UFC 123 recap

It's been a while since I've updated this blog, mostly because I've been busy, but a good night of fights inspired me to make the time to do another one. So I'll just get right to it.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Lyoto Machida via Decision (split), Rd 3
Prediction: It was a hard fight to call, but I saw Rampage chasing Lyoto and Lyoto being elusive and landing some shots en route to a decision victory for Lyoto.
What happened: It went pretty much that way, except the judges saw it for Rampage.
Thoughts: It was a close fight, but I could definitely understand some of the sourness over the decision. When it ended I thought it could go either way, but I actually called it perfectly. I said Lyoto did actual damage in the fight, and Rampage knows it, but he'll get the decision for being so aggressive the first two rounds. I also predicted that he'd be surprised by the decision and humbly suggest that Lyoto got the better of him, much the same way he did with his win in Pride over Murilo Rua.
Next for Jackson: After the fight he called for an immediate rematch in hopes of settling this unsatisfying result, which I don't think is too horrible an idea (although Machida is becoming a magnet for them). I don't necessarily see the rematch coming, but I think the winner of Jon Jones vs Ryan Bader would be a good match up for a title eliminator.
Next for Machida: Losing his second in a row has got to be a hard pill to swallow, but the fact that he was so competitive, arguably in a winning effort, against one of the best 205ers out there really says something. If the rematch doesn't happen Machida can take the loser of Jones vs Bader, Matt Hamill, or maybe even the rematch the loser of next years title tilt between Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua.

BJ Penn def. Matt Hughes via KO (punches), Rd 1
Prediction: It would go much like the second fight, but Penn wouldn't gas or allegedly injure his rib, leading to a clear-cut decision or late stoppage.
What happened: Penn gave Hughes no chance to get acclimated, as he wasted no time flooring him with a counter right and finishing him with a barrage of punches just 21 secs into the bout.
Thoughts: I didn't have many doubts Penn would win, as I believe Hughes' rejuvenation during his 3 fight win streak was grossly overstated. He looked only decent in his wins against Matt Serra and Renzo Gracie, and impressive against Ricardo Almeida, but a quick first round victory is always tricky when it comes to reading into it. Penn on the other hand, is still pound-for-pound caliber, but just ran into a foil in Frankie Edgar. He came out hungry and focused, and the 37 year old Hughes just had nothing for him.
Next for Penn: Well apparently Dana White wasted no time at all in answering that question for us all, as Penn is on tap to face perennial contender Jon Fitch in a fight that should really prove whether Penn belongs as an elite welterweight. Personally I'm thankful he's actually getting a good non-title fight at 170, as I always believed he should've earned his way to a shot.
Next for Hughes: Retirement is always a possibility, and Hughes is truly a guy who has nothing left to prove. He's still in good shape, so I see him taking a fight after a nice vacation, maybe a rematch against Karo Parisyan if he's still around, or make it a trilogy with Dennis Hallman.

Mauquel Jose Falcao Goncalves def. Gerald Harris via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Harris would use his wrestling and strength to take a decision.
What happened: Falcao was one step ahead of Harris the whole time, and came close to ending the fight in the first. Sensing that he was up on the scorecards, he coasted through the third to take the decision.
Thoughts: This fight showed that Harris is not as far along as many saw him. His unorthodox stand up only led to him getting tagged, and Falcao was too careful standing to allow Harris' shots to get through. He also exhibited great defensive wrestling, control, and submission awareness. All of these points were almost thrown out the window when he decided to sit back and coast through the third round, barely engaging Harris at all. Harris is not completely innocent either, as he failed to push the pace in the closing round. With the exception of the third round, Goncalves looked very impressive, albeit nothing like a fighter from the vaunted Chute Boxe camp. He did well picking his shots, but those expecting a vicious Chute Boxe fighter were likely disappointed.
Next for Goncalves: He impressed early in his UFC debut until the last round, and it was on the main card no less. I would like to see his stand up tested by Chris Leben, and maybe we could see a bit of Chute Boxe come out of him.
Next for Harris: He was on a nice streak before this loss, but it's back to the drawing board. Harris needs to improve his striking, as he proved hittable against a solid striker. The winner of the upcoming Brad Tavares vs. Phil Baroni fight might match up well with him.

Phil Davis def. Tim Boetsch via Submission (modified kimura), Rd 2
Prediction: Davis uses his superior wrestling and strength to take a clear-cut decision.
What happened: Davis certainly controlled the fight with his wrestling, but unexpectedly latched on an impressive variation of a kimura in which he wrenched the arm while grabbing around Boetsch's body, eliciting the tap.
Thoughts: Very impressive victory for Davis against a very tough opponent. He made the win look fairly easy, which is a tall task against someone like Boetsch. Davis has shown a knack for the submission game, to the point that he's actually innovating locks this early in his career. Can't wait to see more of Mr. Wonderful and the Wonder-mura in the future.
Next for Davis: I think Davis is ready for a step up in competition. Matt Hamill would be a great measuring stick for his ability.
Next for Boetsch: He had a nice run leading up to the fight, and Boetsch continues to be a solid gatekeeper, but he really struggles with good wrestlers. I wouldn't mind a change of pace, as we haven't seen Boetsch's striking skills lately. Maybe bouts with Luis Cane or Cyrille Diabate could produce some fireworks.

George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Lauzon via Submission (kimura), Rd 2
Prediction: Lauzon would be game, but the bigger Sotiropoulos would take control of the ground game en route to a competitive decision.
What happened: After looking a bit outclassed for much of the first round as Lauzon came out fired up, Sotiropoulos capitalized on a fatigued Lauzon in the second by securing a takedown and locking in a kimura.
Thoughts: Joe Lauzon needs to work on that conditioning. His M.O. seems to be to spring out of the gates firing on all cylinders to start the fight, and lately we've seen him tire if he doesn't get the stoppage. I think his early, dominant stoppage of Gabe Ruediger blinded people to the fact that he gassed in the second against Sam Stout and was outstruck and outclassed to a decision loss just one fight prior. While fresh, Lauzon seemed to be on his way to handing Sotiropoulos his first Octagon defeat, but when the finish didn't happen he practically gave up.
Next for Sotiropoulos: Looks like Dana is at it again. Along with Penn vs. Fitch, Sotiropoulos has been pegged to take on Dennis Siver at UFC 127 in his own backyard of Australia. I definitely agree with this match up, as Siver has the stand up to test Sotiropoulos, as well as a swiftly improving ground game and good takedown defense. I also liked Sherdog's suggestion of Donald Cerrone, which would provide similar tests for the Aussie.
Next for Lauzon: Some cardio. Provided Tyson Griffin is still with the company (and he will be if there is any justice), I think Lauzon would be a good match up for him. And if he doesn't improve his cardio he should be out; I don't care how many bonuses he has.

The Prelims
- Brian Foster looked impressive in scoring a guillotine choke against Matt Brown in a very entertaining match. Brown is incapable of putting on a boring fight, and Foster was happy to oblige. Brown has dropped 3 straight and is 4-4 in the UFC, but I don't think they'll cut him loose just yet.
- Mark Munoz took a unanimous nod over fellow wrestler and friend Aaron Simpson in what was an entertaining, back and forth contest. Munoz was the better conditioned of the two and landed the better shots, thought Simpson was game the whole time.
- Dennis Hallman shocked Karo Parisyan with a first round TKO that appeared to be stopped a tad early. I think Karo deserves another shot in the UFC, but Hallman is still looking impressive in his current UFC run.
- Edson Barbosa Jr. looked every bit the top lightweight prospect he's been touted as with a dominant 3rd round TKO via leg kicks over fellow UFC newcome Mike Lullo. Lullo had no answer for Barbosa's powerful leg kicks, which rendered him crippled near the end of the 2nd after he had been consistently tagged with them throughout the fight. Lullo did threaten with a gogoplata and triangle attempts, but once he showed his strength, Barbosa was content to chop away at him standing. Barbosa looks to have a bright future in the division.
- Paul Kelly used his relentless attack to stop TJ O'Brien with elbows from a mounted crucifix in round 2. O'Brien successfully used his height to stay out of range of Kelly's winging shots in the first, but Kelly found his range in the second when he dropped O'Brien with punches. O'Brien regained his composure, but after an unwise attempt at swinging into a triangle attempt while latched onto Kelly's back, Kelly shook him off and he found himself on the bottom.
- In the only fight I didn't see, Nik Lentz took a contentious split decision from Tyson Griffin. From what I read, Griffin pretty clearly won the fight. What made matters even worse was that this gave Griffin his third straight loss, which could put him in line for a release from the UFC.

Well, there you have it. A very good event all around. Some exciting fights, some shockers, and the nowadays mandatory terrible decision. Next up is The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale. Surprisingly, I haven't seen a single episode of the show this season so most of this event will be news to me. Maybe I'll be able to catch up before the finale. Probably not. Anyway, hope the recap was enjoyable.

UFC 121 recap

It was a hell of a night; not so great for your's truly. As has been a bit of a trend lately, my fight picks are relatively good, but the guys I root for don't fare so well. I guess that's what happens when so many of the guys I like turn out to be underdogs (at least in my opinion). Let's get to it. This might be lengthy.

Cain Velasquez def. Brock Lesnar (c) via TKO (punches), Rd 1
Prediction: Cain's technical advantage, wrestling, and tireless work ethic would carry him to a come from behind late TKO or decision victory.
What happened: The first part was correct, but it sure didn't go into the championship rounds, or even the first. Cain dominated Brock en route to a late 1st round TKO.
Thoughts: I was rooting for Brock, though I knew it'd be in vain. When Cain defeated Nogueira, I knew he'd be a decent threat to Brock. When I saw how Brock was handled in the first round of his fight with Shane Carwin, I was downright nervous of his chances against Cain. I admit I thought Cain lacked punching power before the Nog fight. I don't think I was wrong, but improving technique can go a long way in improving it, and that's exactly what happened with Cain in my opinion. This brought me to the conclusion that Cain had a good chance of putting Brock on his heels with strikes, but not gassing himself out like Carwin did. That, coupled with Brock's wrestling advantage being possibly overstated, led to a pretty dire feeling about Brock's chances. What I didn't count on was him losing so badly.
It's easy for people behind a keyboard to sit back and declare Brock overrated garbage who was never any good to begin with. After being a fan of the sport for so many years I can only expect it. But there are a few things to consider: Brock's lucrative contract meant he had to be thrown into the deep end (nobody wants to see a big draw fight cans they couldn't care less about, regardless of his skill level). He made his UFC debut (and career fight) against a dangerous former UFC champion, and although he lost, he looked very impressive in doing so. Ever since then he's faced nothing but highly regarded guys, champs, and former champs. It's not an ideal environment for building your career, and most men would fail horribly where Lesnar succeeded. So now he's trash after being handily beaten by a fighter who was groomed much more carefully and thoroughly than himself? I don't think so. Brock is only 3 years into his MMA career; 2 if you don't count his debut against Min Soo Kim (most don't). His stature, competitive spirit, and notoriety caused him to bear an immense and unrealistic amount of expectations. Many fighters lose badly and return only to return with a vengeance and become even bigger superstars; maybe now is Brock's turn.
Next for Velasquez: Junior dos Santos, and one hell of a title fight.
Next for Lesnar: I've heard possibilities of a rubber match with Mir, but I personally don't want to see that too much. A solid gatekeeper like Gabriel Gonzaga or Ben Rothwell would be a good tune up for him, without throwing him too far down the chain.

Jake Shields def. Martin Kampmann via Decision (split), Rd 3
Prediction: Kampmann is a very solid and well rounded welterweight, and would keep the fight very competitive, but he wouldn't be able to stop Shields from taking him down and riding out the Jake Shields special: a boring unanimous decision.
What happened: Shields gassed and looked horrible, Kampmann stayed timid on the feet and active on the ground, which led to a watered down Shields special: a less boring (because of Kampmann) split decision.
Thoughts: Shields looked terrible, which was likely due to a tough weight cut. He reportedly cut 20 lbs in a day, which is dumb when you lack finishing ability. Kampmann didn't make it easy for him, but is drawing some criticism for not turning up the heat more on the feet. I don't find the criticism completely valid, as getting to aggressive could lure him right into Shields' takedown trap, even if he is gassed. Kampman put on a good fight, but as usual Shields did enough to technically win the fight. With that said, I'm sick of Shields and his style, and as biased as it may sound I can't wait till he gets handled. His striking is terrible, and for having such a vaunted submission game he has great trouble finishing opponents as of late, which results in his opponents coming out of fights looking like they just came back from a morning jog. Jake Shields is lucky his fights are judged using the 10 point must system, because he does zero damage. He's the only fighter I can think of where I don't get too nervous for his opponent when he has them mounted, and that's really saying something.
Next for Shields: GSP, although based on this performance he doesn't at all deserve a shot.
Next for Kampmann: He was a bit timid, but still looked good in losing. Perhaps that rematch with Carlos Condit is in order, or if that appears to be too much a step up, he can take on Dan Hardy, Chris Lytle, or John Hathaway.

Diego Sanchez def. Paulo Thiago via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Diego will be a game opponent as always, and bring energy and determination to the bout, but he wouldn't be able to overcome Thiago's slick ground game and hard-nosed toughness en route to a decision loss.
What happened: In a return to form thanks to Greg Jackson, Sanchez overcame a tough but competitive first round, and from then on he was one step ahead of Thiago the whole way. He shut down Thiago's offense with his wrestling and tired him out by making him work constantly, and took home a clear-cut decision.
Thoughts: Just when I thought Diego was signing his death warrant at 170 when he agreed to face the super tough Thiago, he pulls off a career defining performance and shows us the dominance that made him a force after he won the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. His talk of moving down to 155 after this fight almost seemed like an admission that the fight may prove he didn't belong at 170, but if anything he made me want to see him stay there a little longer.
Next for Sanchez: This fight did breathe new life into his possibilities at 170, but I still believe that he only has a chance at going far if he goes back to 155. If he stays there are plenty of fights for him against the likes of Mike Pyle, Chris Lytle, Jake Ellenberger or Martin Kampmann. IF he goes back to 155 there is still no shortage of opponents, as he could face Sean Sherk, rematch Kenny Florian, or take on Takanori Gomi should he get by Clay Guida.
Next for Thiago: Thiago is tough as nails and keeps things competitive the whole way through, but can't seem to crack those in the upper echelon of the division (see: wrestlers). If they really want to test him further in that area they should give him Mike Pierce, or they could pit him against John Hathaway as another stern test for the both of them.

Matt Hamill def. Tito Ortiz via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Hamill is in his prime and Ortiz is far past his own. Youth trumps experience and Hamill outstrikes and outwrestles Ortiz to a clear-cut decision.
What happened: Exactly that.
Thoughts: Ortiz looked better in the first round than he has looked in years, but it just wasn't enough for a younger, healthier Hamill. Once Matt remembered he could wrestle, he took Ortiz down at will and beat him at his own game; something we've never seen done in Ortiz's career. As the fight wore on Ortiz slowed down and Hamill looked even more comfortable standing up, tagging Tito with jabs and straight punches. Ortiz's claims that he was healthy appear to be more or less accurate, but this fight proved that may just be a gatekeeper at best after all.
Next for Hamill: Dana says he wants Hamill to fight a top 10 guy next, and I find it hard to disagree with that. I hate that Minotoro Nogueira keeps getting wrestlers thrown at him, but at this point Hamill/Nogueira for a spot in the top 10 makes a lot of sense.
Next for Ortiz: In my eyes Ortiz is done beating any 205er above mid-level. He's still got the drive, but the game has definitely passed him up. I would like to see him get one last crack at Chuck Lidell, as was originally promised at the end of TUF 11, but I doubt it'll ever happen. If they decide to keep him around he should be put against someone in a similar position as himself. A fading Cyrille Diabate could prove whether or not Tito has lost all relevance.

Brendan Schaub def. Gabriel Gonzaga via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Gonzaga could try and impose what he's good at on Schaub (his BJJ), but he won't because he thinks he's a striker. It would lead to him trying his luck on the feet too long and getting TKO'd in the second round.
What happened: Pretty much exactly what was predicted (which is sad....get with the program, Gabe) except Schaub couldn't finish him off and took an uneventful but clear decision.
Thoughts: Schaub didn't really impress me too much, which made me raise an eyebrow when it appeared that Sherdog writers applauded his performance. He didn't look bad out there by any means, but the fight was definitely underwhelming. Gonzaga couldn't muster up any good offense and Schaub couldn't connect with much of significance. Gonzaga still thinks he can stand with everyone, as evidenced by two half-assed takedowns comprising his only attempts to get the fight to the ground. The only moment of brilliance he had in the entire fight was in the last few seconds of the final round where he sprawled a takedown attempt fom Schaub and quickly took his back. Had it happened seconds earlier in the fight Gonzaga may have secured a choke, but oh well.
Next for Schaub: Mediocre performance or not (does outstriking Gonzaga really mean all that much?) he proved that he's ready for a good step up. Maybe that Frank Mir fight he asked for isn't a bad fight to make. Alternatively, he could take on the last man Mir beat, Mirko Cro Cop, or even Chieck Kongo.
Next for Gonzaga: I'm somewhat surprised it's not walking papers (he's lost 3 of his last 4; and 5 of his last 8), but I still beleive Gonzaga can actually do some quality things in the octagon if he just remembers that he's pretty darn good at BJJ. It's almost like he goes into every fight thinking "I'm a great striker, I knocked out Cro Cop with a head kick!" It's a clear case of low fight IQ. If he wants to strike with someone that he may be able to take down once the going gets tough, give him Ben Rothwell, but I'd imagine his next fight is a must-win.

Prelims
- John Madsen finally did what he needed to do: win a fight without being boring as hell. He did it in the form of an explosive takedown followed by some rabid ground and pound. Sadly (for me), it was at the expense of Gilbert Yvel, who I'm sure will be getting the pink slip any minute now. After years of being exciting and one dimensional, Yvel has digressed further to being just one dimensional. I hope Madsen gets someone who can stop takedowns next.
- Chris Camozzi took a split decision over debuting Korean standout Dongi Yang. The decision was very unpopular with the fans, and with me. Yang landed more significantly and more often until slowing down in the 3rd, and 29-28 Yang seemed clear as day to everyone but the judges. Definitely shades of the Leonard Garcia decision win over Chan Sung Jung. Am I sensing a trend here? Korean Top Team fighters may need to stay away from Zuffa.
- Michael Guymon was bullied down and anaconda choked into submission in front of his family and friends by Daniel Roberts in a little over a minute. Tough break for Guymon, but Roberts may be one to look out for at 170, though his Cesar Gracie compatriot, Jake Shields, also resides there.
- In a loser leaves town matchup, Tom Lawlor showed longtime UFC fighter and TUF runner up Patrick Cote the door, as he shut down his potent striking with takedowns and ground and pound to take a dominant decision. It wasn't terribly eventful but Cote had nothing for Lawlor, and after three straight losses he'll have to fight elsewhere as the UFC sent him packing.
- Court McGee overcame a slow first round that saw Ryan Jensen really turn up the heat, and dominated the second round en route to sinking in an arm triangle choke early in the third round. McGee looked awkward on the feet early while Jensen looked to be in top form; however, Jensen slowed noticeably in the second and the tireless McGee took full advantage of it.
- Sam Stout's split decision victory over Paul Taylor was the only fight on the card that I missed, and I'm sure it was a wild affair. Apparently the decision was not popular at all, which was surprising to see since I thought Stout's precise and technical (but powerless) striking would lead to him clearly outpointing Kelly. Score another one for bad judging.

And that'll do it for the UFC 121 recap. I'm glad I finally got it out. Power outages and random business kept me from finishing it, as I actually started typing it Sunday night. But I guess these things happen. More to come later on.

UFC 119 recap

I was not amused by UFC 118. Not at all amused. While it had some shining moments, as a whole the event was pretty lackluster. But 7 decisions in 11 fights will do that. And here we go!

Frank Mir def. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic via KO (knee) Rd 3
Prediction: I decided to be bold and predict that Cro Cop would outstrike Mir on the feet and use his takedown defense to keep things upright, leading to a gassed Mir being TKO'd in the 3rd round.
What happened: An utterly boring fight (that Mir was winning by default since Cro Cop was barely attacking) ended in abrupt and surprising fashion with less that a minute left in the fight, as Mir threw a knee that connected with Cro Cop's chin just as Cro Cop was trying to turn up the heat.
Thoughts: Like so many others, I thought this would be a helluva a fight. We were all wrong. Neither man wanted to engage. Cro Cop was content to do nothing more than think about striking a damn near immoble Mir; while Mir was obsessed with clinching against the cage. I was disappointed in both men (and I don't even like Mir), but mostly in Cro Cop, who instilled a little hope in me after his win against Pat Barry. Now I just want to see him retire. I'm glad Mir trashed his own performance, and props to Dana White for refusing him the KO of the night reward, even though it was the only knockout on the card.
Next for Mir: A rematch with Roy Nelson....because I want to see it. Realistically, the Mir from this fight might not destroy Minotauro Nogueira after all so maybe this rematch should finally materialize once Big Nog's knee heals.
Next for Filipovic: If it were up to me, Cro Cop would get an easy target, beat him into oblivion, and retire. But that probably won't happen. Give him someone beatable but exciting like Gilbert Yvel, who could either bring back a little of the old Cro Cop or retire him once and for all. I still like my idea better.

Ryan Bader def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via Decision (unanimous) Rd 3
Prediction: A replay of Nogueira's match up with Jason Brilz, except Bader would dominate enough to actually get the decision.
What happened: Bader used his wrestling somewhat sparingly and stuck to striking with Lil' Nog. While he looked good early on, his cardio problems resurfaced again, and he had his takedowns stuffed and was soundly outboxed by Nog in the last round. However, none of the judges cared about this and all of them scored the fight 30-27 for Bader.
Thoughts: I realize it was a close fight, but I really think Nogueira took the last two rounds (AT LEAST the 3rd). It's even more surprising to me that no one seemed at all annoyed by this. The majority of the last two rounds were Nog chasing Bader down and tagging him. Bader didn't do much with the takedowns he secured, but of course the judges treat them like fight ending bombs. But enough of that rant.
Next for Bader: There seems to be a lobby for Jon Jones, but Bader looked pretty bad against Nog and Keith Jardine (until he KO'ed him). I don't think he's at all ready for Jones. Rich Franklin could make for a good match up, or the winner of Tito Ortiz/Matt Hammill.
Next for Nogueira: I thought he looked relatively impressive in this fight, and shouldn't be dropped too much in the division. I like the idea of pitting him against he winner of Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva.

Chris Lytle def. Matt Serra via Decision (unanimous) Rd 3
Prediction: Serra's heavy hands and aggression would lead to him taking a close decision.
What happened: In a match that was about 98% boxing, Lytle used his superior hand speed and technique to dominate Serra on the feet. The second round in particular saw Serra rocked on a few occasions. No one was surprised to see Lytle's hand raised after 15 minutes.
Thoughts: Apparently I didn't give Lytle enough credit. I know he's got some of the better hands in the division, and a vastly underrated ground game, but I expected him to regress to a brawler and end up getting himself in trouble. He was one step ahead of Serra the whole way, and made a serious claim to being in the welterweight mix.
Next for Lytle: I like that he could face Jon Fitch to fight. Make it happen.
Next for Serra: It should be 155 lbs, but if he insists on staying at 170 he should put his boxing once again against Marcus Davis, OR we could maybe force him to actually use his grappling against the winner of Dennis Hallman vs Karo Parisyan.

Sean Sherk def. Evan Dunham via Decision (split) Rd 3
Prediction: Evan would use his reach to outstrike Sherk, who would continue to box with his T-Rex arms. Wouldn't be enough to put Sherk away, but it would be enough to take a dominant decision.
What happened: The fight started off well for Sherk, as he went back to his vintage wrestling and ground n pound to open up a nasty cut above Dunham's eye. That would go on to be the most offense Sherk could muster, as Dunham caught Sherk in no less than 4 guillotine chokes and battered him with strikes in throughout the 3rd round. Apparently two judges were watching another fight, and gave it to Sherk.
Thoughts: I don't like to throw around the term "robbery" but this was a robbery. I was rooting for Sherk, but he definitely lost this fight. However, with this loss I can really say I'm sold on Evan Dunham. He has a bright future in the division, and the fact that his first career loss came this way is a shame.
Next for Sherk: He was supposed to fight Joe Stevenson ages ago. I think they should revisit it. If not that, a rematch with Kenny Florian.
Next for Dunham: He should stay around the top of the division. He should face a fellow near top-heap lightweight like Jim Miller or fellow unlucky loser Rafael dos Anjos.
Melvin Guillard def. Jeremy Stephens via Decision (split) Rd 3
Prediction: An absolute slugfest would end in a decision for Stephens.
What happened: In a much more tactical match than expected, Guillard used his superior speed and footwork to move in and out with well-timed punches. Stephens gave about as well as he got and was the aggressor for more of the bout. A close fight ended up with Guillard being awarded a split decision.
Thoughts: I honestly don't see the uproar over this decision. People seem to be very selective about whether a patient stick-and-move style is worthy of a decision. I'm not saying Guillard won the fight hands down, but judging from the responses I've seen it seems the consensus was that Stephens comfortably took the fight just because Guillard was being more defensive. I'd like to know what fight they were watching.
Next for Guillard: Willamy Freire, because they both dye their hair blond for some ridiculous reason....and I think that would be hilarious to watch. Seriously though, I think that would make a good match up, along with his next post match challenge: Takanori Gomi.
Next for Stephens: Ross Pearson would make for straight-up entertainment.

The Prelims
- C.B. Dollaway impressed the hell out of me with a beastly guillotine choke victory over a tough Joe Doerkson. I thought Dollaway would be a force in the middleweight division after his TUF stint and win over Jesse Taylor, but since then I was pretty underwhelmed. Another performance like this one and I think he could go places.
- Another impressive showing from Mitrione against a game Joey Beltran. Mitrione is proving to be an unlikely prospect out of the otherwise unimpressive TUF 10 house. Once he improves his ground game I think he can do great things at heavyweight.
- Thiago Tavares didn't miss a step after his long layoff in an impressive guillotine choke victory over Pat Audinwood. Hopefully he can hop back in the fray at lightweight and stay injury free.
- Mark Hunt needs to hang 'em up. I thought he'd have the sense to keep it off the ground against McCorkle since hes such a submission magnet, but he dove right down there instead of just staying with his strength. As per usual, he left his arm right out there for the taking and McCorkle took it. I really wanted to see Hunt make a comeback, and I hope he gets another chance after this crappy performance.

Okay, that's all folks. Nothing more to say here. OUT.

Dream 16 recap

The featherweights made Dream 16 a pretty solid event. That and the fact that my picks did pretty well. So without further ado....

Yusuke Kawaguchi def. James Thompson via Decision (split) Rd 2
Prediction: I've only come to expect the "Thompson Special": James comes out fast and hard in the opening minute of the fight, slows down, and gets KO'ed.
What happened: The one fight I expected to end early didn't. Thompson was wobbled several times during the fight due to some of the worst defense you'll ever see, but controlled a good portion of the fight. This wasn't enough for two of the judges, who awarded Kawaguchi the decision.
Thoughts: It was a close fight, but I thought Thompson won it. Apparently Japanese judges don't care about dominant positions (Thompson got full mount a few times in the fight). When the decision was announced Thompson threw up his arms and said, "What do I have to do?" He should already know you have to be Japanese to win decisions in Japan.
Next for Thompson: Watching more DVDs.

Mitsuhiro Ishida def. Akiyo Nishiura via Decision (split) Rd 2
Prediction: Much like Thompson, I can only expect the "Ishida Special": Ishida wrestles you to the ground and never lets go for 15 minutes. There's usually one moment where he gets hit and put in potential trouble, but it doesn't negate the dominance he asserted the rest of the fight.
What happened: Nishiura showed a lot of improvement in his ability to stay upright, as well as stand once he was taken down, but he still spent 85% of the fight dealing with Ishida's wrestling. And you know what that means.
Thoughts: Textbook Ishida here. I'm a fan, but the guy is one of the few Japanese guys that will lay n' pray if he can't assert much damage (this happens a lot). He did bust out some super awesome Kurt Angle double German suplex action though. I could go for more of that from him.
Next for Ishida: He's quietly working himself into the mix. I'd like to see him take on Norifumi Yamamoto or Kazuyuki Miyata, and see how he handles someone who can definitely outstrike him, and possibly prevent him from wrestling him to a decision.
Next for Nishiura: OR Nishiura can face Yamamoto. That would be fireworks.

Kazuyuki Miyata def. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue via Decision (unanimous) Rd 2
Prediction: Miyata would display enough striking to comfortable switch gears and frustrate Lion with his wrestling, winning a decision in the end.
What happened: I know my prediction was in the minority, but that's exactly what happened.
Thoughts: I was shaky on my choice of Miyata to take this match, but I had my reasons. Lion is a good striker with a decent ground game, but I didn't think he could take Miyata out standing or on the ground. Miyata's a juggernaut of a featherweight and I felt he could take Lion down at will, where his wrestling is more than good enough to negate Lion's ground game. As tough as Lion is, I could only see him losing via decision. Supporting my prediction was the fact that Lion just looked flat during the fight. I wouldn't be surprised if he was injured coming in. He's still a major featherweight player in Japan, so he should bounce back.
Next for Miyata: Kid Yamamoto or Mitsuhiro Ishida
Next for Inoue: Back to Shooto to work his way to a rematch with Hatsu Hioki.

Joachim Hansen def. Hideo Tokoro via Submission (triangle choke) Rd. 1
Prediction: Clearly a fight to help Hansen out of a 3-fight rut, Tokoro would have nothing for Hansen and get pounded out in the first.
What happened: It was a dominant performance for Hansen, but he decided to flex his submission skills instead. After locking in a topside triangle from the mount, he rolled it over, Tokoro surprisingly mustered up the power to slam him. The slam managed to break the hold, but Hansen immediately secured it even tighter, coaxing the tap.
Thoughts: I'm very glad to see Hansen back on the winning track. He might finally be used to the cut down to 145, and can get back to his old, brutal style. I'm a big fan of Tokoro as well, as he always comes to fight his heart out, but in this one a loss for him was the lesser of two evils. Two straight losses for Tokoro isn't good, but four straight losses for Hansen would be devastating.

Michihiro Omigawa def. Cole Escovedo via Submission (inverted armbar) rd 1
Prediction: Boldly predicted Omigawa by whatever he wants.
What happened: All Omigawa in this one. He decided to take the fight to the ground, where he was reversed and forced to go to guard. Escovedo didn't have much chance to mount offense, as Omigawa faked him out by working for a sneaky inverted armbar while controlling Cole's head. Needless to say, a tap followed closely.
Thoughts: Once again Omigawa proves why he's my favorite featherweight: he can take the fight to you everywhere. I'm sure the pain Escovedo felt was just as much a surprise to him as seeing him tap was to me. The armbar came out of nowhere, as Omigawa just looked to be adjusting his position. Keep the impressive wins coming.
Next for Omigawa: If Hiroyuki Takaya gets Bibiano Fernandez next, then Omigawa should get someone at the top of the heap as well. In reality they may want to try and put together a rematch with Marlon Sandro or Masanori Kanehara in Sengoku.

Hiroyuki Takaya def. Chase Beebe via Knockout (punches) Rd 1
Prediction: Beebe's superior wrestling would stifle Takaya's striking en route to a decision victory.
What happened: Beebe didn't get a chance to use that wrestling, as Takaya dropped him hard with a right hand and knocked him unconscious with follow up punches in 1:45.
Thoughts: Takaya's got dynamite in those hands! The guy is knocking out people left and right now, and is definitely in the elite of Japanese featherweights.
Next for Takaya: A title rematch with Bibiano Fernandez (which I hope he wins....I thought he narrowly edged Bibiano out in the first fight), although he really should be rematching the last man who beat him, Omiagawa, to prove who the real "center" of the Japanese featherweight division is.

Satoshi Ishii def. Ikuhisa Minowa via decision (unanimous) Rd 2
Prediction: Ishii would dominate Minowa with his judo, and Minowa's toughness would allow him to see the final bell.
What happened: See above.
Thoughts: Ishii's application of his judo and positional control in MMA is great to see. We just need to see him apply something else besides that as well. He dominated Minowa for the entire 15 minutes, but barely did any damage. Conversely, All Minowa has are his patented leglocks, and while those will work against lumbering oafs with limited skill, someone with the skills of Ishii won't fall for them. The fact that Ishii didn't outweigh him by a million pounds was no help either. This greatly limited Minowa's usual speed and stamina advantage, and it proved that Minowa can't hang with real (see: non-freakshow) heavyweights.
Next for Ishii: A real heavyweight hopefully. Actually, I'm not all that interested.
Next for Minowa: Bring on the next giant freakshow.

Shinya Aoki def. Marcus Aurelio via Decision (unanimous) Rd 2
Prediction: Aoki controls and out-grapples Aurelio to a decision.
What happened: See above.
Thoughts: I'm not sure why so many thought Aoki would sub Aurelio quickly. They seem to forget that Aurelio is a good BJJ black belt himself. I know Aoki is definitely the better of the two, but I give Aurelio enough credit to at least hang with him for a bit. Not much else to say, other than that Aoki's ground n pound looked better than it has in the past.
Next for Aoki: Hopefully a rematch with Gilbert Melendez in Japan....not that it will go any differently.

Jason Miller def. Kazushi Sakuraba via Submission (arm triangle choke) Rd 1
Prediction: A completely unnecessary match ends with Mayhem winning a dominant decision due to Saku's toughness.
What happened: Miller dropped some savage ground and pound early on in the fight (which of course Sakuraba just took without blinking), and easily slapped on an arm triangle. Sakuraba tapped quickly.
Thoughts: This was just sad to watch, but Miller said he'd be the first to (legitimately) sub Sakuraba, and that's exactly what he did. There was a time where I would have thought Sakuraba give Miller problems, but he's just so over the hill now. I cringed every time he took a shot from Miller, and was actually relieved when he locked in the choke. It almost seemed as though Sakuraba had never encountered an arm triangle because he barely tried to defend at all, and I hope that's the case, and not that his brain is so far gone he didn't think to react. Anyway, pointless match. Glad Saku didn't get pounded to burger meat though.
Next for Miller: I really want to see him fight Nick Diaz.
Next for Sakuraba: I hope to God it'll be retirement, but who am I kidding? He'll probably take several more fights, and I just hope they're against nobodies that he can beat.

Gegard Mousasi def. Tatsuya Mizuno via Submission (rear-naked choke) Rd 1
Prediction: Mousasi handles Mizuno, and wins however he sees fit.
What happened: It was more difficult than most thought, but after showing off some nice new wrestling skills Mousasi took Mizuno's back and quickly tapped him with the RNC.
Thoughts: I knew Mizuno would put up at least somewhat of a fight, as he's definitely not lacking in the heart department, but he really has nothing for Mousasi. He's still really developing as a fighter, and this loss shouldn't be viewed as a big setback for him.
Next for Mousasi: Maybe a rematch with Muhammad Lawal to determine who fights Rafael Cavalcante next.

Phew. And there you have it. Decent card, and hopefully Dream can muster up another and not go spiraling out of business. PEACE.

The UFC Cuts Efrain Escudero

'The Ultimate Fighter' season 8 winner Efrain Escudero has been released from the UFC, and says he's already been courted by Strikeforce and Bellator.

“Hello true fan I was released by the Ufc today speaking to strikeforce and bellator. Taking a week off and make my way back!”
-Efrain Escudero via Twitter

And there you have it. This one comes as a bit of a shock to me, although he did come in overweight in his last fight against rising star Charles Oliveira in addition to losing the bout via 3rd round submission. With a 3-2 record in the octagon, and both losses coming despite competitive performances, I thought he'd have to suffer at least another loss before they cut him. However, Escudero is still a young and talented guy, so the UFC probably just wants him to pick up some wins (and maybe better strategy, as he's not exactly overflowing with it) in other orgs. If he's talking to Bellator and Strikeforce he could be met with a few quality fights that'll be worth his while.

I could see him signing with Strikeforce (despite the Latin-friendly nature of Bellator) particularly because they seem to like signing the fat trimmed by the UFC, but they also have some good match ups for him as well. Escudero plans to take a week off before making a decision as to where he will end up.

UFC 118 recap

Another 2010 ppv, another big upset. UFC 118 wasn't the best card in recent memory, but it did feature some enjoyable bouts. Let's get to it.

Frankie Edgar (c) def. BJ Penn via Decision (unanimous), Rd 5
Prediction: A focused BJ would be more diverse in his approach this time around, get the takedown, get top position, and you know what that leads to: the rear naked choke.
What happened: Edgar put on the best performance of his career, as he used his speed, takedowns, and striking to dominate BJ all 5 rds en route to 50-45 scorecards across the board.
Thoughts: For the first couple minutes of the fight it looked like BJ was on his way. He was very aggressive, landed strikes, and had Edgar on his bicycle. Then Edgar took him down; something it took him until the final round to do the first time they fought. BJ of course used his excellent guard to threaten Edgar, and the win still looked to be in his grip. Then Edgar slammed BJ. At that point, I swear I saw a little bit of BJ's heart trickle out. No one dominates BJ in like that. It was downhill from there. Frankie controlled the pace and outstruck BJ the rest of the fight, despite late rally attempts by BJ. Early in the 4th round BJ scored a takedown and things looked very bad for Edgar, but he escaped back to his feet after several tense moments. This broke BJ down even more, but he managed to score another takedown early in the 5th, and this time achieved back mount, which is usually a death sentence for BJs opponents. Edgar not only defended well, he reversed BJ and landed in top position. Whatever was left of BJ's resolve flew out the window after that, and what remained was a punching bag. Edgar proved that he has BJ's number, and if there were any doubts he was the best at 155 after their first fight, those doubts were blown by the wayside after this one.
Next for Edgar: Gray Maynard, who won his contender fight earlier in the night. This should make for an interesting title fight since Maynard is the only man to defeat Edgar, and they've both changed since then. Hopefully it'll also be exciting since Maynard isn't prone to those types of fights.
Next for Penn: BJ has all the skill in the world but he lacks heart. If he can't imposed his will then he wilts, and he finally found a lightweight he can't impose his will on. He's mulling a return to 170, and I think that's the wrong idea. He needs to stay at 155 and really get serious, since he says he wants to fight a lot. BJ has to ditch his crappy yes-man filled training camp, get out of hawaii, and train forreal. Maybe a rematch with Gomi isn't so farfetched right about now.

Randy Couture def. James Toney via Submission (arm triangle), Rd 1
Prediction: Couture takes Toney down early, softens him up with punches, and submits him.
What happened: See above.
Thoughts: Toney had no business in the octagon at his age and while refusing to take MMA training seriously. He talked his head off and backed absolutely none of it up. He said he'll be back stronger, but if he still insists on just being a boxer in an MMA ring he will continue losing until he takes the sport seriously. I'm sure Randy could've ended the fight anytime he wanted, but opted to draw things out and lock in a harder-to-secure arm triangle, and the low single he started off against was a perfect foil to a striker who thinks they can just easily catch a wrestler coming in. If Toney does come back, it won't be to the UFC (it's enough of an insult to other fighters that he got at least $750,000 to lose in 3:19). Props to him for stepping up and taking the plunge, but it was clearly one he wasn't prepared for, and hopefully he and other pro boxers with an anti-MMA mindset have learned to respect the sport more.
Next for Couture: I've been hearing the idea of Jon Jones floated around. I'd much rather Jones face a top 8 guy like previously promised, but I think Randy is a good test for him to take.
Next for Toney: Back to boxing. He's too old to get into such a complex new sport with decades of old habits that are detrimental to his success in MMA.

Demian Maia def. Mario Miranda via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Miranda would force a very competitive fight with his reach, defensive wrestling, and striking advantage keeping Maia from getting him to the ground easily. Once on the ground, he is still a BJJ black belt and would survive the submission gauntlet of Maia to lose a competitive decision.
What happened: Those advantages meant nothing for Miranda, as Maia was able to get him down with almost no trouble. Once on the ground you saw why Maia is not just your average black belt. Still, Miranda is a legit BJJ black belt and managed to avoid being submitted while being dominated for 3 rounds.
Thoughts: Maia's BJJ and takedowns are simply amazing. He perfectly exhibits how to use technique and timing over strength to get takedowns. On paper it seemed Miranda's strength and reach would keep him upright, but Maia expertly closed the distance, and once there effortlessly tripped and dragged Miranda to the ground at will. Miranda defended well on the ground, but the main reason he survived was because of Maia's mistake/preference to refrain from trapping Miranda's leg when going for armbars. Maia's dominance on the ground is unparalleled in the UFC, and hopefully he can get the rest of his game to at least half the level of his BJJ. Miranda's still an impressive guy, but he needs some more experience before facing guys like Maia.
Next for Maia: This was his first win since being dominated by Anderson Silva, so he'll have to work his way back up to contention. Luckily there are plenty of match ups available for him. Alan Belcher (once he's fit to return), the winner of Michael Bisping/Yoshihiro Akiyama, Gerald Harris, or Chris Leben make for good match ups.
Next for Miranda: He has looked good in his 1-2 run in the UFC, and he needs a break. Patrick Cote or Ed Herman (if he's still around) will suffice.

Gray Maynard def. Kenny Florian via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Maynard would try to impose his will with wrestling, but Florian would be able to keep things upright and outpoint Maynard with his superior striking to a close decision.
What happened: Maynard imposed his will with wrestling....most of the fight. Florian wasn't able to get any real offense going, but was never really put in trouble, and lost a lopsided decision.
Thoughts: Props to Maynard for winning, even though his wins are far from pretty. For all of Florian's striking and grappling prowess, he was very weak off his back offensively. Aside from a couple omaplata attempts he did nothing of note from there. He was clearly frustrated that he couldn't turn the fight in his direction, and it was yet another indicator that strong wrestlers are Florian's kryptonite. Maynard has good enough hands to avoid getting caught on the feet and comfortably use his wrestling. Florian had a chance to turn things up in the final 30 seconds of the fight, but oddly didn't let it go and try to steal the fight. He knew it was over.
Next for Maynard: Champion Frankie Edgar.
Next for Florian: Florian always comes back better after losses, but when he gets to top guys his holes are always exposed. It was widely agreed upon that Florian would be the champ if BJ wasn't around, but it looks like we have a widespread changing of the guard going on, and Florian's time has passed. If they want to further test out Florian's wrestling improvements he can take on Nik Lentz, who used it to shut down Andre Winner in the prelims but isn't up to Maynard's level on the mat. Or maybe he and Tyson Griffin could battle to see who's still in the mix at 155.

Nate Diaz def. Marcus Davis via Submission (Guillotine Choke), Rd 3
Prediction: Diaz would use his range to outbox Davis in a close decision.
What happened: See above, but it wasn't so close. After a close 1st round that saw Davis find his range quicker and more effectively, Diaz finally hit his stride and battered Davis unmercifully, opening up a nasty cut about his right eye that caused it to swell up to John Howard-like proportions. Diaz wasn't content to take a dominant decision and locked in a guillotine late in the third round to put Davis to sleep.
Thoughts: As much as I can't stand Diaz, he has looked impressive at 170. His rangy frame is working just as well there as it did at 155, if not better so far. Davis showed a lot of heart by staying in the fight as long as he did, but once that eye got damaged he was at a marked disadvantage. Not much to say with this one; Diaz oustruck Davis in terms of volume and effectiveness, and locked in a guillotine while Davis was out of it. Well done. But it was funny when Diaz got wobbled after trying to showboat. I want to see more of that.
Next for Diaz: Sure, he's looked impressive against two welterweight strikers, but who really argued he wouldn't? The reason he left 155 was because he couldn't handle the wrestlers there, and things only get worse with the huge wrestlers at 170. What's Matt Riddle doing? But that may be my bias, as I want to see Diaz get destroyed haha.
Next for Davis: He's definitely reached gatekeeper status, and has now lost 3 of his last 4. DaMarques Johnson would make for an entertaining fight with Davis, as he likes to stand and bang despite being better suited for the ground, and lacks the hands of Diaz.

The Prelims
- Joe Lauzon absolutely decimated the returning Gabe Ruediger, giving him a very rude welcome back to the UFC by overwhelming him on the feet, slamming him to the ground, elbowing and punching him in the face numerous times, then locking in an impressive armbar all in about 2 minutes. It was an embarrassing one-sided beatdown and I wouldn't be surprised if Gabe is released again after that performance (or should I say lack of a performance).

- Nik Lentz used the ugly game of wrestling and control to shut down the defense of Andre Winner for 3 rounds. Winner showed passable defense, but couldn't keep Lentz off of him and get enough room to let off his powerful striking game.

- Dan Miller displayed some improved striking but questionable conditioning against John Salter, and all of that was moot when he locked in his trademark guillotine, this time of the figure four variety, early in the second round. Glad Miller got the win because he really needed it, but he needs to stop trying to be a striker and use his considerably better BJJ.

- In the two i didnt see, Mike Pierce looked on his way to riding out yet another incredibly boring decision over UFC newcomer Amilcar Alves, but instead managed to gain a bit of my favor for once by submitting Alves, who is known for his BJJ, with a crossbody armbar. Quite impressive. And Greg Soto took home an unlikely come from behind decision over Nick Osipczak, who has lost two straight fights many felt he should've won. I remember him being talked about as one of the best prospects out of the UK during TUF 9, but he hasn't been delivering as of late. Maybe they need to bring him up a little slower, because he does have a lot of potential.

And that about does it for this recap. Decent show overall, but it did set a lot of things in motion. Hopefully the next event will be better.

Sengoku 14 recap

I will try not to be too long with this one, but Sengoku 14 was a fantastic event due mostly to its main event, which was without a doubt fight of the year in my opinion. Sometimes there are two fighters who provide the perfect style clash for each other and can produce phenomenal together. Jorge Santiago and Kazuo Misaki are two fighters whose considerable skills and exploitable flaws fit together like a puzzle, and have produced not one, but 2 amazing fights. So without further ado
Jorge Santiago (c) def. Kazuo Misaki via TKO (corner stoppage), rd 5
Prediction: This fight would play out much like the first, where Misaki was one step ahead of Santiago most of the fight, except this time he wouldn't fall victim to a dramatic last minute come from behind stoppage from Santiago, but earning a unanimous decision.
What happened: Misaki fell victim to a dramatic last minute come from behind stoppage from Santiago....again. Just like the last fight where he was choked unconscious, he never gave up; his corner threw in the towel with just 29 seconds left in the fight. To make things all the more dramatic, Misaki might have won the fight had he managed to survive that last round.
Thoughts: The last round most likely wouldn't have been so miserable for Misaki if he had done what I was literally telling him to do through my screen as the round was beginning: KEEP HIS HANDS UP. He came into the round with his hands down, and Santiago jumped all over him. I can think of 3 fights just from this past week where the resuts could have been different if the loser just kept his hands up. Regardless, this was the fight you want to show people who are new to the sport to turn them into fans. It had damn near everything you could want in an epic fight: exciting battles on the feet and on the ground, several near finishes, frequent and dramatic momentum shifts, amazing displays of heart and determination from both men, you name it. Santiago definitely earned more of my respect after this fight, and I'm definitely rethinking previous statements I made about him not belonging in the top 10.
Next for Santiago: No clue. Sengoku isn't exactly overflowing with great middleweights. Maybe give Siyar Bahadurzada a rematch?
Next for Misako: Again, no clue. Sengoku is in desperate need of middleweights.

Jadamba Narantungalag def. Akihiro Gono via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: I knew nothing about Jadamba so I figured he was being provided as a tune up match to welcome Gono to 155.
What happened: Boy was I wrong. Jadamba outstruck and outgrappled a completely lost looking Gono for 3 rounds.
Thoughts: Jadamba looked very impressive in the fight. As a fighter who has faced many K-1 greats (and lost, but was competitive in doing so) a striking edge wasn't too surprising, but I didn't expect the larger Gono (who does have poor wrestling, I admit) to be manhandled on the wrestling front the way he did. Gono, on the other hand, looked lethargic and unmotivated practically the entire fight. He just didn't have the pep in his step he used to.
Next for Narantungalag: Hard to say where he goes next. He looked impressive, but Sengoku doesn't exactly have a premier lightweight division. Satoru Kitaoka would test his wrestling and sub defense, and may keep him more conservative with his offense, so maybe that's a match to make.
Next for Gono: Maybe it was the weight cut, but Gono looked terrible out there. Maybe the move to 155 wasn't such a good idea for him. I recommend he move back up.

Hatsu Hioki def. Jeff Lawson via Submission (triangle choke), Rd 1
Prediction: Lawson is just a means of keeping Hioki active. First round sub for Hioki.
What happened: Lawson had no business being in there with Hioki. First round sub for Hioki.
Thoughts: Not much to say. Lawson is some kooky Englishman who could do nothing but wing overhand rights with so little techique it was comical. As soon as Hioki took him down there was no question it'd be over soon.
Next for Hioki: Title shot against Marlon Sandro. If it weren't for some shitty judging and an injury, this fight would have been the featherweight grand prix final. Make it happen.
Next for Lawson: Back to where he came from, which is hopefully out of my sight.

Leonardo Santos def. Sotaru Yamada via DQ (knees to the groin), Rd 1
Prediction: Santos via me not knowing who the hell Yamada is.
What happened: The most ridiculous "fight" I've seen in a long time. Santos scored an accidental low blow on Yamada, and I guess that pissed Yamada off so much he sought out to destroy Santos' genitals at any and all costs. After four groin shots in one round, there was no choice but to DQ Yamada before Santos' voice reached dog whistle frequency and he would be sterile for life.
Thoughts: One was okay, almost even expected. Two is a bit much, definitely time to change your strategy. Three....seriously? Stop doing that! Four, GET THAT SUMBITCH OUTTA HERE RIGHT NOW! I don't know what was running through Yamada's head, but why the hell would he keep trying knee Santos in the clinch if every time it led to a groin shot? He not only loses the fight, but a whopping 30% of his purse deducted due to the 3 red cards he received. He was either doing it on purpose, or he is one of the biggest idiots I've ever seen.
Next for Santos: He's won two straight in Sengoku, maybe he could face Mizuto Hirota for the lightweight title Hirota vacated earlier this year, depending on Hirota's health of course.
Next for Yamada: I don't think I can handle watching him fight again.

Taisuke Okuno def. Nick Thompson via KO (punch), Rd 3
Prediction: Thompson would use his size advantage and slick grappling to secure a submission win.
What happened: A very back and forth fight saw Thompson ahead on the scorecards until being rocked badly by Okuno's punches. He managed to grab a leg to recover, but as soon as he stood back up, Okuno shut his lights off with a right hook that landed flush on the chin, sending Thompson to the mat face first.
Thoughts: Okuno is a crazy guy. He showed amusement at being hit and was genuinely entertained by the exchanges he and Thompson were having. Thompson was ahead 2 rounds to none when a mistake he had been making the entire fight finally caught up with him: HE KEPT HIS HANDS DOWN. When will they learn. Thompson is not a great striker. Why does he think he can prance around with his hands at his waist? He was doing it the entire fight, and you think he would have learned after being dropped earlier in the fight. Whelp, there goes perhaps his last run at semi-relevance.
Next for Okuno: Yasubey Enomoto, who won his welterweight grand prix match one fight prior.
Next for Thompson: Back to the drawing board. He's lost three straight, and all were due to strikes. I don't think he was ever known for having a good chin, but in recent fights it has betrayed him quite frequently. He really needs to work on his striking defense, so he needs to fight someone who will give his a challenge standing but lacks the power to take him out.

Yasubey Enomoto def. Kenta Takagi via Submission (bulldog choke), Rd 2
Prediction: Enomoto via me not knowing who the hell Takagi is.
What happened: Enomoto outclassed Takagi with his flashy, loose striking style, and early in round 2 he improbably countered a spinning backfist with a freakin' bulldog choke.
Thoughts: That bulldog choke was ridiculous. I don't know how the hell he even locked it in that fast, and from that position. Enomoto is really coming into his own style after his unexpected drubbing of Sanae Kikuta, and it'll be interesting to see him develop further.
Next for Enomoto: Taisuke Okuno. Should be an entertaining match up.
Next for Takagi: Eh, I don't even know the guy.

And that's all for tonight. I left out the other matches mostly because I don't know the guys as well and don't have as much to say about them. Not to mention these things are always long enough as they are. And here I was trying to be a bit more brief with this one. Next up, UFC 118. If I have time for a preview I'll put it up; if not, look for the recap sometime after the event. Peace.

Strikeforce: Houston (aka Strikeforce: Night of Upsets) recap

Strikeforce: Houston was one of the more enjoyable events to me, for reasons anyone who knows me would immediately see. The night saw two hype trains I found annoying come to a screeching halt, and the action was overall entertaining. Strikeforce just needs to ditch that god-awful announce team and things could be a lot better.

Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante def. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (c) via TKO (elbows), Rd 3
Prediction: Mo wrestles Feijao down for a few rounds to tire him out, and scores a 3rd or 4th round TKO.
What happened: The exact opposite. Mo didn't use his wrestling too much, and when he did Feijao showed the defensive wrestling to keep from being bullied for too long. Mo tried struck with Feijao to success in the first two rounds but got a little too loose, which allowed Feijao to find his mark. While Mo attempted body punches, Feijao latched on the Thai clinch and delivered some knees to rock Mo, put him flat on his back with a right hand, and elbowed the ever-loving crap out of his head while Mo instinctively went clung to a leg. When Big John stepped in Mo was pretty much out.
Thoughts: It's no secret I can't stand Mo. I definitely respect his skill, but I couldn't get passed his facade. He acts like he's God's gift to MMA and can beat anyone. I'm all for fighters talking themselves up a bit, but his brash cockiness rubbed me the wrong way. All of that cockiness was present in this title fight, and it cost him the title. Once Mo landed a few body shots that affected Feijao he thought he was Roy Jones out there. He showboated, kept his hands low, and generally acted as if he had the world class striking skills to get away with it. Well he didn't. Keeping his hands low and getting to confident with body strikes caused him to forget about protecting his face, and once Feijao sent him a reminder it was too late. Feijao made the best of it and definitely looked improved, but I wonder how differently the fight would have gone had Mo used his wrestling like he did with Mousasi instead of getting stupid once he had some stand up success. I didn't think Feijao had a chance in hell with this fight, and I'm glad I was wrong. Hopefully this loss will grant Mo some humility, and I'm sure he'll be back making waves in the division.
Next for Cavalcante: If Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral fight each other, it'd make for a good title eliminator. Otherwise, once Mousasi wins the Dream light heavyweight title (and he will) I could see him getting another shot at the Strikeforce title to add to his collection.
Next for Lawal: He's still a draw in Strikeforce who hasn't hit his ceiling yet. He could rematch Mousasi if Henderson/Sobral is a title eliminator, or Kevin Randleman (as sad as that is to say) if they want Mo back in the win column.

Ronaldo Souza def. Tim Kennedy via Decision (unanimous), Rd 5
Prediction: Souza outworks Kennedy with potent grappling to a unanimous decision.
What happened: Surprisingly, Souza outworked Kennedy with potent counterstriking to a unanimous decision.
Thoughts: This one of the more annoying fights on the card because it was so obvious how much Strikeforce wanted their American hero Tim Kennedy to win. It was made more annoying after the fight when Kennedy acted like a little bitch and complained about the decision, busted up face and all. Look, I get that Kennedy outstruck Souza in volume. I also get that Kennedy scored the only two takedowns of the fight. But what Kennedy supporters fail to get is that Kennedy landed almost no significant strikes and didn't do a damn thing with either of those takedowns. Souza on the other hand, had Kennedy bloody and battered, and snapped his head back with shots several times. Quality over quantity. Getting a takedown means nothing if you can't capitalize. Sure it was a close fight, but it was a close fight that Souza won convincingly, even if by a small margin.
Next for Souza: A rematch with Mousasi would be great, but it ain't gonna happen. A rematch with Jason Miller would be the next best thing. Should he get past Matt Lindland, Luke Rockhold would also be a good choice.
Next for Kennedy: If not a rematch with Miller, Robbie Lawler or Benji Radach would make good match ups for Kennedy.

KJ Noons def. Jorge Gurgel via TKO (punches), Rd 2
Prediction: Gurgel would idiotically opt to stand and bang instead of use his BJJ, and Noons would batter him to a decision.
What happened: See above, except for a wicked right hand that connected after the 1st round bell. And a subsequent demolishing of Gurgel early in the 2nd round, complete with an errant knee to the Gurgel's head while he was down as the fight was being stopped.
Thoughts: First off, I don't think Noons is a cheater. He's an annoying turbo-douche, but not a cheater. The first shot and the end of the 1st round happened because he was in mid-swing as the round ended. Noons motioned to the ref to stop the fight after knocking down Gurgel early in the 2nd, but the ref hesitated and Noons continued attacking. He threw an illegal knee, I doubt he meant to do it to cheat, not that it's an excuse. Rules are meant to be followed, and he screwed up. If Gurgel were smart (and he's proven time and time again that he isn't, although I like the guy), he would have just chosen not to continue after the first illegal blow instead of coming into the 2nd round still rocked. Either way, Gurgel showed us nothing new and Noons showed that although he is an annoying turbo-douche, he's got some of the best hands in MMA.
Next for Noons: Either a shot at Gilbert Melendez for the lightweight title or a rematch with Nick Diaz, possibly for Diaz's welterweight belt. Either would be great fights in my eyes, although a fight with Diaz has more promotional juice. Noons wants it, Diaz wants it, I want it.
Next for Gurgel: He needs to use his goddamn BJJ. It's sad to imagine what he could be if he used his greatest asset just once. A match with Vitor Ribeiro might not only force him to use his BJJ, but to bring his BJJ A game.

Chad Griggs def. Bobby Lashley via. TKO (retirement), Rd 2
Prediction: Lashley takes Griggs down and pounds him out. Simple.
What happened: One out of two ain't bad, right? Lashley took Griggs down. Repeatedly. But from there, not only did Griggs show the defensive wrestling and ground offense to make Lashley work, Lashley's ground and pound was ineffective and he wouldn't know a submission if Griggs stuck his arm out in front of his face wrapped in a bow. Lashley slowed down and Griggs cut him under the left eye with a well timed uppercut while Lashley shot in. After gassing and a horrendous ref stand up while Lashley was in full mount, Griggs took advantage and stuffed a lethargic takedown, then battered away at Lashley while he clung to an ankle. The round expired, but Lashley was in no shape to continue.
Thoughts: I'm glad Lashley's self-induced hype train is over. He looked as one-dimensional as they come against Griggs. All this talk he did about showing off his striking, and what did he do seconds into the 1st round? Shoot for a takedown. No strikes to set it up, just shot on in there. This would be how he executed all his takedowns. Just barrell in there and use superior strength to bulldoze Griggs. Once on the ground Griggs was busy off his back looking for subs and attacking with punches. Lashley did throw some hard punches, but did little damage and didn't even think about attempting submissions. And all this made him tired. I agree that there was some egregious reffing in the fight, but do you really thing Lashley was screwed? What would have happened differently? When the fight was stopped to check his cut, you could see in his eyes that he was not in the fight anymore. He said he wanted to continue, but the look on his face said he got a lot more than he bargained for. If the fight were restarted with Lashley in full mount, he was far too gassed to finish the fight in the last 30 seconds. He would have started the 3rd round gassed, shot in for a lazy takedown with no set up, gotten stuffed, and Griggs would have beaten a hole in his head just like he did at the end of round 2. And what about Griggs' shots to the back of the head. Yes, it's bad and the ref should have at least warned him, but it wasn't shots to the back of the head that did Lashley in. Regardless of where they were landing, Lashley was taking shot after shot and doing nothing about it. Temple, back of the head, either one can take you out of a fight. It's unfortunate that Lashley fell victim to horrible officiating, but let's not act like it's the reason Lashley looked like crap. He did that all by himself.
Next for Griggs: Shane del Rosario. I've been hearing Brett Rogers, but c'mon. Before the Lashley fight no one had even heard of Griggs. Even with the big win, Griggs is a bit much of a step down for Rogers.
Next for Lashley: Hopefully some skills other than wrestling. After this fight, a potential bout with Dave Bautista doesn't look so silly. Otherwise, Lolohea Mahe is on the right track to continue actually grooming Lashley as a prospect.

Prelims

Only saw the two that were streamed for free, and they were the only two that mattered since Strikeforce prelims are usually a who's who of who? talent (I don't care if that makes sense or not).

-Andre Galvao looked a bit underwhelming in a 3rd round TKO of Jorge Patino. He showed some good heart after being rocked, but otherwise didn't set the world ablaze and make a case for a title shot as he said he would. The stoppage was really awkward too. Glavao was raining punches from a dominant position but wasn't exactly destroying Patino when the ref opted to step in.

-Not much to say about Daniel Cormier vs. Jason Riley. It took Cormier a little over a minute to try and fail for a couple takedowns, drop Riley and bomb on him until he tapped. I'm not one of those guys who thinks everyone who taps to strikes is a coward, but Riley tapped awfully fast. Kinda looked like a little biatch.

That's all for now. In the next few days I'll post a recap of Sengoku 14, which not only housed what was in my opinion the best fight of 2010, but also about 10 groin shots (5 of which were in a single fight). I bet you can't wait for that!

UFC 117 recap

Tough night for me this time around. Not only did I do a pretty lousy job with my predictions, but the one pick I wanted to be wrong about the most proved right in the 11th hour of what looked like perhaps the biggest upset in the history of the sport. Since I wrote a preview for this card previously, I'll refrain from the prediction portion of this recap. Let's get down to business.

Anderson Silva def. Chael Sonnen via Submission (Triangle Choke), Rd 5
What happened: For almost 23 minutes Sonnen looked like he'd pull off what no one thought possible: dominate Anderson Silva. For four and a half rounds Sonnen took Silva down at will, unleashed ground and pound, and even wobbled Silva in the stand up one a couple occasions. Just when it looked as thought Sonnen would cruise to a lopsided decision victory (including a first round widely regarded at 10-8) and capture the middleweight strap, his one major flaw reared its head once again: his awful submission defense. Silva caught him in a triangle choke that ended the fight with just about 2 minutes left.
Thoughts: I feel horrible for Sonnen, and not just because I was rooting heavily for him. He made Silva look utterly human for almost 5 rounds, and one quick mistake cost him the fight and the title. He was just 2 minutes from backing up all the trash he had talked. Well, at least he backed up most of it. He beat the crap out of Silva the entire fight, and while Silva certainly won the contest, in a way Sonnen won the fight. He should at least be proud that he shut down all notions that Silva is an unstoppable force, and that he made him look very beatable. I do give Silva his props for pulling off the clutch submission, but his performance was totally lackluster and he was straight-up embarrassed by Sonnen. There may come a day when Silva comes across a talented wrestler with sub defense (ie. GSP, Shields), and when that day comes Silva may just get shut down completely. Sonnen gained a ton of respect from me even in losing; Anderson not as much because I already had a ton of respect for his skills, and I believe that if his BJJ was really that good he'd have subbed Sonnen in the 2nd or 3rd....as I predicted.
Next for Silva: An interesting dilemma we have here. Vitor Belfort is supposedly next in line for a shot. And after seeing Chael catch Anderson on the feet a few times, I have a bit more confidence in Vitor's chances. However, there is also much clamoring for a rematch with Sonnen, which I certainly wouldn't be angry to see. I don't think Vitor should have to wait even longer for his fight so I'd count on him being next. Yushin Okami should also be in the mix.
Next for Sonnen: If a rematch doesn't happen, I say he should fight Chris Leben. Should he get past Leben he should get another shot at the belt. Or he could fight Silva should he lose to Vitor. OR he could really work on his BJJ and rematch Maia. He has some options.

Jon Fitch def. Thiago Alves via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
What happened: Fitch pulled a Fitch and controlled the bout from start to finish with this rugged and persistent wrestling. He also looked much improved in the moments the fight was on the feet, while Alves looked tired and plodding the whole fight, never mounting much offense.
Thoughts: As much as I understand why Alves wants to stay at 170, he seriously needs to move up to 185. Or at least cut down on the weights. He's too damn big for the division. Not making weight for a number 1 contender fight is unacceptable, and he REFUSED to lose the .5 lbs he was over. Know what that means? That means he was so depleted he didn't feel it was possible to lose the weight, at least not without dire consequences. Well ya know what Thiago? Your steep weight cut did have consequences. You looked lethargic and flat-footed in the cage. Your killer instinct was all but gone. You were a shell of your former self. Move up or slim down. You don't need to be the Ubereem of the welterweight division to be effective.
Next for Fitch: It should be the winner of the St. Pierre/Koscheck title fight, but now Dana wants to be noncommittal on that one. I've been hearing about him mulling 185. If he can be strong enough to take Silva down like Chael did, maybe he can squash the spider.
Next for Alves: Middleweight or dieting, first of all. If he does move up Patrick Cote, Leben, and Alan Belcher are good stand up battles for him. Gerald Harris would prove a good test of his takedown defense. If he stays at 170, maybe they dig up their old records and make that fight with Paulo Thiago (who I thought he should've been fighting instead of Fitch anyway) happen.

Clay Guida def. Rafael dos Anjos via Submission (Jaw Injury), Rd 3
What happened: dos Anjos controlled the stand up with much improved muay thai, and nullified much of Guida's wrestling to take the first two rounds on most scorecards. Apparently a punch or punches injured dos Anjos' jaw during an exchange earlier in the fight but he pushed through. After getting taken down, Guida applied pressure to his face and dos Anjos tapped due to the injury.
Thoughts: Though I was rooting for Guida to win, this wasn't his most impressive performance. The win is in some odd gray area: you can't really call it a fluke because it was a Guida's punches that damaged dos Anjos' jaw, but at the same time if he hadn't unknowingly aggravated the injury he may have lost a decision. Guida is showing some improvement since coming under the tutelage of Greg Jackson, but he still has a lot of work to do, as his style is still erratic. dos Anjos on the other hand is looking better and better, and could be one of the UFC's top lightweights in the future. His BJJ is excellent, his stand up looked light years ahead of what it was just a few fights ago, and his wrestling is nothing to scoff at either.
Next for Guida: I'd like to see him face George Sotiropoulos. G-Sot schooled a fine wrestler in Joe Stevenson two fights ago, but Guida keeps an unrelenting pace and is hard to put on his back. It would be a good test for both of them, and a good way to see if George can handle a strong wrestler who won't get sucked into scrambles willingly.

Matt Hughes def. Ricardo Almeida via Technical Submission (Modified Anaconda Choke), Rd. 1
What happened: Hughes looked awkward and uncomfortable in the stand up and Almeida looked like he was biding his time to pick the hall of famer apart. Then in the blink of an eye, a left hook sent Almeida to the canvas and Hughes followed him down, applying a front headlock. Through what looked like a classic application of old man strength, Hughes choked Almeida unconscious with an anaconda choke....or something. The choke wasn't even fully applied. That's some power.
Thoughts: Upset of the night without a doubt. Many (including myself) thought Hughes was done as a relevant name in the welterweight division. He proved us all wrong. I guess his performance at UFC 112 against Renzo Gracie was just a bit of an off night. What was even more impressive is that he took down a Gracie black belt with a very un-technical wrestling move. Welcome back to relevance Mr. Hughes.
Next for Hughes: He wants to take the rest of the year off to hunt and relax, and at this stage in his career he's certainly allowed. When he gets back I think the consensus match we all want to see is Hughes vs. Hallman 3. Dennis Hallman has 2 submission wins over Hughes earlier in their career. Let's see if he really does have Matt's number. His win on the undercard of this event makes even more of a case.
Next for Almeida: There are lots of matches in the division for Almeida. Paulo Thiago, Thiago Alves, Ben Saunders, or Mike Pierce would all make for interesting match ups.

Junior dos Santos def. Roy Nelson via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
What happened: Pretty much everything I predicted except Nelson showed tremendous heart (and a helluva chin) by not backing down from dos Santos, leading to a lopsided decision loss.
Thoughts: Much was learned from this fight. We learned that Roy Nelson is a tough SOB....and also that he can't hang with the heavyweight elite. Well, I guess I already knew that second part, but this fight proved it. We also learned about dos Santos' cardio looks like when he goes past the 1st. He still pushed on and stayed busy, but he was clearly tired in the 2nd and especially the 3rd round. This is almost to be expected when large men expend large amounts of energy, but it is still something he can work on. JDS also showed us more of why he's widely regarded as the best boxer in the heavyweight division, as he threw crisp and effective combinations throughout. His defense could use some work, but he still looked very impressive overall.
Next for dos Santos: The winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez title fight. Should be exciting no matter who he gets, but after this fight I question dos Santos' chances against dominant wrestlers like Cain and Brock. If dos Santos was rendered tired by his stand up exchanges, what will happen when he has to bear the weight of a relentless wrestler for extended periods of time?
Next for Nelson: Nelson showed that he is solid gatekeeper material with this loss, but he's still up for a big fight or two. He could be Shane Carwin's next fight, or maybe even Cro Cop. A rematch with former IFL rival Ben Rothwell would also be a great idea. I'm sure Roy is looking to avenge the close (some would say controversial) split-decision loss to Rothwell.

Prelim notes and recap
- Phil Davis vs. Rodney Wallace (unanimous decision for Davis) was regrettably the only fight I managed to watch, and it was such a one-sided drubbing that it was barely worth watching. I knew Wallace had no business in there with Davis before the fight even began, and it was driven home ten-fold. If you ask me, I found it a puzzling match up to make in the first place as Davis is clearly better in all aspects of the game. You know what they're trying to do when they put a highly impressive rising prospect who's 2-0 in the UFC against an underwhelming former prospect who's 0-2 in the UFC? Get rid of the latter. I expect Wallace to be cut.

- You know, I was baffled reading about Rick Story being an underdog against Dustin Hazelett, but I thought maybe they were all right since I'm sure they know more about him than I do. Well I guess they don't because he brutalized Hazelett in the first, and continued into the second until the ref had to wave him off. Not that I wanted that to happen; I'm a Hazelett fan and I hate that he lost, but I had Story to win the whole time.
- Johny Hendricks may have looked shaky early, but he made up for it by dropping Charlie Brenneman 4 times in 40 seconds during the 2nd round to flip the ref's compassion switch.
- Tim Boetsch took a clear and boring decision from Todd Brown. Nuff said.
- Stefan Struve came back from an absolute beating and a grotesquely swollen lip in the first round to turn right around and knock out Christian Morecraft just 22 seconds into round two. Struve has proven time and time again that he can handle adversity. Very impressive, but its about time he does some of the dominating haha.
- In a complete shocker to me, Dennis Hallman dominated Ben Saunders with takedowns and good wrestling from bell to bell to earn a unanimous decision. Bring on a third match with Hughes!

Very good fights overall tonight, even if Fitch's grind-fest and Silva's Hail Mary (see: lucky....sorry, I'm still sour about it) submission win all but ruined the night for me. One thing it did accomplish is that it made the landscape of the middleweight division a bit more interesting. I guess I'll post any worthy thoughts I have of more undercard fights if/when I see them.

UFC 117 predictions

Anderson Silva (c) vs Chael Sonnen
Rooting for: Sonnen
Predicion: This would be a very interesting matchup if not for one factor: Sonnen's penchant for getting caught in submissions from the guard. With better submission defense Sonnen might actually be able to grind down Silva for 5 rounds, but without it the match loses a lot of its suspense. Sonnen should have the skills to take Silva down, but Silva has an active guard, and that has proven to be Sonnen's greatest enemy. Silva's recent focus on improving his wrestling and takedown defense may also play a big factor in making this a bad fight for Sonnen. This is all assuming Chael's rudimentary (but much improved) striking won't lead to Silva starching him before he even gets a chance to take it to the ground. Sonnen is a nice blueprint of how to beat Silva, but he's missing the credible standup and submission defense that really convinces me he can win this fight. Provided he hasn't made huge strides in both areas, I see Silva taking this via submission in the 2nd or 3rd round.

John Fitch vs Thiago Alves
Rooting for: Alves
Prediction: This is a rematch from 4 years ago in which Fitch finished Alves with an upkick and punches. Both have improved since, but Alves has made the more significant improvements of the two. Fitch is a wrestler who prefers to grind out his victories with relentless top control to wear down his opponents. Alves is one of the best kickboxers at welterweight, and has improved his takedown defense dramatically in the past couple years. This could spell problems for Fitch. He will need to get the fight to the ground consistently to win, as his striking is nowhere near Alves' level. Alves with takedown defense is scary for any welterweight, even one as tough as Fitch. I say Alves keeps this one standing the majority of the fight and batters Fitch to a competitive but clear decision.

Junior dos Santos vs Roy Nelson
Rooting for: Torn on this one. I think dos Santos is more compelling, but on the other had I'd love to see Roy the run so many people (including myself) thought improbable
Prediction: This fight favors dos Santos in my eyes. I think Roy has gotten a little too much hype considering his greatest wins thus far are against Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve. He's gotten a bit too much credit for looking great against scrubs, and dos Santos is anything but. Also consider the fact that every single time Nelson has stepped up to fight competition anywhere near the top 10 (Andre Arlovski, Ben Rothwell, hell....even Jeff Monson) he has lost. The Arlovski fight proves most interesting since dos Santos can be compared to Arlovski in many ways, except he's faster and has a better chin. That fight ended up with Nelson getting KO'd, and I see this fight going the same way. I know Roy's sweet spot is on the ground and that the ground is a big question mark for dos Santos, but I don't see Roy getting him down and keeping him there. TKO for JDS in the 3rd.

Matt Hughes vs Ricardo Almeida
Rooting for: Hughes, mostly because I hate seeing athletes get punked when past their primes.
Prediction: Had this fight happened a few years ago it'd be very compelling. Today it's clear Hughes has aged a lot in a very short time. He's facing a much younger (in "fight age", hes actually only 3 years younger), fresher opponent with great wrestling and BJJ in Almeida. Normally I would give Hughes a better chance, but after the geriatric showing he had against Renzo Gracie at UFC 112 I just don't see him bringing much to the table against Almeida. Hope I'm wrong and Hughes at least makes it very competitive, but I see Almeida walking away with a clear-cut decision in this one.

Clay Guida vs Rafael dos Anjos
Rooting for: Guida
Prediction: I found myself becoming a bit of a Guida fan in the past couple years. The guy is a ball of energy with endless cardio, and always brings that energy to his fights. However, that very same energy seems to have created or exacerbated the large holes in his game. He has wild, sloppy stand up with little in the way of defense, and his wily grappling game has caused him many a submission loss. That's a bad combo to have against dos Anjos, who may also rough around the edges in the stand up department, but is adept at controlling range with punishing leg kicks, which doesn't do Guida's short reach any favors. Once the fight gets to the ground (and it most likely will), dos Anjos' excellent BJJ should give Guida fits. I see this fight going one of two ways: either Guida gets subbed late in the 1st or midway through the 2nd round, or manages to stay out of trouble in the guard, in which case he will probably grind his way to a close decision victory. I think the former is a tad more likely.

Final Picks
- Silva over Sonnen via submission in the 2nd or 3rd
- Alves over Fitch via decision
- dos Santos over Nelson via TKO in the 3rd
- Almeida over Hughes via decision
- dos Anjos over Guida via submission in the 1st or 2nd

UFC on Versus 2 recap

The UFC's second offering on the Versus network delivered a solid night of fights and brought a lot of contenders out of the woodwork. But I won't waste anymore time, let's get down to it!

Jon Jones def. Vladimir Matyushenko via TKO (elbows), Rd. 1
My prediction: Vlad plays the role of seasoned, but past his prime veteran to be sacrificed to younger, hungrier, up and coming talent. Jones might encounter some trouble wrestling him down, but would still be one step ahead the whole fight. Vlad being notoriously hard to finish would lead to Jones cruising to a clear-cut decision or late TKO.
What happened: Jones made it look easy. Easily took Vlad down, easily advanced to crucifix, and easily hammered him with elbows to draw the finish. All this in under 2 minutes.
Thoughts: As soon as I saw the (for lack of a better term) unfair reach advantage of 10.5 inches I knew Vladdy had no chance. He's a tough, very skilled wrestler with decent boxing....but he's also 39. He never was the speedy type, and he's only gotten slower with age. I have been a fan of Vlad for a while so I was pretty bummed when this matchup was announced because I knew he was just being thrown in to further legitimize Jones. And it worked. Jones proved he really could be the future of the light heavyweight division. Now he needs to step up and prove that he is.
Next for Jones: Personally I'd like to see him take on the winner or loser of Lil' Nog vs. Ryan Bader, but I doubt the UFC wants to lose a potential veteran contender (Nog) or pit two fast rising prospects against each other and risk one losing hype. Dana White and Greg Jackson both want to bring Jones up slower than he wishes (already talking about fighting a top 3 guy AND moving to heavyweight? Slow down Jonny), so I think Rich Franklin or even Forrest Griffin could finally provide stern tests for Jones.
Next for Matyushenko: His age really showed against a young, spry fighter like Jones, but Vlad still has the power and skill set to give most 205ers trouble. He'll make a good upper-mid tier gatekeeper to test out guys like Jones.

Yushin Okami def. Mark Munoz via Decision (split), Rd. 3
My prediction: Okami would use his wrestling and takedown defense to keep the fight upright and pick Munoz apart on the feet en route to a meticulous decision victory.
What happened: Pretty much exactly that.
Thoughts: I considered Munoz a pretty live underdog but my pick was always Okami, and as an Okami fan (and not much of a Munoz fan) I was definitely rooting for him. Despite a second round knockdown by Munoz, he didn't have much to offer Okami and I'm glad his luck has finally run out. He should have lost the decision he took from Nick Catone, and he was getting starched by Kendall freakin' Grove on the feet until a Hail Mary right hand scrambled Grove's eggs. Joe Rogan played up Munoz's stand up, but even the way he sounded seemed like he was being fed those lines to hype him up. Munoz's stand up sucks. He has terrible striking defense because he hangs his hands low, and he's got no technique in his boxing; he's all power and sloppy looping punches. A perfect target for Okami's precision jab and superior footwork. The problem for Munoz is that when he can't cut it on the feet he can usually rely on his considerable wrestling pedigree, but this time he didn't count on the fact that Okami is also a very powerful wrestler. Okami was able to stuff all but one takedown, and got up almost immediately from that one, preventing Munoz from using his actual greatest asset: his ground and pound. Munoz employed very questionable strategy by continuing to drive for takedowns despite the fact that he was actually finding Okami in the stand up from time to time. Bottom line is that he was outclassed by a fighter who is superior to him in every way that mattered.
Next for Okami: He should definitely be in the title mix now. I could see him fighting the winner of the Nate Marquardt/Rousimar Palhares fight. Either one should make for a great fight.
Next for Munoz: For all the training Munoz has been doing with Anderson Silva, he sure didn't learn any striking from him. Hell, he's got the boxing talent of the Nogueira brothers AND Lyoto Machida there and he still has crappy technique and defense. Anyway, Aaron Simpson. Don't ask me why. I just want to see it. May the better chin (most likely Simpson) win.

Jake Ellenberger def. John Howard via TKO (doctor stoppage), Rd. 3
My prediction: Ellenberger uses his wrestling to stay in close and negate much of his striking. Most likely takes home a decision, but Ellenberger also has power in his hands so I could see him scoring a late TKO.
What happened: Ellenberger gets the late TKO, but not the way I thought. He used his wrestling the way I thought, but pretty much anytime there was distance Howard showed why you don't want to stand and strike with him as he lit Jake up in a few exchanges. Jake ended up possibly breaking Howard's orbital bone with an elbow from top position, swelling his eye up almost to the size of a tennis ball. The doctors had seen enough.
Thoughts: I put Howard in the same boat I put Munoz in: I'm kind of glad his luck finally ran out. He was 4-0 in the UFC and his last fight was a legitimate first round knockout, but prior to that he spent a full 3 rounds being dominated on the ground by Dennis Hallman before he pulled off an improbably knockout with 5 seconds left in the fight; and prior to that he robbed Tamdan McCrory of a decision that led to McCrory being released from the UFC. Anyway, Ellenberger looked good in the fight and showed off some nice stand up and yet another reason why he needs to get a ground game.
Next for Ellenberger: He's been very impressive in his UFC run thus far. I think Rory McDonald would make for an interesting match up with Jake. Sure he's coming off a loss to Carlos Condit, but he impressed all the way until the final round. In fact, both one thing both men have in common is that they've beaten up Condit and ended up losing.
Next for Howard: Can't say for sure, but put him against good grapplers until he learns his lesson and at least. He won't get anywhere in the welterweight division if he doesn't work on his wrestling.

Takanori Gomi def. Tyson Griffin via KO (punch), Rd. 1
My prediction: Griffin keeps the fight up close and personal with Gomi and punishes him in the clinch. Gomi's granite chin keeps him from being finished as Griffin uses dirty boxing and leg kicks en route to a decision.
What happened: The EXACT opposite. Gomi lands a couple hard body blows and immediately shuts Griffin's lights out with a right hand 64 seconds into the fight. First time Griffin's ever been finished.
Thoughts: This was easily my favorite win of the night. As a huge Gomi fan I was pulling for him, but I definitely doubted him as his career definitely seemed to be on its downswing. When I saw that right hand connect with all his body weight turning into it I nearly jumped out of my seat. Does it mean the Gomi of old is back? Probably not, although he did look pretty sharp the short time the fight did last. But boy was it a proud moment to be one of the few big Gomi fans left. Here's hoping the Gomi of old IS back, stays in shape, and has a good run in the UFC lightweight division.
Next for Gomi: With his chin and preference to keep the fight standing, the winner of Melvin Guillard/Jeremy Stephens would be absolute fireworks.
Next for Griffin: Tough year for Griffin. He's dropped two straight for the first time in his career. He's still a legitimate threat to most lightweights, so he should get a mid level guy to get him back on the right track.

The Prelims
- Charles Oliveira vs Darren Elkins was the only prelim fight I actually saw, and it was over just as fast as it started. Oliveira was promptly taken down and slapped on a BEAUTIFUL triangle armbar (seems to be the move of the year, eh?). His execution was flawless and Elkins had nothing left to do after it was applied. Even tied up Elkins' right leg with a free arm to make sure he had no options. Definitely worthy of submission of the night.

-In other fights, Jacob Volkmann did exactly as I thought and grinded out a decision against Paul Kelly. I knew DeMarques Johnson didn't stand much of a chance against a fighter he couldn't lull into a firefight, but Matt Riddle made it look easier than expected by pounding the crap out of Johnson in the 2nd instead of his usual uneventful decision style. James Irvin continues his downward spiral and suffers a surprising 1st round RNC loss to Igor Pokrajac. Tough to imagine what they'll do with Irvin next. Guy can't seem to catch a break. Brian Stann/Mike Messenzio was one fight I wish I did see, as it sounded like a pretty good affair. Props to Stann for the come from behind triangle choke victory in the 3rd. And lastly, Rob Kimmons shut down Steve Steinbeiss for the unanimous decision.

Good night of fights overall. Great night for the Japanese, as they went 2-0 which never happens in the UFC (it's damn near impossible to see two Japanese guys on a whole card, let alone both of them on the main card and winning). Seemed like the UFC was trying to throw Gomi in there to lose like they did in his first fight, but he shot those plans down. The one Japanese fighter the UFC actually groomed half-decently (opponent-wise) once again proved why hes worth it. It'll be exciting to see where Jon Jones goes next, and it looks like he's going far. That's all for now. PEACE.