UFC 158 Review

George St-Pierre def Nick Diaz, points

Some fights are over before the first bell rings. Nothing about Diaz’s entrance or aura as he entered the ring suggested he believed in himself. Now I don’t know if maybe he was just taken aback by the crowd and/or the occasion but GSP looked like the winner straight of the bat. To Diaz credit I thought he did extremely well. I don’t think it’s fair to say GSP dominated this fight, sure he was in control but Diaz gave him more than enough to think about. At the end of R2 it looked like there was no way back for Diaz but using the boxing skills so often touted around him he caused a few tremors in GSP’s solid fight plan, considering he didn’t come close to stopping the takedowns in the first 2 rounds he managed to pull off 3 blockages in R3. Diaz got himself back into a fight where he was miles behind and I don’t think anybody predicted he would be able to do that.

I feel Diaz is getting a lot of flak from the media because of of who he is, reading various reports across the net it seems every journalist is using this defeat as a chance to have a dig at the challenger-Love him or hate him he went in there and gave GSP a fight, if you disagree take a look at GSP’s face-you don’t get that from a ‘comfortable victory’.

The other big talking point coming from this fight was Diaz’s retirement. I think he genuinely wants out but he’s still young and sooner rather later he will find himself dragged back into the ring, probably not in the UFC though, his dummy punch attempt after the bell in R3 all but secured a P45 for him, I get the feeling his retirement was his version of ‘jump before getting pushed’. GSP summed it up after the fight when he praised Diaz’s promotion work, regardless how much you hate Diaz there is no denying he made this fight interesting, his mouth got you interested, And what’s next for GSP? 2 words-Johny Hendricks.

Johny Hendricks def Carlos Condit, points

I thought this fight was straight out awesome, both men bought it and tore the house down. I really like both fighters so it was a great pleasure to see both of them go at it like this, it was such a good spirited contest that nobody wanted to see end. Hendricks has the most beautiful looking punches in UFC today, that left hand of his is just a bomb exploding in people faces and he keeps finding his shots.

Truth is Hendricks had a raw deal last night-it should have been his title shot, he knew it, GSP knew it, Dana knew everyone did. By beating such a serious fighter as Condit he has now secured himself as #1 contender and based on his current form you got to fancy him having half a chance.

Ronda Rousey and winner of Tate v Zingano announced as the coaches on next seasons Ultimate Fighter

The fans have been asking for this on Twitter and now Dana has answerd the call. One thing we all know is that Rousey is a natural at talking to the camera, she is so watchable when being interviewed it seems being a coach on TUF is a natural transition. Her already heated history with Tate would make it a great season to watch if Tate wins her bout, exciting time ahead in the UFC womens division.

UFC 158 Main Event Preview

UFC 158 Main Event Preview

I’m just going to come out and say this-I have GSP winning and I don’t see it  any other way.

 

I don’t buy into this being ‘personal’ for GSP, sure he may dislike Diaz but he’s taking this fight because it’s an easy cheque, a nice simple payday. Nor do I buy into GSP going in and wrestling Diaz, GSP is a proven boxer himself and I fancy him to go in there and go toe to toe, he has nothing to fear from Diaz fists. And now this is where GSP can’t fail; If( and it’s a big IF) GSP finds himself being out boxed by Diaz all he has to do is switch it up and go to ground where he knows he is far Superior to the pretender to his throne. But I don’t see that being the case, at the very least GSP will be equal to Diaz in terms of boxing. Another approach for GSP is to go in, wrestle him for 2 rounds, wear him down then just pound him with boxing for the final 3 rounds. GSP has so many paths in front of him where Diaz has only one-to punch.

 

I like Diaz, he’s entertaining and like Sonnen there are a lot of fighters who could learn a lot from them; these men get title shots because their mouth puts asses on seats. An ideal scenario is to have Diaz pull of the upset and win, stick with me here, I’m a huge GSP fan myself but stick with me.

 

So Diaz pulls of the unthinkable and defeats GSP either by knockout or points, one of the most hated men in MMA has the belt and GSP, a legend of the sport, a champion of the people has to pick himself back up and try and reclaim his title and avenge his shocking defeat. Cue a rematch with a monster of a build up as UFC push Diaz in front of the camera talking about how he is the best and then shows the humble GSP in the gym, training with his eye of the tiger like montage. Everyone would buy into it and everyone would love it whether you are a GSP fan or Diaz fan. The buy rates would be huge and if GSP reclaims the belt another glorious chapter would be written in his and in UFC’s history.

 

But back to reality.

Prediction: I see GSP winning on points (because he always does) I think he will keep his emotions in touch and I think he will dominate.

UFC 157 Review

UFC 157 Review

Ronda Rousey def Liz Carmouche, submission, R1

If somebody would of given Dana White a piece of paper and pen on Saturday morning and asked him to write down his dream scenario for this fight, nothing he could of imagined would of matched up to this.

It was always going to be historic but the fight was also gripping and highly exciting and will go down as one of the fights of the year.

I’m probably going to write a lot for this fight but I don’t care-I have been singing the praises of Womens’s MMA for years and the fact that it debuted in such a dramatic way makes me very happy!

I wanna talk about the entrances before the fight. Carmouche came down with a gay pride gum shield, I don’t know whose idea it was but whoever came up with it give them a medal! That alone was a great moment for the sport. And then the lights go out and suddenly ‘I don’t give a damm about my reputation’ blasted out-Has there ever been a more fitting walkout song for a fighter? The two entrances set the stage in the most perfect way-Here were 2 women who clearly didn’t concern themselves with ‘proving’ anything, they were who they were and both of them were very comfortable in their own skin.

 

So yes the actual fight itself. The result on paper just doesn’t do it justice. Carmouche’s early choke hold on Rousey was one of the ‘WTF’ moments of the year. When I write before the fight she had to keep the fight on it’s feet for her to get a chance to win I was not expecting her to go one step further and just have it on Rouseys feet! The champion was in real trouble, I honestly thought it was over. Can you imagine if Rousey tapped? I don’t really believe in ‘Luck’ but damm she had a lucky escape there. As predicted by many Rousey soon was in control on the ground but she wasn’t out the woods yet. Carmouche’s legs proved to be nuisance to Rousey, you could clearly see she was getting aggravated by them. Even in a position where she is in theory dominating she found herself frustrated with an opponent who’s heart was the size of the Octagon and more. And then came the moment the world had been waiting for.

 

What was great was the finish was pretty much a pro-wrestling finish; They set up the finish, teased it happening, chance seemed to be lost and then bang she hit it. And then the place exploded with cheers-Women’s MMA had bought 15,000 MMA fans to their feet in crazed excitement. This wasn't just a historic fight, this was an instant classic! Where were YOU when you saw Rousey crank that arm bar?

 

It’s hard to put into perspective and words just what these 2 women achieved on Saturday night. From the moment the fight was announced they had naysayers and bigots, Then they had even more abuse hailed at them when it came clear they would be finishing the show ‘How could 2 women making their UFC debuts headline over 2 former champions?’ was the common comment on twitter, facebook, forums etc. UFC stood by these 2 and they repaid the faith by bringing the house down and setting the world of MMA on fire.

 

So now what for these 2 history making women? From Rousey’s point of view it’s a case of ‘who’s next?’ It’s pretty much been confirmed the winner of Tate v Zingano will get a title shot. Rousey v Tate II is a big money fight and I imagine UFC would do a brilliant job up building up this already plenty of water under the bridge feud, these 2 women have a history and it only seem’s fitting they should come to blows again but this time on the worlds biggest stage. As for Carmouche I doubt there isn’t a person who isn’t a fan of hers after one of the most heartfelt efforts ever seen from a challenger. No matter where she goes next she will now always have a following and if she can get a streak on the go it’s not to hard to imagine her getting another shot at the gold and unlike this time she would probably have a few believers behind her.

 

Very quick note on Rousey’s wardrobe. As Mrs Fight and Write kept pointing out throughout, it really wasn’t the most practical top. Whether it was a decision by her or UFC to wear such appreal I don’t know but I should think we won’t be seeing a return of that top by the champion again.

 

Machida def Henderson, points, split

 

Now I’m going to go against popular opinion here and say I really enjoyed this fight. It was hardly the classic many were anticipating but there was plenty to enjoy. For me personally I thought this was the best outing Machida has had in a long time, he look confident, in control and he was never really in trouble. He came up with the perfect strategy to fight a man like Henderson-you don’t fight him. Why would he want to trade blows with such a celebrated puncher like Henderson? Would YOU? He fought smart and it paid off for him. MMA is a sport based on many different fighting styles and what we saw was a master class in one style-it was a good fight but just not in the usual way.

 

To me Henderson never looked prepared, he was sluggish and his game plan was pretty poor. Looking for the big right hand is the sort of approach underdogs take not celebrated champions like him, he didn’t have a plan B and that’s why he lost the fight. He needs a big win and fast if he still want’s to have his name talked about amongst the contender ranks.

 

In theory Machida now gets a shot at the winner of Jones v Sonnen. I don’t see Machida doing that well against Jones, you could argue he was unlucky last time but Jones has grown since then. I have felt for a long time that the person who beats Jones will be a old fashioned slugger, not unlike Hendo, who can get in his face with punches. That is not Machida and I can see him coming up short again.

 

Quick word on the decision-Spilt decision? Really I don’t think any person in the arena or at home had it any other way except 2-1 round to Machida. The right man won the fight but you got to wonder where they find these judges?

Mr Fight and Write

UFC 157 Preview

UFC 157 Preview

The day that so many of us Woman’s MMA fans have been dreaming of is finally upon us. The road has been long and hard with more naysayers than believers but WE HAVE MADE IT, WE ARE HERE!

Here are my predictions for the Title fight and the co-main event

It’s a little to easy to just predict Rousey round 1 Armbar but the reality is that’s what’s likely to happen; She is a fighting machine. For Carmouche to have a chance to win this you got to feel that she has to keep this fight standing, she will not want to go to ground with Rousey, her transitions are insane-she finds that arm bar from anywhere. Carmouche will be no walk over, I don’t think she will be able to go in and maul her like she has done to so many opponents in the past. A question hanging over this fight is how much of an impact has Rousey’s media schedule had on her? Is she starting to feel the strain? Carmouche has not had this, she’s had a lot more relaxing preparation, this may factor into the fight. From a business point of view whoever wins is great for the UFC; In a Rousey victory they prove she was worth the hype, in a Carmouche victory they have a true life Rocky story and instant hype for a rematch. The UFC Primetime shows have made Carmouche come across as really likeable, if she pulls up the upset UFC will have a brand new peoples champ to market.

Prediction: It’s all set up to be the Ronda Rousey show, I predicted at the start of the year that by years end she would be the biggest MMA star on the planet and UFC 156 is that first step.

Rousey, Round 1, Submission

Now here’s a mouth-watering bout! It’s so tough to call this one. Internet talk seems to point to Machida being the favourite but I don’t know, I just got a hunch it will be Hendo’s night. I really like and rate Machida but I don’t see him as a possible title contender at the moment, in the last 3 years he is 2-3, that doesn’t say to me that this man is a top contender. Whilst on the opposite side of the cage he has Henderson, who has lost just 1 fight in his last 5 and his last 2 fights were victories over Fedor and Rua. I’m not a Henderson fan but to me it’s all there for his taking; He’s in form, he’s on a winning streak and his opponent’s recent results suggest wobbly legs.

Prediction: My gut feeling is Hendo, he looks more the man likely to step up and challenge for the title at the moment out of the 2.

Henderson, KO, R2

New WWE Belt

After years of speculation tonight the spinner belt finally got replaced. I don't mind the new design, i like the shape but the main plate seems to be lacking something, we have gone from ultra bling to very bare. Here's some pics to judge for yourself

UFC 156 Review

UFC 156 is in the bag and once again the talk on everyone’s lips is incredible knockouts and questionable judging decisions 

Antonio Silva def. Alistar Overeem KO (punches) R3

It’s only fair to start on the knockout of the night  and possibly the year.Who saw this one coming? I’ll tell you who-Bigfoot’s corner men. They told him at the end of round 2 it was all set up for him to finish and oh how he did. Whether or not it was cornertalk that got lucky or they genuinely believed he could do it is irrelevant because the big man believed them. Overeem only has himself to blame; this is a fight he should of won. No disrespect to Silva but I still see Overeem  on another level to him and I expect him to bounce back sooner rather than later. Overeem was to cocky, to sure of himself and to be frank, to lazy. His eyes were on a title shot and not his opponent, always a deadly mistake. I like to see a Overeem v Mir fight in the near future, both are top fighters who need to get themselves back on track after a big loss. As for Silva you got to wonder where he figures in the already full of top contenders title scene? Surely a man who holds wins over Overeem and Fedor has got to be considered for a shot at the gold?

Jose Aldo ( c ) def Frankie Edgar, points, unanimous

I want to start off by saying I think the right fighter won but that’s not the issue here. The issue is the horrendous judging score cards. 2 out of 3 had it at 4 rounds to 1 in favour of the champ, what fight were they watching? As the final bell rang in my eyes the first 2 rounds were Aldo’s, the final 2 were Edgar’s and whoever won that third round would win the fight. And this isn’t just my humble opinion; the commentators and pretty much all UFC fighters posted the same on twitter, every journalist and fan like wise. What has a fighter got to do to convince the judges? Some people even thought Edgar had won 3 rounds (a decision I wouldn’t argue with). It brings us back the age old questioning of the judges. The fact that Joe Rogan even said on air that the judging in Las Vegas is always dodgy really does blow open the question more for me-what can be done about this? I often felt UFC need to bring in their own judging panel and not use the states (and I know that’s a whole other issue so I won’t go there), do they need to put the judges away from ringside and into a tv monitor area? As for the fight itself I thought it was a great effort from the challenger, as it always is with Edgar. He is truly a fighter’s fighter. It’s not hard to imagine him getting a rematch 12 months down the line; He is a former world champion, regardless what the judges saw the whole world saw he gave Aldo as good as he got and I shall imagine he will win his next couple of fights. For Aldo this was a victory he will be proud of; he dominated the early rounds and weathered the storm of a spirited comeback.

Antonia Rogerio Nogueria def Rashid Evans, points, unanimous

How many coffees did you need to keep you awake during this one? What happened? Or to be more precise, why didn’t this fight happen? What on paper looked a tasty number turned out to be a complete miss. These things happen in fighting, not every bout can be a killer. Both fighters were more interested in not getting hurt than scoring it seemed. I don’t think it was all bad, I quite enjoyed Rashid Evans blocking the jab, I tried this myself a little during my afternoon training session and found it can be an effective technique, more physiological than anything. It’s the sort of fight that benefits nobody, none of them looked impressive and neither will be moved up the ladder after this. I can’t help but feel Rashid Evans is now clearly past his prime.

A quick note on Demian Maia, how long before he gets another title shot? Based on recent performances I would like to see him given another chance, he is an artist. As for Fitch well he may still be the toughest guy to submit but if that means every fight you’re just going to find yourself smothered by somebody trying their best Jiu-Jitsu skills then what good is that claim?