Five on UFC 82

Five on UFC 82

Thoughts:

1. There is only one way that Anderson Silva loses the middleweight title, boredom. The way Silva defeated a game Dan Henderson, no one in the UFC middleweight division will beat him. No one at middleweight outside of the UFC can probably beat Anderson Silva, including Henderson’s Team Quest partner Matt Lindland. Lindland does not have the striking that Henderson has and would have trouble against Silva.

2. It would be a shame if Cheick Kongo vs Heath Herring didn’t receive fight of the night honors. An entertaining bout from start to finish. Kongo ground game looked improved but it isn’t at the level where he will be able to defeat top competition. If he were to fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria or Randy Couture, the fight wouldn’t make it past the first round. Great showing nonetheless.

3. “Holy Crap,” was my initial reaction when Mark Coleman stated that he will be fighting Brock Lesner. That match up sounds intriguing and it will be interesting to see if one fighter will be able to take down the other. It could be a passing of the torch from one former NCAA wrestling champion to another.

4. It was sad to see the Evan Tanner comeback story end so bitterly. Yushin Okami was simply the better fighter. It was great to see one of my first favorite fighters reenter the octagon after getting his life back together. It is just too bad that he couldn’t get the victory. Hopefully the loss doesn’t deter the former middleweight champion and we don’t have to wait another two years before Tanner fights again.

5. Though he was unable to finish Chris Wilson, Jon Fitch still put on a strong showing and should be receiving the winner of Matt Serra vs George St. Pierre. Wilson on the other hand, proved he belongs in the UFC and he should receive another top opponent in his next bout.

Fights I want to see:

1. Andrei Arlovski vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: get Arlovski resigned and make it happen. The UFC wanted to see the old Arlovski and it appears that they got it, now pay him and give him a title shot against the interim champ. Though it seems like it will never happen, but the winner might be able to convince Randy Couture to unify the titles.

2. Anderson Silva vs Yushin Okami: the unstoppable champ gets a shot at redemption against Okami, the last man to defeat him. Even if it was controversial victory, it still counts on Silva’s loss column. And really, there isn’t anybody else for Silva.

3. Chris Leben vs Thales Leites: Leites needs someone to fight and it looks like Leben is on his way back up the middleweight rankings. Leben has regained his momentum and Leites is one of the people on the short list of contenders so it seems like natural pairing. The winner would probably get a shot at being Silva’s next victim

4. Josh Koscheck vs Chris Lytle: Koscheck looked good and hopefully this fight will help shed the boring title from his name. Lytle looked strong against Kyle Bradley in December and is need of an opponent. A win for either fighter swings them back up the welterweight rankings.

5. Dustin Hazelett vs Chris Wilson: both fighters looked good in defeat and more importantly the winner will take the title of “best Jon Fitch look alike in the UFC. “

Final thoughts

1. Don’t waste Diego Sanchez on the prelims anymore. Sanchez won the Ultimate Fighter so you might as well have him headline an Ultimate Fight Night since he already has a built in audience on Spike TV.

2. Anytime they show Bruce Buffer introduce a fighter and he points at them with such effort, an angel grows its wings.

3. Its time Alessio Sakara gets kicked off the roster. If they think he is that much of an asset, have him fight David Heath in the WEC. Maybe they are padding his record for The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback 2. I sure hope not.

4. Great showing by Heath Herring, good to see the Herring that gives a crap back. How about a match against Gabriel Gonzaga in the future.

5. In case you haven’t figured it out, no one is going to beat Anderson Silva. Take a look at the best fighter pound for pound in the world.

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UFC 82: Whats on the line on March 1?

UFC 82: What is on the line on March 1?

Before getting into predictions for UFC 82, here is a look at what is on the line for each fighter.

Anderson Silva vs Dan Henderson

Both fighters are in different situations; Dan Henderson has nothing to lose, while Anderson Silva has everything to lose. Henderson’s victory over Wanderlai Silva has solidified him among one of the greatest fighters of all time, his place in history is set. However the win will further push his legacy to the next level. Add the UFC Middleweight title to Henderson’s resume and you have one of the greatest, if not the greatest career in the short history of mixed martial arts.

As for the champion, with a victory over Henderson, you are looking at the un-questioned pound for pound best fighter in the world in Silva. If Silva is able to defeat Henderson then you are looking at a fighter who has ran through the competition and will run through the competition quite some time. On top of that, if Silva is able to handle Henderson’s strength in this bout, then you could possibly see Silva step up to the much more competitive Light Heavyweight division.

Heath Herring vs Cheick Kongo

This heavyweight bout sets up to fighters that are at separate crossroads in their careers. Cheick Kongo’s star has risen thanks to an upset victory over Mirko CroCop, however the Kongo bandwagon will not gain full steam until he shows improvement in his wrestling. Early in his career he was mauled by Carmelo Marrero, who was a light heavyweight that was fighting above his natural weight class.  Wrestling was something that he didn’t have to worry about against CroCop. As a strong striker, the bout will all depend on where Kongo’s wrestling abilities currently lie.

Heath Herring is fighting for a job, pure and simple. Herring’s contract was among the assets that Zuffa purchased in the WFA deal and with it came a steep price for a fighter who was essentially a journeyman. Now Herring, who has faced some of the toughest heavyweights in the world, has to show that he was worth the investment or he may be looking for a new job.

Jon Fitch vs Chris Wilson

A welterweight title shot could be at stake for Jon Fitch if he has an impressive showing at UFC 82. The public see this bout against Chris Wilson as a walk in the park and if Fitch struggles then he may not get the title shot that he justly deserve. Fitch and Parisyan are pretty much neck and neck for the next title shot and a strong impression against Chris Wilson will put some heat on “The Heat” come April 12 in his bout against Thiago Alves.

The shot at stake for Chris Wilson is to shock the world. There is no better way to make a name for you then to upset the heavy favorite, just ask Matt Serra. The Team Quest fighter is going to step into the octagon with nothing to lose and everything to gain. An educated fan may know that Wilson is no joke, but can gain main stream success with a victory over a fighter in Fitch who hasn’t lost in 4 years. Big wins equal big sponsorships.

Yushin Okami vs Evan Tanner

Though this fight is more about the return to the octagon for Evan Tanner, the bout has more implications for Yushin Okami. Especially if Anderson Silva is victorious on the cards main event, Okami could be next in line for a middleweight title shot with a victory over a former champion in Tanner. Okami holds the last victory over “The Spider” before both fighters were in the UFC. The controversy from that bout would give the title fight a little more hype.

It has a long road back to the UFC for Tanner and a victory would infuse a little sizzle into a dull middleweight division. The lack of contenders makes the division look weak but there hasn’t been a fighter outside of Okami or Nate Marquadt to really establish them among the top of the division. A win for Tanner will put him in the right direction.

Alessio Sakara vs Chris Leben

The bout that is guaranteed to be slugfest can help build up a fighter. If the Chris Leben that showed up against Terry Martin appears, than Sakara will be in trouble. The Leben that fought against Martin was a different Leben, he fought a more mature fight. He was light years away from the fighter that lost two out of three previous fights in the octagon. A win here against “Legionarius” will put Leben a fight or two away from title contention.

Sakara is in a situation where his stock as a fighter can either soar or falter. A win will push his stock further after defeating a popular fighter, while a loss will squash the momentum he gained knocking out James Lee. There is a thin line between a contender and out of a job and Sakara is square in the middle. If Sakara doesn’t want to resume his boxing career in Italy, than a win is a must .

Jake O’Brien vs Andrei Arlovski 

The heavyweight tilt has much on the line. In what can ultimately be Andrei Arlovski’s final match in the UFC, Arlovski needs to shed the resent label of a boring fighter if he wants the big money he feels he deserves. A quick exciting fight will go a long way for “The Pit Bull” in his quest to regain the UFC Heavyweight title.

“Irish” Jake O’Brien won the biggest fight of his career against Heath Herring well over a year ago. Things were looking bright than a neck surgery sidelined him. There isn’t a tougher comeback fight than Arlovski, an upset over the Belarus native will put him on the short list of title contender for Nogueira or Couture if he decides to come back.

Josh Koscheck vs Dustin Hazelett amd Diego Sanchez vs David Bielkheden

Both fights have the same situations going. Josh Koscheck and Diego Sanchez both loss fights that put them out of title contention. Now they are both on the undercard and need a win to get them going in the right direction. A loss for either Ultimate Fighter 1 might put them in the WEC or worse.

Hazelett needs that big win that will put his name in the deep mix at welterweight. Bielkheden is in the same situation as Chris Wilson, only greater. What better way to make a name for yourself then to defeat the fighter who became popular on the most important show in UFC history. This could be the coming out party for either fighter.

Luigi Fioravanti vs Luke Cummo

Since losing to Joe Stevenson on the Ultimate Fighter 2 finale, Luke Cummo has continued to improve and has slowly but surely made a name for him in a competitive welterweight division. a win here and Cummo will push him up the ranks. You may see on Cummo on the televised portion of the next Ultimate Fight Night if he wins.

Fioravanti is in a different situation, after consecutive loses, he had to score a victory outside of the octagon in order to get another shot in the big show. If Fioravanti wants to continue fighting in the UFC then he needs to defeat Cummo.

John Halverson vs Jorge Gurgel

The likely opening bout of the evening has two fighters who may have their jobs on the line here. John Halverson’s UFC debut lasted all of 19 seconds against Roger Huerta. A win here will bring Halverson back to the big show; a loss here sends him back down to the smaller circuits because you don’t get a call back from the UFC at 0-2.

Ultimate Fighter 2 star Jorge Gurgel is in quite the predicament, he has world class jiu-jitsu but he likes to get himself in the slug fest. While Gurgel has good stand up but he can defeat almost anybody at 155 pounds on the ground. Catering to the crowd may cause him to lose his job if he is unable to defeat Halverson.   

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UFC 82 Fight Breakdown: Evan Tanner vs. Yushin Okami

There are two ways to interpret the UFC’s message to Evan Tanner by matching him up against Yushin Okami in his first fight since April 2006:

1. Help us hype this kid

2. Bring the title back to America

Okami was a near-fight-ending kimura away from getting a title shot in his fight with Rich Franklin at EVENT. He has walked through everyone else, using his superior size to ground and pound.

Okami’s size and strength, however, shouldn’t be a problem for the one-time heavyweight-champion, Evan Tanner. (He defeated Heath Herring at USWF 7.) Tanner’s frame and state-wrestling-champ pedigree suggest he will be able to stuff any take-down attempt the young Japanese fighter attempts.

The same can be said for Okami. Tanner’s size and wrestling skills most likely score him a take-down against Okami. Okami has shown excellent take-down defense, especially in his fight with Jake Shields (which he somehow lost in a unanimous decision).

Evan Tanner has an impressive submission game, winning two of his last three UFC victories via triangle choke. Okami, on the other hand, has shown an equally impressive submission defense game, taking on several submission artists, and escaping submission-free.

Both have shown themselves to have solid stand-up, as well. But, both have shown that they are capable of being overwhelmed by superior stand-up. Evan Tanner was bruised and bloodied in both of his fights with Rich Franklin. Yushin Okami retreated from the overhand right of Amar Soluev and looked completely lost in his fight against Anderson Silva in ROTR.

When you match their vulnerability on the feet with two very solid take-down defense games, and off-setting submission skill-sets, you get a stand-up war. I fully expect both fighters to try to rekindle some not-so-fond memories of the other with punishing striking.

Okami will have to prove to be a proficient striker if he wants to win. The advantage goes to Evan Tanner, who’s awkward stand-up should make Okami uncomfortable. Okami will have to use his reach to keep Tanner at bay and hope to set up a successful take-down attempt.

The biggest factor in this fight may prove to be whether or not Tanner is rusty. Okami, who fought three times in 2007, should still be fresh for this fight. Tanner, however, hasn’t fought in almost two years, and got himself out of shape hitting the bottle.

Let’s hope he shakes that off, for the sake of a quality fight, which this should be.

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Diego and Koschek get bumped off of the UFC 82 main card by the Return of Tanner. Fair?

UFC 82: “The Pride of Champions” scheduled for March 1st in Ohio is set to feature one of the most impressive UFC cards in the history of the organization. Top to bottom this card is filled with “star power” and interesting battles. The main event will be the 2nd Title Unification fight between the UFC champions and their Pride counterparts. It puts current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, against the PRIDE middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Not only are both guys champions but both fighters are always mentioned in the best “pound for pound” fighters in the world discussions. It is safe to say that this fight has a chance to become an instant classic.

This card is so great, that the fans will loose out on seeing some great match ups because some pretty big name fighters wont be making the televised portion of the card for the 1st time in their careers.

MAIN CARD

• Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson (for middleweight title)
• Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O’Brien
• Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson
• Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo
• Evan Tanner vs. Yushin Okami

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden
• Josh Koschek vs. Dustin Hazlett
• Luke Cummo vs. Luigi Fioravanti
• Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson

The return of Evan Tanner is so anticipated by fans, that it managed to bump Diego and Koschek’s fight off the main card and onto the untelevised card, which is a huge step backwards for both fighters. I am surprised that the greedy “Dr. Evil of mma”, Dana White is wasting these two fights on the undercard. Does the UFC treat Ohio good or what?

My question to the MMACrazies: Which fights would you put on the main card and who would you bump to the under card?

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UFC 84 : Evan Tanner vs. Yushi Okami

After months of speculation, and nearly two years away from fighting, Evan Tanner now knows when and who he will be fighting:

UFC 84 from Montreal Canada, versus Yushi Okami.

UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has confirmed yesterday that the former UFC Middleweight Champion will take on Okami in April.

Tanner’s time away from fighting kept him out of the cage, but still his personal problems he has dealt with has been well documanted by the media with attempts in getting back into action thus far unsuccessful.

Tanner will fight the former number one middleweight contender, who is a tough match up for anyone, much less someone who has been inactive for two years.

Okami at UFC 72 lost a close decision to former UFC middle weight champ Rich Franklin. He bounced back with a unanimous decision over Jason MacDonald at UFC 77.

Tanner going into this fight will be the underdog and Okami the heavy favorite. But Evan Tanner is a warrior, and I for sure won’t count him out just yet.

On a side note UFC 84 is looking better by the day. The UFC will hold a press conference to officially announce the event on Feb. 4.

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