UFC 94 Review

UFC 94 turned out to be a decent show with great top billed fights. With an estimated 14,855 people showing up at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I watched the fights on ppv and will be interested to see how many ppv buys the event had. GSP v. Penn has been hyped since last year and my guess is that the advertising dollars paid off.

Clay Guida def Nathan Diaz via Dec (Split)- Guida came to the fight with a high energy and smothering style to win the split decision. Diaz was able to land some heavy strikes and knees, but couldn't get anything really going. Guida won the fight by being able to get Diaz' back, get takedowns and better position. Guida now has three straight wins since his loss to Roger Huerta.
*Guida and Diaz win Fight of the Night.

Karo Parisyan def Dong Hyun Kim via Dec (Split)- In my opinion, Kim got the short hand of the stick in this fight. Kim won the first round by getting Karo's back, throwing down hammerfists, and almost getting Karo stuck in a Kim triangle choke. The first round that was decisive as the second and third round were very hard to score. I would give the second to Karo and the third to Kim. In dropping the decision, Kim learned a lesson not let the fight go to the judges scorecards.

Jon Jones def Stephan Bonnar via Dec (Unanimous)- Jon "Bones" Jones looked athletic and unorthodox in his second straight win in the UFC pushing his record to 8-0. Jones landed a suplex in the first while trying to get Bonnar's back. Jones also connected with a spinning back elbow and a vicious knee. Jones didn't let up, tossing Bonnar to the mat, getting takedowns at will, and throwing good knees throughout the fight to win the unanimous decision. With some more training and experience, Jones will continue to progress and develop into a force.

Lyoto Machida def Thiago Silva via KO (Punches) R1, 4:59- Machida took his time early on before connecting with a kick and knee to the body. After a brief time for a knee to the groin, Machida was able to land consistent combinations and takedowns. Right before the end of the round, Machida landed a left right combination and dove in for one more punch. Absorbing the impact, Silva is out for the count as the ref called the fight. Machida did a good job silencing his critics as he systematically took Silva apart.
*Machida wins KO of the Night.

Georges St. Pierre def B.J. Penn via TKO (Corner Stoppage) R4, 5:00- GSP simply overwelmed BJ Penn en route to an eventual TKO at the end of the fourth round. St. Pierre was able to dominate the fight with takedowns, ground and pound and connecting on his feet. BJ almost was able to get a couple submission attempts going, but they never really came close. BJ ate way too many elbows and punches in the fourth and when he went to the corner they called the fight.

GSP is now a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame. He has five straight wins including over Matt Hughes for the interim title, Matt Serra to unify the title, and defending against Jon Fitch and BJ Penn. A fight with Thiago Alves looms, as well as speculation of a potential fight with Anderson Silva.

UNDERCARD

Dan Cramer def Matt Arroyo via Dec (Split)
Jake O'Brien def Christian Wellisch via Dec (Split)
Thiago Tavares def Manny Gamburyan via Dec (Unanimous)
Jon Fitch def Akihiro Gono via Dec (Unanimous)
John Howard def Chris Wilson via Dec (Split)- Won the second fight of the night bonus.

UFC 94 Preview

UFC 94 kicks off this Saturday, January 31st at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The BJ Penn v. GSP fight is being hyped up as the Superbowl of MMA. We will see how the card plays out, hopefully Machida is feeling peppy. All fighters made weight, with former heavyweights Christian Wellish and Jake O'Brien debuting at 205 pounds.

MAIN CARD

Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn- This fight is being hyped as the fight of the year. The undisputed king of the 170 pound class versus the king of the 155 pound class. In addition, this is a rematch of a match from UFC 58 where BJ lost a close split decision. I would expect to see GSP go for the takedown early and often. The question in this fight may come down to whether or not BJ can get a submission off his back.

Since a crazy upset loss to Matt Serra, Georges St. Pierre has been on quite a streak. He has outwrestled Josh Koscheck, armbarred Matt Hughes and punished Matt Serra and Jon Fitch since that loss. Georges is an incredible athlete, with suberb striking, cardio and wrestling ability. Georges also holds wins over Jay Hieron, Sean Sherk, Mayhem Miller and Frank Trigg.

(Georges St. Pierre pictured)

Since a disappointing loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 63, BJ Penn reinvented himself at 155, dominating his competition. He won over Jens Pulver following TUF 5, then crushed Joe Stevenson for the interim 155 pound title. He then went on to outstrike and eventually TKO Sean Sherk to unify the 155 pound title. BJ will be looking to strike with GSP and possibly go for a submission. If BJ has one clear advantage, it would be in the submission game. BJ also has wins over Duane Ludwig, Takanori Gomi, and Caol Uno.

(BJ Penn pictured)

Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva- Someone's undefeated status will be loss against in this battle for the number one contender spot at 205 pounds. Machida is a karate and BJJ black-belt who utilizes a countering style that frustrates many opponents. Silva, who owns a great ground game rarely uses it. Silva instead uses his heavy hand to knock his opponents out.

I expect this fight to remain standing, with Machida waiting to capitalize on a Silva mistake. Machida is 13-0 with victories over Rich Franklin, Stephan Bonnar and BJ Penn outside the UFC. He holds wins over Sokoudjou, Tito Ortiz, Kazuhiro Nakamura, David Heath and Sam Hoger inside the UFC.

(Lyoto Machida pictured)

Thiago Silva (13-0) has ten knockouts and two submission wins in his career. He has beaten Antonio Mendes, Houston Alexander, Tomasz Drwal and James Irvin in the UFC. I expect Silva to try to get in close on Machida to throw punches in the clinch.

Stephan Bonnar vs. Jon Jones
Karo Parisyan vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Nate Diaz vs. Clay Guida

UNDER CARD

Jon Fitch vs. Akihiro Gono
Manny Gamburyan vs. Thiago Tavares
John Howard vs. Chris Wilson
Jake O'Brien vs. Christian Wellisch
Matt Arroyo vs. Dan Cramer

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

Ultimate Fight Night 13

The Ultimate Fight Night 13 produced some excellent fights and some great come from behind see-saw battles. The show was basically a UFC pay per view lite. The fights were great, the lite describes the amount fights shown vs. filler and commercials. The multiple interviews, lengthy commercial breaks, and lack of cohesion to the production got annoying. After Diaz and Hammil's fights ended quick it took forever to get to the next fight. After Alves beat Karo, it took forever to get to Speer v. Johnson. With the amount of fights that ended in the second or first round there should have been 8 fights shown instead of 6.

MAIN CARD
Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon- Florian via TKO, 3:29 R2- Lauzon may have taken the first round with takedowns, but Kenny was able to land some kicks and elbows. The second round Kenny was able to secure the mount and land punches until the ref was forced to stop the fight.

Thiago Alves vs. Karo Parisyan- Alves via KO (knee to punches), :34 R1- The first round saw Karo and Thiago exchange blows. Joe Rogan talked alot about the mile high altitude. Karo looked to be carrying a little more weight and it didn't help him in this fight. In the second round, Karo took a massive knee to the face. He then took three or four punches from Alves before ref Steve Mazzagati called it.

Afterwards, Karo popped up and was angered at the stoppage. It was obvious on the replay that Karo's knees buckled after the knee and he took at least three punches. In Karo's defense, he did have an arm up attempting to say he was still alright. It may of been a quick stoppage, but Karo shouldn't have let a massive knee crumple him to the ground. Five straight wins for Thiago should put him one behind Jon Fitch for the title. Fitch definately has earned his place with his 8th straight win at UFC 82.

Tim Boetsch vs. Matt Hamill- Hamill via TKO 1:25, R2- Tremendous applause has to be given for Hamill in this one. After trading shots at the start, Hamill was able to take Boetsch down and land a couple glancing blows. After a stand-up, Boetsch picked Hamill apart with front kicks, knees, and punches. A brutal Boetsch knee prompted blood to start pouring from Hamill's mouth. Hamill took alot of punishment before the horn sounded.

After the round we saw that Hamill's lip was actually split basically in two. It looked as if the knee had pushed the lip trough a tooth. The second round looked to be more of the same until Hamill landed a takedown and then a huge flurry. He gave it all he had, and eventually Boetsch just wasn't blocking many punches and the action was called.

Houston Alexander vs. James Irvin- Irvin via KO :08 R1- Irvin landed a superman punch and a few others to get the KO at 8 seconds of the first round.

Nate Diaz vs. Kurt Pellegrino- Diaz via sub. (triangle) 3:06, R2- Nate Diaz impressed me with his performance in this fight. Diaz took an absolute beating in the first round. Diaz took punches and elbows directly on the chin, side of the head, and to the face. A massive Pellegrino elbow smashed him on the eye and opened up a cut. Diaz gave up his back, but was able to ride out the round. In the second, Diaz looked revitalized. After an attempted slam Diaz transitioned from an extremely non-chalant guillotine attempt to a triangle. Knowing it was sunk deep, Diaz flexed to the crowd and then flashed dual middle fingers. Classy.

Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard - Maynard via UD- Both fighters landed punches in the first, but Maynard won each round with takedowns and a slight advantage while standing.

UNDERCARD

Anthony Johnson vs. Tommy Speer- Tom Speer was absolutely destroyed in his fight. It seemed like punch after punch, kick after kick landed. Johnson popped Speer in the mouth and dropped him like a sack of bricks. Speer laid against the fence for a few seconds.

Marcus Aurelio vs. Ryan Roberts
Josh Neer vs. Din Thomas
Jeff Cox vs. Manny Gamburyan
Samy Schiavo vs. Clay Guida
Roman Mitichyan vs. George Sotiropoulos

Ultimate Fight Night and TUF 7 Preview

Ohhhhhh my. There are three hours of Ultimate Fight Night and one hour of TUF 7 on Wednesday night. I can barely contain myself. The best part is that UFN 13 is absolutely stacked, with a card that is probably better than UFC 83(minus GSP v. Serra).



Also, TUF 7 is premiering, with 32 middleweight fighters trying to make it into the TUF house. I really hope they do some sort of seeding for the first round, as there are 16 fighters who either have less than 3 fights or sub 500 records. It would be a shame if two fighters with 5 or 6 wins had to fight in the first round, while two 0-0 guys fought. Scroll down for video on two of the frontrunners, C.B. Dollaway and Gerald Harris.

UFN 13 Lineup:

MAIN CARD
Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon
Thiago Alves vs. Karo Parisyan
Tim Boetsch vs. Matt Hamill
Houston Alexander vs. James Irvin
Nate Diaz vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard - Swing bout - Showdown of two elite wrestlers in MMA. I think this fight will broadcast as Alexander v. Irvin will probably end quick.

UNDERCARD
Marcus Aurelio vs. Ryan Roberts
Josh Neer vs. Din Thomas
Jeff Cox vs. Manny Gamburyan
Samy Schiavo vs. Clay Guida
Roman Mitichyan vs. George Sotiropoulos
Anthony Johnson vs. Tommy Speer