In this episode, the next 8 fighters to enter the house is determined. The episode wastes little time as virtually all we see are the preliminary fights. I was very dissapointed to see the two most experienced 155 pounders fight in the first round. I was also dissapointed to see two of the most experienced 205 pounders fight eachother. Whatever, it is easy to be critical of the UFC.
Westly Murch v. John Polakowski- This was the fight between two interesting characters. Murch is from England making the trip over to represent his country. Polakowski has ADHD and enjoys giving people hugs. After a brief exchange, Murch spent a great deal of time on top of Polakowski. However, Polakowski got in quite a few strikes from the bottom. When they stood up, Murch let loose a snapping low kick, however it was checked by Polakowski. The bell sounded right after that kick and Murch fell to the ground. He was in some serious pain, but came out like a true warrior. However, it didn't take long before he couldn't put any pressure on the leg and went to the ground.
Polakowski, who was very happy wasted no time in giving Big Nog, Dana White and Frank Mir hugs. Frank said that if John was on his team there would have to be a 3 second rule on the hugs.
Sean O'Connell v. Shane Primm- O'Connell spoke about his love of Forrest Griffin and having watched every season of TUF. However, he was simply outmatched by Primm. After taking some knees, O'Connell got a double leg takedown. However he is immediately defending an arm-bar, then a guillitine, then is submitted with a rear naked choke.
Ido Pariente v. Efrain Escudero- This match should have taken place in the semi-finals, not the prelims as these the most experienced of the 155 pounders. Ido was able to get a trip takedown on Efrain, however Efrain soon gets to his feet. Efrain then gets his own takedown and gets Ido's back, securing a rear naked choke victory.
Ryan Lopez v. Tom Lawlor- Lopez is a bounty hunter by day, and fighter by night. While Lopez came out absolutely shredded at 205, he probably should have worked on his technique a little more. Mir talks about how he likes Lopez' raw talent and athletisim. However, this isn't a body building match, it is a fight. Lawlor takes Lopez down, rains down punches and gets a rear naked choke.
Roli Delgado v. George Roop- These two very tall 155 pounders. It was a sloppy fight that was shown pretty in highlight fashion. Roop outworks Delgado and gets the unanimous decision victory.
Ryan Bader v. Kyle Kingsbury- This was a very questionable match-up as they have the 2nd and 3rd highest win totals of any other 205 pounders. Kingsbury was able to get the best of Bader standing landing some punches. However, Bader was able to get some slam takedowns and pushed the pace of the fight. In the second round Bader was able to secure an arm-triangle right before the bell for the submission win. On a side-note, Kingsbury looked good.
Charles Diaz v. Shane Nelson- According to Frank Mir, Diaz was talking a huge game before the fight, hyping himself up. Well, don't believe the hype, as Nelson worked his kicks and overwelmed Diaz taking the unanimous decision.
Eliot Marshall v. Karn Grigoryan- This was actually a pretty entertaining fight, but one in which I thought Marshall should have won in the first two rounds. When there was a third round I was kinda shocked. While in the third, Marshall almost had a triangle, got mount, opened up a cut on Grigoryan, and almost had him finished. By some fluke occurence the judges handed the victory to Grigoriyan. I don't know what they were watchign during the fight, but it wasn't the fight. Those judges have to be reprimanded.
Anyway, it is disclosed that Antwain Britt, who had won in the previous 8 fights, broke his hand and will be out for 6 weeks. That opens the door for Dana to bring back Eliot Marshall. Justice is served I guess.
*On a sidenote- That was one of the worst decisions I have seen in a while. I hope NSAC does something about those judges.
205
Krzysztof Soszynski (15-8, 3-4 IFL)
Ryan Bader (7-0)
Vinicius Magalhaes (2-2)
Eliot Marshall (5-1) replaces Antwain Britt (3-1)
Shane Primm (2-0)
Tom Lawlor (4-1, with DQ loss to Shane Primm)
Jules Bruchez (0-0)
Karn Grigoryan (4-0)
155
Shane Nelson (9-3)
"Junie" Allen Browning (2-0)
Efrain Escudero (10-0)
George Roop (8-3)
Phillipe Nover (5-0)
Brian McLaughlin (5-0, wins in Ring of Combat)
John Polakowski (2-1, all three fights v. Olaf Alfonso, 2 in the WEC)
Dave Kaplan (3-1)
-Looking at those records, I'm sure you can tell why I was a little upset that 205 pounder Kyle Kingsbury at 7-1 didn't get an easier first round fight. Also Ido Pariente at 155 who is 13-4 didn't get an easier fight.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Dream 6
Here are the Dream 6 results. If you haven't gotten a chance, check out mmascraps, dailymotion or hdnet for the fights.
RESULTS
MW Reserve Bout
Andrews Nakahara def. Dong Sik Yoon via TKO (Punches), 0:30 of R2
MW Grand Prix Semi-Final Bout
Gegard Mousasi def. Melvin Manhoef via Submission (Triangle Choke), 1:28 of R1
MW Grand Prix Semi-Final Bout
Ronaldo "Jacare" De Souza def. Zelg Galesic via Sub (Armbar), 1:27 of R1
Keita Nakamura def. Adriano Martins via Dec (Split)
Sergei Kharitonov def. Jimmy Ambriz via TKO (Strikes), 2:15 of R1
Atsushi Yamamoto def. Hideo Tokoro via Dec (Unanimous)
Masakatsu Funaki def. Ikuhisa Minowa via Sub (Inverted Heel Hook), 0:32 of R1
Hayato Sakurai def. Kuniyoshi Hironaka via Dec (Unanimous)
Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Masanori Tonooka via Sub (Armbar), 6:26 of R1
Shinya Aoki def. Todd Moore via Sub (Neck Crank), 1:07 of R1
Alistair Overeem vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic was ruled a No Contest - Overeem was winning the fight but repeadedly threw knees into Cro Cop's groin.
Middleweight Grand Prix Final Bout
Gegard Mousasi def. Ronaldo "Jacare" de Souza via KO (Upkick) at 2:15 of Round 1- Gegard Mousasi threw an absolutely nasty upkick to knock Jacare out. Jacare had the takedown, then was looking to pass when he was hit square in the jaw. Probably the nastiest upkick since Renzo Gracie v. Oleg Taktarov.
RESULTS
MW Reserve Bout
Andrews Nakahara def. Dong Sik Yoon via TKO (Punches), 0:30 of R2
MW Grand Prix Semi-Final Bout
Gegard Mousasi def. Melvin Manhoef via Submission (Triangle Choke), 1:28 of R1
MW Grand Prix Semi-Final Bout
Ronaldo "Jacare" De Souza def. Zelg Galesic via Sub (Armbar), 1:27 of R1
Keita Nakamura def. Adriano Martins via Dec (Split)
Sergei Kharitonov def. Jimmy Ambriz via TKO (Strikes), 2:15 of R1
Atsushi Yamamoto def. Hideo Tokoro via Dec (Unanimous)
Masakatsu Funaki def. Ikuhisa Minowa via Sub (Inverted Heel Hook), 0:32 of R1
Hayato Sakurai def. Kuniyoshi Hironaka via Dec (Unanimous)
Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Masanori Tonooka via Sub (Armbar), 6:26 of R1
Shinya Aoki def. Todd Moore via Sub (Neck Crank), 1:07 of R1
Alistair Overeem vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic was ruled a No Contest - Overeem was winning the fight but repeadedly threw knees into Cro Cop's groin.
Middleweight Grand Prix Final Bout
Gegard Mousasi def. Ronaldo "Jacare" de Souza via KO (Upkick) at 2:15 of Round 1- Gegard Mousasi threw an absolutely nasty upkick to knock Jacare out. Jacare had the takedown, then was looking to pass when he was hit square in the jaw. Probably the nastiest upkick since Renzo Gracie v. Oleg Taktarov.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Ultimate Fight Night 15 Results
By MMA Blaster
Ultimate Fight Night 15 featured four televised fights that were each entertaining. While I would have seen Sakara's head kick KO or Massenzio and Miller's submissions that all ended in a minute thirty in the first round, it was a good show overall.
Eric Schafer def. Houston Alexander via Sub (Arm-triangle choke) - R1, 4:53- Houston Alexander showed again that while he has power, he is not good off his back. Alexander unleashed some wicked knees almost knocking out Schafer. However, Schafer held tight, was able to eventually get the takedown and mount. From mount, Houston was toast, though he almost got to the bell. Schafer's tight arm triangle won him the match.
Alan Belcher def. Ed Herman via Decision (Split)- I actually scored this contest in favor of Ed Herman, but it was very close. Belcher landed the more effective strikes, but Herman stood his ground and only once on a punch that pushed him to the cage wall did he appear stunned. The third round was the only true convincing round that should have went to Herman as he had Belcher mounted and was throwing heavy strikes. The first I gave to Herman because of the near submissions while using the darce choke, with the takedowns and ground game. But, that it is a fight and you don't want to leave it to the judges.
Clay Guida def. Mac Danzig via Decision (Unanimous)- Clay worked a perfect game plan outworking Danzig standing and getting takedowns at will. Danzig never really got his submission game working while off his back. At one point Danzig looked for a omaplata with his leg high, but he wasn't able to capitalize. Guida never stopped and peppered Danzig with strikes the whole match. I like many fans would have liked to see Guida go for more of the knockout blow, but to Guida's credit he never stopped going at full throttle for three rounds.
Nathan Diaz def. Josh Neer via Decision (Split)- Diaz and Neer fought a close battle that went back and forth. Neer may have said in the pre-fight that he would be trying to test Diaz' hands may have been lying a touch. Diaz won the takedown battle, capped by a beautiful judo throw. Diaz probably had a slight edge on strikes as well.
Neer was able to get near armbars and triangles, but Diaz utilized a step over escaped that seemed to work every time. A few times Neer was throwing some nasty upkicks off his back that almost landed. A very good fight, and well deserving of the fight of the night bonus that both fighters received.
Quote of the night from Nate Diaz following the fight, “Josh Neer, he ain’t no black belt in jiu-jitsu like the other guys I’ve been fighting. This motherf*****, this dude right here can fight.” Nate also went on to give props to Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, Cesar Gracie and his brother. He said that another league won't give Nick a fight, referring to Elite XC and champ KJ Noons.
Untelevised
Alessio Sakara def. Joe Vedepo via KO (head kick) - R1, 1:27- KO of the night bonus winner.
Wilson Gouveia def. Ryan Jensen via sub (arm-bar) - R2, 2:04- Submission of the night bonus winner.
Joe Lauzon def. Kyle Bradley via TKO (strikes) - R2, 1:34
Jason Brilz def. Brad Morris via TKO (strikes) - R2, 2:54
Mike Massenzio def. Drew McFedries via sub (kimura) - R1, 1:28
Dan Miller def. Rob Kimmons via sub (rear-naked choke) - R1, 1:27
Ultimate Fight Night 15 featured four televised fights that were each entertaining. While I would have seen Sakara's head kick KO or Massenzio and Miller's submissions that all ended in a minute thirty in the first round, it was a good show overall.
Eric Schafer def. Houston Alexander via Sub (Arm-triangle choke) - R1, 4:53- Houston Alexander showed again that while he has power, he is not good off his back. Alexander unleashed some wicked knees almost knocking out Schafer. However, Schafer held tight, was able to eventually get the takedown and mount. From mount, Houston was toast, though he almost got to the bell. Schafer's tight arm triangle won him the match.
Alan Belcher def. Ed Herman via Decision (Split)- I actually scored this contest in favor of Ed Herman, but it was very close. Belcher landed the more effective strikes, but Herman stood his ground and only once on a punch that pushed him to the cage wall did he appear stunned. The third round was the only true convincing round that should have went to Herman as he had Belcher mounted and was throwing heavy strikes. The first I gave to Herman because of the near submissions while using the darce choke, with the takedowns and ground game. But, that it is a fight and you don't want to leave it to the judges.
Clay Guida def. Mac Danzig via Decision (Unanimous)- Clay worked a perfect game plan outworking Danzig standing and getting takedowns at will. Danzig never really got his submission game working while off his back. At one point Danzig looked for a omaplata with his leg high, but he wasn't able to capitalize. Guida never stopped and peppered Danzig with strikes the whole match. I like many fans would have liked to see Guida go for more of the knockout blow, but to Guida's credit he never stopped going at full throttle for three rounds.
Nathan Diaz def. Josh Neer via Decision (Split)- Diaz and Neer fought a close battle that went back and forth. Neer may have said in the pre-fight that he would be trying to test Diaz' hands may have been lying a touch. Diaz won the takedown battle, capped by a beautiful judo throw. Diaz probably had a slight edge on strikes as well.
Neer was able to get near armbars and triangles, but Diaz utilized a step over escaped that seemed to work every time. A few times Neer was throwing some nasty upkicks off his back that almost landed. A very good fight, and well deserving of the fight of the night bonus that both fighters received.
Quote of the night from Nate Diaz following the fight, “Josh Neer, he ain’t no black belt in jiu-jitsu like the other guys I’ve been fighting. This motherf*****, this dude right here can fight.” Nate also went on to give props to Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, Cesar Gracie and his brother. He said that another league won't give Nick a fight, referring to Elite XC and champ KJ Noons.
Untelevised
Alessio Sakara def. Joe Vedepo via KO (head kick) - R1, 1:27- KO of the night bonus winner.
Wilson Gouveia def. Ryan Jensen via sub (arm-bar) - R2, 2:04- Submission of the night bonus winner.
Joe Lauzon def. Kyle Bradley via TKO (strikes) - R2, 1:34
Jason Brilz def. Brad Morris via TKO (strikes) - R2, 2:54
Mike Massenzio def. Drew McFedries via sub (kimura) - R1, 1:28
Dan Miller def. Rob Kimmons via sub (rear-naked choke) - R1, 1:27
TUF 8 Premier Episode
By MMA Blaster
The first episode of TUF 8 did not disappoint. From the get go you know it will be a crazy season. Phillipe Nover fainted in the opening frame of Dana White's speech. The look on the guy standing in front of him is hilarious as Nover initially starts to lean and then goes out.
The coaches Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Big Nog, come out and the fighters don't seem too excited. Reason being, they have to make weight the next day and fight to get into the house.
It will be interesting to see how much talk time each coach gets. Big Nog, a native Brazilian, seems to have the subtitles flowing after every sentence. Mir is a well spoken guy as a WEC color commentator.
We don't see how they are matched up to fight, so I hope that Joe Silva seeded them somehow and Dana White didn't just randomly match them up.
*Pic of Frank Mir as champ
While weight cutting, Jason Guida has by far the worst time. He is 217 off the start, and needs to get down to 206. During his cut, Mir commented on how it looked like Guida was having the worst of everyone else. The next scene brings those comments to life, as Guida, with a towel slightly covering his groin experiences some bad leg cramps. His legs go stiff, like a grounded Frankenstein, and he has a couple guys try to loosen him up.
When they manage to get him on the scale, he comes in at 207, one pound over. The doctor monitering the situation and Ken Kizer of NSAC end up not letting Guida continue. To Guida's credit he wanted to lose the pound, but he just wasn't allowed to as the doctor knew how dehydrated he Guida had become.
Mike Stewart jumps in to replace Guida in his fight against former IFL fighter Krystof Soszynski. Soszynski is a big guy who had a spat in pro wresting before MMA. In his mma career, Soszynski has fought in the IFL on the big stage, then at heavyweight. Stewart looks to maybe have an amateur fight or two on his resume.
The fight is quick as Soszynski drops Stewart with punches and keeps going as Stewart goes to his knees. The ref stops the fight shortly thereafter.
The next fight is Fernando "The Machete" Bernstein and Dave Kaplan. While Bernstein threw some snapping kicks and looked decent on his feet, he proved to lack a ground game. Kaplan took him down from the clinch, got his back, and the fight was done in a couple minutes.
Phillipe Nover and Joe Duarte faced off next. I was a little disappointed because I thought each of these fighters would have decent showings in the house. They battled back and forth on their feet in the first. Both throwing some mean punches and kicks. Duarte almost had Nover finished in the first before the bell sounded.
In the second, Nover pressed the action getting a takedown, elbows, then sinking in a rear naked choke. While losing, Duarte still looked good and I wouldn't be surprised seeing him back in the house if a fighter was injured.
Eric Magee and Jules Bruchez faced off next in what I would call a lackluster fight. Neither 205 pounded looked in great shape or to have too much skill. Bruchez was able to get a rear naked choke victory and talk some junk after the fight. He is a farmer and gets his power country style.
Vinny Magalhaes and Lance Evans- The first round was more of a highlight montage, and we see Evans get kicked in the ribs. Evans, brother of Rashad Evans, clutches his ribs as he goes to his corner at the end of the round. He is not able to continue and sent packing. Magalhaes looks in good shape and moved well on his feet.
Antwain Britt and Ryan Jimmo also get the highlight montage treatment. Britt wins a split decision.
Brian McLaughlin and Garner fought next, as McLaughlin looked to be winning the bout in the first. In the second Garner threw a knee while McLaughlin had both knees on the ground. McLaughlin when to the canvas and told the doctor he was dizzy. The ref called the bout a no contest and the knee unintentional, but Dana White decided McLaughlin would move on.
Junie Browning fought Jose Aguilar in the final bout of the night. Aguilar talks some interesting trash talk as he proclaims himself to be on the level of historic greats, like Napoleon and Alexander the Great. If Aguilar was in the BC times, he'd be conquering people. He proclaims himself as a, "straight up criminal."
Browning says there is no way Aguilar will beat him and that he has a, "better chance of getting me pregnant than beating me." Well Browning's trash seemed to be a little more accurate. Aguilar was taken down and punched and elbowed until the bell was rung. Aguilar promptly tells the ref that he has had enough.
If Ghengis Khan was in mma, he'd answer the bell, knock you out, then conquer your village.
Moving into the house are:
LHW - 205
Krzysztof Soszynski
Jules Bruchez
Vinny Magalhaes
Antwain Britt
LW - 155
Dave Kaplan
Phillipe Nover
Brian McLaughlin
Junie Browning
The first episode of TUF 8 did not disappoint. From the get go you know it will be a crazy season. Phillipe Nover fainted in the opening frame of Dana White's speech. The look on the guy standing in front of him is hilarious as Nover initially starts to lean and then goes out.
The coaches Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Big Nog, come out and the fighters don't seem too excited. Reason being, they have to make weight the next day and fight to get into the house.
It will be interesting to see how much talk time each coach gets. Big Nog, a native Brazilian, seems to have the subtitles flowing after every sentence. Mir is a well spoken guy as a WEC color commentator.
We don't see how they are matched up to fight, so I hope that Joe Silva seeded them somehow and Dana White didn't just randomly match them up.
*Pic of Frank Mir as champ
While weight cutting, Jason Guida has by far the worst time. He is 217 off the start, and needs to get down to 206. During his cut, Mir commented on how it looked like Guida was having the worst of everyone else. The next scene brings those comments to life, as Guida, with a towel slightly covering his groin experiences some bad leg cramps. His legs go stiff, like a grounded Frankenstein, and he has a couple guys try to loosen him up.
When they manage to get him on the scale, he comes in at 207, one pound over. The doctor monitering the situation and Ken Kizer of NSAC end up not letting Guida continue. To Guida's credit he wanted to lose the pound, but he just wasn't allowed to as the doctor knew how dehydrated he Guida had become.
Mike Stewart jumps in to replace Guida in his fight against former IFL fighter Krystof Soszynski. Soszynski is a big guy who had a spat in pro wresting before MMA. In his mma career, Soszynski has fought in the IFL on the big stage, then at heavyweight. Stewart looks to maybe have an amateur fight or two on his resume.
The fight is quick as Soszynski drops Stewart with punches and keeps going as Stewart goes to his knees. The ref stops the fight shortly thereafter.
The next fight is Fernando "The Machete" Bernstein and Dave Kaplan. While Bernstein threw some snapping kicks and looked decent on his feet, he proved to lack a ground game. Kaplan took him down from the clinch, got his back, and the fight was done in a couple minutes.
Phillipe Nover and Joe Duarte faced off next. I was a little disappointed because I thought each of these fighters would have decent showings in the house. They battled back and forth on their feet in the first. Both throwing some mean punches and kicks. Duarte almost had Nover finished in the first before the bell sounded.
In the second, Nover pressed the action getting a takedown, elbows, then sinking in a rear naked choke. While losing, Duarte still looked good and I wouldn't be surprised seeing him back in the house if a fighter was injured.
Eric Magee and Jules Bruchez faced off next in what I would call a lackluster fight. Neither 205 pounded looked in great shape or to have too much skill. Bruchez was able to get a rear naked choke victory and talk some junk after the fight. He is a farmer and gets his power country style.
Vinny Magalhaes and Lance Evans- The first round was more of a highlight montage, and we see Evans get kicked in the ribs. Evans, brother of Rashad Evans, clutches his ribs as he goes to his corner at the end of the round. He is not able to continue and sent packing. Magalhaes looks in good shape and moved well on his feet.
Antwain Britt and Ryan Jimmo also get the highlight montage treatment. Britt wins a split decision.
Brian McLaughlin and Garner fought next, as McLaughlin looked to be winning the bout in the first. In the second Garner threw a knee while McLaughlin had both knees on the ground. McLaughlin when to the canvas and told the doctor he was dizzy. The ref called the bout a no contest and the knee unintentional, but Dana White decided McLaughlin would move on.
Junie Browning fought Jose Aguilar in the final bout of the night. Aguilar talks some interesting trash talk as he proclaims himself to be on the level of historic greats, like Napoleon and Alexander the Great. If Aguilar was in the BC times, he'd be conquering people. He proclaims himself as a, "straight up criminal."
Browning says there is no way Aguilar will beat him and that he has a, "better chance of getting me pregnant than beating me." Well Browning's trash seemed to be a little more accurate. Aguilar was taken down and punched and elbowed until the bell was rung. Aguilar promptly tells the ref that he has had enough.
If Ghengis Khan was in mma, he'd answer the bell, knock you out, then conquer your village.
Moving into the house are:
LHW - 205
Krzysztof Soszynski
Jules Bruchez
Vinny Magalhaes
Antwain Britt
LW - 155
Dave Kaplan
Phillipe Nover
Brian McLaughlin
Junie Browning
Sunday, September 14, 2008
T.J. O'Brien Wins Belt at MCC 16
T.J. O'Brien won the featherweight (145) pound championship at MCC 16 Friday, September 12th. The event took place at Bucs Arena just outside Des Moines, Iowa. Here are the preliminary results:
TJ O’Brien def. Josh Atwell via Triangle Choke, Rd 1
Joe Ellenberger def. Alex Harper
Cole Jennett def. Rakeem Hedrington
Matt Cook def. Colby Karaidos
Will Shutt def. Nick Walker
Jeff Carstens def. Travis Tovrea
Richard White def. Fernando Sheeler
Nate Williams def. Anthony Tallman
Kenny Ford def. Shadoe Speaker
TJ O’Brien def. Josh Atwell via Triangle Choke, Rd 1
Joe Ellenberger def. Alex Harper
Cole Jennett def. Rakeem Hedrington
Matt Cook def. Colby Karaidos
Will Shutt def. Nick Walker
Jeff Carstens def. Travis Tovrea
Richard White def. Fernando Sheeler
Nate Williams def. Anthony Tallman
Kenny Ford def. Shadoe Speaker
Friday, September 12, 2008
MCC 16 Josh Atwell v. T.J. O'Brien
By MMA Blaster
Tonight Midwest Cage Championships, MCC, will officially hold its 16th event this Friday, September 12th. The main event will feature a Featherweight Title bout between Josh Atwell and T.J. O'Brien. The co-main event will feature a bout between UFC vet John Halverson and Vern Jefferson.
I was able to catch up with former Team Revolution fighter T.J. O'Brien to get some perspective on his upcoming fight. To earn a shot at the Featherweight Title, T.J. won a 4 man tournment at MCC 13 with victories over Nick Walker and Will Shutt. Both victories came way of first round triangle chokes.
T.J. has been training extremely hard for this fight with his good friend Alex Harper. He has perfected his wrestling by training with several college wrestlers. The preperation has led T.J. to also focus more on his stand-up. If you have seen clips of T.J. fight, you will know his size allows him to throw a mean high kick to his opponents face.
In regards to his opponent, T.J. is aware that Josh Atwell is a solid wrestler with Muay Thai skills. The key to the fight will be staying calm wherever the fight should go while controlling his opponent. With T.J. fighting a couple bouts at 155, he knows it will be a test to get to Featherweight, 145, in this fight. The cut will be important for the 6'2" fighter as his size and strength are big weapons in his this fight.
MMA Blaster wishes T.J. the best. We will keep you posted following the results.
*Photo's of T.J. O'Brien used with his permission.
*Check out midwestcagechampionships.com for more information.
*Event will be held at the Bucs Arena at 7201 Hickman in Urbandale, Iowa.
Tonight Midwest Cage Championships, MCC, will officially hold its 16th event this Friday, September 12th. The main event will feature a Featherweight Title bout between Josh Atwell and T.J. O'Brien. The co-main event will feature a bout between UFC vet John Halverson and Vern Jefferson.
I was able to catch up with former Team Revolution fighter T.J. O'Brien to get some perspective on his upcoming fight. To earn a shot at the Featherweight Title, T.J. won a 4 man tournment at MCC 13 with victories over Nick Walker and Will Shutt. Both victories came way of first round triangle chokes.
T.J. has been training extremely hard for this fight with his good friend Alex Harper. He has perfected his wrestling by training with several college wrestlers. The preperation has led T.J. to also focus more on his stand-up. If you have seen clips of T.J. fight, you will know his size allows him to throw a mean high kick to his opponents face.
In regards to his opponent, T.J. is aware that Josh Atwell is a solid wrestler with Muay Thai skills. The key to the fight will be staying calm wherever the fight should go while controlling his opponent. With T.J. fighting a couple bouts at 155, he knows it will be a test to get to Featherweight, 145, in this fight. The cut will be important for the 6'2" fighter as his size and strength are big weapons in his this fight.
MMA Blaster wishes T.J. the best. We will keep you posted following the results.
*Photo's of T.J. O'Brien used with his permission.
*Check out midwestcagechampionships.com for more information.
*Event will be held at the Bucs Arena at 7201 Hickman in Urbandale, Iowa.
Videos of the Day - Ryan Bader
The first is a highlight video of sorts from TUF 8 participant Ryan Bader. This was from his first six fights, he fought and won once more after this video was made. The second is his "interesting" audition video he made to get on TUF 8. He said it was all a joke.
TUF 8 application video:
Bader and CB in Mexico
TUF 8 application video:
Bader and CB in Mexico
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Arlovski v. Barnett - Affliction 2 Postponed
While this Affliction card could stack up to any around, it has been postponed. Reports are that tickets sales were abismal. They are reportedly going to wait until January so the number one heavyweight in the world Fedor Emelianenko can appear on the card.
I feel bad for the former IFL stars that were going to make their respective debuts at this event. Former champs Roy Nelson, Vladdy Matyushenko and Jay Hieron along with 20 year old phenom Chris Horodecki were all slated to fight. Most have been on the shelf for some time.
Supposedly the fighters will be blended into the January card that was to feature Fedor Emelianenko. I wouldn't be surprised if Andrei Arlovski took on Fedor and Barnett fought Tim Sylvia in the new fightcard.
FORMER MAIN CARD (PPV)
Andrei Arlovski (UFC) vs. Josh Barnett (UFC, Pride)- Battle of two former UFC heavyweight champions. This will determine who earns the title fight with Fedor.
Vladimir Matyushenko (UFC, IFL LHW Champ) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Pride)
Matt Lindland (UFC, IFL) vs. Trevor Prangley (UFC)
Chris Horodecki (IFL) vs. Dan Lauzon (UFC)
Ben Rothwell (IFL) vs. Pedro Rizzo (UFC)
Drew Fickett (UFC) vs. Jay Hieron (UFC, IFL WW Champ)
FORMER PRELIMS (HDNet)
Paul Buentello (UFC) vs. Roy Nelson (IFL HW Champ)
Jason High (6-0, MCC) vs. Mike Pyle (17-5, IFL)
Chase Gormley (6-0, MFC) vs. Jay White (HDNet)
Arlovski Highlight Video
I feel bad for the former IFL stars that were going to make their respective debuts at this event. Former champs Roy Nelson, Vladdy Matyushenko and Jay Hieron along with 20 year old phenom Chris Horodecki were all slated to fight. Most have been on the shelf for some time.
Supposedly the fighters will be blended into the January card that was to feature Fedor Emelianenko. I wouldn't be surprised if Andrei Arlovski took on Fedor and Barnett fought Tim Sylvia in the new fightcard.
FORMER MAIN CARD (PPV)
Andrei Arlovski (UFC) vs. Josh Barnett (UFC, Pride)- Battle of two former UFC heavyweight champions. This will determine who earns the title fight with Fedor.
Vladimir Matyushenko (UFC, IFL LHW Champ) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Pride)
Matt Lindland (UFC, IFL) vs. Trevor Prangley (UFC)
Chris Horodecki (IFL) vs. Dan Lauzon (UFC)
Ben Rothwell (IFL) vs. Pedro Rizzo (UFC)
Drew Fickett (UFC) vs. Jay Hieron (UFC, IFL WW Champ)
FORMER PRELIMS (HDNet)
Paul Buentello (UFC) vs. Roy Nelson (IFL HW Champ)
Jason High (6-0, MCC) vs. Mike Pyle (17-5, IFL)
Chase Gormley (6-0, MFC) vs. Jay White (HDNet)
Arlovski Highlight Video
Evan Tanner - MMA Legend
Evan Tanner (32-8, 11-5 UFC) is one of the true pioneers of the sport of mixed martial arts. The two time Texas state wrestling champ initially began learning mma through instructional videos, teaching himself.
Evan started his career in the now defunct USWF, submitting three fighters including former UFC Heavyweight fighter Paul Buentello in one night. After the tournament, Tanner defended the USWF heavyweight belt 7 more times throughout his career, last defeating Travis Fulton in 2000.
In Pancrase Tanner had a 5-1 record, becoming the first American to win the Neo Blood Tournament, defeating Pancrase and Pride veteran Ikuhisa Minowa, Kousei Kubota and UFC fighter Justin McCulley.
Evan Tanner will be best remembered for his run in the UFC. Tanner started with a submission and two TKO victories working his way into a title shot. Tito Ortiz ended those hopes with a vicious slam. Tanner was able to bounce back, submitting Homer Moore, TKO'ing Elvis Sinosic and getting a decision over Chris Haseman. After a loss to Rich Franklin, Tanner won twice in battles with Phil Baroni. His triangle choke victory over Robbie Lawler was a thing of beauty as he worked the move like a guy who had been practicing the move for the 15 years.
Evan Tanner's finest moment came when he defeated David Terrell for the Middleweight Title. Evan showed heart and warrior spirit fending off a deep guillotine choke eventually raining down punches on Terrell for the ground and pound win earning the UFC MW Title.
Evan started his career in the now defunct USWF, submitting three fighters including former UFC Heavyweight fighter Paul Buentello in one night. After the tournament, Tanner defended the USWF heavyweight belt 7 more times throughout his career, last defeating Travis Fulton in 2000.
In Pancrase Tanner had a 5-1 record, becoming the first American to win the Neo Blood Tournament, defeating Pancrase and Pride veteran Ikuhisa Minowa, Kousei Kubota and UFC fighter Justin McCulley.
Evan Tanner will be best remembered for his run in the UFC. Tanner started with a submission and two TKO victories working his way into a title shot. Tito Ortiz ended those hopes with a vicious slam. Tanner was able to bounce back, submitting Homer Moore, TKO'ing Elvis Sinosic and getting a decision over Chris Haseman. After a loss to Rich Franklin, Tanner won twice in battles with Phil Baroni. His triangle choke victory over Robbie Lawler was a thing of beauty as he worked the move like a guy who had been practicing the move for the 15 years.
Evan Tanner's finest moment came when he defeated David Terrell for the Middleweight Title. Evan showed heart and warrior spirit fending off a deep guillotine choke eventually raining down punches on Terrell for the ground and pound win earning the UFC MW Title.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Nate Diaz v. Josh Neer
Here is a video preview of Nate Diaz v. Josh Neer at UFN 15.
Nate Diaz HL
Josh Neer HL
Nate Diaz HL
Josh Neer HL
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Rest In Peace Evan Tanner
I am very saddened to hear of the death of mixed martial arts legend Evan Tanner. He was a true pioneer of the sport and a warrior. The former middleweight UFC Champ will be missed by his many fans.
Monday, September 8, 2008
UFC 88 Sugar Rocks the Iceman
UFC 88 was a well run and exciting ppv event for the Atlanta crowd. I wasn't a fan of the USA chants during Dong Hyun Kim's fight with Matt Brown, unfortunately that type of behavior is common place at UFC events.
Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell via KO (punch) R2, 1:51- The first round saw mainly circling and positioning. Evans didn't go for the takedown and didn't go in for a big strike. Liddell probably won on most scorecards in the first for landing a few punches.
In the second round Liddell backed Rashad near the fence. Rashad threw a jab and then a massive overhand right. Liddell threw an uppercut. Unfortunately for Liddell, Rashad's right hand landed flush, and Liddell hit the canvas like a sack of bricks. Liddell was a split second to late and he paid the price.
According to UFC president Dana White, Rashad earned an immediate title shot with the victory. Apparently, if Chuck Liddell would have won he would have gotten the shot. Lyoto Machida is another guy in line for a title shot who currently doesn't have an opponent in UFC 89 just yet. Thiago Silva had to withdraw with a back injury.
*KO of the night for Rashad Evans - 60K bonus
*MMA Blaster readers picked incorrectly 9-2
Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via TKO (kick to the body) R3, :39- Hamill sustained numerous leg kicks throughout the first two rounds of the fight. Hamill, an elite wrestler, was only able to manage one takedown near the end of the first round. While landing far fewer strikes, Hamill was able to open a cut on Franklin.
Franklin meanwhile looked precise in his striking. He threw kicks to the legs, body and face throughout the fight. His punches landed more clean and effectively. In the third round, Franklin threw a precise body kick, crumpling Hamill.
Franklin will face a step up in competition in his next fight. I would like to see him fight Lyoto Machida again, however Machida is fighting in a couple weeks. A fight with Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson, or Wanderlei Silva would garner excellent ratings and publicity. Hamill meanwhile needs to go back to the drawing board to work on his stand-up.
Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via Dec. (Unanimous)- Not exactly the most exciting fight on the card but Henderson grinded out the decision. Palhares will be back with his dazzling submission game. However, Henderson was better on his feet in this match-up and did not engage Palhares on the ground instead letting him up.
Nathan Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via TKO (Punches) R1, 1:22- Marquardt came in and bullied the smaller Kampmann, landing multiple punches before Kampmann couldn't defend himself. I wouldn't be surprised by a Marquardt v. Henderson match for the number one contender spot at 185. I also wouldn't be surprised if Kampmann moved down to 170.
Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via Dec. (Split)- The first round saw Dong get extremely close with rear naked choke attempts and a kimura. The second round was all Matt Brown as he was able to land effective strikes and ground and pound after a failed submission attempt by Dong. The third round belonged to Dong as he was able to land some nasty elbows opening up a huge cut on Brown. A very hard fought match by two excellent competitors.
Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via Dec. (Unanimous)- Tavares showed alot of heart in this fight after he was nearly knocked out by Pellegrino in the first round. Kurt also had a pretty secure armbar that it looked like Tavares may have tapped. Tavares built some momentum in the second round, but ultimately Pellegrino got the unanimous decision.
*Both fighters earned the 60K Fight of the Night Bonus.
Tim Boetsch def. Michael Patt via TKO (Punches) R1, 2:03- Boetsch the Barbarian came out with a fury and Patt couldn't withstand it. A low kick by Patt was met with a vicious hard right counter by Boetsch. Patt ate a couple more before the fight was called.
Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R2, 1:20- MacDonald won submission of the night with his rear naked choke over Jason Lambert. Lambert hadn't been submitted since a 2001 fight against Marco Ruas.
*MacDonald wins 60K submission of the night bonus
Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via Dec.(Split)
Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell via KO (punch) R2, 1:51- The first round saw mainly circling and positioning. Evans didn't go for the takedown and didn't go in for a big strike. Liddell probably won on most scorecards in the first for landing a few punches.
In the second round Liddell backed Rashad near the fence. Rashad threw a jab and then a massive overhand right. Liddell threw an uppercut. Unfortunately for Liddell, Rashad's right hand landed flush, and Liddell hit the canvas like a sack of bricks. Liddell was a split second to late and he paid the price.
According to UFC president Dana White, Rashad earned an immediate title shot with the victory. Apparently, if Chuck Liddell would have won he would have gotten the shot. Lyoto Machida is another guy in line for a title shot who currently doesn't have an opponent in UFC 89 just yet. Thiago Silva had to withdraw with a back injury.
*KO of the night for Rashad Evans - 60K bonus
*MMA Blaster readers picked incorrectly 9-2
Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via TKO (kick to the body) R3, :39- Hamill sustained numerous leg kicks throughout the first two rounds of the fight. Hamill, an elite wrestler, was only able to manage one takedown near the end of the first round. While landing far fewer strikes, Hamill was able to open a cut on Franklin.
Franklin meanwhile looked precise in his striking. He threw kicks to the legs, body and face throughout the fight. His punches landed more clean and effectively. In the third round, Franklin threw a precise body kick, crumpling Hamill.
Franklin will face a step up in competition in his next fight. I would like to see him fight Lyoto Machida again, however Machida is fighting in a couple weeks. A fight with Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson, or Wanderlei Silva would garner excellent ratings and publicity. Hamill meanwhile needs to go back to the drawing board to work on his stand-up.
Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via Dec. (Unanimous)- Not exactly the most exciting fight on the card but Henderson grinded out the decision. Palhares will be back with his dazzling submission game. However, Henderson was better on his feet in this match-up and did not engage Palhares on the ground instead letting him up.
Nathan Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via TKO (Punches) R1, 1:22- Marquardt came in and bullied the smaller Kampmann, landing multiple punches before Kampmann couldn't defend himself. I wouldn't be surprised by a Marquardt v. Henderson match for the number one contender spot at 185. I also wouldn't be surprised if Kampmann moved down to 170.
Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via Dec. (Split)- The first round saw Dong get extremely close with rear naked choke attempts and a kimura. The second round was all Matt Brown as he was able to land effective strikes and ground and pound after a failed submission attempt by Dong. The third round belonged to Dong as he was able to land some nasty elbows opening up a huge cut on Brown. A very hard fought match by two excellent competitors.
Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via Dec. (Unanimous)- Tavares showed alot of heart in this fight after he was nearly knocked out by Pellegrino in the first round. Kurt also had a pretty secure armbar that it looked like Tavares may have tapped. Tavares built some momentum in the second round, but ultimately Pellegrino got the unanimous decision.
*Both fighters earned the 60K Fight of the Night Bonus.
Tim Boetsch def. Michael Patt via TKO (Punches) R1, 2:03- Boetsch the Barbarian came out with a fury and Patt couldn't withstand it. A low kick by Patt was met with a vicious hard right counter by Boetsch. Patt ate a couple more before the fight was called.
Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R2, 1:20- MacDonald won submission of the night with his rear naked choke over Jason Lambert. Lambert hadn't been submitted since a 2001 fight against Marco Ruas.
*MacDonald wins 60K submission of the night bonus
Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via Dec.(Split)
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Ultimate Fight Night 15
UFC's Ultimate Fight Night 15 will be airing live on Spike TV this Wednesday night at 7 Central. All fighters have made weight and are ready to go. The Ultimate Fighter 8 reality show will debut immediately following the broadcast.
Main Card
Nate Diaz vs. Josh Neer- Nate Diaz is the champion of TUF 5, and has been on an amazing roll since the show ended. Diaz has beaten Kurt Pelligrino, Junior Assuncao, and Alvin Robinson all by way of submission since his win over Manny Gamburyan for the TUF 5 crown. Diaz will probably try to keep the fight standing for awhile as he hasn't been able to fully show off his stand-up skills in the UFC. He is phenomenal on the ground though, so don't be surprised if Diaz eventually goes for a takedown or throws guard on purpose.
Neer meanwhile has won three straight, with his last fight being a decision victory over Din Thomas at UFN 13. His biggest wins in the UFC have come over Joe Stevenson and Melvin Guillard. Outside the UFC, Josh has victories over Derrick Noble, Kyle Jensen and Forrest Petz. Neer's last submission loss was actually to Nick Diaz, Nate's brother, two years ago. I would expect Neer to keep the fight standing at all costs as Diaz holds the edge submission wise.
Mac Danzig vs. Clay Guida- Danzig was the winner of TUF 6, winning in the finale over Tommy Speer. Danzig won over Mark Bocek at UFC 83 in May, his only other official UFC fight. Ouside the UFC, Danzig had wins over Jason Ireland and Buddy Clinton.
Guida is a high energy fighter who will come in with excellent cardio and tenacity. He has wins over Samy Schiavo, Marcus Aurelio and Justin James in the UFC. Guida is a Chicago based fighter who wants to shed his image of a scrappy wrestler with good cardio. I would expect Guida to strike with Danzig, and eventually go for a slam takedown with ground and pound.
Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer- The is a classic grappler versus striker match-up. Alexander will look to keep the fight standing and knock out Schafer. If Schafer holds a significant advantage when it comes to the submission game. However, if Schafer comes in for a sloppy takedown attempt he may end up seeing stars.
Alexander's big wins in the UFC have come via first round KO's over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara. Schafer has a victory over Rob MacDonald in the UFC. Both fighters have suffered two losses in a row in the UFC. Regardless, I don't think this fight will make it out of the first round.
Alan Belcher vs. Ed Herman- Belcher is 3-3 in the UFC with victories over Jorge Santiago, Sean Salmon and Kalib Starnes. In Belcher's last UFC fight he lost to Jason Day. Herman, the runner up to Kendal Grove in TUF 3, is also 3-3 in the UFC. In his last fight, Herman was submitted by BJJ ace Damien Maia with a triangle choke. Herman's wins in the UFC have come over Joe Doerkson, Scott Smith and Chris Price.
Undercard
Kyle Bradley vs. Joe Lauzon- swing bout- Lauzon will look to bounce back from a loss to Kenny Florian.
Wilson Gouveia vs. Ryan Jensen - swing bout- This is Gouveia's first fight at 185.
Drew McFedries vs Mike Massenzio- McFedries is coming off a crushing KO of Marvin Eastman and is looking to win for the second time in a row in the UFC.
Jason Brilz vs. Brad Morris- Brilz is a stud wrestler with a 15-1 mma record. He is making his debut in the UFC.
Rob Kimmons vs. Dan Miller- Dan Miller fought twice for the IFL, winning over Ryan McGivern for the IFL 185 pound title.
Alessio Sakara vs. Joe Vedepo- Iowa based fighter Joe Vedepo steps into the UFC for the first time. Vedepo won the MCC 185 pound belt before being called by the UFC. This will be Sakara's first fight at 185.
*After UFN 15, The Ultimate Fighter 8 will premier. Article Below.
Main Card
Nate Diaz vs. Josh Neer- Nate Diaz is the champion of TUF 5, and has been on an amazing roll since the show ended. Diaz has beaten Kurt Pelligrino, Junior Assuncao, and Alvin Robinson all by way of submission since his win over Manny Gamburyan for the TUF 5 crown. Diaz will probably try to keep the fight standing for awhile as he hasn't been able to fully show off his stand-up skills in the UFC. He is phenomenal on the ground though, so don't be surprised if Diaz eventually goes for a takedown or throws guard on purpose.
Neer meanwhile has won three straight, with his last fight being a decision victory over Din Thomas at UFN 13. His biggest wins in the UFC have come over Joe Stevenson and Melvin Guillard. Outside the UFC, Josh has victories over Derrick Noble, Kyle Jensen and Forrest Petz. Neer's last submission loss was actually to Nick Diaz, Nate's brother, two years ago. I would expect Neer to keep the fight standing at all costs as Diaz holds the edge submission wise.
Mac Danzig vs. Clay Guida- Danzig was the winner of TUF 6, winning in the finale over Tommy Speer. Danzig won over Mark Bocek at UFC 83 in May, his only other official UFC fight. Ouside the UFC, Danzig had wins over Jason Ireland and Buddy Clinton.
Guida is a high energy fighter who will come in with excellent cardio and tenacity. He has wins over Samy Schiavo, Marcus Aurelio and Justin James in the UFC. Guida is a Chicago based fighter who wants to shed his image of a scrappy wrestler with good cardio. I would expect Guida to strike with Danzig, and eventually go for a slam takedown with ground and pound.
Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer- The is a classic grappler versus striker match-up. Alexander will look to keep the fight standing and knock out Schafer. If Schafer holds a significant advantage when it comes to the submission game. However, if Schafer comes in for a sloppy takedown attempt he may end up seeing stars.
Alexander's big wins in the UFC have come via first round KO's over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara. Schafer has a victory over Rob MacDonald in the UFC. Both fighters have suffered two losses in a row in the UFC. Regardless, I don't think this fight will make it out of the first round.
Alan Belcher vs. Ed Herman- Belcher is 3-3 in the UFC with victories over Jorge Santiago, Sean Salmon and Kalib Starnes. In Belcher's last UFC fight he lost to Jason Day. Herman, the runner up to Kendal Grove in TUF 3, is also 3-3 in the UFC. In his last fight, Herman was submitted by BJJ ace Damien Maia with a triangle choke. Herman's wins in the UFC have come over Joe Doerkson, Scott Smith and Chris Price.
Undercard
Kyle Bradley vs. Joe Lauzon- swing bout- Lauzon will look to bounce back from a loss to Kenny Florian.
Wilson Gouveia vs. Ryan Jensen - swing bout- This is Gouveia's first fight at 185.
Drew McFedries vs Mike Massenzio- McFedries is coming off a crushing KO of Marvin Eastman and is looking to win for the second time in a row in the UFC.
Jason Brilz vs. Brad Morris- Brilz is a stud wrestler with a 15-1 mma record. He is making his debut in the UFC.
Rob Kimmons vs. Dan Miller- Dan Miller fought twice for the IFL, winning over Ryan McGivern for the IFL 185 pound title.
Alessio Sakara vs. Joe Vedepo- Iowa based fighter Joe Vedepo steps into the UFC for the first time. Vedepo won the MCC 185 pound belt before being called by the UFC. This will be Sakara's first fight at 185.
*After UFN 15, The Ultimate Fighter 8 will premier. Article Below.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Video of the Day - O'Brien v. Cunningham
Here is T.J. O'Brien v. Adam Cunningham from MCC 9 which took place on July 27th, 2007.
Dream 6 Middleweight GP Final
For any of you that have a DVR and HDNet, you may want to record Dream 6 which is airing around 3 AM Eastern. For the rest of us, we will be scouring the internet tomorrow morning for the fights. All fighters have reportedly made weight for the event. The 185 pound tournament is down to the final four, and the last two matches of the tournament will be held.
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Alistair Overeem- This main event features two of the top heavyweight strikers in the game. The winner will reportedly get a shot at Dream's Heavyweight belt.
Shinya Aoki vs. Todd Moore- Shinya is one of the top mma grapplers in the business. He has a gogoplata victory over Joachim Hansen and Katsuhiko Nagata.
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Masanori Tonooka- Akiyama is a legit top ten fighter in the 185 pound weight class.
Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai- Sakurai is an extremely dangerous fighter. Look for a
Masakatsu Funaki vs. Ikuhisa Minowa- A battle between two longtime mma veterans. Funaki better be on the lookout for the kneebar.
Jimmy Ambriz vs. Sergei Kharitonov- Finally we get to see Sergei Kharitonov back in an mma fight. He has been out of the game since September of 07.
Adriano Martins vs. Keita Nakamura- Nak is looking to rebound from a poor showing in the UFC. Nak went 0-3 in the UFC with three decision losses. He is 14-0 outside the octogon.
*Zelg Galesic vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza- This is the second fight of the 185 pound grand prix. Souza is one of the most impressive grapplers in mma. Souza beat Iam Murphy and Mayhem Miller to get to the top four. Galesic is an impressive muay thai fighter who beat Magomed Sultanakhmedov and Taiei Kin to make the top four.
*Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi- Manhoef is one of the most powerful strikers in the game today. Give him one inch and he will put you on your back seeing stars. Manhoef TKO'd Dae Won Kim and Sakuraba to reach the final four. Mousasi triangle choked Denis Kang and won a unanimous decision over Dong Sik Yoon to make the final four.
+Andrews Nakahara vs. Yoon Dong Sik- This is the alternate bout for the 185 pound tournament in case one of the winners is injured.
*photo of Shinya Aoki
(*) indicates 185 pound tournament bout, (+) alternate match
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Alistair Overeem- This main event features two of the top heavyweight strikers in the game. The winner will reportedly get a shot at Dream's Heavyweight belt.
Shinya Aoki vs. Todd Moore- Shinya is one of the top mma grapplers in the business. He has a gogoplata victory over Joachim Hansen and Katsuhiko Nagata.
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Masanori Tonooka- Akiyama is a legit top ten fighter in the 185 pound weight class.
Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai- Sakurai is an extremely dangerous fighter. Look for a
Masakatsu Funaki vs. Ikuhisa Minowa- A battle between two longtime mma veterans. Funaki better be on the lookout for the kneebar.
Jimmy Ambriz vs. Sergei Kharitonov- Finally we get to see Sergei Kharitonov back in an mma fight. He has been out of the game since September of 07.
Adriano Martins vs. Keita Nakamura- Nak is looking to rebound from a poor showing in the UFC. Nak went 0-3 in the UFC with three decision losses. He is 14-0 outside the octogon.
*Zelg Galesic vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza- This is the second fight of the 185 pound grand prix. Souza is one of the most impressive grapplers in mma. Souza beat Iam Murphy and Mayhem Miller to get to the top four. Galesic is an impressive muay thai fighter who beat Magomed Sultanakhmedov and Taiei Kin to make the top four.
*Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi- Manhoef is one of the most powerful strikers in the game today. Give him one inch and he will put you on your back seeing stars. Manhoef TKO'd Dae Won Kim and Sakuraba to reach the final four. Mousasi triangle choked Denis Kang and won a unanimous decision over Dong Sik Yoon to make the final four.
+Andrews Nakahara vs. Yoon Dong Sik- This is the alternate bout for the 185 pound tournament in case one of the winners is injured.
*photo of Shinya Aoki
(*) indicates 185 pound tournament bout, (+) alternate match
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Couture v. Lesnar at UFC 91
Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar will fight at UFC 91. Reportedly, the winner will face the winner of Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira who are coaches on TUF 8. This fight will be preceded by the biggest UFC hype fest we've ever seen. Lesnar proved he was an animal in his victory over Heath Herring. However, he basically has one submission loss and one decision victory in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Fabrico Werdum has two TKO victories in a row over Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga since his loss to Andrei Arlovski. He may have to wait for the Lesnar/Couture v. Mir/Nogeria fights work themselves out. Werdum is slated to face Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 in October 25th.
Meanwhile, Fabrico Werdum has two TKO victories in a row over Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga since his loss to Andrei Arlovski. He may have to wait for the Lesnar/Couture v. Mir/Nogeria fights work themselves out. Werdum is slated to face Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 in October 25th.
TUF 8 Trailer and Cast
*Joe Duarte
Here is the trailer for the next Ultimate Fighter show that debuts September 17th after Ultimate Fight Night 15. The coaches are former HW Champ Frank Mir and current HW Champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Not really sure why they didn't have heavyweights on the show as it is a division the UFC needs to bolster. Plus, the coaches are heavyweights.
The cast will feature a roster of light heavyweights and lightweights. Like last season, there will be 32 fighters coming in with 16 making it into the house. Thankfully, my original rumored contestants were all confirmed, plus I have added those that have popped up on Sports Illustrated.
LHW- * means seen in first episode (W/L next to name)
*Krzysztof Soszynski (15-8, 3-4 IFL W), Ryan Bader (7-0), *Ryan Jimmo (6-1 L), *Lance Evans (2-2 L), *Vinicius Magalhaes (2-2 W), *Antwain Britt (3-1 W), Shane Primm (2-0), Eliot Marshall (5-1), Tom Lawlor (4-1, with DQ loss to Shane Primm), Kyle Kingsbury (7-1), *Jules Bruchez (0-0 W), Karen Grigoryan (4-0), *Jason Guida (23-16 OVERWEIGHT), Ryan Lopez (5-4), *Eric Magee (3-1 L), Sean O'Connell (SI has 1-0, I found 0-1), *Mike Stewart (L)
LW- * means seen in first episode (W/L next to name)
*Joe Duarte (3-0 L), Shane Nelson (9-3), *"Junie" Allen Browning (2-0 W), Efrain Escudero (10-0), George Roop (8-3), Spencer Paige (5-2), *Phillipe Nover (5-0 W), Wesley Murch (3-2), *Jose Aguilar (L), *Fernando Bernstein (2-0 L), Rolando Delgado (7-3), Charles Diaz, *Brandon Garner (4-1 L-NC), *Brian McLaughlin (5-0, wins in Ring of Combat W- NC), Ido Pariente (13-4, 1-1 in K-1 MMA), John Polakowski (2-1, all three fights against Olaf Alfonso, 2 in the WEC), *Dave Kaplan (3-1, W)
^Ryan Bader is pictured above. He is a former 2X All-American wrestler at ASU.
Monday, September 1, 2008
UFC 88 Preview
**All fighters have made weight and are ready to go. The Parisyan v. Yoshida fight was scrapped when Karo withdrew because of a back injury.
Below are some fights that are listed on UFC.com as the line-up for UFC 88 in Atlanta, Georgia. The fights will take place on September 6th.
Rashad Evans (11-0-1) vs. Chuck Liddell (21-5)- Both fighters are looking at a possible title shot if they are victorious. Rashad may try to showcase his boxing skills and keep the contest standing. If that is the case, Liddell will be looking for a knockout punch. With Liddell's legendary take down defense, Rashad might not be able to showcase his wrestling ability.
Rashad's last fight was a split decision victory over Michael Bisping almost a year ago. Prior to that fight, Rashad has a controversial draw with Tito Ortiz, a high kick KO of Sean Salmon, and a KO of Jason Lambert.
In December of 2007, Liddell had a great victory over Wanderlei Silva. Prior to that, Liddell had lost to Rampage Jackson via KO, and a slim decision loss to Keith Jardine. Liddell had to push the bout back one time due to injury.
Rich Franklin (23-3) vs. Matt Hamill (4-1)- Former MW champ Franklin will be moving up to 205 pounds for the first time since his win over Ken Shamrock. Franklin was victorious over Travis Lutter in his last fight. Prior to that fight, Franklin suffered his second loss to Anderson Silva.
Hamill is coming off an outstanding victory over Tim Boetsch in April. Prior to that fight, Hamill lost a controversial decision to Michael Bisping. More than likely, Hamill will try to take the fight to the ground. Franklin will try to keep it standing. This will be the toughest fighter Hamill has fought to date. It will be interesting to see where this fight goes.
*Bout scrapped due to Parisyan back injury*
Karo Parisyan (18-5) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)- Karo is coming off a slightly controversial loss to rising star Thiago Alves. Karo thought it was an early stoppage, but he should have avoided the knee that connected flush to his face and dropped him to the canvas. Prior to that loss, Karo had defeated Ryo Chonan, Josh Burkman and Drew Fickett via unanimous decision.
Yoshida is riding a 9 fight win streak, recently choking Jon Koppenhaver unconscious in his UFC debut. Akira Kikuchi (16-4) and Luis Sapo (15-2) are among his victories during the streak. It would be nice to see a little emotion out of Yoshida, who didn't appear to care about the awesome victory over War Machine.
Dan Henderson (22-7) vs. Rousimar Palhares (8-1)- Henderson will look to bounce back from two straight losses since joining the UFC. Henderson has lost to two of the sports best in Anderson Silva and Rampage Jackson. Palharaes has six straight wins since a loss to Arthur Cesar in 06. In his last fight he choked out Ivan Salaverry.
Martin Kampmann (13-1) vs. Nate Marquardt (26-8)- This is a huge fight for Kampmann as a win would put him near title contention. Kampmann has 9 straight victories and is 4-0 in the UFC during that stretch. Since a nasty knee injury, Kampmann defeated Jorge Rivera in June. Marquardt lost a very strange split decision to Thales Leites in his last fight. The former King of Pancrase has wins over Jeremy Horn, Dean Lister, Crafton Wallace and Joe Doerkson in the UFC.
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Thiago Tavares
Tim Boetsch vs. Mike Patt
Matt Brown vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Roan Carneiro vs. Ryo Chonan
Jason Lambert vs. Jason MacDonald
Below are some fights that are listed on UFC.com as the line-up for UFC 88 in Atlanta, Georgia. The fights will take place on September 6th.
Rashad Evans (11-0-1) vs. Chuck Liddell (21-5)- Both fighters are looking at a possible title shot if they are victorious. Rashad may try to showcase his boxing skills and keep the contest standing. If that is the case, Liddell will be looking for a knockout punch. With Liddell's legendary take down defense, Rashad might not be able to showcase his wrestling ability.
Rashad's last fight was a split decision victory over Michael Bisping almost a year ago. Prior to that fight, Rashad has a controversial draw with Tito Ortiz, a high kick KO of Sean Salmon, and a KO of Jason Lambert.
In December of 2007, Liddell had a great victory over Wanderlei Silva. Prior to that, Liddell had lost to Rampage Jackson via KO, and a slim decision loss to Keith Jardine. Liddell had to push the bout back one time due to injury.
Rich Franklin (23-3) vs. Matt Hamill (4-1)- Former MW champ Franklin will be moving up to 205 pounds for the first time since his win over Ken Shamrock. Franklin was victorious over Travis Lutter in his last fight. Prior to that fight, Franklin suffered his second loss to Anderson Silva.
Hamill is coming off an outstanding victory over Tim Boetsch in April. Prior to that fight, Hamill lost a controversial decision to Michael Bisping. More than likely, Hamill will try to take the fight to the ground. Franklin will try to keep it standing. This will be the toughest fighter Hamill has fought to date. It will be interesting to see where this fight goes.
*Bout scrapped due to Parisyan back injury*
Karo Parisyan (18-5) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)- Karo is coming off a slightly controversial loss to rising star Thiago Alves. Karo thought it was an early stoppage, but he should have avoided the knee that connected flush to his face and dropped him to the canvas. Prior to that loss, Karo had defeated Ryo Chonan, Josh Burkman and Drew Fickett via unanimous decision.
Yoshida is riding a 9 fight win streak, recently choking Jon Koppenhaver unconscious in his UFC debut. Akira Kikuchi (16-4) and Luis Sapo (15-2) are among his victories during the streak. It would be nice to see a little emotion out of Yoshida, who didn't appear to care about the awesome victory over War Machine.
Dan Henderson (22-7) vs. Rousimar Palhares (8-1)- Henderson will look to bounce back from two straight losses since joining the UFC. Henderson has lost to two of the sports best in Anderson Silva and Rampage Jackson. Palharaes has six straight wins since a loss to Arthur Cesar in 06. In his last fight he choked out Ivan Salaverry.
Martin Kampmann (13-1) vs. Nate Marquardt (26-8)- This is a huge fight for Kampmann as a win would put him near title contention. Kampmann has 9 straight victories and is 4-0 in the UFC during that stretch. Since a nasty knee injury, Kampmann defeated Jorge Rivera in June. Marquardt lost a very strange split decision to Thales Leites in his last fight. The former King of Pancrase has wins over Jeremy Horn, Dean Lister, Crafton Wallace and Joe Doerkson in the UFC.
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Thiago Tavares
Tim Boetsch vs. Mike Patt
Matt Brown vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Roan Carneiro vs. Ryo Chonan
Jason Lambert vs. Jason MacDonald
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