Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
not derailing at all, roland! it's all "aboot" mma!
man, i cannot wait for that card! some of my favourite fighters and some outstanding matches. GSP vs. penn, lyoto vs. thiago silva, fitch vs. gono, karo vs. KDH, bonnar vs. jones , tavares vs. gamburyan...all on the same card!!!
not derailing at all, roland! it's all "aboot" mma!
man, i cannot wait for that card! some of my favourite fighters and some outstanding matches. GSP vs. penn, lyoto vs. thiago silva, fitch vs. gono, karo vs. KDH, bonnar vs. jones , tavares vs. gamburyan...all on the same card!!!
all the making of a classic card.
I know eh? Can't wait.
I just finished watching #80...holy crap...Penn v.s.Stevenson for the lightweight title...omg...what a bloodbath....holy. Poor guy, Stevenson was literally crying afterwards.
This is the same UFC where Penn tells Sherk he's dead, and Sherk comes into the octagon all pissed off acting like a tough guy....excellent episode. I'm trying to find the one where GSP breaks Sherk's nose, and the one where Tim Sylvia get his forearm snapped. I have some googling to do
"UFC Ultimate Comebacks" was another really good recent viewing.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
I just finished watching #80...holy crap...Penn v.s.Stevenson for the lightweight title...omg...what a bloodbath....holy. Poor guy, Stevenson was literally crying afterwards.
This is the same UFC where Penn tells Sherk he's dead, and Sherk comes into the octagon all pissed off acting like a tough guy....excellent episode. I'm trying to find the one where GSP breaks Sherk's nose, and the one where Tim Sylvia get his forearm snapped. I have some googling to do
"UFC Ultimate Comebacks" was another really good recent viewing.
thanks for the reminder, roland. i still have to check out the ultimate comebacks!
if it saves you some googling, GSP Vs. Sean Sherk was UFC 56, and Frank Mir Vs. Tim Sylvia was UFC 48. crazy how time flies!
change away, no worries! we can talk all MMA in here, hubmann. i haven't put up the affliction rumours yet because they have changed a few times since the show was delayed, then all the problems between affliction and extreme couture...looks like a few of them are still planning to fight, though, as hominick, hieron, belfort and horodecki are all rumoured to still be on the card. it doesn't sound like mike pyle is coming back, unfortunately.
with fedor vs. andrei, i'm going with andrei for sure. i'm biased, though, because i'm an andrei fan and i'm not a fan of fedor.
i agree with you, andrei has looked so good recently. his fight against ben rothwell was one of the best performances i have seen in a while, especially from a HW. his kickboxing is looking sharper than it ever has. the only knock on him that i could see in the last few fights is that he's not bringing his hands back properly when he's throwing certain punches. that's not an opening you want to leave for fedor. hands down, and one of those looping shots from fedor and the fight could be over.
in this match, i don't think that fedor will have the luxury of choosing where the fight will happen like he usually does. andrei's takedown defense is outstanding. if it does go to the ground they both have sambo backgrounds (fedor being more decorated, of course), and andrei's jiu-jitsu is good enough defensively to probably prevent an armbar. he could be the victim of some nasty ground and pound if he finds himself on his back, though, as fedor has some of the best. i just don't see too much action on the ground in this one.
fedor's speed and power are tough to deal with and very deceiving, but andrei is quick and agile for a HW too. i see andrei using his more technical kickboxing to win this match. like you said, if he plays his cards right, and has a good gameplan (keep those hands up on the return, andrei! ) he has a very good chance to win. i think it will be a late second round tko for andrei.
it should be an excellent match and probably the best test fedor has had since cro cop in 2005. i thought tim sylvia would pose a problem, but we all saw what happened there. tim got dropped with the first punch for the umpteenth time in his career! and fedor finished him quickly. i'm hoping not to be wrong again this time...go pitbull!
edit: i'll put the rumours up now and cross my fingers the show goes on....
I am biased too, so I am going to have to agree with you. Andrei is the fighter that got me into MMA, so I follow him more than any other fighter. I believe that he wlll the first real test for Fedor in some time. He has to protect himself from Fedor's strikes though. Andrei does have great takedown defence, so he should be able to fight that off if Fedor tries to go for that.
However, he can't try for the heel hook like I saw him attempt to do in the first round of the Rothwell fight. Well, he can't unless there is an opening. The heel hook he tried in the Rothwell fight was kind of out of nowhere and could have been a big mistake for him. Luckily, he ended up making Rothwell his punching bag. He does have to protect his face after he throws his punches. He's not fighting Cruz, Werdum, Rothwell, O'Brien, or Nelson. He's fighting Fedor. Fedor will capatalize on that mistake before he realizes he made it.
I am sure that his boxing coach has talked with him a lot about that though. I participated in a video chat with him a week or so back and he seems like he is incredibley focused on this fight. He also seems to think that Fedor's recent loss in a Sambo competition will affect him mentally in this fight. He said that Fedor isn't used to losing, and any kind of loss, even in Sambo, would affect him. He could very well be right. What do you think about that?
It will be an exciting fight and probably the first one I will have bought in quite some time. (Though the upcoming UFC card looks very tempting.) I think that Arlovski has a very good chance. I am definately looking for him to KO or TKO Fedor in the 2nd or 3rd round.
Looking at the other cards, what do you think about the Big Nog/Mir and Rampage/Wanderli fights?
good post, hubmann. i like the way you think. good to know i'm not the only one cheering for andrei! haha i agree about the ground. i don't think that's where andrei will want this fight to be. the heel hook he was fortunate enough to get up from quickly the first time, but the second time, he had an opportunity to simply stand up and chose to stay on his back and try to play from his guard, allowing rothwell to be offensive for that short time in the fight. i remember big john doing the play by play and kind of saying...what is arlovski doing?!?!
that's awesome that you were able to have a video chat with him! good to hear that he sounds confident and that he will be well prepared. i think you're right about fixing the mistakes.
the sambo loss was fedor's first in 8 years?, i think? there were rumours of an illness, but being so proud of his sambo accomplishments, i'm sure fedor didn't take it well. hard to say if it will be in his mind by the time january rolls around...even if andrei can use that thought to boost his own confidence, i think that is a good thing. an aggressive and confident arlovski is a scary man!
the mir vs. nog fight is noguiera all the way, in my opinion. frank's cardio has been his downfall in some matches, and i can see nogueira boxing with him and getting him to move around a bit to make him work in the first and then turning it up in the second for a tko win. if the fight goes to the third, mir is definitely done. it will get interesting if it goes to the ground, though! two of the best jiu-jitsu guys at HW. mir's subs are strong, but to tap nogueira would be an incredible accomplishment. i'm going with big nog by tko late in the second.
i'm excited for the third match between rampage and wanderlei. i think rampage has improved dramatically since their last fight, and wanderlei is fighting with a much smarter style these days. much more in control. the fact that this one is taking place in a cage makes me lean towards rampage, but that is a tough one to call. they're both different fighters than when they last met. rampage knows well enough to stay away from the knees this time , and i think he uses the cage to his advantage to take this one to the ground a few times. if he can stay in it on the feet and get his takedowns, i have a feeling rampage will pull out the decision. if the first two fights are any indication, this should be an exciting one whichever way it goes.
good post, hubmann. i like the way you think. good to know i'm not the only one cheering for andrei! haha i agree about the ground. i don't think that's where andrei will want this fight to be. the heel hook he was fortunate enough to get up from quickly the first time, but the second time, he had an opportunity to simply stand up and chose to stay on his back and try to play from his guard, allowing rothwell to be offensive for that short time in the fight. i remember big john doing the play by play and kind of saying...what is arlovski doing?!?!
that's awesome that you were able to have a video chat with him! good to hear that he sounds confident and that he will be well prepared. i think you're right about fixing the mistakes.
the sambo loss was fedor's first in 8 years?, i think? there were rumours of an illness, but being so proud of his sambo accomplishments, i'm sure fedor didn't take it well. hard to say if it will be in his mind by the time january rolls around...even if andrei can use that thought to boost his own confidence, i think that is a good thing. an aggressive and confident arlovski is a scary man!
the mir vs. nog fight is noguiera all the way, in my opinion. frank's cardio has been his downfall in some matches, and i can see nogueira boxing with him and getting him to move around a bit to make him work in the first and then turning it up in the second for a tko win. if the fight goes to the third, mir is definitely done. it will get interesting if it goes to the ground, though! two of the best jiu-jitsu guys at HW. mir's subs are strong, but to tap nogueira would be an incredible accomplishment. i'm going with big nog by tko late in the second.
i'm excited for the third match between rampage and wanderlei. i think rampage has improved dramatically since their last fight, and wanderlei is fighting with a much smarter style these days. much more in control. the fact that this one is taking place in a cage makes me lean towards rampage, but that is a tough one to call. they're both different fighters than when they last met. rampage knows well enough to stay away from the knees this time , and i think he uses the cage to his advantage to take this one to the ground a few times. if he can stay in it on the feet and get his takedowns, i have a feeling rampage will pull out the decision. if the first two fights are any indication, this should be an exciting one whichever way it goes.
sorry for the long posts...i get "wordy"!
what are your thoughts on those two?
It will be a bit later tonight before I can reply in depth! I have a full day of feasting and football (Hook 'em horns) today. I have to admit, I will have to brush up a bit on Wanderlei and Rampage before I can make a prediction to that fight. I will do all of that today and get back to you.
It will be a bit later tonight before I can reply in depth! I have a full day of feasting and football (Hook 'em horns) today. I have to admit, I will have to brush up a bit on Wanderlei and Rampage before I can make a prediction to that fight. I will do all of that today and get back to you.
right on! have fun. no worries, no hurries...i just tend to ramble on...hahah
hubmann, funny that we were just speculating about fedor's sambo loss and how he would deal with that. it sounds like, from what he says, that he's not too worked up about it. had he won, would they have cancelled the press tour, i wonder? either way, probably a good idea to keep the focus on training for andrei.
Sambo loss prompts Fedor Emelianenko to cancel U.S. press tour
by Dann Stupp
Nov 28, 2008
Following his recent loss at the 2008 World Sambo Championships -- his first in eight years -- Fedor Emelianenko has canceled a planned public-relations tour to the U.S.
Instead, the Russian fighter and current WAMMA heavyweight title-holder will use the time to prepare for his Jan. 24 "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" main-event fight with Andrei Arlovski.
Representatives from M-1 today alerted MMAjunkie.com and other media outlets of Emelianenko's decision.
The 32-year-old Emelianenko suffered the Sambo loss to Blagoy Ivanov earlier this month. Emelianenko, like his upcoming opponent Arlovski, is considered a stand-out in the sport, which is a modern martial art developed in Russia as a self-defense system. In fact, Emelianenko won the championships four times, twice as a heavyweight and twice in the open-weight division. He finished third in the open-weight division this year.
In competitions such as the world championships, points are awarded for throws and maneuvering, though striking is limited.
"My trainers, Vladimir Voronov and Alexander Michkov, met with me in Russia after the World Sambo Championships, and we decided that the Arlovski [fight] is too important to delay a comprehensive training camp in exchange for press-tour obligations on the other side of the world," Emelianenko stated. "Andrei Arlovski is a dangerous fighter and has looked in prime condition and at the top of his game in his last few fights. He is one of the top three heavyweights in the world. This is not a fighter I will defeat if I am taking shortcuts in training."
Emelianenko had been scheduled to make stops in New York City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles in December.
He admits his recent Sambo loss received a surprising amount of attention. Last week videos of the match popped up all over the Web.
"Sambo is my hobby, and I enjoy very much participating in these tournaments to honor my country and use Sambo as the best training format for MMA," Emelianenko stated. "But MMA is my job, and I certainly approach my preparation differently. I had a nice run of Sambo victories since 2000, but I have lost in a Sambo match before this match as well. I think a lot of MMA fans have never seen Sambo before, so I guess you can say I am happy that the recent loss has made some people pay attention to the sport and see the differences between Sambo and MMA."
Emelianenko last competed in July, when he defeated Tim Sylvia with a quick and efficient TKO. Prior to the fight, like now, Emelianenko was considered one of the sport's top fighters and perhaps the No. 1 heavyweight. However, the former PRIDE heavyweight champion was still relatively unknown to casual MMA fans in the U.S. since all but one of his previous fights had taken place overseas.
"I wish I could see the fans in America to announce the (Arlovski) fight, but I will not be able to attend the press tour as I did for the Tim Sylvia fight," Emelianenko stated. "I received an incredibly warm welcome the last time I was in the United States and was looking forward to reuniting with my fans. But I must begin to prepare for Arlovski early and under the stringent training regimen and conditions that I have grown accustom to for all of my most dangerous opponents. There are people in MMA who attempt to paint a different picture of who the top fighters in the world are today and I must be fully prepared and focused to defend the reputation and status of my achievements in the sport."
I watched the Jackson/Silva fights Mookie, and I have to say that Rampage had better watch out for those knees. They got him in both fights. It seems that Rampage has superior takedowns and ground n pound, but Wanderlei has superior standup. Rampage can take a beating, but if he wants a chance in this fight he needs to take it to the ground and GNP him. Just to wear him down, maybe. Also, I don't think he has had a fight since his loss to Forrest. Am I right in thinking that? If so, he is going to be a little shakey mentally I believe. He seemed to have gone off the deep end after that loss. Let's hope that he is in his best form, because I am anxious to see another great fight.
As for the Big Nog/Mir fight, I believe that Nog will submit Mir in the 2nd or 3rd round. Nog can take a beating and still be very dangerous. Mir can as well, but he did that to a very green Lesnar. If Lesnar wasn't inexperienced, then he would not have been caught in that leg bar. Instead, Mir would have been finished will he was bleeding and hurt. Nog won't let that happen. I believe Nog will submit him after a round of maybe feeling each other out.
It does seem as if Fedor is ready for the fight as well. But, I stand by what you say about Arlovski maybe needing to think that so he can be an animal in the fight. A focused Arlovski is a scary, scary man. I think he will come into this fight with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Seriously, if he loses to Fedor then who will look down on him? It doesn't seem like many people think he is going to win, altough he has many people wanting him to. I think he is going to come in hungry to prove himself and it will make him fight smart and agressive. I just have the feeling that he is going to pull this one out and give Fedor a run for his money. and again to reiterate, I think Arlovski will KO Fedor for the first time in his career.
Speaking of great heavyweights, do you feel that Mirko Cro Cop's best days are behind him? He too is a scary, scary man. I think he has a lot left in him if he finds the fire. What do you think?
that's funny...we were talking about it, so i had to watch pride final conflict 2003 today just to see the first rampage vs. silva match again. man, that was a great show! it's been a while since i watched it and i forgot how good yoshida vs. silva was too...ended up watching the whole show again, of course! haha
i like your assessments of the fights. well said. one thing you mentioned about rampage's well being was something i forgot about. i saw an interview with him today and he sounded good and looked good. he said he's been working with a nutritionist for the first time and maybe the change to the wolf's lair could have done him some good. i hope he's prepared well too. sounds like he's got his head on straight. let's hope that doesn't change by the time he's walking to the octagon because this one has all the makings of an entertaining third chapter!
also, the big nog submission on mir and the arlovski ko predictions i like very much!
oh, and the big nog vs. cro cop match was on the same show too so that was good to see again. that is why i can never pick against big nog! there is definitely a difference in mirko's demeanour when going into fights these days from the way he fought back then and even up until his OWGP win. he looks timid and hesitant so much now. maybe it was the loss to gonzaga? that had to be the toughest to take. he took the groin shots and fought through a rib injury against kongo, so credit to him for that, but he let kongo repeatedly catch him with those huge body kicks while moving back. again, the groin shots in the fight against overeem...but he didn't at all look like himself even before that. the guy definitely can't catch a break with the low blows!
i'm hoping he can rematch overeem...i think there were rumours of the fight happening on new year's and then maybe not? i'm not sure, but i'd like to see him come back strong and get a solid win over a guy like overeem (i enjoy watching alistair too, but i'd be cheering for mirko!) to give his confidence a boost and maybe bring back some of that fire you mentioned. he still has all the tools, i think it's just a matter of getting his confidence and "pride" back. that seems to be a big thing for him. it's a shame that the ufc fans didn't really get a chance to see him at his best, but i think he can get back to top HW form. he still has goals in mind and it seems like the only one holding him back from getting closer to those things is himself...if that makes any sense...? i'd be very happy to see him having success again.
thanks for the reminder, roland. i still have to check out the ultimate comebacks!
if it saves you some googling, GSP Vs. Sean Sherk was UFC 56, and Frank Mir Vs. Tim Sylvia was UFC 48. crazy how time flies!
Holy shit!! that many episode ago?!
man...time does fly....not to fear though...it will not hamper my quest for the grail.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
saw this last week and forgot to post it in case anyone missed it. a good story, and one that crodustress may have found of interest had the gonzaga vs. cro cop match not scared her away from the sport.
a courageous deed by the croatian, here's to goran!
Nov-21-2008
Reljic to the Rescue – Rising UFC Star Saves Two in Croatia
By Thomas Gerbasi
While 18 UFC fighters were competing in the Octagon last Saturday night in Las Vegas, another of the organization’s warriors, Goran Reljic, was in a fight of his own back in his home country of Croatia - one to save two young people who had driven off the road and into the Adriatic Sea.
As reported by Croatian newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija, and here in the States by AOL’s MMA Fanhouse, the unbeaten middleweight was resting at his home in Zadar when he was awakened by the crash of a car into the water. Reljic ran outside to see what was happening, and upon seeing the car sinking, he ran into the water, broke the side window of the car and pulled both passengers from the vehicle.
Amazingly, he did this while still nursing an injury that forced him to withdraw from a UFC 90 bout in October against Thales Leites.
“Even suffering a severe lower back injury, and without any training and exercise in the past month and a half he risked everything, jumping under cold water and helping save lives,” Reljic’s manager, Zoran Saric, told UFC.com Thursday night. “When I spoke with him earlier today, he said “I wasn’t even thinking about my injury or about myself, I just dove into the water and started punching the window; there was only one thing on my mind, to save them.”
All parties involved in what could have been a tragedy are doing well, with no injuries reported by Reljic or the two passengers in the car. And when it was over, Reljic simply went back to his home. But witnesses at the scene weren’t so shy about this rescue, and their retelling of Reljic’s exploits has made headlines across Croatia.
And according to Saric, it isn’t the first time the 24-year old Reljic has performed such a heroic deed.
“Actually this is second time that I know Goran saved a life in the water,” he recalled. “Two years ago, he jumped into a wild storm near the cliffs in the Adriatic Sea, where a person was swimming and trying to get out the water, but the waves and current were so strong that they were pulling the person back in. I have no idea how Goran
managed to pull that person out of the sea, but he did it.”
Next week, Reljic will undergo an MRI on his back to determine when he can return to the gym and begin training for his next bout. And when he returns, the 185-pound division will undoubtedly be put on notice that nothing – fists, knees, storms, or sea – will hold him back.
“This situation just reminds me of his braveness and toughness,” said Saric. “Shortly after I introduced him to the UFC, I decided to move him to the US for proper training, and there is no doubt for me that he is going to make it as a fighter, even in the world’s best organization, the UFC. He is truly a warrior who never gives up.”
was anxious to make some picks, so i got them in early for the show next week.
UFC Fight Night 16 (Fight For The Troops), December 10, 2008 - Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville, North Carolina - Spike TV
Main Card:
Josh Koscheck Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida - yoshida by submission
Mick Swick Vs. Jonathan Goulet - goulet by tko
Steve Cantwell Vs. Razak Al-Hassan - al-hassan by tko
Nate Loughran Vs. Tim Credeur - credeur by submission
Jim Miller Vs. Matt Wiman - wiman by tko
Pre-lims:
Luigi Fioravanti Vs. Brodie Farber - fioravanti by decision
Steve Bruno Vs. Johnny Rees - bruno by decision
Ben Saunders Vs. Brandon Wolff - saunders by tko
Corey Hill Vs. Dale Hartt - hill by decision
Eddie Sanchez Vs. Justin McCully - mccully by decision
still a few spots in the league if anyone is interested in playing. i hope ceg isn't mia for another ufc!
saw this last week and forgot to post it in case anyone missed it. a good story, and one that crodustress may have found of interest had the gonzaga vs. cro cop match not scared her away from the sport.
a courageous deed by the croatian, here's to goran!
Nov-21-2008
Reljic to the Rescue – Rising UFC Star Saves Two in Croatia
By Thomas Gerbasi
“Even suffering a severe lower back injury, and without any training and exercise in the past month and a half he risked everything, jumping under cold water and helping save lives,” Reljic’s manager, Zoran Saric, told UFC.com Thursday night. “When I spoke with him earlier today, he said “I wasn’t even thinking about my injury or about myself, I just dove into the water and started punching the window; there was only one thing on my mind, to save them.”
“Actually this is second time that I know Goran saved a life in the water,” he recalled. “Two years ago, he jumped into a wild storm near the cliffs in the Adriatic Sea, where a person was swimming and trying to get out the water, but the waves and current were so strong that they were pulling the person back in. I have no idea how Goran
managed to pull that person out of the sea, but he did it.”
Holy shit dude... This Goran guy has the heart of a lion. Is this guy ready to go or what?
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
Holy shit dude... This Goran guy has the heart of a lion. Is this guy ready to go or what?
i'll have to remember to pass this along to cropdustress to see if she heard about it in croatia. he had a great fight with wilson gouviea in his debut, and the bout against leites was cancelled due to his injury. they haven't re-scheduled leites for anything that i'm aware of, so maybe they are saving that bout for his return?
pretty crazy that this was his second time saving people from drowning!
"In fact, I did a little research, and on nights when Reljic has a fight, statistics show that drowning deaths in the Adriatic Sea increase by 175%. Okay, that's not true at all. Like I'm about to do any research. Come on. But the point is, if you're planning on dicking around anywhere in or around the Adriatic Sea, it's best to check the UFC schedule to see if Goran Reljic will be free that day, just as a precaution."
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
"In fact, I did a little research, and on nights when Reljic has a fight, statistics show that drowning deaths in the Adriatic Sea increase by 175%. Okay, that's not true at all. Like I'm about to do any research. Come on. But the point is, if you're planning on dicking around anywhere in or around the Adriatic Sea, it's best to check the UFC schedule to see if Goran Reljic will be free that day, just as a precaution."
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
the match that was supposed to happen anyway gets put together for affliction, in a roundabout way... go vitor!
BABALU BUMPED, LINDLAND VS. BELFORT IN JANUARY
Monday, December 01, 2008
by Ken Pishna (Reporting by Tom Hamlin)
MMAWeekly.com
Renato "Babalu" Sobral defeated Bobby Southworth recently to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship. One unfortunate side effect for the new titleholder, however, is that he has been removed from a fight against No. 3 ranked middleweight Matt Lindland.
Affliction had planned to pair Babalu and Lindland against each other at the promotion's Jan. 24 event at The Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. It now appears that Babalu's recent effort at 205 pounds for Strikeforce may have necessitated the bout with Lindland to be at a catch weight in the 190 to 195-pound range.
Affliction vice president Tom Atencio told MMAWeekly.com on Monday that he made an "executive decision" not to do the catch weight fight. He instead decided to pit Lindland against Vitor Belfort in a true middleweight contest at 185 pounds.
Belfort has been on a three-fight winning streak, his most recent effort being at Affliction's debut outing in July. There he defeated fellow UFC veteran Terry Martin, knocking him out in the second round. It was an impressive debut for the Brazilian at 185 pounds.
His most recent effort also being on Affliction's debut card, Lindland saw his first action in more than a year, defeating Fabio Nascimento in a three-round unanimous decision. He recently made a run at politics in his home state of Oregon, but lost his bid. Lindland has now returned to training for his January fight with a new focus.
Belfort and Lindland were scheduled to fight each other on the "Day of Reckoning" card when it was originally planned for October in Las Vegas. The move to January saw their bout split apart before the recent decision to put it back together.
Wow, four pages of mma talk and no one is excited for the forrest vs evans fight??? I think its the best one on this months card. I love forrest but I think evans is hungry and quick. I think its gonna be a brutal fight that will end in a bloody knockout. I'm leaning towards rashard right now, but haven't made a final decision yet.
Wow, four pages of mma talk and no one is excited for the forrest vs evans fight??? I think its the best one on this months card. I love forrest but I think evans is hungry and quick. I think its gonna be a brutal fight that will end in a bloody knockout. I'm leaning towards rashard right now, but haven't made a final decision yet.
Also , I think mir has no chance!
it is a bit strange now that you mention it! should be a good, close match, goodfella. i think i'm going with forrest in this one by decision or tko, though. like you said, rashad is hungry, athletic and should be riding high on confidence after knocking out chuck liddell. forrest, on the other hand, has had a lot of time off once again. we'll have to see if rust is an issue, but i doubt it considering how hard he trains and how the sparring goes with forrest. tough one to call! i don't really enjoy watching rashad too much, so perhaps i am just going with forrest for that reason! haha
it is a shame that this one does seem to be getting lost somewhat in between the HW interim title match and the third match between rampage and wanderlei.
during the finish to the couture vs. lesnar match, you could see a bunch of people in the octagon looking and pointing at something...
i guess we know what it was. somebody lost money on randy and went nuts, maybe?
Yeah I saw this a few days ago, it was two drunk people who wouldn’t sit down for the whole event (from what I’ve read anyway). But it did involve a fighter. K1 kickboxing star Ray Sefo and his brother were involved, they were sitting behind them and couldn’t really see and eventually got angry (as you would) then some words were exchange and that’s when it kick off but they weren’t the ones who were fighting, it was other people around that area who threw the punches. That’s just what I heard about it anyway.
Comments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_94
GSP FTW...
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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not derailing at all, roland! it's all "aboot" mma!
man, i cannot wait for that card! some of my favourite fighters and some outstanding matches. GSP vs. penn, lyoto vs. thiago silva, fitch vs. gono, karo vs. KDH, bonnar vs. jones , tavares vs. gamburyan...all on the same card!!!
all the making of a classic card.
I know eh? Can't wait.
I just finished watching #80...holy crap...Penn v.s.Stevenson for the lightweight title...omg...what a bloodbath....holy. Poor guy, Stevenson was literally crying afterwards.
This is the same UFC where Penn tells Sherk he's dead, and Sherk comes into the octagon all pissed off acting like a tough guy....excellent episode. I'm trying to find the one where GSP breaks Sherk's nose, and the one where Tim Sylvia get his forearm snapped. I have some googling to do
"UFC Ultimate Comebacks" was another really good recent viewing.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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thanks for the reminder, roland. i still have to check out the ultimate comebacks!
if it saves you some googling, GSP Vs. Sean Sherk was UFC 56, and Frank Mir Vs. Tim Sylvia was UFC 48. crazy how time flies!
I am biased too, so I am going to have to agree with you. Andrei is the fighter that got me into MMA, so I follow him more than any other fighter. I believe that he wlll the first real test for Fedor in some time. He has to protect himself from Fedor's strikes though. Andrei does have great takedown defence, so he should be able to fight that off if Fedor tries to go for that.
However, he can't try for the heel hook like I saw him attempt to do in the first round of the Rothwell fight. Well, he can't unless there is an opening. The heel hook he tried in the Rothwell fight was kind of out of nowhere and could have been a big mistake for him. Luckily, he ended up making Rothwell his punching bag. He does have to protect his face after he throws his punches. He's not fighting Cruz, Werdum, Rothwell, O'Brien, or Nelson. He's fighting Fedor. Fedor will capatalize on that mistake before he realizes he made it.
I am sure that his boxing coach has talked with him a lot about that though. I participated in a video chat with him a week or so back and he seems like he is incredibley focused on this fight. He also seems to think that Fedor's recent loss in a Sambo competition will affect him mentally in this fight. He said that Fedor isn't used to losing, and any kind of loss, even in Sambo, would affect him. He could very well be right. What do you think about that?
It will be an exciting fight and probably the first one I will have bought in quite some time. (Though the upcoming UFC card looks very tempting.) I think that Arlovski has a very good chance. I am definately looking for him to KO or TKO Fedor in the 2nd or 3rd round.
Looking at the other cards, what do you think about the Big Nog/Mir and Rampage/Wanderli fights?
that's awesome that you were able to have a video chat with him!
the sambo loss was fedor's first in 8 years?, i think? there were rumours of an illness, but being so proud of his sambo accomplishments, i'm sure fedor didn't take it well. hard to say if it will be in his mind by the time january rolls around...even if andrei can use that thought to boost his own confidence, i think that is a good thing. an aggressive and confident arlovski is a scary man!
the mir vs. nog fight is noguiera all the way, in my opinion. frank's cardio has been his downfall in some matches, and i can see nogueira boxing with him and getting him to move around a bit to make him work in the first and then turning it up in the second for a tko win. if the fight goes to the third, mir is definitely done. it will get interesting if it goes to the ground, though! two of the best jiu-jitsu guys at HW. mir's subs are strong, but to tap nogueira would be an incredible accomplishment. i'm going with big nog by tko late in the second.
i'm excited for the third match between rampage and wanderlei. i think rampage has improved dramatically since their last fight, and wanderlei is fighting with a much smarter style these days. much more in control. the fact that this one is taking place in a cage makes me lean towards rampage, but that is a tough one to call. they're both different fighters than when they last met. rampage knows well enough to stay away from the knees this time
sorry for the long posts...i get "wordy"!
what are your thoughts on those two?
enjoy the holiday! ours was last month here in the great white north, but we still get to enjoy a day of football with those of you in the states.
so, if i may...add a +1 to your holiday wishes for all!
It will be a bit later tonight before I can reply in depth! I have a full day of feasting and football (Hook 'em horns) today. I have to admit, I will have to brush up a bit on Wanderlei and Rampage before I can make a prediction to that fight. I will do all of that today and get back to you.
right on! have fun.
Sambo loss prompts Fedor Emelianenko to cancel U.S. press tour
by Dann Stupp
Nov 28, 2008
Following his recent loss at the 2008 World Sambo Championships -- his first in eight years -- Fedor Emelianenko has canceled a planned public-relations tour to the U.S.
Instead, the Russian fighter and current WAMMA heavyweight title-holder will use the time to prepare for his Jan. 24 "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" main-event fight with Andrei Arlovski.
Representatives from M-1 today alerted MMAjunkie.com and other media outlets of Emelianenko's decision.
The 32-year-old Emelianenko suffered the Sambo loss to Blagoy Ivanov earlier this month. Emelianenko, like his upcoming opponent Arlovski, is considered a stand-out in the sport, which is a modern martial art developed in Russia as a self-defense system. In fact, Emelianenko won the championships four times, twice as a heavyweight and twice in the open-weight division. He finished third in the open-weight division this year.
In competitions such as the world championships, points are awarded for throws and maneuvering, though striking is limited.
"My trainers, Vladimir Voronov and Alexander Michkov, met with me in Russia after the World Sambo Championships, and we decided that the Arlovski [fight] is too important to delay a comprehensive training camp in exchange for press-tour obligations on the other side of the world," Emelianenko stated. "Andrei Arlovski is a dangerous fighter and has looked in prime condition and at the top of his game in his last few fights. He is one of the top three heavyweights in the world. This is not a fighter I will defeat if I am taking shortcuts in training."
Emelianenko had been scheduled to make stops in New York City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles in December.
He admits his recent Sambo loss received a surprising amount of attention. Last week videos of the match popped up all over the Web.
"Sambo is my hobby, and I enjoy very much participating in these tournaments to honor my country and use Sambo as the best training format for MMA," Emelianenko stated. "But MMA is my job, and I certainly approach my preparation differently. I had a nice run of Sambo victories since 2000, but I have lost in a Sambo match before this match as well. I think a lot of MMA fans have never seen Sambo before, so I guess you can say I am happy that the recent loss has made some people pay attention to the sport and see the differences between Sambo and MMA."
Emelianenko last competed in July, when he defeated Tim Sylvia with a quick and efficient TKO. Prior to the fight, like now, Emelianenko was considered one of the sport's top fighters and perhaps the No. 1 heavyweight. However, the former PRIDE heavyweight champion was still relatively unknown to casual MMA fans in the U.S. since all but one of his previous fights had taken place overseas.
"I wish I could see the fans in America to announce the (Arlovski) fight, but I will not be able to attend the press tour as I did for the Tim Sylvia fight," Emelianenko stated. "I received an incredibly warm welcome the last time I was in the United States and was looking forward to reuniting with my fans. But I must begin to prepare for Arlovski early and under the stringent training regimen and conditions that I have grown accustom to for all of my most dangerous opponents. There are people in MMA who attempt to paint a different picture of who the top fighters in the world are today and I must be fully prepared and focused to defend the reputation and status of my achievements in the sport."
http://mmajunkie.com/news/13352/sambo-loss-prompts-fedor-emelianenko-to-cancel-u-s-press-tour.mma
As for the Big Nog/Mir fight, I believe that Nog will submit Mir in the 2nd or 3rd round. Nog can take a beating and still be very dangerous. Mir can as well, but he did that to a very green Lesnar. If Lesnar wasn't inexperienced, then he would not have been caught in that leg bar. Instead, Mir would have been finished will he was bleeding and hurt. Nog won't let that happen. I believe Nog will submit him after a round of maybe feeling each other out.
It does seem as if Fedor is ready for the fight as well. But, I stand by what you say about Arlovski maybe needing to think that so he can be an animal in the fight. A focused Arlovski is a scary, scary man. I think he will come into this fight with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Seriously, if he loses to Fedor then who will look down on him? It doesn't seem like many people think he is going to win, altough he has many people wanting him to. I think he is going to come in hungry to prove himself and it will make him fight smart and agressive. I just have the feeling that he is going to pull this one out and give Fedor a run for his money. and again to reiterate, I think Arlovski will KO Fedor for the first time in his career.
Speaking of great heavyweights, do you feel that Mirko Cro Cop's best days are behind him? He too is a scary, scary man. I think he has a lot left in him if he finds the fire. What do you think?
i like your assessments of the fights.
also, the big nog submission on mir and the arlovski ko predictions i like very much!
i'm hoping he can rematch overeem...i think there were rumours of the fight happening on new year's and then maybe not? i'm not sure, but i'd like to see him come back strong and get a solid win over a guy like overeem (i enjoy watching alistair too, but i'd be cheering for mirko!) to give his confidence a boost and maybe bring back some of that fire you mentioned. he still has all the tools, i think it's just a matter of getting his confidence and "pride"
Holy shit!! that many episode ago?!
man...time does fly....not to fear though...it will not hamper my quest for the grail.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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( o.O)
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hahah!
a courageous deed by the croatian, here's to goran!
Nov-21-2008
Reljic to the Rescue – Rising UFC Star Saves Two in Croatia
By Thomas Gerbasi
While 18 UFC fighters were competing in the Octagon last Saturday night in Las Vegas, another of the organization’s warriors, Goran Reljic, was in a fight of his own back in his home country of Croatia - one to save two young people who had driven off the road and into the Adriatic Sea.
As reported by Croatian newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija, and here in the States by AOL’s MMA Fanhouse, the unbeaten middleweight was resting at his home in Zadar when he was awakened by the crash of a car into the water. Reljic ran outside to see what was happening, and upon seeing the car sinking, he ran into the water, broke the side window of the car and pulled both passengers from the vehicle.
Amazingly, he did this while still nursing an injury that forced him to withdraw from a UFC 90 bout in October against Thales Leites.
“Even suffering a severe lower back injury, and without any training and exercise in the past month and a half he risked everything, jumping under cold water and helping save lives,” Reljic’s manager, Zoran Saric, told UFC.com Thursday night. “When I spoke with him earlier today, he said “I wasn’t even thinking about my injury or about myself, I just dove into the water and started punching the window; there was only one thing on my mind, to save them.”
All parties involved in what could have been a tragedy are doing well, with no injuries reported by Reljic or the two passengers in the car. And when it was over, Reljic simply went back to his home. But witnesses at the scene weren’t so shy about this rescue, and their retelling of Reljic’s exploits has made headlines across Croatia.
And according to Saric, it isn’t the first time the 24-year old Reljic has performed such a heroic deed.
“Actually this is second time that I know Goran saved a life in the water,” he recalled. “Two years ago, he jumped into a wild storm near the cliffs in the Adriatic Sea, where a person was swimming and trying to get out the water, but the waves and current were so strong that they were pulling the person back in. I have no idea how Goran
managed to pull that person out of the sea, but he did it.”
Next week, Reljic will undergo an MRI on his back to determine when he can return to the gym and begin training for his next bout. And when he returns, the 185-pound division will undoubtedly be put on notice that nothing – fists, knees, storms, or sea – will hold him back.
“This situation just reminds me of his braveness and toughness,” said Saric. “Shortly after I introduced him to the UFC, I decided to move him to the US for proper training, and there is no doubt for me that he is going to make it as a fighter, even in the world’s best organization, the UFC. He is truly a warrior who never gives up.”
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=16002
UFC Fight Night 16 (Fight For The Troops), December 10, 2008 - Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville, North Carolina - Spike TV
Main Card:
Josh Koscheck Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida - yoshida by submission
Mick Swick Vs. Jonathan Goulet - goulet by tko
Steve Cantwell Vs. Razak Al-Hassan - al-hassan by tko
Nate Loughran Vs. Tim Credeur - credeur by submission
Jim Miller Vs. Matt Wiman - wiman by tko
Pre-lims:
Luigi Fioravanti Vs. Brodie Farber - fioravanti by decision
Steve Bruno Vs. Johnny Rees - bruno by decision
Ben Saunders Vs. Brandon Wolff - saunders by tko
Corey Hill Vs. Dale Hartt - hill by decision
Eddie Sanchez Vs. Justin McCully - mccully by decision
still a few spots in the league if anyone is interested in playing.
Holy shit dude... This Goran guy has the heart of a lion. Is this guy ready to go or what?
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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( o.O)
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i'll have to remember to pass this along to cropdustress to see if she heard about it in croatia. he had a great fight with wilson gouviea in his debut, and the bout against leites was cancelled due to his injury. they haven't re-scheduled leites for anything that i'm aware of, so maybe they are saving that bout for his return?
pretty crazy that this was his second time saving people from drowning!
http://www.cagepotato.com/2008/11/21/goran-reljic-is-aquaman
"In fact, I did a little research, and on nights when Reljic has a fight, statistics show that drowning deaths in the Adriatic Sea increase by 175%. Okay, that's not true at all. Like I'm about to do any research. Come on. But the point is, if you're planning on dicking around anywhere in or around the Adriatic Sea, it's best to check the UFC schedule to see if Goran Reljic will be free that day, just as a precaution."
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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( o.O)
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it's a good likeness!
EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
the croatians have huge hearts!
http://www.cagepotato.com/cop-ufc-91-body-slams-dude-first-asks-questions-later
Put that security guard in the octagon!
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
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during the finish to the couture vs. lesnar match, you could see a bunch of people in the octagon looking and pointing at something...
i guess we know what it was.
BABALU BUMPED, LINDLAND VS. BELFORT IN JANUARY
Monday, December 01, 2008
by Ken Pishna (Reporting by Tom Hamlin)
MMAWeekly.com
Renato "Babalu" Sobral defeated Bobby Southworth recently to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship. One unfortunate side effect for the new titleholder, however, is that he has been removed from a fight against No. 3 ranked middleweight Matt Lindland.
Affliction had planned to pair Babalu and Lindland against each other at the promotion's Jan. 24 event at The Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. It now appears that Babalu's recent effort at 205 pounds for Strikeforce may have necessitated the bout with Lindland to be at a catch weight in the 190 to 195-pound range.
Affliction vice president Tom Atencio told MMAWeekly.com on Monday that he made an "executive decision" not to do the catch weight fight. He instead decided to pit Lindland against Vitor Belfort in a true middleweight contest at 185 pounds.
Belfort has been on a three-fight winning streak, his most recent effort being at Affliction's debut outing in July. There he defeated fellow UFC veteran Terry Martin, knocking him out in the second round. It was an impressive debut for the Brazilian at 185 pounds.
His most recent effort also being on Affliction's debut card, Lindland saw his first action in more than a year, defeating Fabio Nascimento in a three-round unanimous decision. He recently made a run at politics in his home state of Oregon, but lost his bid. Lindland has now returned to training for his January fight with a new focus.
Belfort and Lindland were scheduled to fight each other on the "Day of Reckoning" card when it was originally planned for October in Las Vegas. The move to January saw their bout split apart before the recent decision to put it back together.
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7695&zoneid=13
Also , I think mir has no chance!
it is a bit strange now that you mention it! should be a good, close match, goodfella. i think i'm going with forrest in this one by decision or tko, though. like you said, rashad is hungry, athletic and should be riding high on confidence after knocking out chuck liddell. forrest, on the other hand, has had a lot of time off once again. we'll have to see if rust is an issue, but i doubt it considering how hard he trains and how the sparring goes with forrest.
it is a shame that this one does seem to be getting lost somewhat in between the HW interim title match and the third match between rampage and wanderlei.
+1 on mir...go big nog!!!
Yeah I saw this a few days ago, it was two drunk people who wouldn’t sit down for the whole event (from what I’ve read anyway). But it did involve a fighter. K1 kickboxing star Ray Sefo and his brother were involved, they were sitting behind them and couldn’t really see and eventually got angry (as you would) then some words were exchange and that’s when it kick off but they weren’t the ones who were fighting, it was other people around that area who threw the punches. That’s just what I heard about it anyway.