This fight between Shogun Rua and Rafael "Capoeira" Freitas took place at Meca World Vale Tudo 7 on November 8, 2002 in Curitiba, Brazil.
It is listed on most MMA databases as Shogun Rua's first pro fight. As you can see, it is not the best referee in the business. Soccer kicks were legal in this Vale Tudo rule-set.
Shogun rose to prominence by rattling off vicious KO's in the Pride organization defeating Akihiro Gono, Rampage Jackson, Alistair Overeem, Lil' Nog and Ricardo Arona.
Shogun (22-10) will next have a rematch with Antonio "Lil Nog" Nogueira (21-6) at UFC 190.
Showing posts with label Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Show all posts
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Thursday, August 4, 2011
UFC Rio Preview
With the UFC looking to make a huge splash in its first event in Brazil since 1998, Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami will square off in the main event at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event is the first since the major news of a UFC and Fox partnership.
Anderson Silva (30-4, 13-0 UFC) has unequivocally had the most unprecedented run in the UFC, winning 13 straight in the promotion, including 9 for the title. Mixing precision striking with elite Muay Thai skills, Anderson has made many top notch MMA stars look like amateurs during his run.
Anderson will look to punish Okami standing, mainly using his fists to avoid an Okami takedown. Anderson could look for the Muay Thai clinch with knees early and often, while looking to scramble if taken down. Anderson KO'd Vitor Belfort in his last bout with a front kick with follow up punches, with other UFC wins over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia.
(Anderson punching Forrest Griffin)
The only chink in Silva's armor during his UFC run has been a near defeat to Chael Sonnen, who tagged Silva with punches and accomplished takedowns at will during the first four rounds of the title fight. In the fifth, Silva nailed a miraculous triangle/armbar to retain the title. Sonnen has been training with Okami in preparation for the bout.
Yushin Okami (26-5, 10-2 UFC) has experience with Anderson Silva before, fighting him in BJ Penn's Rumble on the Rock tournament. Anderson punished Okami with leg kicks, Okami's failed a couple takedowns before getting a single leg, then Okami was rocked by an illegal upkick while grounded.
(Okami punching Rory Singer)
Okami should know that his takedowns must be set-up from the clinch in order to work. Okami probably also knows that while his stand-up has improved greatly since the first match-up, it is no where near the level of Anderson's. Expect Okami to look for the clinch early and often to neutralize the range of Anderson.
Here is a look at the full card:
PPV CARD
Anderson Silva v. Yushin Okami
Forrest Griffin v. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira v. Brendan Schaub
Edson Barboza v. Ross Pearson
Luiz Cane v. Stanislav Nedkov
SPIKE TV CARD
Spencer Fisher v. Thiago Tavares
Dan Miller v. Rousimar Palhares
FACEBOOK CARD
David Mitchell v. Paulo Thiago
Raphael Assuncao v. Johnny Eduard
Erick Silva v. Luis Ramos
Felipe Arantes v. Yuri Alcantara
Yves Jabouin v. Ian Loveland
Sunday, May 9, 2010
UFC 113 - Sho-Nuff
The 205 pound championship changed again this weekend in Vancouver, Canada at UFC 113 as Shogun Rua destroyed Lyoto Machida in the very first round. In other action Paul Daley punched his ticket out of the UFC with an ugly sucker punch, and the Kimbo Slice era has probably come to a close.
Koscheck meanwhile has finally earned his title shot against Georges St. Pierre with his 13th official win in the UFC. GSP and Koscheck will coach the 12th season of The Ultimate Fighter to promote the title fight.
Shogun Rua joins the list of revolving champions in the 205 pound division. After shaking off Machida takedowns, Rua unleashed a fury of ground and pound to take the title. Since Chuck Liddell defended four straight times, the title has bounced to Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida then Shogun Rua.
(Shogun Rua Pictured)
MAIN CARD
Shogun Rua def Lyoto Machida via KO (strikes) R1, 3:35
Josh Koscheck def Paul Daley via unanimous dec
Jeremy Stephens def Sam Stout via split dec
Matt Mitrione def Kimbo Slice via TKO (strikes) R2, 4:24
Alan Belcher def Patrick Cote via submission (RNC) R2, 3:25
UNDER CARD
Joe Doerksen def Tom Lawlor via submission (RNC) R2, 2:10
Marcus Davis def Jonathan Goulet via TKO (punches) R2, 1:23
Johny Hendricks def T.J. Grant via majority dec
Joey Beltran def Tim Hague via unanimous dec
Mike Guymon def Yoshiyuki Yoshida via unanimous dec
John Salter def Jason MacDonald via TKO (injury) R1, 2:42
Koscheck meanwhile has finally earned his title shot against Georges St. Pierre with his 13th official win in the UFC. GSP and Koscheck will coach the 12th season of The Ultimate Fighter to promote the title fight.
Shogun Rua joins the list of revolving champions in the 205 pound division. After shaking off Machida takedowns, Rua unleashed a fury of ground and pound to take the title. Since Chuck Liddell defended four straight times, the title has bounced to Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida then Shogun Rua.
(Shogun Rua Pictured)
MAIN CARD
Shogun Rua def Lyoto Machida via KO (strikes) R1, 3:35
Josh Koscheck def Paul Daley via unanimous dec
Jeremy Stephens def Sam Stout via split dec
Matt Mitrione def Kimbo Slice via TKO (strikes) R2, 4:24
Alan Belcher def Patrick Cote via submission (RNC) R2, 3:25
UNDER CARD
Joe Doerksen def Tom Lawlor via submission (RNC) R2, 2:10
Marcus Davis def Jonathan Goulet via TKO (punches) R2, 1:23
Johny Hendricks def T.J. Grant via majority dec
Joey Beltran def Tim Hague via unanimous dec
Mike Guymon def Yoshiyuki Yoshida via unanimous dec
John Salter def Jason MacDonald via TKO (injury) R1, 2:42
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
UFC 104 - Dragon Fire
I waited to release my review of this event until I watched the Lyoto Machida versus Shogun Rua fight again. After five lackluster but technically impressive fight was won by Lyoto Machida on all three score cards. However, the viewing audience, Joe Rogaine and myself all saw it for Shogun.
Here are the results:
Lyoto Machida def Shogun Rua via unanimous dec- This title fight has turned controversial following all three judges awarding the fight to champion Lyoto Machida with 48-47. Throughout the fight Shogun seemed to land hard leg and body kicks. Machida seemed to back peddle and throw punches.
The body and leg kicks thrown by the more aggressive Rua led to me believing he had won the 1st, 4th and 5th rounds. Rua continually controlled where the fight to place and was consistently showing better aggression. Machida did gets some nice punces in at times, but seemed to never get into rhythem.
Dana White has indicated both fighters have agreed to an immediate rematch. Unfortunately, Machida suffered a laceration to his lip and was suspended without contact for 60 days. Look for the fight to possibly take place in February.
*MMA Blaster readers correctly choose Machida 90-27
Cain Velasquez def Ben Rothwell via TKO (punches) R2, 0:58- Cain Velasquez bullied the larger Ben Rothwell, eventually knocking him senseless in the second round. Velasquez dominated Rothwell with his superior wrestling and power punching from the ground.
The victory would have seemed to earn Cain a title shot. However, champ Brock Lesnar suffered an illness pushing back his fight with Shane Carwin. It appears Velasquez could fight Junior Dos Santos next.
Joe Stevenson def Spencer Fisher via TKO (elbows) R1, 4:03- Joe Stevenson continues his rise back up to the top of his game since joining Team Jackson. The submission grappler knew his best shot at victory would be to get the fight to the ground. Fisher was able to deny Stevenson's takedowns for a little while before succeeding.
Once the fight was on the ground, Stevenson was able to get Fisher's arm trapped in a crucifix, reminiscant of the Roy Nelson versus Kimbo fight. Elbows came in bunches and the ref was forced to stop the fight.
(Joe Stevenson pictured)
Anthony Johnson def Yoshiyuki Yoshida via KO (punch) R1, 0:41- Anthony Johnson sacrificed some pay for missing weight in this contest, but he didn't sacrifice his performance. Johnson briefly attempted to clinch, backed out and crushed Yoshida with a right hand knocking him into another universe and ending the fight.
Pat Barry def Antoni Hardonk by TKO (punches) R2, 2:30- In what turned out to be the fight of the night, Pat Barry and Antoni Hardonk threw down in an absolute battle. Hardonk started the action landing some big leg kicks and big punches. Barry looked to use his quickness, before Barry then was struck deep in the eye by Hardonk.
After a brief injury time out, Barry began to find his range with straight punches. Barry dropped Hardonk with a jab, landing in side mount dropping additional punishment. In the second round, Barry's speed was too much for Hardonk as he dropped him with straight punches before the finisher, a right hand to Hardonk's temple.
*Barry wins Fight of the Night and KO of the Night Bonus
(Pat Barry pictured)
Stefan Struve def Chase Gormley via sub (triangle) R1, 4:04- After the gigantic Struve landed some big kicks, Gormley worked the fight to the ground. From there, the two attempted leg locks. After Struve got top position he worked for a triangle and leaned to his back, getting Gormley to succumb to the choke.
*Struve wins Submission of the Night Bonus
Gleison Tibau def Josh Neer via unanimous dec
Ryan Bader def Eric Schafer by unanimous dec
Chael Sonnen def Yushin Okami via unanimous dec
Jorge Rivera def Rob Kimmons via TKO (punches) R3, 1:53
Kyle Kingsbury def Razak Al-Hassan via split dec
Here are the results:
Lyoto Machida def Shogun Rua via unanimous dec- This title fight has turned controversial following all three judges awarding the fight to champion Lyoto Machida with 48-47. Throughout the fight Shogun seemed to land hard leg and body kicks. Machida seemed to back peddle and throw punches.
The body and leg kicks thrown by the more aggressive Rua led to me believing he had won the 1st, 4th and 5th rounds. Rua continually controlled where the fight to place and was consistently showing better aggression. Machida did gets some nice punces in at times, but seemed to never get into rhythem.
Dana White has indicated both fighters have agreed to an immediate rematch. Unfortunately, Machida suffered a laceration to his lip and was suspended without contact for 60 days. Look for the fight to possibly take place in February.
*MMA Blaster readers correctly choose Machida 90-27
Cain Velasquez def Ben Rothwell via TKO (punches) R2, 0:58- Cain Velasquez bullied the larger Ben Rothwell, eventually knocking him senseless in the second round. Velasquez dominated Rothwell with his superior wrestling and power punching from the ground.
The victory would have seemed to earn Cain a title shot. However, champ Brock Lesnar suffered an illness pushing back his fight with Shane Carwin. It appears Velasquez could fight Junior Dos Santos next.
Joe Stevenson def Spencer Fisher via TKO (elbows) R1, 4:03- Joe Stevenson continues his rise back up to the top of his game since joining Team Jackson. The submission grappler knew his best shot at victory would be to get the fight to the ground. Fisher was able to deny Stevenson's takedowns for a little while before succeeding.
Once the fight was on the ground, Stevenson was able to get Fisher's arm trapped in a crucifix, reminiscant of the Roy Nelson versus Kimbo fight. Elbows came in bunches and the ref was forced to stop the fight.
(Joe Stevenson pictured)
Anthony Johnson def Yoshiyuki Yoshida via KO (punch) R1, 0:41- Anthony Johnson sacrificed some pay for missing weight in this contest, but he didn't sacrifice his performance. Johnson briefly attempted to clinch, backed out and crushed Yoshida with a right hand knocking him into another universe and ending the fight.
Pat Barry def Antoni Hardonk by TKO (punches) R2, 2:30- In what turned out to be the fight of the night, Pat Barry and Antoni Hardonk threw down in an absolute battle. Hardonk started the action landing some big leg kicks and big punches. Barry looked to use his quickness, before Barry then was struck deep in the eye by Hardonk.
After a brief injury time out, Barry began to find his range with straight punches. Barry dropped Hardonk with a jab, landing in side mount dropping additional punishment. In the second round, Barry's speed was too much for Hardonk as he dropped him with straight punches before the finisher, a right hand to Hardonk's temple.
*Barry wins Fight of the Night and KO of the Night Bonus
(Pat Barry pictured)
Stefan Struve def Chase Gormley via sub (triangle) R1, 4:04- After the gigantic Struve landed some big kicks, Gormley worked the fight to the ground. From there, the two attempted leg locks. After Struve got top position he worked for a triangle and leaned to his back, getting Gormley to succumb to the choke.
*Struve wins Submission of the Night Bonus
Gleison Tibau def Josh Neer via unanimous dec
Ryan Bader def Eric Schafer by unanimous dec
Chael Sonnen def Yushin Okami via unanimous dec
Jorge Rivera def Rob Kimmons via TKO (punches) R3, 1:53
Kyle Kingsbury def Razak Al-Hassan via split dec
Thursday, October 1, 2009
UFC 104 Preview
UFC 104 takes place on Saturday, October 24th from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The event will feature a ppv card as well as at least 2 undercard bouts on an hour lead-in segment on Spike TV. If one of the undercard bouts ends in the first round it could make one of the broadcasts.
Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua- The undefeated champ Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (15-0) will look to defend the title he aquired while violently KO'ed Rashad Evans in the second round of their 205 bout. Shogun (18-3) will look to continue the momentum he has built off a first round KO of Chuck Liddell.
Lyoto Machida and his karate base make a fight with the Brazilian very difficult. Shogun will look to utilize his muay thai, attacking his knees, kicks and elbows. Machida is very elusive and often forces his opponents to lose their cool and rush in, leaving an opening for Machida to pick them apart.
(Lyoto kicking Rashad at UFC 98)
Machida's undefeated run includes wins over Rich Franklin, BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans. Shogun was a fixture in Pride before coming to the UFC and has victories over Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Alistair Overeem, Rampage Jackson and Kevin Randleman.
(Shogun Rua pictured)
Ben Rothwell vs. Cain Velasquez- Former IFL Heavyweight star Ben Rothwell will take on fast rising Cain Velasquez in a fight that could send Velasquez to a potential title shot. Rothwell would likely need another big time victory.
Cain Velasquez (6-0, 4-0 UFC) has the wrestling advantage, and his best strategy would be to get the fight to the ground and delivering a healthy dose of ground and pound. Velasquez' defeated Cheick Kongo in his last match via decision, while taking a couple big punches. He also has victories over Jake O'Brien and Denis Stojnic.
(Cain Velasquez pictured)
Ben Rothwell (30-6) compiled a 9-0 record while in the IFL, defeating the likes of Roy Nelson, Krzysztof Soszynski, Ricco Rodriguez and Dan Bobish. Look for Rothwell to keep the fight standing, throwing power punches while utilizing his height and weight advantage.
(Ben Rothwell pictured)
MAIN CARD
Josh Neer vs. Gleison Tibau
Spencer Fisher vs. Joe Stevenson
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
SPIKE TV
Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer
Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk
UNDERCARD
Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera
Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Stefan Struve vs. Chase Gormley
Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua- The undefeated champ Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (15-0) will look to defend the title he aquired while violently KO'ed Rashad Evans in the second round of their 205 bout. Shogun (18-3) will look to continue the momentum he has built off a first round KO of Chuck Liddell.
Lyoto Machida and his karate base make a fight with the Brazilian very difficult. Shogun will look to utilize his muay thai, attacking his knees, kicks and elbows. Machida is very elusive and often forces his opponents to lose their cool and rush in, leaving an opening for Machida to pick them apart.
(Lyoto kicking Rashad at UFC 98)
Machida's undefeated run includes wins over Rich Franklin, BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans. Shogun was a fixture in Pride before coming to the UFC and has victories over Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Alistair Overeem, Rampage Jackson and Kevin Randleman.
(Shogun Rua pictured)
Ben Rothwell vs. Cain Velasquez- Former IFL Heavyweight star Ben Rothwell will take on fast rising Cain Velasquez in a fight that could send Velasquez to a potential title shot. Rothwell would likely need another big time victory.
Cain Velasquez (6-0, 4-0 UFC) has the wrestling advantage, and his best strategy would be to get the fight to the ground and delivering a healthy dose of ground and pound. Velasquez' defeated Cheick Kongo in his last match via decision, while taking a couple big punches. He also has victories over Jake O'Brien and Denis Stojnic.
(Cain Velasquez pictured)
Ben Rothwell (30-6) compiled a 9-0 record while in the IFL, defeating the likes of Roy Nelson, Krzysztof Soszynski, Ricco Rodriguez and Dan Bobish. Look for Rothwell to keep the fight standing, throwing power punches while utilizing his height and weight advantage.
(Ben Rothwell pictured)
MAIN CARD
Josh Neer vs. Gleison Tibau
Spencer Fisher vs. Joe Stevenson
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
SPIKE TV
Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer
Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk
UNDERCARD
Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera
Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Stefan Struve vs. Chase Gormley
Monday, April 20, 2009
UFC 97 - Liddell Gone
UFC 97 was kind of a sad affair for die hard MMA fans. The card likely ended the Chuck Liddell era in MMA. Liddell was knocked out yet again, his 3rd KO loss, 4th overall in his past 5 fights. Dana White has been adament that if the Iceman didn't win and have a good performance that he would no longer be a fighter in the UFC. Liddell has had a masterful career, building the UFC while winning the LHW belt and defending 4 times. He is a sure fire UFC Hall of Famer.
Also, for the second straight time, Anderson Silva put on a lackluster performance. Thales Leites didn't want to engage the entire fight, and began flopping in the third round. However, Silva still seemed to have some advantages that he just didn't take advantage of.
Anderson Silva def Thales Leites via unanimous dec- Silva looked tenative the entire fight. He brutalized Leites lead leg the entire fight with inside and outside leg kicks, front kicks to the knee, and near the end punches to the knee. Silva also landed a couple body kicks and came close on a high kick. Problem was, there was so much feeling out time that the crowd got angry.
Leites best offense came with a takedown. But, while there he was blasted with Silva elbows and the fight eventually was stood back up. The fight was the first to go to decision for Silva since 2004 and the first to go past 15 minutes. Silva could face Yushin Okami, Nate Marquardt or Demian Maia next.
Sam Stout def Matt Wiman via unanimous dec- Stout and Wiman had a solid fight lasting the full frame. Wiman scored more on takedowns, while Stout got the better of the action standing. Wiman came close in the third by taking Stout's back and nearly getting the rear naked choke. However, Stout did too much in the first two rounds to win the fight 29-28.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def Chuck Liddell via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:28- Both fighters briefly exchanged punches before Rua got a takedown. Like an expert, Liddell quickly got back to his feet. Unfortunately for Liddell, while throwing a punch, Rua countered with a left that sent him to the canvas. A couple more Rua hammerfists and the bout was called. With the win, Rua inches closer to a potential title shot. Liddell is likely retired.
Krzysztof Soszynski def Brian Stann via submission (kimura) R1, 3:53- For the second straight fight, Sosynski has utilized a kimura to win his bout. After trading leg kicks, both fighters clinched against the fence with some dirty boxing. After being seperated, Sosynski was successful in a takedown, landing in half guard. From there he worked the kimura to perfection.
Cheick Kongo def Antoni Hardonk via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:29- Kongo looked very impressive in his third straight win in the UFC. The first round saw Kongo get the better of Hardonk in the stand-up game, landing body and leg kicks. Kongo also managed a takedowns and good hammer-fists and ground and pound. The second was more of the same as Kongo overwhelmed Hardonk, landing a kick and punch that send Hardonk to the canvas, and ground and pound eventually ends the fight.
Luiz Cane def Steve Cantwell via unanimous dec- Cane landed the more consistent strikes to win the decision. Cantwell had a couple good looking head kicks, but they were blocked for the most part.
PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
Denis Kang def Xavier Foupa-Pokam via unanimous dec
Nate Quarry def Jason MacDonald via TKO (strikes) R1, 2:27
Ed Herman def David Loiseau via unanimous dec
Mark Bocek def David Bielkheden via sub (rear-naked choke) R1, 4:57
T.J. Grant def Ryo Chonan via split dec
Eliot Marshall def Vinicius Magalhaes via unanimous dec
(Cheick Kongo Pictured)
Also, for the second straight time, Anderson Silva put on a lackluster performance. Thales Leites didn't want to engage the entire fight, and began flopping in the third round. However, Silva still seemed to have some advantages that he just didn't take advantage of.
Anderson Silva def Thales Leites via unanimous dec- Silva looked tenative the entire fight. He brutalized Leites lead leg the entire fight with inside and outside leg kicks, front kicks to the knee, and near the end punches to the knee. Silva also landed a couple body kicks and came close on a high kick. Problem was, there was so much feeling out time that the crowd got angry.
Leites best offense came with a takedown. But, while there he was blasted with Silva elbows and the fight eventually was stood back up. The fight was the first to go to decision for Silva since 2004 and the first to go past 15 minutes. Silva could face Yushin Okami, Nate Marquardt or Demian Maia next.
Sam Stout def Matt Wiman via unanimous dec- Stout and Wiman had a solid fight lasting the full frame. Wiman scored more on takedowns, while Stout got the better of the action standing. Wiman came close in the third by taking Stout's back and nearly getting the rear naked choke. However, Stout did too much in the first two rounds to win the fight 29-28.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def Chuck Liddell via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:28- Both fighters briefly exchanged punches before Rua got a takedown. Like an expert, Liddell quickly got back to his feet. Unfortunately for Liddell, while throwing a punch, Rua countered with a left that sent him to the canvas. A couple more Rua hammerfists and the bout was called. With the win, Rua inches closer to a potential title shot. Liddell is likely retired.
Krzysztof Soszynski def Brian Stann via submission (kimura) R1, 3:53- For the second straight fight, Sosynski has utilized a kimura to win his bout. After trading leg kicks, both fighters clinched against the fence with some dirty boxing. After being seperated, Sosynski was successful in a takedown, landing in half guard. From there he worked the kimura to perfection.
Cheick Kongo def Antoni Hardonk via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:29- Kongo looked very impressive in his third straight win in the UFC. The first round saw Kongo get the better of Hardonk in the stand-up game, landing body and leg kicks. Kongo also managed a takedowns and good hammer-fists and ground and pound. The second was more of the same as Kongo overwhelmed Hardonk, landing a kick and punch that send Hardonk to the canvas, and ground and pound eventually ends the fight.
Luiz Cane def Steve Cantwell via unanimous dec- Cane landed the more consistent strikes to win the decision. Cantwell had a couple good looking head kicks, but they were blocked for the most part.
PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
Denis Kang def Xavier Foupa-Pokam via unanimous dec
Nate Quarry def Jason MacDonald via TKO (strikes) R1, 2:27
Ed Herman def David Loiseau via unanimous dec
Mark Bocek def David Bielkheden via sub (rear-naked choke) R1, 4:57
T.J. Grant def Ryo Chonan via split dec
Eliot Marshall def Vinicius Magalhaes via unanimous dec
(Cheick Kongo Pictured)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
UFC 97 Silva's Back
This Saturday, April 18th, Anderson Silva (23-4, 8-0 UFC) will defend his MW belt against Thales Leites (14-1, 5-1 UFC) at UFC 97 which takes place in Montreal, Canada. Silva will bring the thunder, as he was disappointed in his last performance, a TKO/injury win over Patrick Cote.
I was in attendence at UFC 90, and I can tell you Silva looked fast and dictated the pace during the fight with Cote. Silva didn't throw many strikes, but all landed with power and force. Cote injured his knee at the start of the third round. Silva will be looking to throw kicks, punches and knees to Thales Leites.
Silva has brutalized the UFC's 185 pound division, and even destroyed 205 pound heavy hitter James Irvin for good measure. Silva has victories over Rich Franklin, Chris Leben, Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson.
(Silva v. Cote at UFC 90)
Leites will have to utilize his BJJ if he wants to have a chance at victory. Leites hasn't won over the same level of competition with his big wins over Jose Landi-Jons, Drew McFedries, Gustavo Machado and a razor thin and controversial win over Nate Marquardt.
(Thales Leites pictured)
The co-main event features Chuck Liddell (21-6, 16-5 UFC) v. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (17-3, 1-1 UFC. Liddell has his back against the wall and desperately needs a victory as he is 1-3 in his last four fights. Rua meanwhile is also in need of a win and regaining his pre-surgery form. Rua has been devasted by knee surgeries since problems arose before his fight with Forrest Griffin.
(Chuck Liddell pictured)
Liddell is destined for the UFC Hall of Fame as soon as he hangs up his gloves. While he still has his trademark overhand right, at 39 years of age his time is running out. Liddell has wins over Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Guy Mezger, Kevin Randleman and recently over Wanderlei Silva. Rua was a Pride All-Star before coming to the UFC holding victories over Rampage Jackson, Alistair Overeem, Akihiro Gono and recently over Mark Coleman in the UFC.
(Shougun Rua pictured)
MAIN CARD
Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites- MW Championship
Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann
Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk
Luis Cane vs. Steve Cantwell
UNDER CARD
Vinicius Magalhaes vs. Eliot Marshall
Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Denis Kang
Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry
Ed Herman vs. David Loiseau
David Bielkheden vs. Mark Bocek
Ryo Chonan vs. T.J. Grant
Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman
(Anderson Silva pictured)
I was in attendence at UFC 90, and I can tell you Silva looked fast and dictated the pace during the fight with Cote. Silva didn't throw many strikes, but all landed with power and force. Cote injured his knee at the start of the third round. Silva will be looking to throw kicks, punches and knees to Thales Leites.
Silva has brutalized the UFC's 185 pound division, and even destroyed 205 pound heavy hitter James Irvin for good measure. Silva has victories over Rich Franklin, Chris Leben, Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson.
(Silva v. Cote at UFC 90)
Leites will have to utilize his BJJ if he wants to have a chance at victory. Leites hasn't won over the same level of competition with his big wins over Jose Landi-Jons, Drew McFedries, Gustavo Machado and a razor thin and controversial win over Nate Marquardt.
(Thales Leites pictured)
The co-main event features Chuck Liddell (21-6, 16-5 UFC) v. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (17-3, 1-1 UFC. Liddell has his back against the wall and desperately needs a victory as he is 1-3 in his last four fights. Rua meanwhile is also in need of a win and regaining his pre-surgery form. Rua has been devasted by knee surgeries since problems arose before his fight with Forrest Griffin.
(Chuck Liddell pictured)
Liddell is destined for the UFC Hall of Fame as soon as he hangs up his gloves. While he still has his trademark overhand right, at 39 years of age his time is running out. Liddell has wins over Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Guy Mezger, Kevin Randleman and recently over Wanderlei Silva. Rua was a Pride All-Star before coming to the UFC holding victories over Rampage Jackson, Alistair Overeem, Akihiro Gono and recently over Mark Coleman in the UFC.
(Shougun Rua pictured)
MAIN CARD
Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites- MW Championship
Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann
Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk
Luis Cane vs. Steve Cantwell
UNDER CARD
Vinicius Magalhaes vs. Eliot Marshall
Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Denis Kang
Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry
Ed Herman vs. David Loiseau
David Bielkheden vs. Mark Bocek
Ryo Chonan vs. T.J. Grant
Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman
(Anderson Silva pictured)
Monday, January 19, 2009
UFC 93 Results
UFC 93 took place in Dublin, Ireland this past Saturday. Unfortunately for fans, we got a very lackluster main event and co-main event. Dan Henderson edged out a pretty uneventful split decision victory that could have ended in a draw. With the victory, which featured a few takedowns and an accidental eye poke, Henderson is now the likely coach for TUF 9: England v. USA.
(Dan Henderson pictured)
Shogun Rua managed to finish Mark Coleman at the very end of the third frame. Unfortunately, both fighters were relatively gassed the entire fight. Palhares versus Horn turned out to be a good fight, but it also went to decision. The saving grace was Lytle v. Davis which featured a stand-up war.
The undercard was probably more exciting as it featured 5 TKO victories. Martin Kampmann was successful in his debut at 170 pounds. He should be a force to be reckoned with possessing solid stand-up and striking skills.
Dan Henderson def Rich Franklin via split decision
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def Mark Coleman via TKO (strikes) R3, 4:36
Rousimar Palhares def Jeremy Horn via unanimous decision
Alan Belcher def Denis Kang via sub (guillotine choke) R2, 4:36
Marcus Davis def Chris Lytle via split decision
John Hathway def Tom Egan via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:36
Martin Kampmann def Alexandre Barros via TKO (strikes) R2, 3:09
Eric Schafer def Antonio Mendes via TKO (punches) R1, 3:35
Thomasz Drwal def Ivan Serati via TKO (punches) R1, 2:02
Dennis Siver def Nate Mohr via TKO (strikes) R3, 3:47
(Dan Henderson pictured)
Shogun Rua managed to finish Mark Coleman at the very end of the third frame. Unfortunately, both fighters were relatively gassed the entire fight. Palhares versus Horn turned out to be a good fight, but it also went to decision. The saving grace was Lytle v. Davis which featured a stand-up war.
The undercard was probably more exciting as it featured 5 TKO victories. Martin Kampmann was successful in his debut at 170 pounds. He should be a force to be reckoned with possessing solid stand-up and striking skills.
Dan Henderson def Rich Franklin via split decision
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def Mark Coleman via TKO (strikes) R3, 4:36
Rousimar Palhares def Jeremy Horn via unanimous decision
Alan Belcher def Denis Kang via sub (guillotine choke) R2, 4:36
Marcus Davis def Chris Lytle via split decision
John Hathway def Tom Egan via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:36
Martin Kampmann def Alexandre Barros via TKO (strikes) R2, 3:09
Eric Schafer def Antonio Mendes via TKO (punches) R1, 3:35
Thomasz Drwal def Ivan Serati via TKO (punches) R1, 2:02
Dennis Siver def Nate Mohr via TKO (strikes) R3, 3:47
Thursday, January 1, 2009
UFC 93 Preview
UFC 93 will occur on January 17th in Dublin, Ireland. The event features no title fights, but big bouts in Rich Franklin v. Dan Henderson and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua v. Mark Coleman as well as the arrival of Denis Kang. The fights will be shown on ppv. All fighters made weight. Henderson weighed in at 202 and Mark Coleman came in at 206.
MAIN CARD
Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin- This fight will likely determine the coach for the next season of the Ultimate Fighter. Franklin seems to have the edge standing in the match and will have a little bit of a height and reach advantage on Henderson. Henderson should have a sizable advantage grappling wise, but Franklin usually makes people pay when they try to take him down.
Dan Henderson (23-7), the former Pride LHW and MW champ, last fought against Rousimar Palhares winning by unanimous decision. His previous two fights were losses to Anderson Silva and Rampage Jackson, two of the best in the sport. Henderson has wins in his career over Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Murilo Bustamante and Renzo Gracie.
(Dan Henderson pictured)
Rich Franklin (24-3), the former UFC MW champ, last fought against Matt Hamill winning with a vicious body kick and punches in the third round. Rich has wins over Yushin Okami, Travis Lutter, David Loiseau, Evan Tanner and Nate Quarry in his career.
(Rich Franklin pictured)
Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua- This fight is a repeat of a prior match-up in Pride which Coleman (15-8) won after a takedown in which Rua's elbow dislocated. Both marquee fighters have been on the shelf for some time due to injuries and other setbacks. Coleman was orginally a rumored opponent for Brock Lesnar, but Coleman sustained a back injury. Rua meanwhile went into the Forrest Griffin fight with a bad knee and has been recovering from surgery since that fight.
Coleman, the Pride 2000 Open Weight Grand Prix winner is also a UFC Hall of Famer, capturing the UFC 10 and 11 tournament championships(4 man) and the HW crown at UFC 12. He is credited with developing the ground and pound strategy and being one of the best wrestlers in MMA during his prime. Coleman has victories over Dan Severn, Don Frye, Igor Vovchanchyn and Kazuyuki Fujita.
(Mark Coleman pictured)
Shogun Rua, (16-3) the 2005 Pride Grand Prix (93 kg) winner, was a fast rising star in Pride before its eventual demise. Rua is known for his quickness and striking ability. He has wins in his career over Alistair Overeem, Kevin Randleman, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira(lil Nog), Rampage Jackson, Ricardo Arona and Akihiro Gono.
(Shogun Rua pictured)
Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang- This will be high profile Pride and Spirit MC veteran Denis Kang's (31-10) debut in the UFC. Kang has solid grappling skills, possessing a BJJ black belt, and has developed a decent stand-up game. He has wins over Aikhiro Gono, Andrei Semenov, Murilo "Ninja" Rua and recently over Marvin Eastman via 49 second TKO.
(Denis Kang pictured)
Belcher (13-5) will try to keep this fight standing in order to utilize his Muay Thai skills. Belcher's last fight was a close split decision victory over Ed Herman at an Ultimate Fight Night in September. Belcher has a 4-3 record in the UFC, with a KO victory over highly ranked Jorge Santiago, guillotine choke victory over Sean Salmon and a TKO of Kalib Starnes.
(Alan Belcher pictured)
Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares- Horn's record is listed as 80-18, but he has fought more than the listed record indicates. The 13 year mma veteran debuted in the UFC at UFC 17 losing to Frank Shamrock for the light heavyweight title (then called middleweight with a 200 pound cut-off). Horn's career highlight was an arm triangle choke of Chuck Liddell at UFC 19. Horn has looked like age may be catching up with him in recent losses to Dean Lister and Nate Marquardt, but still has amazing submission skills with about 50 submission wins in his career. Horn has victories over Daiju Takase, Gilbert Yvel, Travis Fulton, Forrest Griffin, David Loiseau, Chael Sonnen, Trevor Prangley, Falaniko Vitale and many others in his mma career.
(Jeremy Horn pictured)
Rousimar Palhares is an elite submission fighter with a BJJ blackbelt under Murilo Bustamante. Palhares last lost an uneventual decision to Dan Henderson in which Henderson was unwilling to engage with him on the ground. Palhares debuted in the UFC with an excellent armbar victory over Ivan Salaverry.
Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle- This fight promises to be an all out war on the feet. Lytle and Davis have pro boxing backgrounds and will look to use those talents to please the crowd. Both fighters usually please the crowd, having won fight of the night, knockout of the night and submission of the night bonus' from the UFC.
Entertaining the crowd aside, each fighter needs a win at this stage of their career. Davis suffered a loss to Mike Swick at UFC 85 before rebounding at UFC 89 with a guillotine choke victory over Paul Kelly. Lytle had a decision loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 86 and rebounded with a razor thin decision victory over Paul Taylor at UFC 89. At UFC 89, Lytle asked for a fight with Davis during his post-fight interview.
UNDER CARD
Alexandre Barros vs. Martin Kampmann
Antonio Mendes vs. Eric Schafer
Thomasz Drwal vs. Ivan Serati
Tom Egan vs. John Hathaway
Denis Siver vs. Nate Mohr
MAIN CARD
Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin- This fight will likely determine the coach for the next season of the Ultimate Fighter. Franklin seems to have the edge standing in the match and will have a little bit of a height and reach advantage on Henderson. Henderson should have a sizable advantage grappling wise, but Franklin usually makes people pay when they try to take him down.
Dan Henderson (23-7), the former Pride LHW and MW champ, last fought against Rousimar Palhares winning by unanimous decision. His previous two fights were losses to Anderson Silva and Rampage Jackson, two of the best in the sport. Henderson has wins in his career over Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Murilo Bustamante and Renzo Gracie.
(Dan Henderson pictured)
Rich Franklin (24-3), the former UFC MW champ, last fought against Matt Hamill winning with a vicious body kick and punches in the third round. Rich has wins over Yushin Okami, Travis Lutter, David Loiseau, Evan Tanner and Nate Quarry in his career.
(Rich Franklin pictured)
Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua- This fight is a repeat of a prior match-up in Pride which Coleman (15-8) won after a takedown in which Rua's elbow dislocated. Both marquee fighters have been on the shelf for some time due to injuries and other setbacks. Coleman was orginally a rumored opponent for Brock Lesnar, but Coleman sustained a back injury. Rua meanwhile went into the Forrest Griffin fight with a bad knee and has been recovering from surgery since that fight.
Coleman, the Pride 2000 Open Weight Grand Prix winner is also a UFC Hall of Famer, capturing the UFC 10 and 11 tournament championships(4 man) and the HW crown at UFC 12. He is credited with developing the ground and pound strategy and being one of the best wrestlers in MMA during his prime. Coleman has victories over Dan Severn, Don Frye, Igor Vovchanchyn and Kazuyuki Fujita.
(Mark Coleman pictured)
Shogun Rua, (16-3) the 2005 Pride Grand Prix (93 kg) winner, was a fast rising star in Pride before its eventual demise. Rua is known for his quickness and striking ability. He has wins in his career over Alistair Overeem, Kevin Randleman, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira(lil Nog), Rampage Jackson, Ricardo Arona and Akihiro Gono.
(Shogun Rua pictured)
Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang- This will be high profile Pride and Spirit MC veteran Denis Kang's (31-10) debut in the UFC. Kang has solid grappling skills, possessing a BJJ black belt, and has developed a decent stand-up game. He has wins over Aikhiro Gono, Andrei Semenov, Murilo "Ninja" Rua and recently over Marvin Eastman via 49 second TKO.
(Denis Kang pictured)
Belcher (13-5) will try to keep this fight standing in order to utilize his Muay Thai skills. Belcher's last fight was a close split decision victory over Ed Herman at an Ultimate Fight Night in September. Belcher has a 4-3 record in the UFC, with a KO victory over highly ranked Jorge Santiago, guillotine choke victory over Sean Salmon and a TKO of Kalib Starnes.
(Alan Belcher pictured)
Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares- Horn's record is listed as 80-18, but he has fought more than the listed record indicates. The 13 year mma veteran debuted in the UFC at UFC 17 losing to Frank Shamrock for the light heavyweight title (then called middleweight with a 200 pound cut-off). Horn's career highlight was an arm triangle choke of Chuck Liddell at UFC 19. Horn has looked like age may be catching up with him in recent losses to Dean Lister and Nate Marquardt, but still has amazing submission skills with about 50 submission wins in his career. Horn has victories over Daiju Takase, Gilbert Yvel, Travis Fulton, Forrest Griffin, David Loiseau, Chael Sonnen, Trevor Prangley, Falaniko Vitale and many others in his mma career.
(Jeremy Horn pictured)
Rousimar Palhares is an elite submission fighter with a BJJ blackbelt under Murilo Bustamante. Palhares last lost an uneventual decision to Dan Henderson in which Henderson was unwilling to engage with him on the ground. Palhares debuted in the UFC with an excellent armbar victory over Ivan Salaverry.
Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle- This fight promises to be an all out war on the feet. Lytle and Davis have pro boxing backgrounds and will look to use those talents to please the crowd. Both fighters usually please the crowd, having won fight of the night, knockout of the night and submission of the night bonus' from the UFC.
Entertaining the crowd aside, each fighter needs a win at this stage of their career. Davis suffered a loss to Mike Swick at UFC 85 before rebounding at UFC 89 with a guillotine choke victory over Paul Kelly. Lytle had a decision loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 86 and rebounded with a razor thin decision victory over Paul Taylor at UFC 89. At UFC 89, Lytle asked for a fight with Davis during his post-fight interview.
UNDER CARD
Alexandre Barros vs. Martin Kampmann
Antonio Mendes vs. Eric Schafer
Thomasz Drwal vs. Ivan Serati
Tom Egan vs. John Hathaway
Denis Siver vs. Nate Mohr
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
UFC Best of 2007
Thoughts by the MMA Blaster
Many of the top fights and highlights of 2007 were shown last night throughout a 3 hour session. A pretty good show, even though certain fights I saw fairly recently. Some aspects of these fights have been blown out of porportion, and I hope to bring us all back to Earth.
Edgar v. Griffin- This was a legit top three in the fights of the year. Some of the best grappling was on display in this contest and it was close. However, Edgar was definately the guy who won the fight. The defining moment of the fight, and the point I realized Edgar was the real deal, was when Griffin sunk in a knee bar. Edgar remained composed, showed heart, never stopped, and then at the end punches Griffin's leg with authority. Both of these guys will fight for a title someday.
Huerta v. Garcia- This was a top two fight of the year. Huerta is the real deal, with his strikes getting the most of Garcia. Garcia has some serious moxy though and is the definition of a scapper. Garcia never stopped his offense and didn't let the beating stop him.
Shogun Rua v. Griffin- Rua fans, it is ok, he did not get completely dominated and this was actually a very good fight. Rua was able to get a takedown's, looked decent on his feet, and just got gassed. Why? Because he had a ligament tear suffered in training and probably didn't get enough cardio work in. When he is healed, I'm sure he will rebound and challenge for the title. The thing to say about Forrest is that he is the real deal and belongs among the top of the UFC 205 division and so does Jardine. This fight got pretty nasty when Shogun opened up a cut near Forrest's hairline, the blood did not phase Forrest.
Cro-Cop v. Gonzaga- The head kick against Cro-Cop was absolutely brutal. The angle of Cro-Cop's foot after the head kick looked alot worse than I remebered.
Salmon v. Evans- Another brutal head kick, perfectly executed. They didn't show the first round last night, but Salmon was winning that fight.
Fisher v. Stout 2- Not as exciting the second time around, Stout definately lost the fight despite getting a couple cuts.
Anderson Silva- Silva is the cream of the crop. If he is on his game he can beat you on his feet or on the ground. Marquard was able to get some takedowns, but took serious punishment from Silva. Franklin was destroyed in the rematch even though it was a better effort by Franklin.
Maynard v. Emerson- I still think that Maynard should have won that fight even though he may or may not have been knocked out. As soon as Emerson hits the mat he was tapping.
Houston Alexander- This guy is a beast and looks absolutley ripped for his fights. If he can develop a better ground game and try to stay off his back he still can be a force. If Alexander's knee connects to your face you will be seeing stars shortly.
Penn v. Pulver- Penn will dominate if he stays at 155. He looked leaner and in better shape for the fight and hammered Pulver. The rear naked choke at the end of the fight was held a touch too long, but I still don't believe it was malicious.
Kenny Florian- Great year for Florian with wins over Mishima (17-6), Alvin Robinson (7-2), and Din Thomas (20-7). All three of those fights was entertaining and he put forth a technical attack.
Rampage- This guy is going to be champ for a long time. While I have seen the replay of the Chuck KO a few times, I didn't remeber the commentary. Apparently Chuck was asking his corner what happened. Liddell did not have a good year (0-2, TKO win over Tito Ortiz 12/30/06).
UFC 145 Division- One thought while watching the program was man, the UFC really needs a 145 class. Really all they have to do is take the guys from the WEC, Urijah Faber, Jeff Curran, Jens Pulver, Cub Swanson not too tough. Leonard Garcia and some of the current UFC 155's could get to 145 and it is probably a more natural weight for them. With the amount of cards the UFC is putting out, they need some more talent.
Many of the top fights and highlights of 2007 were shown last night throughout a 3 hour session. A pretty good show, even though certain fights I saw fairly recently. Some aspects of these fights have been blown out of porportion, and I hope to bring us all back to Earth.
Edgar v. Griffin- This was a legit top three in the fights of the year. Some of the best grappling was on display in this contest and it was close. However, Edgar was definately the guy who won the fight. The defining moment of the fight, and the point I realized Edgar was the real deal, was when Griffin sunk in a knee bar. Edgar remained composed, showed heart, never stopped, and then at the end punches Griffin's leg with authority. Both of these guys will fight for a title someday.
Huerta v. Garcia- This was a top two fight of the year. Huerta is the real deal, with his strikes getting the most of Garcia. Garcia has some serious moxy though and is the definition of a scapper. Garcia never stopped his offense and didn't let the beating stop him.
Shogun Rua v. Griffin- Rua fans, it is ok, he did not get completely dominated and this was actually a very good fight. Rua was able to get a takedown's, looked decent on his feet, and just got gassed. Why? Because he had a ligament tear suffered in training and probably didn't get enough cardio work in. When he is healed, I'm sure he will rebound and challenge for the title. The thing to say about Forrest is that he is the real deal and belongs among the top of the UFC 205 division and so does Jardine. This fight got pretty nasty when Shogun opened up a cut near Forrest's hairline, the blood did not phase Forrest.
Cro-Cop v. Gonzaga- The head kick against Cro-Cop was absolutely brutal. The angle of Cro-Cop's foot after the head kick looked alot worse than I remebered.
Salmon v. Evans- Another brutal head kick, perfectly executed. They didn't show the first round last night, but Salmon was winning that fight.
Fisher v. Stout 2- Not as exciting the second time around, Stout definately lost the fight despite getting a couple cuts.
Anderson Silva- Silva is the cream of the crop. If he is on his game he can beat you on his feet or on the ground. Marquard was able to get some takedowns, but took serious punishment from Silva. Franklin was destroyed in the rematch even though it was a better effort by Franklin.
Maynard v. Emerson- I still think that Maynard should have won that fight even though he may or may not have been knocked out. As soon as Emerson hits the mat he was tapping.
Houston Alexander- This guy is a beast and looks absolutley ripped for his fights. If he can develop a better ground game and try to stay off his back he still can be a force. If Alexander's knee connects to your face you will be seeing stars shortly.
Penn v. Pulver- Penn will dominate if he stays at 155. He looked leaner and in better shape for the fight and hammered Pulver. The rear naked choke at the end of the fight was held a touch too long, but I still don't believe it was malicious.
Kenny Florian- Great year for Florian with wins over Mishima (17-6), Alvin Robinson (7-2), and Din Thomas (20-7). All three of those fights was entertaining and he put forth a technical attack.
Rampage- This guy is going to be champ for a long time. While I have seen the replay of the Chuck KO a few times, I didn't remeber the commentary. Apparently Chuck was asking his corner what happened. Liddell did not have a good year (0-2, TKO win over Tito Ortiz 12/30/06).
UFC 145 Division- One thought while watching the program was man, the UFC really needs a 145 class. Really all they have to do is take the guys from the WEC, Urijah Faber, Jeff Curran, Jens Pulver, Cub Swanson not too tough. Leonard Garcia and some of the current UFC 155's could get to 145 and it is probably a more natural weight for them. With the amount of cards the UFC is putting out, they need some more talent.
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