MMA: Lemme speak on this...

[bobsticks]

...WTF has happened to CroCop since then??? People blocking the high kick and staying in close to avoid his power punches? It's almost sad how far he's fallen.

I got curious when you asked this---I don't get all the Japanese PPVs---and did some digging. It goes far to explain the "what happened to CroCop?" question. I would imagine that after viewing it you'll have some gratitude for the severity and nature of your own circumstances...ouch.





BTW, if you've ever wondered about testing in Japan I think you can point to the new and improved, Latimmer "Place at the table!", Alistair Overeem...

http://ikrazy.com/video/da82de8f6d428b9/

[kexodusc]

He's only half the man he used to be...

[bobsticks]

I think Arlovski's biggest weakness is himself. The dude has scary good offense and is competent on the ground being a sambo wiz. He seems to get in the most trouble when he's trying to finish guys off though...

...I don't know if he's going to beat Fedor. But I think for the first time in a long time Fedor's going to see an opponent that he can't dominate on the ground and put away with an armbar.

Interestingly enough you were right on a couple of calls. Arlovski's boxing and sambo did payoff. He was clearly well on the way to winning the first round on points. From a technical standpoint he looked outstanding...hands up and tight, using his reach advantage to the fullest extent and using a variety of lowkicks to keep Fedor honest...

...and then he tries to finish with a high knee?! His overconfidence brought him too close to a looping overhand paw that pummeled him into unconsciousness before his body hit the ground.

For the first time I think the combination of physical gift and technique brought something against Fedor that, if only for a moment, puzzled him. To Arlovski's credit he was able to back The Last Emperor up, which even CroCop (who took him to a rare decision) was unable to do.

What occured to me most was that Arlovski looked like a phenomenally trained athlete who had been conditioned to fight while Fedor moved, breathed, and reacted more like an animal. The coup de grâce was so vicious and feral I imagine it would actually confound a trained fighter more than it would a layman. To the uninitiated it would seem a lightning-fast strike from nowhere whereas those in the know will marvel at the unconventional angle that appeared as nothing more than muscle-memory reaction.

Presumably, Barnett's dismantling of Yvel puts him as the number one contender. It'll be interesting to see how the next title bout develops.

[Gerall]

I have been watching MMA since the early years where you got the underground tapes from a video store. Couldnt have them on the shelves. Prior to that I did go to most of the closed circuit matches. What turned my against boxing is that the judging became much like figure skating, based on history, reputation, and expectations, as opposed to who actually won the match. Too many obvious policical decisions drove me away.

[kexodusc]

Interestingly enough you were right on a couple of calls. Arlovski's boxing and sambo did payoff. He was clearly well on the way to winning the first round on points. From a technical standpoint he looked outstanding...hands up and tight, using his reach advantage to the fullest extent and using a variety of lowkicks to keep Fedor honest...

...and then he tries to finish with a high knee?! His overconfidence brought him too close to a looping overhand paw that pummeled him into unconsciousness before his body hit the ground.

For the first time I think the combination of physical gift and technique brought something against Fedor that, if only for a moment, puzzled him. To Arlovski's credit he was able to back The Last Emperor up, which even CroCop (who took him to a rare decision) was unable to do.

What occured to me most was that Arlovski looked like a phenomenally trained athlete who had been conditioned to fight while Fedor moved, breathed, and reacted more like an animal. The coup de grâce was so vicious and feral I imagine it would actually confound a trained fighter more than it would a layman. To the uninitiated it would seem a lightning-fast strike from nowhere whereas those in the know will marvel at the unconventional angle that appeared as nothing more than muscle-memory reaction.

Presumably, Barnett's dismantling of Yvel puts him as the number one contender. It'll be interesting to see how the next title bout develops.

Arlovski looked a bit "off" to me. Maybe I'm seeing things but he looked, well not himself. There were a few exchanges and spots where he did the right thing of course, but he seemed to be lacking that predatory instinct that made him so good a few years ago. Maybe he's thinking too much for his own good? I dunno. Easy for me to say when I don't have to worry about a knuckle sandwich from hell knocking my chin down my throat.

Fedor looked very mortal to me. Maybe he's getting old or something. Didn't he just lose a match at Sambo? Funny how a single fight can affect perception. Maybe it was the production value or something but these guys both dropped big time on my top 10 lists. I'm starting to wonder if Fedor really is talking tough but dodging the real contenders like his critics so often suggest?

Yvel is still the guy everyone loves to hate, including me.. I agree, Barnett must be #1 contender now.

GSP vs Penn is the one I'm drooling over. My 2 favs. I love how the UFC is marketing GSP to be the underdog "good guy" and Penn to be the cocky badass playboy type. Ridiculous. Both are decent human beings and both are pretty classy as far as that goes. I think Penn has more sense on what's good for him vs what's good for the UFC than GSP does and hasn't fit the poster boy profile they wanted.

I think Penn wins the rematch with precision striking, evasion and a patient game plan. He'll wait for GSP to make a mistake. GSP's had more "big fights" lately IMO and he fights to win, sometimes taking unnecessary risks. Penn's fights have mostly been over before they started so he fights just not to lose, and that'll keep him out of trouble.

I could be wrong though, as much as Penn's improved his conditioning, GSP's improved his all around game, and he's no longer intimidated by his opponents. Both are different fighters from the first matchup.

Dunno how the UFC tops that one? Fedor vs Lesnar/Mir?

[bobsticks]

I agree with your take on GSP/Penn and I'm stating now that I'm pulling for GSP heavily. That's not an endoresment that he'll win but more of a recognition that I consider him a good guy. Clearly it could go either way.

Where does UFC go from here? Your guess is as good as mine. Therea are, and will remain, some doubts about Lesnar and until he develops enough to beat a top-tiered opponent convincingly that's the way it is. None the less, Mir/Lesnar 2 should draw some heat as many are interested in that development and it doesn't hurt that Mir dispatched Big Nog in short order. The rest of the heavies don't really match up currently though Shane Corwin has the potential and there's word that Dana's bringing Allistair Overeem in.

SPOILER PREDICTION***--over here in the good ol' U.S. of A where them stair-royd thingies are illegal Overeem will be a shadow of his former self.

I'm most disappointed in the lack of real competition for A. Silva in either the 175 lb. or 205 lb. divisions. After last night, and indee his previous fight, the only person I'm really salivating to see fight Anderson is, believe it or not, Vitor Belfort. "The Phenom" is back...or at least it looked that way in te 28 seconds and one punch that it took to KtFO Matt "The Law" Lindland. I still don't thnk Vitor will beat Anderson, I'm just sayin'...

Sometimes I think we're conditioned by some of the amazing offensive tour de forces that we've witnessed to underestimate the thinking aspect of these things. I respect your opinion but, to an extent, found parts of both fighters' performances last night ipressive. If AA looked unnatural it's because IMO he was concentrating on adopting a style slightly foreign to his natural tendencies. I felt he used his reach advantage well, avoided the ground and, surprisingly, used leg kicks effectively. It was his own hubris that was the end of him (...and the Romans).

For Fedor, perhaps, the most impressive part of the night was his recognition of his limitations and playing an effective role despite them. He waited for his opportunity and skillfully implemented a counterstrike resulting in the multi-directional collision between AA's head and the mat. One observer noted that Andre got "Arlofted"... I think some credit has to be given for remaining ice-cold in such an adrenaline-soaked situation.

[kexodusc]

Hmm, yeah, fair assessment.

You're right, Silva needs some heavy duty competition fast. Maybe he could put on 30 lbs or so and take on the big boys?
Maybe they should just tie one arm behind his back? Maybe he could meet the winner of GSP and Penn in some hybrid weight class match? Probably not fair, but it'd be neat.

[bobsticks]

Hmm, yeah, fair assessment.

You're right, Silva needs some heavy duty competition fast. Maybe he could put on 30 lbs or so and take on the big boys?
Maybe they should just tie one arm behind his back? Maybe he could meet the winner of GSP and Penn in some hybrid weight class match? Probably not fair, but it'd be neat.

Y'know what I miss? The old K-1 tournies...no wieght classes, baby. I can think of more than a handful of heavies that would potentially be put down by Anderson. 'Member them ol' UFCs back in the day. A one night, no-weight class, dealio would be more interesting than 99% of the matches that Dana could put together right now.

[kexodusc]

Y'know what I miss? The old K-1 tournies...no wieght classes, baby. I can think of more than a handful of heavies that would potentially be put down by Anderson. 'Member them ol' UFCs back in the day. A one night, no-weight class, dealio would be more interesting than 99% of the matches that Dana could put together right now.

There was talk of putting on a tournament style king of the octagon type event, but it's unlikely to happen for a lot of reasons.

Fist, sanctioning and the perception that MMA is a sport, not barbaric - those tourney's have the potential for some ugly scenes that could hurt the sport's image.

Second - ego - a lot of fighters have more to lose than gain by entering that now. So the purse would have to be huge, or the card would be mostly mid-level talent.

That would still be interesting though...I'd pay to watch that.

Joe Ferraro of Sportsnet.ca had an interesting comment about weight classes in today's UFC...

...at 145 pounds, how would Urijah Faber do against a 205-pounder like Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Quinton (Rampage) Jackson, Wanderlei Silva or even Chuck Liddell?

I asked Dana White this very question while he visited the Sportsnet studio on Tuesday and his response was obvious. "He'd get killed. What's your point?"

I explained to White, my point was simple: the difference in weight between Faber and the light-heavyweights was similar to what Randy Couture experienced vs. Brock Lesnar.

[bobsticks]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

[kexodusc]

Wow, I was not expecting a total, one-sided domination like that. GSP has obviously elevated his game by quite a bit since the fight in 2006, but I really thought Penn did too. Didn't look like it here as GSP just beat Penn like he owed him money from start to finish.

A friend of mine boldly suggests that the lack of competition for Penn vs the quality of opponents for GSP might have misled people about how close this one could be. Sherk, Pulver, etc vs Serra, Hughes on so on. Yeah maybe. I still think the size/weight differences gave GSP an advantage, it's tough to fight biology.

Penn did get carried away with his hype-talk and some of the GSP bashing was a bit much, but I never got the sense there was any animosity between the two so maybe it was just gamesmanship. Wonder what's next for Penn?

A Silva/GSP fight is already being talked about,

Ha ha...Bonner lost.

[bobsticks]

"Rush" put on a clinic. I doubt many expected that level of outright domination. Though it can be said that he overpowered Penn in all physical aspects, Pierre seemed extremely focused and rather tenacious. Penn seemed like that soft, schoolyard bully that finally gets a dramatc comeuppance.

I think the biggest winner of the night was Lyoto Machida. None can argue with his record but if Dana White has shown us anything since the passing of the guard from early days of Royce it's that he refuses to put on boring fights. While Machida has always presented a frustrating and confusing style I doubt that you'd disagree that, at times, he's put on some technically magnificent yawners. He needed that kind of a clearcut, stand-up win to moe into the title picture. Dana's gotta appease the WWE demographic afterall. The word "domination" again comes to mind...as does the word "slobberknocker"...

I'm getting tired of the phrase "pound for pound".

[kexodusc]

I'm getting tired of the phrase "pound for pound".

In my mind GSP earned the title "best fighter in the world" last night lb for lb or otherwise - it's one thing to beat a guy like BJ, it's another to kick his ass and make it look easy. But it's really not fair to compare fighters across weight classes - so much of the bigger guy's games is knockout power and explosive offence, there's more stamina and technique in the smaller classes. I can't imagine a guy like BJ lasting long vs Mir or Lesnar, but I doubt many would argue he's got better skills. Each fighter works to be the best in their weight class, not win fantasy match-ups.

I agree with everything you say about Machida - painful to watch, but nobody can figure him out yet. He's far more cerebral in the ring than most bloodthirsty fans can appreciate. I'd give him the shot - pretty or not he's cutting up the opposition. Dana should think of how big the pop will be once a more mainstream figher KO's him! Everyone wants to see him lose. If he became champ and held on to it a few years, eventually a challenger would knock him off and a legend would be born. You can't write a better script.

[bobsticks]

Hey Kex,

You got any vaseline?

...I think GSP's new cornerman will need to borrow some...

...hehehe

[bobsticks]

I have been watching MMA since the early years where you got the underground tapes from a video store. Couldnt have them on the shelves. Prior to that I did go to most of the closed circuit matches. What turned my against boxing is that the judging became much like figure skating, based on history, reputation, and expectations, as opposed to who actually won the match. Too many obvious policical decisions drove me away.

Hey Gerall,

Let's not kid ourselves, MMA has it's share of politics too. The previous convo Kex and I were having about Machida reflects a most basic business politik but it goes further. The UFC has always had a bit, from the stranglehold the Gracie family exerted to the current titl scene and virtually anything that comes out of Dana White's mouth regarding Fedor Emilianenko.

Still, on the whole, it is a refreshing change and I love the fcat that within the timeframe of a few second match the entire championship landscape can change.

[kexodusc]

Hey Kex,

You got any vaseline?

...I think GSP's new cornerman will need to borrow some...

...hehehe

LOL. I can only assume Penn's camp was complaining about the additional weight advantage the vaseline gave GSP over BJ, because he was on top beating the tar out of him for most of the meaningful seconds of that fight.

It's not like they don't all grease up on baby oil or whatever in the room before the fight...

I thought Dana's comments were the best "Some Vaseline on a guy's back didn't change the outcome of that fight, but you don't do it."

[bobsticks]

I choose to ignore the silliness of "Vaselinegate" and focus on the following:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

[kexodusc]

Rashad finally starting to get some respect I see. There's a guy that still has some upside if he wants to improve. I'm afraid his biggest threat is that his natural talent already leads him to believe he's the greatest. He needs a loss to piss him off and bring him down a peg. The best fighters get hungrier after an upset.

[bobsticks]

Hey Kex,

What'd you think about Paulo Thiago's uppercut-left hook combo KO over Koscheck ? That's what ya gets for leadin' with yer chin, eh? It could prolly be argued that the fight was stopped prematurely but, damn, you just can't roll like that in the Big Show.

I'm thinkin' Maia's lateral drop into a triangle on Chael Sonnen was the move of the night...

[kexodusc]

Hey Kex,

What'd you think about Paulo Thiago's uppercut-left hook combo KO over Koscheck ? That's what ya gets for leadin' with yer chin, eh? It could prolly be argued that the fight was stopped prematurely but, damn, you just can't roll like that in the Big Show.

I'm thinkin' Maia's lateral drop into a triangle on Chael Sonnen was the move of the night...

I replayed that a dozen times because I was rooting for Koscheck...but you can clearly see Koscheck's eyes were glossed over, rolled up in the back of his head and he was a gonner. IF Thiago wanted to pounce on him he could have done some serious damage. Great stoppage there. I was pretty shocked cause he's shown he's had a half decent chin in the past and that shot didn't look particularly devastating...Might have been one of those mouth-open stunner shots...he was gone for a few seconds though and despite his fast recovery I really think it was the right call.

He's such an aggressor in the cage that he does leave himself exposed from time to time. That was ok because his chin wasn't made of glass until yesterday, now I think fighters might not show him as much respect.

Felt bad for Stevenson -he's got to learn some better finishing techniques cause his offence was pretty by the book. And Sanchez read it. I got the feeling that if it went 5 rounds though, things might have been pretty damn interesting. Diego wasn't giving him any problems really and the longer it went, the less he fought, makes me wonder if Stevenson could have pulled off the upset with more time.

Maia's move was pretty good - I think Sonnen was expecting him to roll and not wrap the leg around him.

Gouveia got exactly what he deserved, and probably needed. Marquardt didn't look so great as much as he looked in better shape, more prepared, and no real gaping holes in his game. Gouveia needs to decide if he wants to be at the top of the weight class or just fight on the undercard. He's got the tools and skill, just not the work ethic I think.

[bobsticks]

Yeah, but no matter what Sonnen expected what he got what a rather Spider-like toss and a quick exit. Good stuff, I felt.

Overall it thought it was a pretty decent show despite the lack of mainstream marquee names...don't get me wrong, there was alot of talent in 95 but nobody's nuthugging Nate Marquart.

Lol, and speaking of nuthugging, Sports Illustrated is reporting the "great probability" that the next Afliction show will feature Barnett v. Fedor as its main event. Like you, I was not impressed by Josh's inability to put away Yvel at the last outing. That said, he is still an amazing catch wrestler with some mighty dangerous paws. If he gets a burr in his ass he might be resloute in outmatching his buddy. I doubt it though and, of course, sigbets will be available.

I may be a little late to the party on this one but evidently there's been some changes in the rules...hehehe...

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/...=8139&zoneid=2

[kexodusc]

I'm getting sick of vaselinegate already. As one UFC fighter quipped, after about 1 or 2 minutes into the round that stuff starts to add friction and become a bit sticky, providing more grip than simple body sweat would, so it works both ways too.

Guess GSP will have to beat him clean for a 3rd time to make BJ go away. Too bad.

As for Barnett, I can't imagine him putting away Fedor but Fedor looked pretty mortal in his last fight so who knows?

[bobsticks]

I'm getting sick of vaselinegate already. As one UFC fighter quipped, after about 1 or 2 minutes into the round that stuff starts to add friction and become a bit sticky, providing more grip than simple body sweat would, so it works both ways too.

Yes

Guess GSP will have to beat him clean for a 3rd time to make BJ go away. Too bad.

Not too bad. There was a time when I'd spout off something diplomatic like "I respect Penn for his God-given ability" but anymore, not so much. I'm tired of him not showing up for fights.

I have no doubt that GSP would've and will always layeth the smacketh down on BJ...because of the size and technique but, geez man, come to throw.

As for Barnett, I can't imagine him putting away Fedor but Fedor looked pretty mortal in his last fight so who knows?

Well, as you've no doubt assumed TeamSticks has been researching this through all sources. I agree with you, and my original assessment btw, that Fedor had some challenging moments against AA but closer inspection indicates maybe not as much as I thought. I saw some slo-mo GIFs that display more clearly the Емельяненко blocking technique...shoulder rolls and armblocks. I think Fedor got hit a lot less than many of us assumed...

[kexodusc]

Yeah, you're probably right. I watched the fight again a few times too, and I never was as nervous about him losing as I was the first time - maybe knowing the outcome diminishes the value of AA's performance. Maybe I just have Fedor on too high a pedestal and forget he's always just 1 punch away from an upset like everyone else. High expectations on that guy.

I get the feeling whoever beats Fedor is just going to use it as a bargaining chip to jump ship to UFC for bigger bucks. Too bad, if I'm right.

[kexodusc]

As far as Penn goes, I'm really disappointed in him. There's always been a cockiness about him that I tolerate because he's a MMA fighter and every interview is designed to bring that out to hype the fight. But this guy runs his mouth about his opponents too much before and after victories, and is a pretty sore loser. He was in in the first GSP fight, he cried after Pulver beat him, he cried after losing to Hughes, and now this.

I think he showed up for this one - but he's too small naturally to carry at 170 and now more than ever weight matters in MMA. That, and GSP is just a much better fighter than the also-rans that fight Penn at Lightweight, which isn't nearly as competitive IMO.

Still, Penn isn't nearly as annoying as Bisping. I can't wait for that guy to lose.

As for UFC 95 - I thought it was decent, especially since it was free. It suffered from a lot of early finishes which always makes it tough, but it wasn't very predictable. Most of those fights were important to separate contenders from pretenders.