Do you believe that Anderson Silva is so good that it is worth buying a PPV featuring him regardless of the rest of the card, even if he's fighting an oppenent that has roughly no chance against him?
Are you related to one of the fighters on the card?
If you answered, "yes," to either of these questions, then UFC 90 is worth your $45. Otherwise, save you money and look for video of Silva vs. Cote on the internet Sunday morning.
Shallow preview of the main card:
Silva vs. Cote
Arguably the best fighter in the world vs a good gatekeeper. It is Silva vs. Leben all over again, or maybe Silva vs. Irvin.
Koscheck vs. Alves
Best fight on the card in terms of matched talent and styles. Alves should be able to keep Koscheck from laying on him for 3 rounds.
Werdum vs. Dos Santos
Werdum is more of a favorite in this fight than Silva is in his. That should tell you everything you need to know about this one.
"King Lay'n Pray" Sherk vs. "Unable to finish" Griffin
If you could bet on whether or not a fight would go to a decision, what would be the money line of this going to a decision? -1000? -2000? (For non-gamblers, -1000 means that you need to bet $1,000 to win $100)
Possible undercard match because Silva vs. Cote finishes in the first round:
Best guess: Leites vs. McFedries because it is the undercard match least likely to go to decision.
To summarize:
2 squash matches
1 wrestler vs wrestler decision
1 competitive fight
1 undercard fight
Does that sound like $45 to you?
Showing posts with label "I won't pay to watch" list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label "I won't pay to watch" list. Show all posts
Friday, October 24, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
I didn't see that coming...
Damn, apparently Evans knocked Liddell way the fuck out of the title picture, or at least as out of the title picture as one of MMA's biggest names can be, and knocked himself off the "I won't pay to watch" list by Sean Salmon'ing Liddell.
Who now fights Forrest Griffin for the light heavyweight belt in December?
Liddell's out of contention, Machida has no name recognition & can't finish, Thiago Silva's injured (fuck, and more on that in a latter post), and Jackson isn't a viable champ until his criminal trial is over.
I'd say that leaves 3 people:
Evans who has the record and just gave himself some serious name recognition (fight could be billed as "UFC: Ultimate Ultimate Fighter")
Wanderlei has the history & is a decently sized name in the US (fight could be billed as "UFC: Generations")
Silva, assuming he beats Cote & doesn't get a medical suspension, has name recognition in the US & has the credentials. And, it is the easiest of these fights to sell, "UFC: Champion vs Champion."
Enjoy the real start of the NFL season tomorrow (1 game on Thursday night doesn't count as the start). Hopefully, it'll help ease the pain of today being the worst day in the history of free MMA (more on that later this week).
Who now fights Forrest Griffin for the light heavyweight belt in December?
Liddell's out of contention, Machida has no name recognition & can't finish, Thiago Silva's injured (fuck, and more on that in a latter post), and Jackson isn't a viable champ until his criminal trial is over.
I'd say that leaves 3 people:
Evans who has the record and just gave himself some serious name recognition (fight could be billed as "UFC: Ultimate Ultimate Fighter")
Wanderlei has the history & is a decently sized name in the US (fight could be billed as "UFC: Generations")
Silva, assuming he beats Cote & doesn't get a medical suspension, has name recognition in the US & has the credentials. And, it is the easiest of these fights to sell, "UFC: Champion vs Champion."
Enjoy the real start of the NFL season tomorrow (1 game on Thursday night doesn't count as the start). Hopefully, it'll help ease the pain of today being the worst day in the history of free MMA (more on that later this week).
Thursday, September 4, 2008
September PPV Battle: UFC 88 vs $45
Do you like lay & pray fighting? Do you think the most thrilling thing in MMA is watching a wrestler lay on top of someone for 3 rounds? If so, you'll love UFC 88. Otherwise, save your money.
Main Event:
Liddell vs Evans
The counter-punching face of the UFC vs an "I won't pay to watch" wrestler. If Liddell's sprawl holds up, he'll most likely KO Evans eventually. If not, Evans will lay on top of Liddell for the whole fight.
Main Card:
Frankln vs Hamill
Hamill is Evans, only slower, deaf, and white. Franklin is a guy other than Penn or Silva that's trying to fight above his weight class. Franklin's screwed. I doubt he's strong enough to keep Hamill off him, and he most likely doesn't have the power to stop a light-heavyweight. So, Hamill's going to lay on Franklin, early & often.
Parisyan vs Yoshida
Parisyan hasn't been the same since an injury forced him to withdraw from his title shot against Hughes. He's still a decision machine, they're no longer entertaining decisions. They're slow, uneventful decisions.
Henderson vs Palhares
Henderson was one of the best in the world. Is his 2 fight losing streak the result of him being over the hill or is it because he was fighting two of the best in the world (Jackson & Silva)?
But, more importantly, why the hell isn't he fighting Franklin? Henderson and Franklin are the 2nd & 3rd best 185 lb'ers in the world. Why the hell aren't they fighting each other?
If Henderson beats Palhares, he's probably 1 fight away from a rematch against Silva. If Henderson loses, he should consider hanging it up.
Kampmann vs Marquardt
Best fight on the card. Kampmann has looked fantastc lately & Marquardt is extremely talented. Winner of this could easily get to lose to Silva next.
Hmmm... lay & pray vs counter punch, lay & pray vs undersized, boring decision machine vs I forget who, finding out if some one has anything left, & a good fight. That equals save your money. Besides there's enough free MMA coming this month (WEC, Ultimate Fight Night, and a new season of the Ultimate Fighter) that there's no need to waste cash on this one.
Main Event:
Liddell vs Evans
The counter-punching face of the UFC vs an "I won't pay to watch" wrestler. If Liddell's sprawl holds up, he'll most likely KO Evans eventually. If not, Evans will lay on top of Liddell for the whole fight.
Main Card:
Frankln vs Hamill
Hamill is Evans, only slower, deaf, and white. Franklin is a guy other than Penn or Silva that's trying to fight above his weight class. Franklin's screwed. I doubt he's strong enough to keep Hamill off him, and he most likely doesn't have the power to stop a light-heavyweight. So, Hamill's going to lay on Franklin, early & often.
Parisyan vs Yoshida
Parisyan hasn't been the same since an injury forced him to withdraw from his title shot against Hughes. He's still a decision machine, they're no longer entertaining decisions. They're slow, uneventful decisions.
Henderson vs Palhares
Henderson was one of the best in the world. Is his 2 fight losing streak the result of him being over the hill or is it because he was fighting two of the best in the world (Jackson & Silva)?
But, more importantly, why the hell isn't he fighting Franklin? Henderson and Franklin are the 2nd & 3rd best 185 lb'ers in the world. Why the hell aren't they fighting each other?
If Henderson beats Palhares, he's probably 1 fight away from a rematch against Silva. If Henderson loses, he should consider hanging it up.
Kampmann vs Marquardt
Best fight on the card. Kampmann has looked fantastc lately & Marquardt is extremely talented. Winner of this could easily get to lose to Silva next.
Hmmm... lay & pray vs counter punch, lay & pray vs undersized, boring decision machine vs I forget who, finding out if some one has anything left, & a good fight. That equals save your money. Besides there's enough free MMA coming this month (WEC, Ultimate Fight Night, and a new season of the Ultimate Fighter) that there's no need to waste cash on this one.
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.
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.
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?
Monday, June 30, 2008
July PPV Battle Main Card: UFC 86 vs Affliction: Banned
The 2 big questions remaining in the in the UFC 86 vs. Affliction: Banned PPV battle are whether or not Affliction: Banned has a better main card than UFC 86 and, if so, whether that makes up for UFC 86 having a better main event.
When looking at the 2 cards, 1 thing immediately stands out in Affliction's favor. Affliction: Banned has 5 main card, non-main event fights vs UFC 86's 4.
The fights:
Cote vs Almeida or Barnett vs Rizzo
Cote vs Almeida - Cote has managed to shed his "big talent, but can't win in the UFC" label by winning his last 3 UFC fights, all of which were against quality competition. Cote has looked better with each fight, and the last 2 have shown off the heavy hands he was always hyped as having.
The only thing I know about Almeida is that he returned to MMA after a 4 year lay-off and managed to score an impressive first round submission.
I'm really interested in this fight. Its a big fight for both guys. If either guy scores a big, decisive (ie. non-decision) win, he might leap-frog Yushin Okami for a title shot.
Barnett vs Rizzo - Barnett is a rarity, a heavyweight with a ground game. He's one of the top heavyweights in the world (#4 if you believe WAMMA's rankings http://www.gowamma.com/rankings.asp).
Rizzo is your more typical big striker heavyweight. He used to be one of the top heavies in the world, but, at 34, he's starting to move past his prime.
I can't get that excited about this fight. Partially because I'm not a big fan of the heavyweight division (slow & one-dimensional).
Edge: UFC 86
Stevenson vs Tibau or Arlovski vs Rothwell
Stevenson vs Tibau - Stevenson is probably near the top of the lightweight ladder in the UFC. He faired as poorly against BJ Penn as most lightweights which ended his fairly impressive 4 win streak.
Tibau is also coming off a loss that snapped a win streak. Only his loss was to Tyson Griffin, and his win streak was only 3 wins.
I'm not that interested in either fighter. However, this fight should remind people how entertaining the ground game can be.
Arlovski vs Rothwell - Rothwell completely dominated the IFL's heavyweight division, and I'm really interested in seeing him take on higher level competition. Unfortunately, he's fighting Arlovski.
Going into Sylvia vs Arlovski 2, Arlovski had walked through he last 6 opponents and looked poised to dominate the heavyweight division for years. Then, he drops Sylvia with a big overhand right & moves in to finish Sylvia off, only his hands are a bit too low & Sylvia rebounds and finishes Arlovski with strikes. Since that fight, Arlovski has moved onto my "I won't pay to watch list" with uninspiring decisions against Sylvia & Werdum where he's looked extremely hesitant. Granted he's also stopped Cruz and O'Brien, but neither of them are top tier fighters.
WAMMA considers this to be a battle between the #6 & #9 heavyweights in the world, and I'm interested in how Rothwell will fair against top tier competition and whether or not Arlovski can regain his championship form. But, I can't bring myself to get excited about this fight. I can't shake the feeling that its going to be a lot of circling & jabbing.
Edge: UFC 86
Koscheck vs Lytle or Lindland vs Nascmento
Koscheck vs Lytle - Koscheck is the inaugural member of my "I won't pay to watch" list. He's getting better & moving away from his lay & pray roots, but he's still on the list.
Lytle's been fighting with a sense of urgency lately. He's 33 which means if he wants to make a title run, he needs to do that now. He seems to not only understand this, but to also realize that the fastest way to move up the ladder is to finish fights.
Lytle very entertaining fighter, Koscheck an "I won't pay to watch" fighter.
Lindland vs Nascimento - What can you say about Lindland? He's been fighting for over 10 years. He's a middleweight, but he'll fight anyone, anywhere. Hell, his last fight was against Fedor Emelianenko. He's a main card (& occasional main event) fighter that constantly bounces from promotion to promotion.
I've got nothing on Nascimento. I couldn't even find the guy on Wikipedia.
Edge: Affliction: Banned. That's how serious I am about the "I won't pay to watch" list. I'll take a fight with someone I know absolutely nothing about over a fight with someone on the list.
Griffin vs Aurelio or Nogueira vs White
Griffin vs Aurelio - This fight should exemplify my love/hate relationship with the lightweight division. It should be a very exciting, fast paced fight which will end in a decision.
Nogueira vs White - A very good light heavyweight who had a fantastic run in Pride vs a journeyman with a losing record. Why is a fight this lopsided on paper a part of Affliction's first PPV? My guess, Nogueira's there to provide star power & White's there because people know who he is and Nogueira needs an opponent.
Edge: UFC
Praying for undercard matches or Sobral vs Whitehead
Sobral vs Whitehead - This could be my favorite fight on the Affliction: Banned main card. Whitehead dominated the IFL and it'll be interested to watch he take on higher level competition. Sobral is a very good light heavy and proves that even guys weighing over 200 lbs can have a great/entertaining ground game.
Edge: Affliction: Banned
When looking at the 2 cards, 1 thing immediately stands out in Affliction's favor. Affliction: Banned has 5 main card, non-main event fights vs UFC 86's 4.
The fights:
Cote vs Almeida or Barnett vs Rizzo
Cote vs Almeida - Cote has managed to shed his "big talent, but can't win in the UFC" label by winning his last 3 UFC fights, all of which were against quality competition. Cote has looked better with each fight, and the last 2 have shown off the heavy hands he was always hyped as having.
The only thing I know about Almeida is that he returned to MMA after a 4 year lay-off and managed to score an impressive first round submission.
I'm really interested in this fight. Its a big fight for both guys. If either guy scores a big, decisive (ie. non-decision) win, he might leap-frog Yushin Okami for a title shot.
Barnett vs Rizzo - Barnett is a rarity, a heavyweight with a ground game. He's one of the top heavyweights in the world (#4 if you believe WAMMA's rankings http://www.gowamma.com/rankings.asp).
Rizzo is your more typical big striker heavyweight. He used to be one of the top heavies in the world, but, at 34, he's starting to move past his prime.
I can't get that excited about this fight. Partially because I'm not a big fan of the heavyweight division (slow & one-dimensional).
Edge: UFC 86
Stevenson vs Tibau or Arlovski vs Rothwell
Stevenson vs Tibau - Stevenson is probably near the top of the lightweight ladder in the UFC. He faired as poorly against BJ Penn as most lightweights which ended his fairly impressive 4 win streak.
Tibau is also coming off a loss that snapped a win streak. Only his loss was to Tyson Griffin, and his win streak was only 3 wins.
I'm not that interested in either fighter. However, this fight should remind people how entertaining the ground game can be.
Arlovski vs Rothwell - Rothwell completely dominated the IFL's heavyweight division, and I'm really interested in seeing him take on higher level competition. Unfortunately, he's fighting Arlovski.
Going into Sylvia vs Arlovski 2, Arlovski had walked through he last 6 opponents and looked poised to dominate the heavyweight division for years. Then, he drops Sylvia with a big overhand right & moves in to finish Sylvia off, only his hands are a bit too low & Sylvia rebounds and finishes Arlovski with strikes. Since that fight, Arlovski has moved onto my "I won't pay to watch list" with uninspiring decisions against Sylvia & Werdum where he's looked extremely hesitant. Granted he's also stopped Cruz and O'Brien, but neither of them are top tier fighters.
WAMMA considers this to be a battle between the #6 & #9 heavyweights in the world, and I'm interested in how Rothwell will fair against top tier competition and whether or not Arlovski can regain his championship form. But, I can't bring myself to get excited about this fight. I can't shake the feeling that its going to be a lot of circling & jabbing.
Edge: UFC 86
Koscheck vs Lytle or Lindland vs Nascmento
Koscheck vs Lytle - Koscheck is the inaugural member of my "I won't pay to watch" list. He's getting better & moving away from his lay & pray roots, but he's still on the list.
Lytle's been fighting with a sense of urgency lately. He's 33 which means if he wants to make a title run, he needs to do that now. He seems to not only understand this, but to also realize that the fastest way to move up the ladder is to finish fights.
Lytle very entertaining fighter, Koscheck an "I won't pay to watch" fighter.
Lindland vs Nascimento - What can you say about Lindland? He's been fighting for over 10 years. He's a middleweight, but he'll fight anyone, anywhere. Hell, his last fight was against Fedor Emelianenko. He's a main card (& occasional main event) fighter that constantly bounces from promotion to promotion.
I've got nothing on Nascimento. I couldn't even find the guy on Wikipedia.
Edge: Affliction: Banned. That's how serious I am about the "I won't pay to watch" list. I'll take a fight with someone I know absolutely nothing about over a fight with someone on the list.
Griffin vs Aurelio or Nogueira vs White
Griffin vs Aurelio - This fight should exemplify my love/hate relationship with the lightweight division. It should be a very exciting, fast paced fight which will end in a decision.
Nogueira vs White - A very good light heavyweight who had a fantastic run in Pride vs a journeyman with a losing record. Why is a fight this lopsided on paper a part of Affliction's first PPV? My guess, Nogueira's there to provide star power & White's there because people know who he is and Nogueira needs an opponent.
Edge: UFC
Praying for undercard matches or Sobral vs Whitehead
Sobral vs Whitehead - This could be my favorite fight on the Affliction: Banned main card. Whitehead dominated the IFL and it'll be interested to watch he take on higher level competition. Sobral is a very good light heavy and proves that even guys weighing over 200 lbs can have a great/entertaining ground game.
Edge: Affliction: Banned
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)