Last week, I put a poll on the front page of IWF. Look, it's still there! It asked people to choose which upcoming fight they were most excited about. Before I even wrote the answers, I knew what my choice would be. Here are the clues: it involves a trilogy, two of MMA's best knockouts, and a high speed chase through Los Angeles.
I'll spare you the history and get to the good stuff:
How Silva wins: Silva wins by doing exactly what he did in the first two fights with Jackson. Get the clinch, win the clinch, and throw knees until he hears the bell. Silva was absolutely vicious in his early fights with Jackson and he'll need that edge in order to beat the much-improved Jackson. Silva's cardio should be better too, so look for him to push the fight into the deeper rounds.
How Jackson wins: Keep distance and counter punch, a la UFC 71. Jackson won't win in the clinch or if it goes to a decision, so he needs to find a balance between pushing the pace and being careful. Jackson should be the stronger man, physically, and might be able to have his way with Wanderlei if he can trip the Brazilian and end up on top.
Who wins and why: Silva wins easily. Jackson has had too much going on in his life to give a long and hard training camp the attention it deserves. We know he is lazy when it comes to his training: the mental instability and court proceedings provided even more distraction on top of his usual malaise. Meanwhile, Silva has been a beast as of late and should continue his road to the top with a PRIDE 28 style victory.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Jackson-Silva Preview
Monday, November 24, 2008
Classic Fighter: Evan Tanner
This week, we begin our first installment in a series that will be published each Monday. “Classic fighters” will examine some of the most talented, popular, and unusual fighters in MMA history. Click to read about our first choice: Evan Tanner.
It was obvious that Tanner was destined for greatness when, in a local MMA tournament, he beat three fighters in one night. Among the fighters was future UFC star Paul Buentello. Tanner’s UFC successes are well known but what usually falls under the radar is his time with the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation. Tanner won the belt by submitting future star Heath Herring in just his fourth professional fight. He then defended his belt a record number seven times.
His UFC career was not without gold, either. Tanner won his first three UFC bouts before losing a title fight to Tito Ortiz. However, Tanner would be back in the title hunt soon enough, beating David Terrell to take the UFC middleweight title. Despite losing the belt on a cut to Rich Franklin, Tanner was always in title contention. He’s known for defeating Robbie Lawler once and Phil Baroni twice in some of the most interesting matches UFC have fans have ever seen.
Evan Tanner’s untimely death brought a void to the MMA world, but his body of work is an easy reminder of the monumental contribution he has made.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Liddell-Couture IV?
All of the talk of the A. Silva-Liddell superfight at UFC 95 has now been quieted. UK's The Sun reports that Liddell has now been offered a heavyweight fight with Randy Couture at an event in Germany on June 13th.
This fight would probably draw a ton of attention, as the name recognition of both fighters may be higher than ever. Yes, Chuck Liddell has lost 3 of his last 4 fights. However, he's still probably the most recognizable name in MMA. People will tune in.
Where does this put Anderson Silva? Reports say that he may face one of the losers of the big UFC 92 LHW fights, Forrest Griffin-Rashad Evans or Quinton Jackson-Wanderlei Silva.
Whatever happens, the UFC is doing a great job with keeping these cards exciting. Just when you think that they run out of ideas they come out with unbelievable dream fights. I'm not by any means saying that Liddell-Couture IV would be a dream fight. There is only so much that you can milk a rivalry. With both fighters out of their prime and the fact that this would be their fourth meeting, this fight doesn't excite me as much as Anderson Silva-Liddell does.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Jon Fitch Back in the UFC
In a nice "I was about to say..." moment, Jon Fitch is now a UFC fighter again. Apparently, communication broke down between him and Dana (go figure), however Lorenzo Fertitta saved the day. From MMA Rated:
“Communication kind of broke down with Dana (White) so we talked with Lorenzo,” Fitch told MMARated. “(I) just got off the phone with him and we came to an agreement. We’re going to move ahead and I’ll be back in the UFC. We’re going to sign off on the video game and I’m back. It was never even about the agreement or the contract. It was the approach that we felt Dana was being a little bit hot-headed and was threatening us right off the bat. It didn’t seem like a professional way of doing things.”Read More...
Jon Fitch Cut From UFC Contract
After refusing to allow his likeness to be indefinitely used by the UFC, top 5 welterweight Jon Fitch was unceremoniously cut from his contract. His scheduled UFC 94 bout against Akihiro Gono is obviously off the table. Christian Wellisch, another AKA fighter, was also fired while the rest of the organization has been put on notice.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Paulo Filho Released From WEC
Numerous sources are reporting that Paulo Filho has been released from his Zuffa contract and is not likely to be picked up by the UFC. Filho has battled losses, weight cutting issues, and depression during his tenure as an WEC champion.
UFC 95: Liddell Vs. Silva?
Anderson Silva vs. Chuck Liddell? It sounds like something you might dream up in the UFC video game, but according to The Sun, it could be a reality. Read more for our analysis on the possibility of this super fight.
In all honesty, I don't see why the UFC would make this fight, other than for one huge payday. Silva would be expected to win for sure, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of -200. And if Silva did win, what would that mean? Since he would be expected to win, the victory would do little for Silva. However, it would delegitimize Liddell (further) and essentially put the cap on The Iceman's career. Yeah, he's gonna have to retire eventually, but do you really want your biggest retail draw to be embarrassed?
On the other hand, a Liddell win could be even more devastating to the UFC. It would take more than a KO of Anderson Silva to thrust Liddell back into title contention, so the only thing they would be doing is destroying their most talented star. Silva has always been the answer to Fedor fans in the pound for pound debate, and a loss would all but hand that title over to the Russian. This is not the fight the UFC wants. Let Silva wait for Bisping or Maia at MW, or let him test the waters against Georges St. Pierre. For Liddell, it's much simpler. Offer him one more shot at Jackson or a fourth fight with Couture.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
UFC 91 Reaction
UFC 91 may just be the pay-per-view of the year. With 5 stoppages in 5 fights on the main card, fans around the world were treated in an unbelievable night. Another chapter was written in the age-old storylines of “old school vs. new school,” “experience vs. youth” and “size vs. knowledge”. Brock Lesnar, four fights into his mixed-martial-arts career, defeated the most decorated and beloved UFC champion of all-time. It was no secret that the entire live audience and most fans at home were rooting for “The Natural”. How great would it be if a 45-year-old beat a younger 280-pounder?
However, I think that Brock beating Randy is much better for the UFC and for MMA. Is this not a perfect “passing of the torch” moment? Brock Lesnar is unbelievably marketable. Much more so than Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Frank Mir, or even Randy Couture. That factor is usually overlooked. Marketability is key to a sport’s and a company’s success. For instance, look at Kimbo Slice. He’s terrible. However, he is probably the most famous mixed-martial-artist in the world.
Brock Lesnar is legitimately good. He’s not just some 280-pound animal that mauls everybody…well actually, he is…but he’s much more than that. His wrestling is dominant, his striking is improving every day, and his work ethic is insane. He’s the first one to the gym every day and the last one to leave. He’s got a hunger for learning and he’s a fast learner, which is a scary combination. His combination of size and speed is unparalleled in the world of fighting. Brock Lesnar has proved that he’s legit and that he’ll be around for quite awhile.
Where does Randy go from here? He probably fights the loser of Nogueira-Mir. There shouldn’t be any talk of Fedor vs. Randy unless Couture is the champion.
Kenny Florian put on a dominating performance against Joe Stevenson. With the way that Florian was dominating the stand-up I was very surprised when he took Stevenson to the ground. Florian looked better than ever on his feat, getting in and getting out with minimal damage done to himself. However, it was when he took it to the ground that he put on a clinic. His mount of Stevenson looked effortless, as did the resulting rear naked choke. Florian is much improved since his last title shot and I think that he could give BJ Penn some major problems.
In two great shows of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, Dustin Hazelett and Demian Maia moved their way up the ladder of their respective weight classes. Fans were treated to a beautiful transition from an omoplata to straight armbar in another videogame-like submission courtesy of the newly crowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt, Dustin Hazelett. Hazelett’s armbar broke Demian Maia’s 3-fight “submission of the night” streak. However, Maia’s performance was more impressive. Maia took down Quarry, mounted him, got his back and choked him out in just over 2 minutes. He is the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter in MMA and he needs to fight either Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin, or Dan Henderson next.
Gabriel Gonzaga knocked out the UFC rookie Josh Hendricks in 1:01 in what seemed like a “business as usual” fight for the heavy-handed heavyweight. It was an absolutely dominating striking performance by the Brazilian. I’d like to see Gonzaga’s next fight be the winner of Cheick Kongo vs. Mustafa Al-Turk.
UFC 91 Quick Results
UFC 91 was a wild night. Quick results after the jump.
MAIN CARD:
Demian Maia def. Nate Quarry via submission– 2:13, Round 1
Gabriel Gonzaga def. Josh Hendricks via TKO–1:01, Round 1
Dustin Hazelett def. Tamdan McCrory via submission 3:59, Round 1
Kenny Florian def. Joe Stevenson via submission 4:03 Round 1
Brock Lesnar def. Randy Couture via TKO 3:07 Round 2
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Matt Brown def. Ryan Thomas via submission– 0:57, Round 2
Mark Bocek def. Alvin Robinson via submission — 3:16, Round 3
Jeremy Stephens def. Rafael dos Anjos via TKO –:39, Round 3
Aaron Riley def. Jorge Gurgel via unanimous decision
Friday, November 14, 2008
UFC 91 Quick Picks
UFC 91 Quick Picks, after the jump.
Couture via unanimous decision
Florian via submission
Hendricks via KO/TKO
Maia via submission
Hazelett via unanimous decision
Gurgel via unanimous decision
Dos Anjos via KO/TKO
Robinson via KO/TKO
Brown via submission
Thursday, November 13, 2008
UFC 91 Preview
Martial Base comes to us with an excellent preview of UFC 91. Click to read the story after the jump.
The fight between Hall Of Famer Randy Couture and relatively-green Brock Lesnar combines numerous storylines that are sure to pull in all types of MMA fans, hardcore and casual. For Couture, this fight means everything. He has tons to lose: his legacy, his world title, his standing in the UFC. If he wins, it means relatively nothing for his storied MMA career. Despite what the odds might tell you (they are even), this is Couture's fight to win. Yes, his wrestling will now be matched by a younger, stronger, and purer wrestler, but Randy is expected to win this fight.
Cut to Brock Lesnar, to whom this fight means everything. But unlike Randy's quest, which begins with him sitting proudly atop the division, Lesnar has everything to gain. If he loses the fight, who can fault him? Three fights in the UFC and already he's taking on one of the greatest champions of all time. This is the benefit of facing top-flight competition. If you lose, it's no big deal. If you win, it could mean the world. And if Lesnar wins at UFC 91, it will be mean the culmination of his blossoming career. He will have become a champion in less than three bouts, he will have dethroned Couture, and he most likely will have etched a permanent place in UFC history. Need any hint as to who the UFC is rooting for? Just check out Dana White's recent stint on CNBC. Or take a look at who has been included in the first set of UFC action figures. Brock's the answer to both questions, and he is the UFC's future. Once a Kimbo-esque renegade, Lesnar has truly transformed into something worth writing home about.
On November 15, 2008, fans should be treated to one of the greater wrestling spectaculars of all time. The UFC media machine will be pumping hard to get this one the largest gate of all time, and if you'd like to suggest they won't, be my guest. I won't buy anything less than an attendance record.
I expect to see Lesnar work Couture over early, winning the first two rounds with his size and strength. By the third, though, I think you'll see Couture figuring out just how to beat Lesnar. His experience should come into play in this bout as Couture will adapt his plan to Lesnar's particular strategy. I have it tied 38-38 going into the final round, and that's as far as I'm comfortable predicting on this one. The old adage is to never bet against Randy Couture and while I'm tempted to buy that yet again, Couture's never seen anything like Brock Lesnar.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Changes Coming
Glad to be back! Over the next week, we'll be revamping the site. I've cleaned up some of the stuff we didn't use and have started to update the stuff we want to keep. Upcoming events should be ready to go. I'll soend some time tomorrow updating everything else.
Then, we'll start to post again and Jordan Arnold will eventually take over as owner of the site.
Also, we're happy to announce a partnership with Aaron Richman and his advertising network!
-Ben
