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
Thursday, September 10, 2009
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.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Whatever Happened to the Fighters of Tommorow?
Putting aside all Alan Moore-scripted Superman tales (for what it's worth, I enjoyed What Do You Get for the Man Who Has Everything much more), this is a list of fighters who have disappeared off the main stage of MMA. Some are set to make returns while others are still eluding the search parties.
1. Chris Leben - The bad boy turned "saint" has been absent from the octagon since his October 2008 loss to Michael Bisping. That fight was postponed three months after Leben got arrested stemming from a warrant out on him for a past DUI offense. He followed that up by testing positive for steroids after the Bisping fight, resulting in a nine month suspension. The guy just can't get ahead. Nevertheless, Leben is set to return the soonest of all our entrants, this weekend at UFC 102 against Jake Rosholt on the undercard. Fans of Bruce Buffer's pronunciation of Oahu, Hawaii take note.
2. Alistair Overeem - Possibly the fighter with the most rumored bouts in the past year, Overeem has yet to actually compete in MMA since a thrashing of the never ending tragedy that is Gary Goodridge on a smaller show in his home base of the Netherlands this past November. Following that, he briefly messed around in K-1, where he was undone by his immortal enemy, consistency, when he followed up an impressive win over then Heavyweight Champion Badr Hari on New Year's Eve with a loss to Remy Bonjasky in March. Over that period, everything under the sun has promised to include him with no result. Dana White talked of bringing him to the UFC. A rematch with Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic seemingly loomed on the horizon after their no-contest previously in DREAM. The latest was when a hand injury forced him out of the biggest of them all, his first defense of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Title against solid contender Fabricio Werdum on Strikeforce's August 15th show. Then talk shifted of him fighting Fedor Emelianenko after his Strikeforce signing, assuming the Russian would get an immediate title shot. However, Strikeforce officials have been cautious about that occurring, wanting instead to try and hype that fight, a dangerous proposition in a sport as unpredictable as MMA. While he's had trouble stringing together victories, Overeem is one of the few very well rounded heavyweights and can make a compelling matchup against anyone.
3. Dustin Hazelett - Kid Jiu-Jitsu looked to be submitting towards the elite in the welterweight division when a devastating ACL tear put him on the shelf indefinitely prior to his UFC 96 contest with Ben Saunders. Expected to be out for more than a year, good news surfaced this week when he was announced as the opponent for the high caliber Karo Parisyan, himself coming back from a steroid suspension. Hopefully the injury has fully healed and Hazelett can bring his exciting ground game back to a stagnant crop of UFC welterweights.
4. Alexsander Emelianenko - While older brother Fedor has moved increasingly into the American market after the collapse of PRIDE, Alexsander has been stalled by various issues that have kept him fighting on minor shows mainly in Russia. He was expected to compete on the first Affliction show, but was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission at the eleventh hour, attributed by him to a simple deadline mistake. In the aftermath, a prominent CSAC official stated that Emelianenko would not be allowed to fight anywhere in America, likely owing to something more than time conflicts. Affliction attempted to secure him for their second event, but once again he was denied a permit. Whether or not this is something that can be solved in the future is unknown, but Emelianenko hasn't made any move towards the Japanese promotions that would seem to be the next best place. Instead, he's slated to appear on another M-1 event in Korea this September against lackluster competition.
5. Goran Reljic - I haven't seen many more tantalizing debuts than Reljic's at UFC 84. He was the new and improved "Cro-Cop": a Croatian striker that had vicious kicks but with submission skills. His fight with Wilson Gouveia turned into one hell of an entertaining slugfest, with both fighters seemingly seconds from being finished before Reljic scored the TKO victory and picked up the "Fight of the Night" award. His second fight was scheduled for UFC 90 against Thales Leites, but a back injury in training forced him out. Little has surfaced about Reljic since then. A May report said he had undergone back surgery and had begun minor training, but nothing has come out since then, even though he is still apparently under contract with the UFC.
6. Roger Huerta - "El Matador" was riding a sixteen fight win streak heading into his August 2008 showdown with Kenny Florian. Coming off a resilient win over Clay Guida, this was Huerta's chance to prove he was a top contender. Unfortunately he was dominated by Florian and was expected to move back down into the sludge of the UFC's lightweight division. Instead, he's been inactive for almost exactly a year. Huerta caught Cung Le disease (who should be on this list now that I think about it) and said he wanted to move into acting, which has culminated in a role in the Tekken movie (oh yes). He was also critical of the policies of the UFC during media tours, which drew the predictable backlash from Dana White and led many to believe Huerta had been effectively blacklisted since he only had one fight left on his contract. However, in true Tito Ortiz style (I guess that doesn't really work now since he's returning), Huerta will at least fulfill his contract when he faces the surging Gray Maynard at Fight Night 19.
1. Chris Leben - The bad boy turned "saint" has been absent from the octagon since his October 2008 loss to Michael Bisping. That fight was postponed three months after Leben got arrested stemming from a warrant out on him for a past DUI offense. He followed that up by testing positive for steroids after the Bisping fight, resulting in a nine month suspension. The guy just can't get ahead. Nevertheless, Leben is set to return the soonest of all our entrants, this weekend at UFC 102 against Jake Rosholt on the undercard. Fans of Bruce Buffer's pronunciation of Oahu, Hawaii take note.
2. Alistair Overeem - Possibly the fighter with the most rumored bouts in the past year, Overeem has yet to actually compete in MMA since a thrashing of the never ending tragedy that is Gary Goodridge on a smaller show in his home base of the Netherlands this past November. Following that, he briefly messed around in K-1, where he was undone by his immortal enemy, consistency, when he followed up an impressive win over then Heavyweight Champion Badr Hari on New Year's Eve with a loss to Remy Bonjasky in March. Over that period, everything under the sun has promised to include him with no result. Dana White talked of bringing him to the UFC. A rematch with Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic seemingly loomed on the horizon after their no-contest previously in DREAM. The latest was when a hand injury forced him out of the biggest of them all, his first defense of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Title against solid contender Fabricio Werdum on Strikeforce's August 15th show. Then talk shifted of him fighting Fedor Emelianenko after his Strikeforce signing, assuming the Russian would get an immediate title shot. However, Strikeforce officials have been cautious about that occurring, wanting instead to try and hype that fight, a dangerous proposition in a sport as unpredictable as MMA. While he's had trouble stringing together victories, Overeem is one of the few very well rounded heavyweights and can make a compelling matchup against anyone.
3. Dustin Hazelett - Kid Jiu-Jitsu looked to be submitting towards the elite in the welterweight division when a devastating ACL tear put him on the shelf indefinitely prior to his UFC 96 contest with Ben Saunders. Expected to be out for more than a year, good news surfaced this week when he was announced as the opponent for the high caliber Karo Parisyan, himself coming back from a steroid suspension. Hopefully the injury has fully healed and Hazelett can bring his exciting ground game back to a stagnant crop of UFC welterweights.
4. Alexsander Emelianenko - While older brother Fedor has moved increasingly into the American market after the collapse of PRIDE, Alexsander has been stalled by various issues that have kept him fighting on minor shows mainly in Russia. He was expected to compete on the first Affliction show, but was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission at the eleventh hour, attributed by him to a simple deadline mistake. In the aftermath, a prominent CSAC official stated that Emelianenko would not be allowed to fight anywhere in America, likely owing to something more than time conflicts. Affliction attempted to secure him for their second event, but once again he was denied a permit. Whether or not this is something that can be solved in the future is unknown, but Emelianenko hasn't made any move towards the Japanese promotions that would seem to be the next best place. Instead, he's slated to appear on another M-1 event in Korea this September against lackluster competition.
5. Goran Reljic - I haven't seen many more tantalizing debuts than Reljic's at UFC 84. He was the new and improved "Cro-Cop": a Croatian striker that had vicious kicks but with submission skills. His fight with Wilson Gouveia turned into one hell of an entertaining slugfest, with both fighters seemingly seconds from being finished before Reljic scored the TKO victory and picked up the "Fight of the Night" award. His second fight was scheduled for UFC 90 against Thales Leites, but a back injury in training forced him out. Little has surfaced about Reljic since then. A May report said he had undergone back surgery and had begun minor training, but nothing has come out since then, even though he is still apparently under contract with the UFC.
6. Roger Huerta - "El Matador" was riding a sixteen fight win streak heading into his August 2008 showdown with Kenny Florian. Coming off a resilient win over Clay Guida, this was Huerta's chance to prove he was a top contender. Unfortunately he was dominated by Florian and was expected to move back down into the sludge of the UFC's lightweight division. Instead, he's been inactive for almost exactly a year. Huerta caught Cung Le disease (who should be on this list now that I think about it) and said he wanted to move into acting, which has culminated in a role in the Tekken movie (oh yes). He was also critical of the policies of the UFC during media tours, which drew the predictable backlash from Dana White and led many to believe Huerta had been effectively blacklisted since he only had one fight left on his contract. However, in true Tito Ortiz style (I guess that doesn't really work now since he's returning), Huerta will at least fulfill his contract when he faces the surging Gray Maynard at Fight Night 19.
Monday, November 17, 2008
UFC 91
Here's some odds and ends thought about this past weekend's UFC card.
Jorge Gurgel vs Aaron Riley: Gurgel is quickly becoming one of the funniest fighters to watch, if only to hear Joe Rogan constantly lament his refusal to use his black belt jiu-jitsu. His fights usually aren't' boring, but when you keep losing to guys like Aaron Riley progress becomes unattainable. Trust me, between booing within seconds of no engagement and the ridiculous "USA" chants, being a fan favorite is probably the last thing I would care about.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs Josh Hendricks: Can you say outclassed? Another quick win against low competition. Yay heavyweight division.
Demian Maia vs Nate Quarry: Outclassed strikes again. At this point Maia is the shining light in the middleweight division held hostage by Anderson Silva. He's beaten the gatekeepers, now let's see him against the elite.
Dustin Hazelett vs Tamdan McCrory: Hazelett made a believer out of me with his once again impressive ground work. I thought he might have been somewhat over-hyped, especially with the knockout loss to Koscheck, but he completely neutralized McCrory and got another submission victory. Interested to see who they match him against next.
Kenny Florian vs Joe Stevenson: So maybe outclassed was a theme. I had Florian winning this but I didn't expect such a dominant performance. He deserves the title shot.
Randy Couture vs Brock Lesnar: Going in, I had no idea what would happen in the supposed "Biggest Fight in UFC History." Couture worked his usual clinch-boxing style to decent results while it lasted, but Lesnar's incredible power ended it with one punch. I thought if Lesnar couldn't finish Herring he couldn't put Couture away. I'm interested to see if he'll be the first to KO Nogueira, assuming Nogueira wins against Mir, which I think he will. A Lesnar/Mir rematch might have a decent storyline, but you couldn't get me to care.
Jorge Gurgel vs Aaron Riley: Gurgel is quickly becoming one of the funniest fighters to watch, if only to hear Joe Rogan constantly lament his refusal to use his black belt jiu-jitsu. His fights usually aren't' boring, but when you keep losing to guys like Aaron Riley progress becomes unattainable. Trust me, between booing within seconds of no engagement and the ridiculous "USA" chants, being a fan favorite is probably the last thing I would care about.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs Josh Hendricks: Can you say outclassed? Another quick win against low competition. Yay heavyweight division.
Demian Maia vs Nate Quarry: Outclassed strikes again. At this point Maia is the shining light in the middleweight division held hostage by Anderson Silva. He's beaten the gatekeepers, now let's see him against the elite.
Dustin Hazelett vs Tamdan McCrory: Hazelett made a believer out of me with his once again impressive ground work. I thought he might have been somewhat over-hyped, especially with the knockout loss to Koscheck, but he completely neutralized McCrory and got another submission victory. Interested to see who they match him against next.
Kenny Florian vs Joe Stevenson: So maybe outclassed was a theme. I had Florian winning this but I didn't expect such a dominant performance. He deserves the title shot.
Randy Couture vs Brock Lesnar: Going in, I had no idea what would happen in the supposed "Biggest Fight in UFC History." Couture worked his usual clinch-boxing style to decent results while it lasted, but Lesnar's incredible power ended it with one punch. I thought if Lesnar couldn't finish Herring he couldn't put Couture away. I'm interested to see if he'll be the first to KO Nogueira, assuming Nogueira wins against Mir, which I think he will. A Lesnar/Mir rematch might have a decent storyline, but you couldn't get me to care.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Hellboy: Wake the Devil
This is the second collected volume in the Hellboy series, even though a footnote tells me chronologically it falls after another story that is in the third book that contains shorter tales. Nevertheless, it's still early on in the shown career of "The World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator" and some of those crazy Russians and Germans show up for another go round. John Byrne, who scripted the first volume, Seed of Destruction, is absent this time, setting up Mignola on words and pictures. And he does a fine job. His dialogue is better than Byrne's, but his sequencing of events is a little shaky. There's quite a lot going on in Wake the Devil, and some of it has a lot less impact than maybe was intended. In particular, Mignola seems to have trouble doing anything with the supporting cast of the BPRD. Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman are joined by a couple of dead men walking. One of them sports and eye patch, and he blemishes the mystique of said accessory by dying. It's a sure thing that Nick Fury, Snake Plissken and Molotov Cocktease are disgusted beyond belief. But anyway, they basically get into trouble that doesn't concern anything in the greater story nor do those events get developed. It's a weak spot that fortunately doesn't blemish a strong overall work. The back story of Rasputin and some of the Nazis he worked with is expanded and tied into Mignola's version of folklore like Dracula and the Baba Yaga. It all comes together in an explosive finale that sees Hellboy more informed of his true purpose. And let's not forget the artwork. At this point Mignola had refined his style enough to where he was completely unique. While his stories do have some Jack Kirby in them, it's in his drawings that you can clearly see the King's influence. The blocky figures and black dots are joined by his excellent use of black space and shadow, able to create suspense and set an eerie mood. It's perfect for the stories he's telling of Victorian castles, monsters in dark depths and pulp heroes and villains. Overall, Wake the Devil is another impressive foray into the Hellboy universe, and I can't wait to dive in further.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Reflecting on UFC 86...
...where I tell you things you already know. Warning: my recollections are a bit hazy on some of this, memory is not my greatest asset.
Tyson Griffin vs Marcus Aurelio: Griffin delivered his signature performance, a solid showing without being able to finish the the durable Aurelio. He shouldn't worry about not getting a knockout or submission, he's exciting enough. Aurelio looked pretty rough, and might be in the twilight of his career at 34. That win over Gomi is fading out faster than ever.
Chris Lytle vs Josh Koscheck: Mr. Kos, the guy everyone loves to hate, went back to the wrestling well and prevented Lytle from doing anything in addition to opening a huge cut that had both fighters and the octagon covered in blood. Despite a recent KO of Dustin Hazelett, Koscheck probably stood little chance of stopping Lytle, so smart plan equals boring fight.
Joe Stevenson vs Gleison Tibau: Nice guillotine in the second is all I remember. Stevenson is the choke king of the UFC.
Patrick Cote vs Ricardo Almeida: This turned monotonous after the first round, which had Almeida looking dominant on the ground as expected. After that he couldn't get a takedown, and Cote kept him at bay with just enough aggression to get the split decision. Neither of these guys looked like anything more than cannon fodder for Anderson Silva, should he stay and defend at middleweight. Let's hope Yushin Okami gets in there first.
Forrest Griffin vs Quinton Jackson: Nothing like a good fight ending with some controversy.
Lambo's Armchair Scorecard
Round 1: Jackson 10-9. The uppercut that almost finished it give this one to Rampage.
Round 2: Griffin 10-8. Here's a good example of why the judging system needs clarification. The leg kick seriously hurt Jackson, enough to where he basically got laid on the entire round and did nothing but somewhat defend himself. Griffin certainly was in complete control the whole time but did very little damage. Since it was effectively domination for close to five minutes, I think 10-8 is appropriate. I'm sure many other people disagree, and I wish there was more of a consensus on these things, even though I'm no judge. I will say, out of the all the fights I've seen, this was the only one where I instantly thought it would be 10-8.
Round 3: Jackson 10-9. Now here's where a personal belief comes in. Maybe this comes from me previously being a boxing fan, but I think that if there is a real close round the champ gets it. The challenger has got to get in there and show he is definitively better. I don't think Griffin showed that, so I score it for Jackson. Griffin was landing more, but Jackson was landing harder. Tough to call.
Round 4: Jackson 10-9. Another close round. Griffin certainly scores for a good triangle attempt, but Jackson had him defending the rest of the time, even though he didn't do that much damage. While not as close as the third round, I return to my champ philosophy again and go with Jackson.
Round 5: Griffin 10-9. I think this was clearly Forrest's round. He finished strong and threw aggressively as he had been while Jackson didn't do enough to really make up for it.
My final score is 47-47, the good ol' draw.
Tyson Griffin vs Marcus Aurelio: Griffin delivered his signature performance, a solid showing without being able to finish the the durable Aurelio. He shouldn't worry about not getting a knockout or submission, he's exciting enough. Aurelio looked pretty rough, and might be in the twilight of his career at 34. That win over Gomi is fading out faster than ever.
Chris Lytle vs Josh Koscheck: Mr. Kos, the guy everyone loves to hate, went back to the wrestling well and prevented Lytle from doing anything in addition to opening a huge cut that had both fighters and the octagon covered in blood. Despite a recent KO of Dustin Hazelett, Koscheck probably stood little chance of stopping Lytle, so smart plan equals boring fight.
Joe Stevenson vs Gleison Tibau: Nice guillotine in the second is all I remember. Stevenson is the choke king of the UFC.
Patrick Cote vs Ricardo Almeida: This turned monotonous after the first round, which had Almeida looking dominant on the ground as expected. After that he couldn't get a takedown, and Cote kept him at bay with just enough aggression to get the split decision. Neither of these guys looked like anything more than cannon fodder for Anderson Silva, should he stay and defend at middleweight. Let's hope Yushin Okami gets in there first.
Forrest Griffin vs Quinton Jackson: Nothing like a good fight ending with some controversy.
Lambo's Armchair Scorecard
Round 1: Jackson 10-9. The uppercut that almost finished it give this one to Rampage.
Round 2: Griffin 10-8. Here's a good example of why the judging system needs clarification. The leg kick seriously hurt Jackson, enough to where he basically got laid on the entire round and did nothing but somewhat defend himself. Griffin certainly was in complete control the whole time but did very little damage. Since it was effectively domination for close to five minutes, I think 10-8 is appropriate. I'm sure many other people disagree, and I wish there was more of a consensus on these things, even though I'm no judge. I will say, out of the all the fights I've seen, this was the only one where I instantly thought it would be 10-8.
Round 3: Jackson 10-9. Now here's where a personal belief comes in. Maybe this comes from me previously being a boxing fan, but I think that if there is a real close round the champ gets it. The challenger has got to get in there and show he is definitively better. I don't think Griffin showed that, so I score it for Jackson. Griffin was landing more, but Jackson was landing harder. Tough to call.
Round 4: Jackson 10-9. Another close round. Griffin certainly scores for a good triangle attempt, but Jackson had him defending the rest of the time, even though he didn't do that much damage. While not as close as the third round, I return to my champ philosophy again and go with Jackson.
Round 5: Griffin 10-9. I think this was clearly Forrest's round. He finished strong and threw aggressively as he had been while Jackson didn't do enough to really make up for it.
My final score is 47-47, the good ol' draw.
Alas, that's not how it turned out. Griffin got the unanimous decision and the light heavyweight belt, along with a chorus of boos from the crowd, which took me by surprise. I figured he would be who the majority were rooting for? I also don't get the hate for Griffin, who I see as a fighter who uses his drive and tenacity to make up for the skills and experience he may lack. I was pulling for Rampage, but the fight was close and decisions can go every which way, so I don't think he was robbed. Interesting to see if there will be an immediate rematch. I kind of doubt it, as there are so many interesting matchups at 205 that possibly putting Rampage in an eliminator against someone else while having Griffin defend once might set up the rematch (if things worked out) more effectively. But that's just my opinion, and I'm as much of a match maker as I am a judge.
Other notes: If not for the great main event, Jorge Gurgel vs Cole Miller would've been fight of the night. While neither are looking like title contenders at this point, they matched up well, putting on a standup show, with Gurgel getting the better of the exchanges, until he got sloppy late and got caught in a triangle. He held on for quite some time, but tapped with only eighteen seconds left in the third round. Good fight and great finish by Miller. Also, Gabriel Gonzaga got back on track with a first round submission over the outclassed Justin McCully. Gonzaga is one of the few legitimate contenders in the UFC's heavyweight crop, but they're running out of guys to match him against. Possibly Cheick Kongo if he wins next month?
Other notes: If not for the great main event, Jorge Gurgel vs Cole Miller would've been fight of the night. While neither are looking like title contenders at this point, they matched up well, putting on a standup show, with Gurgel getting the better of the exchanges, until he got sloppy late and got caught in a triangle. He held on for quite some time, but tapped with only eighteen seconds left in the third round. Good fight and great finish by Miller. Also, Gabriel Gonzaga got back on track with a first round submission over the outclassed Justin McCully. Gonzaga is one of the few legitimate contenders in the UFC's heavyweight crop, but they're running out of guys to match him against. Possibly Cheick Kongo if he wins next month?
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Dapple
That post about Ron Paul sucked so I deleted it, and the Iron Fist review I wrote below is bad, but I left it up because some of the other things are okay. Also deleted a six paragraph draft I had brewing about cross promotion in MMA. I sure do have high standards for my one reader (hey Chris!). And the second part of this post is going to be close to unreadable, so read at your own peril.
But up first, I'm going to complain about stuff that doesn't make sense, at least to me. Several years ago I saw two articles in the local paper that completely contradicted each other and left me wondering what the hell is happening. First article says the overwhelming majority of people they surveyed don't support gay marriage. Then, right next to that, there's an article that says the overwhelming majority of people they surveyed dont' want to put a ban on gay marriage. Now I'm sure different groups of people were surveyed and maybe even in different areas but what a great choice of articles to place together. WE DON'T LIKE THAT CRAP BUT WE DON'T HATE IT ENOUGH TO STOP IT FOR GOOD...sorry gay people, have fun in eternal limbo or move to Canada, cause nothing changed. Or get to California. Isn't it great when the states get a hair up their ass and do whatever they want sometimes? And then it all gets overturned a month later, but still, fun while it lasted. Always seems to happen in the golden state, which makes it great when you're at the supermarket looking for the right brand of frozen orange juice and you hear discussion like, "CALIFORNYA has done nothing but destroy AMERICAN values and provide a breeding ground for sinners. Did you see where Jesus killed more Chinese cause they don't like him?" I bring up gay marriage cause there's this parallel that only I can see with how people view "da govament". When things are going great everybody wants the government to eat shit and not exist. But then when something goes wrong we come running! "Gas is $87 dollars a gallon, why doesn't the government do something for once and lower the gas price and help everybody by reaming the oil companies." Hey kids, good news, gas is down to $2 a gallon, but we think we're gonna look into some environmental regulations the oil companies might've broken that could result in fines. "NOW WAIT A MINUTE, YOU AIN'T GOT NO RIGHT TO TELL THEM HONEST, HARD WORKING ENTREPENEWERS WHAT THEY CAN'T DO. ANY MONEY THEY MAKE SHOULD BE THEIRS, AND NOT GO TO SOME WELFARE CHECK TO BUY DOPE WITH!" Wow, this got unreadable fast, but it was fun.
Now here's a comic series that I don't like for reasons I probably can't explain well and may not prove to be valid. And by series I mean issues one and two of Ultimates 2, because I couldn't force myself through any more. It's superheroes, but they're in the real world!
HOLY SHIT, THE REAL WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111112222222233333444445555555666666666777777
But wait mom, that doesn't really make sense does it? I mean, there aren't super soldiers or Norse gods running around outside. And guess what, ol' Johnny's right, there aren't! Don't tell Mark Millar though, because his whole foundation of life will crumble. In this real world, all the main characters are arrogant douchebags who talk a bunch, which makes drying paint look fascinating. Chief among them is Stalwart Steve Rogers, who is such a dumb prick in here it makes me want to run anywhere that has the Brubaker series and just masturbate fervently to its' contents. "People swearing is bad, all girls dress like whores, oh look, stereotypical thug black whippersnappers made a comment at me so this effectively placed cutaway shot will imply that I gave em' a whoopin cause I is awesome and they is dumz, lawlz." They've should've kept this asshole on ice. "Hey Thor, you have different opinion like Nazis and hang out in your opium rave den, so I will respond with punch." Oh but he's stopped by some obvious hipster protester Green Peace asshat who starts a beer assault on him...well sure. And I thought we couldn't get much lower than this A doesn't stand for suck. Here comes Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, on vacation floating through Italy. Then they get a phone call so they can show off their super snobbery, and imply that they like Europe, where everyone is a liberal cancer and should be thankful they exist because of Uncle Sam, but the guy that writes this is Scottish. Oh and Oprah is mentioned, and Tony Stark is on Larry King, because they're REAL PEOPLE IN THE REAL WORLD THAT THIS TAKES PLACE IN STARBUCKS. So to recap: superheroes are real, Captain America is written as a symbol of American elitism and arrogance and Pietro and Wanda are even bigger dipshits than the other people, cause they are all arty and hang out in Venice or something. So see, you can't single anyone out because they're all unrelatable AND unlikeable. Oh and Cap is teh narrowminded cause he thinks gods are dumb and he is a sucker cause he goes to church WHAT THE FUCK MARK MILLAR?
Good thing I only paid ten dollars for all thirteen issues, here I come ebay!
But up first, I'm going to complain about stuff that doesn't make sense, at least to me. Several years ago I saw two articles in the local paper that completely contradicted each other and left me wondering what the hell is happening. First article says the overwhelming majority of people they surveyed don't support gay marriage. Then, right next to that, there's an article that says the overwhelming majority of people they surveyed dont' want to put a ban on gay marriage. Now I'm sure different groups of people were surveyed and maybe even in different areas but what a great choice of articles to place together. WE DON'T LIKE THAT CRAP BUT WE DON'T HATE IT ENOUGH TO STOP IT FOR GOOD...sorry gay people, have fun in eternal limbo or move to Canada, cause nothing changed. Or get to California. Isn't it great when the states get a hair up their ass and do whatever they want sometimes? And then it all gets overturned a month later, but still, fun while it lasted. Always seems to happen in the golden state, which makes it great when you're at the supermarket looking for the right brand of frozen orange juice and you hear discussion like, "CALIFORNYA has done nothing but destroy AMERICAN values and provide a breeding ground for sinners. Did you see where Jesus killed more Chinese cause they don't like him?" I bring up gay marriage cause there's this parallel that only I can see with how people view "da govament". When things are going great everybody wants the government to eat shit and not exist. But then when something goes wrong we come running! "Gas is $87 dollars a gallon, why doesn't the government do something for once and lower the gas price and help everybody by reaming the oil companies." Hey kids, good news, gas is down to $2 a gallon, but we think we're gonna look into some environmental regulations the oil companies might've broken that could result in fines. "NOW WAIT A MINUTE, YOU AIN'T GOT NO RIGHT TO TELL THEM HONEST, HARD WORKING ENTREPENEWERS WHAT THEY CAN'T DO. ANY MONEY THEY MAKE SHOULD BE THEIRS, AND NOT GO TO SOME WELFARE CHECK TO BUY DOPE WITH!" Wow, this got unreadable fast, but it was fun.
Now here's a comic series that I don't like for reasons I probably can't explain well and may not prove to be valid. And by series I mean issues one and two of Ultimates 2, because I couldn't force myself through any more. It's superheroes, but they're in the real world!
HOLY SHIT, THE REAL WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111112222222233333444445555555666666666777777
But wait mom, that doesn't really make sense does it? I mean, there aren't super soldiers or Norse gods running around outside. And guess what, ol' Johnny's right, there aren't! Don't tell Mark Millar though, because his whole foundation of life will crumble. In this real world, all the main characters are arrogant douchebags who talk a bunch, which makes drying paint look fascinating. Chief among them is Stalwart Steve Rogers, who is such a dumb prick in here it makes me want to run anywhere that has the Brubaker series and just masturbate fervently to its' contents. "People swearing is bad, all girls dress like whores, oh look, stereotypical thug black whippersnappers made a comment at me so this effectively placed cutaway shot will imply that I gave em' a whoopin cause I is awesome and they is dumz, lawlz." They've should've kept this asshole on ice. "Hey Thor, you have different opinion like Nazis and hang out in your opium rave den, so I will respond with punch." Oh but he's stopped by some obvious hipster protester Green Peace asshat who starts a beer assault on him...well sure. And I thought we couldn't get much lower than this A doesn't stand for suck. Here comes Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, on vacation floating through Italy. Then they get a phone call so they can show off their super snobbery, and imply that they like Europe, where everyone is a liberal cancer and should be thankful they exist because of Uncle Sam, but the guy that writes this is Scottish. Oh and Oprah is mentioned, and Tony Stark is on Larry King, because they're REAL PEOPLE IN THE REAL WORLD THAT THIS TAKES PLACE IN STARBUCKS. So to recap: superheroes are real, Captain America is written as a symbol of American elitism and arrogance and Pietro and Wanda are even bigger dipshits than the other people, cause they are all arty and hang out in Venice or something. So see, you can't single anyone out because they're all unrelatable AND unlikeable. Oh and Cap is teh narrowminded cause he thinks gods are dumb and he is a sucker cause he goes to church WHAT THE FUCK MARK MILLAR?
Good thing I only paid ten dollars for all thirteen issues, here I come ebay!
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