1. Starting Darren Sproles in place of Thomas Jones in fantasy football this week. With LT out, Sproles is going to have an even bigger workload than last week when he put up over 20 points against the Ravens defense. Jones's weakness is his incosistency, highlighted by a big week one and abysmal week two. Also hurting his value is Leon Washington getting the majority of the work near the goal line. This week the Jets play Tennessee, who have shut down the run so far but been weak against the pass. That could increase his value some, as he traditionally gets close to half or more of his points receiving out of the backfield. Sproles, meanwhile, is facing an improving Miami defense that nontheless likely won't be able to shut down the run as well as the Ravens did. That's why I'm going with Sproles, in my first big decision of the season.
2. I still can't tell if Quinton Jackson is seriously going to retire. Rampage certainly has been prone to rash statements and actions in the past, and this could be just the latest. On the other hand, Jackson has enough of a name and personality to sustain himself without ever stepping back into a cage or ring. From my angle, some of his gripes seem ill-founded and preposterous. Refusing to drop the fans booing him when he beat Liddell got old a long time ago. Rampage has to be one of the popular fighters in the organization now, but he seems to think everyone's against him. Equally hollow is his assertion that his fans saw him as being afraid of Machida. You don't have to be an MMA expert to know Rampage is not going to back down from anyone because he is afraid. For other reasons, like he talks about, sure, but not that. Him bringing up Dana White in particular as a reason is interesting, even though I think White had some ground to voice the opinions he did, even if he did so in his usual irritating, childish way. I'm assuming we won't know anything at least until the A-Team movie is done filming.
3. I love cooperative multiplayer video games. I think it's one of the best new trends emerging in development today. However, not having people you know and are halfway reliable is a huge crutch that needs to be overcome, even though don't ask me to figure it out. Constantly being at the mercy of the host in games where you progress through levels or waves, like in Gears of War 2's Horde Mode or presumably Halo: ODST's Firefight Mode, can get really frustrating when the game suddenly ends and you're back at square one. Like I said, a solution isn't something I can think of. Potentially the players who drop out could receive a penalty of some sorts in-game, but I don't know if that's really the answer because of all that it implies. So somebody else get on it, because I want to play Horde Mode.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
UFC 103 Preview
Later this month UFC 103 will go down in Dallas, featuring the return of a legendary heavyweight trying to resurrect his career and the second catchweight main event in the last five main shows the UFC has held. A few thoughts before the fight breakdowns.
- This is the first time I can remember since following MMA that a promotion is going up against a noteworthy boxing PPV. That is especially significant because Floyd Mayweather Jr., one of the biggest money draws in the sport, is in the main event against Juan Manuel Marquez. The UFC card contains some solid names, but nothing that can compete with Mayweather. So to the surprise of no one, Dana White emerges to blow smoke up the ass of everyone who will listen, claiming that this is not the fight the fans want, citing Pacquiao vs Mayweather as the real fight. I don't follow boxing enough, but that is logically the best possible fight between guys who can hit a common weight. White failed to even remember Marquez's name, despite referencing his background as "a huge boxing guy." Keep in mind Marquez is ranked #2 on Ring's pound-for-pound list, right behind Pacman, who he's given two good showing efforts against despite losing both times. So while Marquez doesn't have mainstream recognition, he is a very legitimate threat to Mayweather and the next best opponent after Pacquiao. White is insinuating that the UFC always gives the fans the big fights they want. Sadly, you have to look no further than Anderson Silva, the UFC's big gun, to find lackluster matchups. Patrick Cote and Thales Leites are both names that would not set the fires alight in the eye of the casual fan if they had them at point blank range with a flamethrower. His most recent fight against Forrest Griffin provided a bigger name, albeit one that was hopelessly overmatched. White later goes on to dismiss Mayweather basically as a defensive fighter who spends his time running and not engaging. Don't let those similar phrases being applied to Anderson Silva up until the Griffin fight distract you from the gospel according to DW. White does come up with one good point by the end, that being how most boxing PPV's can be hollow purchases, offering up only a few decent fights. However, the UFC is always only putting on quality fights, says White. To an extent this is true, but I think it owes more to the unpredictability and multiple outcomes inherent in the sport than some intrinsic quality that comes with the letters UFC. Boxing is a business and so is MMA. White knows this, and if he could tone down his Herculean-hype sometimes he'd probably reduce some of his detractors.
- Rich Franklin fighting again at the 195 catchweight after his win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99 comes across as a mixed signal. The UFC has been quick to denounce talk over there being an actual division created at 195, but here it pops up again. Franklin has said if it did exist it would be his new home but whether or not any other fighters feel the same in unknown. The conflicting actions by the UFC probably contribute to this, because until they come up with something concrete, everything is speculation. I'm also not sure if Franklin would be enough to carry the division if it did come to fruition. I personally think less divisions mean higher competition and more meaningful fights within them, but I also am not against additions or catchweight fights. The problem with catchweights is it can undermine the divisional structure in some instances. If Franklin does eventually move up to 205, it would be interesting to see how he fit into the mix in the wake of his results at 195. Would he get a title shot sooner assuming he secured wins or would he have to wait longer? With the UFC eventually adding the bantamweight and featherweight classes, it will be interesting to see where they go with 195.
Now that those diatribes are done, we can move onto the predictions. Nothing on the undercard really stood out to me, so I just did the five main card bouts.
Tyson Griffin vs Hermes Franca - With Kenny Florian coming up short in his bid for the lightweight belt against BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez next in line, the division really has no one that stands out from the large mix of competitors, with the possible exception of Gray Maynard. Griffin and Franca both hope to take the first step towards gaining that vacant status. Griffin had reeled off four straight wins until he ran into Sean Sherk at UFC 90 before bouncing back with a win over Rafeal dos Anjos at Fight Night 18. Franca has been on the shelf since October of 2008, nursing a torn ligament in his knee. I'm expecting Griffin to dominate the fight from every position. Franca is a decent opponent but he has historically had trouble with strong wrestlers like Sean Sherk and Frankie Edgar. I'm predicting Griffin keeps that tradition going.
Prediction - Griffin by Unanimous Decision
Josh Koscheck vs Frank Trigg - Trigg makes his return to the UFC after a four year absence against top welterweight Koscheck, himself trying to get back into the title mix after an equally devastating and surprising knockout loss to Paulo Thiago back in February. Trigg has won four straight, but against very light competition and all by lackluster decision. He's one of several older fighters past their prime but still active the UFC has recently picked up. Like fellow return signee Mark Coleman, the UFC has thrown Trigg to the wolves in his first fight back. Koscheck is superior in every aspect and should rout Trigg early and claim a stoppage victory.
Prediction - Koscheck by TKO
Martin Kampmann vs Paul Daley - Originally slated to be Kampmann vs Mike Swick to determine the next opponent for Georges St. Pierre's welterweight title, Daley was moved up from the preliminaries after Swick was injured. Daley had been scheduled to fight on the Affliction: Trilogy card and signed with the UFC afterwards, adding another popular British fighter to their ranks. Kampmann has won two straight since he dropped to 170 and looks to be on the fast track to a title shot. He needs to be cautious of Daley's striking, which has netted him every stoppage win on his record. Kampmann might look to put Daley onto the ground where he was quickly overwhelmed in his fight with Jake Shields after looking good on the feet. Even with the better standup, I don't see him overwhelming the very well-rounded Kampmann.
Prediction - Kampmann by Submission
Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic vs Junior dos Santos - With all the drama behind Cro-Cop's contract negotiations over, he now looks to resurrect his career and reclaim the magic of the PRIDE days against dangerous fellow striker dos Santos. To put it bluntly, Cro-Cop has not looked good despite winning three of his last four against the dregs of the worldwide heavyweight crop. dos Santos will be a stern test and should show if Cro-Cop's UFC return has any legitimate weight. He's dispatched his last two opponents in just over two minutes and I'm expecting Cro-Cop to sadly suffer a similar, if slightly elongated, fate.
Prediction - dos Santos by TKO
Rich Franklin vs Vitor Belfort - Of all the returning fighters the UFC has plucked, Belfort looks to have the biggest upside. His hand speed has reemerged with his power to potentially allow him to win a fight with one punch. Like Trigg, however, Belfort is matched straight up with a top level fighter in Franklin. I can see Franklin respecting Belfort's stand-up and staying on the outside and scoring with methodical, pinpoint striking of his own on the way to a decision victory. Belfort has room to challenge him though, especially if Franklin slows down like he did in his last fight with Wanderlei Silva. Whatever the result, I hope Belfort stays prominent and can eliminate the consistency issues that have plagued him in the past. His explosiveness could turn him into one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC.
Prediction - Franklin by Unanimous Decision
- This is the first time I can remember since following MMA that a promotion is going up against a noteworthy boxing PPV. That is especially significant because Floyd Mayweather Jr., one of the biggest money draws in the sport, is in the main event against Juan Manuel Marquez. The UFC card contains some solid names, but nothing that can compete with Mayweather. So to the surprise of no one, Dana White emerges to blow smoke up the ass of everyone who will listen, claiming that this is not the fight the fans want, citing Pacquiao vs Mayweather as the real fight. I don't follow boxing enough, but that is logically the best possible fight between guys who can hit a common weight. White failed to even remember Marquez's name, despite referencing his background as "a huge boxing guy." Keep in mind Marquez is ranked #2 on Ring's pound-for-pound list, right behind Pacman, who he's given two good showing efforts against despite losing both times. So while Marquez doesn't have mainstream recognition, he is a very legitimate threat to Mayweather and the next best opponent after Pacquiao. White is insinuating that the UFC always gives the fans the big fights they want. Sadly, you have to look no further than Anderson Silva, the UFC's big gun, to find lackluster matchups. Patrick Cote and Thales Leites are both names that would not set the fires alight in the eye of the casual fan if they had them at point blank range with a flamethrower. His most recent fight against Forrest Griffin provided a bigger name, albeit one that was hopelessly overmatched. White later goes on to dismiss Mayweather basically as a defensive fighter who spends his time running and not engaging. Don't let those similar phrases being applied to Anderson Silva up until the Griffin fight distract you from the gospel according to DW. White does come up with one good point by the end, that being how most boxing PPV's can be hollow purchases, offering up only a few decent fights. However, the UFC is always only putting on quality fights, says White. To an extent this is true, but I think it owes more to the unpredictability and multiple outcomes inherent in the sport than some intrinsic quality that comes with the letters UFC. Boxing is a business and so is MMA. White knows this, and if he could tone down his Herculean-hype sometimes he'd probably reduce some of his detractors.
- Rich Franklin fighting again at the 195 catchweight after his win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99 comes across as a mixed signal. The UFC has been quick to denounce talk over there being an actual division created at 195, but here it pops up again. Franklin has said if it did exist it would be his new home but whether or not any other fighters feel the same in unknown. The conflicting actions by the UFC probably contribute to this, because until they come up with something concrete, everything is speculation. I'm also not sure if Franklin would be enough to carry the division if it did come to fruition. I personally think less divisions mean higher competition and more meaningful fights within them, but I also am not against additions or catchweight fights. The problem with catchweights is it can undermine the divisional structure in some instances. If Franklin does eventually move up to 205, it would be interesting to see how he fit into the mix in the wake of his results at 195. Would he get a title shot sooner assuming he secured wins or would he have to wait longer? With the UFC eventually adding the bantamweight and featherweight classes, it will be interesting to see where they go with 195.
Now that those diatribes are done, we can move onto the predictions. Nothing on the undercard really stood out to me, so I just did the five main card bouts.
Tyson Griffin vs Hermes Franca - With Kenny Florian coming up short in his bid for the lightweight belt against BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez next in line, the division really has no one that stands out from the large mix of competitors, with the possible exception of Gray Maynard. Griffin and Franca both hope to take the first step towards gaining that vacant status. Griffin had reeled off four straight wins until he ran into Sean Sherk at UFC 90 before bouncing back with a win over Rafeal dos Anjos at Fight Night 18. Franca has been on the shelf since October of 2008, nursing a torn ligament in his knee. I'm expecting Griffin to dominate the fight from every position. Franca is a decent opponent but he has historically had trouble with strong wrestlers like Sean Sherk and Frankie Edgar. I'm predicting Griffin keeps that tradition going.
Prediction - Griffin by Unanimous Decision
Josh Koscheck vs Frank Trigg - Trigg makes his return to the UFC after a four year absence against top welterweight Koscheck, himself trying to get back into the title mix after an equally devastating and surprising knockout loss to Paulo Thiago back in February. Trigg has won four straight, but against very light competition and all by lackluster decision. He's one of several older fighters past their prime but still active the UFC has recently picked up. Like fellow return signee Mark Coleman, the UFC has thrown Trigg to the wolves in his first fight back. Koscheck is superior in every aspect and should rout Trigg early and claim a stoppage victory.
Prediction - Koscheck by TKO
Martin Kampmann vs Paul Daley - Originally slated to be Kampmann vs Mike Swick to determine the next opponent for Georges St. Pierre's welterweight title, Daley was moved up from the preliminaries after Swick was injured. Daley had been scheduled to fight on the Affliction: Trilogy card and signed with the UFC afterwards, adding another popular British fighter to their ranks. Kampmann has won two straight since he dropped to 170 and looks to be on the fast track to a title shot. He needs to be cautious of Daley's striking, which has netted him every stoppage win on his record. Kampmann might look to put Daley onto the ground where he was quickly overwhelmed in his fight with Jake Shields after looking good on the feet. Even with the better standup, I don't see him overwhelming the very well-rounded Kampmann.
Prediction - Kampmann by Submission
Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic vs Junior dos Santos - With all the drama behind Cro-Cop's contract negotiations over, he now looks to resurrect his career and reclaim the magic of the PRIDE days against dangerous fellow striker dos Santos. To put it bluntly, Cro-Cop has not looked good despite winning three of his last four against the dregs of the worldwide heavyweight crop. dos Santos will be a stern test and should show if Cro-Cop's UFC return has any legitimate weight. He's dispatched his last two opponents in just over two minutes and I'm expecting Cro-Cop to sadly suffer a similar, if slightly elongated, fate.
Prediction - dos Santos by TKO
Rich Franklin vs Vitor Belfort - Of all the returning fighters the UFC has plucked, Belfort looks to have the biggest upside. His hand speed has reemerged with his power to potentially allow him to win a fight with one punch. Like Trigg, however, Belfort is matched straight up with a top level fighter in Franklin. I can see Franklin respecting Belfort's stand-up and staying on the outside and scoring with methodical, pinpoint striking of his own on the way to a decision victory. Belfort has room to challenge him though, especially if Franklin slows down like he did in his last fight with Wanderlei Silva. Whatever the result, I hope Belfort stays prominent and can eliminate the consistency issues that have plagued him in the past. His explosiveness could turn him into one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC.
Prediction - Franklin by Unanimous Decision
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Recapping UFC 102
I'm going to skip most of the undercard because the majority of the bouts didn't contain noteworthy fighters or spotlight guys to keep watch on.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs Chris Tuchscherer - Gonzaga once again proved he's the guy you send in to destroy overmatched opponents. He'll now likely step up in competition once again and hope to get his first meaningful win since he knocked out Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic over two years ago. He always seems one win away from really being a contender in the UFC's weak heavyweight division.
Aaron Simpson vs Ed Herman - These two went at it close to nonstop until Ed Herman's knee injury ended things early in the second round. The loss keeps Herman in the gatekeeper role, while Simpson's strong performance and remaining undefeated keep him as a solid prospect in the middleweight ranks.
Brandon Vera vs Krzysztof Soszynski - Vera was originally slated to face Matt Hamill, but an injury allowed Soszynski to step in late, making this his third fight in five months. There was little action and Vera comfortably cruised to a decision. The win does little for him though. Despite a dominating effort against a game, rising opponent, Vera still lacks quality wins at light heavyweight, even though his competition should now rise. Soszynski loses little, as he was a replacement that hasn't faced the level of fighters Vera has.
Chris Leben vs Jake Rosholt - Something of a minor upset? Leben hadn't fought in nine months due to a steroid suspension, so ring rust is going to be a factor. None of his haymakers connected and he had few answers for Rosholt's superior wrestling, eventually falling prey to an arm triangle. Leben's comeback fight being spoiled deters any advancement in the congested tier of decent middleweights. Rosholt, after losing to Dan Miller in his first UFC bout, secures his place in the organization.
Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia - Maia's run as one of the hottest prospects got stamped out by Marquardt, who needed just 21 seconds and a single punch to put the first blemish on the jiu-jitsu ace's record. Maia has been working on his standup with Wanderlei Silva, but he looked strikingly similar to Shinya Aoki in his last fight, trying to downplay his obvious strength in favor of looking and/or actually being more well-rounded. Aoki got a win because he was more active against a fighter whose standup was equally as limited. Unfortunately for Maia, Marquardt is one of the handful of elites in the UFC's middleweight crop and dangerous from any position. Given the short time the match and its quick end, it's hard to tell if Maia was simply overwhelmed or whether his point of attack was wrong. Whatever the case, Marquardt solidified his position for a rematch with Anderson Silva. The Brazilian's camp oddly floated talk that suggested a title eliminator with Marquardt and Silva's once expected next challenger Dan Henderson. Whatever occurs, Marquardt stands a much better chance than "The Spider's" last two opponents.
Thiago Silva vs Keith Jardine - Going into this, I predicted that Silva would either dispatch Jardine quickly or the Team Jackson fighter would frustrate and execute a patented gameplan en route to a decision over the American Top Team fighter like he did over Chuck Liddell. Silva's power proved too much for Jardin'e suspect chin under two minutes into round one. With two losses in a row for the first time in his UFC career, Jardine is in danger of getting left behind in the stacked 205 lb. division. Silva, meanwhile, regains his footing after failing to solve the puzzle that is Lyoto Machida back in January. Expect nothing but quality opponents with title ramifications in the explosive Brazilian's future.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Randy Couture - I was fairly skeptical of this matchup going in, but the results proved better than I ever would have expected. Both fighters showed that the recent talk of them being near the end of their careers was premature. Nogueira's superhuman-esque ability to absorb damage returned, while Couture himself survived several knockdowns and submission attempts en route to losing an entertaining unanimous decision. The performances bode well for a UFC heavyweight division that severely lacks depth. Nog is likely right back into the title picture, maybe next against the winner of the Cain Velasquez/Ben Rothwell fight. Whoever is next for Couture in the wake of his new contract will be a big fight based on "The Natural's" name alone, though I really have no idea who the UFC will line up.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs Chris Tuchscherer - Gonzaga once again proved he's the guy you send in to destroy overmatched opponents. He'll now likely step up in competition once again and hope to get his first meaningful win since he knocked out Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic over two years ago. He always seems one win away from really being a contender in the UFC's weak heavyweight division.
Aaron Simpson vs Ed Herman - These two went at it close to nonstop until Ed Herman's knee injury ended things early in the second round. The loss keeps Herman in the gatekeeper role, while Simpson's strong performance and remaining undefeated keep him as a solid prospect in the middleweight ranks.
Brandon Vera vs Krzysztof Soszynski - Vera was originally slated to face Matt Hamill, but an injury allowed Soszynski to step in late, making this his third fight in five months. There was little action and Vera comfortably cruised to a decision. The win does little for him though. Despite a dominating effort against a game, rising opponent, Vera still lacks quality wins at light heavyweight, even though his competition should now rise. Soszynski loses little, as he was a replacement that hasn't faced the level of fighters Vera has.
Chris Leben vs Jake Rosholt - Something of a minor upset? Leben hadn't fought in nine months due to a steroid suspension, so ring rust is going to be a factor. None of his haymakers connected and he had few answers for Rosholt's superior wrestling, eventually falling prey to an arm triangle. Leben's comeback fight being spoiled deters any advancement in the congested tier of decent middleweights. Rosholt, after losing to Dan Miller in his first UFC bout, secures his place in the organization.
Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia - Maia's run as one of the hottest prospects got stamped out by Marquardt, who needed just 21 seconds and a single punch to put the first blemish on the jiu-jitsu ace's record. Maia has been working on his standup with Wanderlei Silva, but he looked strikingly similar to Shinya Aoki in his last fight, trying to downplay his obvious strength in favor of looking and/or actually being more well-rounded. Aoki got a win because he was more active against a fighter whose standup was equally as limited. Unfortunately for Maia, Marquardt is one of the handful of elites in the UFC's middleweight crop and dangerous from any position. Given the short time the match and its quick end, it's hard to tell if Maia was simply overwhelmed or whether his point of attack was wrong. Whatever the case, Marquardt solidified his position for a rematch with Anderson Silva. The Brazilian's camp oddly floated talk that suggested a title eliminator with Marquardt and Silva's once expected next challenger Dan Henderson. Whatever occurs, Marquardt stands a much better chance than "The Spider's" last two opponents.
Thiago Silva vs Keith Jardine - Going into this, I predicted that Silva would either dispatch Jardine quickly or the Team Jackson fighter would frustrate and execute a patented gameplan en route to a decision over the American Top Team fighter like he did over Chuck Liddell. Silva's power proved too much for Jardin'e suspect chin under two minutes into round one. With two losses in a row for the first time in his UFC career, Jardine is in danger of getting left behind in the stacked 205 lb. division. Silva, meanwhile, regains his footing after failing to solve the puzzle that is Lyoto Machida back in January. Expect nothing but quality opponents with title ramifications in the explosive Brazilian's future.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Randy Couture - I was fairly skeptical of this matchup going in, but the results proved better than I ever would have expected. Both fighters showed that the recent talk of them being near the end of their careers was premature. Nogueira's superhuman-esque ability to absorb damage returned, while Couture himself survived several knockdowns and submission attempts en route to losing an entertaining unanimous decision. The performances bode well for a UFC heavyweight division that severely lacks depth. Nog is likely right back into the title picture, maybe next against the winner of the Cain Velasquez/Ben Rothwell fight. Whoever is next for Couture in the wake of his new contract will be a big fight based on "The Natural's" name alone, though I really have no idea who the UFC will line up.
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