UFC 116 Lesnar v. Carwin Preview

On July 3rd, the MMA world will be shaken up and spit out after two behemouths brawl for the UFC Heavyweight Title. Inside the octogan will be two 265 pound monsters of epic proportion. The winner will be holding a belt and the world #1 rank in the heavyweight division.

Brock Lesnar v. Shane Carwin- This bout will unify the heavyweight title and be the toughest test to date for both fighters. Each fighter is an athletic freak, with massive hands, insane power, and quickness seldom seen for a 265 pound man. The key to each fighter will be avoiding a big punch standing and getting takedowns.

Brock Lesnar (4-1), an NCAA Division 1 HW champ, burst on the scene nearly three years ago in a K-1 bout in Los Angeles. In that fight, Lesnar destroyed Min Soo Kim in just over a minute. He would then enter the UFC to initial lukewarm results. Lesnar was beating up Frank Mir at UFC 81, before a ridiculous stand-up from Steve Mazagatti. Lesnar was then too aggressive and was knee-barred by the BJJ blackbelt.

(Brock Lesnar Pictured)

Lesnar would get his revenge on Mir at UFC 100, getting a big takedown and nasty ground and pound shots. Lesnar earned his way back to the rematch after a three round beating of Heath Herring at UFC 87, and a KO of legend Randy Couture at UFC 91. Look for Lesnar to try to out wrestle Carwin and lay down massive GNP.

Shane Carwin (12-0) has an insane streak of 12 straight wins in the first round. In his last fight, he clubbed Frank Mir at UFC 111, knocking out his foe in just under 4 minutes, his longest fight to date. Carwin also has victories over Gabriel Gonzaga, Christian Wellish and Rex Richards. Carwin will most likely try to out box Lesnar, trying to defend takedowns.

(Shane Carwin Pictured)

Yoshihiro Akiyama v. Chris Leben- Big time props have to be given to Chris Leben (20-6) stepping up and taking this fight on short notice after Wanderlei Silva was forced out with a rib injury. Leben is going to look to brawl in this fight, getting inside on Akiyama. Leben is coming off a big KO win over previously undefeated Aaron Simpson.

Akiyama (13-1), a black belt in Judo and Shotokan Karate, will mostly look to keep his distance with body and leg kicks, before getting the fight to the ground. Akiyama will have a big advantage on the ground, having submission wins over dangerous strikers Melvin Manhoef and Francois Botha. Akiyama has other wins over Alan Belcher and Denis Kang.

(Yoshihiro Akiyama Pictured)

Matt Brown v. Chris Lytle- Expect this fight to be a stand-up war between two solid fighters. Lytle (28-17) is known for his crowd pleasing style and willingness to take risks, and he will in this fight. Lytle is currently riding a two fight win streak over Brian Foster and Kevin Brown.

Matt Brown (11-8) has been improving dramatically since his run of TUF 7. Brown defeated TUF 9 champ James Wilks, Pete Sell and Ryan Thomas before his last fight, a submission loss to Ricardo Almeida. Expect Brown to slug it out, with each fighter having the possibility of snagging a fight of the night bonus.

Stephan Bonnar v. Krzysztof Soszynski
Kurt Pellegrino v. George Sotiropoulos

SPIKE TV CARD

Brendan Schaub v. Chris Tuchscherer
Seth Petruzelli v. Ricardo Romero

UNDERCARD - SELECT FIGHTS AIR IF TIME ALLOWS

Kendall Grove v. Goran Reljic
Dave Branch v. Gerald Harris
Forrest Petz v. Daniel Roberts
Jon Madsen v. Karlos Vemola

UFC 96: Jackson Howls

UFC 96 was an excellent fight card with several exciting bouts. As the dust settled, it appears that a Rashad v. Rampage Jackson fight looms on the horizon. Also, heavyweight powerhouse Shane Carwin will be entering the title picture.

Quinton Jackson def Keith Jardine via unanimous dec- Jardine was not able to quell Jackson's power and swarming style as Jackson overwelmed Jardine en route to a unanimous decision. Jackson landed the heavier punches in all three rounds and managed to score a couple takedowns. Jardine landed a couple leg kicks but couldn't mount much offense.

In the second and third rounds, Jackson was able to knock Jardine to the floor with combinations. But Jardine didn't go out and kept fighting. After the decision was read for Rampage, current light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans emerged in the cage. Rampage obliged with a stare down. It now appears that Rampage will take on Rashad Evans for the title, possibly at UFC 98.


Shane Carwin def Gabriel Gonzaga via KO(punch) R1, 1:09- Carwin came out firing again, proving he belongs among the elite in the heavyweight division. After Carwin ate a couple punches and was taken down, the tide turned. Carwin got to his feet and threw a massive punch that clobbered Gonzaga in the face. With Gonzaga rattled, there was no choice but for the ref to jump in.

Matt Brown def Pete Sell via TKO (strikes) R1, 1:32- Pete Sell decided to throw punches and again it proved to be his downfall. Matt Brown is as tough a brawler as they come and he landed a perfect combination sending Sell to the ground. It appeared as though the ref stopped it, but for some reason he didn't. Sell ate more punishment before the bout was called.

Matt Hamill def Mark Munoz via KO (head kick) R1, 3:53- With Mark Munoz looking to turn the bout into a wrestling match, Matt Hamill wasn't having it. Munoz failed at takedown attempts then started to eat punches. Slightly wobbled with his hands dropped, Hamill fired a high kick that landed flush on Munoz, crumpling him to the canvas. The replay showed Hamill's shin strike Munoz' temple, a recipe for a devastating KO.

Gray Maynard def. Jim Miller via unanimous dec- Gray Maynard lived up to his nickname "The Bully" as he pushed around Miller throughout the fight. Maynard used his boxing effectively, throwing combinations while moving in and out. Miller was unsuccessful in attempting takedowns, eating punishment for his efforts. All the judges had the fight 30-27. Maynard now has 4 straight decision victories and is 5-0 in the UFC.

Tamdan McCrory def Ryan Madigan via TKO (strikes) R1, 3:35- McCrory wanted no part of Madigan's stand-up as he was able to get a takedown and bring the fight to the mat. Once there, McCrory worked for mount and threw punches and elbows until the fight was called.

Kendall Grove def Jason Day via TKO (strikes) R1, 1:32- In a must win fight, Kendall came out firing and ready to trade punches. Day backed him up early, but Kendall connected with a couple overhand rights. With Day dazed, Kendall went to the mat to finish the job.

Jason Brilz def Tim Boetsch via unanimous dec- Brilz brought the fight to Boetsch, utilizing takedowns and ground and pound to pick up the decision.

Brandon Vera def Michael Patt via TKO (leg kicks) R2, 1:27- Brandon Vera came out firing, looking crisp in his punches and kicks. It seemed as if every leg kick landed and by the second round, Patt was having trouble standing. The snapping kicks eventually led to Patt being unable to stand and continue.

Shane Nelson def Aaron Riley via TKO (strikes) R1, 0:44- For some reason this fight wasn't broadcast.

UFC 91 Recap

The Brock Lesnar era has officially begun as the behemouth secured his first MMA title in the form of the UFC heavyweight title belt. The card scored a live gate of 4.8 million in a sold out MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I'll keep you posted on the ppv numbers, I believe it will probably break the mma record. I was happy each fight made it to air, as only one fight went to decision. UFC 91 turned out a very good card with exciting fights.

(Brock Lesnar pictured)

Matt Brown def Ryan Thomas via Submission (Armbar), R2 0:57 - Ryan Thomas was consistently able to get takedowns on Matt Brown throughout the fight. However, Brown was able to continue to work his submission game and eventually got Ryan Thomas to over commit on the ground. Thomas ended up in a tight armbar, and was unable to slam his way out of it.

Mark Bocek def Alvin Robinson via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), R3 3:16- Bocek out grappled Robinson throughout the fight, keeping Robinson in bad positions. Bocek landed hard punches throughout the fight and it was only a matter of time before he locked up the choke after being extremely calm while having Robinson's back.

Jeremy Stephens def Rafael dos Anjos via KO (uppercut), R3 0:39- This was an awesome fight as Stephens came back from after losing the first two rounds. Dos Anjos had Stephens in near submissions. In the third round, Stephens loaded up a massive uppercut that found its mark directly to dos Anjos jaw droppin gthe fighter to the ground.
*Given KO of the night fight bonus.

Aaron Riley def Jorge Gurgel via Decision (Unanimous)- This fight was shown after the Lesnar v. Couture fight. The fight boiled down to a kickboxing match and both fighters were content to stand and trade. Riley was a little more crisp with his punches, many of which found their mark. Gurgel scored consistently with body and leg kicks. Riley had a couple takedowns and controlled the fight more than Gurgel. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Riley.
*Both fighters awarded fight of the night bonuses.

Demian Maia def Nate Quarry via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), R1 2:13- Maia put on yet another awesome display of ju-jitsu against the hard hitting Nate Quarry. Maia pulled guard, executed a sweep and then eventually got Quarry's back. From there it was only a matter of time before Maia secured the rear naked choke. Maia now has 4 straight submission wins in the UFC and is 9-0 overall. Maia is rumored to be a possible coach for the next TUF reality show.

Gabriel Gonzaga def Josh Hendricks via KO (Punches), R1 1:01- Gonzaga was just too much for Hendricks in this heavyweight clash. Hendricks and Gonzaga clinched before Gonzaga landed a hook and then put a perfect right straigt to Hendricks to drop him. Gonzaga put a couple more punches before the fight was called. Gonzaga has two straight quick victories since his back to back defeats to Couture and Werdum.

Dustin Hazelett def Tamdan McCrory via Submission (Reverse Armbar), R1 3:59- Hazelett withstood an early McCrory flurry to throw a nice high kick that partially connected. When the fight went to the mat, Hazelett looked slick. Hazelett transitioned from an omaplata to a reverse armbar for the finish. Hazelett stated he wanted to be the top BJJ guy in the 170 pound division. That was Hazelett's second win in a row since a loss to Josh Koscheck. Both came via submission.
*Hazelett awarded submission of the night.

Kenny Florian def Joe Stevenson via Submission (Rear-naked choke), R1 4:03- Florian continued on his dominant run imposing his will on Joe Stevenson. Landing some strikes, Florian was taken down, but got back up. Once up, Florian got his own takedown before delivering a nasty right hand. He next mounted Stevenson and eventually got the rear naked choke. With the victory, Florian has set himself up for a title shot against BJ Penn. Florian now has 6 wins straight in the UFC since a title loss to Sean Sherk. All wins have come via submission or TKO.

(Pictured Kenny Florian)

Brock Lesnar def Randy Couture via TKO (Punches), R2 3:07- This fight lived up to the hype as it had everyone in the bar I was at on their feet. Lesnar, an NCAA champion in wrestling, has legitimized his status of an elite mixed martial artist with the win. Lesnar used his size to his advantage in the first round, as it appeared Couture was using more energy in the first. Lesnar and Couture each threw knee's from the clinch, but Lesnar landed them more effectively. Couture punched well in the clinch, sneaking a couple in to Lesnar's face.

In the second, Lesnar landed a punch and elbow in the clinch dazing Couture. From there he threw a massive overhand right that hit Couture near the back of the head. Lesnar followed Couture to the ground and unleased about 10 or more hammerfists to the face before the ref stopped the fight. Lesnar captures the UFC HW belt. "I can't believe it" proclaimed the new champ.

*Lesnar will face the winner of Frank Mir v. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira next.
*I still can't believe that people don't arrive till the 3rd or 4th fight in Vegas.

TUF fighter Matt Brown's Debut

Matt takes beat Matt Arroyo at the TUF 7 Finale Saturday night.

TUF Episode 6 Recap

The sixth episode of The Ultimate Fighter got off to a bang. The fight between the ever intense Matt Brown and obnoxious Jeremey May promised to be one fought with malice. Pre-fight Brown discussed his run-ins with the law, brushes with death and drug and alcohol problems. During the training clip, you saw him go head to head with Forrest for some time after the bell. Brown's teammates have the utmost respect for him, and make some Chuck Norris like jokes about him.

Conversely, May seems to be hated by just about everyone in the house. The lime juice in the dip pissed Brown off, but everyone in the house seems to be annoyed with him. Riddle willfully gave Brown information that May had suffered a knee injury (which May later said wasn't bad). Furthermore, in training, May hasn't been doing much of anything except ride a stationary bike.

The fight kicked off to May throwing some big unorthodox hay makers. As the punches and kicks came, Brown blocked them and denied May's offense. As Jeremy May ran out of gas, Brown brought the pain, and a couple knees and a kick to the face later, the fight was over. Brown had ice on his foot and 10K in his pocket, and May had a broken nose and ego.

The second fight saw Daniel Cramer fight Luke Zacharich. The fight broiled down to a Frye v. Takayama slug fest. Pretty boy Cramer can really take a shot, as can Zacharich. After both burned a significant amount of energy in the first, Cramer took advantage. After getting the mount, he worked over Zacharich for the TKO victory.

I was very happy to see Rampage get a victory. Rampage's impromptu break down of the Cramer v. Zacharich was pretty funny. His spirits were lifted to say the least. Here is a recap and breakdown of who is left in the tournament:

Team Forrest 4 - Wins- Jesse Taylor, Tim Credeur, Dante Rivera, Matt Brown
Left to fight- Amir Sadollah, Cale Yarbrough, Nick Klein

Team Rampage 1 - Wins- Dan Cramer
Left to fight - Gerald Harris, CB Dollaway, Patrick Schultz

TUF Episode 2

This episode was all fights which pleased me. The match-making was somewhat puzzling in this episode as some of the experienced guys were paired up and some of the the experienced guys were paired. Luke Zacharich explained on his MMA Junkie blog that Dana White actually walked around and randomly paired up fighters. One of the most idiotic things I've heard of Dana do for awhile.

Matt Serra trained fighter Dan Simmler (1-0) learned the hard way that he needs to improve his standup and takedown game. After a first round that where Matt Riddle (1-0) took him down and then Simmler tried subs, the second was fast. As Simmler threw a lazy kick, Riddle dropped him with a right hook directly to jaw dropping him to the canvas. Two more jaw punches followed as Simmler was looking to the stars. After a serious of moaning and a possible broken jaw, Simmler asked, "what happened, was it practice or a fight?" Ouch.

The second fight saw Luke Zacharich (7-1) v. Patrick Schultz (5-1). These two probably should have been fighting some of the 1-0, 0-0 guys as both looked seasoned. Zacharich was in a little trouble after a Schultz takedown. Zacharich's wrestling seems to be good as he got decent position and dropped punches. Schultz' frosted tips didn't prevent Zacharich from eventually getting his back and a rear naked choke. Zacharich probably needs to

Tim Credeur (9-2) took out Erick Charles in a workmanlike performance. He pushed Charles to the fence, took him down, and got the armbar. He is a BJJ blackbelt from Louisiana. Credeur is a legit threat, at (9-2) his two losses have come in Bodog to Chael Sonnen (20-9) and Joey Villasensor (25-6) in KOTC.

Aaron Meiser (2-0) v. Brandon Sene (2-0)- After exchanging kicks and knees, Sene got a takedown eventually got the rear naked choke. The mohawked Sene was gassed at the end.

Gerald Harris (6-2) v. Mike Marrelo (6-1)- IFL vet Gerald Harris used slams, punches to the face, elbows to the face to eventually get the decision. Harris' entry makes all three IFL fighters in the 16.



Jerimiah Riggs (1-0) v. Dan Cramer (0-0)- Dana what were you thinking with this match-up? Horrible match making, I feel sorry for Marrelo and Schultz.

Nick Rossborough (8-3) vs. Jesse Taylor (6-2)- Taylor got a takedown, punches, and then a rear naked choke for a victory. Taylor has a couple quality wins and a couple losses to MMA vet Kenny Ento and TUF 3's Jesse Forbes.

Josh Hall (3-2) vs. Matt Brown (9-6)- Matt Brown despite being a little small at 185 used his experience and skill to beat Josh Hall with 9 seconds left in the round.

*We learn the teams next week.