MMA Thread (UFC, Pride, K-1, etc)

[ForsakenNoMore]

Fedor Emelianenko Vs Brett Rodgers GREAT QUALITY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rasdBIxowOQ

I'm kinda glad Rogers lost - had he won; his ass would've been a big-headed fuck donkey.

Also, Chi-town fans are fair weather monkeys. Booing Rogers before the match then second round chanting USA.

___

ETA: You have to admire Fedor @ final 17 sec(s) of 1st round. A fucking killer going in for the kill.

[dajuice7]

Anyone would be a big-headed fuck donkey after beating the P4P best in the world. Look, Lesnar was a total douche after being Frank Mir. Frank Mir. I don't begrudge Rogers for being upset, no one gave him a shot and he was close to pulling off an upset in the first round and let it slip away. When you're trying to support a family and a win vs Fedor would guarantee you millions in salary, appearances, etc you would be pissed to miss out on that. Forrest was embarrassed, upset, and ungracious after losing to Silva. It happens. Rogers is a stand up guy and he'll only get better because of this experience.

That being said, I'm glad Fedor won. It's not Brett's time yet, and too many potential Fedor match ups would have been diminished by him taking a loss. This result keeps Fedor on track to take the SF title, then POSSIBLY signing with UFC if they can ever find a solution to this M-1 co-sponsoring issue. Give Fedor Werdum to test him against a heavy with wrestling/BJJ skills then finish his contract with Overeem for the title. If SF can afford to keep him at that point, fine, if not 50-50 he signs with UFC.

[Joseph P. Brenner]

[sin-eater]

I'm really suprised at how many people were talking themselves into Rogers before the fight.

I give Brett credit though he looked good during the first, his power is a huge asset. He was just using raw power to get out of Fedor's sub attempts.

The one big thing that made me not get worried at all during that fight though was that while Brett Rogers looked like he was in every bit of a fight, Fedor looked like he was eating lunch. He just never gets worried in there.

And that right hand was fucking killer. It's gotta be a bit tough to knock out a guy who outweighs you by 50 or so pounds.

[teledork]

Any word on if CBS got decent ratings with this show?

This, by the way, was my first introduction to Fedor. I have now seen the light.

[dajuice7]

Originally Posted by teledork

Any word on if CBS got decent ratings with this show?

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/pre...t-fights-20805

Good, not stellar, but good considering neither Rogers nor Fedor had the name recognition among casual mma fans as that of Carano or Kimbo. Plus, they don't yet have the numbers for the actual main event, which went past 11.

[The LD]

I was hearing a lot of word that they wanted/expected/needed to hit a 3.0.

It's not bad or crippling, but you'd be hard pressed to call it a win.

[ForsakenNoMore]

RE: RATINGS

Ratings were a lost. TUF w/ Kimbo Slice just standing around pulled in 6.5 mill eyeballs. Scott Coker is a swagger-less fuck donkey. He ain't shit. He has no chrarisma to fight Dana White/UFC at their game. A strong comp is always welcomed i.e. Coca-Cola & Pepsi. Coker is straight bitch.

___

A Romance Novella: Knocked the fuck-out. Hold me Big John


Yo, I read on someone's Twitter and they said in the vein of: When a Russian knocked out a Black man, Apollo Creed died. LMFAO!

[Trejo]

You mean "the last time a Russian hit a black man that hard, Apollo Creed died"

[wadew1]

Did CBS even promote it?
All I saw were those useless ten second tv spots featuring Fedor hitting a tire in a dark room. Can't believe that didn't get people pumped up about STRIKEFORCE!

[Moltisanti]

How come the UFC didn't put one of their events up against the Strikeforce card? I know they ran something with old PPV main events on Spike but if they were really trying to steal Strikeforce's thunder wouldn't they put a new card on Spike? Did the UFC try to do that and just couldn't get matches together?

Is White trying to compete with the Cotto-Pacquiao fight by having UFC 105 on basic cable this Saturday? Or did the scheduling just end up that way?

[dajuice7]

Originally Posted by Moltisanti

How come the UFC didn't put one of their events up against the Strikeforce card? I know they ran something with old PPV main events on Spike but if they were really trying to steal Strikeforce's thunder wouldn't they put a new card on Spike? Did the UFC try to do that and just couldn't get matches together?

They were in a tough spot. They didn't want to throw out a good live card for free and a second rate live card likely wouldn't have done much damage to SF with all the Fedor buzz and Gegard on the card. They save money (and face if SF were to beat them in the ratings) by putting an old card on Spike, one that people who didn't shell out $50 (or aren't that net savvy) had yet to see. If they could steal half a million to a million from SF's audience, it's a win for UFC.

Is White trying to compete with the Cotto-Pacquiao fight by having UFC 105 on basic cable this Saturday? Or did the scheduling just end up that way?

I think White said he just couldn't come up with a deep enough card to sell PPV's, as is the case a few times a year. After having several big cards recently (and with guys like GSP and Silva out w/ injuries) they just didn't have enough guys that could get people to fork over $50. And I think they did pit it directly against Cotto-Pacquiao on purpose. As good as that fight has the potential to be, I'd rather watch a decent UFC card for free than shell out $60 for a likely Pacquiao win. Again, if they make a decent dent in the boxing audience, win for UFC.

[Moltisanti]

Thanks. I wonder if Spike would even be allowed to run a new UFC card against a CBS (or even Showtime) Strikeforce event, since both Spike and CBS fall under the Viacom umbrella.

[dajuice7]

Originally Posted by Moltisanti

Thanks. I wonder if Spike would even be allowed to run a new UFC card against a CBS (or even Showtime) Strikeforce event, since both Spike and CBS fall under the Viacom umbrella.

This is a great question. UFC would definitely look to hinder SF's growth, but that would indeed pit one Viacom station against another. I wonder how much counter-programming Spike is allowed to do? I'm guessing there's more autonomy programming for Spike than for CBS. If so, they may not have had to go directly through Viacom channels to green light the UFC broadcast. Maybe CBS isn't hip enough to the potential of MMA to draw viewers that they're even that concerned about the conflict of interest yet. I don't know, this is an interesting situation.

[sin-eater]

UFC 105 is also in England and it seems that they have typically been airing those events on TV as opposed to PPV now because of the time difference.

[Martianman]

Originally Posted by sin-eater

UFC 105 is also in England and it seems that they have typically been airing those events on TV as opposed to PPV now because of the time difference.

UFC 85 was on PPV and in England. I think it was one of the early ones in the UK. I remember going to Hooters to watch it, and I wondered why the place wasn't more packed. Then I realized that it was the replay at 10 PM and not a live show.

[Joseph P. Brenner]

[dajuice7]

COUTURE-VERA at UFC 105 this Saturday. It may sound strange, but I'm seeing this fight as a must-win for Couture. The heavyweight division has literally outgrown him. After an 8-2 start to his MMA career he's only 8-8 in his last 16. And over that time, for every impressive victory (Gonzaga at UFC 74, Sylvia UFC 68, Ortiz UFC 44) there's been a comprehensive loss (Nogueira UFC 102, Lesnar UFC 91, Liddell UFC 52). While he gave game efforts against Nog and Lesnar, he was never really a threat to win those fights in my eyes.

His status as a legend is secure. A Greco-Roman wrestler becoming such a solid all-around fighter and having as much success at LH and Heavy as he did, awesome. But, it's becoming harder and harder for Dana White to argue Couture's relevancy to UFC as a fighter as opposed to a figurehead. Yeah, Couture is gonna sell PPV buys, and you can throw him in the cage against any tomato can and people will still be interested in the fight because it's Cpt. America, but how much of an impact is he going to have on the title race or even as a yardstick for hopeful contenders? Is it enough to just be impressed that he doesn't get mauled by his opposition? The Light Heavyweight division is so loaded, and with tons of fighters carrying supreme KO power (Belfort, Evans, Jackson, Franklin, Hamill, Henderson, Jones, Machida, Rua, Thaigo Silva), while Couture has slowed noticeably in the cage; he couldn't defend against Nog's hands at all.

This will only be Randy's third fight in three years and after the battle against Nog in August I don't know if he'll have anything left in the tank for Vera who's coming off of 3 good victories and a split decision loss. I guess the one thing in Couture's favor is Vera's 0-2 record in England. However, Randy hasn't fought outside the US since 2001. Randy's been vocal about his desire to face Machida, hopefully for the LH title, but can White give him a shot off the strength of a win against Vera without inciting the entire division? I just don't know what Randy's place in the UFC cage is anymore outside of a name that can sell a PPV.

[sin-eater]

I have Couture working Vera for a UD.

Swick to finish Hardy.

Kang to sub Bisping.

[dajuice7]

Originally Posted by sin-eater

I have Couture working Vera for a UD.

Swick to finish Hardy.

Kang to sub Bisping.

1 out of 3 ain't bad...in baseball. You nailed the Couture result. He leaned on Vera the whole match, and while I was particularly impressed with Vera's wrestling and takedown defense, Couture smothered any chance Vera had of landing solid shots. Randy played it perfectly, though it wasn't very pretty to watch. What next? Rogan has apparently drunk the Kool-Aid because he seems to think a Couture win puts Randy in line for a shot at Machida. Personally, I'd like to see Randy go through Belfort or Franklin first before we start talking possibility of a title shot.

Swick-Hardy was a little underwhelming to me. Hardy showed some good counter-punching and a solid chin, but somehow I doubt that'll help him at all against GSP.

Nice victory for Bisping. Swarmed Kang and all but pounded the fight out of him. Gained back a little respect, but need to see him pull off a win versus a much better opponent before I can consider him a contender again. When Kang caught him early I thought, Uh-Oh here we go again.

What a KO from Andre Winner. Rivaled Henderson-Bisping. Ross Pearson looks good - very technical. TUF is a solidly legitimate proving ground for fighters now, if it wasn't already.

[Subotai]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/articl...-hospital?bn=1

[B_MetalSucks]

Jeeze WTF is wrong with lesnar?

[Martianman]

Originally Posted by B_MetalSucks

Jeeze WTF is wrong with lesnar?

Apparently it's not cancer or AIDS, according to Dana. What a weird response.

[jvc]

So, Brock is out indefinitely. Carwin is out till at least February recovering from knee surgery. And now Nog is out of 108 with a staph infection.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has withdrawn from a headlining heavyweight bout with Cain Velasquez at UFC 108 on Jan. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. UFC President Dana White announced the news following the UFC 105 post-fight press conference in Manchester, England.

White said the infection had become serious after entering Nogueira’s blood stream and that the Brazilian might need to be hospitalized and fed an intravenous antibiotic to combat it.

Ed Soares, Nogueira's manager, could not immediately be reached for comment.

When reached by Sherdog.com Saturday, Velasquez’s trainer, Javier Mendez, said he hadn’t been informed yet of the withdrawal. It is unclear if the undefeated Velasquez will remain on the UFC card, which has suffered through multiple failed attempts to line up a main event.

Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, GSP, Thiago Alvez, Ricardo Almeida, Duffee, Nog, Brock, Carwin. All out. Is there some voodoo thing going on here with Zuffa?

[dajuice7]

UFC's depth is really getting tested right now. Bad time to lose Rampage and Henderson, though I wouldn't be surprised if this all helped Henderson in his negotiations with the UFC. Feel bad for Brock. Mono is no joke and it seems his weakened immune system is getting ravaged right now. Wouldn't be surprised if he isn't healthy for months, maybe a year or more. May never be the same fighter again. He's a beast though, and if he can put back most of that mass he'll lose over the next year, he'll be back. Maybe not 100%, but he'll be back.

[sin-eater]

Yeah, I didn't do so well on my picks.

I had Couture winning a very close fight. I don't know why Swick didn't try to use his wrestling to beat Hardy, he did the classic "I'm going to make a statement" bullshit which seems to mean "I'm going to lose." Bisping was very impressive. Kang got the better of him at first and in the 2nd he beat the fight right out of Kang. Denis Kang has got to be the most disappointing fighter I can think of based solely on skill level and talent. He just doesn't seem to mentally have it.

As far as the talk of Couture getting in line for a title shot I don't think anyone with a correct line of thinking rationale would believe he's earned it, but it's a money maker and I'm always game to see if old Captain America has one of those classic underdog performances in him. In this case just as long as Shogun gets his shot first.

The UFC is really having a string of bad luck with the injuries. 108 can't seem to get a solid headline fight for the card at all. I think there was some talks of trying to put together a Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie fight, not sure if they'd be able to get it on that card or not though.

[Banandar]

I like the phrase Breen uses for Kang: "the most athletically implosive fighter on the planet"

Kang is such a goddamn flake but the weirdest thing was seeing his gas tank just disappear in a manner of seconds. A little bit of credit to Bisping though: he showed some good guard work. Almost as good as his son's.

Couture/Vera was shit, but I don't mind that Vera didn't win: he's similar to Kang in that he has a ton of potential, but instead of wasting it, he just sits on it. He's pretty much the least fluid fighter in the sport. Excellent grappling pedigree, and some good technical MT, but ZERO flow.

The rest of the card was solid. I thoroughly enjoyed the Brown/Wilks fight (flying knees, ankle locks, kimuras...fun fight), and was it me or did Jared Hamman look like a dorkier, less intimidating version of Fedor? Gustafsson knocked him out with the quickness.

Hardy has no chance against GSP of course. Everyone thinks Hardy is gonna be trouble for him on the feet, but everyone seems to lose to him on the feet once they've tasted the canvas off a takedown: just ask Thiago Alves, who is way more dangerous than Hardy on the feet.

[dajuice7]

Originally Posted by sin-eater

I had Couture winning a very close fight. I don't know why Swick didn't try to use his wrestling to beat Hardy... Bisping was very impressive... Denis Kang has got to be the most disappointing fighter I can think of based solely on skill level and talent. He just doesn't seem to mentally have it.

The UFC is really having a string of bad luck with the injuries. 108 can't seem to get a solid headline fight for the card at all. I think there was some talks of trying to put together a Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie fight, not sure if they'd be able to get it on that card or not though.

Originally Posted by Banandar

I like the phrase Breen uses for Kang: "the most athletically implosive fighter on the planet"

Kang is such a goddamn flake but the weirdest thing was seeing his gas tank just disappear in a manner of seconds. A little bit of credit to Bisping though: he showed some good guard work. Almost as good as his son's.

The rest of the card was solid. I thoroughly enjoyed the Brown/Wilks fight (flying knees, ankle locks, kimuras...fun fight), and was it me or did Jared Hamman look like a dorkier, less intimidating version of Fedor? Gustafsson knocked him out with the quickness.

I too was surprised by Swick's willingness to stand up with Hardy. I wonder if the crowd had anything to do with that. Like sin-eater says, he was probably trying to make a statement. Mission not accomplished. You know what, he was coming off of KO's of Ben Saunders and Jonathan Goulet so he probably overrated his chances of stopping Hardy with his fists.

I agree with you two that Kang is one of the most disappointing fighters out there. Unlike say a Sokoudjou, who is just overrated, Kang actually has the skills and some solid performances to prove he's a very good fighter. But occasionally he just flakes the hell out. I bet Bisping's son could take him, his ground game looked sharp!

Brown-Wilks was a surprise. And that Gustafsson short right hand to KO Hamman...wow. And right off the restart. Protect yourself at all times, gentlemen.

I hear Rashad Evans-Thiago Silva for UFC 108. Both with lone losses to Machida. Both with supreme KO power. 108 is looking pretty solid to me. Not much star power but some good matchups. They may still need another big name matchup in there though. Paging Mr. Liddell and Mr. Franklin...

[Subotai]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/articl...-ufc-boss-says

intestinal surgery? Yikes.

[dajuice7]

Originally Posted by Subotai

http://www.thestar.com/sports/articl...-ufc-boss-says

intestinal surgery? Yikes.

Hearing second hand that White supposedly thinks there is a chance Lesnar may never fight again is scary. My wishes are with him cause this sounds as serious as serious can get. Never mind his career. Hopefully this is all being overblown or distorted as the news goes through various sources, but in any case this is something for Lesnar to take care of without the distraction of trying to get fit for MMA again. Wow.

[Martianman]

Mayhem Miller was on the Jason Ellis show, and they were speculating as to what the problem may be. One caller had an interesting take--Lesnar is a big hunter, etc., and since Lesnar collapsed in Canada, they were wondering if he was hunting up there, and maybe contracted Lyme disease. Because that stuff will fuck you up big time.

A QB from FSU, who's dad was a coach on the team, suddenly started acting all crazy, and even had to be "taken away" one night because he was running around the streets, and people assumed he was on drugs. Turns out he had Lyme disease, almost died, spent like 3 months in the hospital, and never played football again.

Oh, and Miller had a nasty fucking staph infection (click at your own risk) on his neck from his fight. He had to go to the emergency room to get it taken care of, as he said he was driving up to Big Bear, and he said he could actually feel it spreading throughout his body. It freaked him out, so he went to the ER to get it checked out.

[jvc]

With Lesnar on the shelf indefinitely, is it time to dust off the Interim HW title? This would be a great main event for 109 or 111. But who would you put in there? Carwin vs. Nog would be the most logical choice, but both guys are out for awhile. If only one of those two guys is ready to go by early February at 109, put him in against Velasquez (who also has a decent claim). If both Carwin and Nog can be ready by March, put them in against each other and make Velasquez vs. Dos Santos (or Mir if he beats Kongo) with the winner getting the next title shot. Hopefully but then Lesnar will be back for a unification fight.

[Banandar]

Fuck all this UFC talk.

JOSE ALDO versus MIKE THOMAS BROWN motherfuckers!!

(goddamnit Versus sucks...)

I fear Brown will take him down and grind out a decision, but Aldo is so sick on the feet that with 5 rounds it'll be tough for Brown to avoid a flying double pump knee at SOME point...or so I hope. On paper, this really is the best fight of the year.

[The LD]

This is such a tough fight. What's so fascinating is that Brown's power & defense against Aldo's Silva-level striking means that this could be a crazy exciting 5 round war OR it could be over in 20 seconds. Can't wait to see it.

[Banandar]

I don't know. Conbrinha is a grappling badass, and Aldo beat him in a grappling match so that combined with the tutelage of Andre Pederneiras makes me think this could be Aldo's coming out party where we see the kind of grappling acumen he really has.

Only reason I'm not banking on a Aldo sub is that Brown is incredibly good defensively.

[dajuice7]

Yeah, with all this UFC drama going on Brown-Aldo is threatening to be the best fight this year that no one hears about. Brown was threatening to run away with the division the way Faber did, but here comes Aldo to provide a legit threat. I predict that it'll stay on the feet and we'll get a war, but both guys are underrated in terms of grappling as Banandar points out.l

[dajuice7]

Jose Aldo. Wow.

[Banandar]

Welcome to the Aldo era. Fucking insane. The most impressive part of Aldo's performance wasn't that he outstruck Brown, but how quickly he got mount and had Brown absolutely splayed out with back control.

I don't see anyone beating him at this point. A non-tourette's Faber might be fun, but Faber would still get laid out. Then again Assuncao may "upset" Faber, and he's damn good.

Great night in general. Roller/Castillo was back and forth all the way, and liked Darabedyan when he wasn't being a shut-in (maybe he broke his hand?). I also hope Manny never climbs the LW ladder.