For those of you who want to check out my pieces at MMA Opinion, I definitely suggest you do. I just published a piece on Sean Sherk, which was part two of my pre-fight bit. Part one, on BJ Penn, is also on there.
There's also a piece up there on the evolution of the mount, where I personally think it's going.
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
O'Reilly on MMA
For those who have the seen the video recently posted on mmaopinion, where I work and where the best news and analysis in the sport is.
Now lets forget Bill's economic stupidity. Let's forget that the 16-34 year old males are the second most potent viewer groups in the entire country (in, the minds of many producers of big advertisement buyers, like beer companies, the most important). Let's forget that the sport has been approved by state athletic commissions, that it has fewer fatalities than boxing, hockey or football.
Let's forget that when John McCain commented on the sport and called in "human cockfighting", Ken Shamrock destroyed him in civil debate on Larry King's live interview, one of the crowning moments for the sport, and one I would like to see Shamrock repeat. Personally, I'd be happy to debate O'Reilly myself, since he clearly knows nothing about the sport and about the way that it's marketed.
As far as the "redeeming moral value" of MMA that the twit Jane Hall, there's as much redeeming value in mixed martial arts as there is in football.
The sport teaches discipline and the value of pushing yourself. It teaches that the only person that can be held accountable in failure is ourself. It teaches that the fighter who develops his mind, his body and his craft wins, and that sometimes that guy comes from the school of hard knocks, and sometimes he comes from priviledge.
The sport offers us at least as much in terms of fantastic stories and tragic failings as any other sport. Some people love football, and just because, as my grandfather once described it to me, "it's just a bunch of fat guys running into each other," that doesn't mean they aren't entitled to watch it and that the networks aren't entitled to carry it. (for the record, I'm a football fan, go Raiders)
If Bill O'Reilly would attack the rights of a network to carry the fastest growing sport in the country, it just makes him come off like an angry pissant who's upset that it's not on his network. The money that the UFC has made Spike has turned the heads of every network executive who isn't an idiot. Obviously, this is why FOX is late to the table on this issue.
Big Bad Bill has tried to attack the sport for years, saying that he honestly believes that this sport is deteriorating the moral fabric of our nation. Really, Bill O'Reilly?
Is it deteriorating the moral fiber our country as quickly as you would like to deteriorate a network's right to broadcast anything you don't like?
Bill O'Reilly has bastardized and trivialized the rights of Americans, and makes every show he does an attack on somebodies right to do something for no other reason than because it doesn't straighten out his lap pinky. He's a shock jocky, but most importantly he's a hypocritical psycho who thinks that, for some reason, his opinions matter more than the facts.
If Big Bad Bill wants to get in touch with me, or anyone wants me to post their thoughts on this, feel free to send me an email at jstein.ironsport@gmail.com
Comments are welcome.
I realize that this is an old video, but it really is something that makes me want to puke when I see an idiot like O'Reilly try and justify his bigoted bullshit with no data and no knowledge of the topic he's flapping his lips about.
Now lets forget Bill's economic stupidity. Let's forget that the 16-34 year old males are the second most potent viewer groups in the entire country (in, the minds of many producers of big advertisement buyers, like beer companies, the most important). Let's forget that the sport has been approved by state athletic commissions, that it has fewer fatalities than boxing, hockey or football.
Let's forget that when John McCain commented on the sport and called in "human cockfighting", Ken Shamrock destroyed him in civil debate on Larry King's live interview, one of the crowning moments for the sport, and one I would like to see Shamrock repeat. Personally, I'd be happy to debate O'Reilly myself, since he clearly knows nothing about the sport and about the way that it's marketed.
As far as the "redeeming moral value" of MMA that the twit Jane Hall, there's as much redeeming value in mixed martial arts as there is in football.
The sport teaches discipline and the value of pushing yourself. It teaches that the only person that can be held accountable in failure is ourself. It teaches that the fighter who develops his mind, his body and his craft wins, and that sometimes that guy comes from the school of hard knocks, and sometimes he comes from priviledge.
The sport offers us at least as much in terms of fantastic stories and tragic failings as any other sport. Some people love football, and just because, as my grandfather once described it to me, "it's just a bunch of fat guys running into each other," that doesn't mean they aren't entitled to watch it and that the networks aren't entitled to carry it. (for the record, I'm a football fan, go Raiders)
If Bill O'Reilly would attack the rights of a network to carry the fastest growing sport in the country, it just makes him come off like an angry pissant who's upset that it's not on his network. The money that the UFC has made Spike has turned the heads of every network executive who isn't an idiot. Obviously, this is why FOX is late to the table on this issue.
Big Bad Bill has tried to attack the sport for years, saying that he honestly believes that this sport is deteriorating the moral fabric of our nation. Really, Bill O'Reilly?
Is it deteriorating the moral fiber our country as quickly as you would like to deteriorate a network's right to broadcast anything you don't like?
Bill O'Reilly has bastardized and trivialized the rights of Americans, and makes every show he does an attack on somebodies right to do something for no other reason than because it doesn't straighten out his lap pinky. He's a shock jocky, but most importantly he's a hypocritical psycho who thinks that, for some reason, his opinions matter more than the facts.
If Big Bad Bill wants to get in touch with me, or anyone wants me to post their thoughts on this, feel free to send me an email at jstein.ironsport@gmail.com
Comments are welcome.
I realize that this is an old video, but it really is something that makes me want to puke when I see an idiot like O'Reilly try and justify his bigoted bullshit with no data and no knowledge of the topic he's flapping his lips about.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Travis Lutter Talks (and talk, and talks) to Pramit Mohapatra
Well, Pramit has done it again: he's officially struck interview gold.
Lutter spills his guts about everything, and it's pretty fucking funny, especially when he gets down to talking about Franklin and Silva.
A little excerpt:
Lutter spills his guts about everything, and it's pretty fucking funny, especially when he gets down to talking about Franklin and Silva.
A little excerpt:
I think most of them are dumb-ass kids. I’m not saying MMA fans. I’m saying the people that are writing me this shit. I think the average MMA fan rules. They’re following my sport. I like them a lot. But, the guy who is taking the time out of his day that lives in Kentucky to email me to tell me what a piece of shit I am. You really have to question, what is his motivation? How sad of an individual is that? I don’t know what to say to that. It’s like, “I saw you on TV so you suck. As a fighter you suck. You’ve got no cardio, blah blah blah.” What motivates these guys to send hate mail? I don’t understand it.
Monday, April 7, 2008
A New Piece on MMA Opinion
Check out the second part of my inside the guard series.
If you missed the first one, check that out too.
If you missed the first one, check that out too.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Stylized Striking: The Difference Between Muay Thai, Boxing and Brawling
The best part of MMA is it's diversity as a sport, even in it's individual elements there are distinct classes of fighters. Standing up, there are dozens of classifications of strikers, from the old school karate fighters like UFC 1 competitor and runner-up Gerard Gordeau to San Shou masters like Strike Force middleweight Cung Le. Over the years, these fighters have been streamlined to fit a few standard profiles (though some, like Le, are exceptions). Those molds are the Muay Thai striker, the boxer and the brawler. While these can be broken up into even smaller sub-divisions (clinch fighters, counter-punchers, stalkers, etc.) these three basic molds make a pretty solid umbrella for the modern striker.
Some fighters, like Brazilians Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, are viceral Muay Thai strikers, who work well in open range, where they use leg kicks and straight punches to wear opponents down, or in the clinch, where they use knees to their opponents body and head to end fights.
Muay Thai is actually a more recent development than boxing and brawling, coming in when top quality fight coaches like Marco Ruas started using Vale Tudo fighting as a way of employing classic Muay Thai striking techniques, like the thai clinch, knees to the body and shin kicks. Over time Muay Thai and the Vale Tudo (or "anything goes") philosophy has expanded to include stomp kicks to downed opponents and it's current fighter base includes UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Boxers started off slow in MMA, being thoroughly dominated as the result of a lack of ground skills, but it was quickly coupled with submission fighting and solid wrestling fundamentals to provide what is really a more street fight realistic style of employing the hands. While it still stays true to many of the technical philosophies of boxing, true boxing has sort of fallen out in MMA with the slowing careers of it's most well known employers, including former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver.
Since the decline in it's use, it has still become an important fact in MMA, especially for ground based fighters who want to improve their head movement and hand skills. While they employ a more open bodied stance to help them deal with leg kicks and stay ready for the takedown, they use many traditional training points and basic drills. Current notable boxing-based strikers in the sport include Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and top UFC heavyweight contender Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Brawling has always been a popular style, ever since the rugged earlier days of the sport when it was popularized by one punch warriors like Tank Abbott. While the practical aspect of brawling is questionable, fighters with the ability to take a punch and utilize their heavy hands have always been successful brawlers. It has fallen off the major event cards, because the sport has become more technical, but it is still a staple of smaller shows.
Great brawlers throughout history are easy to find, from the Tank himself to Mike Bourke and Bobby Hoffman, to even lighter weight fighters like Joe "Diesel" Riggs.
The sport will continue to develop and the smaller styles, like the Croatian and Dutch kickboxers, will always have their representatives, but for know the sport's standup seems to be pretty heavily dominated by these three breeds of fighters.
Some fighters, like Brazilians Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, are viceral Muay Thai strikers, who work well in open range, where they use leg kicks and straight punches to wear opponents down, or in the clinch, where they use knees to their opponents body and head to end fights.
Muay Thai is actually a more recent development than boxing and brawling, coming in when top quality fight coaches like Marco Ruas started using Vale Tudo fighting as a way of employing classic Muay Thai striking techniques, like the thai clinch, knees to the body and shin kicks. Over time Muay Thai and the Vale Tudo (or "anything goes") philosophy has expanded to include stomp kicks to downed opponents and it's current fighter base includes UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Boxers started off slow in MMA, being thoroughly dominated as the result of a lack of ground skills, but it was quickly coupled with submission fighting and solid wrestling fundamentals to provide what is really a more street fight realistic style of employing the hands. While it still stays true to many of the technical philosophies of boxing, true boxing has sort of fallen out in MMA with the slowing careers of it's most well known employers, including former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver.
Since the decline in it's use, it has still become an important fact in MMA, especially for ground based fighters who want to improve their head movement and hand skills. While they employ a more open bodied stance to help them deal with leg kicks and stay ready for the takedown, they use many traditional training points and basic drills. Current notable boxing-based strikers in the sport include Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and top UFC heavyweight contender Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Brawling has always been a popular style, ever since the rugged earlier days of the sport when it was popularized by one punch warriors like Tank Abbott. While the practical aspect of brawling is questionable, fighters with the ability to take a punch and utilize their heavy hands have always been successful brawlers. It has fallen off the major event cards, because the sport has become more technical, but it is still a staple of smaller shows.
Great brawlers throughout history are easy to find, from the Tank himself to Mike Bourke and Bobby Hoffman, to even lighter weight fighters like Joe "Diesel" Riggs.
The sport will continue to develop and the smaller styles, like the Croatian and Dutch kickboxers, will always have their representatives, but for know the sport's standup seems to be pretty heavily dominated by these three breeds of fighters.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Decisions: The Difference Between Finishing In America and Japan
There are alot of differences between the MMA scene in Western countries (U.S., U.K., Canada...) and in Japan, but beyond the stomp kicks, elbows and crazy entrances, there is a major difference in the way that Japanese fans look at a fight record, particularly a single element of the record: decisions.
In Japan, there is a serious emphasis on finishing opponents, that goes way beyond the $5,000 you see Dana White offer Ultimate Fighter contestants for a finish. In Japan, there is a stigma on fighters who don't finish, and they rarely get any attention, any sponsorships or a title shot.
It's the reason why Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic took off quickly in the Japanese scene (first in K-1, then in Pride), while it took some fighters a little longer to establish themselves. The explosive KO or submission is something that Japanese fans see as absolutely necessary, not just bringing home the W, and a fighter who puts on an exciting fight and loses with a big finish at the end is more likely to be called back than a fighter who postpones defeat with a decision. This is one of the reasons for cult followings developing around fighters with lower records, like Yosuke Nishijima.
Losing by decision is considered more like a draw than an actual loss, and it is one of the reasons why fighters like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who have never been finished, are so revered.
American MMA puts the focus on winning, at whatever cost. A champion has to be very unimpressive to be regarded as a pariah, where as in Japan, a champion who goes to decision once will instantly have his credibility questioned. If Tim Sylvia had been a champion in Pride when he fought Assuerio Silva to get back in line for a title shot after losing his title to Arlovski, the decision would have kept him out of contention and he would have had to take at least one more fight before getting another opportunity to prove himself.
If Sylvia had been unable to finish as a champion, like he was when he won back his title, a Japanese organization might have held a Grand Prix to determine whether he was suited to be a champion, putting him in a situation where he has a very high chance of failure.
It is also the theory behind the "freak matchups" that are more common in Japan. A fighter like Zuluzinho fighting Fedor is normal, because a finish is almost guarunteed. It is expected that a smaller, skilled fighter will either use his agility and skills to finish an opponent quickly, his larger opponent will crush him, or as the fight goes on one of the fighters will fatigue (either the smaller from being worn on by a heavier opponent, or the larger for lack of cardiovascular conditioning). This is where matchups like Butterbean and Minowa or Sapp and Nogueira come from, it isn't the bizarre nature of seeing someone three hundred pounds fight someone way smaller, but, rather, because the fans are hungry to see a finish.
There are exceptions to this rule, but it is a very common part of Japanese and American sport psychology and I don't see it going away any time soon.
In Japan, there is a serious emphasis on finishing opponents, that goes way beyond the $5,000 you see Dana White offer Ultimate Fighter contestants for a finish. In Japan, there is a stigma on fighters who don't finish, and they rarely get any attention, any sponsorships or a title shot.
It's the reason why Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic took off quickly in the Japanese scene (first in K-1, then in Pride), while it took some fighters a little longer to establish themselves. The explosive KO or submission is something that Japanese fans see as absolutely necessary, not just bringing home the W, and a fighter who puts on an exciting fight and loses with a big finish at the end is more likely to be called back than a fighter who postpones defeat with a decision. This is one of the reasons for cult followings developing around fighters with lower records, like Yosuke Nishijima.
Losing by decision is considered more like a draw than an actual loss, and it is one of the reasons why fighters like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who have never been finished, are so revered.
American MMA puts the focus on winning, at whatever cost. A champion has to be very unimpressive to be regarded as a pariah, where as in Japan, a champion who goes to decision once will instantly have his credibility questioned. If Tim Sylvia had been a champion in Pride when he fought Assuerio Silva to get back in line for a title shot after losing his title to Arlovski, the decision would have kept him out of contention and he would have had to take at least one more fight before getting another opportunity to prove himself.
If Sylvia had been unable to finish as a champion, like he was when he won back his title, a Japanese organization might have held a Grand Prix to determine whether he was suited to be a champion, putting him in a situation where he has a very high chance of failure.
It is also the theory behind the "freak matchups" that are more common in Japan. A fighter like Zuluzinho fighting Fedor is normal, because a finish is almost guarunteed. It is expected that a smaller, skilled fighter will either use his agility and skills to finish an opponent quickly, his larger opponent will crush him, or as the fight goes on one of the fighters will fatigue (either the smaller from being worn on by a heavier opponent, or the larger for lack of cardiovascular conditioning). This is where matchups like Butterbean and Minowa or Sapp and Nogueira come from, it isn't the bizarre nature of seeing someone three hundred pounds fight someone way smaller, but, rather, because the fans are hungry to see a finish.
There are exceptions to this rule, but it is a very common part of Japanese and American sport psychology and I don't see it going away any time soon.
Monday, October 15, 2007
A Recap of the Year of the (Under)Dogs
Here's a recap of the biggest upsets in the UFC and PRIDE so far this year, and there are definitely plenty. You can also see this post at the prognostication station.
Before the start of 2007, we got a sneak peak of the year ahead when 7-1 underdog and UFC newcomer Joe Lauzon TKO'd former lightweight champion Jens Pulver in his return to the Octagon.
February 24th
The world begins to shake at PRIDE 33: The Second coming and while many UFC fans weren't aware yet, something strange had started.
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou stopped the seemingly unstoppable Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in 23 seconds, becoming the first man to stop either of the great Noguiera brothers in their extensive MMA careers.
Frank Trigg upset top ten middleweight Kazuo "The Grabaka Hitman" Misaki, giving Twinkle Toes fans some hope that he might be returning to form. (That hope was later crushed by Robbie Lawler. Sorry folks.)
Nick Diaz beats #1 lightweight Takanori Gomi with a gogoplata, executing a submission that Gomi had probably never seen before, and neither had most of the MMA world, either.
To finalize things, Dan Henderson avenges his split decision loss to Wanderlei Silva with some fireworks, putting Silva out in the 3rd round with one of his classic right haymakers.
March 3rd
Jason Lambert opens the floodgates in the UFC when he KO's long time MMA staple Renato "Babalu" Sobral in the second round, creating a stir that led many newer fans to dismiss the hype around Sobral and got Lambert some attention. Later that night, Randy Couture comes out of retirement and beats the 6'8 heavyweight champion Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia standing and on the ground en route to a decision that would be one of the most exciting five rounders in history. While some people will dispute Couture being the underdog, there's really no doubt that as a 43 year old man coming out of retirement after losing in the weight class below Sylvia's, stepping in the ring with the reigning champion, definitely pulled out the upset.
April 7th
The UFC's next pay-per-view card sporting the winner of TUF 4 getting his promised title shot at Georges St. Pierre was, for lack of any better words, batshit craziness. So much that I'm not going to waste my time putting it all in one paragraph.
At the bottom of a card that so many Canadians weep over, Mike "Quick" Swick, an almost certain top contender in the 185 pound weight class, was scheduled for a steppingstone match with Yushin Okami. Okami spends three rounds beating the wholly hell out of Swick and gets his first dose of attention, which would lead him to fight at the top of a card in his next fight.
Then, Josh Koscheck did what no other man before him had done. After three rounds he beat Diego "The Nightmare" Sanchez, ending the undefeated streak that had been Sanchez's professional career up to that point. But that wasn't the end of it.
In perhaps the greatest upset to date in this sport, Matt "The Terra" Serra KO'd Georges St. Pierre, the most revered 170 pound fighter in the western hemisphere, in exciting fashion. Serra was the Standford to St. Pierre's USC, and damn that was fun to watch. Well, unless you like nice people.
The next night, the underdog action gets felt overseas as Makoto Nakao upsets up-and-comer Zelg Galesic, in what would begin a tough year for Croatian MMA fans. Also on the PRIDE 34 card in Saitama, unknown Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou proved that his earlier KO of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira wasn't a fluke by posting his second round one stoppage in a row when he beat Ricardo Arona.
April 21st
The tough year continued for the Croatians, as Gabriel Gonzaga shocked the world, putting Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic to sleep with a left high kick. It was one of the most shocking KO's of the year, and another case of a stepping stone stepping back.
May 26th
More than a month passed without any major organization action, but at UFC 71, the underdogs came again. In a list of intersting undercard upsets. Houston Alexander, Terry Martin and Thiago Silva put on round one knock outs of Keith Jardine, Ivan Salaverry and James Irvin, respectively, and Kalib Starnes beat Chris "The Crippler" Leben with a decision.
To top off the night, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, only a slight underdog, proved that the odds probably shouldn't have been so tight when he shut down Chuck Liddell with some brutal strikes in round one of their title matchup.
August 25th
UFC's 72 and 73 were more or less unimpressive as far as upsets go, but the underdogs immerged from their summer haiatus as hungry as ever, when Clay Guida upset former Pride contender Marcus "Maximus" Aurelio by decision and Patrick "The Predator" Cote decimated TUF 3 winner Kendall Grove with a first round TKO.
September 8th
London saw some major action and Croatian fans, along with the rest of the CroCop Squad, suffered some heartbreak as Cheick Kongo slowed down comeback hopes with a big decision win. Also on the card was Quinton Jackson's win over Dan Henderson which, despite holding the UFC title and Octagon experience, wasn't necessarily favored by the bookies.
September 22nd
UFC 76, our most recent event, has shown even more escallation in bizarre turnarounds. #1 205 pound fighter Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, was choked out by barely top 20 fighter Forrest Griffin and former UFC lightheavyweight champion Chuck Liddell dropped a decision to Keith Jardine, but even below the main card, there was craziness.
Japanese judoka Michihiro Omigawa made an awaited debut only to lose to "Hansome" Matt Wiman and when top ten fighters Ryoto Machida and Kazuhiro Nakamura squared off, the favorite, Nakamura, lost on the judges scorecards.
Whatever's next, on the gridiron or in the cage, it'll be surprising. At least now we're expecting it.
Before the start of 2007, we got a sneak peak of the year ahead when 7-1 underdog and UFC newcomer Joe Lauzon TKO'd former lightweight champion Jens Pulver in his return to the Octagon.
February 24th
The world begins to shake at PRIDE 33: The Second coming and while many UFC fans weren't aware yet, something strange had started.
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou stopped the seemingly unstoppable Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in 23 seconds, becoming the first man to stop either of the great Noguiera brothers in their extensive MMA careers.
Frank Trigg upset top ten middleweight Kazuo "The Grabaka Hitman" Misaki, giving Twinkle Toes fans some hope that he might be returning to form. (That hope was later crushed by Robbie Lawler. Sorry folks.)
Nick Diaz beats #1 lightweight Takanori Gomi with a gogoplata, executing a submission that Gomi had probably never seen before, and neither had most of the MMA world, either.
To finalize things, Dan Henderson avenges his split decision loss to Wanderlei Silva with some fireworks, putting Silva out in the 3rd round with one of his classic right haymakers.
March 3rd
Jason Lambert opens the floodgates in the UFC when he KO's long time MMA staple Renato "Babalu" Sobral in the second round, creating a stir that led many newer fans to dismiss the hype around Sobral and got Lambert some attention. Later that night, Randy Couture comes out of retirement and beats the 6'8 heavyweight champion Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia standing and on the ground en route to a decision that would be one of the most exciting five rounders in history. While some people will dispute Couture being the underdog, there's really no doubt that as a 43 year old man coming out of retirement after losing in the weight class below Sylvia's, stepping in the ring with the reigning champion, definitely pulled out the upset.
April 7th
The UFC's next pay-per-view card sporting the winner of TUF 4 getting his promised title shot at Georges St. Pierre was, for lack of any better words, batshit craziness. So much that I'm not going to waste my time putting it all in one paragraph.
At the bottom of a card that so many Canadians weep over, Mike "Quick" Swick, an almost certain top contender in the 185 pound weight class, was scheduled for a steppingstone match with Yushin Okami. Okami spends three rounds beating the wholly hell out of Swick and gets his first dose of attention, which would lead him to fight at the top of a card in his next fight.
Then, Josh Koscheck did what no other man before him had done. After three rounds he beat Diego "The Nightmare" Sanchez, ending the undefeated streak that had been Sanchez's professional career up to that point. But that wasn't the end of it.
In perhaps the greatest upset to date in this sport, Matt "The Terra" Serra KO'd Georges St. Pierre, the most revered 170 pound fighter in the western hemisphere, in exciting fashion. Serra was the Standford to St. Pierre's USC, and damn that was fun to watch. Well, unless you like nice people.
The next night, the underdog action gets felt overseas as Makoto Nakao upsets up-and-comer Zelg Galesic, in what would begin a tough year for Croatian MMA fans. Also on the PRIDE 34 card in Saitama, unknown Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou proved that his earlier KO of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira wasn't a fluke by posting his second round one stoppage in a row when he beat Ricardo Arona.
April 21st
The tough year continued for the Croatians, as Gabriel Gonzaga shocked the world, putting Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic to sleep with a left high kick. It was one of the most shocking KO's of the year, and another case of a stepping stone stepping back.
May 26th
More than a month passed without any major organization action, but at UFC 71, the underdogs came again. In a list of intersting undercard upsets. Houston Alexander, Terry Martin and Thiago Silva put on round one knock outs of Keith Jardine, Ivan Salaverry and James Irvin, respectively, and Kalib Starnes beat Chris "The Crippler" Leben with a decision.
To top off the night, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, only a slight underdog, proved that the odds probably shouldn't have been so tight when he shut down Chuck Liddell with some brutal strikes in round one of their title matchup.
August 25th
UFC's 72 and 73 were more or less unimpressive as far as upsets go, but the underdogs immerged from their summer haiatus as hungry as ever, when Clay Guida upset former Pride contender Marcus "Maximus" Aurelio by decision and Patrick "The Predator" Cote decimated TUF 3 winner Kendall Grove with a first round TKO.
September 8th
London saw some major action and Croatian fans, along with the rest of the CroCop Squad, suffered some heartbreak as Cheick Kongo slowed down comeback hopes with a big decision win. Also on the card was Quinton Jackson's win over Dan Henderson which, despite holding the UFC title and Octagon experience, wasn't necessarily favored by the bookies.
September 22nd
UFC 76, our most recent event, has shown even more escallation in bizarre turnarounds. #1 205 pound fighter Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, was choked out by barely top 20 fighter Forrest Griffin and former UFC lightheavyweight champion Chuck Liddell dropped a decision to Keith Jardine, but even below the main card, there was craziness.
Japanese judoka Michihiro Omigawa made an awaited debut only to lose to "Hansome" Matt Wiman and when top ten fighters Ryoto Machida and Kazuhiro Nakamura squared off, the favorite, Nakamura, lost on the judges scorecards.
Whatever's next, on the gridiron or in the cage, it'll be surprising. At least now we're expecting it.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Fights that Make Sense
There are some matchups that are classic. Striker v Grappler is a classic example, it has history that dates back to Royce Gracie and the early UFC's, where the majority of the martial artists competing were standup fighters. I just want to give a look at some classic matchups, some exciting matchups and some ridiculous matchups.
Like I already said, the most classic of all is Striker v Grappler:
In a striker/grappler matchup, everyone knows what they are watching for: the takedown. Some strikers get taken down and pounded on, despite their best efforts to stay standing, some strikers have that touch that can take the grappler out right away, or that uncanny balance that can keep them standing up. Here's a little montage of some of the best striker/grappler matchups in history:
Tito Ortiz vs Wanderlei Silva @ UFC 25: Ultimate Japan 3 - Ortiz puts on a classic display of wrestling against one of the greatest strikers in the history of the 205 pound weight class. Wanderlei got his nickname (The Axe Murderer) because of his aggression and brutal Muay Thai attack, but you'd never know it by the way Ortiz beat on him en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Chuck Liddell vs Kevin Randleman @ UFC 31: Locked and Loaded - The striker prevails as Chuck showcases his incredible takedown defense and savage right hand as he demolishes one of the greatest wrestlers in collegiate wrestling.
Takanori Gomi vs Ralph Gracie @ PRIDE Bushido 3 - Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi posted one of the fastest KO's in PRIDE FC history. It ended Gracie's previous undefeated streak and brought the future lightweight champion into the limelight.
Striker v Chin is one of the great matchups to watch. Sometimes the line between which is which becomes burred, and those are the matchups that are really exciting to watch. It's exciting to watch a fighter get hammered and keep standing, keep fighting back, and some of these matchups are really freakish displays in endurance.
Don Frye vs Yoshihiro Takayama @ PRIDE 21 Demolition - Don Frye is a great fighter, and Yoshihiro Takayama isn't. Their fight proved that it wasn't that simple. Takayama was eventually overwhelmed Frye to continue an MMA career that still doesn't have a win, but it has some of the greatest exchanges in the history of the sport.
Mark Hunt vs Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic @ PRIDE Shockwave 2005 - Mark Hunt is the ultimate chin. He worked his way into K-1 kickboxing by going back and forth with anyone, refusing to fall down. CroCop, the greatest striker in MMA, lost a close decision to Hunt in their PRIDE fight, but it was a complete war.
Mark Hunt vs Yosuke Nishijima @ PRIDE 31 Dreamers - Mark Hunt defeated the boxer Nishijima after a long war. Hunt had a superior kickboxing backround and an extreme size advantage, and everyone expected him to destroy the small Japanese boxer, but Nishijima showed great technique. Unfortunately, he couldn't hurt Hunt (he probably couldn't have hurt him with a sledgehammer) and Hunt KO'd him late in the fight.
Single Style matchups like striker/striker or grappler/grappler are all about proving dominance, and it's always exciting because you never know which fighter is going to finish his opponent at any given time.
Jeff Monson vs Branden Lee Hinkle @ UFC 57: Couture vs Liddell - Jeff Monson may be, from a pure grappling standpoint, the most talented grappler in the world. He beat Hammer House fighter Hinkle decisively, demolishing him in one round and finishing him with a submission after Hinkle already seemed unconscious.
Fedor Emelianenko vs Kevin Randleman @ PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004 - The greatest fighter in the world put on one of the greatest displays of table turning when he recovered after being suplexed onto his neck to submit Kevin "The Monster" Randleman in a fast paced grappling display that only lasted 1:33 seconds.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs Chuck Liddell @ PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 - In their first matchup, Rampage put on an incredible display of striking, with the constant overlooming possibility of Liddell landing one of his trademark overhand rights and putting Rampage to sleep. Rampage defeated Liddell late in the first with an incredible display of fearlessness and, some might say, recklessness.
These are just three types of great, classic matchups, but they seem appropriate since we will be seeing them soon. These are the up-coming ones:
Striker/Grappler:
Frank Mir vs Antoni Hardonk @ UFC 74
Matt Hamill vs Michael Bisping @ UFC 75
Kenny Florian vs Din Thomas @ Ultimate Fight Night 11
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs Lyoto Machida @ UFC 76
Striker/Chin:
Terry Martin vs Chris Leven @ Ultimate Fight Night 11
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs Forrest Griffin @ UFC 76
Single Style:
Randy Couture vs Gabriel Gonzaga @ UFC 74
Kurt Pellegrino vs Joe Stevenson @ UFC 74
Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic vs Cheik Kongo @ UFC 75
Houston Alexander vs Alessio Sakara @ UFC 75
Enjoy the upcoming cards, the wait for the return of the UFC is almost over.
Like I already said, the most classic of all is Striker v Grappler:
In a striker/grappler matchup, everyone knows what they are watching for: the takedown. Some strikers get taken down and pounded on, despite their best efforts to stay standing, some strikers have that touch that can take the grappler out right away, or that uncanny balance that can keep them standing up. Here's a little montage of some of the best striker/grappler matchups in history:
Tito Ortiz vs Wanderlei Silva @ UFC 25: Ultimate Japan 3 - Ortiz puts on a classic display of wrestling against one of the greatest strikers in the history of the 205 pound weight class. Wanderlei got his nickname (The Axe Murderer) because of his aggression and brutal Muay Thai attack, but you'd never know it by the way Ortiz beat on him en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Chuck Liddell vs Kevin Randleman @ UFC 31: Locked and Loaded - The striker prevails as Chuck showcases his incredible takedown defense and savage right hand as he demolishes one of the greatest wrestlers in collegiate wrestling.
Takanori Gomi vs Ralph Gracie @ PRIDE Bushido 3 - Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi posted one of the fastest KO's in PRIDE FC history. It ended Gracie's previous undefeated streak and brought the future lightweight champion into the limelight.
Striker v Chin is one of the great matchups to watch. Sometimes the line between which is which becomes burred, and those are the matchups that are really exciting to watch. It's exciting to watch a fighter get hammered and keep standing, keep fighting back, and some of these matchups are really freakish displays in endurance.
Don Frye vs Yoshihiro Takayama @ PRIDE 21 Demolition - Don Frye is a great fighter, and Yoshihiro Takayama isn't. Their fight proved that it wasn't that simple. Takayama was eventually overwhelmed Frye to continue an MMA career that still doesn't have a win, but it has some of the greatest exchanges in the history of the sport.
Mark Hunt vs Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic @ PRIDE Shockwave 2005 - Mark Hunt is the ultimate chin. He worked his way into K-1 kickboxing by going back and forth with anyone, refusing to fall down. CroCop, the greatest striker in MMA, lost a close decision to Hunt in their PRIDE fight, but it was a complete war.
Mark Hunt vs Yosuke Nishijima @ PRIDE 31 Dreamers - Mark Hunt defeated the boxer Nishijima after a long war. Hunt had a superior kickboxing backround and an extreme size advantage, and everyone expected him to destroy the small Japanese boxer, but Nishijima showed great technique. Unfortunately, he couldn't hurt Hunt (he probably couldn't have hurt him with a sledgehammer) and Hunt KO'd him late in the fight.
Single Style matchups like striker/striker or grappler/grappler are all about proving dominance, and it's always exciting because you never know which fighter is going to finish his opponent at any given time.
Jeff Monson vs Branden Lee Hinkle @ UFC 57: Couture vs Liddell - Jeff Monson may be, from a pure grappling standpoint, the most talented grappler in the world. He beat Hammer House fighter Hinkle decisively, demolishing him in one round and finishing him with a submission after Hinkle already seemed unconscious.
Fedor Emelianenko vs Kevin Randleman @ PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004 - The greatest fighter in the world put on one of the greatest displays of table turning when he recovered after being suplexed onto his neck to submit Kevin "The Monster" Randleman in a fast paced grappling display that only lasted 1:33 seconds.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs Chuck Liddell @ PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 - In their first matchup, Rampage put on an incredible display of striking, with the constant overlooming possibility of Liddell landing one of his trademark overhand rights and putting Rampage to sleep. Rampage defeated Liddell late in the first with an incredible display of fearlessness and, some might say, recklessness.
These are just three types of great, classic matchups, but they seem appropriate since we will be seeing them soon. These are the up-coming ones:
Striker/Grappler:
Frank Mir vs Antoni Hardonk @ UFC 74
Matt Hamill vs Michael Bisping @ UFC 75
Kenny Florian vs Din Thomas @ Ultimate Fight Night 11
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs Lyoto Machida @ UFC 76
Striker/Chin:
Terry Martin vs Chris Leven @ Ultimate Fight Night 11
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs Forrest Griffin @ UFC 76
Single Style:
Randy Couture vs Gabriel Gonzaga @ UFC 74
Kurt Pellegrino vs Joe Stevenson @ UFC 74
Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic vs Cheik Kongo @ UFC 75
Houston Alexander vs Alessio Sakara @ UFC 75
Enjoy the upcoming cards, the wait for the return of the UFC is almost over.
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