MMA Fighters

Fight Night 19 Wrap-Up

Nate Diaz - great win, but he's still got holes in his game.  top quality strikers that can stay off the mat will still give him problems, as will the great wrestlers that can defend or power out of his subs.  his  submission skills are too good to bet against him.

Melvin Guillard - Can't believe he fought his way into Nate's strength.  Great talent, but you cant bet him.

Gray Maynard and Roger Huerta - missed the fight.

Carlos Condit - His striking may not be as good as previously thought.  Maybe Ellenberger just caught him early, but I think Ellenberger was simply a better striker. He thinks/strategizes better "in-fight" than almost anyone, realizing how the action is going and making proper adjustments.  Condit's ground game is still very sharp and his cardio looked great.

Jake Ellenberger - was better than the last time I saw him.  He's improved his body and striking game alot.  He's still young and if he can control the ground action better, he'll be very good.  Condit won by dominate the ground action, but Jake's not going to see many guys as good as Condit.  Still, Ellenberger did manage a few nice reversals

Nate Quarry- great fitness level.  Showed extreme toughness.  Once again, his stand up looks slow and predictable.  He was getting beaten badly in the traditional stand up, but then did all his damage when all hell broke loose.  Crisp strikers will give him big problems, especially someone who can put together combos.  I don't think submission specialists are going to have much successs against him.

Tim Creduer - he may have lost, but he showed more than Quarry.  He's still got the subs, but his standup looked good.  Could be that Quarry is easy to hit, but he was stringing together combinations.   He's got alot of ways to beat guys.  I suspect he's a mid-level gatekeeper. 

Play-by Play

UFC 102 Previews and Analysis

UFC 102 Preview
UFC 102 Analysis

WEC 42 Post Fight Notes

Brian Bowles hasn't lost a fight and now he's got a win over Torres! Not only that, he KO'd possibly the best fighter in the world. Which is impressive since most of his previous wins are by submission. Definitely not a fluke.

Miguel Torres is still one of the top fighters in the world. Bowles may have exposed a whole in Miggy's game, but it won't be there for long.
Torres will continue to be a dominant fighter and hopefully the loss will give us some bettable odds in his next fight.

Joseph Benavidez didn't seem to fight to his strengths against Cruz. It was a close fight but Joe was clearly beaten by Cruz's small advantage in the striking game, which also led to several take downs. Benavidez was able to escape easily whenever Cruz had him down. It looks like he will be able to do the same against anyone in the division. Even though Joe took a loss, he proved to be a better fighter than most thought.

Dominick Cruz did everything good against Benavidez. Cruz may not be spectacular at any single aspect, but he put everything together and had a spectacular fight against a very good opponent. His takedowns were crafty and he'll have more success from the top against everyone else, Benavidez escapability is unequaled. Cruz may have some trouble against the crisp striking of Torres and Bowles, but he may also be quick enough to handle it. Its tough to say.

Ricardo Lamas showed much better striking than previously thought. With a quality striking game to go along with his wrestling, he's good enough to be competing in the UFC.

Danny Castillo also showed much better striking than anyone thought. He took some shots but he's got a solid chin and never wavered. He too looked good enough to compete in the UFC. Remember his wrestling is great.

Jeff Curran is not my favorite fighter. He did look pretty good against Mizugaki and probably should have won. Curran's BJJ was very good, but he allows his opponents to dictate the fight which means he almost has to finish the fight for a win. Its almost impossible for Curran to win a decision.

Leonard Garcia is sloppy and just throws haymakers. A crisp striker or good takedown guy will tear him up soon.

Play-by-Play

Fedor Emelianenko Fights for Strikeforce

NEW YORK (August 3, 2009)--After a week of intense negotiations and speculation, the hottest topic of discussion in the professional fight world has come to a head as the world's number one heavyweight and most sought after mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Fedor Emelianenko has signed a historic, multi-fight agreement that will see him headline mega-events co-promoted by world championship promotions STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global.

Emelianenko, known globally as Fedor, will make his premium television debut this Fall when his first fight under the new agreement airs live on SHOWTIME®.  Up until now, Emelianenko's live fights have aired exclusively on pay-per-view in the United States.

"I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level," said the 33-year-old Emelianenko.  During his nine year professional fight career, which included a four and a half year stay with the world's former top MMA promotion, the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championship, the Russian native has faced and defeated all comers.  

In his last effort, the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko decimated the number two ranked heavyweight at the time Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski with a single punch in the first round (3:14) of the main event of Affliction:  "Day of Reckoning" at Anaheim, California's Honda Center on January 24.

"STRIKEFORCE is a top fight promotion that houses some of the greatest fighters in the world," continued Emelianenko.  "I am prepared to fight any of them."

"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with M-1 Global and Fedor," said STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO Scott Coker, a martial arts fight promoter of over 25 years.  "Fedor has been the reigning king of MMA's heavyweight division for quite some time now so being able to work with M-1 and Fedor will substantially increase the level of competition amongst the athletes in this weight class."

"With the addition of Fedor and STRIKEFORCE's new relationship with M-1 Global, SHOWTIME is now the home of the best pound-for-pound male and female fighters in the world," said Ken Hershman, Senior VP and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®.  "The Aug. 15 Carano-Cyborg matchup on SHOWTIME will clearly determine the best female mixed martial artist on the planet.  Then, come this Fall, our subscribers again will witness history when the universally recognized best male fighter-Fedor Emelianenko-joins the already long list of world-class athletes on the STRIKEFORCE roster, and for the first time ever plies his skills live on SHOWTIME."

Hershman continued: "We are better positioned now than ever before to deliver on our promise to televise the top fighters in mixed martial arts today."

"I am very happy and excited about the upcoming collaboration with Strikeforce," said Vadim Finkelchtein, President of M-1 Global. "We are very pleased that we found a reliable partner and I feel that Strikeforce and M-1 can support each other on many things. This will create big opportunities for both parties to test their fighters against worthy opponents."

Though his official professional record is 30-1, Emelianenko is considered undefeated.  The only blemish on his record is a December 22, 2000 fight that was stopped after 17 seconds and declared a TKO in favor of his opponent, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, due to a cut Emelianenko sustained in the opening seconds of the matchup in Osaka, Japan.

Amongst those on Emelianenko's list of impressive conquests are former PRIDE Heavyweight Champions Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark "The Hammer" Coleman, and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic as well as former UFC Heavyweight Champions Kevin "The Monster" Randleman and Tim Sylvia, whom Emelianenko submitted with a rear naked choke only 36 seconds into their main event showdown at Affliction:  "Banned" on July 19, 2008.

Despite his extensive experience, Emelianenko's debut under the new STRIKEFORCE-M-1 venture will, interestingly enough, mark his first start in a cage.  To date, all of his bouts have taken place in a ring.

After co-promoting two events live on SHOWTIME in 2007 and 2008, STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the premium cable television network.

Fedor vs Barnett Cancelled

Less than two weeks away from his fight for the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) title with Russian legend and title holder Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: Trilogy, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett has tested positive for a banned substance for the second time in his career according to SI.com.

Barnett, who was a big betting underdog going into the fight, says he will now attempt to clear his name and insists that he was innocent, but he still says that his previous positive test was an unfair result as well.

Meanwhile, Affliction is left scrambling for someone to step up and take the fight against Fedor on short notice, which is a daunting task to say the least. The Affliction: Trilogy card will take place on August 1st, 2009 and there are the company needs to find someone who can sell pay-per-views as well as a Barnett-Fedor fight would have done.

There are several intriguing opponents on the docket for a Fedor fight and although all would be decided underdogs, many of them would have to threaten Fedor with a flash knockout more so than Barnett would have.

The first and most likely opponent is Vitor Belfort, the former MMA star who has had a long road back to the top but now appears to be doing as well as he has in his long, storied career. Belfort boasts good hand speed and knockout power and would have a puncher’s chance to upset Fedor. The hang-up appears to be money as Belfort wants to be paid as much as other fighters who’ve tangled with Fedor have received.

The other top option is Brett Rogers, who destroyed Andrei Arlovski in their recent Strikeforce bout. Rogers is a mammoth heavyweight who showed incredible power in that fight and is currently 10-0, and money is also the issue with him.

Bobby Lashley, the former WWE star turned MMA fast-riser, has also had his name thrown around, but indications are that he’s not quite ready for such a huge challenge at this point in his young career.

Other than these three potential underdog challengers, there aren’t many other guys Affliction could sell as viable contenders to Fedor’s throne. Fabricio Werdum is an option but not too exciting following his brutal KO at the hands of Junior Dos Santos while Werdum was a huge favorite at BetUS. Another option is former UFC title contender, jiu-jitsu expert, and political/anarchy enthusiast Jeff Monson. Monson has looked good lately but his stand-up game is pretty weak compared with Fedor’s.
If Affliction can land Belfort, Rogers, or even Lashley, however, the Affliction card should maintain its status as a must-see.

And regardless of who they get, watching the best in MMA history operate in the ring is always worth the price of admission. Be sure to check back with the Locker Room in the coming days for info on Fedor’s next opponent as well as lines and previews for the rest of the fights on an exciting Affliction card.

Takanori Gomi completes Affliction M-1 Global’s “Trilogy” PPV card

SEAL BEACH, California (July 6, 2009)—Japanese combat fighting superstar Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi has been added to the Affliction M-1 Global’s locked-and-loaded “Trilogy” card against upset-minded Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira, completing the five-fight Pay-Per-View event, live August 1 from Honda Center in Anaheim.

The premier heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter in the universe, Russian icon Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (30-1-0), defends his WAMMA heavyweight title against No. 1 contender, Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett (24-5-0), in the special main event.

GoDaddy.com presents Affliction M-1 Global’s “Trilogy,” featuring Fedor vs. Barnett in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Donald J Trump. The show is separated into two live broadcasts on the same night—a one-hour special will air on HDNet starting at 7:30 PM/ET (4:30 PM/PT), followed by the sensational Pay-Per-View event, “Trilogy,” commencing at 9PM/ET (6 PM/PT).

Gomi (30-5-0), 4-time All-Japan Combat Wrestling Champion, is a former Shooto welterweight and PRIDE lightweight title-holder. His strong wrestling background and ambidextrous striking ability make him a dual threat to contend with. The Japanese warrior will be fighting in the United States for only the second time in his pro career. Among his many victims is former UFC® champion, Jens Pulver. The once-beaten Oliveira (8-1-0), fighting out of Knoxville, has won three in a row in 2009, since suffering his only loss by doctor stoppage last October.

Also appearing is Strikeforce® Light Heavyweight Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (32-8-0), who takes on Armenian kick-boxing artist Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi (25-2-1), making his American debut in an intriguing co-main event.

Also on the PPV card is former UFC® Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (18-8-0) against Sengoku middleweight title-holder Jorge Santiago (21-7-0), while knockout specialist Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel (36-13-1), fresh off of his devastating first-round knockout of 3-time UFC® heavyweight title challenger Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo, squares-off with former UFC® heavyweight title challenger, Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello,.

The stacked undercard on HDNet features ex-IFL® Welterweight Champion Jay “The Thoroughbred” Hieron (17-4-0) versus former Cage Rage belt-holder Paul “Semtex” Daley (21-8-2), young lightweight prospects Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (12-1-0) and Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon (12-2-0), and former IFL® heavyweight titlist “Big” Ben Rothwell (30-6-0) tangles with hot, unbeaten prospect Chase Gormley (6-0-0).

Two other HDNet fights include featherweight L.C. Davis (13-2-0) meeting former KOTC and Gladiator Challenge champion Javier “Showtime” Vasquez (13-2-0), and former IFL® lightweight challenger Deividas Taurosevicius (10-3-0) facing Mark “The Machine” Hominick (16-8-0). Two off-television matches are also on tap between heavyweights Jessie Gibbs (7-2-0) and Rob Broughton (10-4-1), as well as Brazilian light heavyweight Lucio Linhares (12-4-0) and Mikhail Zayats (8-3-0).

Tickets for Affliction M-1’s “Trilogy” range between $50.00 and $600.00, are on sale  at Ticketmaster.com

Affliction
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MMA Small Show Update 7/06/09

These guys fought at the Steel Cage event in Frisco Texas.  Most of the fights didn't last long enough to learn much about these guys.  Several of them were very young and still developing, so it would have been nice to see them get a few rounds in.

Brian Melancon - Came out swinging early and got a 15 second KO. Looks like he's fit and obviously aggressive.

Jarret Jones - Melancon's victim.  Can't really say much, he got caught early.

Loudon Sincaid - Looked a little heavy.  Not very explosive, but controlled Hopkins.

Larry Hopkins - Could not regain control after Sincaid got a dominant position.

Dan Christison- Slow and lumbering, unimpressive win. Sharp striker will tear him up

Joel Traves - Heavy

Joe Christopher - Grabbed an armbar from the bottom.  Didn't look too interested in standing.

Clay Hantz - Looked ok standing, but Christopher was not the greatest striker.  Caught in fairly obvious armbar. May do better against striker types

Pete Spratt - looked okay standing and eventually submitted Woods, no opinion changer though.

Allen Woods - Didn't seem to interested.

Sunia Filikitonga - Big heavy dude, but he moved around pretty good and has some big power.  He probably picks up a lot wins in these small shows, but not good enough to do much damage if he moves up to the next level.

Ralph Kelley - Didnt really learn much.  Might do better as he gains some fitness.

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