi and Clay Guida is being set up. I'd like to see Miller take on recent signing Antonio McKee, especially when you considering McKee's style is exactly was Cole has been hating on.
Jim Miller improved to 7-1 in the UFC with an impressive win over Gleison Tibau. I was hoping Tibau would switch his gameplan up after he started getting clipped by Miller, but even when he got Miller down, Tibau didn't really look like he knew what he wanted to do. Miller is definitely putting himself in a good position to earn a title shot, especially with one more win. Cole Miller is definitely an option.
Charles Oliveira showed that he's definitely going to be a force at 155 while Efrain Escudero became the first TUF winner (aside from Lutter) to be cut from the UFC. Efrain did not impress in this fight, and he also missed weight big time for the second time in his UFC career. Oliveira is only 20 years old so he's just going to get better with time. I'd like to see him fight Ross Pearson or maybe Aaron Riley in his next fight.
Wow Palhares really screwed himself. You HAVE to protect yourself at all times otherwise you're going to get popped and that's exactly what happened here. Marquardt saw an opportunity and he jumped on it, and got the quick win. Palhares pulled a Pe De Pano there and decided it be better to look at the ref instead of the guy trying to punch him in the face.
In other news, it was announced that Vitor Belfort will face Yushin Okami in main event of UFC 122 in Germany. It was originally expected to serve a fight to set up an eventual contender, but Chael Sonnen failed his pre-fight drug test for UFC 117, and is facing fines and suspension. It is now looking like the winner of Okami/Belfort will get the next crack at Silva, but we will have to wait and see how this fight goes, and if the winner comes out healthy enough for a quick turn around.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Shark Fights Updates
Shark Fights is starting on PPV in the next few minutes. I will be tweeting updates throughout the night, so feel free to follow me @JustinCohee.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Wrestling In MMA Doesn't Suck - You Just Suck Cuz You Can't Wrestle
Over the past week several fighters have made comments regarding wrestling's role in MMA. The first comments I heard came from UFC Lightweight Cole Miller. When playing a word association game, Miller described wrestling as the worst thing in MMA and something that will eventually destroy the sport. Miller stated that wrestlers make the sport boring and that judges favor wrestlers due to their position on top and how most wrestlers have impressive physiques. Dan Hardy recently stated in an interview that there is too much wrestling in MMA and that the rules should be changed to prevent long stalemates. Hardy's training partner Paul Daley basically said the same thing and said he believed rule changes would be good for the sport. Finally, Shinya Aoki stated that American wrestlers are boring because they never take risks and that BJ Penn didn't really "lose" to Frankie Edgar.
Comments like these aren't necessarily new to MMA, but the amount of comments being made and now the additional calls for rule changes really makes this subject interesting. With fighters like Gray Maynard, Jon Fitch, Frankie Edgar, and Jake Shields entering the elite of their divisions thanks to their wrestling backgrounds and stifling ground control, it is easy to see why many believe that wrestlers are beginning to take over. Many point to the fact more and more wrestlers are joining MMA every year as seen with guys like Johny Hendriks, Chad Mendes, King Mo, Daniel Cormier, and Ben Askren to show that the sport is becoming inundated with guys who simply want to take you down and hold top control while doing little else. While I can "see" where these arguments are coming from, I'm less inclined to take them seriously.
When Royce Gracie dominated his competition in the early days of the UFC, everyone thought that BJJ was going to be the skill to have in order to be successful in mixed martial arts. Before long kickboxers and muay thai specialists developed ways to prevent the fight from going to the mat and learned submission defense. The sport continued to develop and fighters soon learned that they could not simply be one-dimensional, but would have to learn every skill they could and become a true mixed martial artist. It is this realization that makes me almost angry to hear fighters say that wrestling is ruining the sport. If you don't want to be taken down, then learn how to sprawl and defend the takedown. If you don't want to have a wrestler on top of you for 3-5 rounds then learn some defensive wrestling techniques, some ground transitions, or learn how to throw submissions off your back.
Cole Miller's comments really caught me off guard considering how there are several wrestlers in his camp at American Top Team. I also think it's pretty odd to make comments about how he wants to make fights exciting and that wrestlers are boring. Last time I checked, Miller's last loss came from a wrestler in Efrain Escudero who slammed him repeatedly, out struck him on the feet, and eventually knocked him out cold.
Hardy and Daley's comments regarding rules changes are absolutely ridiculous. This is MIXED MARTIAL ARTS. These guys are calling for faster stand-ups basically because they are strikers and would rather play to their strengths. Hardy's most recent loss was to GSP in a fight in which Hardy was absolutely dominated on the mat. Not only was Hardy taken down several times, but he was nearly submitted on numerous occasions. If Hardy had his way, as soon as GSP slowed down or didn't improve his position immediately, the fight would be stood up. Hardy simply isn't comfortable on the mat and while he is a very talented striker, his call for a rule change to cater to his skill set is pretty ridiculous. The same goes for Daley. Koscheck went into that fight know that Daley had knocked out his first two UFC opponents and took Daley down ensure that he didn't put himself in any unnecessary danger. This whole "be a man and keep the fight standing" BS is really asinine. If you want to be a stand up fighter only then do boxing or K-1 or realize that hey I can't get away with being good at just one thing and make attempts to improve your skill set.
Aoki's comments didn't really surprise me considering his reputation for being a bit of a prick. What did surprise me, though, were his comments claiming that Penn was not defeated by Edgar. I don't know which fight he is talking about, but if he is talking about the second fight, then he is seriously wrong. Edgar is known for his wrestling, but what I saw in that fight was a well rounded fighter who not only used his wrestling when he could, but also out struck Penn on the feet by utilizing various techniques (i.e. cut kicks), and even showed great ground defense when Penn took his back. Wrestlers not taking risks is pretty strange too considering how wrestlers are not used to dealing with submissions, yet they still attempt to take down BJJ practitioners.
When Kenny Florian lost his most recent fight to Gray Maynard he didn't call Maynard a pussy for not standing with him, nor did he fault Maynard for laying on top of him for three rounds. What Florian did do, though, was re-evaluate his skill set, realize something was missing, and hired a wrestling coach. That is exactly the kind of attitude and drive you want to see in a fighter. Improvement and development is the name of the game, and as soon as a fighter thinks that they have enough skill in one area to get by, then that is when the sport passes them by. Yes wrestling may not bring about the most exciting fights in the world, but it is effective. Fighters should absolutely play to their strengths, but they really need to know what to in any situation. Don't like your position or the situation, well then do something about it. I mean, what would people say if a wrestler called someone a pussy for wanting to stand the whole time and being afraid to go to the mat?
Comments like these aren't necessarily new to MMA, but the amount of comments being made and now the additional calls for rule changes really makes this subject interesting. With fighters like Gray Maynard, Jon Fitch, Frankie Edgar, and Jake Shields entering the elite of their divisions thanks to their wrestling backgrounds and stifling ground control, it is easy to see why many believe that wrestlers are beginning to take over. Many point to the fact more and more wrestlers are joining MMA every year as seen with guys like Johny Hendriks, Chad Mendes, King Mo, Daniel Cormier, and Ben Askren to show that the sport is becoming inundated with guys who simply want to take you down and hold top control while doing little else. While I can "see" where these arguments are coming from, I'm less inclined to take them seriously.
When Royce Gracie dominated his competition in the early days of the UFC, everyone thought that BJJ was going to be the skill to have in order to be successful in mixed martial arts. Before long kickboxers and muay thai specialists developed ways to prevent the fight from going to the mat and learned submission defense. The sport continued to develop and fighters soon learned that they could not simply be one-dimensional, but would have to learn every skill they could and become a true mixed martial artist. It is this realization that makes me almost angry to hear fighters say that wrestling is ruining the sport. If you don't want to be taken down, then learn how to sprawl and defend the takedown. If you don't want to have a wrestler on top of you for 3-5 rounds then learn some defensive wrestling techniques, some ground transitions, or learn how to throw submissions off your back.
Cole Miller's comments really caught me off guard considering how there are several wrestlers in his camp at American Top Team. I also think it's pretty odd to make comments about how he wants to make fights exciting and that wrestlers are boring. Last time I checked, Miller's last loss came from a wrestler in Efrain Escudero who slammed him repeatedly, out struck him on the feet, and eventually knocked him out cold.
Hardy and Daley's comments regarding rules changes are absolutely ridiculous. This is MIXED MARTIAL ARTS. These guys are calling for faster stand-ups basically because they are strikers and would rather play to their strengths. Hardy's most recent loss was to GSP in a fight in which Hardy was absolutely dominated on the mat. Not only was Hardy taken down several times, but he was nearly submitted on numerous occasions. If Hardy had his way, as soon as GSP slowed down or didn't improve his position immediately, the fight would be stood up. Hardy simply isn't comfortable on the mat and while he is a very talented striker, his call for a rule change to cater to his skill set is pretty ridiculous. The same goes for Daley. Koscheck went into that fight know that Daley had knocked out his first two UFC opponents and took Daley down ensure that he didn't put himself in any unnecessary danger. This whole "be a man and keep the fight standing" BS is really asinine. If you want to be a stand up fighter only then do boxing or K-1 or realize that hey I can't get away with being good at just one thing and make attempts to improve your skill set.
Aoki's comments didn't really surprise me considering his reputation for being a bit of a prick. What did surprise me, though, were his comments claiming that Penn was not defeated by Edgar. I don't know which fight he is talking about, but if he is talking about the second fight, then he is seriously wrong. Edgar is known for his wrestling, but what I saw in that fight was a well rounded fighter who not only used his wrestling when he could, but also out struck Penn on the feet by utilizing various techniques (i.e. cut kicks), and even showed great ground defense when Penn took his back. Wrestlers not taking risks is pretty strange too considering how wrestlers are not used to dealing with submissions, yet they still attempt to take down BJJ practitioners.
When Kenny Florian lost his most recent fight to Gray Maynard he didn't call Maynard a pussy for not standing with him, nor did he fault Maynard for laying on top of him for three rounds. What Florian did do, though, was re-evaluate his skill set, realize something was missing, and hired a wrestling coach. That is exactly the kind of attitude and drive you want to see in a fighter. Improvement and development is the name of the game, and as soon as a fighter thinks that they have enough skill in one area to get by, then that is when the sport passes them by. Yes wrestling may not bring about the most exciting fights in the world, but it is effective. Fighters should absolutely play to their strengths, but they really need to know what to in any situation. Don't like your position or the situation, well then do something about it. I mean, what would people say if a wrestler called someone a pussy for wanting to stand the whole time and being afraid to go to the mat?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Future of the Middleweight Division
The Middleweight division is home of one of the best fighters in the world, UFC Champ, Anderson Silva. Along with Silva, the UFC is home to contenders Nate Marquardt, Demian Maia, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami, Chris Leben, Michael Bisping, Wanderlei Silva and others. Strikeforce recently crowned a new champ in Jacare Souza after former champ, Jake Shields, left for the UFC welterweight division. Along with Jacare, Strikeforce has contenders in Tim Kennedy, Nick Diaz, Dan Henderson, Robbie Lawler, Jason Miller, and Renato Babalu Sobral. The Middleweight division is a strange division, specifically in the UFC due to the fact that Anderson Silva has been so dominant as a champion that most contenders (aside from Sonnen) never really gave Silva a competitive fight despite their talents. Sonnen recently showed that Silva isn't quite as invincible as once thought, and that Silva's days as champ could be numbered. Jake Shields was looking to start a similar trend in Strikeforce before jumping ship, but with Shields now gone, and talk of a Middleweight tournament floating around, things at Strikeforce could get very interesting. While there are several contenders already established in both organizations, there are fewer up and comers than I have discussed with the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions. That being said, there are three guys who are currently making noise at 185 and could very well add themselves to the contenders list.
Luke Rockhold: At 7-1 Rockhold is still in the early stages of his career. Despite that all 7 of his wins have come by stoppage in the first round, and six of those wins have been by submission. In his past three fights Rockhold submitted Cory Devela in 30 seconds, submitted TUF alum Jesse Taylor, and finished fellow up and comer Paul Bradley with brutal knees to the body. If I'm correct, Rockhold is supposed to be facing veteran Matt Lindland some time in the near future. Lindland is always a tough fight thanks to his wrestling credentials, but Rockhold can certainly handle himself on the mat. Rockhold has been featured only on the Strikeforce Challengers cards, so this is a good fight for him to show that he belongs on the big cards and deserves to fight stiffer competition.
Aaron Simpson: I first saw Aaron Simpson fight on the WEC 36 card against David Avellan in a fight he won by brutal knockout in the first 18 seconds of the fight. After the win, Simpson joined the rest of the WEC Middleweight in the UFC when the divisions were merged. Simpson made his UFC debut against fellow WEC veteran Tim McKenzie in a fight won in the first round via TKO. Simpson then went on to absolutely demolish Ed Herman, and won once again in a come-from-behind performance against Tom Lawlor. The fight with Lawlor was one I got to see in person and rightfully won fight of the night. Simpson lost to Chris Leben in his most recent fight, but Simpson looked good for most of the fight before succumbing to Leben's punches in the 2nd round. Leben would go on to submit Yoshihiro Akiyama just 2 weeks later, showing that Leben was definitely on a comeback surge. Simpson trains with Ryan Bader and CB Dollaway and has a strong wrestling background to go with his KO power. What I really like about Simpson is that he blends his striking and wrestling in every single one of his fights. He doesn't go into the cage with one mindset, but rather keeps his opponents guessing as to where he's going to want to take the fight.
Gerald Harris: I don't think I am alone in saying this, but I think Gerald Harris has one of the brightest futures of any fighter currently with the UFC. Harris started off with the UFC as a contestant on the Ultimate Fighter, but was eventually eliminated by the season's winner Amir Sadollah. Harris then went back to the independent scene earned his way back into the UFC with a knockout victory over WEC veteran Nissen Osterneck. Harris made his UFC debut against fellow prospect John Salter in a fight that Harris dominated with his striking, wrestling, and ground and pound. Harris won KO of the Night with the performance. I was at the fight and even had a chance to speak to Harris. He was nice enough to talk to my friends and I for several minutes and got excited when we alerted him to the fact that he was the lone KO of the night and would likely get a bonus check out of it. It was just very cool to see him get excited about the win and the bonus. Harris's second fight in the UFC was against BJJ black belt Mario Miranda. Despite being dropped early in the fight Harris surged back and finished Miranda with punches with just seconds left in the first round. Harris's most recent fight was against another BJJ stand out in David Branch, and once again Harris passed the test with flying colors. In the third round Branch attempted to pulled guard but was quickly and brutally slammed to the mat which resulted in one of the coolest knockouts I've ever seen. Despite ESPN's limited coverage of MMA, the KO was featured on Sportscenter's Top 10 and even earned praise from LeBron James. Harris's power, tight boxing, excellent top control, and brutal slams make him the hottest prospect in the Middleweight division, and likely the UFC.
Luke Rockhold: At 7-1 Rockhold is still in the early stages of his career. Despite that all 7 of his wins have come by stoppage in the first round, and six of those wins have been by submission. In his past three fights Rockhold submitted Cory Devela in 30 seconds, submitted TUF alum Jesse Taylor, and finished fellow up and comer Paul Bradley with brutal knees to the body. If I'm correct, Rockhold is supposed to be facing veteran Matt Lindland some time in the near future. Lindland is always a tough fight thanks to his wrestling credentials, but Rockhold can certainly handle himself on the mat. Rockhold has been featured only on the Strikeforce Challengers cards, so this is a good fight for him to show that he belongs on the big cards and deserves to fight stiffer competition.
Aaron Simpson: I first saw Aaron Simpson fight on the WEC 36 card against David Avellan in a fight he won by brutal knockout in the first 18 seconds of the fight. After the win, Simpson joined the rest of the WEC Middleweight in the UFC when the divisions were merged. Simpson made his UFC debut against fellow WEC veteran Tim McKenzie in a fight won in the first round via TKO. Simpson then went on to absolutely demolish Ed Herman, and won once again in a come-from-behind performance against Tom Lawlor. The fight with Lawlor was one I got to see in person and rightfully won fight of the night. Simpson lost to Chris Leben in his most recent fight, but Simpson looked good for most of the fight before succumbing to Leben's punches in the 2nd round. Leben would go on to submit Yoshihiro Akiyama just 2 weeks later, showing that Leben was definitely on a comeback surge. Simpson trains with Ryan Bader and CB Dollaway and has a strong wrestling background to go with his KO power. What I really like about Simpson is that he blends his striking and wrestling in every single one of his fights. He doesn't go into the cage with one mindset, but rather keeps his opponents guessing as to where he's going to want to take the fight.
Gerald Harris: I don't think I am alone in saying this, but I think Gerald Harris has one of the brightest futures of any fighter currently with the UFC. Harris started off with the UFC as a contestant on the Ultimate Fighter, but was eventually eliminated by the season's winner Amir Sadollah. Harris then went back to the independent scene earned his way back into the UFC with a knockout victory over WEC veteran Nissen Osterneck. Harris made his UFC debut against fellow prospect John Salter in a fight that Harris dominated with his striking, wrestling, and ground and pound. Harris won KO of the Night with the performance. I was at the fight and even had a chance to speak to Harris. He was nice enough to talk to my friends and I for several minutes and got excited when we alerted him to the fact that he was the lone KO of the night and would likely get a bonus check out of it. It was just very cool to see him get excited about the win and the bonus. Harris's second fight in the UFC was against BJJ black belt Mario Miranda. Despite being dropped early in the fight Harris surged back and finished Miranda with punches with just seconds left in the first round. Harris's most recent fight was against another BJJ stand out in David Branch, and once again Harris passed the test with flying colors. In the third round Branch attempted to pulled guard but was quickly and brutally slammed to the mat which resulted in one of the coolest knockouts I've ever seen. Despite ESPN's limited coverage of MMA, the KO was featured on Sportscenter's Top 10 and even earned praise from LeBron James. Harris's power, tight boxing, excellent top control, and brutal slams make him the hottest prospect in the Middleweight division, and likely the UFC.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Catch All Post: Quick Thoughts On What's Going On In MMA
With most of my posts dealing with the UFC I'm going to be spending most of this post discussing what else is going in the wonderful world of MMA. Here we go...
Bobby Lashley vs. Chad Griggs: It's fights like these that really make me wish I was a betting man. Aside from washed-up fighters like Jason Guida, Bob Sapp and Wes Sims, Lashley hadn't really fought anyone with any significant experience or proven skill-sets. I was a little surprised when the Griggs fight was set up considering his record was 8-1 at the time. I guess Strikeforce thought they could give Lashley a little step up in competition without throwing him to the wolves with someone like Antonio Silva, Brett Rogers, Fedor, etc. Unfortunately for Strikeforce it seems that Lashley is just not that into being a fighter. To just give up like that really makes you question the motives Lashley had when we started training in MMA. With the success of Brock Lesnar in the UFC, I really think Lashley expected his amateur wrestling background and his WWE history would be enough to allow him to have some success in the cage while also collecting a hefty paycheck. Once Lashley finally saw that he wasn't going to be able to take someone down at will and got hit hard enough by Griggs, he wilted and probably started rethinking his career choices right that second.
Feijao vs. King Mo: As soon as this fight was set up, almost everything I read wrote Feijao off and expected an easy win for Mo. This is really just the continuation of a trend that I am seeing with the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight division. The belt has changed hands 3 times in 3 fights, and with each title change MMA sites are quick to call the loser overrated. When Gegard Mousasi beat Babalu in a minute, everyone sang his praises and expected him to hold the belt for awhile, especially considering the slim roster. Mousasi lost the belt in his first defense to King Mo and was then quickly excused of being an overrated fighter who belongs at 185 and had never really fought anyone in the first place (even though he has wins over Jacare, Babalu, Denis Kang, Hector Lombard, etc.). King Mo was then expected to steamroll Feijao in his first defense, but when he lost by TKO in the third, all of a sudden Mo is back to being inexpereinced and overrated. That's the problem I have with a lot of MMA sites, they don't know how to be OK with being wrong. I honestly thought Mo had an excellent chance to win, but I wasn't going to write off Feijao just because of the lost to Mike Kyle. Feijao trains with one of the best camps in the world and is an excellent striker. I think he will continue to get better a Mo will as well, but it's really time that fighters stop being defined by singular performances.
Kazuo Misaki vs. Jorge Santiago II: I don't want to say a whole lot about this fight simply for the reason that I want people to watch it and experience what is certainly going to be a fight of the year candidate. These two already had one amazing fight, and I think the second one was even better. Misaki really brought it to Santiago, and looked like he had the fight won. Santiago is a beast, though, and really came back strong and showed that he is one of, if not the best fighter to come out of ATT. Dropping Misaki with the head kick is just an absolute insane part of the fight, and the transitions on the ground were something that you'd only see with the most talented of grapplers. To see Misaki's corner throw the towel in with just 30 seconds left in the fight (even though he was likely ahead on the cards) just added to the emotion. Misaki may have won more rounds, but Santiago had him beat in the 5th. Just another amazing performance from these two, and I really hope they start getting a little more love state side from the UFC and Strikeforce.
Shine Fights will be holding a one night lightweight tournament just down the road from me at the Patriot Center. The tournament will feature fighters like Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett, Marcus Aurelio, Drew Fickett, Conor Heun, and others. I'm going to buy my ticket as soon as I finish up here and plan on taking pictures as well as posting live updates on my Twitter (@JustinCohee). Feel free to follow me on Twitter too as I mostly post MMA news anyways.
Also, I just read that Bellator will be coming to Philadelphia in October. There are only two fights announced thus far, but they are the "super fight" between ROger Huerta and Eddie Alvarez, and the welterweight title fight between champ Lyman Good, and wreslting stand out Ben Askren. I'm hoping I'll be able to go to that event as well and provide live coverge.
Bobby Lashley vs. Chad Griggs: It's fights like these that really make me wish I was a betting man. Aside from washed-up fighters like Jason Guida, Bob Sapp and Wes Sims, Lashley hadn't really fought anyone with any significant experience or proven skill-sets. I was a little surprised when the Griggs fight was set up considering his record was 8-1 at the time. I guess Strikeforce thought they could give Lashley a little step up in competition without throwing him to the wolves with someone like Antonio Silva, Brett Rogers, Fedor, etc. Unfortunately for Strikeforce it seems that Lashley is just not that into being a fighter. To just give up like that really makes you question the motives Lashley had when we started training in MMA. With the success of Brock Lesnar in the UFC, I really think Lashley expected his amateur wrestling background and his WWE history would be enough to allow him to have some success in the cage while also collecting a hefty paycheck. Once Lashley finally saw that he wasn't going to be able to take someone down at will and got hit hard enough by Griggs, he wilted and probably started rethinking his career choices right that second.
Feijao vs. King Mo: As soon as this fight was set up, almost everything I read wrote Feijao off and expected an easy win for Mo. This is really just the continuation of a trend that I am seeing with the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight division. The belt has changed hands 3 times in 3 fights, and with each title change MMA sites are quick to call the loser overrated. When Gegard Mousasi beat Babalu in a minute, everyone sang his praises and expected him to hold the belt for awhile, especially considering the slim roster. Mousasi lost the belt in his first defense to King Mo and was then quickly excused of being an overrated fighter who belongs at 185 and had never really fought anyone in the first place (even though he has wins over Jacare, Babalu, Denis Kang, Hector Lombard, etc.). King Mo was then expected to steamroll Feijao in his first defense, but when he lost by TKO in the third, all of a sudden Mo is back to being inexpereinced and overrated. That's the problem I have with a lot of MMA sites, they don't know how to be OK with being wrong. I honestly thought Mo had an excellent chance to win, but I wasn't going to write off Feijao just because of the lost to Mike Kyle. Feijao trains with one of the best camps in the world and is an excellent striker. I think he will continue to get better a Mo will as well, but it's really time that fighters stop being defined by singular performances.
Kazuo Misaki vs. Jorge Santiago II: I don't want to say a whole lot about this fight simply for the reason that I want people to watch it and experience what is certainly going to be a fight of the year candidate. These two already had one amazing fight, and I think the second one was even better. Misaki really brought it to Santiago, and looked like he had the fight won. Santiago is a beast, though, and really came back strong and showed that he is one of, if not the best fighter to come out of ATT. Dropping Misaki with the head kick is just an absolute insane part of the fight, and the transitions on the ground were something that you'd only see with the most talented of grapplers. To see Misaki's corner throw the towel in with just 30 seconds left in the fight (even though he was likely ahead on the cards) just added to the emotion. Misaki may have won more rounds, but Santiago had him beat in the 5th. Just another amazing performance from these two, and I really hope they start getting a little more love state side from the UFC and Strikeforce.
Shine Fights will be holding a one night lightweight tournament just down the road from me at the Patriot Center. The tournament will feature fighters like Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett, Marcus Aurelio, Drew Fickett, Conor Heun, and others. I'm going to buy my ticket as soon as I finish up here and plan on taking pictures as well as posting live updates on my Twitter (@JustinCohee). Feel free to follow me on Twitter too as I mostly post MMA news anyways.
Also, I just read that Bellator will be coming to Philadelphia in October. There are only two fights announced thus far, but they are the "super fight" between ROger Huerta and Eddie Alvarez, and the welterweight title fight between champ Lyman Good, and wreslting stand out Ben Askren. I'm hoping I'll be able to go to that event as well and provide live coverge.
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