Any UFC or MMA fans here?

[Ceewan]

UFC 200

Since I am on somewhat of a roll I will give this one a shot but I will hold of on commenting on the results for a bit so I don't give out spoilers.

Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes
I just think Miesha is the smarter and tougher fighter here. Nunes has power but I just don't think she can win this one. My money is on Tate.

Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt
I get it. I saw Hunt knockout Mir among others. Hunts got power. He could knockout Brock. If Brock get Hunt to the ground first, this is going to get ugly. My bet is on it getting ugly. I will bet on Brock.


Daniel Cormier vs. Anderson Silva
I don't expect anything from Silva. He will be out of shape and outpowered here. It would be nice if he could make it past the first round but I wouldn't bet on it. Cormier all the way.

Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar
I am a big fan of Frankie Egdar and think that Conor was dodging him. Frankie lost to Aldo last time but I think he will get the decision this time, if it goes to one.

Travis Browne vs. Cain Velasquez
By all rights Cain Velasquez should win this fight. Browne is on a roll right now though and Cain is coming off that embarassing defeat to Werdum. Tough one. I think I will stay with Cain here so he can get a shot at his old title. It should be a good fight but I wouldn't wager a lot of money on it because it could go either way.

Julianna Pena vs. Cat Zingano
Really looking forward to this one. It will either be over quick or just bloody. I am hoping for bloody (yeah, I am a sick that way). My money is on Cat all day and she has beaten both of the ladies fighting for the title in the main event.

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Johny Hendricks
I don't know. Hendricks missed weight (again) and Gastelum barely made it himself. I am not picking this fight, let them fight it out. Should still be worth watching.

T.J. Dillashaw vs. Raphael Assuncao
Great fight. I will put my money on Dillashaw but if Assuncao wants a shot at Cruz he will need to win this one. He has beaten Dillashaw before but that was three years ago and he hasn't fought in two years. This is not a fight to come in with ring rust.

Sage Northcutt vs. Enrique Marin
How the fuck did this fight get on here?


Joe Lauzon vs. Diego Sanchez
Both fighters have seen better and younger days. But this is what they do. They fight for a living. Should be fun to watch. If I had to pick one here I suppose I would go with Lauzon but to be honest I like Diego better. Diego is fun to watch.

Thiago Santos vs. Gegard Mousasi
Another good match up. Mousasi has over 40 professional fights and Thiago is the new blood looking to get in that title hunt. Trouble is, Mousasi is actually the younger fighter here. I am betting on Mousasi. At 30 years old he still has the experince and time to easily make another title shot himself. He has to stay on his feet against Thiago who cannot only dish it out, he can take it.

Takanori Gomi vs. Jim Miller
I am just jazzed I get to see Gomi fight. I will be rooting for him win, lose or draw. I like Miller too but not as much as Gomi. Nice to Japan at least get "honorable mention" here.


That is the card as it stands now folks. If I picked half of them right I will be okay with that. It should be fun to watch regardless.

 

[WillEater]

http://ifirstrowus.eu/sport/boxing-wwe-ufc.html

 

[WillEater]

Thank me later

 

[Ceewan]

I don't do streams', as a rule. I will wait the wee hours and grab a copy off the net, probably watch the thing tomorrow. does that link even work? are you using it? I mean the whole deal, fight pass and all, is porbably something like 5 hours.

 

[WillEater]

I went to sleep early, but yes, it was working for a while.

 

[lowleg26]

I feel bad for Mark Hunt. I've been a fan since the PrideFC days and it finally seemed like he was getting the recognition he deserved and was fighting to the best of his abilities (and at 41, too!). Hes probably gonna lose his place in the top 10 because of this

 

[Ceewan]

Personally I am just happy I guessed 6 out of 10 of them. If I could do that well with the ponies, I would still play them.

Lesnar is no spring chicken himself, believe it or not he is 38. Another thing, Lesnar had a nine inch reach on Hunt. I don't think there was any shame in losing to Lesnar. There is not a heavyweight in the UFC that is going to get off the mat with that brute ontop of them. Lesnars' kryptonite is a dancer, not a brawler.

 

[Ceewan]

Report: UFC sold for $4 billion, annoucement expected Monday:

Late Sunday evening, Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS-TV reported the paperwork for the sale was signed on Saturday to an ownership group consisting of talent agency William Morris Endeavor, International Management Group, and private equity group MSD. Global investment firm KKR is also involved in the sale, according to the report.

UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta is reportedly expected to step down as chairman following a transitional period, after which he and his brother, Frank Fertitta, will remain on as minority owners. Dana White is expected stay on as president and will also hold a minority stake, according to the report.

 

[Ceewan]

I wonder if Joe Rogan will stay on as an announcer?

Funny you should mention that. Do you listen to his youtube channel?

This is who he is and why he won't stay. Joe likes to say whatever he thinks, if that includes trashing the company he works for or how they do things, no problem. The new owners won't let that slide so if he doesn't quit he will probably get fired. Joe doesn't want to deal with that shit, he has already made his money. Personally I disagree with a lot of what Joe Rogan says but I love him because he says what is on his mind. That is what makes him so special, not just as a comedian, not just as a commentator but as a human being. I would hang out with him in a heartbeat. He is just a cool guy.

 

[Ceewan]

Some good fights on UFC Fight Night 91. The early prelims to the main event showed some very entertaining bouts. KOs', TKOs' and submissions as well as one of the best grappling matches I ever saw with Ben Nguyen vs. Louis Smolka. Plenty of upsets and surprises on this card and a big welcome to newcomers Katlyn Chookagian and Landon Vannata who put together some nice shows between them on short notice appearances. They both are going to be big fan favorites in matches to come.

 

[WillEater]

Some good fights on UFC Fight Night 91. The early prelims to the main event showed some very entertaining bouts. KOs', TKOs' and submissions as well as one of the best grappling matches I ever saw with Ben Nguyen vs. Louis Smolka. Plenty of upsets and surprises on this card and a big welcome to newcomers Katlyn Chookagian and Landon Vannata who put together some nice shows between them on short notice appearances. They both are going to be big fan favorites in matches to come.

I did see that.. :thumbup:

 

[Ceewan]

I did see that.. :thumbup:

The Main Card or the prelims or both (I saw Fight Pass early prelims as well which were like two or three fights)? Hopefully you caught the co-main event with Tony Ferguson vs. Lando Vannata? Not bad for an unknown on three weeks notice against the number three lightweight in the UFC, (well, not unknown but unknown to people like me who mostly just watch the UFC). Another tidbit about Vannata, he usually fights at featherwieght (in case you were wondering why Ferguson looked so much bigger....he just is).

Did you have a favorite fight?

 

[Ceewan]

Another tidbit: Two different sources, the nytimes and AP, say that Dana White is going to be a scheduled guest speaker at the Republican convention. Go figure. I knew that Trump had dealt with the UFC before but I was vague on the details.

“Yeah, Donald Trump, when we bought this business, it was banned in most states. It wasn't supported by the athletic commissions and no arenas wanted this thing. Donald Trump was the first one to have us come out at the Trump Taj Mahal,” White said. “Not only did we host the events there, but he actually showed up and supported the events. You'll never hear me say a negative thing about Donald Trump.


“And you know what? When we did our big Fox deal, there was a big write-up in the New York Times, on the front page. On the front page, he wrote, 'Congratulations, Dana. I always knew you were going to do it,' and he sent the front page to me. Me and Donald are cool.”

 

[WillEater]

The Main Card or the prelims or both (I saw Fight Pass early prelims as well which were like two or three fights)? Hopefully you caught the co-main event with Tony Ferguson vs. Lando Vannata? Not bad for an unknown on three weeks notice against the number three lightweight in the UFC, (well, not unknown but unknown to people like me who mostly just watch the UFC). Another tidbit about Vannata, he usually fights at featherwieght (in case you were wondering why Ferguson looked so much bigger....he just is).

Did you have a favorite fight?

I like them all.. Sad, but often I watch on fast forward to get the the good parts..

Not unlike pr0n..

 

[Ceewan]

UFC on FOX 29

Kinda jacked about this, good enogh to be a pay-per-view so if you get the oppurtunity, watch it, DSR it, whatever.....


A few predictions, I don't mind sticking my neck out. I am okay with being wrong (though I would rather be right). Holly Holm vs Valentina Shevchenko: Holly Holm by TKO, 2nd or early 3rd round. Valentino is a good fighter and very tough, most people think this will go to a decison. I don't. Valentino is a Muay Thai boxer and Holm is a boxer (with kickboxing experience). Bad stylistic match-up for Valentino. Despite Valentinos' good showing versus the new bantnamweight champion hardhitting Nunes (winning the last round and losing the first two) I don't see her going the distance against Holm who needs to make a statement here if she wants her title back. Holm is faster, lighter on her feet and she won't square with Valentino and allow her to counter, instead peppering her with combinations. I expect this to get ugly before the first round is over and after that, it will only be a matter of time.

Edson Barboza vs. Gilbert Melendez: I like Melndez here. No reason, just a gut-feeling. Either way it should be a great fight.

Kailin Curran vs. Felice Herrig: Curran is younger and hungrier but Herrig is hotter and more experienced. I am rooting for Herrig here, big fan of that girl even if she lost her last fight against Paige Van Zant (who is pretty smoking herself and also beat Curran). Felice trained with Carla Esparza for this fight and is made of solid muscle so I am thinking she weathers the earlly storm and gets the win here over Curran. Herrig by decision.

The other fights look decent, should be a fun night at the fights.

 

[Ceewan]

I went 1 for 3...nobody is perfect.

I don't know what fight Greg Jackson, the coach for Holly Holm, was thinking of....but it certainly wasn't this one. He literally fucked Holly over here but Holly has to take responsibility for such a dismal and dissapointing performance. You cannot stand square with a Muay Thai fighter and expect to get the better of them unless you are a better Muay Thai fighter...which of course Holly is not. A boxer beats a Muay Thai fighter by working angles, slipping in and slipping out, constantly keeping a Muay Thai fighter moving in circles. Holly was passive, predictable and much slower than her opponent. It was just an embarassing performance. Hats off to Valentina for making Holly look like a slow, inexperienced striker who was outclassed on the feet. It was Valentina who looked like she had the reach advantage with her accurate strikes despite the fact she gave up a three inch reach advantage.

Barboza was brilliant.

Herrig surprised me with a first round submission. Great job Herrig, I was rooting for you all the way.

I noticed the Saenz and Wineland match-up but had no idea how good of shape Wineland was in. Great fight.

 

[Ceewan]

So Joe rogan fessed up on his podcast the other night when Jeremy Stevens (top ten featherwieght) asked him if he was staying with the UFC (his contract is up in August) and Joe said that he negotiated a year extension with limited work. No more work for FOX, just pay-per-views and no traveling outside the USA. Rogan said he already had a pretty full work schedule without the UFC and there was his wife and two daughters too but the temptation to still sit ringside at some of the best fights on the planet was just too hard to resist (I am sure that getting to hang with all the fighters and getting a nice paycheck may have had something to do with it as well). Joe Rogan is a big MMA fan and talks about fights from all over whether they be big organizations or small. Talk about doing a job you love....

 

[Ceewan]

UFC 201


One of the reasons these fights are so hard to pick is that MMA math doesn't add up. If fighter A loses to fighter B and Fighter C beats fighter B then it is still anyones guess who will win between fighter A and C. Some fighters just match-up better with others and other fighters just grow and improve at a different rate. There are just a lot of intangibles involved.


Main Event; Robbie Lawler vs Tyronne Woodley: I really enjoy watching lawler fight and have ever since I first saw him, even before he was somebody and beating everybody. This is a very tough match-up for stylistically. Lawler is a brawler, he takes it and he dishes it out. It is why he is so exciting to watch and why he is so popular. His last win over Conduit was one of the best mma matches I ever saw. Woodley has a great ground game and Lawler has lost more times to submissions than to decisions and strikes combined. He has a history of trouble with wrestlers. If he keeps the fight off the mat he should score a victory and likely even a KO but if he can't he could easily lose. Woodley is no push over, he has earned this title shot by beating great fighters. Because I think he will go for the finish and get it, I am picking Lawler.


Co Main-Event; Rose Namajunas vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz: Rose has quickly developed into a very good fighter and won her last three fights in an impressive fashion. Her boyfriend is a ex-UFC heavyweight veteran Pat Barry and she is good on her feet and great on the ground, where she will likely try to take this fight. Karolina has looked fantastic since she came to the UFC and damn good before that. She is coming into this fight undefeated. My money is on Karolina continuing that trend here against a younger and less experienced fighter. Should be a really good fight though.

Not a big fan of Matt Brown, picking veteran Ellenberger. Brown is a tough out but he is also an asshole.

Nikita Krlov vs Ed Hermann....two brawlers, two finishers. This is a fan match, not expecting it to go three rounds. Pick'em. I like Ed Hermann, he never disappoints, win or lose.

 

[Ceewan]

UFC 201


So I went 2 out of 4, not great but not bad. I can take some solace in picking a pair of underdogs that came out on top.


Not much to say about the Lawler fight, it didn't last that long. Woodley caught him with an overhand right and down he went. I was real surprised to see it end so quickly but not shocked in how it ended. Woodley just has that kind of power and Lawler got caught....happens to the best of them.


Not surprised about the Karolina win over Rose, I was surprised that Rose was so durable. She took a lot of punishment in the last two rounds and stayed on her feet giving it all she had. Fight of the Night awards. It somehow ended up as a split decision....unbelievably. Anyone who thought Rose won more than the first round needs glasses and the last round it was all she could do to get back on her feet after being knocked to the canvas.

Nobody was picking Jake Ellenberger over Matt Brown but people forget that he is still only 31 years old, younger than Brown, and has fought a who's who of fighters. Never count someone with his kind of experience out of a match. He deserved the fight bonus he got for this one.

Nikita Krylov looked great in his win over Ed Hermann. I just knew that fight wouldn't go the distance. He is a danger to anyone else in the division. Keep an eye on this one.

All in all it was a good card with no boring fights, plenty of finishes and brawls.


I also got a chance to see INVICTA FC 18. Shit I didn't even notice it was on. Glad I watched it though. Those girls really gave it everthing, one of the best INVICTAs' I had seen, as a whole, despite no title matches in the mix.

It looks like there is a new contender for Chris Cyborgs' belt in Megan Anderson. What Megan did to Peggy Morgan was just short of criminal and I think the referee should be fined and fired for not calling in the doctor before finely and humanely stopping the fight. The left side of Morgans face was swelled up so much she looked like the elephant man. It was brutal.

8 fights on the INVICTA FC 18 card and 5 finishes. Fun stuff.

 

[Ceewan]

UFC 202
(Yes I watched the last UFN 92 but I didn't think it was worth commenting on)



Excited by this one. Not a huge fan of Diaz or Connor as personalities but they both have them to spare and both tend to have exciting fights. Not sure if this will be one of them but the build up was fun, right down to throwing stuff at each other during the press conference (which ended that press conference with a finality).


Main Event: Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor
Interesting. Nate Diaz with somewhat of a full camp (he was called on by the UFC to do a lot of promoting and tv appearances) and Conor with a lot to prove. Conor did land a lot of strikes against Nate in the first round of the first fight but I wouldn't say he dominated that round as he took his fair share of punishment, (which led to his defeat in the second round as Nate continued to land and score). Rematches can be full of surprises as both camps have seen what they are facing and can better prepare for a different outcome. On the average though....the odds lean to the victor of the previous fight. Nate is more comfortable fighting at the weight class and getting hit by bigger people yet his fighting style does have vulnerabilites. I think he is at the top of his game now though and will dominate this fight whether it stays standing or goes to the ground. Conor has only one win by decision in his pro career and I just don't see him knocking out Diaz. I won't say Conor can't outscore Diaz for the majority of five rounds, just that I don't see that as a likely outcome. Diaz by TKO.


Co-Main Event: Anthony Johnson vs Glover Teixeira
Very good match-up. It is hard to bet against Anthony Johnson here as he has a tendency to leave opponents flat on the ground. Very heavily muscled, hard hitting fighter. Glover went five rounds with Jon Jones though and is also a heavy handed fighter with multiple wins by KO and Submission. My money is on an upset by Glover.


Donald Cerrone vs Rick Story
Big Cowboy Cerrone fan. I am also a pretty big fan of Rick "The Horror" Story and that might just be what will happen when the two face. Rick is a mauler who smothers his opponents with heavy hands and a heavier ground game. Wrestler vs Striker match-up. If Rick takes this to the ground Cerrone is in trouble, which is exactly how I see this fight. Story by decision.


There are some other great fighters on the card, notably: Tim Means, Cory Gabrandt and Neil Magny. Not sure if they will win their fights but they are always a pleasure to watch. There are two womens bouts on the card, not sure how they got there as they don't look that exciting to me. Hopefully I will be proven wrong but they seem either miss matched (Pennigton vs Phillips) or unimportant (Markos vs Casey). The ladies do tend to throw down overall though so at least I can hope they will be entertaining. All in all an exciting card, catch it if you can.