Author: Raymond Burton
Matt Serra is out with a injury for the Dec 29 fight against
Matt Hughes (the most dominant welter weight in UFC history).
Hughes is a machine. He has won 41 fights with the same
wrestling style over his career which says something for the
guy. Most fighters with one style get picked apart early in
their career but Matt has proven he can over come almost anyone.
He's a strong, hard working, tough farm kid with a "Must Win"
mentality. And all the power to him! He had a ton of fans prior
to the UFC's Ultimate Fighter series where he coached and then
came off as cocky and a bully. Call him what you will, anyone
with wins over BJ Penn, Carlos Newton, Georges St Pierre &
Hayato Sakurai is a machine. No matter what happens in the
future he is a champion and a role model for MMA fighters. His
work ethic and ability to find a way to win are incredible and
as a competitor you just have to respect the guy.
However..
He has also lost to BJ and GSP and the win against Newton, well,
that's tough call as he was asleep at the same time he slammed
Carlos to the mat. The win could be argued either way.
In no way shape or form am I taking away from his abilities
because I have watched him from early in his career and all I
can say is "Wow", but the power of the media has him beat. When
a guy wins 41 fights most of them are televised which hurts him.
Your style is known and your best moves you use to win are
visible. Enter BJ Penn and George St Pierre.
BJ beat him the first time they fought (and I was there!). BJ
had lost the title fight at 155lbs to Jens Pulver. He was ticked
off. So BJ, being BJ, said I'm moving up a weight category to
win the 170lb title. Unheard of at the time. Hughes called him
disrespectful for it. But BJ was able to rattle Hughes with a
punch to the head while he was on top and then grab him from
behind in a rear naked choke. Matt could have got out but he was
still dummied from the punch and had to tap out. Wow. NO ONE saw
that coming. Side note, I got a photo with BJ that night, it was
amazing. This was before UFC got to where it was today. Myself
and a buddy met him outside of Mandalay Bay by himself waiting
for a cab. How times have changed. BJ ended up leaving UFC due
to "reason unknown". A lot issues with himself and UFC and the
title got vacated. Hughes recaptures it after that.
An up and comer in George St Pierre is tearing up the
competition and gets a title fight. GSP dominates the first 2:55
of the fight against Hughes. But GSP frees an arm and Matt (when
did he learn BJJ? ) grabs an arm bar and GSP taps with 1 second
left in the first round. That is a mistake on GSP's part and
more importantly his corner. No way should he have tapped like
that. Suffice, he lost.
Rematch.
Guess who was there! George controls the whole fight. Has an
answer to everything Matt throws at him. Now, here's where the
idea of the televised fights comes in. GSP knew every move Matt
had from studying video and it was obvious. He controlled the
whole fight and beat him 3X in my opinion. 1 - leg kick that
Matt claimed was a groin kick and got a time out 2) End of round
1 Matt is out but saved by the bell 3) GSP gets the TKO. WOW!
GSP dominates. Now he has huge crowd support.
Enter Matt Serra.
Always liked him but never thought he'd make it far. Low and
behold he wins ultimate fighter series of 'has beens". Proved to
be a great team mate and a coach. Good on him. Well done Serra.
He wins the series and a chance at GSP. I missed the fight
aginst GSP as I was in Thailand but was surprised when I heard
he won by TKO. Congrats to the millionaires who bet on him cause
the odds were nuts!
Enter Politics. GSP deserved an immediate title fight / rematch.
But Dana White wrapped up Matt and Matt to coach the Ultimate
fighter series and fight for the title as a wrap up for the TV
show on Dec 29. Lots of animosity on the show between the two.
Built up a good fight that had Hughes being the favorite.
However Serra is now hurt.
Dana picks up the phone and GSP says "Yes" on short notice and
we have a blockbuster on our hands. Great rubber match!
Reality check, limited time for GSP to train for a real fight.
And Hughes has done his homework for sure as he hates to lose.
There is question as to George's mental stability when it comes
to big fights. He blew it against Hughes the first time and
Serra 2 fights ago (he dominated Josh Koschek whom I refuse to
chat about cause I think he's over rated). Both were pressure
fights for different reasons. Question is, can he over come the
mental barrier?
Now if you think cage fighting is just a "fight", go to a gym
with a cage. Walk in and close the door. That alone will freak
you out. Now pretend there are 20k people watching, a few
million on TV and a guy who wants to smash you 20' away. Not
easy and GSP has a few things to control in his head when the
added pressure of a title is involved.
Hughes will be ready for Dec 29. Guaranteed. He's mentally tough
and a warrior. Will George?
Mack's bet? I am a betting man and I like George St Pierre!
About the author:
Mack Kay And Ray Burton Are Owners Of
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athletes.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
George St. Pierre Get UFC Title Shot
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Who Is The Best Heavyweight In The UFC
over the last year. There has been an influx of new fighters
from the Pride organization and most recently the addition of
former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar, combine that with the
departure of UFC heavyweight champion Randy "The Natural"
Couture and you've got a division looking for a new leader.
Who are the players in the UFC heavyweight sweepstakes? - Randy
Couture, although he has said he is leaving, but Dana White says
he is still under contract. - The "Maine-i-ac" Tim Sylvia is the
former UFC heavyweight champion. - Andrei Arlovski also a former
UFC heavyweight champion. - Brock Lesnar, former WWE superstar
and outstanding amateur wrestler. - Mirko Cro Cop, former pride
standout and Pride open weight champion. - Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira who was a long time Pride heavyweight champion. - Frank
Mir, former UFC heavyweight champion. - Gabriel Gonzaga, the guy
who KO'd Mirko Cro Cop.
Picking the UFC heavyweight top dog is no easy task. The
division is full of talented fighters and with the exception of
Fedor and Josh Barnett has the best fighters in the world of
MMA. Randy Couture is on the list, but because he's decided to
step down I cannot pick him as the top UFC heavyweight fighter.
Tim Sylvia is the former UFC heavyweight champion and prior to
him loosing decisively to Randy Couture would have been my pick
as the number one heavyweight in the UFC. A lot has changed
since his reign of terror however and Tim has lost to three of
the fighters on my list. He lost of course to Randy Couture in a
five round decision. Tim also lost to Andrei Arlovski by
submission. Tim's most crushing defeat was to Frank Mir. Mir
broke Sylvia's arm and submitted him, but it's worth noting that
even with a broken arm Tim did not submit, the ref who heard the
snap stopped the fight. Tim Argued, but of course the fight had
to be stopped. Most recently Tim won over highly touted
contender Brandon Vera in a three round decision. Tim is
certainly a top runner as one of the best heavyweights in the
UFC.
Andrei Arlovski was at one time considered the most dominant
heavyweight in the UFC. He was knocking out and finishing
opponents at a feverish pace. His quick victory over a very
tough Paul Buentello was the last in a series of six dominant
victories, including one ove Tim Sylvia. The rematch with Sylvia
looked like it was going to be the same thing when suddenly
something happened. Arlovski landed a crushing shot and Sylvia
went down, but Sylvia got up and when Arlovski moved in for the
kill big Tim nailed him, knocking him to the canvas and then
rained down strikes to finish him. Still, I think Arlovski is a
contender on any given night for the heavyweight title.
Brock Lensnar's size and speed will make him a tough opponent
for anyone in the UFC heavyweight division, but we haven't seen
Brock in with a real striker like Mirko Cro Cop, or a submission
specialist like Big Nog. Frank Mir will test whether or not
Brock Lensar belongs in February. Until then, Brock Lensar
doesn't make the #1 cut.
Mirko Cro Cop has victories over some of the best names in MMA,
both in the Pride and K-1 orginizations, but his UFC
performances haven't lived up to the hype. I hope that Mirko
brings his "A" game in his next fight and we can start getting
excited about his chances of capturing the UFC heavyweight title.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira ( Big Nog) was the Pride heavyweight
champion and as such deserves respect. The only fighters to
defeat Big Nog are Fedor, Josh Barnett and Dan Henderson. Fedor
is not fighting in the UFC and Big Nog has avenged his losses to
Henderson and Barnett. Until Nogueira gets beaten by someone in
the UFC he must be considered one of the top dogs in the UFC
heavyweight division.
Frank Mir hasn't done enough lately to deserve to be the number
one ranked fighter in the UFC. However, Mir has a long history
of winning big fights and he's been looking better and better
lately. Something tells me that we'll see the championship
quality version of Frank Mir again before it's all over.
Gabriel Gonzaga has made his name mostly off his big win over
Mirko Cro Cop. Gonzaga started by catching Cro Cop's leg kick to
the body, taking him to the ground and then ground and pounding
him for most of the first round. When the ref stood the fight
up, Gonzaga KO'd Cro Cop with one of the nicest kicks to the
head (aside from Cro Cop's) that I've ever seen.
That pretty much sums it up, the best UFC heavyweight has to be
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Big Nog is the only guy on the list
short of Randy Couture who has performed consistently over the
past two years, honorable mention goes to Tim Sylvia, big Tim
only has one recent loss and with his victory over Brandon Vera
Tim looks to be making another run at the title.
About the author:
UFC results, UFC predictions, UFC news and UFC fight cards can
all be found at http://www.ufcresultslive.com.com UFC Results is
the number one spot to get your live
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
More Chute Boxe Leave
Chute Boxe leader Rudimar Fedrigo on Tuesday announced, via the Chute Boxe website, that Murilo “Ninja” and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua have officially left the team.
“We regret the (departure) of Murilo and Mauricio Rua,” commented Fedrigo indicating that they were leaving to form their own team in the United States. “The doors of Chute Boxe will always be open to them and we wish them good luck.”
The Rua brothers are the latest in a number of talented fighters that have made the decision to leave Chute Boxe recently.
Shogun is a former Pride Middleweight Grand Prix winner and Ninja a former EliteXC middleweight champion.
Andre “Dida” Amade, who made it to the K-1 Hero’s 154-pound tournament final this year, also announced his decision to leave the team recently. He is moving to Canada to accept an offer to teach mixed martial arts and Muay Thai.
"I have talked with Master Rafael Cordeiro and I’ve never seen him so sad with anything,” said Dida of his decision to leave. “He was disappointed with the news. I consider him as a father, but I have to leave."
The departure of the Rua brothers along with Silva and Amade will have a tremendous impact on the once dominant Brazilian team. The foursome represents much of the success that the team has had in recent years.
Replay Of WEC
Pacman's Birthday
The Petersons Are back Again
Who Lost Their Zero
2007 has given us plenty of reason to speculate on the topic so lets get started….
Vic Darchinyan entered 2007 as a fan favorite with a perfect record, 28-0 (22), and as the reigning IBF and IBO Flyweight Champion. His year began with a vicious beating of tough contender Victor Burgos. Darchinyan’s victory was so thorough that Burgos was hospitalized and in listed in critical condition following the bout. Things couldn’t be better for the “Raging Bull”. His stock was on the rise, he was amassing a following due to his fan friendly, free swinging approach. Vic then signed to fight relatively unknown Nonito Donaire in July. Donaire was considered a solid fighter with a nice record, 17-1 (10), who would end up being another victim of a Darchinyan KO. One quick left hook changed all of that. Nonito Donaire took out the champ and became the fighter to watch at 112 lbs, while Darchinyan lost his sense of invincibility, his championship titles and ultimately his “0”.
Vic got back to his winning ways by scoring a TKO over Federico Catubay in October. The win marked his 29th as a pro and was his 23rd win by way of knockout. Darchinyan is next scheduled to battle Z Gorres, 27-2-1 (15), in February of 08”. A return to prominence and eventually a title shot should be in Darchinyan’s future. Given the former champions power, marketability and resume barring another shocking defeat Vic Darchinyan’s future appears bright. Whether it’s a rematch with Donaire or another alphabet title quest expect Darchinyan to bounce back strong in 08”.
Vic Darchinyan: Expect Darchinyan to Bounce Back in 08”
Jermain Taylor began the year as an undefeated world champion and was less than two years removed from defeating the legendary Bernard Hopkins twice. Taylor signed up to tangle with former Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight title holder Cory Spinks, despite harsh criticism from fans and media. Spinks would be Taylor’s second straight opponent, with Kassim Ouma being the first, who spent the majority of their careers below the 160 pound limit. Taylor ignored the denigration and scored a close win over Spinks.
While Taylor was able to block out the critics he could no longer avoid a true Middleweight contender in the form of Kelly Pavlik. The two squared off in September and put on a show to remember or forget in Taylor’s case. Pavlik destroyed the former champ, after getting off the canvas early, and scored a tremendous TKO. Jermain Taylor will kick off 08” with a rematch with Pavlik and a chance to avenge his lone defeat. It is for this reason more than any other that Taylor’s chances of having a nice bounce back year are very slim. Taylor seeking an immediate rematch with Pavlik showed a side of Taylor that fans yearned for while he was the champ, brashness, confidence in his ability and willingness to take on the best opponents. Unfortunately for Taylor he may have really stepped in it this time. He has split ties with Emmanuel Steward and faces an opponent who seems focused and unshakable in Pavlik. He would have heard it from the critics but a tune up fight or two may have been just what the doctor ordered for Taylor to bounce back in 08” and prep for a championship run going forward.
Jermain Taylor: Expect Taylor to Fall Flat in 08”
Ricky Hatton had fought his way to a flawless record, had legions of fans and was recognized as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world. He began his 07” by besting Juan Urango in January before scoring, perhaps, his most meaningful win over Jose Luis Castillo in June. That is when he made, what might be, the biggest mistake of his career. Hatton called out Floyd Mayweather following his 4th round KO of Castillo. Hatton had to figure, why not, after all nobody had ever knocked out Castillo and when Mayweather fought him the first time it was as close as anyone had come to beating “Pretty Boy”.
The fight was made and it would be the second major event that Mayweather would take part in during 2007. On December 8th somebody’s “0” had to go. Hatton fought valiantly but, as witnessed in his fight with Luis Collazo, 147 was just too much for “The Hitman” and Floyd was just too good. Ricky Hatton holds all the cards at this point in his career. Whether 08” is a bounce back year or not depends on whom he chooses to fight. An eagerly anticipated match up between UK rival Junior Witter could make or break the year to come for Hatton and, perhaps, do the same for his legacy. I expect Hatton to be carefully matched in order to line up another big name fight by the end of 08”. You should expect a bounce back year from “The Hitman” who will undoubtedly return to 140 lbs where he does his best work. Hatton should look impressive against some mid-level opposition before something big pops off toward the end of 08” or early 09”.
Ricky Hatton: Expect a Bounce Back year from “The Hitman” in 08”
Mikkel Kessler made his American television debut in 2007 and proceeded to pound out a win over an iron chinned Librado Andrade. Interestingly Andrade also entered the fight with a perfect record before being outclassed by the “Viking Warrior”. Although Kessler failed to stop his opponent the beating he administered was so one-sided that none of the three judges could find a single round to award Andrade. There were many, myself included, who thought that a younger, stronger Mikkel Kessler would bring Joe Calzaghe’s long reign as Super Middleweight King. The outcome of a match up between two undefeated, highly skilled champions had been speculated for sometime now, and a strong case could be made for both.
Finally on November 3rd all our questions would be answered. The fight was entertaining but failed to live up to the hype surrounding it. Kessler failed to apply the kind of pressure that many felt he was capable of putting on Calzaghe. Surprisingly Mikkel Kessler seemed almost content just to share a ring with the “Pride of Whales”, who boxed circles around him and coasted to an easier than anticipated decision victory. While Calzaghe deserves all the credit for again beating the man who was believed to be his vanquisher, Kessler’s performance was sub par and has to leave doubts as to his future. On the plus side Kessler remains one of the top two or three Super Middleweights in the world, with Calzaghe seated firmly on the throne. Mikkel should be able to bounce back and enjoy a solid 08” given his track record against top quality opposition. His wins over Anthony Mundine, Librado Andrade and Markus Beyer are proof enough for me that Kessler should be back in a big way in 08”.
Mikkel Kessler: Kessler should Bounce Back to enjoy a solid 08”
A few other noteworthy fighters who lost their “0”
Nicolay Valuev: The Heavyweight divisions Goliath met his David in the form of Ruslan Chagaev. “The Russian Giant” lost his WBA title along with his “0” as Chagaev fought tough on the inside and avoided being caught at the end of Valuev’s stiff jabs. The game plan laid out by Chagaev will likely be replicated by any of the top two or three heavies in the world if matched up with Valuev. Nicolay did well to score a decision win in his next fight over Jean Francois Bergeron in September and if he chooses to continue his plight in Europe against relatively unknown fighters he has a great chance of a Bounce Back 08”. If, on the other hand, Valuev is matched with Klitschko, Maskaev or Peter than the colossal former champion would surely Fall Flat in 08”.
Rey Bautista: After blasting his way toward title contention “Boom Boom” ran into a buzz saw in free swinging Daniel Ponce De Leon. Bautista was crushed, suffering his first loss by 1st round TKO. He did manage to go 3-1 in 07” and bounced back to score a win in his very next fight, a decision win over Antonio Meza, but don’t expect Bautista to regain his once lofty status as a potential champion. A loss to Ponce De Leon, who looked little more than ordinary against Eduardo Escobedo could have exposed Bautista as nothing more than a brawler. Expect a fair share of exciting knockouts from Bautista in the future but look for him to Fall Flat in 08” when faced with quality competition.
Allan Green: Green was a fast rising star who flashed devastating knockout power to go along with solid technical skills. What was expected to be a great contest between Green and heavy handed Edison Miranda turned out to be a coming out party for Miranda and brought to light whatever short comings Green’s arsenal possessed. Every fighter, nowadays, seems to have an excuse for losing; I was drugged, this isn’t my best weight, I was distracted, and so on however Green was suffering through some rather serious medical issues going into the Miranda fight. Whether his medical condition was truly the cause for his unraveling is tough to say. What I can say is that Green has looked solid since his lone defeat scoring two knockouts in his only fights since facing Miranda. He kayoed Darrell Woods in the 1st round and Sherwin Davis in the 2nd to cap off 2007. Expect Green to Bounce Back in 08” and re-emerge as a serious title contender at Super Middleweight.
