How much would you pay to watch a UFC event broadcast in the middle of the day or at night on a tape delay with Bisping vs Leben as the main event?
$1?
$2.50?
$5?
Well, good news UFC has announced that UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben will be broadcast on SpikeTV, on a tape delay. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=13660
This is fantastic news. For 2 reasons:
Sokoudjou vs Cane
and more importantly
Machida vs Thiago Silva
Those 2 fights wouldn't have been enough to salvage the event's otherwise lackluster card and make me buy the PPV, but I'll watch any MMA for free.
The fact that Bisping vs Leben is the main event over Machida vs Thiago Silva shows how little mainstream appeal/name recognition Machida & Thiago Silva have. Here's hoping that fighting on free TV ups their name recognition so they can start to be considered for a title fight. They have the talent for a title shot, but no promotion wants to have guys that don't get PPV buys fighting for a title.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Remember when I said that Kevin Burns was a serious eye injury waiting to happen because of his inability to throw a close-fisted punch with his left hand?
http://budgetmmafan.blogspot.com/2008/07/that-was-lot-of-free-mma.html
I was wrong. Burns seriously injured Anthony Johnson's eye. Johnson talked to MMA Weekly about the extent of the injury and the surgery he had on it.
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6770&zoneid=13
You might want to pass on reading the story because it is pretty nasty.
Johnson's doctor has told him that he'll be out until at least September. And, Johnson hopes to be fighting again in either September or October.
http://budgetmmafan.blogspot.com/2008/07/that-was-lot-of-free-mma.html
I was wrong. Burns seriously injured Anthony Johnson's eye. Johnson talked to MMA Weekly about the extent of the injury and the surgery he had on it.
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6770&zoneid=13
You might want to pass on reading the story because it is pretty nasty.
Johnson's doctor has told him that he'll be out until at least September. And, Johnson hopes to be fighting again in either September or October.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Nooooooooo
http://mmarated.com/blogs/blog/20080718/exclusive__okami_breaks_hand__potential_silva_fight_off-310.html
According to MMA Rated, Yushin Okami has broken his hand. So, instead of seeing Silva defend his belt against Okami, we'll get Silva defending his belt against Cote. Fuck. That's a fight that'll test the theory that I'll pay to watch any Silva fight.
According to MMA Rated, Yushin Okami has broken his hand. So, instead of seeing Silva defend his belt against Okami, we'll get Silva defending his belt against Cote. Fuck. That's a fight that'll test the theory that I'll pay to watch any Silva fight.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
He made how much?
The payouts for Affliction: Banned and UFC: Silva vs Irvin have been released. You can see the full payouts on http://www.mmapayout.com/
Highlights/Thoughts:
Affliction: Banned
$3.3M of total payouts? Damn, you better start selling out arenas.
A lot of people are complaining about Sylvia being overpaid at $800k. I mostly disagree. Sylvia would be overpaid if he was making $800k for a normal fight, but this wasn't a normal fight. Affliction was using this fight to establish its MMA brand and to build up its center piece, Fedor. Think of it this way, Affliction didn't pay $800k for Sylvia, Affliction paid $800k to get Fedor a big name opponent with a credible resume (2 time UFC champ) who's a top 5 or 10 heavyweight (no Sylvia isn't particularly skilled, but his size, and lack of heavyweights, do enough to earn him the ranking). If Affliction ever pays Sylvia this much again, its crazy, but it made sense for this fight.
Fedor's number is a joke because it doesn't include any PPV share or other revenue. Its not a complete number.
$500k base for Arlovski is overpaying. Unless, you signed him to be Fedor's next opponent (assuming Couture can't get out of his UFC contract). If Affliction's paying, Arlovski this much to wrap up another big name, big resume, big talent opponent for Fedor, this makes complete sense.
Barnett's close to being overpaid at $300k base because I doubt he's a big draw. But, this makes sense if he was Affliction's backup plan in case Arlovski lost. Affliction secured a big talent another big talent opponent for Fedor.
Rothwell's $250k is a bit of a head scratcher. It may have taken this much to get him to fight Arlovski. But, even if he won, he's at least 3 fights away from being a bookable opponent for Fedor, and that's a big salary to carry for that many shows.
I got nothing to justify Lindland's $225k base. I like him, but this is crazy money.
Affliction paid huge money for the top guys, but it doesn't look like it gave anyone else a raise. The lowest guys that fought are making $5k, and most of the other salaries seem in line with the rest of the industry.
UFC: Silva vs Irvin
$723k of total payouts. Do you see a difference between the UFC & Affliction?
After looking at those Affliction payouts, Silva seems completely underpaid at $200k. Even without looking at Affliction's numbers, I'd argue that Silva's underpaid. He's a guy you can build/center your promotion around. He can fight at multiple weight classes (185, 205, and possibly 170, based on rumors). He's the best fighter out there, and I have to believe that this UFC run is making him into a size able name.
Vera's practically stealing money at $200k. I know he's supposed to be the future & started out entertaining. But, I think one or two more performances like the last 2 and he'll be out of the UFC.
Aside from Silva & Vera, no one made too much.
I'd say Velasquez is definitely due to for a raise. He looks very promising, and the UFC needs to lock up heavyweights before Affliction signs them all.
Highlights/Thoughts:
Affliction: Banned
$3.3M of total payouts? Damn, you better start selling out arenas.
A lot of people are complaining about Sylvia being overpaid at $800k. I mostly disagree. Sylvia would be overpaid if he was making $800k for a normal fight, but this wasn't a normal fight. Affliction was using this fight to establish its MMA brand and to build up its center piece, Fedor. Think of it this way, Affliction didn't pay $800k for Sylvia, Affliction paid $800k to get Fedor a big name opponent with a credible resume (2 time UFC champ) who's a top 5 or 10 heavyweight (no Sylvia isn't particularly skilled, but his size, and lack of heavyweights, do enough to earn him the ranking). If Affliction ever pays Sylvia this much again, its crazy, but it made sense for this fight.
Fedor's number is a joke because it doesn't include any PPV share or other revenue. Its not a complete number.
$500k base for Arlovski is overpaying. Unless, you signed him to be Fedor's next opponent (assuming Couture can't get out of his UFC contract). If Affliction's paying, Arlovski this much to wrap up another big name, big resume, big talent opponent for Fedor, this makes complete sense.
Barnett's close to being overpaid at $300k base because I doubt he's a big draw. But, this makes sense if he was Affliction's backup plan in case Arlovski lost. Affliction secured a big talent another big talent opponent for Fedor.
Rothwell's $250k is a bit of a head scratcher. It may have taken this much to get him to fight Arlovski. But, even if he won, he's at least 3 fights away from being a bookable opponent for Fedor, and that's a big salary to carry for that many shows.
I got nothing to justify Lindland's $225k base. I like him, but this is crazy money.
Affliction paid huge money for the top guys, but it doesn't look like it gave anyone else a raise. The lowest guys that fought are making $5k, and most of the other salaries seem in line with the rest of the industry.
UFC: Silva vs Irvin
$723k of total payouts. Do you see a difference between the UFC & Affliction?
After looking at those Affliction payouts, Silva seems completely underpaid at $200k. Even without looking at Affliction's numbers, I'd argue that Silva's underpaid. He's a guy you can build/center your promotion around. He can fight at multiple weight classes (185, 205, and possibly 170, based on rumors). He's the best fighter out there, and I have to believe that this UFC run is making him into a size able name.
Vera's practically stealing money at $200k. I know he's supposed to be the future & started out entertaining. But, I think one or two more performances like the last 2 and he'll be out of the UFC.
Aside from Silva & Vera, no one made too much.
I'd say Velasquez is definitely due to for a raise. He looks very promising, and the UFC needs to lock up heavyweights before Affliction signs them all.
Monday, July 21, 2008
That was a lot of Free MMA
Thoughts on Saturday's free MMA (in order that the fights aired):
Buentello def Goodridge via unanimous decision: At least it was free. Goodridge has the excuse of taking the fight on 1 day's notice. Buentello, what's your excuse? No, I don't buy changing opponents at the last second as an excuse for a performance like that.
Belfort def Martin via TKO: You think Martin would have gotten better at avoiding flying knees after his fight against Irvin. Belfort put together an effective Machida-esque backing away & countering first round. Martin showed that he doesn't know how to cut off the ring & can only chase.
Dollaway def Taylor via Peruvian necktie: Dollaway lived up to his ASU/Hot Chicks with Douchebags lineage with an insanely illegal "how-the-hell-wasn't-that-a-1-point-deduction" knee to Taylor when Taylor was practically laying on the ground. Dollaway then submitted a still stunned looking Taylor later in the first.
Burns def Johnson via TKO: Burns gave a shining example of a Pyrrhic victory in a fight that probably won't set Johnson back, but might end Burns's career.
Why Johnson will be fine: Mazzagatti was the only one that mistook the eye-poke for a knock-down, and Johnson was winning the fight at the time. UFC management will probably consider it a win in future matchmaking and not set him back. He probably won himself a bunch of new fans because 1) fans like guys then think got screwed 2) he handled himself really well after the fight (eg. criticising the crowd for booing Burns).
Why Burns could be in trouble: Its one thing unintentionally poke someone in the eye during a fight. Its bound to happen when using MMA gloves. Its another thing to do it 4 times during a fight. It doesn't look good, but as long as you don't make a habit of it, people won't hold it against you or claim that you're a dirty fighter. Its yet another thing to admit after the fight that you have to throw your left hand as an open-palm strike (with your fingers near your opponents eyes) because you've broken that hand so many times. You've now admitted that you'll probably land one or two eye pokes a fight. Congratulations, you're now a major eye injury waiting to happen.
Velasquez def O'Brien via TKO: That was dominant. I'd say Velasquez has solidified his standing as a legit heavyweight.
Edgar def Franca via unanimous decision: Edgar reminded everyone that he's one of the UFC's elite, up-tempo lightweights that can't finish. Just like Guida & Griffin, he's fun to watch, but he just can't finish. Meanwhile, Franca learned that the lightweight division has changed a lot since he took on Sherk for the title.
Vera def Any via unanimous decision: I won't be using the word entertaining or any of its synonyms to describe Vera for a very long time. I think Vera and his bloated salary have earned a trip to the undercard after his last 3 fights. Its not a completely impossible idea, the UFC has sent big salaries down to the undercard before (ex. Gonzaga & Sokoudjou). Al tough, it was nice of Goldburg & Rogan to spend the second half of the fight making excuses for Vera.
Silva def Irvin via TKO: Damn! I expected Silva to win, but I didn't think he'd steamroll Irvin that badly. Damn! It was almost enough to get me to start pulling for Evans to beat Liddell just so there'd be a chance of Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin, Champion vs Champion (what better way to show that you have the best fighter in the world than by giving him a chance at 2 belts).
Markham def Farber via KO: Farber showed some very nice stand-up & dominated the first 95 seconds. Then, he dropped his hands too much, and Markham dropped him with a high-kick that you'll be seeing on highlight reels for years to come.
Buentello def Goodridge via unanimous decision: At least it was free. Goodridge has the excuse of taking the fight on 1 day's notice. Buentello, what's your excuse? No, I don't buy changing opponents at the last second as an excuse for a performance like that.
Belfort def Martin via TKO: You think Martin would have gotten better at avoiding flying knees after his fight against Irvin. Belfort put together an effective Machida-esque backing away & countering first round. Martin showed that he doesn't know how to cut off the ring & can only chase.
Dollaway def Taylor via Peruvian necktie: Dollaway lived up to his ASU/Hot Chicks with Douchebags lineage with an insanely illegal "how-the-hell-wasn't-that-a-1-point-deduction" knee to Taylor when Taylor was practically laying on the ground. Dollaway then submitted a still stunned looking Taylor later in the first.
Burns def Johnson via TKO: Burns gave a shining example of a Pyrrhic victory in a fight that probably won't set Johnson back, but might end Burns's career.
Why Johnson will be fine: Mazzagatti was the only one that mistook the eye-poke for a knock-down, and Johnson was winning the fight at the time. UFC management will probably consider it a win in future matchmaking and not set him back. He probably won himself a bunch of new fans because 1) fans like guys then think got screwed 2) he handled himself really well after the fight (eg. criticising the crowd for booing Burns).
Why Burns could be in trouble: Its one thing unintentionally poke someone in the eye during a fight. Its bound to happen when using MMA gloves. Its another thing to do it 4 times during a fight. It doesn't look good, but as long as you don't make a habit of it, people won't hold it against you or claim that you're a dirty fighter. Its yet another thing to admit after the fight that you have to throw your left hand as an open-palm strike (with your fingers near your opponents eyes) because you've broken that hand so many times. You've now admitted that you'll probably land one or two eye pokes a fight. Congratulations, you're now a major eye injury waiting to happen.
Velasquez def O'Brien via TKO: That was dominant. I'd say Velasquez has solidified his standing as a legit heavyweight.
Edgar def Franca via unanimous decision: Edgar reminded everyone that he's one of the UFC's elite, up-tempo lightweights that can't finish. Just like Guida & Griffin, he's fun to watch, but he just can't finish. Meanwhile, Franca learned that the lightweight division has changed a lot since he took on Sherk for the title.
Vera def Any via unanimous decision: I won't be using the word entertaining or any of its synonyms to describe Vera for a very long time. I think Vera and his bloated salary have earned a trip to the undercard after his last 3 fights. Its not a completely impossible idea, the UFC has sent big salaries down to the undercard before (ex. Gonzaga & Sokoudjou). Al tough, it was nice of Goldburg & Rogan to spend the second half of the fight making excuses for Vera.
Silva def Irvin via TKO: Damn! I expected Silva to win, but I didn't think he'd steamroll Irvin that badly. Damn! It was almost enough to get me to start pulling for Evans to beat Liddell just so there'd be a chance of Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin, Champion vs Champion (what better way to show that you have the best fighter in the world than by giving him a chance at 2 belts).
Markham def Farber via KO: Farber showed some very nice stand-up & dominated the first 95 seconds. Then, he dropped his hands too much, and Markham dropped him with a high-kick that you'll be seeing on highlight reels for years to come.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Even more free MMA in July
My apologies to Affliction. When I listed July's free MMA, I neglected to mention that 3 of Affliction: Banned's preliminary card matches will be broadcast on FSN (8 pm et/ 5 pm pt).
Aleksander Emelianenko vs Paul Buentello and Anotion Rogerio Nogeuira vs Edwin Dewees will definitely be shown along with one other undercard fight. 2 confirmed fights feature guys best known for being the other Emelianenko or other Nogeuira taking on journeymen fighters, and the other preliminary card fights are less compelling. But, I'll watch them for free.
July really could be greatest month of free MMA ever. That's why all MMA fans should be pulling for Affliction: Banned to be, at least, a relative success. Its almost guaranteed that Affliction will lose money on the show due to the payroll of their card and the difficulty of starting a new promotion, but it can still succeed if it gets enough PPV buys. If it succeeds, we'll see more Affliction shows in the future (Fedor vs someone that isn't painful to watch, please) which will create more competition in the MMA world. Which should lead to more free MMA or at least keep companies from raising their PPV price, and maybe lower them (I'm looking at you UFC charging $55 for a PPV vs Afflicition's $40).
Aleksander Emelianenko vs Paul Buentello and Anotion Rogerio Nogeuira vs Edwin Dewees will definitely be shown along with one other undercard fight. 2 confirmed fights feature guys best known for being the other Emelianenko or other Nogeuira taking on journeymen fighters, and the other preliminary card fights are less compelling. But, I'll watch them for free.
July really could be greatest month of free MMA ever. That's why all MMA fans should be pulling for Affliction: Banned to be, at least, a relative success. Its almost guaranteed that Affliction will lose money on the show due to the payroll of their card and the difficulty of starting a new promotion, but it can still succeed if it gets enough PPV buys. If it succeeds, we'll see more Affliction shows in the future (Fedor vs someone that isn't painful to watch, please) which will create more competition in the MMA world. Which should lead to more free MMA or at least keep companies from raising their PPV price, and maybe lower them (I'm looking at you UFC charging $55 for a PPV vs Afflicition's $40).
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Breaking down UFC: Silva vs Irvin
Thoughts on this weekend's free event:
Silva vs Irvin - I'm really excited to watch this fight on my DVR (sadly, I can't watch it live due to other plans). You already know how I feel about Silva, he's the best in the world, and the only fighter that guarantee's I'll buy a PPV. Irvin's no slouch, the man has great power in his hands (side note: Will people stop saying he KO'd Houston Alexander with the Superman-punch? The punch didn't land flush & Alexander slipped as much as he got knocked-down. Irvin KO'd Alexander with 3 fantastic flush shots from top-position, yes, Alexander, you were knocked-out). Irvin has a chance to win, if he comes out swinging. Silva starts fights very methodically, he typically spends the first 2-3 minutes getting his opponent's timing & range down. If Irvin comes at Silva hard & fast in those opening minutes, he has a shot. If he gives Silva time to settle in or tries to beat Silva in the clinch (as he says he will), we'll find out if Silva has enough power to KO a light heavyweight with a good chin. Based on Silva's fights against Franklin & Leben (Leben ain't a great fighter, but he has a fantastic chin), I'd say Silva has the power.
Vera vs Andy - Vera started off as an electrifying fighter (overstatement, but I was tired of using the word entertaining). Hopefully, dropping a weight class means he'll regain that form. I couldn't find Reese on Wikipedia, so, I'll offer some thoughts on the fight's origin. When the UFC was putting together this "very short notice fuck Affliction" card, it allegedly (based on Vera's claims & offered Vera, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Nkamhoua, and Reese Andy.
Silva, Henderson, & Sokoudjou all turned the fight down which was a good move for each man. Wanderlei didn't want to fight until the end of the year, which is perfectly legit, and may net him a shot at the title if Liddell loses to Evan. Sokoudjou didn't want to take a fight on such short notice (especially because he was on vacation when his representatives were contacted). Smart move on his part, there was a lot of hype surrounding his coming to the UFC, and he lost his first fight (granted the loss was to Machida). He beat his next opponent, but he's still in a somewhat precarious position because starting his UFC career 1-2 would drop him to 5-3 and set his career back a bit. I haven't heard why Henderson turned down the fight, but it was a smart move. Back is his prime, Henderson was arguably the greatest pound-for-pound fighter ever. But, he's 37. He's past his prime and will probably only fight a few more times. He needs to choose those fights very carefully.
Franca vs Edgar - This could easily be the main event for a free card. Both are top-tier lightweights. Be excited about this fight.
Velasquez vs O'Brien - The good news is that this fight can't be as bad as O'Brien's free TV debut against Heath Herring. Its free MMA so I'm trying to be happy. Let's hope Velasquez's takedown defense is good enough to keep O'Brien from sitting on him for 15 minutes or that O'Brien has figured out what to do after taking a guy down. Otherwise, this could be a good time to wash the dishes.
Johnson vs Burns - Johnson's a big guy that fights hard & fast, Burns submitted Roan Carniero. I'm intrigued.
Taylor vs Dollaway - Look 2 guys that were both on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter! OMFG! Taylor sat on top of guys to get to the finals & Dollaway beat 2 of the weaker guys on the show before getting arm-barred twice (but, at least he was man enough to complain after tapping the second time. If you miss this fight live, it'll probably be shown in its entirety on Hot Chicks with Douche Bags http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/.
Really, this fight makes the main card and Rory Markham's doesn't?
Silva vs Irvin - I'm really excited to watch this fight on my DVR (sadly, I can't watch it live due to other plans). You already know how I feel about Silva, he's the best in the world, and the only fighter that guarantee's I'll buy a PPV. Irvin's no slouch, the man has great power in his hands (side note: Will people stop saying he KO'd Houston Alexander with the Superman-punch? The punch didn't land flush & Alexander slipped as much as he got knocked-down. Irvin KO'd Alexander with 3 fantastic flush shots from top-position, yes, Alexander, you were knocked-out). Irvin has a chance to win, if he comes out swinging. Silva starts fights very methodically, he typically spends the first 2-3 minutes getting his opponent's timing & range down. If Irvin comes at Silva hard & fast in those opening minutes, he has a shot. If he gives Silva time to settle in or tries to beat Silva in the clinch (as he says he will), we'll find out if Silva has enough power to KO a light heavyweight with a good chin. Based on Silva's fights against Franklin & Leben (Leben ain't a great fighter, but he has a fantastic chin), I'd say Silva has the power.
Vera vs Andy - Vera started off as an electrifying fighter (overstatement, but I was tired of using the word entertaining). Hopefully, dropping a weight class means he'll regain that form. I couldn't find Reese on Wikipedia, so, I'll offer some thoughts on the fight's origin. When the UFC was putting together this "very short notice fuck Affliction" card, it allegedly (based on Vera's claims & offered Vera, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Nkamhoua, and Reese Andy.
Silva, Henderson, & Sokoudjou all turned the fight down which was a good move for each man. Wanderlei didn't want to fight until the end of the year, which is perfectly legit, and may net him a shot at the title if Liddell loses to Evan. Sokoudjou didn't want to take a fight on such short notice (especially because he was on vacation when his representatives were contacted). Smart move on his part, there was a lot of hype surrounding his coming to the UFC, and he lost his first fight (granted the loss was to Machida). He beat his next opponent, but he's still in a somewhat precarious position because starting his UFC career 1-2 would drop him to 5-3 and set his career back a bit. I haven't heard why Henderson turned down the fight, but it was a smart move. Back is his prime, Henderson was arguably the greatest pound-for-pound fighter ever. But, he's 37. He's past his prime and will probably only fight a few more times. He needs to choose those fights very carefully.
Franca vs Edgar - This could easily be the main event for a free card. Both are top-tier lightweights. Be excited about this fight.
Velasquez vs O'Brien - The good news is that this fight can't be as bad as O'Brien's free TV debut against Heath Herring. Its free MMA so I'm trying to be happy. Let's hope Velasquez's takedown defense is good enough to keep O'Brien from sitting on him for 15 minutes or that O'Brien has figured out what to do after taking a guy down. Otherwise, this could be a good time to wash the dishes.
Johnson vs Burns - Johnson's a big guy that fights hard & fast, Burns submitted Roan Carniero. I'm intrigued.
Taylor vs Dollaway - Look 2 guys that were both on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter! OMFG! Taylor sat on top of guys to get to the finals & Dollaway beat 2 of the weaker guys on the show before getting arm-barred twice (but, at least he was man enough to complain after tapping the second time. If you miss this fight live, it'll probably be shown in its entirety on Hot Chicks with Douche Bags http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/.
Really, this fight makes the main card and Rory Markham's doesn't?
This is getting really disturbing
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was arrested again (http://www.tmz.com/2008/07/17/round-2-cops-nab-rampage-again/). This time for behavior so erratic he was considered a danger to himself and others.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The ever quotable Shonie "Mr. International" Carter needs to give the ever quotable Quinton "Rampage" Jackson lessons on how to be "incognegro."
What does this mean to MMA, or at least to the UFC?
Jackson's arrest removes a lot of debate as to who Forrest Griffin will defend his light heavyweight belt against. Everyone had been speculating that Griffin would defend his belt in December against either Chuck Liddell, assuming Liddell beats Rashad "Boring Decision Victory" Evans or Jackson.
I don't think Jackson will be fighting again this year. Even though, he was co-operative when he surrendered to the police, he still led the police on a high speed chase (Question: Doesn't leading the police on a chase make you not co-operative?). I think that will have him tied up, at least, in a courtroom for a few months. And, oh yeah, there's the fascinating detail that Jackson was "medically unfit" to be booked (http://www.cagepotato.com/2008/07/16/the-rampage-situation-morning-update/).
The smart money is that now Liddell gets the title shot. Unless, he loses to the "I won't pay to watch" Evans. If Liddell does lose to Evans, picking someone for Griffin to defend the title against becomes much more interesting.
Lead candidates:
Lyoto Machida -
Pros: Considered one of the best light heavies in the world. Has a fantastic record.
Cons: To mainstream fans he's the guy who beat Tito Ortiz in a boring fight. Doesn't finish fights. Bottom line: If he'd finished Tito Ortiz, he'd probably be the guy to get the title shot. But, I doubt the UFC wants to put 2 guys with trouble finishing in a main event. Especially, when one of them has no star/drawing power.
Wanderlei Silva -
Pros: A finisher. The UFC's best known light heavy weight that isn't named Griffin, Jackson, or Liddell. One of the best in the world.
Cons: Apparently, Wanderlei doesn't want to fight again before the end of the year.
Bottom line: December's the end of the year, and it'd be a title shot. Wanderlei has to be considered the favorite, if Liddell loses or gets injured and can't fight until next year.
Dark horses:
Thiago Silva - This guy is quickly moving up the light heavyweight ranks, and he finishes fights. But, he has even less name recognition than Machida and hasn't beaten the same level of opponents as Machida.
Anderson Silva, assuming he beats Irvin - He's the most entertaining fighter to watch. He's agruably a bigger name than Wanderlei, and "2 champions fighting each other" should be an easy PPV to sell. But, Silva plans on leaving the light heavyweight division to teammate Machida (http://www.cagepotato.com/2008/07/09/full-translation-of-anderson-silvas-new-tatame-interview/). As much as, I'd love to see this fight Silva has less of a chance than everyone on this list, except for possibly Thiago.
Update: Machida & Thiago Silva are pretty much out of the running now that they're signed to face each other at UFC 89 in October. Turning down the Vera fight might turn into a title opportunity for Wanderlei.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
July Free MMA
July is a fantastic month for budget mma fans.
The main card for UFC Silva vs Irvin has been finalized. It'll feature 6 fights (including the main event). Its the 2nd best free MMA card ever (UFC 75: Champion vs Champion is the best free MMA card ever. Main Event: Jackson vs Henderson & main card fights included: Alexander vs Sakara and Congo vs Cro Crop).
Here's the UFC Silva vs Irvin main card:
Silva vs Irvin - Anderson Silva's fights are always worth watching. And, James Irvin's pretty good too.
Vera vs Andy - Vera finally fights at light heavyweight.
Franca vs Edgar - 2 top tier lightweights
Velasquez vs O'Brien - A highly touted heavyweight making his UFC main card debut (unfortunatly, O'Brien's an "I won't pay to watch" fighter, but its a free event).
Johnson vs Burns
Taylor vs Dollaway
Thank you Affliction for deciding to put on Affliction: Banned, and thank you UFC for trying to kill Affliction: Banned by putting on a free event.
The week after that, we get EliteXC: Unfinished Business on CBS which will feature a solid 4 fight main card.
Lawler vs Smith - Does this count as a rematch since the first fight ended in a "No contest"?
Shields vs Tompson
Denny vs Diaz
Baszler vs Cyborg
I'll buy that card for $0.
Additionally, the UFC folks are "nice" enough to provide counter programing once again (http://www.cagepotato.com/page/2/). The UFC's counter-programing isn't nearly as good this time around, but its still solid. The UFC will rebroadcast UFC Silva vs Irvin & UFC 84 on Spike that night. If you didn't buy UFC 84, its definitely worth DVR'ing (as long as your DVR allows you to record 2 shows at once so you don't miss the live event.
We get all of this for free in addition to the regular free MMA, IFL & Strikeforce's weekly shows.
Here's to Affliction, EliteXC, UFC, IFL, and Strikeforce for making July arguably the greatest month of free MMA ever.
The main card for UFC Silva vs Irvin has been finalized. It'll feature 6 fights (including the main event). Its the 2nd best free MMA card ever (UFC 75: Champion vs Champion is the best free MMA card ever. Main Event: Jackson vs Henderson & main card fights included: Alexander vs Sakara and Congo vs Cro Crop).
Here's the UFC Silva vs Irvin main card:
Silva vs Irvin - Anderson Silva's fights are always worth watching. And, James Irvin's pretty good too.
Vera vs Andy - Vera finally fights at light heavyweight.
Franca vs Edgar - 2 top tier lightweights
Velasquez vs O'Brien - A highly touted heavyweight making his UFC main card debut (unfortunatly, O'Brien's an "I won't pay to watch" fighter, but its a free event).
Johnson vs Burns
Taylor vs Dollaway
Thank you Affliction for deciding to put on Affliction: Banned, and thank you UFC for trying to kill Affliction: Banned by putting on a free event.
The week after that, we get EliteXC: Unfinished Business on CBS which will feature a solid 4 fight main card.
Lawler vs Smith - Does this count as a rematch since the first fight ended in a "No contest"?
Shields vs Tompson
Denny vs Diaz
Baszler vs Cyborg
I'll buy that card for $0.
Additionally, the UFC folks are "nice" enough to provide counter programing once again (http://www.cagepotato.com/page/2/). The UFC's counter-programing isn't nearly as good this time around, but its still solid. The UFC will rebroadcast UFC Silva vs Irvin & UFC 84 on Spike that night. If you didn't buy UFC 84, its definitely worth DVR'ing (as long as your DVR allows you to record 2 shows at once so you don't miss the live event.
We get all of this for free in addition to the regular free MMA, IFL & Strikeforce's weekly shows.
Here's to Affliction, EliteXC, UFC, IFL, and Strikeforce for making July arguably the greatest month of free MMA ever.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Hey Gurgel, know what's exciting? Finishing a fight
After watching the Gurgel vs Miller fight on UFC.com (Thank you Bud Lite for sponsoring the fight so it'd be free to view on UFC.com. Bud Lite real men of genius) or maybe while watching the fight, Jorge Gurgel fell onto the "I won't pay to watch" list.
Gurgel's UFC fights haven't been boring in the traditional Cote vs Almeida/no action fight. Instead, his fights are maddening to watch because he's an idiot fighter. I'm not saying Gurgel is an idiot, just that he fights like one. He's a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but he refuses to actually try for any submissions or even any take downs. His stand up isn't good enough to finish fights or dominate. But, he spends entire fights striking, and being struck a lot, because he thinks that's what it takes to make a fight entertaining. His stand up isn't good enough to finish fights or dominate.
Gurgel, taking a guy down, dominating him on the ground, and submitting him is entertaining. Very entertaining. And, fans love fighters who actually finish fights, not decision machines. Being able to finish fights is what got you into the UFC in the first place (Gurgel was 9-1 when he entered the UFC with all 9 wins coming by submission).
Gurgel isn't the only idiot fighter out there. We've all seen/heard submission guys talk about how they're going to stand with some striker to prove something or to be entertaining. Gurgel is the most consistent idiot fighter out there. So, I'm pulling for Gurgel to stop being an idiot and to start coming up with and executing fight plans that play to his strength (jui-jitsu) because if Gurgel can stop being an idiot fighter, there's hope for all idiot fighters.
Gurgel's UFC fights haven't been boring in the traditional Cote vs Almeida/no action fight. Instead, his fights are maddening to watch because he's an idiot fighter. I'm not saying Gurgel is an idiot, just that he fights like one. He's a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but he refuses to actually try for any submissions or even any take downs. His stand up isn't good enough to finish fights or dominate. But, he spends entire fights striking, and being struck a lot, because he thinks that's what it takes to make a fight entertaining. His stand up isn't good enough to finish fights or dominate.
Gurgel, taking a guy down, dominating him on the ground, and submitting him is entertaining. Very entertaining. And, fans love fighters who actually finish fights, not decision machines. Being able to finish fights is what got you into the UFC in the first place (Gurgel was 9-1 when he entered the UFC with all 9 wins coming by submission).
Gurgel isn't the only idiot fighter out there. We've all seen/heard submission guys talk about how they're going to stand with some striker to prove something or to be entertaining. Gurgel is the most consistent idiot fighter out there. So, I'm pulling for Gurgel to stop being an idiot and to start coming up with and executing fight plans that play to his strength (jui-jitsu) because if Gurgel can stop being an idiot fighter, there's hope for all idiot fighters.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
UFC 86 Main Card: I was wrong
Let's recap those fights that I thought would be exciting (& Koscheck vs Lytle)
http://budgetmmafan.blogspot.com/2008/06/july-ppv-battle-main-card-ufc-86-vs.html
Griffin vs Aurelio
While this was a decent fight that featured all aspects of MMA (striking, wrestling, & jui-jitsu), it didn't live up to my expectations. I expected it to be a lot faster paced with a lot more on the ground. Didn't live up to expectations, but still decent.
Koscheck vs Lytle
I should be saying that this fight was better than expected because it shouldn't have gone the distance, but the end of the 2nd round & entire 3rd painful to watch. From about the 3 minute mark in the 2nd round until the end of the fight, I was waiting for the ref or ringside doctor to step in stop the fight. Lytle had a cut right above his eye that Rogan informed us was the size of a "goat's vagina." He was a bloody tired mess. I give Lytle a lot of credit for staying in the fight, but it should have been stopped. Seriously, was the ringside physician in line at the bar during this fight?
Stevenson vs Tibau
Best main card fight, and coincidentally the only one that didn't go to a decision. A lot a solid ground work and submission skills. Solid fight.
Cote vs Almeida
This fight felt longer than Jackson vs Griffin. A lot longer.
Despite what the UFC says, this fight wasn't tactical, it was uneventful.
Cote looked like the guy that started his UFC career 0-4, and Almeida looked like someone coming off a 4 year layoff.
Let's look at this round-by-round:
First round - Decent action, Almeida shows off some solid ground skill. Cote manages to escape.
Second round - Cote moves forward & Almeida backs up for 5 straight minutes.
Third round - I didn't know 5 minutes could feel so long. Cote wins this round by landing 2 leg kicks. Those 2 leg kicks are the only action in the entire round. It was like watching the wood-cutter's tale of the sword fight in "Rashomon" or the 2 gangs squaring off while Mifune watches from the tower in "Yojimbo."
How bad was it? Even Almeida, one of the guys in the fight, was bored
http://www.cagepotato.com/2008/07/08/ricardo-almeida-blames-boredom-for-loss/
It was bad enough that Almeida fell onto my "I won't pay to watch" list & Cote is now really close to making the list. I'm sparing Cote because of his fight history.
Heck, even Dana White called it a boring fight. He also said that Cote will get a title shot. Which begs the question, what the hell does White have against Okami? Did Okami run over White's dog, repeatedly? Okami doesn't get a title shot because he's seen as boring fighter, but Cote gets a title shot after putting together a snooze-fest for the ages? That's messed up.
Guillard vs Siver
That was quick. Fast explosive striking by Guillard and a solid guillotine attempt by Siver. Solid, entertaining fight. Fast, but entertaining.
Not the entertaining card, I'd expected. At least, the UFC is giving us some free MMA later this month in UFC: Silva vs Irvin (aka "Fuck Affliction").
Good luck to the people that didn't take my advice and decided to buy Affliction: Banned instead of UFC 86.
http://budgetmmafan.blogspot.com/2008/06/july-ppv-battle-main-card-ufc-86-vs.html
Griffin vs Aurelio
While this was a decent fight that featured all aspects of MMA (striking, wrestling, & jui-jitsu), it didn't live up to my expectations. I expected it to be a lot faster paced with a lot more on the ground. Didn't live up to expectations, but still decent.
Koscheck vs Lytle
I should be saying that this fight was better than expected because it shouldn't have gone the distance, but the end of the 2nd round & entire 3rd painful to watch. From about the 3 minute mark in the 2nd round until the end of the fight, I was waiting for the ref or ringside doctor to step in stop the fight. Lytle had a cut right above his eye that Rogan informed us was the size of a "goat's vagina." He was a bloody tired mess. I give Lytle a lot of credit for staying in the fight, but it should have been stopped. Seriously, was the ringside physician in line at the bar during this fight?
Stevenson vs Tibau
Best main card fight, and coincidentally the only one that didn't go to a decision. A lot a solid ground work and submission skills. Solid fight.
Cote vs Almeida
This fight felt longer than Jackson vs Griffin. A lot longer.
Despite what the UFC says, this fight wasn't tactical, it was uneventful.
Cote looked like the guy that started his UFC career 0-4, and Almeida looked like someone coming off a 4 year layoff.
Let's look at this round-by-round:
First round - Decent action, Almeida shows off some solid ground skill. Cote manages to escape.
Second round - Cote moves forward & Almeida backs up for 5 straight minutes.
Third round - I didn't know 5 minutes could feel so long. Cote wins this round by landing 2 leg kicks. Those 2 leg kicks are the only action in the entire round. It was like watching the wood-cutter's tale of the sword fight in "Rashomon" or the 2 gangs squaring off while Mifune watches from the tower in "Yojimbo."
How bad was it? Even Almeida, one of the guys in the fight, was bored
http://www.cagepotato.com/2008/07/08/ricardo-almeida-blames-boredom-for-loss/
It was bad enough that Almeida fell onto my "I won't pay to watch" list & Cote is now really close to making the list. I'm sparing Cote because of his fight history.
Heck, even Dana White called it a boring fight. He also said that Cote will get a title shot. Which begs the question, what the hell does White have against Okami? Did Okami run over White's dog, repeatedly? Okami doesn't get a title shot because he's seen as boring fighter, but Cote gets a title shot after putting together a snooze-fest for the ages? That's messed up.
Guillard vs Siver
That was quick. Fast explosive striking by Guillard and a solid guillotine attempt by Siver. Solid, entertaining fight. Fast, but entertaining.
Not the entertaining card, I'd expected. At least, the UFC is giving us some free MMA later this month in UFC: Silva vs Irvin (aka "Fuck Affliction").
Good luck to the people that didn't take my advice and decided to buy Affliction: Banned instead of UFC 86.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Jackson vs Griffin: I was right
Jackson vs Griffin definitely lived up to expectations as a very entertaining fight.
Griffin showed that while he doesn't have knock-out power, he is more than just a good interview. He had a fantastic game plan of staying outside of Jackson's range and peppering the champ with shots. And, jacking up Jackson's leg to limit his mobility & ability to put power behind his punches.
But, I think credit goes to Jackson for keeping the fight so entertaining. His one-punch knock-out ability kept he fight interesting. After Griffin hurt Jackson's leg in round 2, Jackson wasn't really able to go after Griffin the way he did in round 1. He stayed in even with limited mobility and seemed ready to win the fight the second Griffin made a mistake.
The result? I thought Griffin won round 2 10-8 & round 5 10-9, but I had Jackson winning the other 3 rounds 10-9 for a draw. That said, one can easily & rationally argue that Griffin won round 4 because he briefly looked in a triangle. It was a perfectly defensible decision and shouldn't generate any controversy, I just didn't see it that way.
Coming soon: "UFC 86 Main Card: I was wrong"
Griffin showed that while he doesn't have knock-out power, he is more than just a good interview. He had a fantastic game plan of staying outside of Jackson's range and peppering the champ with shots. And, jacking up Jackson's leg to limit his mobility & ability to put power behind his punches.
But, I think credit goes to Jackson for keeping the fight so entertaining. His one-punch knock-out ability kept he fight interesting. After Griffin hurt Jackson's leg in round 2, Jackson wasn't really able to go after Griffin the way he did in round 1. He stayed in even with limited mobility and seemed ready to win the fight the second Griffin made a mistake.
The result? I thought Griffin won round 2 10-8 & round 5 10-9, but I had Jackson winning the other 3 rounds 10-9 for a draw. That said, one can easily & rationally argue that Griffin won round 4 because he briefly looked in a triangle. It was a perfectly defensible decision and shouldn't generate any controversy, I just didn't see it that way.
Coming soon: "UFC 86 Main Card: I was wrong"
I've never wanted a Bud Lite so badly in my life...
Thank you Bud Lite for sponsoring both Silva vs. Franklin 1 (yeah, we've all seen it before, but its still fun to watch) and Gurgel vs Miller on UFC.com. In exchange for you giving me those fights for free, I promise to order a Bud Lite next time I'm at a bar.
On a related note: UFC thanks for advertising that the Gurgel vs Miller fight was available for free on UFC.com. But, did you have to follow that announcement by showing Miller's triangle as the submission of the fight?
On a related note: UFC thanks for advertising that the Gurgel vs Miller fight was available for free on UFC.com. But, did you have to follow that announcement by showing Miller's triangle as the submission of the fight?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
UFC 86 By the Lines
Is there anyway to recoup our ppv costs for UFC 86 by wagering on the outcome (of course, I'm only talking about placing bets inside a casino sportsbook due to online gambling now being illegal because adults can't be trusted with their money)? Note: THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. THIS POST IN NO WAY IS MEANT TO ENCOURAGE ILLEGAL GAMBLING. DON'T TAKE ANY ADVICE I GIVE SERIOUSLY.
Let's look at the odds:
Jackson -280 vs Griffin +210 - I like Jackson to win the fight, but I don't like him enough for that payout. Griffin on the other hand is tempting. His line has been creeping up (it was +180 yesterday). I don't know if he's worth it a +210, but if he were to hit +240...
Cote +120 vs Almeida -150 - I'm honestly surprised by this line. I expected it to be a -115 vs -115. I give a slight edge in this fight to Almeida, but I don't think he's enough of a favorite for -150. Cote at +120
Stevenson -220 vs Tibau +180 - I like Stevenson in this fight, but not at those odds.
Koscheck -325 vs Lytle +250 - I don't make rationale decisions about fighters on my "I won't pay to watch" list. So, let's just keep going.
Undercard fights - I only bet to add intrigue to whatever I'm watching. There's no guarantee I'll see these fights (& if I do they won't be live). So, I'm passing.
What do you think?
Let's look at the odds:
Jackson -280 vs Griffin +210 - I like Jackson to win the fight, but I don't like him enough for that payout. Griffin on the other hand is tempting. His line has been creeping up (it was +180 yesterday). I don't know if he's worth it a +210, but if he were to hit +240...
Cote +120 vs Almeida -150 - I'm honestly surprised by this line. I expected it to be a -115 vs -115. I give a slight edge in this fight to Almeida, but I don't think he's enough of a favorite for -150. Cote at +120
Stevenson -220 vs Tibau +180 - I like Stevenson in this fight, but not at those odds.
Koscheck -325 vs Lytle +250 - I don't make rationale decisions about fighters on my "I won't pay to watch" list. So, let's just keep going.
Undercard fights - I only bet to add intrigue to whatever I'm watching. There's no guarantee I'll see these fights (& if I do they won't be live). So, I'm passing.
What do you think?
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
July Dream Card
What's your dream card based on the guys fighting this week?
Take the fighters competing this month in any of the 4 size able MMA events this month (UFC 86, Affliction: Banned, UFC Silva vs Irvin (aka Fuck Affliction), & Elite XC Unfinished Business), and put together a 5 fight card (1 main event and 4 main card fights). You have to keep the fighters at whatever weight they're fighting at this month.
My card:
Main Event: Quinton Jackson vs Anderson Silva
I was tempted to keep Jackson vs Griffin, but I can't pass on the chance to see Silva fight. For my money, Silva's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now. Also, he's the one and only guy who's PPV's I'll definitely buy. It doesn't matter what the rest of the card is, I'm buying the event if Silva's in it (yes, this is hyperbole because I'm sure the UFC could come up with an event, I'd pass on, but you get the point).
Anyway, best light heavyweight in the world vs best pound-for-pound, oh yeah.
Main Card:
Fedor Emelianenko vs Josh Barnett
I want to see Emelianenko, and Barnett's the 2nd best heavyweight fighting this month (Emelianenko being the best).
Renato Sobral vs Forest Griffin
Is Griffin really as good as his last fight suggests? Also, both guys typical have very entertaining fights.
Brandon Vera vs Ben Rothwell
2 upcoming heavyweights. Both are highly regarded & a win in this one would be huge for their careers. And we get to find out how Rothwell does against better competition & whether or not Vera can get by in the heavyweight division or if he really needs to drop to light heavyweight.
Correction: Vera is finally dropping down to lightweight for his fight this month. While that's probably a good career move, it disqualifies him from fighting Rothwell. I'll change this one to Gabriel Gonzaga vs Ben Rothwell
Joe Stevenson vs Hermes Franca
2 very good lightweights coming off losses in title fights. Did Franca benefit from being a lightweight when the division wasn't very deep & had just been reformed?
Fights that just didn't make it:
Rothwell vs Gonzaga
Any combination of Stevenson, Griffin, Aurelio, Franca, & Edgar
Lytle vs Johnson
Take the fighters competing this month in any of the 4 size able MMA events this month (UFC 86, Affliction: Banned, UFC Silva vs Irvin (aka Fuck Affliction), & Elite XC Unfinished Business), and put together a 5 fight card (1 main event and 4 main card fights). You have to keep the fighters at whatever weight they're fighting at this month.
My card:
Main Event: Quinton Jackson vs Anderson Silva
I was tempted to keep Jackson vs Griffin, but I can't pass on the chance to see Silva fight. For my money, Silva's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now. Also, he's the one and only guy who's PPV's I'll definitely buy. It doesn't matter what the rest of the card is, I'm buying the event if Silva's in it (yes, this is hyperbole because I'm sure the UFC could come up with an event, I'd pass on, but you get the point).
Anyway, best light heavyweight in the world vs best pound-for-pound, oh yeah.
Main Card:
Fedor Emelianenko vs Josh Barnett
I want to see Emelianenko, and Barnett's the 2nd best heavyweight fighting this month (Emelianenko being the best).
Renato Sobral vs Forest Griffin
Is Griffin really as good as his last fight suggests? Also, both guys typical have very entertaining fights.
Brandon Vera vs Ben Rothwell
2 upcoming heavyweights. Both are highly regarded & a win in this one would be huge for their careers. And we get to find out how Rothwell does against better competition & whether or not Vera can get by in the heavyweight division or if he really needs to drop to light heavyweight.
Correction: Vera is finally dropping down to lightweight for his fight this month. While that's probably a good career move, it disqualifies him from fighting Rothwell. I'll change this one to Gabriel Gonzaga vs Ben Rothwell
Joe Stevenson vs Hermes Franca
2 very good lightweights coming off losses in title fights. Did Franca benefit from being a lightweight when the division wasn't very deep & had just been reformed?
Fights that just didn't make it:
Rothwell vs Gonzaga
Any combination of Stevenson, Griffin, Aurelio, Franca, & Edgar
Lytle vs Johnson
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