K-1 Dynamite!! 2010 recap

K-1 Dynamite!! is typically an extravagant year-end event in which Japanese management company FEG joins its talents from Dream (and previously Pride) and K-1 to put on a huge super-card full of freak shows, gimmick matches, and a few legitimate scraps thrown in for good measure. This year was no different, except in my opinion it did a bit more for those craving more legitimate fights than in the past few years (excluding last year's), culminating in a pretty decent event overall. The godawful Bob Sapp vs some Japanese guy I've never heard of in some kind of "special rules" (which included the lack of gloves and prohibition of open-handed strikes) was thankfully cancelled when Sapp "lost the will to fight." I pulled out my washed up talentless hack-to-English dictionary and found out that means "I want more money." Anyway, lets get on with it.
Hiroyuki Takaya def. Bibiano Fernandes (c) via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Let it be known that I thought Takaya did enough to win their first scrap to crown the inaugural Dream Featherweight Champion. Therefore, in this fight I predicted Takaya would do it again and get awarded the belt this time.
What Happened: Exactly that. The bout was about as close as it gets in the first two rounds, with Takaya edging out the first, and the second being a draw (slight edge to Fernandes) on my cards. The third round was pivotal, and Fernandes' decision to pull guard to work his BJJ proved to be his undoing, as Takaya refused to be submitted; he pounded and controlled Fernandes until the final bell, effectively stealing the round and the fight.
Thoughts: The president of FEG claimed this fight did more to drive away fans than bring them in, and that he was very disappointed by it. That may be true for the casual fan, but for me the fight had a nice amount of tension and back-and-forth battling despite its deliberate pace. Takaya slightly got the better of the standup exchanges, and perhaps sensing he needed to do something major, Fernandes pulled guard expecting his BJJ to take the match. Takaya then showed that he is more well-rounded than previously thought, as he fearlessly dove into Fernandes' dangerous guard and roughed him up as if he was untouchable. Despite what Sherdog says, I think this fight earned Takaya a slot in the Featherweight Top 10.
Next for Takaya: It's hard to say who's next in line for a shot at the title. Kazuyuki Miyata could be primed for a shot, as could Yoshiro Maeda and Mitsuhiro Ishida, who are both on 2 fight win streaks. My pick here is Miyata.
Next for Fernandes: There is no shame in losing the title in such a close fight, and he should be right back in the mix following the loss. Perhaps a match against Mitsuhiro Ishida to give his BJJ a workout is in the works for him.

Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Josh Thomson via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: This was the hardest fight on the card for me to call. I pretty much considered it a toss-up and decided to just enjoy the fight and see what happens, as I am fans of both guys.
What Happened: Thomson showed lots of toughness, heart, aggressiveness, and great cardio, but in the end was dominated by Kawajiri's smothering wrestling and top control. In the brief portions of the fight that took place that were on the feet Thomson was clearly the better striker and landed some good shots, but he just couldn't stop Kawajiri from dragging him to the ground.
Thoughts: Thomson didn't disappoint too much in defeat, but Kawajiri was a beast that night. Thomson's potent kickboxing was in full display, but his usually solid wrestling was virtually non-existent against the bulldozing power of Kawajiri. Kawajiri even managed to lock in two tight arm triangles, but Thomson's savvy and composure got him through; Kawajiri, sensing the submissions weren't coming, jumped back to mount on both occasions. I'd say that he is in line for a trip to the U.S.
Next for Kawajiri: His next opponent should be in Strikeforce. In fact, I think he should be the next challenger to Gilbert Melendez's lightweight strap. I know, he hasn't exactly earned it, but since when is that a prerequisite in Strikeforce? Hell, Melendez won the interim belt in his very next fight after losing to Thomson for the belt.
Next for Thomson: Tough to determine where to put him in the lightweight picture. Maybe a fight with KJ Noons in a title eliminator would suffice. Like I said, it's Strikeforce; no one earns anything.

Jason High def. Hayato Sakurai via Decision (split), Rd 3
Prediction: High would do pretty well with his wrestling, but Sakurai (though definitely past his prime) would do enough to score a late stoppage win.
What Happened: In a fairly uneventful fight, Sakurai proved a bit gun shy in the early rounds, but still kept the fight very close. After two difficult to score rounds, Sakurai came alive late in the 3rd, dropping High with strikes but giving up a takedown has High instinctually shot in. It proved not to be enough, as High took the decision on two judge's cards.
Thoughts: Sakurai is still competitive, but this fight made it clear he is really over the hill. Despite having a definite skill advantage on the feet he refused to let it all out during the exchanges until it was too late. He also looked a bit out of shape and slow from the start. He either needs to start training seriously or hang 'em up. I won't take anything away from High though, he did perform well, but really needs to improve his standup. As evidenced by his lone UFC fight (and loss) against Charlie Brenneman, he pretty much runs out of offense once he can't impose his will through wrestling.
Next for High: Hell if I know, Dream's welterweight division sucks. Maybe a title rematch against Zaromskis.
Next for Sakurai: Same as above, though with his recent skid anyone will do.

Marius Zaromskis def. Kazushi Sakuraba via TKO (HOLY CRAP HIS EAR FELL OFF! I mean doctor stoppage), Rd 1
Prediction: Sakuraba is one knockout away from death. I hoped to God Zaromskis would win by something other than knockout, but either way he wins.
What Happened: He won by something other than knockout. Damn near ripping Sakuraba's ear clean off his head with a glancing punch. I was actually relieved; they can sew his ear back on, but Saku doesn't need anymore trauma to the head.
Thoughts: Zaromskis finally got a win in 2010, even though you could attribute the win more to Sakuraba falling apart than to Zaromskis' actual skill. Hard to know where Zaromskis actually is as a welterweight, but Sakuraba's drop to 170 was way too little, way too late. The man seriously needs to retire, and he's needed to for a while now. I'm seriously concerned for his health, and I'm practically cringing the entire time he fights now in anticipation that his career will be forcefully ended.
Next for Zaromskis: Like I said, unless I'm missing someone, the Dream welterweight division is barren. Maybe Jason High, like I mentioned earlier.
Next for Sakuraba: Retirement. Seriously.

Satoshi Ishii def. Jerome Le Banner via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Ishii has become a lay-n-pray specialist. Le Banner is a K-1 kickboxer who has proven more effective than most pure kickboxers when it comes to not getting subbed. Doesn't take a rocket scientist. Ishii by unanimous decision.
What Happened: Le Banner did a pretty admirable job on the ground, but all that muscle expectedly did a number on his cardio, which left him too tired to capitalize on his advantages. Ishii by unanimous decision.
Thoughts: Le Banner is wildly popular in Japan, and Dream has been trying their damnedest to push Ishii and make him a big draw. The problem is he lacks finishing ability and is content to just hold down his opponents and pepper them with strikes. Not a very fan-friendly style. His uneventful win over Le Banner was met with a cascade of boos from the normally docile Japanese crowd. If he is to gain the support of the fans, he has three options: 1) Fix those holes in his game and take some risks to finish his opponents, 2) Develop an exciting style, or 3) Take a page out of pro wrestling and develop an over-the-top personality. For his sake, he should choose number 1.
Next for Ishii: He needs a legitimate opponent in order for fans to care about him, but he also needs to work on his overall game. But hell, he'll probably fight James Thompson or something.
Next for Le Banner: Well seeing as how this isn't his sport, I assume he'll return to K-1.

Alistair Overeem def. Todd Duffee via KO (punches), Rd 1
Prediction: Duffee would be in way over his head as he's a decent boxer who's relatively green facing a really good striker with a wealth of experience. Duffee might hold his own at spots, but it wouldn't stop Overeem from notching a (T)KO.
What Happened: For some reason Duffee decided to run in swinging like a madman, and one hard knee to the body, a left, and a right hook, and Duffee's out cold. We all knew it would happen, but thought it'd take longer than 19 seconds.
Thoughts: Duffee took a big risk accepting a fight with Overeem coming off a deflating knockout loss and being released from the UFC; it didn't pay off. At least he got a nice payday for getting knocked out so quickly; he reportedly earned $60,000 for the bout. Turns out this one was for the Dream interim Heavyweight Title, which gives Overeem his 3rd belt in a combat sport (he is the Strikeforce champion, and recently won the K-1 World Grand Prix in 2010). Best part about the fight was Overeem's girlfriend at the end. Usually not my type but I gotta admit that is an attractive woman.
Next for Overeem: Thankfully, we can now confirm that Overeem will finally be taking on Fabricio Werdum in the first round of an 8 man heavyweight tournament in Strikeforce. This also may mean that Overeem will have a 2011 full of good competition, provided he gets past Werdum.
Next for Duffee: That's a tough one. Dream probably won't bring him back, so he'll have to hit up one of the less orgs like Shark Fights. I think Strikeforce should sign him; they have some good up-and-comers for him like Daniel Cormier and Shane Del Rosario. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the final reserve entrant.

Sergei Kharitonov def. Tatsuya Mizuno via KO (knee and punches), Rd 1
Prediction: Mizuno has mad considerable strides in his game as of late, but still wouldn't be ready for someone of Kharitonov's abilities. Kharitonov by (T)KO.
What Happened: See above....brutally.
Thoughts: Mizuno, God bless him, tries really hard out there and has improved a lot over time, but I'm not sure he'll ever be able to do well against any good heavyweight. He just doesn't have the skill or the athleticism. It's definitely commendable that he's dedicated to the sport but he should stick to lower level guys, especially if he wants to gain confidence in the ring. Melvin Manhoef will probably be the biggest win of his career, not that it wasn't impressive.
Next for Kharitonov: Andrei Arlovski, as a part of the Strikeforce tournament.
next for Mizuno: Maybe he should call it quits and go back to being a police officer. I felt bad watching his wife crying as he lay unconscious. If he continues, I think he should stay at 205. He's displayed some decent skills and could actually do well against lower-end 205ers.

Mixed Rules Bout: Yuichiro Nagashima def. Shinya Aoki via KTFO (knee and punches), Rd 2
Prediction: Aoki would avoid major action in the opening 3 minute striking round and survive, then he'd take the fight to the ground and easily sub Nagashima in the following 5 minute MMA round.
What Happened: Little surprises in the 1st round: Aoki practically avoided fighting in the round altogether by using such techniques as dropkicks and rolling hell kicks to flop to the ground and waste as much time as possible. He also shot in for clinches and did several other stalling tactics that are illegal in K-1. All thought Aoki would easily sub Nagashima in the MMA round, but what happened next was arguably a winning last minute entry for upset of the year: Aoki immediately shot in, was blasted by a flying knee, and slumped to the ground where a few unnecessary followup punches sealed the deal.
Thoughts: Everyone including myself pretty much wrote out Nagashima after Aoki's antics in the first round, and I'm sure many of those same people were hoping Aoki would get his comeuppance as well. Well he did, and it was sweet. I have a love-hate situation with Aoki and his willingness to participate in useless fights have had me on the latter end lately. I hope Aoki bounces back nicely from this, but I'm glad he got flattened by that knee, in the MMA round no less.
Next for Nagashima: Back to K-1, where he is a champion. A cross-dressing, cosplaying, champion.
Next for Aoki: Hard to say. There aren't really any viable challengers for his lightweight title. A rematch with JZ Cavalcante seems one of the few options, but after having lost 3 of his last 4 (including his last fight) he's not really in a deserving spot. Katsunori Kikuno recently defended his Deep title, and may look to become a champ in Dream too, but his last fight in Dream was a loss. That and he'd most likely lose. Perhaps Aoki needs to come to America along with Kawajiri.

Hiroshi Izumi def. Ikuhisa Minowa via TKO (punches), Rd 3
Prediction: I really think they called Minowa in against Ishii just to try and get Ishii over with the fans because they knew he'd beat Minowa, whom the fans love and respect. I think the same thing was done in pairing Minowa with Izumi. Izumi by decision.
What Happened: As expected Minowa had nothing for Izumi, but Izumi showed more tenacity than Ishii did and managed to hammer out a stoppage late in the fight. He wasn't exactly destroying Minowa, but the fight needed to be stopped.
Thoughts: Minowa looks to be on his way to the bottom. He was never a top fighter, but lately he's just looked flat and uninspired. I've said many times that Minowa only really does well against big lumbering oafs who will clumsily tumble to the ground at some point during his dogged attempts to get them there, where they are damn near powerless against what is really his only weapon: leglocks. When you put Minowa against guys who are bigger than he is, but still skilled and relatively quick and athletic, there is nothing he can do. With Ishii's and Izumi's extensive judo backgrounds there's no way he'd submit them, and without the ability to submit them he's got nothing. It seems they've found another job for Minowa besides freak show fighter: prospect builder-upper.
Next for Izumi: Back in Sengoku I think it'd be interesting to see him fight Dave Herman. Or if they still want to protect him, Yoshihiro Nakao.
Next for Minowa: He should stick to freakshow fights, if there are even anymore freaks left for him to fight; he's just about faced them all. OR here's an idea: why not put together a rubber match between Minowa and fresh UFC castoff Phil Baroni. At this point I'd go with Baroni.

Kazuyuki Miyata def. Caol Uno via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Tough one to call with Miyata's great improvements recently, but I figured Uno would be too crafty and savvy, and walk out with a late submission or decision win.
What Happened: After being outstruck for much of the 1st round, Miyata decided to go to his bread-and-butter: his dominant wrestling. For the final two rounds, Miyata shut down Uno's offense with smothering wrestling, and even landed three of his trademark German suplexes to take a clear-cut decision.
Thoughts: Miyata has really been looking impressive lately, and if he keeps it up could find himself in the top 10 come Dynamite!! 2011. After a rough start to his career, he has figured out how to apply his wrestling to MMA properly, and has developed enough striking to set up his powerful takedowns. He seems to have forgotten how to finish fights, with all but one of his wins on his current 6 fight streak going the distance, but you could also make the argument that it's because he's been facing much greater competition. Prior to facing opponents people have actually heard of he was getting his wins via submission. Perhaps as he improves he will start submitting top guys.
Tough break for Uno, who had his debut at 145 spoiled here. He's clearly past his prime, and I doubt he'll make a run at the title, but there are still some interesting fights for him in the division.
Next for Miyata: One could argue that he is ready for a title shot, but if not he should be one win away, and I would nominate Mitsuhiro Ishida for that fight. Pitting two powerful wrestlers like them against each other could make for an interesting bout, and may spell trouble for the champ.
Next for Uno: He's had a long career and has done a lot. Maybe he deserves a small step down in competition against someone like Daiki Hata. If he still wants to stay in the thick of it Akiyo Nishiura or Hideo Tokoro could make for good matchups.
Other Stuff
- Hideo Tokoro took a surprisingly long time to submit boisterous (see: asshole) boxer Kazuhisa Watanabe. Tokoro seemed to be dead set on locking in a nearside armbar from the top, which Watanabe apparently learned how to defend pretty well. In fact, Watanabe proved to be very tough (and stubborn) in general throughout the affair. Not too impressive for Tokoro, who should have tried to utilize more than armbars and rear naked chokes (which he probably trained for) to put Watanabe away.
- Gegard Mousassi impressed once again bringing his kickboxing record to 5-0 as he took a decision from current K-1 Heavyweight Champion Kyotaro under K-1 rules. It was a close fight, but Mousassi convincingly snagged the decision. Kyotaro lost a hard fought decision to Semmy Schilt just two weeks prior, which may have affected him in this fight, but Mousassi was very impressive regardless and may have a future in K-1.
- In a K-1 MAX bout, colorful MMA fighter Akiyo Nishiura and K-1 MAX World -63kg Tournament winner Tetsuya Yamato fought to a majority draw, with the dissenting judge scoring the fight for Yamato. Akiyo's twitchy, unorthodox style was difficult for Yamato to figure out in the first two round, but he found his range in the third, tagging Akiyo repeatedly toward the end of the bout. Akiyo scored the better shots in the previous two rounds, but apparently the third round is the one that really matters to K-1 judges, which might explain one judge scoring it for Yamato.

Well that was exhausting, but when is it not. One of these days I'll do a recap that doesn't take half a day to read through, you'll see! Then again, it's not like anyone reads them anyway, so I might as well just keep up what I'm doing. Hopefully I'll get around to covering the events of Sengoku 16 in the next couple days. That'll be another long one. Oh joy.

Hot and Cold: UFC 125

Of course UFC 125 had its winners and losers (and draws), but how have the fighters been affected in the big picture? Who won or lost more than just the match they fought this past Saturday? Thought I'd try out something new, so here's what I think.

Who's HOT

Frankie Edgar: To many, the mark of a true champion is the ability to overcome adversity. Edgar showed one of the greatest examples of this against Gray Maynard, as he took one of the most hellacious beatings ever seen in a title fight, and not only survived the round but somehow came back to take round 2 clearly. Edgar is very disappointed that the fight came out to a draw, but the fact that he even made it to a decision at all is incredibly impressive by itself. He came back from a 10-8 first round to take a draw on one scorecard, and even win the fight on another. He has nothing to be ashamed of.

Brian Stann: Stann took a huge risk in calling out a fighter like Chris Leben while still trying to establish himself since dropping to 185. He was rewarded in the best way possible for his risk by not only beating Leben, but finishing him with strikes; something only middleweight champ Anderson Silva has managed to do. Stann arguably shot up from unheralded middleweight to top 15 in one fight.

Thiago Silva: After a year layoff to correct a back injury he's fought with for a while, Silva dominated and humiliated Brandon Vera on Saturday. With his performance, there are already suggestions from fans to give him Rampage or the winner of Jon Jones vs Ryan Bader for his next fight, which would put him in the mix.

Dong Hyun Kim: Kim impressed with a dominant grinding win over Nate Diaz, where he showed off his great strength and excellent awareness on the ground. He's not quite ready for GSP yet, but he definitely needs a top 10 opponent.

Clay Guida: Guida seems to be hitting a stride. His guillotine choke victory over for Pride lightweight king Takanori Gomi was his third straight submission victory, and in those fights he has displayed improvements in just about all facets of his game. It may be time to enter Guida in lightweight contender talks.

Dustin Poirer: A dominant decision over Josh Grispi has surely earned Poirer a top 10 featherweight spot, and likely has him close to earning a title shot.

Brad Tavares: Tavares showed some heart after getting dropped and nearly finished by a dangerous Phil Baroni, only to turn around and impressively TKO him shortly after.

Diego Nunes: The first round may not have been pretty, but Nunes is now arguably a top 5 featherweight after edging out former king Mike Brown via decision.

Who's COLD

Chris Leben: After the impressive 2010 Leben had, just losing to Stann didn't put him on the cold list. However, getting stopped due to strikes for just the second time in his career in a territory he usually calls his own (a brawl) justifies his entry. Reports have risen that Leben was sick during the fight (and he did look more sluggish than usual), but I hate excuses, and I doubt it would have gone too much differently. Leben is still a threat to most 185'ers so I'm sure he'll bounce back.

Brandon Vera: It's bad enough that Vera has now lost 3-straight, which is usually grounds for extermination in the UFC; but Vera also lost in lackluster and embarrassing fashion against Thiago Silva. After being dominated for 2 rounds, he practically did nothing while Silva rode his back, slapped his head, and drummed on his body in the 3rd. Vera was definitely one of the bigger losers Saturday.

Marcus Davis: Also in the 3-straight loss crowd is Marcus Davis, who had his debut at 155 spoiled when he suffered a 3rd round KO at the hands of Jeremy Stephens. All the more disheartening for Davis is that he was arguably winning the fight before the KO; he was soundly outboxing Stephens and overpowering him in the clinch and on the ground. As one of the more exciting fighters he may get another chance, and he definitely showed signs of being competitive in the division.

Josh Grispi: After his performance against Dustin Poirer it's hard to believe Grispi was originally slated to face Jose Aldo for the featherweight strap on at UFC 125. He's still very young so he has plenty of time to develop, but he is clearly not ready for upper-level featherweights yet.

Phil Baroni: The third and final entrant in the 3-straight loss club at UFC 125, Baroni is likely in the most danger of getting cut. After a strong start in which he seemed dropped Brad Tavares and almost locked in a tight guillotine, Baroni was shocked with a barrage of strikes.

Antonio McKee: McKee's mouth is what got him onto this list. His close decision loss to Jacob Volkmann (ending a 15 fight, almost 8 year unbeaten streak) is only a minor setback, but when you consider the amount of cocky trash talk and promises of coming into the UFC and taking reign over the lightweight division in brutal fashion, McKee was a pretty big loser that night. Usually eager to shoot off at the mouth when given the chance, he has been pretty quiet since the loss.

Who's....at ROOM TEMPERATURE

Gray Maynard: Maynard looked great in the first round of his title fight against Frankie Edgar. But after trying so hard to finish in that round, he was decidedly slower and less effective for the following 20 minutes. He still did well, but how do you go from destroying someone for 5 minutes to getting slammed on your ass and outworked by that same guy in the very next round?

Nate Diaz: Diaz is still a solid fighter, but Dong Hyun Kim just showed us what we already knew: Diaz can't handle the combo of good wrestling and submission defense. His performance against Kim was his typical fare, where he is taken down and nullified for 2 rounds, and finishes strong due to his great cardio, but it doesn't make up for being dominated for the majority of the fight.

Takanori Gomi: Gomi's susceptibility to submissions rears its ugly head once more against Clay Guida. Aside from that, he's faced nothing but tough competitors and he didn't look bad against Guida. Knowing how the UFC seems to deal with Japanese fighter, I sadly wouldn't be too surprised if Gomi was cut after going 1-2 in the UFC, but he still has a lot to offer them so I don't see it happening.

Jeremy Stephens: An impressive knockout doesn't erase the fact that Marcus Davis outworked him for much of the match. Nothing major, but Stephens will need to tighten up his game if he wants to compete at a higher level.

Mike Brown: Despite his decision loss to Diego Nunes, Brown looked solid in the fight, especially in the first round where he was aggressive with his striking and closed Nunes' left eye. He still has good fights to give in the UFC, but I fear the division is starting to pass him by.

Jacob Volkmann: You'd figure that with his third straight win he'd be in the hot column right? Not when you consistently deliver uneventful decision wins. Outwrestling Antonio McKee is a very impressive feat, but Volkmann won't get onto the main card anytime soon with his style.

UFC 125 recap

After a long hiatus from blogging, I couldn't resist returning after such an awesome string of fights both to close out 2010 and open up 2011. I'll cover UFC 125 right now, but I can't ignore Sengoku: Soul of Fight and Dynamte! 2010, as both proved to be quality events despite Japanese year-end shows usually being chock full of gimmicks and throwaway matches. UFC 125 delivered what I hoped it would, and then some, even if I may not have done so hot in predicting the outcomes. I called 2010 the year of upsets, and I think the trend may carry over to 2011. And here we go! Not holding back on this one, it will be lengthy haha.

Frankie Edgar (c) and Gray Maynard fight to a Split Draw, Rd 5
Prediction: In a repeat of their first encounter, Maynard's strength and size would be too much for Edgar in the early going, and a late surge against a more weary Maynard would prove too little, too late. Maynard by Decision.
What Happened: After a disastrous 1st round in which Edgar was nearly finished with punches multiple times, Edgar did the improbable and not only survived the round but came back to convincingly win the 2nd. What resulted was a close fight in which the scores were 48-46, 46-48, and 47-47, a split draw.
Thoughts: Wow. The fight that had long been predicted to be painfully boring turns out to be perhaps the most exciting, drama-filled fights on the entire card. I thought for sure Edgar was done in round one, and how he survived is beyond me. He came back to outwrestle Gray in several spots, effectively showing that Maynard's size and strength advantage isn't as dramatic as it once was. The fight was also a draw if I've ever seen one. It's disappointing but absolutely the right call. If it weren't for the the 10-8 round I would have scored it for Edgar in what would have been one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Hell, it still is.
Next for Edgar: An interesting situation has risen. Anthony Pettis is scheduled to face the winner of this fight....but there is no winner. Still, as much as an immediate rematch makes sense, I think the sensible thing to do is to give Pettis his shot since it involves a title unification and it is unfair to make him wait so long. Still, Maynard does deserve a rematch.
Next for Maynard: If he doesn't get a rematch, his choices are to either sit back and wait for the winner of Edgar vs Pettis or take another fight in the interim. If he chooses the latter, the winner of the upcoming Melvin Guillard vs Evan Dunham fight may make sense.

Brian Stann def. Chris Leben by TKO (knee and punches), Rd 1
Prediction: Stann would hold his own on the feet, but would succumb to the Leben Special: get caught up in a firefight, where Leben's chin and punching power usually allow him to come out on top in brutal fashion.
What Happened: Talk about the complete opposite. Stann did well in the early going not allowing Leben to draw him in, and using footwork and a good jab to jump in and out with his strikes. However, it was just a matter of time before he was in Leben's world....or so we thought. After being sucked into a firefight and even getting wobbled, Stann dropped Leben with a hard right hand. In typical fashion, Leben didn't mustered up the ability to get back to his feet, where Stann buckled him once again with sharp lefts. Once again, Leben somehow came back like a zombie from the grave. However, this time Stann would inflict the proverbial shot to the head: a hard knee and followup punches and Leben was done.
Thoughts: Leben still amazes me with his ability to absorb shots and keep coming. Just about any other guy would have been done after Stann landed that right hand and pounced for the finish, and if not would surely be done after the next volley of punches. But even more impressive was Stann's performance. According to most (including myself) this was Leben's fight to lose, but Stann made sure there was no doubt as to who ended the fight. Leading up to the fight Leben said Stann couldn't punch his way through a paper bag. Well maybe so, but he sure could punch his way through Leben's face.
Next for Stann: A win over such a highly regarded opponent should earn Stann a crack at an upper level middleweight. Michael Bisping would be a perfect opponent for him. Stann's more tactical approach since joining Greg Jackson's camp would be greatly tested against Bisping's methodical style. Not to mention pairing an arrogant Brit like Bisping against a humble, former Marine captain like Stann speaks for itself in terms of pre-fight build up. A lot of American fans want to see Bisping beaten regardless of who else he's facing; an all-American guy like Stann would have the America vs. Britain rivalry at an all time high.
Next for Leben: After a fantastic 2010, it looks like Leben's 2011 has started out on quite a bad note. Not only was he finished in the 1st round but it was due to strikes, something no other man but current middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva has done. Since it looks like he won't get Wanderlei Silva, Leben might look to rebound against the loser of Bisping vs Rivera or better yet, the loser of Mark Munoz vs CB Dollaway.

Thiago Silva def. Brandon Vera via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
Prediction: Silva would stay aggressive and go for the kill, landing the more effective strikes and controlling the ground portions of the fight for a close decision win.
What Happened: Vera showed a definite advantage standing up throughout most of the fight, but unfortunately for him he spent the majority of the fight underneath Silva, who bullied and completely shut Vera down with potent ground and pound and superior strength and positioning. To seal the deal, Silva spent most of the 3rd round riding Vera's back while landing several punches, slaps, forearm strikes, and even took some time to drum on Vera's back and punch him in the backside. Oh, and in the process managed to completely destroy Vera's nose.
Thoughts: Thiago Silva is back. After fighting a while with an injured back, he finally showed why he was such a feared contender before running into Lyoto Machida. With a healthy back he was able to demonstrate his physical dominance and excellent ground game to make Vera, a seasoned veteran, look like an amateur on the mat. Vera's extensive Greco Roman skills looked nonexistant as Silva was able to bully him in the clinch and forcefully take him to the ground (something Randy Couture couldn't even manage). Silva made it looked easy, and clowned and embarrassed Vera in the process. That wasn't a fight, that was 3 rounds of rape.
Next for Silva: Phil Davis would be a perfect opponent for him. He's on fire right now, will have the wrestling advantage (and Silva the striking advantage) and the fight give great insight as to where they both belong in the rankings. Otherwise, the winner of Forrest Griffin vs Rich Franklin would make a fine choice.
Next for Vera: I suspect that Vera will be cut after yet another disappointing performance. He has been hot-and-cold most of his career and I think the UFC brass may have grown tired of him never reaching his potential. If he sticks around, Tim Boetsch may be a good person to show where he really is in the division.

Dong Hyun Kim def. Nate Diaz via Decision (unanimous), Rd 3
PredictionNate Diaz has always had trouble with physically strong guys that have good takedowns and can avoid submissions while controlling the action on the ground. Kim is one of those guys. Kim via close decision.
What Happened: I was pretty spot on with that one. Diaz did well standing up in the fight (especially in the 3rd), but the fact remains that he is able to be taken down almost at will, and adding good submission defense all but guarantees he'll drop a competitive decision.
Thoughts: If you know me you know I can't stand Nate Diaz (I'm warming up to Nick a bit, but I'm still not a fan). I was happy seeing him once again get stifled by a good wrestler, though I would be tickled pink if someone actually managed to finish him. You'd think that with the way a lot of his fights go he'd be seriously drilling some defensive wrestling. Kim showed decent standup but definitely still needs to sharpen up that area of his game if he wants to go further in the division.
Next for Kim: He says he wants GSP, but at this point he's definitely not ready. It'd be interesting to see how his strength and grappling match up with GSP's but with the standup deficit, GSP may not even need to seek takedowns. The winner of Diego Sanches vs Martin Kampmann (thanks Sherdog) would be a good barometer of where he is in the division. Paulo Thiago may also be a solid matchup for him, even if he is coming off of two losses.
Next for Diaz: He needs to go back to 155. I still don't know why he thought he'd set 170 on fire when he can't even get past the good wrestlers at 155. Both divisions are ruled by great wrestlers, so maybe he should fatten up and go to 185 if he wants to avoid them. If he stays at 170, maybe he should get Paulo Thiago or John Howard. If he moves back down, Tyson Griffin or Takanori Gomi could be good opponents.

Clay Guida def. Takanori Gomi via Submission (guillotine choke), Rd 2
Prediction: Gomi would have the tools to wear down and beat Gomi, but is so prone to getting wreckless on the feet that Gomi would tag him and end his night in round 1 or 2. However, that is if Guida doesn't fight smart. A smart Guida could decision Gomi or score a late sub.
What Happened: Guida fought smart. He used his high energy level to move unpredictably in all directions and employ constant head movement. The result was highly confusing and frustrating for Gomi, who even got tagged a few times by Guida's spontaneous striking. Gomi did land a few good shots, but one knee to the body was proved a big mistake, as it allowed Guida to take him down and lock in a fight-ending guillotine.
Thoughts: I guess the Gomi hope train is derailed yet again, and it's sad to see. His susceptibility to submissions is what got him once again this time around, but Guida's frantic pace and confusing movement clearly left Gomi scratching his head, as he could not find his rhythm or his range. However, Guida's stock went way up, and he seems to be enjoying an evolution in his mental game at this point.
Next for Guida: Guida has won 3 straight and looked impressive along the way. His current resurgence has earned him a look at becoming a contender. Ben Henderson would make for an amazing fight between two guys with great wrestling, great chins, and no off-button. Potential fight of the year material if you ask me. Otherwise, a fight with Sean Sherk may also make sense and will show how well Guida holds up against another great wrestler.
Next for Gomi: I take it he gets one more chance to make an impact, and why not against someone else who has their back against the wall and likes to slug? Paul Taylor fits this mold. The fight would surely be fireworks, and should show if Gomi really is done being considered a viable contender. A fight against Nate Diaz would also make for a good story, considering Gomi had an epic battle with his brother Nick that ended with Gomi tapping to a gogoplata late in the fight, only to have the result declared a no contest later on due to Diaz's "herbal self medication." Nate has an iron jaw, great submissions, and is prone to getting into brawls on the feet just like Nick, so the fight could prove to be as epic.

The Prelims
- Marcus Davis looked very solid for his debut at 155 for two rounds. Then he ran into Jeremy Stephens' fist and was knocked unconscious. Davis actually staggered Stephens with a punch in the 1st, but chose to run in and clinch instead trying to go for the finish. As soon as it happened I said he'd regret it because it will probably cost him the fight. Turns out I was right.
- In one of the big shockers of the night, Dustin Poirer thoroughly dominated almost-featherweight title challenger Josh Grispi on the feet and shut down his submission skills on the ground en route to a dominant decision. Jose Aldo's injury may have been a blessing for Grispi because judging from this fight Aldo would have annihilated him if he got that title shot.
- Not surprisingly, Phil Baroni lost to Brad Tavares. The shocker was that he was TKO'd in round 1 after nearly finishing Tavares early on. Baroni can take a ton of damage so you figure if he was going to be stopped it'd be after the first round, where he typically gasses. Baroni will surely be cut now, at just 3-7 in the UFC.
- Diego Nunes took home a close split decision over former champ Mike Brown. Tough fight to predict but I called it, saying that Brown would start off strong but be unable to finish, and Nunes would use his speed and striking to take rounds 2 and 3. The featherweight division seems to have passed Brown by, and he has alternated wins and losses in his last 6. Nunes' stock continues to rise, and he may soon have to make the choice of whether or not to fight Nova Uniao teammate and UFC Featherweight champ Jose Aldo.
- Daniel Roberts survived an early scare to pull off a beautiful kimura submission over of Greg Soto in the 1st round. As soon as Soto's arm was available, Roberts grabbed a hold of it and impressively locked in the submission in lightning quick fashion. Roberts can be a major player at 170 if he works on his standup, and for the record, this should have been award Submission of the Night.
- After loads upon loads of trash talk and self promoting Antonio McKee lost his promotional debut, dropping an uneventful and at times dreadful to watch split decision to Jacob Volkmann. McKee sees a 15 fight, almost 8 year unbeaten streak come to an end, while Volkmann has now won his 3rd straight since dropping down to lightweight. It's quite ironic to see that after so much talk from McKee about how being derided for grinding out decisions by critics has brought out a monster in him who will violently run through everyone he faces, he loses this fight by being outwrestled and grinded down by a guy he was supposed to outwrestle. Kinda funny.

Whew! Okay, that does it. It was a very good event overall, which makes me even more excited for what is to come in 2011. I'll be writing back soon with recaps of the J-MMA year-end events, but until then good fight and good night!

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.