9 THINGS I LEARNED FROM UFC RIO AND REACTIONS.....

Well, another night of fights is in the books, and man was it a doozy. Hurricane Irene came around and tried to open up a can of whoop ass on me, but I wouldn’t let her. Faulty satellite feed be damned!! I was still able to watch all the fights from RIO thanks to some McGuyver like moves from my brother and only follower so far. Thanks Bro!

For anyone who wasn’t actually able to watch the event, please, for your own sake, watch it now. There was not a boring fight on the card and only two fights went the distance (televised and PPV at least). Ironically enough, in an event where there was a BJJ blackbelt fighting in almost every matchup save one, there was not a submission finish the whole night. Go figure!

So….. Let’s recap.

I went 4 x 3 on my picks last night. Not bad for my first attempt at breaking down fights.


Rousimar Palhares defeats Dan Miller by UD.
Just like I said, this was a one sided beat down and Palhares pretty much destroyed Miller in every aspect. It didn’t end in a submission like I predicted but man was it brutal at times. Miller did manage to rattle his opponent once but it was pretty much smooth sailing for Palhares from there on. Kudos to him by the way for landing a solid head kick on Miller that sent him to the canvas. Double kudos to him for completely embarrassing himself and celebrating a TKO victory that never occurred and still managing to dominate the rest of the fight. It must be hard to come back from a mental mistake like that and still win.

Thiago Tavares defeats Spencer Fisher by TKO/KO

Man, was I wrong about this one. Thiago Tavares not only brought the fight to Fisher, but pretty much dictated that pace of the match from the opening bell. Fisher had no answer for Tavares’ pressure and sheer strength. I honestly thought “The King” (Fisher) would turn it on in the second round after Tavares had wasted a lot of energy in the first trying to control him. That, however, never happened and round two was much of the same. Congratulations to Thiago Tavares for keeping his composure and not letting the magnitude of the situation get to him. I picked against Tavares and I’m happy to be wrong in this instance. I did say that this fight was tailor made for Tavares to win though and I was right. So I’ll mark this one up as a win for me!

(Check out this picture of Tavares back stage before the fight. Kind of brings a tear to my eye)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.phpfbid=10150358297906276&set=a.106287481275.124019.46299886275&type=1&theater



THE MAIN CARD
Stanislav Nedkov defeats Luis Cane by TKO/KO

Damn it Luis Cane, you ruined the clean sweep for Brasilian fighters! This was the only fight where the Brasilian fighter did not win against a “foreigner.” I don’t even know what to say about this one. Cane was in route to dismantling Nedkov’s face when he got caught with the over hand right from hell. He then proceeded to do the “stanky leg” for eight seconds while Nedkov continued to pound on his head. What a disappointment! That’s the beauty of MMA though. There is no real way to predict the outcome of a fight. At any given time, anything can happen. Congrats to Nedkov for winning his UFC debut and coming up big. As for Cane, I guess it’s back to the drawing board.

The "Stanky Leg"

Antonio Nogueira defeats Brendan Schaub by TKO/KO

So much for the hype behind “The Prius”..…uhhh....I mean “The Hybrid.” In his first outing in more than a year, Big Nog came out and made a serious statement. Not only is he not ready to retire, the man is poised to make another run at the title. Ask me if I think he’ll ever be a UFC Champ again and my answer will surely be no. But to say that there’s no fight left in the big guy would be as massive mistake. For only the third time in his legendary career “Minotauro” finished a fight by KO/TKO. Not only was it a convincing win, it came at a time when everyone thought his career was basically over. I’m glad to see Nogueira back in the win column and will anxiously be awaiting his next fight. Perhaps a rematch with Frank Mir is in order. What’s next for Brendan Schaub? It’s back to the dealership for you!

Edson Barboza defeats Ross Pearson by Split Decision

This was probably the most surprising fight of the night for me for various reasons. Ross Pearson came out and looked great. Everyone has always known that he has good stand up but last night it looked phenomenal. Not only did he keep up with Barboza, but he arguably won rounds one and three. One judge even scored the fight in his favor. I don’t know what it was, but Barboza just wasn’t fighting with the same raw aggression that we’ve seen in previous outings. He looked almost hesitant to engage and spent much of the fight back peddling. Fortunately for him, the home field advantage may have swung the fight in his favor. It could have honestly gone either way though. I’d really like to see him tested in his next fight. Maybe a showdown with a top 15 lightweight? Dennis Siver would make an intriguing matchup.


Shogun defeats Forrest Griffin by KO/TKO

Welcome back Shogun Rua!! Holy bananas was I pleasantly surprised with the result of this fight! If you read my predictions, which you probably didn’t, I predicted that Forrest Griffin would smother Shogun for three rounds and win this fight by Unanimous Decision. Once again, I was happy to be wrong. Rua came out and looked like the Shogun of old, throwing devastating combos and constantly pressing the action. Forrest was never given the opportunity to even develop a rhythm in this one, poor guy. I don’t think Forrest’s heart was ever really in this fight though. He looked flat footed and seemed like he was waiting for Shogun to end the fight quickly so he could go home to his pregnant wife (congrats to him by the way. His wife went in to labor shortly after the fight was over). If he can stay healthy, there’s a really good change we’ll see another Shogun Rua run at the title. At the very least, I’ll settle for a rematch with Rampage for some much needed Pride FC nostalgia.

Anderson Silva defeats Yushin Okami by KO/TKO (pure humiliation)

One word. Wow!...... I’ve never really been a fan of Anderson Silva. I think he has a terrible attitude at times and his showboating can be frustrating for anyone hoping to see a good fight. All that to say, damn is he a good fighter. I haven’t seen a performance like that since “The Spider” himself made Forrest Griffin look like an amateur. It has to be disheartening as a fighter when the guy you’re trying to punch puts his hands down and you still can’t hit him. Once again, Anderson Silva proves that he’s in a league of his own when it comes to fighting. The middle weight division is essentially devoid of worthy challengers with the exception of Chael Sonnen. I don’t even believe that fight will play out like the first time. There are very few things more scary than a pissed off Anderson Silva, and Sonnen has royally pissed him off. I don’t know if there’s currently a man on the planet who can beat this guy, but I’m looking forward to seeing someone try. I can’t wait to see what’s next for “The Spider.”

Fight Night Bonuses:

Fight of the Night – Ross Pearson x Edson Barboza

Ko of the Night – Antonio Minotauro Nogueira.

Submission of the Night – None



9 things I learned from UFC RIO………………. (Cause I didn’t learn 10)

1. Never underestimate the power of fighting at home. I still think that the majority of these matchups were designed to favor the Brasilians, but it still doesn’t change that fact that they dominated in every aspect.

2. Anderson Silva is a bad, bad man. Conversely, Yushin Okami was never a worthy challenger to begin with. He was just the only guy left.

3. Ross Pearson may very well be knocking on the door of elite level striking. Man was he impressive last night.

4. Don’t bet against a healthy Shogun Rua. When he’s healthy and not coming back from an injury, he’s a force to be reckoned with. I don’t know if there’s anyone else in the light heavyweight division with that kind of dynamite in their hands.

5. Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira will shock the world whenever he can. The man is a living legend. I bow to you sir!

6. Brendan Schaub is a long way from being a contender in the Heavyweight division (I didn’t really learn this but I thought I would reiterate the point anyway)

7. Forrest Griffin’s biggest weakness is his mental preparation. Going in to this fight it was evident that he wasn’t 100% focused. Maybe he should take some time out to evaluate whether this is something he really wants to do. Otherwise, he may wind up face down on the canvas yet again.

8. Joe Rogan is possibly the best commentator in MMA. Kenny Florian did his best to fill Rogan’s shoes, but I felt like there was something missing last night. Screw Fear Factor!

9. Brasilian fans are the greatest fans in the world! (Again….This is something that I didn’t really learn. I’m just making sure that everyone else knows what I’ve known for years)


All in all, UFC RIO gets an A in my book. Up next, UFC 135! Will Rampage Jackson be able to derail the hype train that is Jon Jones? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

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In other MMA related news, ProElite debuted their promotion last night in Hawaii. The event featured a who’s who of UFC cast outs and a few notable up and comers. Highlights include:


Kendall Grove avenging a loss to Joe Riggs with a first round guillotine choke. Is it just me or is this guy a mountain of wasted potential?

Andrei Arlovski finally manages not to wind up face planting on the canvas. It’s been a while since he actually won a fight. It‘s been an even longer while since he was able to go a few rounds with out the lights going out. Congratulations Andrei!

Penn wins by rear naked choke. No, not that Penn. B.J.’s little brother, Reagan, made his MMA debut last night. In true Penn fashion, he wins with his brother’s favorite submission. It’s rumored that Reagan’s BJJ may be better than his brother’s. It’s also rumored that he is a much better athlete than Baby Jay. Since I have a soft spot for Hawaiians and B.J. Penn is quite possibly my favorite fighter ever, I look forward to seeing the next generation of Hilo boys killing it in the cage. I will anxiously be following this kid’s career and hope that he makes it to the big show soon! Just Scrap!!!


There in concludes another day……. Thanks for reading!

Please feel free to leave comments or send me presents. Whatever makes you a happier person.

Tune in next time for more MMA related news, opinions, general tom foolery…..

Until next time, Stay Classy……!

UFC 134 PREDICTIONS

It’s here ladies and gentlemen. It’s the blog you’ve all been waiting for!
Well, let’s be serious….. You probably haven’t been waiting for this at all….. But I’m going to keep writing it anyway.

Since the inaugural post for this bad boy falls on the same weekend as one of the biggest cards the UFC has put on this year, I thought it would be only fitting that I give you my expert (not really) break down of some of the fights on the card. MMA is basically the only sport I can stomach watching and I’ve been doing so since UFC 1. This, my friends, by all accounts makes me an enthusiast. But I digress…… back to the task at hand.


I will at this time attempt to break down the last seven fights on the card. This includes the two fights that will show for free on Spike, plus the main card which will air only to those willing to pay good money for it.


(*disclaimer* – I am Brasilian [spelled with an s on purpose] by heritage and therefore am completely biased on who I will be cheering for. I will, however, attempt to break down all of these fights based solely on facts and what I know about MMA and MMA fighters)


(*disclaimer #2* - Please do not use my picks for betting, but if you do and you turn a profit…I want a cut)


Spike televised portion.


Fight 1

Dan Miller vs Rousimar Palhares

Of all the fights on this card, this is the one with the most potential for delivering the biggest one sided beat down of the night. Rousimar Palhares is a beast by all accounts and has been able to adapt his Jiu-Jitsu for MMA to the point where if he grabs a hold of any of your limbs, he may just break it off. Ask Tomasz Drwal if you think I’m wrong. Dan Miller has had a rollercoaster of a UFC career and has won some and lost some. I have to admit, I think he’s incredibly overrated (just like his brother and all the rest of the AMA guys) and is used as more of a stepping stone by Joe Silva and Dana White than a viable contender. He only seems to get thrown in with elite fighters when they need a win. He has a jiu-jitsu black belt of his own, but is no where near the level of Palhares. Look for Miller to try and keep the fight standing but not succeeding. Eventually “Toquinho”, which is Portuguese for tree stump, will drag him to the ground and rip one of his appendages off.


Fight 2

Thiago Tavares vs Spencer Fisher


This is a great matchup and looks like it should be a decent fight, at least on paper. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a Spencer Fisher fight without being thoroughly entertained and I honestly have no reason to believe why this will be any different. Thiago Tavares is yet another BJJ black belt on this card and is coming off a brutal KO at the hands of Shane Roller. This is one of the many instances on this card where I feel like the matchup was tailor made for the Brasilian to win. Styles make fights and Fisher’s falls right in to the wheel house of Tavares. Even so, I’m still picking Spencer Fisher to win this fight. Tavares tends to be a very emotional fighter and the prospect of fighting at home will be too much for him. Fisher has much more experience and will frustrate Tavares to the point where he will give the fight away. Look for this one to go the distance and for Spencer Fisher to come out on top (That’s right, I picked against the Brasilian!)

Breaking down the main card:

Let me start by saying that this card has the potential to produce some serious fireworks. With that being said, there is also the serious possibility that every single fight will be a snoozer (Griffin x Shogun not withstanding). Let's hope for option 1.



Fight 1

Luiz Cane x Stanislav Nedkov


The first fight on the main card is Luiz Cane vs Stanislav Nedkov. Nedkov is making his UFC debut and boasts an undefeated professional record of 11 x 0. Luis Cane is fighting in the UFC for the eigth time and is coming of a big knockout of Elliot Marshall (which I saw live!). Long story short, I don't see how Cane loses this one. Nedkov couldn't even finish an aging Kevin Randleman (yes he won but it was less than impressive and by split decision) and is fighting for the first time in over a year. Cane is fighting with the home field advantage and has a much greater skill set than Nedkov. He has also made it a habit of crushing CANS and getting destroyed by elite 205-ers. Since Nedkov falls into the category of the former, Cane should easily dispatch him back to Bulgaria and keep his ever emerging status as a light heavyweight gatekeeper alive.

(* I would normally pick Cane by knockout here, but you should see the size of Nedkov's head. I bet he can take a punch or two)



Fight 2


Edson Barboza x Ross Pearson


This is another one of those fights where the matchup was designed to favor the Brasilian. Unlike Tavares vs Fisher, this one will end exactly as planned. Edson Barboza is an absolute wrecking machine and is perhaps the best pure striker in the UFC today with the exception of Anderson Silva. His aggressive style and crazy leg kicks have garnered him numerous comparisons to Jose Aldo. I don’t know how accurate those comparisons are, but Barboza is definitely a monster on his feet. Ross Pearson is the British Ultimate Fighter winner and unfortunately for him, he’s being fed to the wolves on this one. With a virtually non-existent ground game, I don’t see how there’s any way Pearson can win this fight. Even if he does try to take him down, Barboza’s sprawl is good enough where he can keep the fight standing. Pearson is a good fighter with very good striking, but it’s going to take an elite ground game to beat Barboza. I don’t know when it will happen, but eventually Barboza will have to face a wrestling specialist at 155. When that happens, many questions will be answered about whether he’s the real deal or not.




Fight 3


Brendan Schaub vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira




I honestly don’t understand the hype behind Brendan Schaub. The guy’s nickname is “the Hybrid” for Pete’s sake. Does anyone else think of a Prius when they hear that? Schaub is a moderately talented fighter with tons of athletic ability who has made a career of beating aging former contenders who are on their way out anyway. His fight against Cro Cop showed me one thing, he’s not ready to fight top tier heavyweights just yet. Yes he knocked out Cro Cop, but honestly, who hasn’t these days? Also, he left that fight looking like he got mauled by a pit bull. Nogueira is a legend who needs absolutely no introduction and if you don’t know who he is, you probably shouldn’t be reading this. He hasn’t fought in 18 months and is still recovering from various surgeries but is healthier than he’s been in years. Coming into this fight everyone is expecting Schaub to knock out Nogueira easily and send him in to retirement. Noguiera, I would assume, has other plans. In the end, I see this fight lasting a lot longer than people might think. I’m expecting a vintage Minotauro performance here where he takes an amazing amount of punishment before pulling a submission out of his ass. Once the dust settles, look for Schaub to seriously regret all of the “I want to take it to the ground” jokes he made.



Fight 4 – The Co-Main Event


Forrest Griffin vs Mauricio “Shogun” Rua




“This is the co- main event of the evening!” Does anyone else expect the “Fight of the Night” here? I hate to say it, but I’m expecting this fight to disappoint me greatly. Not because it’s going to be a bad fight, but because I’m not expecting Shogun to win this rematch. Let me explain something….I’m a huge Shogun Rua fan and would like nothing more than to see him knock out Forrest Griffin. The things he used to do in Pride were amazing and he’s had an incredible career. Watching him lose the belt to Jon Jones last time around was immensely disappointing for me, but it made me realize something about Rua. He’s undersized for the light heavyweight division. He will always have trouble with guys who can use their size and weight to smother him from top position. Forrest Griffin fits that mold perfectly. The last time around people expected Forrest to lose because Shogun was coming in to the UFC on an absolute tear. Forrest surprised everyone with his well rounded game and how easily he was able to use his size to frustrate Rua. A lot of Rua supporters will point to the fact that he was injured and out of shape for that fight. I personally think that Forrest is just a bad matchup for Shogun. This should be a great fight with lots of action where ultimately Forrest uses his newly acquired BJJ black belt to once again frustrate Rua with his stifling top game. Unfortunately for the Brasilian crowd in attendance, they will be disappointed. Maybe after a second loss in a row, Shogun will decide to drop down to 185 where he can do some serious damage.




THE MAIN EVENT

Anderson Silva vs Yushin Okami


This is the fight six years in the making and the second of two rematches on
this card. The first time around Okami won by disqualification after Silva unleashed a nasty kick off of his back that knocked Okami senseless. Okami could not continue so Silva was disqualified for kicking a downed opponent. There are numerous reasons that I can point to why this DQ was ridiculous, but I won’t waste your time with them. The rule is meant to protect downed fighters from unnecessary damage and this was not the case here. Take a look at this and tell me if Okami needed any extra protection

Well, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I can say what has been on everyone’s mind since this fight was announced. This is probably going to be a boring main event. Be prepared for yet another Anderson Silva dance video people! I sincerely hope I’m wrong about this, but I don’t think that I am. Anderson Silva is notorious for not pressing the action himself and I just don’t see Okami coming after him for fear of getting knocked out again. Okami’s been training with Chael Sonnen but that doesn’t’ seem to have helped his aggressiveness. His last fight with Nate Marquardt was one of the worst main events in recent memory and I expect that fight to be the blue print for this one. Okami didn’t want to engage and Marquardt pretty much went the duration of three rounds waiting for Okami to come at him. Expect this fight to be much of the same, but longer. Once again, I really hope I’m wrong here. I would love nothing more than to see another Anderson Silva highlight real knockout which leaves everyone in the world in awe of his skills. The Brasilian fans in attendance deserve that much and I hope they get it.

Official Prediction:

Anderson Silva dances his way to a Unanimous Decision and Dana White once again has to apologize to fans for his behavior. He then pulls Chael Sonnen from his next fight and makes Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen 2 the main event on the Fox.

Predictions for bonuses:

Fight of the Night: Forrest Griffin vs Mauricio Rua

Knockout of the Night: Edson Barboza (Ninja style head kick)

Submission of the Night: Rousimar Palhares (by dismemberment)


Well if you made it this far……..Thanks for reading!

Feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think. Enjoy the nights of fights!

Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow for my post fight reactions!!