UFC 127 took place in Koala land last night. What a card! Not really. Jorge Rivera was hit with an illegal knee by the clown Michael Bisping. Rivera could have hammed it up and probably taken a no contest but he went back out for the 2nd round where he suffered the loss.
MAIN CARD:
•Jon Fitch vs. B.J. Penn declared a majority draw (29-28 Fitch, 28-28, 28-28)
•Michael Bisping def. Jorge Rivera via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 1:54
•Dennis Siver def. George Sotiropoulos via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-28, 30-27)
•Brian Ebersole def. Chris Lytle via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
•Kyle Noke def. Chris Camozzi via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 1:35
UNDER CARD:
•Ross Pearson def. Spencer Fisher via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
•Alexander Gustafsson def. James Te Huna via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:27
•Riki Fukuda def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
•Anthony Perosh def. Tom Blackledge via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:45
•Tiequan Zhang def. Jason Reinhardt via guillotine choke - Round 1, 0:48
•Mark Hunt def. Chris Tuchscherer via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 1:41
•Curt Warburton def. Maciej Jewtuszko via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Hey Mark Hunt everybody! Congrats to him for his 1st UFC victory.
-Keefe
Showing posts with label Jon Fitch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jon Fitch. Show all posts
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
UFC 127 Preview and Picks
As you may have heard Keefe and I discuss on Wednesday's podcast, the UFC is down under (cliche, I know) and The Sports Brief has its preview and picks for you for tomorrow's PPV card. The main event features the resurgent BJ Penn, back at welterweight for the second consecutive fight against a guy who will never be the division's champion as long as Georges St. Pierre has a pulse. Actually, neither guy will be champion as long as GSP is alive.
In terms of the matchup, I have to think the advantage goes to Penn. Fitch has excellent wrestling, and all great wrestlers have traditionally given Penn trouble if they can get him down, particularly guys who are bigger and stronger than him. Case in point: GSP. Frankie Edgar used his superior wrestling skills to taken down Penn, but was unable to sustain any GnP because of the lack in size differential. Here, Fitch is likely the bigger, stronger guy. But I'm not sure his wrestling will be quick enough and elite enough to take down the flexible, well balanced Penn.
For that reason, I think Penn manages to keep it on the feet enough to score well and outpoint the rugged Fitch. The only problem? No one will be interested in either guy challenging GSP again, certainly until he defeats Jake Shields (presumably) and fights UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Nonetheless, this should be an entertaining scrap between two elite fighters at 170lbs.
In the co-main event, Michael Bisping continues his campaign for what has been an elusive title shot in the UFC. Every time we've felt he's one or two fights away, he's folded. He did against Rashad Evans in a fight that not only sent Evans on an ascent to an eventual title victory, but also sent Bisping down to 185lbs. Then against Dan Henderson, he was KO'd in embarrassing fashion at UFC 100, ignoring his corners plea to NOT move to his left and avoid the big right hand. Here, he finds himself up against another guy with a big right hand: Jorge Rivera.
Rivera is experiencing new life in the twilight of his career, having 4 of his last 5 fights, including consecutive KO's over Rob Kimmons and former title challenger Nate Quarry. He packs a punch, and will test the chin of Bisping in this fight. I stated on the podcast with Keefe the other night that this fight reminds of the Bisping-Leben matchup. Bisping will look to circle, stay on the outside and win with volume punching while trying to avoid the stalking style of a Rivera/Leben type fighter. If Rivera can dial up Bisping's chin, there's no doubt he can win this fight. But Bisping is an active fighter, and if he's able to pin down his emotions, he could have the type of game plan that can frustrate Rivera. And that's the rub: Rivera has found his inner Tito Ortiz, mocking and poking fun at Bisping, ribbing him with good humor and constantly agitating him to the point that Bisping has brought a lot of emotion and trash talking to the press conference and weigh-in. It will be interesting to see if he's able to overcome that, or if Rivera has implanted himself in Bisping's head, much to his advantage.
The third biggest fight on the card is a middleweight tilt that could have a legitimate impact on the state of the 155lb division. George Sotiropolous is on a tear, undefeated in the UFC and winner of 8 straight. He's coming off an impressive submission win over Joe Lauzon, and fighting in his home country will undoubtedly have the crowd on his side. Siver, on the other hand, has gone 6-1 since starting his UFC career 1-3. And the only loss in his last 7 fights was, in my opinion, a disputable decision loss to Ross Pearson. He's an agressive, powerful kickboxer with some of the best striking in the division. Both fighters bring excellent submission attacks into this fight, although Sotiropoulos may have the advantage on the ground. And that will most likely be a place of comfort for him; staying on the feet could lead to an unplanned nap in the center of the Octagon.
Here are the picks for the PPV portion of tomorrow night's card from Besse and Keefe at The Sports Brief:
Penn vs. Fitch
Besse: Penn via decision
Keefe: Penn via decision
Bisping vs. Rivera
Besse: Bisping via decision
Keefe: Rivera via KO in the 2nd
Sotiropoulos vs. Siver
Besse: Sotiropoulos via submission in the 2nd
Keefe: Siver via submission in the 3rd
Lytle vs. Ebersole
Besse: Lytle via (T)KO in the 2nd
Keefe: Lytle via KO in the 1st
Noke via Camozzi
Besse: Noke via (T)KO in the 3rd
Keefe: Noke via decision
So there you have it. I know my picks vary a bit from what I stated on the podcast, but that'll happen. I'm picking with my brain, not my heart. In other words, as much as I'd like to see Bisping and Sotiropoulos get KTFO'd, I don't think it's going to happen, nor would I bet on it.
Be sure to check back with The Sports Brief for a post-fight recap and see how we did with our picks. Enjoy the fights!
-Bess
In terms of the matchup, I have to think the advantage goes to Penn. Fitch has excellent wrestling, and all great wrestlers have traditionally given Penn trouble if they can get him down, particularly guys who are bigger and stronger than him. Case in point: GSP. Frankie Edgar used his superior wrestling skills to taken down Penn, but was unable to sustain any GnP because of the lack in size differential. Here, Fitch is likely the bigger, stronger guy. But I'm not sure his wrestling will be quick enough and elite enough to take down the flexible, well balanced Penn.
For that reason, I think Penn manages to keep it on the feet enough to score well and outpoint the rugged Fitch. The only problem? No one will be interested in either guy challenging GSP again, certainly until he defeats Jake Shields (presumably) and fights UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Nonetheless, this should be an entertaining scrap between two elite fighters at 170lbs.
In the co-main event, Michael Bisping continues his campaign for what has been an elusive title shot in the UFC. Every time we've felt he's one or two fights away, he's folded. He did against Rashad Evans in a fight that not only sent Evans on an ascent to an eventual title victory, but also sent Bisping down to 185lbs. Then against Dan Henderson, he was KO'd in embarrassing fashion at UFC 100, ignoring his corners plea to NOT move to his left and avoid the big right hand. Here, he finds himself up against another guy with a big right hand: Jorge Rivera.
Rivera is experiencing new life in the twilight of his career, having 4 of his last 5 fights, including consecutive KO's over Rob Kimmons and former title challenger Nate Quarry. He packs a punch, and will test the chin of Bisping in this fight. I stated on the podcast with Keefe the other night that this fight reminds of the Bisping-Leben matchup. Bisping will look to circle, stay on the outside and win with volume punching while trying to avoid the stalking style of a Rivera/Leben type fighter. If Rivera can dial up Bisping's chin, there's no doubt he can win this fight. But Bisping is an active fighter, and if he's able to pin down his emotions, he could have the type of game plan that can frustrate Rivera. And that's the rub: Rivera has found his inner Tito Ortiz, mocking and poking fun at Bisping, ribbing him with good humor and constantly agitating him to the point that Bisping has brought a lot of emotion and trash talking to the press conference and weigh-in. It will be interesting to see if he's able to overcome that, or if Rivera has implanted himself in Bisping's head, much to his advantage.
The third biggest fight on the card is a middleweight tilt that could have a legitimate impact on the state of the 155lb division. George Sotiropolous is on a tear, undefeated in the UFC and winner of 8 straight. He's coming off an impressive submission win over Joe Lauzon, and fighting in his home country will undoubtedly have the crowd on his side. Siver, on the other hand, has gone 6-1 since starting his UFC career 1-3. And the only loss in his last 7 fights was, in my opinion, a disputable decision loss to Ross Pearson. He's an agressive, powerful kickboxer with some of the best striking in the division. Both fighters bring excellent submission attacks into this fight, although Sotiropoulos may have the advantage on the ground. And that will most likely be a place of comfort for him; staying on the feet could lead to an unplanned nap in the center of the Octagon.
Here are the picks for the PPV portion of tomorrow night's card from Besse and Keefe at The Sports Brief:
Penn vs. Fitch
Besse: Penn via decision
Keefe: Penn via decision
Bisping vs. Rivera
Besse: Bisping via decision
Keefe: Rivera via KO in the 2nd
Sotiropoulos vs. Siver
Besse: Sotiropoulos via submission in the 2nd
Keefe: Siver via submission in the 3rd
Lytle vs. Ebersole
Besse: Lytle via (T)KO in the 2nd
Keefe: Lytle via KO in the 1st
Noke via Camozzi
Besse: Noke via (T)KO in the 3rd
Keefe: Noke via decision
So there you have it. I know my picks vary a bit from what I stated on the podcast, but that'll happen. I'm picking with my brain, not my heart. In other words, as much as I'd like to see Bisping and Sotiropoulos get KTFO'd, I don't think it's going to happen, nor would I bet on it.
Be sure to check back with The Sports Brief for a post-fight recap and see how we did with our picks. Enjoy the fights!
-Bess
Sunday, August 8, 2010
UFC 117 Recap
On the latest edition of The Throwdown we recap a great night of fights from UFC 117 in Oakland. Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, Junior Dos Santos, Roy Nelson, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, and Matt Hughes all took part in this fantastic card. Check out the podcast below.
-Keefe
Thursday, July 9, 2009
UFC 100 This Saturday!
UFC 100 is just a couple of days away. It's a great card, as it really should be, highlighted by two title fights. The main card features the UFC debut of Yoshirio Akiyama in a middleweight bout against Alan Belcher. Belcher spoiled Denis Kang's much anticipated octagon debut, but I don't think he'll do it again. Akiyama is a showman as well as a Top 10 middleweight.
The conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter 9 was last month, but now the season's coaches square off on Saturday as Dan Henderson finally meets Michael Bisping. A title shot with Anderson Silva is on the line here, and I predict we're a few months away from Silva vs. Hendo II.
Jon Fitch returns to main card action after being in a title fight with GSP not to long ago. Fitch battles the unbeaten Paulo Thiago who upset Fitch's teammate Josh Koscheck with a surprise KO. Fitch wins this fight, and may likely get another crack at St. Pierre.
Georges St. Pierre puts his 170 pound crown on the line against the big (too big in fact in his fight against Matt Hughes where he was overweight) Thiago Alves. It's being billed as the toughest challenge in either fighters career. I don't buy it. Alves is good, but check out GSP's resume. I like St. Pierre to win and remain in the conversation of who is the best pound for pound fighter. Both guys have knockout power, but I see GSP winning a 5 round decision.
Mir vs. Lesnar II caps off an exciting night of fights. Lesnar was dominating the first fight before hitting Mir in the back of the head and thus being pulled off the former champ. Mir caught Brock in a knee lock and it was all over. If you saw their faces following the fight you would say there is no way Mir won, but that's the beauty of MMA. I'm torn on this one, and since I'm cheering for Mir I'm going to pick him. If Lesnar wins it sets up a trilogy which we've seen with Liddell/ Couture, and Tito/ Shamrock... could be something.
UFC Hall of Famer, ground and pound founder, and owner of ridiculous "old man strength" Mark Coleman battles Stephen Bonnar on the undercard, and the man to beat Bonnar in his last fight, Jon Jones is also in action.
I'm looking forward to Saturday... be sure to check it following the fights as I will post the full results from UFC 100.
-Keefe
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Sports Brief's UFC 87 Picks
The UFC has a slew of great fights coming up over the next several months, and this card is a great way to kick things off. Not only is GSP putting his welterweight crown on the line, but he'll have an opportunity to make his case for being the top pound-4-pound fighter in the world. Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar returns and looks to avoid a disastrous 0-2 start to his UFC career, one that he nor the company can afford. And to top it off, we get two of the top lightweight contenders in the UFC going toe-2-toe for their shot at UFC gold. With further ado, here are the picks, Keefe's first, then mine. We did them separately then put them together, so let us know what you think, who you agree with and who you like coming out on top on Saturday night.
Televised Bouts
Keefe’s Picks
Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch (Welterweight Championship Bout)
GSP and Fitch truly are the two best welterweights in the world. The 170 pound division is dominated by UFC fighters and this is the match up every fan wants to see. The only hick-up St. Pierre has faced was the stunning loss to Matt Serra. Since then he has defeated fellow Top 10 guys in Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes (for the second time), and took care of business against Serra. Along with those names, how about B.J. Penn, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Jason Miller, Jay Hieron, Karo Parisyan, and Pete Spratt being on GSP’s resume. Why not add Jon Fitch to that list?
I understand Fitch has rattled off 15 straight victories including a perfect 8-0 in the UFC with wins over Diego Sanchez, Thiago Alves, and Josh Burkman, but I’m still not convinced. Half of Fitch’s victories in the UFC have come via decision, and St. Pierre has never lost when it comes down to the judges. He usually doesn’t let it go that long. Fitch is a great wrestler. That’s a fact. But GSP out wrestled Fitch’s training partner and 4 time All-American wrestler Josh Koscheck. Maybe Fitch can submit GSP? He has finished 3 fights in the octagon by submission. Don’t count on it. Besides that armbar by Hughes in 2004, GSP won’t let that happen either. I truly believe the only way to defeat GSP now is a fluke knock out a la Serra. I think this is a solid fight for 2 and a half rounds but than St. Pierre, one of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet, ends it.
Georges St. Pierre def. Jon Fitch via (T)KO in the 3rd round
Roger Huerta vs. Kenny Florian
These two are not Top 10 lightweights in the world, but they are Top 5 in the UFC. The winner could find him self in line for a title shot down the road, the one problem being that the current champ B.J. Penn has his sights set a little higher, on a rematch with Georges St. Pierre. I think Penn will be watching this night of fights pretty closely. After a busy 2007, Huerta has not fought in 8 months. He can’t afford to have any ring rust against a guy like Ken-Flo. (I’m still upset I didn’t tell Florian he had a good flow when I took a leak next to him in a Somerville bathroom, damn.) Either way I like Florian to catch “El Matador” in one of the 5,000 submission holds he knows.
Kenny Florian def. Roger Huerta via submission in the 2nd round
Heath Herring vs. Brock Lesnar
Will big Brock Lesnar last more than 90 seconds this time around? For the paying fans I hope so, for Herring’s face, different story. Lesnar proved he’s an absolute monster who just has a lot to learn. Mir got a title shot out of defeating Brock, in his 1st UFC fight no less, you figure that out. Meanwhile Herring is coming off a victory over Kongo. Heath has yet to have a fight in the UFC not go the distance, but I think this will be different. Herring’s only chance here is to find a submission, where most of his Pride victories came from, and slap it on early a la Mir. Upset alert… if this is an upset.
Heath Herring def. Brock Lesnar via submission in the 1st round
Demian Maia vs. Jason McDonald
A pair of fighters here who find themselves on the outside looking in, on the true contenders list at 185. Both guys hold victories over Ed Herman, of course so does Besse and I. McDonald’s best win is over Leben, but anytime he’s gotten a shot a one of the elite, he has lost (Franklin and Okami.) This is a huge fight for Maia. Where does he stack up? He’s 7-0 in his career and 2-0 in the UFC. McDonald, owner of the worst nickname in sports “The Athlete” (aren’t they all athletes?), needs this win. In fact, I feel like it’s a great win for one fighter, but a bad loss at the same time, if that makes since. The loser here is a long way from a title shot, the winner may only need another fight or two, much like Patrick Cote who went on a nice run.
Demian Maia def. Jason McDonald via submission in the 3rd
Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson
Not sure why this is a televised main event bout, I’ll be honest. I can understand the die hard fans who say enough with the TUF crap being pushed down our throats. Yes there have been many great and entertaining fighters from the past shows like Forrest Griffin, Chris Leben, Diego Sanchez, etc., but there’s been many more who don’t belong on TV. I’m not saying Manny and Emerson are bad fighters. They could both be solid some day. If you watched Dream 5 last month you saw some incredible lightweights. This is an undercard fight. Manny’s had a nice run of quick finishes, and I think it continues.
Manny Gamburyan def. Rob Emerson via submission in the 1st
Undercard Bouts
Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen via decision
Ben Saunders def. Ryan Thomas via (T)KO in 1st
Luke Cummo def. Tamden McCrory via (T)KO in 2nd
Andre Gusmao def. Jon Jones via decision
Chris Wilson def. Steve Bruno via (T)KO in 3rd
Besse’s Picks
Televised Bouts
Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch (Welterweight Championship Bout)
Finally, GSP is clear of the whole Matt Hughes/Matt Serra shenanigans and can finally begin truly defending the welterweight crown. His first test since regaining that title is against a guy who is on quite a roll in Jon Fitch. Fitch has won 15 straight, but he looked a bit off target in his fight with Chris Wilson. Don’t get me wrong, Fitch clearly deserves this opportunity as he’s beaten some talented and fairly big name fighters along the way. He’ll be relying on the strength of his wrestling and jiu-jitsu in this fight, but he’s going to have his work cut out for him.
That’s because he’s taking on MMA phenom Georges St. Pierre, who is truly exemplary of the new generation of athletes in the sport. GSP is athletic and well-rounded, and you could argue that he is never at a disadvantage in any facet of the game against any fighter. Formally you would have pointed to his wrestling, but after his decisive win over Josh Koscheck, he put that to rest; he’s also training with the Canadian National team. His striking will be far superior to that of Fitch, and I expect GSP to come out and get comfortable on his feet. While I think he can hang with Fitch on the ground, he’ll want to score points standing and wear down the challenger, who will be going for five rounds for the first time in the UFC. In the end, GSP will simply be too much for the game, but outclassed Fitch.
GSP remains your Welterweight Champ via (T)KO in the 3rd round.
Roger Huerta vs. Kenny Florian
This is the fight that I’m most excited about on this card. Florian and Huerta are two of the top lightweights in the UFC and I think this could be an opportunity for one of these fighters to establish himself as a top 10 lightweight in the world. Dana White should be taken seriously when he says this has the potential to be a Fight of the Year candidate.
Huerta is returning to action for the first time since his win comeback win over Clay Guida last December. He posted an impressive 6-0 campaign in 2007, and while I argue that his opponents weren’t top caliber fighters, his aggressive, all-action style makes for great fights and his win over Guida showed he is dangerous at any point during a fight. While he should be compared to GSP in terms of talent level, he’s similar in that he’s an athletic, well rounded competitor. He’ll need to apply pressure for all 3 rounds and not allow Florian to gain control on the ground.
For Florian, his biggest challenge will be sticking to his gameplan. I’m confident that due to his experience at a championship level, he’ll be able to do this, but he needs to avoid getting into a fast paced, all-action brawl with Huerta. Florian’s striking is very good, don’t get me wrong, but Huerta is more athletic and rangier, so Florian will need to utilize angles and his Muay Thai clinch. If he control the action and eventually take Huerta down, I think he can work his way to the mount and go for the finish.
Kenny Florian wins via (T)KO in the 3rd round
Heath Herring vs. Brock Lesnar
I hate this fight because I’m actually a fan of both fighters. Herring HAS to be one of everyone’s favorite fighters simply because the guy will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere. That and his infamous YouTube clip in which he knocked the guy out for kissing him during the stare down. That scores points with me any day of the week.
Yet interestingly enough, you have to respect Brock Lesnar because he’s not taking any cupcakes for opponents. This guy has stated he wants to fight tough, credible opponents, and he got that in Frank Mir and he’s getting that again in Herring. I thought Lesnar was mighty impressive against Mir, inflicting serious damage and relentless attack before being caught in a submission. Meanwhile, Herring is coming off an impressive win over Cheick Kongo, a match that many thought would go the other way. But Herring has revamped his training and dedication to the sport, and he looked very tough, durable and much improved in grinding out the decision win.
There’s no question that the biggest hole in Lesnar’s game is his submission defense, and Herring has captured 16 of his 28 victories via just that. However, a lot of those have been submissions that come as a result of being on top of his opponents. I simply don’t see him finding a way to control Lesnar on top and work his way to a mount, taking the back, acquiring a choke, etc. While he may be able to roll Lesnar or work out of Lesnar’s guard, it’s my contention that Brock will simply be too big, too strong and too powerful. Herring will put in yet another gritty, impressive performance, but Saturday’s fight will show why he is the Chris Lytle, Chris Leben and Marcus Aurelio of the heavyweight division.
Brock Lesnar wins via (T)KO in the 2nd round
Demian Maia vs. Jason McDonald
Maia and McDonald could be a ton of fun to watch. Both are sick submission specialist, and I thank them both for their respective embarrassments of Ed “Short Fuse” Herman. Maia has come out of nowhere and is off to a modest 7-0 start to his career. McDonald, meanwhile, has shown flashes of brilliance at times, earning him fights with Yushin Okami and Rich Franklin. He fell flat on his face both times, however, and is slowly developing into a guy who will always fall just a bit short.
A lot of times when two guys with similar backgrounds go at it, the fight is won by utilizing other facets. It’s a matter of who is more comfortable in other areas and can keep it there. I don’t think that will be the case here. Maia seems to have jiu-jitsu skills that are unparalleled, and I think his will simply outclass McDonald’s in scoring a late submission win.
Plus his submission over Ed Herman was much cooler than McDonald’s. That and I also have trouble picking a guy with the nickname, “The Athlete.”
Demian Maia wins via 3rd round submission
Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson
Joe Silva is pitting a pair of TUF 5 alums against each other here. Interestingly enough, Emerson is an alum of something else, as well: The Lords of South County. Pretty hardcore, eh? Not if you watch the video in which he and his boys ambushed some poor guy at a gas station filling up his car. Pretty weak. I’m not a fan of Gamburyan, either, but I’ll take him over some spoiled, rich kid punk. Not only do I expect Manvil the Anvil to run right through Emerson, I’m hoping he gets hold a limb and goes Babalu on that ass.
Manny Gamburyan wins via 1st round submission
Undercard Bouts
Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen via decision
Ben Saunders def. Ryan Thomas via 1st round submission
Tamden Mcrory def. Luke Cummo via decision
Andre Gusmao def. Jon Jones via 1st round submission
Chris Wilson def. Steve Bruno via decision
-Besse and Keefe
E-mail The Brief at sportsbrief@gmail.com
Televised Bouts
Keefe’s Picks
Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch (Welterweight Championship Bout)
GSP and Fitch truly are the two best welterweights in the world. The 170 pound division is dominated by UFC fighters and this is the match up every fan wants to see. The only hick-up St. Pierre has faced was the stunning loss to Matt Serra. Since then he has defeated fellow Top 10 guys in Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes (for the second time), and took care of business against Serra. Along with those names, how about B.J. Penn, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Jason Miller, Jay Hieron, Karo Parisyan, and Pete Spratt being on GSP’s resume. Why not add Jon Fitch to that list?
I understand Fitch has rattled off 15 straight victories including a perfect 8-0 in the UFC with wins over Diego Sanchez, Thiago Alves, and Josh Burkman, but I’m still not convinced. Half of Fitch’s victories in the UFC have come via decision, and St. Pierre has never lost when it comes down to the judges. He usually doesn’t let it go that long. Fitch is a great wrestler. That’s a fact. But GSP out wrestled Fitch’s training partner and 4 time All-American wrestler Josh Koscheck. Maybe Fitch can submit GSP? He has finished 3 fights in the octagon by submission. Don’t count on it. Besides that armbar by Hughes in 2004, GSP won’t let that happen either. I truly believe the only way to defeat GSP now is a fluke knock out a la Serra. I think this is a solid fight for 2 and a half rounds but than St. Pierre, one of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet, ends it.
Georges St. Pierre def. Jon Fitch via (T)KO in the 3rd round
Roger Huerta vs. Kenny Florian
These two are not Top 10 lightweights in the world, but they are Top 5 in the UFC. The winner could find him self in line for a title shot down the road, the one problem being that the current champ B.J. Penn has his sights set a little higher, on a rematch with Georges St. Pierre. I think Penn will be watching this night of fights pretty closely. After a busy 2007, Huerta has not fought in 8 months. He can’t afford to have any ring rust against a guy like Ken-Flo. (I’m still upset I didn’t tell Florian he had a good flow when I took a leak next to him in a Somerville bathroom, damn.) Either way I like Florian to catch “El Matador” in one of the 5,000 submission holds he knows.
Kenny Florian def. Roger Huerta via submission in the 2nd round
Heath Herring vs. Brock Lesnar
Will big Brock Lesnar last more than 90 seconds this time around? For the paying fans I hope so, for Herring’s face, different story. Lesnar proved he’s an absolute monster who just has a lot to learn. Mir got a title shot out of defeating Brock, in his 1st UFC fight no less, you figure that out. Meanwhile Herring is coming off a victory over Kongo. Heath has yet to have a fight in the UFC not go the distance, but I think this will be different. Herring’s only chance here is to find a submission, where most of his Pride victories came from, and slap it on early a la Mir. Upset alert… if this is an upset.
Heath Herring def. Brock Lesnar via submission in the 1st round
Demian Maia vs. Jason McDonald
A pair of fighters here who find themselves on the outside looking in, on the true contenders list at 185. Both guys hold victories over Ed Herman, of course so does Besse and I. McDonald’s best win is over Leben, but anytime he’s gotten a shot a one of the elite, he has lost (Franklin and Okami.) This is a huge fight for Maia. Where does he stack up? He’s 7-0 in his career and 2-0 in the UFC. McDonald, owner of the worst nickname in sports “The Athlete” (aren’t they all athletes?), needs this win. In fact, I feel like it’s a great win for one fighter, but a bad loss at the same time, if that makes since. The loser here is a long way from a title shot, the winner may only need another fight or two, much like Patrick Cote who went on a nice run.
Demian Maia def. Jason McDonald via submission in the 3rd
Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson
Not sure why this is a televised main event bout, I’ll be honest. I can understand the die hard fans who say enough with the TUF crap being pushed down our throats. Yes there have been many great and entertaining fighters from the past shows like Forrest Griffin, Chris Leben, Diego Sanchez, etc., but there’s been many more who don’t belong on TV. I’m not saying Manny and Emerson are bad fighters. They could both be solid some day. If you watched Dream 5 last month you saw some incredible lightweights. This is an undercard fight. Manny’s had a nice run of quick finishes, and I think it continues.
Manny Gamburyan def. Rob Emerson via submission in the 1st
Undercard Bouts
Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen via decision
Ben Saunders def. Ryan Thomas via (T)KO in 1st
Luke Cummo def. Tamden McCrory via (T)KO in 2nd
Andre Gusmao def. Jon Jones via decision
Chris Wilson def. Steve Bruno via (T)KO in 3rd
Besse’s Picks
Televised Bouts
Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch (Welterweight Championship Bout)
Finally, GSP is clear of the whole Matt Hughes/Matt Serra shenanigans and can finally begin truly defending the welterweight crown. His first test since regaining that title is against a guy who is on quite a roll in Jon Fitch. Fitch has won 15 straight, but he looked a bit off target in his fight with Chris Wilson. Don’t get me wrong, Fitch clearly deserves this opportunity as he’s beaten some talented and fairly big name fighters along the way. He’ll be relying on the strength of his wrestling and jiu-jitsu in this fight, but he’s going to have his work cut out for him.
That’s because he’s taking on MMA phenom Georges St. Pierre, who is truly exemplary of the new generation of athletes in the sport. GSP is athletic and well-rounded, and you could argue that he is never at a disadvantage in any facet of the game against any fighter. Formally you would have pointed to his wrestling, but after his decisive win over Josh Koscheck, he put that to rest; he’s also training with the Canadian National team. His striking will be far superior to that of Fitch, and I expect GSP to come out and get comfortable on his feet. While I think he can hang with Fitch on the ground, he’ll want to score points standing and wear down the challenger, who will be going for five rounds for the first time in the UFC. In the end, GSP will simply be too much for the game, but outclassed Fitch.
GSP remains your Welterweight Champ via (T)KO in the 3rd round.
Roger Huerta vs. Kenny Florian
This is the fight that I’m most excited about on this card. Florian and Huerta are two of the top lightweights in the UFC and I think this could be an opportunity for one of these fighters to establish himself as a top 10 lightweight in the world. Dana White should be taken seriously when he says this has the potential to be a Fight of the Year candidate.
Huerta is returning to action for the first time since his win comeback win over Clay Guida last December. He posted an impressive 6-0 campaign in 2007, and while I argue that his opponents weren’t top caliber fighters, his aggressive, all-action style makes for great fights and his win over Guida showed he is dangerous at any point during a fight. While he should be compared to GSP in terms of talent level, he’s similar in that he’s an athletic, well rounded competitor. He’ll need to apply pressure for all 3 rounds and not allow Florian to gain control on the ground.
For Florian, his biggest challenge will be sticking to his gameplan. I’m confident that due to his experience at a championship level, he’ll be able to do this, but he needs to avoid getting into a fast paced, all-action brawl with Huerta. Florian’s striking is very good, don’t get me wrong, but Huerta is more athletic and rangier, so Florian will need to utilize angles and his Muay Thai clinch. If he control the action and eventually take Huerta down, I think he can work his way to the mount and go for the finish.
Kenny Florian wins via (T)KO in the 3rd round
Heath Herring vs. Brock Lesnar
I hate this fight because I’m actually a fan of both fighters. Herring HAS to be one of everyone’s favorite fighters simply because the guy will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere. That and his infamous YouTube clip in which he knocked the guy out for kissing him during the stare down. That scores points with me any day of the week.
Yet interestingly enough, you have to respect Brock Lesnar because he’s not taking any cupcakes for opponents. This guy has stated he wants to fight tough, credible opponents, and he got that in Frank Mir and he’s getting that again in Herring. I thought Lesnar was mighty impressive against Mir, inflicting serious damage and relentless attack before being caught in a submission. Meanwhile, Herring is coming off an impressive win over Cheick Kongo, a match that many thought would go the other way. But Herring has revamped his training and dedication to the sport, and he looked very tough, durable and much improved in grinding out the decision win.
There’s no question that the biggest hole in Lesnar’s game is his submission defense, and Herring has captured 16 of his 28 victories via just that. However, a lot of those have been submissions that come as a result of being on top of his opponents. I simply don’t see him finding a way to control Lesnar on top and work his way to a mount, taking the back, acquiring a choke, etc. While he may be able to roll Lesnar or work out of Lesnar’s guard, it’s my contention that Brock will simply be too big, too strong and too powerful. Herring will put in yet another gritty, impressive performance, but Saturday’s fight will show why he is the Chris Lytle, Chris Leben and Marcus Aurelio of the heavyweight division.
Brock Lesnar wins via (T)KO in the 2nd round
Demian Maia vs. Jason McDonald
Maia and McDonald could be a ton of fun to watch. Both are sick submission specialist, and I thank them both for their respective embarrassments of Ed “Short Fuse” Herman. Maia has come out of nowhere and is off to a modest 7-0 start to his career. McDonald, meanwhile, has shown flashes of brilliance at times, earning him fights with Yushin Okami and Rich Franklin. He fell flat on his face both times, however, and is slowly developing into a guy who will always fall just a bit short.
A lot of times when two guys with similar backgrounds go at it, the fight is won by utilizing other facets. It’s a matter of who is more comfortable in other areas and can keep it there. I don’t think that will be the case here. Maia seems to have jiu-jitsu skills that are unparalleled, and I think his will simply outclass McDonald’s in scoring a late submission win.
Plus his submission over Ed Herman was much cooler than McDonald’s. That and I also have trouble picking a guy with the nickname, “The Athlete.”
Demian Maia wins via 3rd round submission
Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson
Joe Silva is pitting a pair of TUF 5 alums against each other here. Interestingly enough, Emerson is an alum of something else, as well: The Lords of South County. Pretty hardcore, eh? Not if you watch the video in which he and his boys ambushed some poor guy at a gas station filling up his car. Pretty weak. I’m not a fan of Gamburyan, either, but I’ll take him over some spoiled, rich kid punk. Not only do I expect Manvil the Anvil to run right through Emerson, I’m hoping he gets hold a limb and goes Babalu on that ass.
Manny Gamburyan wins via 1st round submission
Undercard Bouts
Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen via decision
Ben Saunders def. Ryan Thomas via 1st round submission
Tamden Mcrory def. Luke Cummo via decision
Andre Gusmao def. Jon Jones via 1st round submission
Chris Wilson def. Steve Bruno via decision
-Besse and Keefe
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