UFC 117

UFC 117

On August 7th, we are going to witness an exciting event, full of fights that should be extremely exciting. Possibly the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Anderson Silva, headlines UFC 117 with a title defense against #1 contender, Chael Sonnen. The co-main event is a rematch between John Fitch and Thiago Alvez, and the winner of that fight will likely get a title shot against George St. Pierre. The card also features the legendary Matt Hughes, going up against one of the top guys in the division, Ricardo Almeida. If that's not enough for ya, Ultimate Fighter winner, Roy "big country" Nelson, squares off against the dangerous up and coming heavyweight, Jr. Dos Santos. And fan favorite, Clay Guida will go to war with the always exciting Rafael Dos Anjos. without doubt this will be one of the most exciting cards of the year. In this article, I'm going to do my best to break some of these fights down for you, and predict a winner.

Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen-
This should be a bit more action packed than some of Silva's recent fights, because without doubt, Sonnen will be applying all types of pressure here. He has openly stated he guarentees a win, and will retire Silva. He is confident that he will be able to take Anderson down, and "pound a hole in his head". However, I'm reluctant to agree. I believe Anderson will be peppering Sonnen with punches and will get him off balance, pounce and finish this fight. Anderson's speed and footwork are going to prove too much for Sonnen, and I'm expecting a 2nd round TKO.

Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alvez-
A real battle of styles here, when Fitch's amazing wrestling is pitted against Alvez's outstanding standup. These 2 have met once before at UFC Fight Night 5, and with up kicks and punches, Fitch scored a 2nd round TKO victory. Fitch seems to think it's going to happen again, and is looking forward to a title shot afterward. I'm going to have to say he's right. His wrestling will prove to be too much for Alvez, and he will beat the pitbull again. I expect this to go to the judges though, as Fitch will grind through Alvez and win by decision. Don't be fooled, Alvez can end this by KO at any point, but given Fitch's nearly unstoppable takedown skills, and his good chin, I'm not worried about that happening.

Matt Hughes vs Ricardo Almeida
The hall of fame status Matt Hughes goes against "the big dog" in what will be a real chess match. Almeida has a chance of catching Hughes in a submission in this fight, but most likely, Hughes will prove to be too much. In Hughes' last fight against Renzo Gracie, Hughes showed great boxing, and was able to avoid going to the ground against the jiu-jitsu wizard. I expect Hughes will do the same here, and win by decision. If Matt decides to take this fight to the ground, he should be strong enough to control Almeida and stay out of trouble.

Roy Nelson vs Jr. Dos Santos
Big Country, winner of the Ultimate Fighter heavyweights, is going up against one of the best up and coming heavyweights in the decision. This fight will produce fireworks for sure. Nelson's experience gives him what you would think would be an edge here, but I'm going to put my money on JDS here. Junior has been on a tear since his October 2008 debut at UFC 90, polishing off top heavyweight contender, Fabricio Werdum. He has since went on to fight some of the toughest guys in the division, winning all but 1 of his UFC fights in the first round. Dos Santos has put away Stevan Stuve, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro-Cop, and Gilbert Yvel, with Cro-Cop being the only one escaping the first round, in a fight he tapped out due to punches in the 3rd round. Dos Santos, at 6 ft. 4, is an incredibly strong striker, and will be able to end this fight by TKO. You can't count Big Country out, but it's fair to say he will be biting off more than he can chew in this fight, for he is fighting a big, strong, striker, who will likely land a big punch in the first round, drop Nelson, and TKO him. Very fun fight to watch though.

So there you have it. UFC 117. Don't let the lack of huge names dissapoint you, because this event, aside from having Anderson Silva, and Matt Hughes, showcases your Ultimate Fighter winner, and some of the best fighter's up and coming, like Dos Anjos, and Dos Santos, as well as Almeida and Struve. And don't forget the always exciting Clay "the carpenter" Guida, who never dissapoints. Not to mention 2 top fighters lookin for a title fight in Jon Fitch vs Thiag Alvez. Top to bottom, this event has the potential to blow the roof off the building on August 7th. This is one your not going to want to miss, I can promise you that!

Jake Shields makes UFC debut

Jake Shields Makes UFC Debut

Finally, Jake Shields is set to fight in the UFC! His stardom and winning record has pointed toward an oppurtunity to fight in the UFC for quite some time now, and it has been announced recently, that it is official, he is finally making his ultimate fighting championship debut against Martin Kampman, at UFC 121. But the question is, how will Shields fair out in the proving grounds that is the UFC?
In the last 5 years, Jake Shields has not tasted defeat, winning 14 straight fights, winning the Strikeforce welterweight championship along the way. He is also the last Rumble on the Rock champion, and trains with Ceasar Gracie's "scrap pack" wich includes fighters, Nick and Nate Diaz, Dave Terrell, and Gilbert Melendez. So it's fair to say that the 31 year old from Mountain Ranch California has the background. And in his 30 fight career, he has only lost 4 fights.
So given that kind of background and record, Shields should be an automatic star in the UFC right? Not so much. when you take a closer look at that record, you will find a one dimensional fighter with more decision wins than anything. Nearly half of his fights went the distance, where he just wrestled his opponent around for the length of the fight, and did minimum damage.
Sure, he has wins over some top fighters, such as Dan Henderson, Carlos Conditt, Robbie Lawler, and Dave Menne. However, he has yet to show an impressive standup game, taking all his opponents down and smothering them, usually winning by decision. Shields lacks the power in his hands to stand with opponents, and is too predictable to be a force in the UFC.
Now don't get me wrong, Jake Shields is a great fighter, but he is only great at one thing, and that is wrestling, and being a pure wrestler in the UFC does not cut it, unless your Brock Lesnar. The level of competition in the UFC welterweight division is just a little bit out of Shields' league. With the belt holder being George St. Pierre, owner of the best takedown defense in MMA, you need more than pure wrestling. And top contenders such as Thiago Alvez, Josh Koscheck, and John Fitch, are too well rounded for Shields. Koscheck is equally as good at wrestling as Shields, but has better hands, giving him the advantage against Shields. Fitch, would likely get Shields down before Shields could get him down, and would punish Shields. And Alvez, well ask Matt Hughes what happens if wrestling is all you bring into a fight against Alvez.
I like alot of the MMA fan community, am a Jake Shields fan. I just don't see how he can compete at the highest level. His debut fight against Kampman is a good fight to see where he stands, because Kampman is a well rounded fighter, with power in his hands, and submission skills. Shields will have to win, and win convincingly, to prove he belongs at all. Kampman, without doubt has the KO power to beat Shields though, so a classic Jake Shields fight is likely here, Jake Shields gets the takedowns and wins by decision. He will have to do so however, without getting clipped by kampman, and without getting caught in a submission by Kampman.
I'm looking forward to this fight, and am leaning toward Shields, but it could go either way. The thing is though, after this fight, what is Shields to do? The top welterweights in the division are too much for him, so a title shot is unlikely. Expect to see Jake Shields lose his 2nd fight, and finish his career fighting at UFC Fight Night Live events.

Liddell vs Franklin

Chuck Liddell vs Rich Franklin

Despite my absence from MMA blogging, a very interesting matchup between Chuck "the iceman" liddell, and Rich "ace" Franklin, had sparked my interest.
Liddell, coming off from retirment, is back inside the octagon, taking on one of the most dangerous strikers in the game today, Rich Franklin. This fight is very important to the careers of both men. Franklin's losses to Anderson Silva have set him back in the rankings, and he is working his way back up the ladder to a title shot. His last win, a win over Wanderli Silva, was a great start. He was then backtracked by a loss to Vitor Belfort. Liddell on the otherhand, needs this to prove his legitimacy as a UFC hall of famer.
What this fight will boil down to is who can utilize their striking better. Liddell is an aggressive counter striker, with knockout power in both hands. Franklin, is more of a gameplanner, who will be trying to find his shots, and set Liddell up for the KO. Both men tho, are standup fighters, and this fight is guarenteed to be a standup war!
The way i see this fight going, is simple, stand and slug it out and see who falls first. Though there is little chance of takedowns, the possibility is there. Liddell and Franklin both utilized their underated wrestling games, in their wins over Wanderli Silva. Franklin has more submissions than Liddell does, but Liddell's takedown defense and submission defense are prone to make Franklin work hard to use any slight ground advantage he may have on Liddell. "The Iceman" is very popular for his ability to sprawl and brawl, and punish opponents who attempt takedowns. wich more than likely will force Franklin to stand with Liddell. Not taking away from Franklin, but let's face it, if Tito Ortiz couldn't take Liddell down, it's highly unlikely that Franklin will find a way to plant him to the mat.
However, i think that takedowns are going to be rare in this fight, and Franklin will be doing what Franklin does best, standing and trading punches. This fight features two of the best, if not, the best, standup fighters the UFC has on it's roster. I give A Slight Technique advantage to Rich, but a slight power advantage to Chuck.
For Chuck to win this fight, he needs to make Rich uncomfortable in the standup, not an easy deed. Chuck will have to work more leg kicks than he is used to, and expect more as well. Franklin is a world class striker, and when he starts to get comfortable, it's only a matter of time before he finds the shot he is looking for. Chuck will have to find his angles, land big shots when they are there, and make Rich want to take him down. That way he can work on taking control of Rich, and find his shot before Rich finds his.
Franklin on the otherhand, will have to pick his shots very wisely throughout the fight. Liddell is one of the world's best counter strikers, and can drop you while backing up. If Rich plays into that and chases Chuck it could very well be lights out for "ace". Franklin will have to use many leg kicks to get in and hit chuck with his powerfull hooks. Trying to stun Chuck will be the key here, because that will be his oppurtunity to hit him with the knockout punch, or shoot for a takedown.
Though it's a hard to pick a winner, given these are two of my favorite fighters, as well as two of the best strikers in the world, i personally give an edge to "the iceman" in this fight. First off, despite Rich's amazing power, i'm not completely sure that he has the power to KO chuck, but Chuck does have the power to KO Rich Franklin. The longer they stand and trade, the more time Liddell has to land his devestating knockout punch. Liddell should be able to avoid taking too big of a shot from Rich, and defend takedowns, if Franklin chooses to shoot. Another thing to keep in mind is, Chuck was expecting to fight Tito Ortiz, his biggest rival, and you can be rest assured that Liddell came in with all the motivation and confidence in the world! An opponent switch will not throw Chuck off his game, but rather, irritate him further, and make him put that frustration on his new opponent, who in this case is Rich Franklin. Both fihters have had some lackluster performances as of late, but have shown potential for a career comeback. Liddell should be a bit quicker, and stronger, and has more defensive weapons than does Franklin. Expect a 3 round war, that goes to Liddell by way of Unanimous decision.
Enjoy!!!

Tito Ortiz's return fight at UFC 106

Tito Ortiz vs Forrest Griffin 2 at UFC 106!

Originally scheduled to square off against Mark "the hammer" Coleman at UFC 106, Tito Ortiz is now going to be fighting Forrest Griffin. They fought once before in a controversal three round war, where Tito ended up with a questionable decision victory. Many of fans felt that Forrest won that fight, and now, Forrest is presented with an oppurtunity to show Tito he is for real and get the win that many felt he deserved in their first meeting.
Tito came into the last fight with an injured knee, potentially causing the lack of domination in the fight. He was unable to commit to his takedowns the way he is notorious for, and that led to a good portion of the last 2 rounds to be a stand up fight. Tito is going to be a hundred percent when he enters the UFC octogan this time, and going to be more determined than ever to score a win in the UFC. He has to make a good showing in his return fight, he also has to prove he can still be relevant in the sport. To do that, he has to beat Forrest, not in a close decision, but actually beat Forrest. The motivation that Tito has coming into this fight, along with being injury free, will make him a handfull for Griffin.
On the other hand, Forrest has been fighting, and Tito has not. It has been more than a year since Tito last stepped foot into the octagon, and in that time, Forrest has fought Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Rashaad Evans, and Anderson "the spider" Silva. Griffin will have absolutely no amount of ring rust given the competition he has been fighting against the last year and a half, along with holding the title, and Tito undoubtedly will have a little ring rust. Also Forrest's last 2 fights have been losses, giving him even more reason to excell in this fight. He will also be looking to show Tito, and the fans that he is capable of winning, and that he belongs at the top of the UFC Lightheavyweight ladder.
A loss can potentially cost Forrest his carreer in the UFC. Nobody can lose three straight fights and still be considered a contender. A loss for Tito can be equally detrimental to his carreer, causing him to get off on the wrong foot for his return.
This fight will break down pretty simply, Tito will be trying to force Forrest to the ground, and pound him out, while Forrest will look to keep Tito standing up, and attempt to KO or TKO The Huntington Beach Bad Boy. Tito is not an easy person to slow down. He has some of the best if not the best, conditioning in all of MMA, and potentially is the best takedown artist in all of MMA. His Ground and Pound is unstoppable, and is the best the UFC has ever seen. His boxing is sharp as well, if he happens to not be able to get Forrest down. If Tito gets Forrest down, he can and will keep him there and grind him, and pound him, til Forrest taps or goes to sleep. Forrest has to keep this fight standing if he is to win it, that is all there is to it. Although Forrest has a decent ground game, it is no where near the level that Tito's is.
Forrest on the other hand has an advantage in the standup, giving him a chance in this fight. If he can frustrate Tito by stuffing his takedown attmepts, and keep drilling Tito with hard punches, he just may be able to get a TKO victory. A KO is unlikely, Tito can take a punch very well, but he also tends to start to buckle under powerfull flurries. That is what Forrest will have to do to win. Also Griffin has to be sure not to get tired, because Tito's condidtioning is top level, and if Griffin gets tired, Tito will pressure him and break him, because Tito will not be getting tired, that I can promise you.
Either way, this is a fight that every fan needs to see. It is bigger than the main event that night, Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin. Do not miss this fight, it has fight of the year written all over it.

Kimbo Slice, the next Ultimate Fighter???

Will Kimbo be the Next Ultimate Fighter?

The big news in MMA lately has been that Kimbo Slice, the Youtube street fighting legend, and Elite XC contender, is now a participant in The Ultimate Fighter 10, Heavyweights. Such a household name making it onto the show has caused alot of talking, and the big question, will Kimbo become the Ultimate Fighter season 10 winner?
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson showed immediate interest in Kimbo as soon as he walked through the door. Rampaged feels as if Kimbo has what it takes to win the whole show hands down, and has taken Kimbo under his wing, making him his personal project, similar to how Tito Ortiz had treated Matt Hammill. But many of the household members disagree. They seem to feel that Kimbo is merely a street fighter, and does not belong in the house. Every man in that house has the right to his own opinion, but the issue here is if that is how u feel, your going to have to beat Kimbo. To say he don't belong is one thing, beating him off the show is another.
There is no doubt in my mind that Kimbo is legitimately tough. There is doubt, however, wether or not he has what it takes to compete in the UFC. If you recall, Kimbo got TKO'd quickly in his last fight in Elite XC, by Zeth Petruzzeli, a former Ultimate Fighter, who lost the show by the way. Petruzzeli has a good karate and kickboxing background, and that was enough to beat Kimbo, and the level of competition in the house, and the UFC heavyweight division, is greater than Kimbo's skillset. If a guy who lost the Ultimate Fighter is able to beat Slice, what about the guys who didn't lose the Ultimate Fighter, what about the guys who are already at the top of the UFC rankings, what about the guys as good or better than Zeth Petruzzeli, that are in the house right now?
Kimbo is to fight next week against Roy "Big Country" Nelson. Big Country is a former IFL standout, he is already known, and has a good amount of experience. Big Country however is going to lose this fight. His tendency to want to slug it out when he fights will get him KOd by the stronger, better striker in Kimbo. This fight will cause alot of talking and speculation as to if Kimbo will go all the way. Kimbo will not win the show though, thats all there is to it.
As a big Ultimate Fighter fan however, I know very well, that you don't have to win the Ultimate Fighter to get into the UFC. All you have to do is make an impression. Kimbo no doubt will make the impression needed to fight in the UFC, and not to mention the amount of money having Kimbo Slice on any fight card will bring in. So yes, you can expect to see Kimbo Slice fight in the UFC, but do not look for him to be a big contender, because when pitted against a well rounded fighter, he will lose every time. Any fighter who is skilled on the groung will win, fighters such as UFC champ, Brock Lesnar, Former champ, Frank Mir, and Pride legend Rodrigo Nogueria, are in no danger of losing a fight to Kimbo Slice. Fighters with a higher pedigree of standup such as Cheik Kongo, Mirko Crocop, or Cain Velazquiz are not in danger either. I am not saying Kimbo won't be an exciting edition to the UFC, I am just saying, it is extremely unlikely that Kimbo Slice will ever be the UFC champion, or the Ultimate Fighter winner.

Silva's Title Reign in trouble???

Nate Marquardt back in title contention

Nate "the great" Marquardt has spoke repeatedly about a rematch with Anderson Silva, and winning the UFC Middleweight championship. After his 21 second KO victory of the undefeated Damian Maia, that rematch looks very possible. Marquardt has been driven to the edge of insanity over his loss to silva, saying he knows he can beat him, and will beat him and become champ.

Nate currently is on a 3 fight win streak, all impressive wins, Damian Maia(Maia's first loss), wilson Gouveia (ending Wilson's 7 fight win streak) and Martin Kampmann(ending Martin's 9 fight win streak). No doubt, Marquardt seems hellbent and determined, and is definately on the right track for a title shot. But is even a streak such as this one enough to derail the current UFC Middleweight champ? Has Marquardt improved enough to win this time? Can Marquardt become UFC champion? .................. I say YES!

Marquardt no doubt posesses the credintials to win. He is the 7 time King Of Pancrase, he is on an impressive win streak, and he trains at Greg Jackson's gym. Jackson is a master of strategy, and it is unlikely that he would allow Marquardt to make the same mistakes twice. On top of that, Marquardt trains with great fighters such as George St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, and Duane Ludwig. A team of elite fighters such as this is always helpfull, and can do nothing other than improve eachother's games.

Marquardt is a dominant force, and scary enough, he is improving. He believes that there is always more to learn, and he constantly tries to better himself. He has done just that, especially as of late.

I believe Nate Marquardt should be next in line for Anderson Silva's title. I also believe Silva is in big trouble. Silva has not defended his title against anybody legitimate lately, and put on lackluster performances in each of his last two title defenses. His most recent fight was at lightheavyweight, and he squared off against Forrest Griffin, and KO'd Griffin in the first rd. No doubt that shows Silva still has it, but has this streak of terror gone to Silva's head. Is it not possible that Silva may be too confident? I can assure you, Nate Marquardt is extremely hungry for the win, and is very driven, and that alone could be the difference maker.

Either way, this will be a great fight, potentially fight of the year, and I hope it happens soon. Marquardt has been counting down the days til he gets a rematch, and he's not counting alone, I too am very excited, and I too believe he will beat Silva when they match up. The only thing that could be in Marquardt's way right now, is having to fight the winner of Mike Swick vs martin Kampmann, and Marquardt has already beaten Kampmann, so that fight is unlikely to derail Nate "the great" Good luck Silva, enjoy the title while you have it, The King Of Pancrase is coming for it!!!

UFC 102 was a jampacked card with great fighters and even greater fights! if u didn't get the chance to see the action unfold, here are the results.Randy Couture vs Antonio Rodrigo

Nogueira- Nogueira won by decisionThiago Siva vs Keith jardine- Silva won by first rd. K.O
Jake Rosholt vs Chris Leben- Rosholt won in the 3rd rd. with a head and arm choke
Nate Marquardt vs Damian Maia- Marquardt won by Knockout in the first rd.
Brandon Vera vs Krystoff Sozynski- Vera won by unanimous decision
Aaron Simspson vs Ed Herman- simpson won by TKO in the 2nd rd
.Gabriel Gonzaga vs Chris Tucserer- Gonzaga won by first rd. TKO
Mike Russow vs Justin McCully- Mike Russow won by Unanimous decision.
Tod Dufee vs Tim Hague- Duffe won by first rd. KO
Mark Munoz vs Nick Catone- Munoz wins by decision
Evan Dunham vs Marcus Aurellio- Dunham won by decisiona

couple shockin endings to say the least, but thats how the ufc works, you just can't predict whats going to happen in that cage! and if you thought that card was good, just you wait til 103!
Labels: Mixed Martial Arts: UFC 102 results