When you think of professional sports and the organizations associated with them, three letter acronyms usually come to mind. Whether it's the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, EPL, etc. It's looking like we're getting closer to another brand making its way into the list; The UFC.
Competition rises and falls, a lot quicker in mixed martial arts than with other industries. Fight promotions seem to fold every other week, whether it's Pride a few years ago or Palace Fighting Championships recently. Dana White has always talked about a push to brand the UFC as the professional mixed martial arts organization. It seems as though they're finally poised to take that spot.
After a failed drug test by Josh Barnett, and the refusal of pay per-view promoters to go on with the third show, Affliction finally folded as a fight promoter. The UFC's biggest competition in the United States has gone under after only putting on two shows. I'm comparing apples to oranges in a sense, but it reminds me of seeing the USFL and the XFL try to compete with the NFL. Though the USFL did fairly well, the management ran them into the ground.
With Affliction folded and once again a UFC sponsor(as a clothing line), Dana White should be licking his chops. It seems a foregone conclusion that the UFC will become THE professional mixed martial arts organization, but all of the pieces are falling, or should I say collapsing in place for the UFC to dominate even further.
Dana White has announced he has a press conference tentatively scheduled for July 31, and has a lot of big things to announce. If you think back to last year, when he teased the masses with one of his press conferences, the UFC was officially sponsored by Bud Light; a huge step forward for a company that was looked at as a promoter of human cockfighting some 15 years prior. There are rumors going around about a possible deal with ESPN and the signing of some of the free agents that Affliction released. The deal with ESPN seems far-fetched due to the fact that ESPN already promotes another fighting organization, Bellator FC. My guess is that the announcement will be a welcome home party for both Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfort. I'm eagerly awaiting the press conference.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Almost There
The National League lost again tonight to the American League in sport's most consequential exhibition.
We saw the two best pitchers in the majors start for their respective leagues. One, the present, and the other, the future.
This symbolizes to me that the National League is finally catching up with younger players making most of the impact. The American League is looking like they're about to finally let loose their reign over the old summer classic.
It's weird how in baseball, basketball, and football how we've seen one conference/league dominate the other for the past decade or so. Empires only stand for so long before they get too old and their fortifications can't withstand the forces of the of their uprising counterparts.
We saw the two best pitchers in the majors start for their respective leagues. One, the present, and the other, the future.
This symbolizes to me that the National League is finally catching up with younger players making most of the impact. The American League is looking like they're about to finally let loose their reign over the old summer classic.
It's weird how in baseball, basketball, and football how we've seen one conference/league dominate the other for the past decade or so. Empires only stand for so long before they get too old and their fortifications can't withstand the forces of the of their uprising counterparts.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Great Night
UFC 100 just concluded and with a belly full of pizza, and cherry coke, I'd say this is the most satisfied I've been in a while.
The night got started off right with a thrilling three round war between Akiyama and Belcher and ended(aside from Jon Fitch's swing bout) with fireworks as Brock Lesnar unified the belts.
The UFC did a great job marketing UFC 100 and delivered from start to finish. It's amazing in this economy when the NBA is receiving bailout money that a company that promotes a borderline mainstream sport is doing so well. Their 100th show was a testament to their management.
Here's to a hundred more cards Zuffa.
The night got started off right with a thrilling three round war between Akiyama and Belcher and ended(aside from Jon Fitch's swing bout) with fireworks as Brock Lesnar unified the belts.
The UFC did a great job marketing UFC 100 and delivered from start to finish. It's amazing in this economy when the NBA is receiving bailout money that a company that promotes a borderline mainstream sport is doing so well. Their 100th show was a testament to their management.
Here's to a hundred more cards Zuffa.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Inconsistency is an injustice.
So Donté Stallworth was released from jail today. I honestly didn't even know he had started his sentence.
Stallworth was serving a 30 day sentence after being convicted of DUI-Manslaughter. He had apparently been drinking that night at a club in Miami, and struck and killed a pedestrian on his way home.
Stallworth was released after 24 days in jail. This seems rather ridiculous seeing as how a person was killed in the incident and he didn't have to stay the whole term.(Are the jails that overcrowded?)
That aside, other athletes have been given bigger sentences and suspensions for less heinous crimes. I'm not by any means condoning what his current teammate Jamal Lewis did back in 2004, but he was sentenced to four months in prison for conspiring to set up a drug deal. The amount was 5 kilograms of cocaine, and there was intent to distribute. The drug deal never went down, but Lewis took the sentence like a man, coming off his best season where he almost topped Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record.
It's uncertain how long Stallworth will be suspended from the NFL, if at all. Which brings me to another inconsistency, this time within the justice system of the NFL. Adam Jones(he prefers not to be referred to by his nickname anymore) was never convicted of any of the crimes he was arrested for or indicted on. But Roger Goodell, tired of seeing Jones in the spot light for beating up body guards and making it rain in clubs, found it fit to suspend the player for a year.
Once again, not condoning this behavior, but for someone not to be convicted of any crimes, I find it hard to justify a year long suspension while another, more prominent player is getting only 30 day jail sentences for drunken manslaughter.
Stallworth was serving a 30 day sentence after being convicted of DUI-Manslaughter. He had apparently been drinking that night at a club in Miami, and struck and killed a pedestrian on his way home.
Stallworth was released after 24 days in jail. This seems rather ridiculous seeing as how a person was killed in the incident and he didn't have to stay the whole term.(Are the jails that overcrowded?)
That aside, other athletes have been given bigger sentences and suspensions for less heinous crimes. I'm not by any means condoning what his current teammate Jamal Lewis did back in 2004, but he was sentenced to four months in prison for conspiring to set up a drug deal. The amount was 5 kilograms of cocaine, and there was intent to distribute. The drug deal never went down, but Lewis took the sentence like a man, coming off his best season where he almost topped Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record.
It's uncertain how long Stallworth will be suspended from the NFL, if at all. Which brings me to another inconsistency, this time within the justice system of the NFL. Adam Jones(he prefers not to be referred to by his nickname anymore) was never convicted of any of the crimes he was arrested for or indicted on. But Roger Goodell, tired of seeing Jones in the spot light for beating up body guards and making it rain in clubs, found it fit to suspend the player for a year.
Once again, not condoning this behavior, but for someone not to be convicted of any crimes, I find it hard to justify a year long suspension while another, more prominent player is getting only 30 day jail sentences for drunken manslaughter.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir
This is it folks. The fight we've been waiting for, that was supposed to happen two months ago. It's for all the marbles, and by the end of the night we'll have an undisputed heavyweight champion...finally.
Brock is coming in off a huge victory in which he decimated Randy Couture. There is still a lot that is yet to be answered about Brock's game. We still really don't know if his submission defense has been bolstered, because the only submission attempt we've seen on him in his last two fights was Randy attempting to swing around the clinch and grab his back.(Which he defended beautifully) His stand up is not technical yet by any means, but it's dangerous nonetheless. He shattered Herring's orbital bone with his first punch as well as his knockdown of Couture that led to the ground and pound victory. People question his cardio, but at the same time if you watch the end of any of his fights, he doesn't seem winded. Even in the Frank Mir fight when he was going all out, Mir seemed to be more gassed than he was. We won't get into the refereeing from the first bout between the two. He needs to use his reach in the stand up and try to land effective shots, the same way he did it against Couture. If he takes it to the ground, he'll need to stay in a close guard, postured up, or try and work ground and pound from half guard. His ground game is very technical when it comes to transitioning as we've seen, and he's incredibly fast. He'll need to overcome his overanxious tendencies on the ground and work like he did against Herring.
Frank Mir is the only man to ever stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and already holds a submission win over Brock Lesnar. Frank Mir is somewhat of a miracle man after his motorcycle accident almost led him to retire. To me, he's the fifth best heavyweights jiu-jitsu player in mixed martial arts, behind only Roger Gracie, Fabricio Werdum, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Nogueira. He's been falling in love with his boxing, and there is word that it's gotten even crisper since his dismantling of Nogueira. The problem is I don't know if he's going to want to try and box with Brock. Though he may be more technical on the feet, he doesn't hold the power that Brock does. He's going to need to look for a takedown, which we saw is possible when Couture clinched with Brock and dragged him down. If he can somehow get in a dominant position or even work an active guard he has a good chance of pulling off another submission.
The fight starts off with them standing and trading, and ends that way. I'm not sure that Brock is confident enough right now to take Mir to the ground and work strikes, and he'll be able to use his wrestling in reverse to keep the smaller Frank Mir from taking him down. I see them clinching against the cage some in the first and second round, but ultimately it comes down to the fact that Brock's punching power is too devastating for Frank Mir, who has been knocked out in the past by smaller guys in Ian Freeman and Brandon Vera, not to mention his TKO loss to Marcio Cruz. I see Brock landing a power shot and being smart when he goes in to finish it with his patented piston-fist ground and pound. Look for him to get his hand raised unifying the belts on Saturday night, and establishing himself as a top three heavyweight.
Result: Brock Lesnar by second round (T)KO
Brock is coming in off a huge victory in which he decimated Randy Couture. There is still a lot that is yet to be answered about Brock's game. We still really don't know if his submission defense has been bolstered, because the only submission attempt we've seen on him in his last two fights was Randy attempting to swing around the clinch and grab his back.(Which he defended beautifully) His stand up is not technical yet by any means, but it's dangerous nonetheless. He shattered Herring's orbital bone with his first punch as well as his knockdown of Couture that led to the ground and pound victory. People question his cardio, but at the same time if you watch the end of any of his fights, he doesn't seem winded. Even in the Frank Mir fight when he was going all out, Mir seemed to be more gassed than he was. We won't get into the refereeing from the first bout between the two. He needs to use his reach in the stand up and try to land effective shots, the same way he did it against Couture. If he takes it to the ground, he'll need to stay in a close guard, postured up, or try and work ground and pound from half guard. His ground game is very technical when it comes to transitioning as we've seen, and he's incredibly fast. He'll need to overcome his overanxious tendencies on the ground and work like he did against Herring.
Frank Mir is the only man to ever stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and already holds a submission win over Brock Lesnar. Frank Mir is somewhat of a miracle man after his motorcycle accident almost led him to retire. To me, he's the fifth best heavyweights jiu-jitsu player in mixed martial arts, behind only Roger Gracie, Fabricio Werdum, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Nogueira. He's been falling in love with his boxing, and there is word that it's gotten even crisper since his dismantling of Nogueira. The problem is I don't know if he's going to want to try and box with Brock. Though he may be more technical on the feet, he doesn't hold the power that Brock does. He's going to need to look for a takedown, which we saw is possible when Couture clinched with Brock and dragged him down. If he can somehow get in a dominant position or even work an active guard he has a good chance of pulling off another submission.
The fight starts off with them standing and trading, and ends that way. I'm not sure that Brock is confident enough right now to take Mir to the ground and work strikes, and he'll be able to use his wrestling in reverse to keep the smaller Frank Mir from taking him down. I see them clinching against the cage some in the first and second round, but ultimately it comes down to the fact that Brock's punching power is too devastating for Frank Mir, who has been knocked out in the past by smaller guys in Ian Freeman and Brandon Vera, not to mention his TKO loss to Marcio Cruz. I see Brock landing a power shot and being smart when he goes in to finish it with his patented piston-fist ground and pound. Look for him to get his hand raised unifying the belts on Saturday night, and establishing himself as a top three heavyweight.
Result: Brock Lesnar by second round (T)KO
Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves
It's 4 a.m., and I find myself hoping that come Friday afternoon, that this fight is officially for a title.
Georges is coming off the destruction of BJ Penn in arguably the most anticipated rematch in mixed martial arts history. He looked amazing, and huge as always. St. Pierre has the weight cutting down to a science. This helps him out come fight time when he's hydrated and much larger than his opponents, well mostly. He's finally going to run into a welterweight who is possibly bigger than he is. Problem? Most likely not. GSP is in my opinion the best wrestler in mixed martial arts. He uses it better than anyone else, and it helps loads that he has great stand up to set up the takedowns. Georges is going to look to take Thiago down throughout the fight and wear him down. He'll be looking to stay out of clinch range and avoid nasty knees from Alves. His best option is to take him down and work for a submission.
Alves is coming in after dismantling Josh Koscheck for three rounds. He is also coming off the destruction of Matt Hughes last summer, though at a catch weight.(I believe 174 pounds) Thiago has brutal stand up, but relies heavily on leg kicks, which will end up being his demise against a wrestler like GSP. He'll need to try and get in close and work combinations with his hands, maybe landing leg kicks moving away.
This is what he'll try to do in my opinion, but it'll be hard for him to stay on his feet no matter how drastically his takedown defense has gotten. As we saw in the fight with Karo Parisyan, Alves can be manhandled on the ground. We also saw in that fight that if you try to stand and play Thiago's game, you'll end up on the mat with your mouthpiece right next to you.(No timeouts Jamie Varner style either.) Georges is a much smarter fighter than Karo though, and knows to stick to a gameplan. I think Georges takes him down constantly for two rounds and ends up in mount, where he swings and grabs an arm.
Result: Georges St. Pierre by 2nd Round Submission.
Georges is coming off the destruction of BJ Penn in arguably the most anticipated rematch in mixed martial arts history. He looked amazing, and huge as always. St. Pierre has the weight cutting down to a science. This helps him out come fight time when he's hydrated and much larger than his opponents, well mostly. He's finally going to run into a welterweight who is possibly bigger than he is. Problem? Most likely not. GSP is in my opinion the best wrestler in mixed martial arts. He uses it better than anyone else, and it helps loads that he has great stand up to set up the takedowns. Georges is going to look to take Thiago down throughout the fight and wear him down. He'll be looking to stay out of clinch range and avoid nasty knees from Alves. His best option is to take him down and work for a submission.
Alves is coming in after dismantling Josh Koscheck for three rounds. He is also coming off the destruction of Matt Hughes last summer, though at a catch weight.(I believe 174 pounds) Thiago has brutal stand up, but relies heavily on leg kicks, which will end up being his demise against a wrestler like GSP. He'll need to try and get in close and work combinations with his hands, maybe landing leg kicks moving away.
This is what he'll try to do in my opinion, but it'll be hard for him to stay on his feet no matter how drastically his takedown defense has gotten. As we saw in the fight with Karo Parisyan, Alves can be manhandled on the ground. We also saw in that fight that if you try to stand and play Thiago's game, you'll end up on the mat with your mouthpiece right next to you.(No timeouts Jamie Varner style either.) Georges is a much smarter fighter than Karo though, and knows to stick to a gameplan. I think Georges takes him down constantly for two rounds and ends up in mount, where he swings and grabs an arm.
Result: Georges St. Pierre by 2nd Round Submission.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping
Now onto the huge fights for the UFC 100 card. First up is a showdown between the coaches from The Ultimate Fighter: USA vs. U.K., Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping.
When you throw around the notion of the greatest fighters of all time, a few of the names that come to mind are Fedor, Couture, Liddell, Sakuraba, Matt Hughes, Wanderlei and Anderson Silva, and I find it hard not to put Dan Henderson in this list. He has a laundry list of accomplishments both away from and inside the ring/octagon. The most impressive is probably his stint as the middleweight and welterweight champion of Pride. His list of opponents is filled with an allstar cast of Pride and UFC veterans alike. He's going to want to stick to the same strategy he's employed in his last two fights and the first round of his fight with Anderson Silva. He'll want to get this fight to the ground so he can work some vicious ground and pound. If he doesn't do that, he'll need to stay in clinch range and try to land one of those hooks that Wanderlei knows all too well. If he doesn't do this, he'll find himself chasing Bisping around the octagon.
Michael is looking to be one of a handful of fighters to put a loss on Dan Henderson's record. Bisping has stated that he'll be the first to ever knock out Dan. Bisping has tko accuracy and speed but lacks the knockout power that he'll NEED in order to knock Hendo out. He'll need to stick and move and keep Henderson at bay with his jab. The only way I see Bisping winning this fight is to outpoint him standing.
I see this fight being similar to the fight between Leben and Bisping, but Henderson is also an olympic wrestler that can get the fight to the ground in a heartbeat. I think Henderson is too good to let Bisping dance and throw jabs. I see him getting this fight to the ground early and often and dominating the fight with ground and pound. This will put him one step closer to a rematch with middleweight king Anderson Silva.
Result: Dan Henderson by Unanimous Decision.
When you throw around the notion of the greatest fighters of all time, a few of the names that come to mind are Fedor, Couture, Liddell, Sakuraba, Matt Hughes, Wanderlei and Anderson Silva, and I find it hard not to put Dan Henderson in this list. He has a laundry list of accomplishments both away from and inside the ring/octagon. The most impressive is probably his stint as the middleweight and welterweight champion of Pride. His list of opponents is filled with an allstar cast of Pride and UFC veterans alike. He's going to want to stick to the same strategy he's employed in his last two fights and the first round of his fight with Anderson Silva. He'll want to get this fight to the ground so he can work some vicious ground and pound. If he doesn't do that, he'll need to stay in clinch range and try to land one of those hooks that Wanderlei knows all too well. If he doesn't do this, he'll find himself chasing Bisping around the octagon.
Michael is looking to be one of a handful of fighters to put a loss on Dan Henderson's record. Bisping has stated that he'll be the first to ever knock out Dan. Bisping has tko accuracy and speed but lacks the knockout power that he'll NEED in order to knock Hendo out. He'll need to stick and move and keep Henderson at bay with his jab. The only way I see Bisping winning this fight is to outpoint him standing.
I see this fight being similar to the fight between Leben and Bisping, but Henderson is also an olympic wrestler that can get the fight to the ground in a heartbeat. I think Henderson is too good to let Bisping dance and throw jabs. I see him getting this fight to the ground early and often and dominating the fight with ground and pound. This will put him one step closer to a rematch with middleweight king Anderson Silva.
Result: Dan Henderson by Unanimous Decision.
Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago
One fighter is looking to grab ahold of the next rung on the ladder that he recently let slip, while the other is looking to prove he is a contender in the division. This fight will sort out a lot or create even more confusion in an already jumbled 170 pound division.
Jon Fitch is coming off a recent decision victory over crafty veteran Akihiro Gono, but more importantly recovered after a devastating loss to Georges St. Pierre. Fitch is a great wrestler, though I won't say he's top notch, but only due to the fact that he's in the division that houses the best wrestler in all of mixed martial arts, Georges St. Pierre. Fitch is coming in looking for vengeance of sorts, hoping to avenge his teammate's loss to Thiago. Fitch should look to feel the standup out, finally deciding to take the fight to the ground. Look for him to work single and double-leg takedowns and employ some ground and pound while actively avoiding submission attempts.
Paulo Thiago is looking to add another American Kickboxing Academy fighter to his short list of victims. We saw very little, other than his devastating knockout of Josh Koscheck. From what I saw in that fight, he looked nervous and a little sloppy at times. I'm not so certain he is ready for someone of Jon Fitch's caliber. He'll look to somehow gain a dominant position on the ground against Fitch.(No easy task) Let's hope that Paulo hasn't fallen in love with haymakers as Gabriel Gonzaga did with headkicks, and sticks to a gameplan, because he'll need to fight a smart fight to stick with Fitch.
I see the two feeling each other out, shadow boxing for a minute or two. Then I see Fitch working a takedown and his ground and pound. This will be a reoccurring theme as Fitch outpoints Thiago for three rounds.
Result: Jon Fitch by Unanimous Decision.
Jon Fitch is coming off a recent decision victory over crafty veteran Akihiro Gono, but more importantly recovered after a devastating loss to Georges St. Pierre. Fitch is a great wrestler, though I won't say he's top notch, but only due to the fact that he's in the division that houses the best wrestler in all of mixed martial arts, Georges St. Pierre. Fitch is coming in looking for vengeance of sorts, hoping to avenge his teammate's loss to Thiago. Fitch should look to feel the standup out, finally deciding to take the fight to the ground. Look for him to work single and double-leg takedowns and employ some ground and pound while actively avoiding submission attempts.
Paulo Thiago is looking to add another American Kickboxing Academy fighter to his short list of victims. We saw very little, other than his devastating knockout of Josh Koscheck. From what I saw in that fight, he looked nervous and a little sloppy at times. I'm not so certain he is ready for someone of Jon Fitch's caliber. He'll look to somehow gain a dominant position on the ground against Fitch.(No easy task) Let's hope that Paulo hasn't fallen in love with haymakers as Gabriel Gonzaga did with headkicks, and sticks to a gameplan, because he'll need to fight a smart fight to stick with Fitch.
I see the two feeling each other out, shadow boxing for a minute or two. Then I see Fitch working a takedown and his ground and pound. This will be a reoccurring theme as Fitch outpoints Thiago for three rounds.
Result: Jon Fitch by Unanimous Decision.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Stephan Bonnar vs. Mark Coleman
Hmmm...never in my life did I think this fight would be going down. By the time Bonnar really hit the surface during his stint on The Ultimate Fighter, Mark Coleman was fighting for titles in Pride in the twilight of his career. This should be interesting to say the least.
Bonnar is still looking for that one win that will solidify his place, if even just as a gatekeeper, after his steroid suspension. His two wins since then have come against a very lackluster Mike Nickels, who seemed to be just fighting himself out of the UFC like most Ultimate Fighter alumni, and an Eric Schafer who had yet to really find his way in the cage. He looked to be very resilient against Jon Jones, though losing a decision to a fighter who is proving to be quite a dynamic prospect, as disussed before. He has a solid stand up game, and is slick on the ground, and off of his back.(Which is where he might find himself) He has a multitude of ways to win this fight and will prove trouble for Mark Coleman.
Mark Coleman...hmmm...Like I said, I never thought I'd see this fight, let alone see Mark Coleman resurface after his hall of fame induction and psudo retirement from the fight game. He came into his return fight against Shogun Rua with the physique of one of those old guys running down the beach/boardwalk who you are certain used to live in the weight room. He looked great...for the first few minutes. Though this fight was supposed to be revenge for Mauricio, let's face it, it was a comeback fight of sorts for both and a way to let Mark Coleman's career end in the octagon. Mark has one way to win this fight, and that's to take it to the ground and work the technique he innovated and made his name with; ground and pound. This will be tough, as Stephan is slick on the ground and has an active guard.
Look for the two to stand for a minute, and Coleman to take him down. Stephan will end up sweeping him or working an armbar or triangle.
Result: Stephan Bonnar by 1st Round Submission.
Bonnar is still looking for that one win that will solidify his place, if even just as a gatekeeper, after his steroid suspension. His two wins since then have come against a very lackluster Mike Nickels, who seemed to be just fighting himself out of the UFC like most Ultimate Fighter alumni, and an Eric Schafer who had yet to really find his way in the cage. He looked to be very resilient against Jon Jones, though losing a decision to a fighter who is proving to be quite a dynamic prospect, as disussed before. He has a solid stand up game, and is slick on the ground, and off of his back.(Which is where he might find himself) He has a multitude of ways to win this fight and will prove trouble for Mark Coleman.
Mark Coleman...hmmm...Like I said, I never thought I'd see this fight, let alone see Mark Coleman resurface after his hall of fame induction and psudo retirement from the fight game. He came into his return fight against Shogun Rua with the physique of one of those old guys running down the beach/boardwalk who you are certain used to live in the weight room. He looked great...for the first few minutes. Though this fight was supposed to be revenge for Mauricio, let's face it, it was a comeback fight of sorts for both and a way to let Mark Coleman's career end in the octagon. Mark has one way to win this fight, and that's to take it to the ground and work the technique he innovated and made his name with; ground and pound. This will be tough, as Stephan is slick on the ground and has an active guard.
Look for the two to stand for a minute, and Coleman to take him down. Stephan will end up sweeping him or working an armbar or triangle.
Result: Stephan Bonnar by 1st Round Submission.
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher
Now onto the main card, in a fight, for different reasons than Bonnar and Coleman, I'd never thought I'd see. Most stars in large Japanese promotions, Asian or otherwise, will spend their careers fighting in Japan/Korea.
Akiyama seems to want to really test his mettle after dismantling his past competition, with the exception of a Jerome LeBanner who came in an excess of eighty pounds heavier than Akiyama. Akiyama, a decorated judoka, has proven to be just as dangerous on the feet as he has on the mat since his transition to mixed martial arts. He holds a submission victory over one of the premier kick boxers and stand up fighters in mixed martial arts, Melvin Manhoef. I see this fight as being similar with the style match up, though Belcher has proven to have a more active guard and a better ground game than Manhoef, though he's not as proficient in the stand up. Akiyama wants this fight to go to the ground, which should prove no problem for him, seeing as how Kang took Belcher down at will. I see him going for the clinch and working trips and throws. He looks poised in this fight to make a mark on the UFC middleweight division and perhaps take a step forward with a dream fight with Anderson Silva.
Alan Belcher is proving it hard for the UFC to market Asian middleweights, thanks to his guillotine victory against a frustrated Denis Kang. Belcher was losing the fight all three rounds, but what I think won him the fight was a body kick he landed toward the end that seemed to hurt Kang. Belcher is proving to be pretty good on the feet as we saw against Ed Herman, though many believe he lost that fight. For me, the only way I see Belcher winning this fight is using his reach and keeping Akiyama at bay, which is very plausible, but for me highly unlikely.
My guess is that within the first round and a half that Akiyama will gain a very dominant top position and work an armbar.
Result: Yoshihiro Akiyama by 2nd round Submission.
Akiyama seems to want to really test his mettle after dismantling his past competition, with the exception of a Jerome LeBanner who came in an excess of eighty pounds heavier than Akiyama. Akiyama, a decorated judoka, has proven to be just as dangerous on the feet as he has on the mat since his transition to mixed martial arts. He holds a submission victory over one of the premier kick boxers and stand up fighters in mixed martial arts, Melvin Manhoef. I see this fight as being similar with the style match up, though Belcher has proven to have a more active guard and a better ground game than Manhoef, though he's not as proficient in the stand up. Akiyama wants this fight to go to the ground, which should prove no problem for him, seeing as how Kang took Belcher down at will. I see him going for the clinch and working trips and throws. He looks poised in this fight to make a mark on the UFC middleweight division and perhaps take a step forward with a dream fight with Anderson Silva.
Alan Belcher is proving it hard for the UFC to market Asian middleweights, thanks to his guillotine victory against a frustrated Denis Kang. Belcher was losing the fight all three rounds, but what I think won him the fight was a body kick he landed toward the end that seemed to hurt Kang. Belcher is proving to be pretty good on the feet as we saw against Ed Herman, though many believe he lost that fight. For me, the only way I see Belcher winning this fight is using his reach and keeping Akiyama at bay, which is very plausible, but for me highly unlikely.
My guess is that within the first round and a half that Akiyama will gain a very dominant top position and work an armbar.
Result: Yoshihiro Akiyama by 2nd round Submission.
Roy Halladay possibly available on the market?
What's going on here? You're a few games back from the Red Sox...who isn't? It's early July, but apparently J.P. Ricciardi, the General Manager for the Toronto Blue Jays, says they are willing to listen to offers involving the best pitcher in baseball over the past five years or so.
Well I guess they aren't looking to trade him, but at the same time they're showing vulnerability by listening to offers. As mentioned before he's the best pitcher in baseball, and has been for some time now. He will get injured once a year, but that's a luxury these days when most pitchers seem to make just as many rehab starts as major league starts.
They'd be hard pressed to find a deal that would yield the an equal return. The Blue Jays have tasted some success this year, starting off as one of the best teams in baseball, though slumping as of late. They play in the hardest division in baseball, and are holding their own despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars less over the past two years than their northeastern counterparts. They weren't supposed to contend this year with their two stud young pitchers Marcum and McGowan missing out on the whole year.
Ricciardi needs to weigh his options, and unless he's faced with obtaining an Albert Pujols or Hanley Ramirez type talent, he needs to stay put. They've seemed content to wait over the past few years for things to pan out. What's one more year and a potential wild card spot in 2008? I tell you, it's no reason to trade away your best player. Imagine a completely healthy rotation with Halladay, Marcum, and McGowan making thirty plus starts in 2009.
Well I guess they aren't looking to trade him, but at the same time they're showing vulnerability by listening to offers. As mentioned before he's the best pitcher in baseball, and has been for some time now. He will get injured once a year, but that's a luxury these days when most pitchers seem to make just as many rehab starts as major league starts.
They'd be hard pressed to find a deal that would yield the an equal return. The Blue Jays have tasted some success this year, starting off as one of the best teams in baseball, though slumping as of late. They play in the hardest division in baseball, and are holding their own despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars less over the past two years than their northeastern counterparts. They weren't supposed to contend this year with their two stud young pitchers Marcum and McGowan missing out on the whole year.
Ricciardi needs to weigh his options, and unless he's faced with obtaining an Albert Pujols or Hanley Ramirez type talent, he needs to stay put. They've seemed content to wait over the past few years for things to pan out. What's one more year and a potential wild card spot in 2008? I tell you, it's no reason to trade away your best player. Imagine a completely healthy rotation with Halladay, Marcum, and McGowan making thirty plus starts in 2009.
Jon Jones vs. Jake O'Brien
This is going to be an interesting fight between two completely different types of wrestlers.
Jon Jones is becoming a big fan favorite, and is a potential star in the making, definitely due to his last performance against Stephan Bonnar, where he used his Greco-Roman skills to toss Bonnar all around and used his unorthodox striking to woo fans.(Even though the spinning back elbow hit Bonnar's brain stem) I think that a lot of questions will be answered about Jones in this fight. O'Brien is going to come in the much bigger fighter, fighting for the second time at 205 pounds. We're going to get to see Jones' takedown defense as well as his game off of his back if he can't ward off O'Brien's takedown attempts. The key for him is to work the clinch and use his reach and unorthodox style to frustrate Jake.
O'Brien, as mentioned, is making his second appearance as a light heavyweight. He's coming off a split decision win over Christian Wellisch, in a fight where fans were less than excited about. We need to see if he has become more adjusted to the weight cut, much like Tom Lawlor, and his gameplan. I'm looking for him to try and get in close or work singles and double to try and get Jones on his back, and work some ground and pound.
As of right now, I see this fight going the distance with Jones getting his hand raised. I think he'll be smart and keep his distance, and if O'Brien does try to clinch with him, he'll try to employ some Greco-Roman throws.
Result: Jon Jones by Unanimous Decision.
Jon Jones is becoming a big fan favorite, and is a potential star in the making, definitely due to his last performance against Stephan Bonnar, where he used his Greco-Roman skills to toss Bonnar all around and used his unorthodox striking to woo fans.(Even though the spinning back elbow hit Bonnar's brain stem) I think that a lot of questions will be answered about Jones in this fight. O'Brien is going to come in the much bigger fighter, fighting for the second time at 205 pounds. We're going to get to see Jones' takedown defense as well as his game off of his back if he can't ward off O'Brien's takedown attempts. The key for him is to work the clinch and use his reach and unorthodox style to frustrate Jake.
O'Brien, as mentioned, is making his second appearance as a light heavyweight. He's coming off a split decision win over Christian Wellisch, in a fight where fans were less than excited about. We need to see if he has become more adjusted to the weight cut, much like Tom Lawlor, and his gameplan. I'm looking for him to try and get in close or work singles and double to try and get Jones on his back, and work some ground and pound.
As of right now, I see this fight going the distance with Jones getting his hand raised. I think he'll be smart and keep his distance, and if O'Brien does try to clinch with him, he'll try to employ some Greco-Roman throws.
Result: Jon Jones by Unanimous Decision.
Mac Danzig vs. Jim Miller
Both of these fighters are coming in in a must need situation, for different reasons. One fighter needs a win to ward off a possible cut from the UFC and the other needs the win to help bolster his confidence.
Mac Danzig is coming off two straight defeats at the hands of Clay Guida and Josh Neer. I felt that they gave him too much of a step up in competition after beating Speer and Bocek. He got bullied around by a better wrestler in Guida and got sucked into Josh Neer's taunting. Mac seems to possess a lot of the same skills that Jim Miller does, and I see this as a fight that will stay on the feet. Danzig seems to be improving his stand up fight by fight, but hasn't gotten to showcase it as much as he'd like.
Miller came in during the "merger" or acquisition of the IFL, riding a six fight win streak. He came in and disposed of David Baron and a very hot Matt Wiman. He was slowed though in his last fight, where like Danzig, I feel that the UFC gave him too much of a jump in competition against Maynard. Gray Maynard is the best wrestler at 155 and easily the biggest competitor, but he dominated that fight on the feet. For Miller to win this fight I think that he has to somehow do what Neer did to Danzig and get him out of his rhythm.
I see these fighters warding off each others takedowns and eventually concede to a stand up war. I think that Danzig's stand-up is too much for Jim right now, and I see Mac outpointing him for three rounds and earning a much needed win.
Result: Mac Danzig by Unanimous Decision
Mac Danzig is coming off two straight defeats at the hands of Clay Guida and Josh Neer. I felt that they gave him too much of a step up in competition after beating Speer and Bocek. He got bullied around by a better wrestler in Guida and got sucked into Josh Neer's taunting. Mac seems to possess a lot of the same skills that Jim Miller does, and I see this as a fight that will stay on the feet. Danzig seems to be improving his stand up fight by fight, but hasn't gotten to showcase it as much as he'd like.
Miller came in during the "merger" or acquisition of the IFL, riding a six fight win streak. He came in and disposed of David Baron and a very hot Matt Wiman. He was slowed though in his last fight, where like Danzig, I feel that the UFC gave him too much of a jump in competition against Maynard. Gray Maynard is the best wrestler at 155 and easily the biggest competitor, but he dominated that fight on the feet. For Miller to win this fight I think that he has to somehow do what Neer did to Danzig and get him out of his rhythm.
I see these fighters warding off each others takedowns and eventually concede to a stand up war. I think that Danzig's stand-up is too much for Jim right now, and I see Mac outpointing him for three rounds and earning a much needed win.
Result: Mac Danzig by Unanimous Decision
Onyewu to the Rossoneri
This morning, ESPN reported that star US defender Oguchi Onyewu has signed a three year contract with AC Milan.
This is probably the biggest transfer involving an American player in some time. Onyewu is coming off a good showing at the Confederation's Cup where he and Jay DeMerit shut down a Spanish offense for 90+ minutes and enforced their will on the Brazilian attack for the first 45 minutes before falling apart.
He was apparently clear for a free transfer after completing his stay with Belgian side Standard Liege. I think that this is a great move, because at 27 years old, he needed to make the move to a bigger league, where he could really showcase his talent.
Matt Grice vs. Shannon Gugerty
I'd be lying if I said I'm confident in picking a winner for this fight.
I've seen very little of these two fighters, but I'll make my judgement from what I've seen and heard from friends.
Grice is coming off a loss in which he could have had his hand raised(maybe twice) against MFS "stud" prospect Matt Veach. He couldn't close the deal, though Veach looked to be done a couple of times, and ended up getting beat. A lot of the fight with Veach was wrestling and he will probably want to stray away from that against Gugerty. A buddy enlightened us that Grice likes to leave his head free and out in the open during takedowns, and is prone to guillotines, which could prove detrimental against a submission artist like Gugerty.
Shannon is coming in off a disappointing loss to a very good veteran in Spencer Fisher, where he ended up getting triangled.(Not really a big deal) His ground game is very sound as we saw against Dale Hartt. He's also with a good camp at City Boxing with Brandon Vera and KJ Noons.
The fight is going to be decided on the ground. I think Grice will stand and bang for a while before trying to take Shannon down and try to work ground and pound. I see Gugerty sweeping him from his back and eventually getting his back for a rear naked choke.
Result: Shannon Gugerty by 1st round Submission.
I've seen very little of these two fighters, but I'll make my judgement from what I've seen and heard from friends.
Grice is coming off a loss in which he could have had his hand raised(maybe twice) against MFS "stud" prospect Matt Veach. He couldn't close the deal, though Veach looked to be done a couple of times, and ended up getting beat. A lot of the fight with Veach was wrestling and he will probably want to stray away from that against Gugerty. A buddy enlightened us that Grice likes to leave his head free and out in the open during takedowns, and is prone to guillotines, which could prove detrimental against a submission artist like Gugerty.
Shannon is coming in off a disappointing loss to a very good veteran in Spencer Fisher, where he ended up getting triangled.(Not really a big deal) His ground game is very sound as we saw against Dale Hartt. He's also with a good camp at City Boxing with Brandon Vera and KJ Noons.
The fight is going to be decided on the ground. I think Grice will stand and bang for a while before trying to take Shannon down and try to work ground and pound. I see Gugerty sweeping him from his back and eventually getting his back for a rear naked choke.
Result: Shannon Gugerty by 1st round Submission.
Monday, July 6, 2009
CB Dollaway vs. Tom Lawlor
For me this is one of the easiest fights to pick, at least I think.
CB Dollaway is coming off two impressive wins following his disappointing(controversial?) submission loss in the Ultimate Fighter Finale against Amir Sadollah. He's proving to be much more than a typical power house ASU wrestling standout. His submission game is very sound as we saw against Jesse Taylor with that slick peruvian neck tie.(thank you Tony DeSouza) His stand up is evolving as he gets experience. His attitude leaves a bad taste in most fans mouths but it's hard to deny his talent.
Tom Lawlor, notorious for his antics in the Ultimate Fighter house, is making his debut as a middleweight. The big question mark for me is how he's going to handle the extra cut. He is good wrestler, but I don't think we've seen him challenged by a sound submission artist. If he can make the transition to middleweight smoothly, he'll have a size advantage and may be able to dictate where the fight goes.
As of right now in these two's careers, Dollaway seems to be the more well rounded fighter, and even better wrestler. I think Lawlor could be a good prospect if he can handle the weight cut, but Dollaway is too good for him in every aspect. I see CB taking him down early and often and eventually working a choke of some sort(probably rear naked choke) in the first. Tough first fight at 185 for Lawlor.
Result: CB Dollaway by 1st round submission.
CB Dollaway is coming off two impressive wins following his disappointing(controversial?) submission loss in the Ultimate Fighter Finale against Amir Sadollah. He's proving to be much more than a typical power house ASU wrestling standout. His submission game is very sound as we saw against Jesse Taylor with that slick peruvian neck tie.(thank you Tony DeSouza) His stand up is evolving as he gets experience. His attitude leaves a bad taste in most fans mouths but it's hard to deny his talent.
Tom Lawlor, notorious for his antics in the Ultimate Fighter house, is making his debut as a middleweight. The big question mark for me is how he's going to handle the extra cut. He is good wrestler, but I don't think we've seen him challenged by a sound submission artist. If he can make the transition to middleweight smoothly, he'll have a size advantage and may be able to dictate where the fight goes.
As of right now in these two's careers, Dollaway seems to be the more well rounded fighter, and even better wrestler. I think Lawlor could be a good prospect if he can handle the weight cut, but Dollaway is too good for him in every aspect. I see CB taking him down early and often and eventually working a choke of some sort(probably rear naked choke) in the first. Tough first fight at 185 for Lawlor.
Result: CB Dollaway by 1st round submission.
Offseason
Summertime, aside from baseball, lacks a lot of in game action. You catch the tail end of the extremely drawn out NBA and NHL finals, that should have been finished weeks ago.
The one thing that is always intriguing about the summer, aside from baseball, is free agency, drafts, blockbuster trades, and teams starting to rebuild for the hopes of a better season.
This offseason has been no different. Though the NBA draft was extremely lacking, free agency has just started up, and it's already been booming. The rich are getting richer;Artest to the Lakers and Sheed to the Celtics. Teams are taking risks on players who they hope weren't just playing for their contract last season;Trevor Ariza and Hedo Turkoglu. Teams like the Knicks are unloading caproom and accepting the enrtry into the 2010 draft lottery in hopes of getting their hand in the cookie jar that is the ridiculously rich 2010 free agent class.
European soccer has also given us a breathtaking display of "making it rain" so to speak. You have a team like Real Madrid which is already talent rich both with veterans(Raúl) and prospects(Ramos and Higúan) spending absurd amounts of money to try and turn their "embarrassing" year into a competitive one with Barcelona. They have already signed two top five midfielders, a top 10 striker, and a solid underrated center back for around €180 million. They're garnering a lot of criticism for their moves because of the inflation they're causing in this year's transfer market. It's hard to blame them completely because of the youth and talent level of the four players they've signed, along with the return transfer fees they can get for existing commodities;Arjen Robben, Rafael Van der Vaart.
It'll be interesting to see what other great players will be swept up this offseason, because they are in for a hell of a pay day.(Sorry Gareth Barry)
I find myself licking my chops because this summer is so far one of the best I've seen in years as far as trades and signings go, and we're only at the beginning of July.
The one thing that is always intriguing about the summer, aside from baseball, is free agency, drafts, blockbuster trades, and teams starting to rebuild for the hopes of a better season.
This offseason has been no different. Though the NBA draft was extremely lacking, free agency has just started up, and it's already been booming. The rich are getting richer;Artest to the Lakers and Sheed to the Celtics. Teams are taking risks on players who they hope weren't just playing for their contract last season;Trevor Ariza and Hedo Turkoglu. Teams like the Knicks are unloading caproom and accepting the enrtry into the 2010 draft lottery in hopes of getting their hand in the cookie jar that is the ridiculously rich 2010 free agent class.
European soccer has also given us a breathtaking display of "making it rain" so to speak. You have a team like Real Madrid which is already talent rich both with veterans(Raúl) and prospects(Ramos and Higúan) spending absurd amounts of money to try and turn their "embarrassing" year into a competitive one with Barcelona. They have already signed two top five midfielders, a top 10 striker, and a solid underrated center back for around €180 million. They're garnering a lot of criticism for their moves because of the inflation they're causing in this year's transfer market. It's hard to blame them completely because of the youth and talent level of the four players they've signed, along with the return transfer fees they can get for existing commodities;Arjen Robben, Rafael Van der Vaart.
It'll be interesting to see what other great players will be swept up this offseason, because they are in for a hell of a pay day.(Sorry Gareth Barry)
I find myself licking my chops because this summer is so far one of the best I've seen in years as far as trades and signings go, and we're only at the beginning of July.
TJ Grant vs. Dong Hyun Kim
This is a fight of two real promising young fighters. I think this fight is going to end up being won on the feet.
Kim is a very talented boxer with a solid background in judo. He uses his judo very well, in reverse almost, a lot like Chuck Liddell has done throughout his career with his wrestling base. For the most part Kim seems very at home and relaxed on the feet, but can get frustrated by fighters he can't finish. The fight with Matt Brown, which I saw live at Philips Arena, was one where Brown was supposed to be a stepping stone for the UFC's first Korean poster boy. He came in constantly pushed the pace against Kim and frustrated him. It was back and forth on the feet, a real aggressive battle, where we saw Kim gas late in the second round, but hold on to win a close decision, which the crowd was very up in arms over. He actually got Brown's back a few times in the fight, as well as the fight with Karo Parisyan, but was unable to finish it.
There's no beating around the bush with TJ. He's going to want to take this fight to the ground immediately and work his slick submisison game, which has most recently claimed UFC veteran Forrest Petz as its latest victim, with one of my favorite submissions, the arm triangle. In his only UFC fight, Grant fought who, at the time, was maybe the UFC's toughest gatekeeper at 170 pounds in Ryo Chonan.(I still don't necessarily see Chris Lytle as a gatekeeper yet.) He won a split decision with the Japanese fighter, in a fight that many fans disagree with, much like Kim vs. Brown.
What it boils down to is that Kim is going to be able to use his judo to keep the fight on the feet and this time frustrate his opponent. If Grant gets the fight to the ground, look out for a submission. As of right now I see this as an extemely entertaining slugfest, where we see one fighter(Kim) turn in his prospect card for a contender card and the other gain respect for slugging it out for three rounds.
Result: Kim by Unanimous Decision.
Kim is a very talented boxer with a solid background in judo. He uses his judo very well, in reverse almost, a lot like Chuck Liddell has done throughout his career with his wrestling base. For the most part Kim seems very at home and relaxed on the feet, but can get frustrated by fighters he can't finish. The fight with Matt Brown, which I saw live at Philips Arena, was one where Brown was supposed to be a stepping stone for the UFC's first Korean poster boy. He came in constantly pushed the pace against Kim and frustrated him. It was back and forth on the feet, a real aggressive battle, where we saw Kim gas late in the second round, but hold on to win a close decision, which the crowd was very up in arms over. He actually got Brown's back a few times in the fight, as well as the fight with Karo Parisyan, but was unable to finish it.
There's no beating around the bush with TJ. He's going to want to take this fight to the ground immediately and work his slick submisison game, which has most recently claimed UFC veteran Forrest Petz as its latest victim, with one of my favorite submissions, the arm triangle. In his only UFC fight, Grant fought who, at the time, was maybe the UFC's toughest gatekeeper at 170 pounds in Ryo Chonan.(I still don't necessarily see Chris Lytle as a gatekeeper yet.) He won a split decision with the Japanese fighter, in a fight that many fans disagree with, much like Kim vs. Brown.
What it boils down to is that Kim is going to be able to use his judo to keep the fight on the feet and this time frustrate his opponent. If Grant gets the fight to the ground, look out for a submission. As of right now I see this as an extemely entertaining slugfest, where we see one fighter(Kim) turn in his prospect card for a contender card and the other gain respect for slugging it out for three rounds.
Result: Kim by Unanimous Decision.
UFC 100
Me (7/6 2:34 pm): UFC 100 is coming up on Saturday, and they've jam packed quite a few good fights into both the main card and undercard. This will be an event where they start the first main card fight and you see all the blood splatters on the mat. You'll wonder which undercard fight delivered such a bloody mess and subconsciously want the main card fights to not go the distance, in anticipation to perhaps see said messy fight.
I'll be back periodically throughout the week to breakdown my thoughts on the outcomes of the upcoming card.
Stay tuned.
I'll be back periodically throughout the week to breakdown my thoughts on the outcomes of the upcoming card.
Stay tuned.
Intro
I'm new to this in a sense. This is my first blog, but I feel like I'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. What I want to do is start blogging about professional sports, whether it's NBA, NFL, MLB, Soccer, or Mixed Martial Arts.
I want to start translating the conversations I have with friends about sports into posts that go more in depth. I'll be doing everything from giving my predictions to writing editorial journal-like entries about sports stories, breaking or not.
I'm also hoping in the coming weeks or months to start up a podcast, related to the blog.
I want to start translating the conversations I have with friends about sports into posts that go more in depth. I'll be doing everything from giving my predictions to writing editorial journal-like entries about sports stories, breaking or not.
I'm also hoping in the coming weeks or months to start up a podcast, related to the blog.
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