Category Archives: Sports

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

Firepower: Pacquiao v. Cotto Prediction (results)

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Update : Pacquiao wins in the 12th round. Ref Stoppage. It wasnt even close. Too damn fast! Pacquiao destroyed Cotto for 11 rounds. Bring on Pretty Boy Floyd!

On November 14th, two of the greatest boxers will square off under the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada to determine who the will be the WBO Welterweight Champion of the world.  The challenger: Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, aiming to make history by winning a 7th title in as many weight divisions and further cementing his legacy as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer today.  The champion: Miguel “I’m No Angel” Cotto, looking to silence the critics who believe he’s a “shot” fighter and restoring his name as the best welterweight fighter in the world.  Billed as firepower, this will be the most anticipated fight of the year and probably the last decade.  Pacquiao is no stranger to the world, as he built is legacy as one of the fastest fighters today stopping Mexican legends Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, David Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez and the Golden Boy Oscar Dela Hoya.  Cotto solidified his reputation as a strong fighter with a vicious left hook stopping fighters like Zab Judah and Carlos Quintana while outpointing Joshua Clottey and Sugar Shane Mosley.  Let’s break down the fight:

Speed

Anyone that’s seen Pacquiao fight knows he’s fast.  Not just in his hands, but his footwork is phenomenal.  Pacquiao, once known as a brawler who relied heavily on his speed alone to win has improved with each fight leading to the November 14th showdown.  Cotto on the other hand, looks like a turtle when compared to Pacquiao.  He may not have the blistering hand speed and footwork of Pacquiao but he certainly makes up for it in different departments.  Advantage: Pacquiao

Power

It’s no question that on paper, Cotto holds the distinct advantage in terms of physical power.  Being a natural welterweight, Cotto has dealt with fighters his size that are equally as strong if not stronger for most of his career.  His opponent on the other hand, is coming up in weight having fought as low as 106 pounds.  That’s a 40-pound difference!  But, Pacquiao has shown he can carry power while moving up in weight as evident by his 37 KO’s.  The biggest question in this department is how will Pacquiao deal with Cotto’s power as he’s never faced a prime welterweight. Advantage: Cotto by a slim margin

Team & Cornermen

If you’ve heard of Pacquiao, you’ve certainly heard of his coach Freddie Roach.  Roach is a three time trainer of the year having coached the who’s who of combat sports and celebrities like Mike Tyson, Dela Hoya, James Toney, Bernard Hopkins, Mickey Rourke and several MMA fighters.  Cotto, on the other hand, has a new coach in Joe Santiago who has never fought as an amateur or pro and is only 33 years old.  Santiago was promoted from nutritionist to head trainer after Cotto had a fallout and fistight with then-trainer and uncle Evangelista.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know who has the advantage here, a former boxer and veteran trainer versus a nutritionist?  Advantage: Pacquiao by a huge margin

While there are certainly more technical aspects of boxing that should be covered, I won’t go there because I’m not an expert and simply judging the fight based on my fan knowledge.  This is certainly a fight to look out for as it has the makings of a classic.  Speed v. power just like Ali v. Frazier.  Cotto, despite being the champion is the underdog while Manny is a 3-1 favorite in Vegas.  How will the fight play out?  It’s hard to say.  When the fight was officially announced, I’ll be honest I was scared for Pacquiao.  Being a Filipino myself, I was enjoying Pacquiao’s string of victories and immense rise in popularity but I knew Cotto is no joke and certainly not a pushover like Pacquiao’s two previous opponents, (Old) Dela Hoya and Ricky Hatton.  But as time went by, and the more and more I watched Cotto’s past fights (especially against Judah and Mosley) I started to realize that Pacquiao can win this fight in devastating fashion.  While most critics and members from Cotto’s team nullify the idea that Cotto can’t handle speed, I concur only to a certain extent.  Cotto can handle hand speed, but he’s never faced someone who has foot speed like Pacquiao.  In my honest opinion, Cotto is practically tailor made for Pacquiao and won’t last long in this bout if he allows Pacquiao to dictate the pace of the fight.  While I may sound biased, the following are the keys to victory for both fighters.

Pacquiao:

Stay in the middle of the ring and avoid the ropes and corners at all costs.  Set the pace of the fight and don’t allow Cotto to breathe.  Attack relentlessly but cautiously.  Be the bully and show that size does not matter.  Do not get into a brawl.

Cotto:

Be the bully and do not become a counter-puncher.  Throw punches in higher volume.  Tighten your defense, that triangle guard will not hold up against Pacquiao who sets up his combinations with his straight left which you are very susceptible to.  Pray.

Prediction: Manny Pacquiao by KO in round 6

Polls are now open! Lock in your votes!

Firepower: Pacquiao vs. Cotto Predictions

  • Pacquiao wins by KO (86%, 49 Votes)
  • Pacquiao wins by Decision (11%, 6 Votes)
  • Cotto wins by KO (5%, 3 Votes)
  • Cotto wins by Decision (0%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 57

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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