Category Archives: Mixed Martial Arts

UFC 112: Invincible (Abu Dhabi)

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Great time to be a fight fan as the UFC is giving us a double dose of goodness featuring two title defenses in the lightweight and middleweight division!  Also on the card is the return of Renzo Gracie who will be making his UFC debut against former welterweight king Matt Hughes.  Let’s get it on!!

Anderson “The Spider” Silva (25-4) v. Demian Maia (12-1)

The champion needs no introduction, since entering the UFC he’s been taking names and making it look easy in the process.  Not a single fighter has ever put the The Spider in danger and it’s hard to see his winning streak come to an end, but the challenger Maia could very well be the man to untangle the web of Silva.  Many would say Maia doesn’t deserve to be here and while I may agree to a certain extent, Maia has proven himself to be among the elite of the middleweights.  Though Maia got his title shot on default due to a Chael Sonnen medical suspension, Maia has finished 80% of his opponents and was stopped once in his career by fellow middleweight contender Nate Marquardt.  In order for the title to change hands, Maia will need to rely on his jiu-jitsu to win the fight, standing with Silva will only spell an end to Maia’s chances.  Maia will of course need to set up his takedown attempts with striking but he shouldn’t get overconfident if he manages to land a couple on Silva.  If Maia gets Silva to the ground, which I think he will due to Silva’s poor wrestling, he will need to attack with submissions and mix it up with punches to avoid being stagnant and potentially restart on the feet.  Although it sounds easy, Maia will still need to eat some punches whenever he shoots in and that could very well be the ender.  Silva has a huge reach and size advantage and his game plan is pretty simple, avoid the takedowns and fire away.  Although I like Maia’s chances and I’ve always known he’d get a title shot one day, I still think he’s not ready for Silva.  The Spider will once again reign supreme.

Silva by KO Rd 3

BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (15-5-1) v. Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (11-1)

The co-main event and fourth title defense will no doubt include some fireworks.  Whenever you get BJ Penn in the cage, you know you’re in for treat and it only spices it up more when an exciting fighter like Franke Edgar is standing in front of the champ.  Does Edgar have “The Answer” to solve BJ’s ever improving game?  To put it bluntly, no.  The formula to defeating The Prodigy lies in his past fights with welterweight uber-god GSP.  Edgar may have the wrestling credentials to execute that game plan, which GSP certainly has, but Edgar is not as strong as GSP nor does he have the smothering top game GSP has.  Instead Edgar will need to utilize his crisp boxing skills and take a chance standing with Penn.  But as Penn’s previous title defenses has shown, Penn is a pretty damn good boxer and puncher as well.  Edgar doesn’t possess the size in height or reach to threaten BJ in any aspect of the game.  Expect BJ to put on another dominating performance and stop Edgar before the championship rounds.

Penn by Submission Rd 3

Matt Hughes (44-7) v. Renzo Gracie (13-6-1)

If there’s any story of “bad blood” behind a fight on the card, it has to be this one.  Former welterweight champ Matt Hughes will once again welcome a Gracie to the UFC in Renzo.  For many hardcore fans, Renzo is a legend from the PRIDE days and probably the most successful from the Gracie family in transitioning from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to MMA.  Only losing to the elite of the sport, Renzo has proven to be a dangerous opponent for anyone.  Though he last competed nearly 3 years ago, he was winning his fight with Frank Shamrock before things got dirty and Renzo was awarded the win via DQ.  Now making his debut, he’ll be looking to seek revenge not only for his family, who have had a bad showing in the UFC since its inception, but also for Hughes previous opponent Matt Serra, who received his black belt under Renzo.  It’s a tough pick for any fan and naturally I’d go with the more active fighter which is Hughes, but I’ve always been a fan of Renzo and I’d like to see him get a little revenge for his family and student.  I’d like a brawl to ensue because neither fighter really possess standing KO power but whoever imposes their will first will dictate the fight.  My heart says Renzo but my brain picks Hughes.

Hughes by Unanimous Decision

Terry Etim (14-3) v. Rafael Dos Anjos (13-4)

Two lightweights looking to make a statement in the already stacked lightweight division battle it out in the second fight of the main card.  Etim has been on a streak since his back-to-back losses to Rich Clementi and Gleison Tibau stopping 3 of his last 4 opponent via submission and TKO.  Dos Anjos also on a win streak since back-to-back losses looks to put on a better showing over his last two decision wins.  I’ve never really followed either fighter but Etim has caught my attention with his steady style of fighting mixing up strikes and takedowns leading to submissions.  Etim seems to be the more diverse fighter and looks to have most of the advantages coming in to the fight.  Etim will dominate on the feet and add win number 5 officially declaring himself contender to the lightweight belt.

Etim by Unanimous Decision

Kendall “Da Spyda” Grove (13-6-0) v. Mark “The Philippine Wrecking Machine” Munoz (7-1-0)

The main card will kick off with an Araneae(scientific name fore Spider) and end with one though this one is Da Spyda and not The Spider.  His dance mate is probably the longest nicknamed fighter in the UFC, Mark Munoz.  This could be Fight of the Night and what better way to kick it off with two aggressive fighters.  Both are coming off wins and are looking to add their name to potential Silva victims.  Since his stint in TUF, Grove started his UFC career with a bang finishing his first two opponents before hitting a roadblock with back-to-back losses.  Since then, his career has been a roller coaster ride most likely due to his overconfidence in the striking game.  Munoz’s style feeds well into Grove’s in that he’s a wrestler with mediocre striking.  Grove’s strength has always been his grappling so I expect Grove to keep it on the feet then switch it up by putting Munoz on his ass and grounding and pounding from there.  It won’t be easy though, as Munoz trains with Black House who just happen to have some guys named Silva, Nogueira and Machida.  Ya it doesn’t ring a bell either.  Munoz plan should be to strike first, though he has a reach disadvantage, and then shoot for takedowns where he can grind on Da Spyda.  On paper, Grove holds most of the advantages but Munoz is no slouch.  Expect fireworks in this one.

Munoz by Unanimous Decision

UFC 107: Penn v. Sanchez

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While the TUF Finale is still fresh in our minds, UFC is hitting audiences with another PPV event with the Lightweight Belt on the line.  BJ Penn defends his strap against former Welterweight contender and original winner of TUF Diego Sanchez.  Also on the card is the return of the Headhunter Paul Buentello, a very intruiging heavyweight fight as well as two lightweight matches to determine contender status for the lightweight title.  Without further adieu…LET’S GET IT ON!!

Paul Buentello vs. Stefan Struve

The classic clash of styles, striker versus grappler.  For any UFC noob, Buentello goes all the way back to the 50′s (UFC that is) where he was knocking people out before being stopped by Andrei Arlovski.  Struve has been on a tear lately since losing his debut to Junior Dos Santos, notching submission wins over his opponents and earning Submission of the Night honors.  My gut and heart goes to the veteran Buentello, who has faced bigger competition and possesses that one punch KO power that every fighter desires.  Struve will try and take this fight to the ground where he will work his submisison game, but as evident from his fight with Dos Santos, Struve’s chin is suspect.  All Buentello needs is to connect once and Struve will crumble from there.

Prediction: Buentello by TKO

John Fitch vs. Mike Pierce

In what was supposed to be a rematch between John Fitch and Thiago Alves, things went bad and Alves pulled out due to an injury during training.  Enter Mike Pierce who’ll be making his sophomore appearance after dismantling Brock Larson.  I haven’t seen Pierce fight and it may be unfair to make a decision without bias, but anyone that’s seen Fitch fight would know to put their money on him.  If you need evidence, watch his fight with GSP and you will know Fitch, despite losing, has a ton of heart and skill and was just not ready for GSP at the time.  Any fighter that can hold his own against the Welterweight Champ deserves recognition.  Easy pick for me.

Prediction: Fitch by Unanimous Decision

Clay Guida vs. Kenny Florian

When you hear the name Clay Guida, you automatically think of hair.  Rightfully so because Guida has made his name out of his precious locks.  But the real standout in my opinion, is Guida’s relentless pace and never-say-die attitude.  Hit the guy all you want and you can expect him to smile and hit you back with everything he’s got.  On the other side is a completely different animal in KenFlo.  Considering himself a student of martial arts, KenFlo is a methodical fighter who picks his shots and attacks when the time is right.  Although I usually go with the more disciplined fighter, I don’t think KenFlo has faced someone as relentless as Guida (although Roger Huerta can argue that point).  This is an important fight for both but moreso for Guida who has lost in the UFC more than Florian and is approaching the gatekeeper moniker.  If Guida can get past Florian in impressive fashion, he can line himself up with the increasing numbers of contenders for Penn’s belt. 

Prediction: Guida by Unanimous Decision

Cheick Kongo vs. Frank Mir

With the reigning Heavyweight Champ hurt and still recovering from a career-threatening illness, the UFC HW division is in limbo as an interim champion needs to be decided.  On one end, the former champ and only man to defeat the current champ, Frank Mir makes his move to claim the belt he once coveted.   Staring at him is the equally dangerous Cheick Kongo who was on his way to a title shot before being schooled by Cain Velasquez.  Striker versus grappler again, when will it ever end?  Although Kongo is way better than Mir in the striking department, Mir does have heavy hands and is crafty in taking the fight to the ground.  Despite showing improvements in his wrestling game, Kongo is still suspect on the ground and hasn’t faced a high level jiu jitsu guy like Mir. 

Prediction: Mir by Submission

BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez

If there was any doubt about Diego Sanchez being a UFC Champion one day, we can all rest and be relieved that finally Sanchez is fighting for the belt after four years in the promotion.  Unfortunately for him, he’s facing LW demigod BJ Penn who’s last loss at lightweight was 8 years ago.  That doesn’t mean Sanchez should be overlooked though as he does have the tools to beat Penn.  How?  GSP set the blueprint and that’s too tire Penn out on his feet and beat him up on the ground.  Sounds easy if you have strong wrestling which Sanchez does not.  But even if Sanchez possessed such abilities, it’s taking BJ down that’s the difficult part.  And even if you manage to take BJ down, you have to worry about his jiu jitsu which is second to none in the LW division.  I expect a competitive fight, but BJ retains his strap and pockets a bonus Fight of the Night award. 

Prediction: Penn by Submission

RESULTS:

B.J. Penn def. Diego Sanchez via TKO (cut) – Round 5, 2:37
Frank Mir def. Cheick Kongo via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:12
Jon Fitch def. Mike Pierce via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Kenny Florian def. Clay Guida via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:19
Stefan Struve def. Paul Buentello via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)

Alan Belcher def. Wilson Gouveia via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:03
Matt Wiman def. Shane Nelson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Johny Hendricks def. Ricardo Funch via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)
Rousimar Palhares def. Lucio Linhares via submission (heel hook) – Round 2, 3:21
DaMarques Johnson def. Edgar Garcia via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:03
T.J. Grant def. Kevin Burns via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:57

UFC 103: Franklin v. Belfort

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With Ultimate Fight Night 19 just wrapped and the new Ultimate Fighter season 10 underway, we head into a big weekend of sports.  MMA is one of the sports where we can all sigh with relief that don’t have seasons like most major sports do, while the 2nd week of the NFL is something to look forward to (or any week of the season for that matter) there is one other event that MMA fans can thank for: the return of Floyd Mayweather Jr.  Not MMA you say?  Of course not, but with his recent “unfriendly” comments coupled with boxing promoter Bob Arum’s analysis that MMA is for homosexuals and tattooed freaks, leave it to UFC Prez Dana White to counterprogram the Mayweather-Marquez fight.  The UFC started off a number of UFC Unleashed shows leading up to the aforementioned UFN 19 and season debut of TUF 10, only to end with a bang at UFC 103.  It doesn’t end there, Spike will show the UFC 103 prelims for FREE leading up to the PPV event!  Mr. White said it best, ” you can pay $5 less and watch 5 exciting fights than one snoozefest ” or something along that line.  But one of the biggest reasons to tune in for UFC 103 is the return of UFC veterans and former top contenders.  Without further adieu, let’s get it on!

Main Card (Televised)

Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (18-8) v. Rich “Ace” Franklin (25-4)

It’s been a long and bumpy road, but MMA fans rejoice because it’s the return of The Phenom, Vitor Belfort.  Any and every hardcore fan knows what Belfort brings to the cage: speed, power, speed, explosiveness and more speed.  With the ability to end a fight with just one punch, Belfort poses a number of problems for Franklin.  Belfort has the faster and heavier hands as evident with his record, he is coming off a :37 1st round KO win over UFC alum Matt Lindland at Affliction.  On the flipside, Franklin has faced the stiffer competition and has proven he can hang with the heaviest of hitters in fights with Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson.  To most MMA noobs, Franklin is the favorite to win but any hardcore fan will tell you it won’t be that easy for Ace.  First, Belfort is the faster and heavier handed striker who also holds a black belt in BJJ.  Second, Belfort has struggled against aggresive wrestlers which Franklin is not.  Third, Belfort is riding a 4-fight win streak and looks to make a statement as contender for Anderson Silva’s MW belt.  A win for Belfort will no doubt catapult him high into the MW rankings (though this fight is at a catchweight of 195) that’ll give him a run for the title, a loss on the other hand will set him back very slightly and will probably be used to gauge who his next opponent will be.  If Franklin wins, expect a high profile fight with a LHW contender, but a loss on the other hand will set Ace back significantly knowing he cannot return to the MW division (as long as Silva’s there at least) and he may be labeled as LHW gatekeeper, maybe a fight with Randy Couture or Forrest Griffin is on the horizon?

Prediction: Belfort by KO/TKO in the 2nd Round

Mirko “Crocop” Filipovic (25-6-2) v. Junior “Cigano” dos Santos (8-1)

“Knockout of the Night” is written all over this one.  When you have two HWs that have no regard for ground fighting and prefer to take their opponent’s head off, you can expect fireworks.  Crocop is no stranger to the MMA world as he has some of the best highlight reel KO’s ever.  Cigano is somewhat of new face but has made his stamp in the UFC HW division with uppercuts from hell laying out top contender Fabricio Werdum and Stefan Struve at his most recent outing.  Crocop has proven to go the distance with the best fighters in the game while Cigano hasn’t tasted the 2nd round, so the gas tank of Cigano will definitely be questioned.  Not much fight analysis here except whoever lands the big punch/kick first will more than likely dictate the fight and win.  The winner will no doubt catapult themselves in line for that title shot.  My gut favors the Brazilian, but I always take experience into consideration first. 

Prediction: Crocrop by Head Kick from Heaven in the 2nd round

Josh Koscheck (12-4) v. Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (19-6)

When you have two accomplished wrestlers matched up, you can expect a boxing match.  Kos is coming off a KO loss to Paulo Thiago while Trigg makes his return to the UFC riding a 4-fight win streak.  I was a bit torn between these two as they both have advantages in certain departments.  Trigg no doubt carries the experience factor as he has faced the who’s who of MMA while Kos is young, explosive and has one of the quickest takedown shots in MMA.  The outcome of this fight rests solely on Trigg’s ability to stuff the takedown.  If Trigg is able to sprawl and brawl throughout the fight, he can surely come out with a win and nice homecoming to the UFC.  I expect Trigg to outbox Kos for the first half of the fight, but later succumb to Kos takedowns in the latter.  It’ll be close and will go either way depending who sets the pace.

Prediction: KOS by Split Decision

Hermes Franca (19-7) v. Tyson Griffin (13-2)

Former LW title contender Hermes Franca makes his return to the UFC after a brief hiatus to take on forever contender Tyson Griffin.  Franca is a BJJ black belt who relies on his heavy right hand to end fights while his counterpart is a wrestler that prefers to box then ground and pound his opponents.  Since both fighters prefer to stand and bang, expect a stalemate on the feet with Griffin getting some takedowns to seal the deal.

Prediction: Griffin by Unanimous Decision (again)

Martin “Hitman” Kampmann (15-2) v. Paul “Semtex” Daley (21-8-2)

In what was supposed to determine WW Champ Georges St. Pierre’s next opponent, we are (un)fortunately treated to a tussle that won’t do much in terms of ranking except entertain.  British striker extradonaire Paul Daley steps in for the injured Mike Swick to make his UFC debut against the very dangerous Kampmann.  For anyone that’s seen Daley fight, the plan is simple…take Daley to the ground, beat him up a little bit and start attempting submissions.  This is exactly what we’ll see which is why it’s so unfortunate.  Fortunate for newer fans who have no idea who is Daley is, they’ll be treated to some fancy striking from Daley who’ll look for the KO finish but count on Kampmann to avoid the stand up game and take this fight to the ground where he’ll submit Daley with ease. 

Prediction: Kampmann by Submission in the 2nd round

 

Under Card (Prelims)

*Efrain Escudero (11-0) v. Cole Miller (15-3) – Miller by Submission 3rd round

*Drew Mcfedries (8-5) . Thomasz Drawl (16-2-1) – Drawl by Submission 3rd round

Jason Brilz (17-1-1) v. Elliot Marshall (7-1) – Brilz by Unanimous Decision

Igor Pokrajac (21-5) v. Vladimir Matsyushenko (22-4) – Matsyushenko by Unanimous Decision

Rob Emerson (9-7) v. Rafael Dos Anjos (11-4) – Dos Anjos by Submission 2nd round

Dan Miller (14-2) v. Steve Lopez (12-1) – Miller by KO/TKO 2nd round

Nik Lentz (16-3-1) v. Rafello Oliveira (9-1) – Oliveira by Submission 2nd round

Brian Foster (10-3) v. Rick Story (7-3) – Story by KO/TKO 2nd round

 

*will be shown live on Spike TV