So I just read on 5oz that Fedor's next opponent won't be juiced-up loudmouth Josh Barnett or sideshow-attraction Hobg Man Choi. No, Fedor is going up against the Brazilian OG Pedro Rizzo. Now, let's be honest; Rizzo's last meaningful win was 5 years ago, when he decisioned Ricco at UFC 45. And cruel as it may sound, he was already over the hill. Like so many others before & after, his peak came during his matches with Randy Couture.
What this tells me is that Fedor is terrified of losing the mystique that accompanies his undefeated record. His last meaningful win was over Cro Cop in '05. Since then he's gone on a tear & fought several game but unqualified takers in a vain attempt to sustain his own hype.
Is Fedor a great fighter? Yes. Is he one of the best? No! He WAS one of the best, & for all we know he still might be. But the truth is we'll never know, since Fedor's "management" won't let him near an opponent who has a chance against him.
One last cheap shot to illustrate the case in point...
Fedor's last fight was against Matt Lindland, who fights two weight classes lower. Fedor took a nasty right hand that cut hip open, & had to grab the ropes to stuff Lindland's takedown. Until Fedor tkes a chance, gets back in the mix & beats another HW who in turn has beat a top-ranked HW in the last 2 years, he's just another crazy Russian.
--------------------------
A quick note on the TUF front, it was no suprise to see Mac Danzig run through that ragtag band of drunken apes. I mean the guy was the KOTC LW champ when these other dingbats were still ditching study-hall. The only other guy on that show who should be in the cage is that Aussie with the Greek name. I can't wait for the new format that we've been promised for SE7. Hopefully one of the revisions is they only hire fighters, not posers.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
There's STILL only One Ricky Hatton!
I don't care if Floyd Mayweather Jr. knocked out Ricky Hatton on Saturday night, I still say that Hatton is the man. I watched the fight, and I saw Hatton giving Mayweather Hell for the first 8 rounds of the fight. And I saw Mayweather actually fighting back, not just playing his defense game. The other thing I saw, was Joe Cortez and the Nevada State Athletic Commission being incredibly biased towards Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Joe Cortez deducted a point for Ricky Hatton because Hatton allegedly hit Mayweather on the back of the head. What the fuck. Mayweather turned his back on Hatton while a flurry of punches were being thrown at him, and he turned to avoid getting his face smashed in. Hatton was pushing Mayweather, and Joe Cortez didn't want any of it. But when Mayweather was in the corner looking like a fucking Muay Thai expert with his elbows, Joe Cortez didn't do shit. And when Hatton was getting his body shots in on the inside with Mayweather, Cortez would break it up and separate them. I used to think Cortez was a good ref, I mean he did a real good job with Mosley-Cotto, but come on, Mayweather was fouling and holding like crazy, why not deduct a point from him? I guess being Vegas' pound for pound legend must make you exempt from the rules.
The other injustice was the ridiculous scores for Mayweather. I had Mayweather up by like 2 points, and that was only because of Hatton's point deduction. The judges, however, had Floyd ahead 89-81, and 88-82. I guess ring generalship just doesn't apply anymore, because Hatton pushed Mayweather for at least 6 of the first 8 rounds. Yeah, Mayweather got more punches in, but they really didn't do anything until rounds 8 and 9. Prior to that, they were just light jabs that he needed to use so he could keep running away and tying Hatton up. If Hatton had been able to pull off rounds 10 and 11, he should have won on points, but according to the NSAC, he would have lost.
I know that Hatton got KO'd by Floyd, and I know that this technically makes Floyd pound for pound the best boxer in the world, but come on, Hatton was very impressive in this fight, and he really pushed Floyd like we haven't seen in quite awhile. I think Hatton should get a rematch sometime in 2008. The bottom line is, Hatton moved up in weight to take the fight, trained his ass off, and fought a real good fight. So fucking what if Mayweather won, and so fucking what if Mayweather is pound for pound and undisputed. The fans in attendance in Floyd's hometown let the world know who the people's champion really is. And they were right all night long.
There's only one Ricky Hatton.
-o
Joe Cortez deducted a point for Ricky Hatton because Hatton allegedly hit Mayweather on the back of the head. What the fuck. Mayweather turned his back on Hatton while a flurry of punches were being thrown at him, and he turned to avoid getting his face smashed in. Hatton was pushing Mayweather, and Joe Cortez didn't want any of it. But when Mayweather was in the corner looking like a fucking Muay Thai expert with his elbows, Joe Cortez didn't do shit. And when Hatton was getting his body shots in on the inside with Mayweather, Cortez would break it up and separate them. I used to think Cortez was a good ref, I mean he did a real good job with Mosley-Cotto, but come on, Mayweather was fouling and holding like crazy, why not deduct a point from him? I guess being Vegas' pound for pound legend must make you exempt from the rules.
The other injustice was the ridiculous scores for Mayweather. I had Mayweather up by like 2 points, and that was only because of Hatton's point deduction. The judges, however, had Floyd ahead 89-81, and 88-82. I guess ring generalship just doesn't apply anymore, because Hatton pushed Mayweather for at least 6 of the first 8 rounds. Yeah, Mayweather got more punches in, but they really didn't do anything until rounds 8 and 9. Prior to that, they were just light jabs that he needed to use so he could keep running away and tying Hatton up. If Hatton had been able to pull off rounds 10 and 11, he should have won on points, but according to the NSAC, he would have lost.
I know that Hatton got KO'd by Floyd, and I know that this technically makes Floyd pound for pound the best boxer in the world, but come on, Hatton was very impressive in this fight, and he really pushed Floyd like we haven't seen in quite awhile. I think Hatton should get a rematch sometime in 2008. The bottom line is, Hatton moved up in weight to take the fight, trained his ass off, and fought a real good fight. So fucking what if Mayweather won, and so fucking what if Mayweather is pound for pound and undisputed. The fans in attendance in Floyd's hometown let the world know who the people's champion really is. And they were right all night long.
There's only one Ricky Hatton.
-o
Sunday, November 18, 2007
"Step into my parlor", said the spider to the fly.
Michael Bisping has started expressing interest in stepping down to MW, & who's hot on his heels? Dan Henderson, that's who. That puts two more big names in a division that's been demolished by Anderson Silva. Can either one of them stop Silva? My answer is an emphatic "fuck no".
The person who does eventually beat Silva will be someone who can go toe to toe with him. He's proved that he can survive on the ground & his Muay Thai is the best in MMA right now. While these two are both tough cookies, neither has the winning formula, at least not yet.
Henderson can wrestle, yes, but Silva has been boning up on his wrestling too, training Stateside at a SoCal college, no less (sorry guys, I wasn't able to find out where). So I'm confident that he'll be ready for any matwork Henderson tries to tangle him up with. And while Henderson was able to KO Wanderlei Silva, that was more of a musclebound free-for-all. When these two go at it we won't see that same kind of brawl. It'll be reminiscent of Silva/Franklin; a cruel lesson in the fundamentals of Muay Thai.
Bisping, oddly enough, has a better shot against Anderson Silva...that is, if he drops to MW, trains hard, really tightens up his striking & gets his cardio up to full speed. I'd say in a year or two he'd have the tools to do it. He's a big strong dude with nice stand-up & enough BJJ to hold his own. Right now Silva would bust him up & make it look easy but in time, The Count could be a legit contender. Unfortunately, I don't think the MW talent pool is deep enough to buy that kind of time for Bisping. I predict he gets a title shot right after Hendo loses. And I predict more of the same from Silva: ref stoppages & classy post-win speeches.
So I guess the fight with any real meaning is Silva/Bisping II. In the meantime, enjoy the show...I know I will.
The person who does eventually beat Silva will be someone who can go toe to toe with him. He's proved that he can survive on the ground & his Muay Thai is the best in MMA right now. While these two are both tough cookies, neither has the winning formula, at least not yet.
Henderson can wrestle, yes, but Silva has been boning up on his wrestling too, training Stateside at a SoCal college, no less (sorry guys, I wasn't able to find out where). So I'm confident that he'll be ready for any matwork Henderson tries to tangle him up with. And while Henderson was able to KO Wanderlei Silva, that was more of a musclebound free-for-all. When these two go at it we won't see that same kind of brawl. It'll be reminiscent of Silva/Franklin; a cruel lesson in the fundamentals of Muay Thai.
Bisping, oddly enough, has a better shot against Anderson Silva...that is, if he drops to MW, trains hard, really tightens up his striking & gets his cardio up to full speed. I'd say in a year or two he'd have the tools to do it. He's a big strong dude with nice stand-up & enough BJJ to hold his own. Right now Silva would bust him up & make it look easy but in time, The Count could be a legit contender. Unfortunately, I don't think the MW talent pool is deep enough to buy that kind of time for Bisping. I predict he gets a title shot right after Hendo loses. And I predict more of the same from Silva: ref stoppages & classy post-win speeches.
So I guess the fight with any real meaning is Silva/Bisping II. In the meantime, enjoy the show...I know I will.
Validated but TUF jaded.
Ok, I'll do us all a favor & keep this UFC rundown quick:
-How the Hell did Joe Lauzon's opponent get cleared by the NJSAC?
-Ed Herman needed the luck of the Irish to beat Doerkson. I haven't seen somone that saved by the bell since Zack, Screech & AC got hotel jobs over the summer.
-And a PPV headlined by two TUFers & two TUFers are on the undercard, too? I thought there was going to be a CSI marathon after the main event, followed by Manswers & TNA Impact.
-That wasn't the same Ryo Chonan that submitted Anderson Silva. It was his evil twin with a more fucked-up haircut.
-Getting injured & having to withdraw from a title fight against Hughes was the best thing to ever happen to Karo Parisyan. He wouldn't have made it past the first round alive.
-If Bisping was awarded point for escaping from those takedowns he would have won the fight. He had the cardio, the chin, the BJJ...the only thing Evans brought to the cage were those NCAA takedowns.
-Sorry, Dana...they're both on their way but neither Bisping or Evans are ready for the LH elite. That was my opinion before & the fight validated it.
-How the Hell did Joe Lauzon's opponent get cleared by the NJSAC?
-Ed Herman needed the luck of the Irish to beat Doerkson. I haven't seen somone that saved by the bell since Zack, Screech & AC got hotel jobs over the summer.
-And a PPV headlined by two TUFers & two TUFers are on the undercard, too? I thought there was going to be a CSI marathon after the main event, followed by Manswers & TNA Impact.
-That wasn't the same Ryo Chonan that submitted Anderson Silva. It was his evil twin with a more fucked-up haircut.
-Getting injured & having to withdraw from a title fight against Hughes was the best thing to ever happen to Karo Parisyan. He wouldn't have made it past the first round alive.
-If Bisping was awarded point for escaping from those takedowns he would have won the fight. He had the cardio, the chin, the BJJ...the only thing Evans brought to the cage were those NCAA takedowns.
-Sorry, Dana...they're both on their way but neither Bisping or Evans are ready for the LH elite. That was my opinion before & the fight validated it.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Nicked Diaz...& the best thing since Sliced bread?
After seeing EliteXC's "Renegade", I have to wonder if the Sacto stoner will keep getting cut in the same place. The gashes that Noons opened up on him appeared to be the same ones scored by Aina in Diaz's last fight. The scar tissue may just not have been fully healed up due to continuous sparring, but it looks like Nick's next opponent will know where to aim.
And Kimbo's fight was quicker than ANY of his internet brawls. Is Cantrell just that much of a can that he got TKO'd faster than AfroPuff, Big Mac & the Bouncer? WTF?! Maybe he gassed after that spinning backfist. If the Tank Abbott fight ever happens, we'll see Tank get the same kind of ass-kicking he used to hand out back in the day.
---m
And Kimbo's fight was quicker than ANY of his internet brawls. Is Cantrell just that much of a can that he got TKO'd faster than AfroPuff, Big Mac & the Bouncer? WTF?! Maybe he gassed after that spinning backfist. If the Tank Abbott fight ever happens, we'll see Tank get the same kind of ass-kicking he used to hand out back in the day.
---m
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Boxing's Not Dead, but Mosley's Career Might Be
Those who say that Boxing is all but dead were obviously not at Madison Square Garden last night, when Miguel Cotto put his WBA welterweight belt on the line against veteran pugilist Sugar Shane Mosley. The roar of the packed house let those watching know that to many, boxing is still alive and well. Going into the fight, it was unclear who the favorite really was, as Sugar Shane had the experience and the bigger fights, while Cotto's notorious body shots are known to have stopped men dead in their tracks. Another factor in determining a favorite was the age discrepancy of 9 years in favor of Cotto's youth. Regardless of who the better man was on paper, the packed Puerto Rican crowd let both men know that they supported their native son Miguel Cotto.
The opening rounds saw both men bring an intensity not usually seen prior to the closing rounds. Mosley seemed to be going for a knockout, and despite several efforts to outbox Cotto, he would continually go back to fighting him, and would pay the price for it in devastating body shots. Mosley also seemed to ignore numerous opportunities to throw uppercuts on the inside, instead choosing to tie up Cotto. This could have easily been a deciding factor in the outcome of the fight, as Mosley could have easily pushed the pace more in these inside exchanges. After the fight, Mosley said he didn't know if he was going to hang up the gloves or keep fighting, but it didn't look as though a rematch was the first thing on his mind.
Cotto looked very impressive in this fight, though not as impressive as in other fights, as he did not put on a dominating performance in the later rounds like he normally does. He seemed to lack the ring generalship he usually commands, but to be fair, he has never been tested by an opponent as formidable as Shane Mosley before. Still, Cotto definitely earned his Unanimous Decision, and showed the world that he is ready for some big name fights in the future. Personally, I think he might need another tune up fight before he goes and trades leather with the likes of Hatton, Mayweather and De La Hoya, if anything, just to get back his KO confidence. It was a good fight, however, and both fighters definitely left everything they had in the ring that night.
In the undercard, The Tijuana Tornado Antonio Margarito put on a truly dominating performance against Golden Johnsen, knocking him down 3 times in the first round for the win. Margarito wanted to show the world he is back, and he certainly did just that. Hopefully we will see him have some bigger fights in the near future. I think a Margarito-Cotto fight would be a great showcase of talent and heart, but only time will tell if this fight will happen.
Another great fight was between Victor Ortiz and Carlos Maussa, in which Ortiz KO'd Maussa in the first round. It was a quick, brutal, and very one-sided fight.
The night's biggest travesty, however, was the split decision victory for Joel Casamayor against Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz clearly dominated at least 9 of the 12 rounds, and even had a first round knockdown. He outboxed Casamayor, landing more punches, and boxing much more effectively than Casamayor. The commentators all had it scored for Santa Cruz, and so did everyone in attendance at MSG, but the inexperienced judges that the NYSAC picked scored it for Casamayor. Hopefully, the Santa Cruz camp will apeal the decision, as it was clearly an injustice on the part of the NYSAC. In my eyes, and in everyone else who saw the fight's eyes, Santa Cruz is the new Interim lightweight champion, not Casamayor.
All in all, I say that boxing is still alive, and wont be going away anytime soon.
-o
The opening rounds saw both men bring an intensity not usually seen prior to the closing rounds. Mosley seemed to be going for a knockout, and despite several efforts to outbox Cotto, he would continually go back to fighting him, and would pay the price for it in devastating body shots. Mosley also seemed to ignore numerous opportunities to throw uppercuts on the inside, instead choosing to tie up Cotto. This could have easily been a deciding factor in the outcome of the fight, as Mosley could have easily pushed the pace more in these inside exchanges. After the fight, Mosley said he didn't know if he was going to hang up the gloves or keep fighting, but it didn't look as though a rematch was the first thing on his mind.
Cotto looked very impressive in this fight, though not as impressive as in other fights, as he did not put on a dominating performance in the later rounds like he normally does. He seemed to lack the ring generalship he usually commands, but to be fair, he has never been tested by an opponent as formidable as Shane Mosley before. Still, Cotto definitely earned his Unanimous Decision, and showed the world that he is ready for some big name fights in the future. Personally, I think he might need another tune up fight before he goes and trades leather with the likes of Hatton, Mayweather and De La Hoya, if anything, just to get back his KO confidence. It was a good fight, however, and both fighters definitely left everything they had in the ring that night.
In the undercard, The Tijuana Tornado Antonio Margarito put on a truly dominating performance against Golden Johnsen, knocking him down 3 times in the first round for the win. Margarito wanted to show the world he is back, and he certainly did just that. Hopefully we will see him have some bigger fights in the near future. I think a Margarito-Cotto fight would be a great showcase of talent and heart, but only time will tell if this fight will happen.
Another great fight was between Victor Ortiz and Carlos Maussa, in which Ortiz KO'd Maussa in the first round. It was a quick, brutal, and very one-sided fight.
The night's biggest travesty, however, was the split decision victory for Joel Casamayor against Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz clearly dominated at least 9 of the 12 rounds, and even had a first round knockdown. He outboxed Casamayor, landing more punches, and boxing much more effectively than Casamayor. The commentators all had it scored for Santa Cruz, and so did everyone in attendance at MSG, but the inexperienced judges that the NYSAC picked scored it for Casamayor. Hopefully, the Santa Cruz camp will apeal the decision, as it was clearly an injustice on the part of the NYSAC. In my eyes, and in everyone else who saw the fight's eyes, Santa Cruz is the new Interim lightweight champion, not Casamayor.
All in all, I say that boxing is still alive, and wont be going away anytime soon.
-o
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Kimbo Slice: YouTube Comes Alive...more Elite than the Ultimate?
I have to admit I was pretty taken aback by Kimbo's promo on Proelite.com. The only time I'd heard him talk before this was when he was grunt at the camera after literally breaking some guy's face. So I was shcoked to see a well-spoken, soft-spoken dude who can also do some pretty talking with his hands. Do I think he'd be a contender in the UFC? No. At least not right now. Do I think EliteXC is the best place for him? Hell yes.
The more I see from these guys, the more I like 'em. They're carving out a certain niche for themselves that in my mind has made them a surprisingly close # 2 to the UFC, leaving the IFL waaaay waaaay behind. I like that they were able to wrangle a cable deal, which is one thing that the UFC couldn't pull off. Signing Kimbo was just as savvy as signing Brock Lesnar. I'm sure it cost way less, & will put just as many asses in the seats. Bottom line: A few of the fight cards for EliteXC: Renegade, even if you don't count Kimbo's MMA debut, could easily outshine UFC 78: Validation's main event. We'll see if I have to eat my words but between Diaz/Noons, Shields/Pyle, & Kimbo vs that poor, brave man...? It wouldn't surprise me if "Renegade" shoxc the competition.
---m
The more I see from these guys, the more I like 'em. They're carving out a certain niche for themselves that in my mind has made them a surprisingly close # 2 to the UFC, leaving the IFL waaaay waaaay behind. I like that they were able to wrangle a cable deal, which is one thing that the UFC couldn't pull off. Signing Kimbo was just as savvy as signing Brock Lesnar. I'm sure it cost way less, & will put just as many asses in the seats. Bottom line: A few of the fight cards for EliteXC: Renegade, even if you don't count Kimbo's MMA debut, could easily outshine UFC 78: Validation's main event. We'll see if I have to eat my words but between Diaz/Noons, Shields/Pyle, & Kimbo vs that poor, brave man...? It wouldn't surprise me if "Renegade" shoxc the competition.
---m
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