The Ultimate Fighting Championship (MMA) Thread

[SuzynWaldmansO-Face]

Who else is ordering Lidell-Jackson tonight? I admire Chuck to no end for avenging all of his losses so far, but I think he's gonna have his hands full with Rampage.

I will definitely be watching. I have 4-5 friends who practiced some form of MMA and I boxed for a bit so we have common ground there. I think Lidell/Jackson has the potential to be a great matchup and, as always, I look forward to the undercard as well. One of the best matches I've ever seen was shown on tape delay a few months back after the PPV where two college kids were going at it and one of them withstood a leg bar with his leg bent backards for nearly 45 seconds without tapping to win on points. Those unknowns really put it on the line when given the chance.

I'm going to pick Lidell for tonight because I think he'll better be able to keep his composure. Jackson is Tyson-esque to me because he scares the crap out of so many opponents that they stand little chance, but the Ice Man fears nobody and once Jackson loses that "fear-factor" (pun intended) I think his confidence will wain and Lidell will outlast him. I just hope we see a good fight.

 

[Myt1]

I will definitely be watching. I have 4-5 friends who practiced some form of MMA and I boxed for a bit so we have common ground there. I think Lidell/Jackson has the potential to be a great matchup and, as always, I look forward to the undercard as well. One of the best matches I've ever seen was shown on tape delay a few months back after the PPV where two college kids were going at it and one of them withstood a leg bar with his leg bent backards for nearly 45 seconds without tapping to win on points. Those unknowns really put it on the line when given the chance.

That was an incredible fight. The look on the guy's face when his opponent withstood the leg bar was priceless. He absolutely could not believe the other kid didn't tap out.

 

[Mr Weebles]

Holy shit!

Jardine just got pwned.

 

[Murray Rude]

Pretty impressive showing by Rampage. Like the Monster, the standup giveth, and it taketh away.

There will obviously be a rematch.

 

[Bongorific]

A great PPV. Definitely worth the buy. Obviously, I wish the Jackson/Liddell fight lasted longer, but there were great matches otherwise. I really enjoy watching Parisyan. His throws are so technical and gorgeous compared to most takedowns. I was surprised to see Jardine go down so easy. It seemed like he thought he could take the first few punches but once Alexander caught him with one, it was a total beat down; even the mouthgaurd popping out. Stephens put up a good fight; kid's got some heart. I was hopping he would break the arm bar when he slammed Thomas, but once it was locked in he was screwed whether he tapped or not. Happy to see Leben lose.

 

[SuzynWaldmansO-Face]

I thought the PPV was ok. The undercard was pretty good, especially the Parisyan match and the first but a letdown main event always puts a damper on the event as a whole. Obviously, I was expecting more from Lidell but it happens. At this point you have to wonder how much Longer the Ice Man will indeed cometh. He's 37 and just lost for the second time to Rampage and lost decisively. I know it's got to be tough to consider going out like that, especially being a legend, but is it worth him to try and climb back up the ladder again?

Holy shit!

Jardine just got pwned.

Holy shit, indeed. I thought it was impressive for Jardine to keep getting up considering the fact that he took 10 clean punches to the head, including about 5-6 uppercuts but that was pretty scary. I thought he may have been badly injured.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

I was in Vegas this weekend, and let's just say, that place was a fucking madhouse. Just absolute lunacy. Watched the fight at the Hard Rock on some massive tv screens, Rodney Harrison was there. Debauchery. I'm hurting. Lost a lot of money (not on the fights though). Came home. Lost my luggage on both flights. Happy to be alive.

 

[NH_Sox fan14]

My friend told me today that Pride fighting is done, is that true?

 

[Bongorific]

My friend told me today that Pride fighting is done, is that true?

From what I've heard from friends that follow MMA a lot more closely, Pride was sold to Zuffa, the UFC parent company. However, the two organizations will remain separate entities, so casual fans might not even realize it. Several Pride fighters, such as Cro Cop and Rampage Jackson have moved over to UFC and I'm wondering if more of the better Pride fighters will move to UFC so the new ownership can continue to pump up UFC.

 

[EricM80]

From what I've heard from friends that follow MMA a lot more closely, Pride was sold to Zuffa, the UFC parent company. However, the two organizations will remain separate entities, so casual fans might not even realize it. Several Pride fighters, such as Cro Cop and Rampage Jackson have moved over to UFC and I'm wondering if more of the better Pride fighters will move to UFC so the new ownership can continue to pump up UFC.

As you probably know, Dan Henderson will fight against Rampage in the near future. Shogun has signed with the UFC. And Dana White apparently is going hard after every fighter known to man.

The UFC has really turned its organization around.

 

[Chainsaw318]

As you probably know, Dan Henderson will fight against Rampage in the near future. Shogun has signed with the UFC. And Dana White apparently is going hard after every fighter known to man.

The UFC has really turned its organization around.

PRIDE is going to still run it's own events and develop it's own fighters, as the PRIDE name carries a lot of weight in Asia, specifically Japan. However, the combining of leagues (while PRIDE is the big name, UFC has been buying up lots of smaller circuits as well) allows for development of recognizable talent and the ability to consolidate titles via "Superfights" between the two leagues champions.

Dana White is one shrewd fella.

 

[Montana Fan]

Here's a link to the video of Brock Lesnar's first MMA fight.

Lesnar - Short & Sweet

Here's a link to a Bob Sapp vs Minotauro MMA fight. Pretty good fight IMO.

Bob Sapp - Long fight, mot so happy ending

Loved the Intro's for the Sapp sight.

 

[BGrif21125]

UFC's talks with HBO fall apart:

HBO, the premium cable network, and UFC, the leading mixed martial arts company, have been talking for more than a year about airing a handful of annual cards.

However, the deal is apparently dead after HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said Friday that negotiations have ended.

"After lots of discussion it became apparent that the business model doesn't make sense for either one of us," Greenburg said in a statement released to ESPN.com. "So, we agreed to go our separate ways. You never know what the future holds. We have enormous respect and admiration for the executives we dealt with at the UFC. We wish them well."

Within the industry, it is no secret that Greenburg was never a fan of the deal for HBO, which has been associated with boxing coverage for more than 30 years.

One of the central hang-ups to the deal was control over the production of the telecasts. UFC, under president Dana White, controls the production of its popular Spike network telecasts and pay-per-view cards. HBO was unwilling to cede control of the broadcast.

 

[octoberaroma]

Watch Anderson Silva hand out another punishment to Forrest Griffen.

http://youtube.com/user/TranceDevotee

 

[JohnMal]

Any thoughts on UFC 79?

I like GSP over Hughes and Silva over Chuck.

 

[EricM80]

Any thoughts on UFC 79?

I like GSP over Hughes and Silva over Chuck.

I am a huge Hughes fan, but I think GSP has to be favored here.

Silva vs. Chuck is tough to say. I just hope for a good fight and a brutal knockout.

 

[mojorisin24]

I am a huge Hughes fan, but I think GSP has to be favored here.

Silva vs. Chuck is tough to say. I just hope for a good fight and a brutal knockout.

GSP was rightly a 2-1 favorite in that match, and showed why with his dominant wrestling and superior striking. Hughes put it best after the fight when he said that GSP is simply "a better fighter." I expect GSP's rematch with Serra in April to be a similar outcome, the first fight was somewhat of a fluke and GSP is far too athletic and well-rounded to lose to him again.

As for Liddell/Silva, I was rooting for Liddell and was thinking he would win via first-round knockout due to Silva's aggresive style and Liddell's phenomenal counter-punching ability. Of course, it ended up being three rounds of holy hell, but the Iceman ended up as victor anyway. Spectacular fight, one of the rare times in sport where something so anticipated and heavily hyped actually lives up to it's billing.

 

[JohnMal]

GSP was rightly a 2-1 favorite in that match, and showed why with his dominant wrestling and superior striking. Hughes put it best after the fight when he said that GSP is simply "a better fighter." I expect GSP's rematch with Serra in April to be a similar outcome, the first fight was somewhat of a fluke and GSP is far too athletic and well-rounded to lose to him again.

As for Liddell/Silva, I was rooting for Liddell and was thinking he would win via first-round knockout due to Silva's aggresive style and Liddell's phenomenal counter-punching ability. Of course, it ended up being three rounds of holy hell, but the Iceman ended up as victor anyway. Spectacular fight, one of the rare times in sport where something so anticipated and heavily hyped actually lives up to it's billing.

I really like GSP. Winning is one thing, dominating a very tough Hughes is another. I have an even greater respect for him.
Liddell amazes me.

 

[MikeHunt]

UFC 80 (Live from England!) looks like a so-so card. Penn vs. Stevenson will be an interesting matchup... however, with the state of the lightweight division in very dire straits, it's asking a lot to go ahead and expect people to sit down at 3 pm Eastern on a Saturday to order a PPV with that main event. I'm surprised that it's not being aired free on Spike again, like all the other UFC events from overseas have been.

Gabriel Gonzaga will be fighting Fabricio Werdum. I think this will be the beginning of what will be a dominant year for Gonzaga. He's shown he belongs with the Cro Cop fight and the Couture fight. He'll be UFC Champion by the end of the year.

 

[JohnMal]

Gabriel Gonzaga will be fighting Fabricio Werdum.

That is the only fight I really want to see.

 

[mojorisin24]

Any thoughts on UFC 81 this weekend? This card is intriguing if only for the debut of former NCAA wrestling champion Brock Lesnar against former heavyweight champion Frank Mir. I was a bit surprised when UFC announced that Lesnar would make his debut against Mir, seeing that their heavyweight division is a bit barren at the moment and Lesnar would appear to have all the physical tools to dominate if he gets the hang of things. But seeing that he has only one MMA fight under his belt, throwing him in with a submission specialist like Mir is quite dangerous. I think Lesnar's best hope is to basically wait out Mir; since his comeback from the motorcycle accident, Mir has shown an alarming tendency to gas very early in fights. If he can take down Mir and power out of any submission attempts, I think he will be able to ground-and-pound his way to a TKO victory in the first round as Mir wilts from the punishment. Still, this is a very tough one to call due to a basic lack of information.

The heavyweight title fight between Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is also a tough one to call. Based on pedigree, Nogueira is the clear favorite; but Sylvia is a very underrated fighter who has devastating knockout power. Of course, Nogueira is virtually impossible to knock out, so I think Sylvia's best chance is to keep the fight standing and try to win via decision. My prediction is a typical Nog fight: he takes a lot of punishment early, but eventually works in a submission. Having five rounds to work with is a major advantage for Nog; it gives him more time to ply his craft on the ground and find an opening to get ahold of one of Sylvia's long limbs.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

Lesnar's K1 Fight

Too many unknowns in that Lesnar-Mir fight to feel real good about either guy, but Brock looks frightening in that video.

 

[mojorisin24]

Lesnar's K1 Fight

Too many unknowns in that Lesnar-Mir fight to feel real good about either guy, but Brock looks frightening in that video.

Yeah, he smashed Kim at that K-1 event.

Even though I picked Lesnar in my above post, if I were to bet I would take Mir in a heartbeat. The fact that he's an underdog is comical, there is no way a guy with his experience should be a 'dog against such an unproven commodity.

 

[JohnMal]

Yeah, he smashed Kim at that K-1 event.

Even though I picked Lesnar in my above post, if I were to bet I would take Mir in a heartbeat. The fact that he's an underdog is comical, there is no way a guy with his experience should be a 'dog against such an unproven commodity.

I am rooting for Mir. (how can you not?)
This is quite a test though. Lesnar is raw, but he is a beast. I am not sure I'd be willing to put money on him.

I think Nog should win. Like Major said, 5 rounds is to his advantage, and I think Sylvia can become really one dimensional in these fights.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

Lesnar - Mir
Sylvia - Nogeuria


Brock's movement on the ground is frightening. Vince McMahon called him the "Next Big Thing". If Brock rounds out his game, he'll be that for the UFC.

 

[WakefieldKnuckler]

Lesnar - Mir
Sylvia - Nogeuria
Brock's movement on the ground is frightening. Vince McMahon called him the "Next Big Thing". If Brock rounds out his game, he'll be that for the UFC.

You aren't kidding. His back and shoulders are about as wide as a refridgerator and he has the quickness of men 3/4 his size. I've already heard people labeling him "The Next Big Bust". Once he rounds out his game and becomes a much better defender of submission attempts, he'll be incredible. And he is only 30 years old...

 

[mojorisin24]

You aren't kidding. His back and shoulders are about as wide as a refridgerator and he has the quickness of men 3/4 his size. I've already heard people labeling him "The Next Big Bust". Once he rounds out his game and becomes a much better defender of submission attempts, he'll be incredible. And he is only 30 years old...

Yeah, that Mir/Lesnar fight was electrifying. Lesnar was taking the 255-pound Mir and tossing him around like a rag doll. He got caught in a relatively rare submission these days, but with experience he is only going to get better and better.

The Nogueira fight was a classic, too. Cheers to him for surviving the early punishment he took from Sylvia, I truly thought he was finally about to be stopped.

 

[Mr Weebles]

I watched the Lesnar-Mir fight live and have watched the replay about a hundred times. That sweep by Mir right before he latched onto Lesnar's leg is something else.

If you watch the replay closely, though, the kneebar isn't even that tight. On top of that, Lesnar was perfectly positioned to push Mir off with his other foot.

Lesanr's going to be an absolute beast if he can ramp up his defense.

 

[JohnMal]

Any thoughts on Kimbo vs Tank?
I'd love to see Kimbo vs Lesnar.

 

[Ahriman]

Any thoughts on Kimbo vs Tank?
I'd love to see Kimbo vs Lesnar.

I'd like to see that fight maybe a year from now. Both of them are in need of some seasoning.

 

[Myt1]

Any thoughts on Kimbo vs Tank?
I'd love to see Kimbo vs Lesnar.

What an ass-whooping.

I'd think that Lesnar is currently a bit more polished, and has a huge size advantage. Are they likely to be on the same level? I'm relatively new to the sport, but the talent level at EliteXC is lesser, no?

 

[j44thor]

What an ass-whooping.

I'd think that Lesnar is currently a bit more polished, and has a huge size advantage. Are they likely to be on the same level? I'm relatively new to the sport, but the talent level at EliteXC is lesser, no?

Tough to say if Kimbo would be at Lesnars level because they are both so new and are only famous because of other avenues (WWE and YouTube).

The fight would be a marketers (and likely fans) dream but I wouldn't put either in the top 10 heavyweights category.

Also not sure you will see UFC and EliteXC doing any cross-promotion.
Elite and HD FightNet are gunning hard for UFC.

Without mainstream network coverage UFC could be in trouble.
Showtime does a very good job of promotion and production.

 

[Myt1]

I would just think that Lesnar's collegiate wrestling background would give him a distinct advantage over an MMA unexperienced brawler.

 

[Ahriman]

Anyone watching the Silva-Henderson fight tomorrow night (err, later tonight)? Thoughts? Predictions?

I think a Silva knockout could really cement him as the preeminent star of the UFC, if he's not that already. Henderson is no cakewalk though. Very tough to KO. Strong chin.

 

[redsox13]

Yeah I'll be watching the fight tonight, and I can wait for Silva vs Henderson. It really is a crapshoot though and you couldn't go wrong with either fighter. My prediction is that Silva will win it and will focus on kicking

The Kongo/Herring fight is going to be a hell of a fight as well. Kongo broke one of Mirko Filipovic's ribs in his last fight and is an absolute beast. Kongo gets the nod from me

 

[Ahriman]

Well, I think it's fair to say that Silva is unstoppable at 185. No way anyone beats him at that weight. I've never seen Henderson dominated like that. Probably going to fight Yushin next. Silva could get his revenge for his last loss, even though it was by DQ.

The Kongo/Herring fight was a disappointment. Herring did his very best to muck things up in the last two rounds. Really had no offense to speak of outside of the knees to the side and that opening punch. Kongo's ground defense was better than I thought, but he didn't do much either. Result was correct, but I was expecting more.

 

[JohnMal]

Anyone watching TUF?
I like the idea of having the guys fight for a slot. There seems to be some decent talent in the pool.

 

[Myt1]

Just saw this this weekend. Masakazu Imanari submits Jean Silva with a reverse heel hook.


[youtube]Ce0m8Buc86o[/youtube]

 

[octoberaroma]

FYI, this site has a whole library of MMA fights and is usually quick to upload recent fights: http://mixedmartialartvideos.com/

 

[tulse_luper]

I thought I'd seen it all in MMA when Brad Imes reeled off back to back gogoplata victories, but this takes the biscuit:

[youtube]bqGsZzwPD94[/youtube]

Best of all is guest ref Shonie Carter's reaction!

(not entirely sure if the embed will work, because you have to verify your age, so link HERE too)

 

[Vinho Tinto]

UFC 84 this weekend. I'm a fan of BJ Penn, so I think he's going to smash Sherk

The fight card:

-B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk

-Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz

-Keith Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva

-Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes

-Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic

Preliminary Bouts:

-Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura

-Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Jon Koppenhaver

-Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry

-Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch

-Dong-hyun Kim vs. Jason Tan

-Terry Etim vs. Rich Clementi

 

[JohnMal]

UFC 84 this weekend. I'm a fan of BJ Penn, so I think he's going to smash Sherk

The fight card:

-B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk

-Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz

-Keith Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva

-Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes

-Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic

Penn was an animal in his last fight. Ortiz fight could be interesting, we'll see if he has anything to prove.
I think Jardine vs Silva will be fun. Not the strongest card of the year, but worth watching.

 

[mannytizzletek]

Whoa there. Seemingly early stoppage in the Kimbo v. Thompson fight. Kimbo dominated the action on their feet, Thompson dominated the floor action. Kimbo opened up Thompson's ear. Kimbo, lucky to walk away the victor.

 

[shawnrbu]

That ear was disgusting! Kimbo was fortunate his opponent tonight walked into the cage with a deformed body part. How did Gina look tonight?

 

[The Long Tater]

Fix-o-rama. Kimbo is a fraud.

 

[Tony the Pony]

...and a marketeer's dream.

 

[Chemistry Schmemistry]

Whoa there. Seemingly early stoppage in the Kimbo v. Thompson fight. Kimbo dominated the action on their feet, Thompson dominated the floor action. Kimbo opened up Thompson's ear. Kimbo, lucky to walk away the victor.

He was too tired to walk away. Media Slice has a long way to go before he'll be a contender. MMA guys have to be in fantastic cardio shape as well as strong as an ox. Slice looked like he would have fallen asleep if Thompson had taken him down again.

Credit to the guy with the third ear for trying to take the match to the ground, even though he had no idea what to do when he got down there.

I suppose CBS has to do this to market the MMA, but that wasn't a great show. Two very questionable stoppages to end the night.

 

[BGrif21125]

Please answer this question for an obsessive boxing fan who's fairly clueless about the specifics of MMA rules....

Why was Kimbo allowed to enter the ring with that gigantic beard? Seems to me that gives him a built-in advantage as a cushion on his chin/face to absorb the force of punches. Not that it really mattered in this fight, since his opponent was doing all his damage on the mat with wrestling stuff, and not really landing flush punches to the head. But I didn't get why they'd allow him to enter the ring like that.

And someone donate some money to get that golf ball removed from that guy's ear.

 

[Jnai]

The most fun part about UFC for me - and I don't watch it that often - is watching the Jiu Jitsu style fighters that are shifty and go for the submission style endings against much bigger and stronger opponents. I love watching the old Royce Gracie footage and stuff.

Tonight's match seemed like a complete departure from that. Big guys who were bad boxers just wailing on each other until the fight was inexplicably stopped. I understand one guy was bleeding, but the entire round before consisted of the loser sitting on Slice's head and pounding on it.

This stuff didn't look any better than wrestling with blood. Looked fixed from the start.

 

[Jnai]

Please answer this question for an obsessive boxing fan who's fairly clueless about the specifics of MMA rules....

Why was Kimbo allowed to enter the ring with that gigantic beard? Seems to me that gives him a built-in advantage as a cushion on his chin/face to absorb the force of punches. Not that it really mattered in this fight, since his opponent was doing all his damage on the mat with wrestling stuff, and not really landing flush punches to the head. But I didn't get why they'd allow him to enter the ring like that.

I think that beard is some kind of trademark, and also, there seems to be a lot less restrictions on what MMA fighters wear. Some fight in Gi style uniforms, etc.