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 ufc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ufc. Show all posts
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Overheard at UFC 89
Bisping vs Leben
"I haven't seen a Brit run that fast since Dunkirk 1940."
"Does Bisping owe Machida royalties for that fight?"
"Who knew Leben's cardio would ever be good enough to chase someone across the Octagon for 15 minutes?"
Jardine vs Vera
"I'm going go get a beer."
Sokoudjou vs Cane
"This is the best Sokoudjou we've ever seen," (2 minutes later) "never mind."
Other
"Is Shane Carwin more Brock Lesnar than Brock Lesnar?"
"I haven't seen a Brit run that fast since Dunkirk 1940."
"Does Bisping owe Machida royalties for that fight?"
"Who knew Leben's cardio would ever be good enough to chase someone across the Octagon for 15 minutes?"
Jardine vs Vera
"I'm going go get a beer."
Sokoudjou vs Cane
"This is the best Sokoudjou we've ever seen," (2 minutes later) "never mind."
Other
"Is Shane Carwin more Brock Lesnar than Brock Lesnar?"
Monday, September 8, 2008
Worst weekend for Free MMA Ever
On Friday, it was announced that Thiago Silva had to withdraw from his UFC 89 match with Machida.
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/injured-silva-withdraws-from-ufc-89-14296
So, much for getting to watch 2 of the top 5 light heavyweights in the world fight for free, and probably fight for a title show.
But, that's ok because there's a free WEC event coming up this week, right? Wrong, that event had to be delayed until November.
http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/09/06/wecs-sept-10-event-postponed-until-nov-5/
In two days, we lost one of the best free MMA fights of all time and had a WEC event pushed back 2 months. Fuck
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/injured-silva-withdraws-from-ufc-89-14296
So, much for getting to watch 2 of the top 5 light heavyweights in the world fight for free, and probably fight for a title show.
But, that's ok because there's a free WEC event coming up this week, right? Wrong, that event had to be delayed until November.
http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/09/06/wecs-sept-10-event-postponed-until-nov-5/
In two days, we lost one of the best free MMA fights of all time and had a WEC event pushed back 2 months. Fuck
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.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Is this legal?
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has decided joined Wolfslair. Jackson joining a gym/team is a good sign of him getting things back on track.
There's just one problem: Wolfslair is located in England and Jackson is currently facing multiple felony charges. I don't mean to imply that Jackson is trying to pull an Ira Einhorn and permanently flee the country, but aren't you not allowed to leave the country while on trial, or between arraignment and trail.
Are there any lawyers out there, who read this blog, that can explain the situation? Most of my knowledge of the US legal system comes from Jack McCoy and the oh so lovely Angie Harmon so I'm far from an expert.
http://www.fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/news/viewarticle.php?id=974
There's just one problem: Wolfslair is located in England and Jackson is currently facing multiple felony charges. I don't mean to imply that Jackson is trying to pull an Ira Einhorn and permanently flee the country, but aren't you not allowed to leave the country while on trial, or between arraignment and trail.
Are there any lawyers out there, who read this blog, that can explain the situation? Most of my knowledge of the US legal system comes from Jack McCoy and the oh so lovely Angie Harmon so I'm far from an expert.
http://www.fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/news/viewarticle.php?id=974
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Where to go, Tito?
Tito Ortiz's UFC contract has officially expired (there was a 60 day no compete clause in his contract that took effect after his fight with Machida).
Tito recently claimed to have signed a "ground breaking contract" with Affliction. But he hasn't he's still in negotiations with Affliction, and with almost every other MMA promotion in existence (except for Strikeforce oddly enough). http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/2008/08/18/ddn081808spinside.html
Since, Tito's still on the market, let's take a look at his options:
Affliction
Pro's:
Affliction is the biggest MMA promotion that isn't the UFC.
Tito loves the spotlight Affliction is a big organization and can provide that.
Tito is still has name recognition with casual fans in the US. He'll bring in some extra PPV buys. Affliction needs those casual fans to buy their PPV's & see Fedor.
Con's:
Affliction has already gotten weary of giving out incredibly lucrative contracts and has already asked some fighters to take a pay cut.
Who would Tito fight? Affliction doesn't have much in terms of light heavyweight talent besides Sobral. Tito is no longer a top talent, and whoever signs him will have to be very "selective" in picking his opponents. So far, Affliciton hasn't given anyone easy fights.
EliteXC
Pro's:
EliteXC is built around an ex-street fighter & an American Gladiator. Having an ex-UFC champion will help EliteXC look more like a serious MMA promotion and less like a circus side show.
Tito's possibly more interested in being a celebrity than a fighter. EliteXC is the ONLY MMA promotion that can put him on network TV live in prime time. Tito signs with EliteXC had he's a main event on network TV. He signs with Affliction or the UFC and he's a main card fight on a PPV.
EliteXC has already shown that they're willing to give favorable match ups to their big names.
Word on the internet is EliteXC is done. EliteXC's October show on CBS is supposed to be a make-or-break event. EliteXC can't setup it's most legit fight (Noons vs Diaz) because Noons won't return EliteXC's calls http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116448/. EliteXC is considering pulling a Great White Hype http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116448/ with Kimbo by having him fight one of the guys that beat him as an "amateur" even though the guy isn't a MMA fighter. If Tito signs with EliteXC and EliteXC survives, Titos' the man that saved EliteXC. If Tito signs with EliteXC and EliteXC still fold, EliteXC was dead anyway, but Tito got to fight (and win, based on how EliteXC picks opponents) on network TV.
Con's:
Money
UFC
Pro's:
Tito still has enough name recognition to function as a gatekeeper. Put him in one or two fights against favorable competition. Then, put him in against an upcoming talent that needs a big name win to get some name recognition (ex. Thiago Silva).
Con's:
Tito & Dana White dislike each other.
Doubtful that Tito would settle for that role.
Ortiz vs Machida - Tito was supposed to be a big name win to give Machida some recognition with casual fans. The recognition Machida got was being the guy who won a boring fight against Tito.
AFL/other
Pro's:
Tito can be the main event.
Having Tito will slightly raise the profile of the organization.
Con's:
Money
No spotlight/publicity for Tito.
I've been waiting for Tito to sign with EliteXC ever since his last fight with the UFC. Its the perfect fit for Tito. Unfortunately, I doubt Tito will sign with EliteXC.
EliteXC and Affliction are the only two promotions that it makes sense for Tito. So, if Tito won't sign with EliteXC, Affliction is really his only other option.
Tito recently claimed to have signed a "ground breaking contract" with Affliction. But he hasn't he's still in negotiations with Affliction, and with almost every other MMA promotion in existence (except for Strikeforce oddly enough). http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/2008/08/18/ddn081808spinside.html
Since, Tito's still on the market, let's take a look at his options:
Affliction
Pro's:
Affliction is the biggest MMA promotion that isn't the UFC.
Tito loves the spotlight Affliction is a big organization and can provide that.
Tito is still has name recognition with casual fans in the US. He'll bring in some extra PPV buys. Affliction needs those casual fans to buy their PPV's & see Fedor.
Con's:
Affliction has already gotten weary of giving out incredibly lucrative contracts and has already asked some fighters to take a pay cut.
Who would Tito fight? Affliction doesn't have much in terms of light heavyweight talent besides Sobral. Tito is no longer a top talent, and whoever signs him will have to be very "selective" in picking his opponents. So far, Affliciton hasn't given anyone easy fights.
EliteXC
Pro's:
EliteXC is built around an ex-street fighter & an American Gladiator. Having an ex-UFC champion will help EliteXC look more like a serious MMA promotion and less like a circus side show.
Tito's possibly more interested in being a celebrity than a fighter. EliteXC is the ONLY MMA promotion that can put him on network TV live in prime time. Tito signs with EliteXC had he's a main event on network TV. He signs with Affliction or the UFC and he's a main card fight on a PPV.
EliteXC has already shown that they're willing to give favorable match ups to their big names.
Word on the internet is EliteXC is done. EliteXC's October show on CBS is supposed to be a make-or-break event. EliteXC can't setup it's most legit fight (Noons vs Diaz) because Noons won't return EliteXC's calls http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116448/. EliteXC is considering pulling a Great White Hype http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116448/ with Kimbo by having him fight one of the guys that beat him as an "amateur" even though the guy isn't a MMA fighter. If Tito signs with EliteXC and EliteXC survives, Titos' the man that saved EliteXC. If Tito signs with EliteXC and EliteXC still fold, EliteXC was dead anyway, but Tito got to fight (and win, based on how EliteXC picks opponents) on network TV.
Con's:
Money
UFC
Pro's:
Tito still has enough name recognition to function as a gatekeeper. Put him in one or two fights against favorable competition. Then, put him in against an upcoming talent that needs a big name win to get some name recognition (ex. Thiago Silva).
Con's:
Tito & Dana White dislike each other.
Doubtful that Tito would settle for that role.
Ortiz vs Machida - Tito was supposed to be a big name win to give Machida some recognition with casual fans. The recognition Machida got was being the guy who won a boring fight against Tito.
AFL/other
Pro's:
Tito can be the main event.
Having Tito will slightly raise the profile of the organization.
Con's:
Money
No spotlight/publicity for Tito.
I've been waiting for Tito to sign with EliteXC ever since his last fight with the UFC. Its the perfect fit for Tito. Unfortunately, I doubt Tito will sign with EliteXC.
EliteXC and Affliction are the only two promotions that it makes sense for Tito. So, if Tito won't sign with EliteXC, Affliction is really his only other option.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
UFC 90 Poster & Proposed Title
There's the official poster for UFC 90. Based on the picture of Silva & Cote, I'm guessing this will be "UFC 90: Please, don't hurt me Mr. Silva."
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Cheick Kongo is delusional
After TKO'ing UFC debutant Dan Evensen [who?], Kongo proclaimed:
“Everybody knows I deserve a title fight.”
Really, Kongo? I know the UFC's heavyweight devision is paper thin at best, but really? Everyone know you deserve a title shot? Let's look at your UFC career.
You started your UFC career with 2 impressive TKO wins against decent competition. After those 2 wins, a bunch of people (myself included) thought that you were the next big thing at heavyweight.
Then, you became a decision machine. And, not an entertaining lightweight decision machine. A big, slow, very little action, heavyweight decision machine.
You dropped a majority decision to decent competition.
Then, one of the lesser Silva's (Assuerio) exposed your complete and total lack of a ground game in a decision that you managed to win. I can still hear Rogan going on for 2 rounds about how you needed to be kidnapped and just work on your wrestling for a few months.
To your credit, you took Rogan's advice and developed a ground game, sort of. You spent your next 2 fights laying on top of ghost of Cro Cop that recently appeared in the UFC & Herring. Actually, you only layed on top of Cro Cop's ghost for 3 rounds, Herring did enough to beat you.
And, you finally got another TKO on Saturday.
Let's look at the numbers
5-2 UFC record (22-4-1 overall)
3-1 against decent competition
2-1 against mid-level competition (calling Assuerrio Silva, the Cro Cop that recently showed up in the UFC, and the current Herring, mid-level competition might be generous)
3 TKO's
4 painful decisions
Zero top 10 rankings that I know of. Not being able to crack the top 10 at heavyweight is brutal since Sylvia keeps managing to do it based solely on size and Cro Cop keeps doing it based on name recognition.
Who exactly is "everyone" that thinks you deserve a title shot?
“Everybody knows I deserve a title fight.”
Really, Kongo? I know the UFC's heavyweight devision is paper thin at best, but really? Everyone know you deserve a title shot? Let's look at your UFC career.
You started your UFC career with 2 impressive TKO wins against decent competition. After those 2 wins, a bunch of people (myself included) thought that you were the next big thing at heavyweight.
Then, you became a decision machine. And, not an entertaining lightweight decision machine. A big, slow, very little action, heavyweight decision machine.
You dropped a majority decision to decent competition.
Then, one of the lesser Silva's (Assuerio) exposed your complete and total lack of a ground game in a decision that you managed to win. I can still hear Rogan going on for 2 rounds about how you needed to be kidnapped and just work on your wrestling for a few months.
To your credit, you took Rogan's advice and developed a ground game, sort of. You spent your next 2 fights laying on top of ghost of Cro Cop that recently appeared in the UFC & Herring. Actually, you only layed on top of Cro Cop's ghost for 3 rounds, Herring did enough to beat you.
And, you finally got another TKO on Saturday.
Let's look at the numbers
5-2 UFC record (22-4-1 overall)
3-1 against decent competition
2-1 against mid-level competition (calling Assuerrio Silva, the Cro Cop that recently showed up in the UFC, and the current Herring, mid-level competition might be generous)
3 TKO's
4 painful decisions
Zero top 10 rankings that I know of. Not being able to crack the top 10 at heavyweight is brutal since Sylvia keeps managing to do it based solely on size and Cro Cop keeps doing it based on name recognition.
Who exactly is "everyone" that thinks you deserve a title shot?
Monday, August 11, 2008
UFC 87 Thoughts featuring Geto Boys
I didn't watch UFC 87, but that's not going to stop me from talking about the event.
I'm using the Geto Boys timeless "Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangsta" to help me comment on the event. Geto Boys & "Damn if Feels Good to be a Gangsta" are best known to MMA fans (ie. white people) for their appearance on the soundtrack to Office Space.
A real gangsta-ass nigga plays his cards right
A real gangsta-ass nigga never runs his fuckin mouth
Cuz real gangsta-ass niggas don't start fights
Jason MacDonald - You never hear him running his mouth and he keeps overachieving. Yeah, he lost, but who thought he'd be able to fight off some of Maia's submissions & get Maia in trouble.
And niggas always gotta high cap
Showin' all his boys how he shot em
But real gangsta-ass niggas don't flex nuts
Cuz real gangsta-ass niggas know they got em
Brock Lesnar - Even Tito Ortiz thought your post fight (and end of fight) clowning in the Octagon was excessive. Act like you've been here before. You didn't win a title or pull off a major upset. You beat a perennial also ran in a fight were you were a 2-1 to 3-1 favorite.
And everythings cool in the mind of a gangsta
Cuz gangsta-ass niggas think deep
Up three-sixty-five a year 24/7
Cuz real gangsta ass niggas don't sleep
GSP - He's not quite as active as Silva (but who is?), but moments after his win against the 2nd highest rated 170 lb in the UFC, and a consensus top 10 170 lb in the world, he acepted a challenge from BJ Penn.
And all I gotta say to you
Wannabe, gonnabe, cocksuckin', pussy-eatin' prankstas
Cuz when the fry dies down what the fuck you gonna do
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta
Jon Fitch - This is harsh because I like Fitch, and his loss came against the best 170 lb in the world and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in he world. But,what can he do when he can't out wrestle his opponent?
Although I was born in Jamaica
Now I'm in the US makin' deals
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta
I mean one that you don't really know
Demain Maia - He's not from Jamaica, but he's 8-0 (3-0 in the UFC) and looks like a serious contender to be the 2nd best middleweight in the UFC (no one's a contender to over take Silva as the best middleweight for at least a year and a half)
Real gangsta-ass niggas don't talk much
All ya hear is the black from the gun blast
Rob Emerson - You didn't hear him talking before UFC 87, partly because no one could figure out how his fight was on the main card, but damn people are now talking about his KO of Gamburyan.
Now when you in the free world talkin' shit do the shit
Hit the pen and let the mothafuckas shank ya
Heath Herring & Roger Huerta - Before getting in the cage, Herring was complaining about Mir fighting for the title instead of him & that he shouldn't have to fight Lesnar. Before getting in the cage, Huerta was bitching about his contract and asking for a Chuck Liddel level contract that pays a guaranteed 6 figures plus points on the pay-per-view. In the cage, both Herring and Huerta got stopped. Both men lost unanimous decisions with neither one winning a round.
Sadly, none of the lyrics can live up to Kongo's insane post fight comments which deserve their own post, that post is coming later this week.
Full lyrics:
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/officespace/damnitfeelsgoodtobeagangsta.htm
Full UFC 87 results:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26111758/
I'm using the Geto Boys timeless "Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangsta" to help me comment on the event. Geto Boys & "Damn if Feels Good to be a Gangsta" are best known to MMA fans (ie. white people) for their appearance on the soundtrack to Office Space.
A real gangsta-ass nigga plays his cards right
A real gangsta-ass nigga never runs his fuckin mouth
Cuz real gangsta-ass niggas don't start fights
Jason MacDonald - You never hear him running his mouth and he keeps overachieving. Yeah, he lost, but who thought he'd be able to fight off some of Maia's submissions & get Maia in trouble.
And niggas always gotta high cap
Showin' all his boys how he shot em
But real gangsta-ass niggas don't flex nuts
Cuz real gangsta-ass niggas know they got em
Brock Lesnar - Even Tito Ortiz thought your post fight (and end of fight) clowning in the Octagon was excessive. Act like you've been here before. You didn't win a title or pull off a major upset. You beat a perennial also ran in a fight were you were a 2-1 to 3-1 favorite.
And everythings cool in the mind of a gangsta
Cuz gangsta-ass niggas think deep
Up three-sixty-five a year 24/7
Cuz real gangsta ass niggas don't sleep
GSP - He's not quite as active as Silva (but who is?), but moments after his win against the 2nd highest rated 170 lb in the UFC, and a consensus top 10 170 lb in the world, he acepted a challenge from BJ Penn.
And all I gotta say to you
Wannabe, gonnabe, cocksuckin', pussy-eatin' prankstas
Cuz when the fry dies down what the fuck you gonna do
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta
Jon Fitch - This is harsh because I like Fitch, and his loss came against the best 170 lb in the world and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in he world. But,what can he do when he can't out wrestle his opponent?
Although I was born in Jamaica
Now I'm in the US makin' deals
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta
I mean one that you don't really know
Demain Maia - He's not from Jamaica, but he's 8-0 (3-0 in the UFC) and looks like a serious contender to be the 2nd best middleweight in the UFC (no one's a contender to over take Silva as the best middleweight for at least a year and a half)
Real gangsta-ass niggas don't talk much
All ya hear is the black from the gun blast
Rob Emerson - You didn't hear him talking before UFC 87, partly because no one could figure out how his fight was on the main card, but damn people are now talking about his KO of Gamburyan.
Now when you in the free world talkin' shit do the shit
Hit the pen and let the mothafuckas shank ya
Heath Herring & Roger Huerta - Before getting in the cage, Herring was complaining about Mir fighting for the title instead of him & that he shouldn't have to fight Lesnar. Before getting in the cage, Huerta was bitching about his contract and asking for a Chuck Liddel level contract that pays a guaranteed 6 figures plus points on the pay-per-view. In the cage, both Herring and Huerta got stopped. Both men lost unanimous decisions with neither one winning a round.
Sadly, none of the lyrics can live up to Kongo's insane post fight comments which deserve their own post, that post is coming later this week.
Full lyrics:
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/officespace/damnitfeelsgoodtobeagangsta.htm
Full UFC 87 results:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26111758/
Friday, August 8, 2008
The WAMMA Problem
WAMMA, World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts http://gowamma.com/index.asp, is a relatively new company that formed with the noble intention of crowning undisputed champions via the highly scientific and never controversial method of a media poll, a system that works fantastically for college football.
WAMMA has put together a ranking committee composed almost entirely of MMA reporters, and every month this committee comes up with the top 10 fighters in each weight class. The fighters voted #1 in their weight classes do not automatically become WAMMA Champions. WAMMA champions are crowned when the top ranked fighter in a weight class takes on a highly ranked opponent, in a fight that WAMMA approves.
Sounds like an interesting idea, right? There's just one major problem. WAMMA is not an MMA promotion, it has put on exactly zero fights, and it never plans on putting on a single fight. Instead, WAMMA tries to "partner" with MMA promotions where by the "partner" puts together the fight card & event, but WAMMA gets to give out the belt.
Oddly enough, Zuffa, which owns the UFC and WEC, told WAMMA to fuck off when WAMMA approached Zuffa. This was a smart move for the UFC. The UFC has developed into the best known MMA promotion/brand, and the UFC can promote Jackson vs. Griffin for the UFC light heavyweight championship just fine on its own without trying to explain to people that its WAMMA's top ranked light heavyweight versus WAMMA's #3 ranked light heavyweight for the WAMMA belt.
Since Affliction was a start up that hadn't put on a single event when WAMMA approached them, Affliction decided to "partner" with WAMMA. Hey, when you're a new promotion, you need all the additional publicity you can get.
So, Affliction was able to hype Affliction:Banned's main event as the battle for WAMMA's undisputed heavyweight championship. Which helped make Affliction: Banned look like a bigger event than it was and gave the event some added publicity.
We all know what happened. Fedor, WAMMA's #1, beat Sylvia, WAMMA's #4, and won the first ever WAMMA belt. Hooray, Affliction got to give out a belt at its first event and could have Fedor in a title defense in its second event, Affliction: Day of Reckoning against either WAMMA's #3 heavyweight, Barnett, or its #4, Arlovksi.
Unfortunately, Fedor can't/won't compete in Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Instead, the main event will be Barnett vs Arlovski in what WAMMA has decided will be Heavyweight Elimination Bout. That's fine and dandy because Affliction was planning on having the winner fight Fedor at its next event, right?
Wrong, there's a difference between having a plan as to how you'll run your promotion and having someone tell you how to run it. WAMMA just said that Fedor can only defend his belt against the winner of Barnett vs Arlovski. Think of the problems.
What if the winner ends up on a medical suspension and can't fight for a few months/until after Affliction 3? Too bad, that title defense will have to wait until then. If Affliciton wants Fedor to fight someone at Affliction 3, it'll have to be a non-title fight. That's always an easy sell, "come see the champion, fight someone in a non-title fight. No, he's not moving up a weight class or anything unique. We just can't call this a title fight because the champ isn't fighting the right guy."
The Barnett vs Arlovski winner could demand a new contract/crazy (make that crazier, I forgot how much Affliction is already paying them) money to fight Fedor, and Affliction will have to fold or there cannot be a title fight. For the first time ever, the contender will be as important to the title fight as the champ. The champ used to be way more important than the challenger because the champ was the only fighter you needed for a title fight. You could always grab a new challenger if the current one wanted too much money, and it would still be a title fight. Now, the champ and challenger are equally important to the title fight. I'm sure Affliction is pleased knowing that it'll have to appease 2 fighters in order to have a title fight.
Assuming there's no medical suspension problems or contract complaints and Affliction manages to have Fedor defend his belt against the winner of Barnett vs Arlovski at Affliction 3. And assume that Fedor wins, when can Fedor defend his belt again? If Fedor's opponent has to be ranked in the top 5 for it to be a title defense, Affliction is dependent on WAMMA's rankings for title defenses. Those WAMMA rankings will probably look something like this after that fight:
Champ: Fedor
#1: Noguiera (assuming he beats Mir, if he doesn't its even worse for Affliction because both Noguiera and Mir could potentially be in the top 5)
#2: Couture (if WAMMA was going to drop him for inactivitely/being retired it would have done so by now)
#3: Werdum (he's currently #5, and who's he going to lose to between now and January since he won't be fighting either Noguiera or Mir?)
#4: Barnett vs Arlovksi winner (the winner would have just lost to Fedor and I doubt WAMMA would drop them out of the top 5 for that loss)
#5: Sylvia (he's currently #6 & will probably leapfrog with loser of Barnett vs Arlovski due to his not fighting at Affliction: Day of Reckoning)
So, Affliction's options for a title defense could easily be either Sylvia, the guy Fedor walked through at Affliction: Banned, or the guy Fedor beat in Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Does either recycled main event sound like something that'll drive PPV buys?
WAMMA is bad news to any promotion. The little bit of added hype/publicity doesn't make up for losing control of your promotion, your fighters, and your championship belts.
Also, I wonder what would happen if a WAMMA champ lost in a fight that WAMMA didn't consider a title fight. Would WAMMA drop his ranking and strip him of his belt?
WAMMA has put together a ranking committee composed almost entirely of MMA reporters, and every month this committee comes up with the top 10 fighters in each weight class. The fighters voted #1 in their weight classes do not automatically become WAMMA Champions. WAMMA champions are crowned when the top ranked fighter in a weight class takes on a highly ranked opponent, in a fight that WAMMA approves.
Sounds like an interesting idea, right? There's just one major problem. WAMMA is not an MMA promotion, it has put on exactly zero fights, and it never plans on putting on a single fight. Instead, WAMMA tries to "partner" with MMA promotions where by the "partner" puts together the fight card & event, but WAMMA gets to give out the belt.
Oddly enough, Zuffa, which owns the UFC and WEC, told WAMMA to fuck off when WAMMA approached Zuffa. This was a smart move for the UFC. The UFC has developed into the best known MMA promotion/brand, and the UFC can promote Jackson vs. Griffin for the UFC light heavyweight championship just fine on its own without trying to explain to people that its WAMMA's top ranked light heavyweight versus WAMMA's #3 ranked light heavyweight for the WAMMA belt.
Since Affliction was a start up that hadn't put on a single event when WAMMA approached them, Affliction decided to "partner" with WAMMA. Hey, when you're a new promotion, you need all the additional publicity you can get.
So, Affliction was able to hype Affliction:Banned's main event as the battle for WAMMA's undisputed heavyweight championship. Which helped make Affliction: Banned look like a bigger event than it was and gave the event some added publicity.
We all know what happened. Fedor, WAMMA's #1, beat Sylvia, WAMMA's #4, and won the first ever WAMMA belt. Hooray, Affliction got to give out a belt at its first event and could have Fedor in a title defense in its second event, Affliction: Day of Reckoning against either WAMMA's #3 heavyweight, Barnett, or its #4, Arlovksi.
Unfortunately, Fedor can't/won't compete in Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Instead, the main event will be Barnett vs Arlovski in what WAMMA has decided will be Heavyweight Elimination Bout. That's fine and dandy because Affliction was planning on having the winner fight Fedor at its next event, right?
Wrong, there's a difference between having a plan as to how you'll run your promotion and having someone tell you how to run it. WAMMA just said that Fedor can only defend his belt against the winner of Barnett vs Arlovski. Think of the problems.
What if the winner ends up on a medical suspension and can't fight for a few months/until after Affliction 3? Too bad, that title defense will have to wait until then. If Affliciton wants Fedor to fight someone at Affliction 3, it'll have to be a non-title fight. That's always an easy sell, "come see the champion, fight someone in a non-title fight. No, he's not moving up a weight class or anything unique. We just can't call this a title fight because the champ isn't fighting the right guy."
The Barnett vs Arlovski winner could demand a new contract/crazy (make that crazier, I forgot how much Affliction is already paying them) money to fight Fedor, and Affliction will have to fold or there cannot be a title fight. For the first time ever, the contender will be as important to the title fight as the champ. The champ used to be way more important than the challenger because the champ was the only fighter you needed for a title fight. You could always grab a new challenger if the current one wanted too much money, and it would still be a title fight. Now, the champ and challenger are equally important to the title fight. I'm sure Affliction is pleased knowing that it'll have to appease 2 fighters in order to have a title fight.
Assuming there's no medical suspension problems or contract complaints and Affliction manages to have Fedor defend his belt against the winner of Barnett vs Arlovski at Affliction 3. And assume that Fedor wins, when can Fedor defend his belt again? If Fedor's opponent has to be ranked in the top 5 for it to be a title defense, Affliction is dependent on WAMMA's rankings for title defenses. Those WAMMA rankings will probably look something like this after that fight:
Champ: Fedor
#1: Noguiera (assuming he beats Mir, if he doesn't its even worse for Affliction because both Noguiera and Mir could potentially be in the top 5)
#2: Couture (if WAMMA was going to drop him for inactivitely/being retired it would have done so by now)
#3: Werdum (he's currently #5, and who's he going to lose to between now and January since he won't be fighting either Noguiera or Mir?)
#4: Barnett vs Arlovksi winner (the winner would have just lost to Fedor and I doubt WAMMA would drop them out of the top 5 for that loss)
#5: Sylvia (he's currently #6 & will probably leapfrog with loser of Barnett vs Arlovski due to his not fighting at Affliction: Day of Reckoning)
So, Affliction's options for a title defense could easily be either Sylvia, the guy Fedor walked through at Affliction: Banned, or the guy Fedor beat in Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Does either recycled main event sound like something that'll drive PPV buys?
WAMMA is bad news to any promotion. The little bit of added hype/publicity doesn't make up for losing control of your promotion, your fighters, and your championship belts.
Also, I wonder what would happen if a WAMMA champ lost in a fight that WAMMA didn't consider a title fight. Would WAMMA drop his ranking and strip him of his belt?
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Worst Tattoo in MMA
Hands down Lesnar's chest tattoo. The worst is when the handle of the knife/sword isn't in the picture.
Monday, August 4, 2008
August PPV Battle: UFC 87 vs $55
There's only one big PPV this month, UFC 87. So, instead of deciding which PPV is more worth your money, I'm going to try and decide if UFC 87 is worth your $55.
Main Event:
GSP vs Fitch
GSP is typically a very entertaining fighter. He fights at a fast pace and is talented enough to not only take the fighter anywhere, but to also finish the fight anywhere, unlike, oh say, Forrest Griffin.
Fitch is a decision machine.
GSP is out to cement his place as the top 170 lb fighter in the world and try to get his name thrown back into the best pound-for-pound fighter debate.
Fitch wants to show the UFC how big a mistake they made cutting him from the first season of The Ultimate Fighter at the last minute (Note: He was dropped for Diego Sanchez).
As much as I like Fitch, I don't see this fight being close. I think Vegas listing GSP as -325 is an understatement. Fitch is pretty much a one-dimensional wrestler who can't finish, and GSP can finish a fight anywhere.
I can't call this one an entertaining fight because GSP's one-sided victories aren't as captivating as Silva's. When watching Silva walk-through an opponent, you feel as though you're watching one of the greatest ever. Right now, GSP doesn't give off that historically great vibe.
This main event doesn't kill the card and can easily be saved by a good main card. Let's look at the main card.
Main Card:
Lesnar vs Herring
It is the UFC's sideshow versus a perennial also-ran.
Herring's good enough to always be in the mix at heavyweight, but he's not good enough to be anything more than in the mix. Also, since coming to the UFC, he's proved incapable of finishing a fight.
Do you think Lesnar is jealous of Kimbo Slice? Slice gets to main event EliteXC while fighting Thompson & Abbott, while Lesnar gets thrown in against ex-champ, and possibly future champ, Mir and the solid Herring. It is a great strategy on Dana White's part. Either Lesnar proves himself to be an elite heavyweight or by the time his UFC contract is up he's useless to any other promotion (crappy record and no longer a novelty).
This will probably play out like Lesnar's 2 previous fights. He'll come charging out, get the take down, and flail away from full-guard. Only this time he'll probably get the stoppage because Herring's ground game has looked like crap lately (he got dominated on the ground by O'Brien and struggled on the ground against Kongo).
Entertaining? No, Herring's UFC fights have been crap. I've seen Lesnar's shtick before, and the novelty factor has already worn off.
Florian vs Huerta
Fuck and yes.
These 2 guys are arguably the 2nd and 3rd best lightweights in the UFC (I put both of them ahead of lay-and-pray Sherk, largely because I hate watching Sherk, and you can make an argument for putting them ahead of Stevenson) and both are either top 10 or top 15 lightweights in the world.
I can't recommend this fight highly enough. It has 2 extremely talented lightweights both of whom fight at a fast pace and can actually finish fights.
Entertaining: Absolutely.
Gamburyan vs Emerson
What exactly has Emerson done to deserve main card status? Gamburyan has ditched the lay-and-pray style that he used so effectively on whichever season of TUF he was on and has become a bit of a submission dynamo. Emerson lucked his way into a no contest when Maynard put his head too far forward on a slam KO'ing himself and won a bad spilt decision in an incredibly forgettable fight. And, that's after losing twice while on TUF. How does that translate into the main card of a PPV?
Entertaining: Neither fighter makes you groan, but I can't help wondering how this made its way onto the main card.
MacDonald vs Maia
This is a battle of 2 very good middleweights.
Right now, MacDonald is a gatekeeper for elite middleweights. He'll finish average to good middleweights, but will be overwhelmed by elite middleweights (see his fight against Franklin). But, he is always fun to watch.
This fight will let everyone know how good Maia is. He's looked very good finishing his 2 UFC fights against solid competition.
This fight has as much talent as Cote vs Almeida, but styles that should make for a more entertaining fight, of course, waiting in line at the DMV is more entertaining than Cote vs Almeida was.
Entertaining: Yes
In total, we have a lackluster main event, a novelty act, a fantastic fight, why is this a main card fight, and a solid fight. Does that make UFC 87 worth your $55? I'd say no.
But wait, my cable company is running a promotion where I can order this PPV for $45. Is this worth $45? Depends on your opinion of GSP vs Fitch & the Lesnar side show. $45 is right on the edge of whether or not I think this one is worth it (it is worth $40, but not worth $50).
Best news about this PPV? Kongo has finally been demoted to the undercard. I so thought this guy was a serious heavyweight contender after he started his UFC career with 2 TKO's. Then, he became a decision machine without knock-out power and no ground game. Then, he became unwatchable when he developed enough of a ground game to lay on top of Cro Cop and Herring. Be very, very glad you won't have to watch him. If you have tickets to the event, use his fight as a good time to run to the bar and/or bathroom.
Main Event:
GSP vs Fitch
GSP is typically a very entertaining fighter. He fights at a fast pace and is talented enough to not only take the fighter anywhere, but to also finish the fight anywhere, unlike, oh say, Forrest Griffin.
Fitch is a decision machine.
GSP is out to cement his place as the top 170 lb fighter in the world and try to get his name thrown back into the best pound-for-pound fighter debate.
Fitch wants to show the UFC how big a mistake they made cutting him from the first season of The Ultimate Fighter at the last minute (Note: He was dropped for Diego Sanchez).
As much as I like Fitch, I don't see this fight being close. I think Vegas listing GSP as -325 is an understatement. Fitch is pretty much a one-dimensional wrestler who can't finish, and GSP can finish a fight anywhere.
I can't call this one an entertaining fight because GSP's one-sided victories aren't as captivating as Silva's. When watching Silva walk-through an opponent, you feel as though you're watching one of the greatest ever. Right now, GSP doesn't give off that historically great vibe.
This main event doesn't kill the card and can easily be saved by a good main card. Let's look at the main card.
Main Card:
Lesnar vs Herring
It is the UFC's sideshow versus a perennial also-ran.
Herring's good enough to always be in the mix at heavyweight, but he's not good enough to be anything more than in the mix. Also, since coming to the UFC, he's proved incapable of finishing a fight.
Do you think Lesnar is jealous of Kimbo Slice? Slice gets to main event EliteXC while fighting Thompson & Abbott, while Lesnar gets thrown in against ex-champ, and possibly future champ, Mir and the solid Herring. It is a great strategy on Dana White's part. Either Lesnar proves himself to be an elite heavyweight or by the time his UFC contract is up he's useless to any other promotion (crappy record and no longer a novelty).
This will probably play out like Lesnar's 2 previous fights. He'll come charging out, get the take down, and flail away from full-guard. Only this time he'll probably get the stoppage because Herring's ground game has looked like crap lately (he got dominated on the ground by O'Brien and struggled on the ground against Kongo).
Entertaining? No, Herring's UFC fights have been crap. I've seen Lesnar's shtick before, and the novelty factor has already worn off.
Florian vs Huerta
Fuck and yes.
These 2 guys are arguably the 2nd and 3rd best lightweights in the UFC (I put both of them ahead of lay-and-pray Sherk, largely because I hate watching Sherk, and you can make an argument for putting them ahead of Stevenson) and both are either top 10 or top 15 lightweights in the world.
I can't recommend this fight highly enough. It has 2 extremely talented lightweights both of whom fight at a fast pace and can actually finish fights.
Entertaining: Absolutely.
Gamburyan vs Emerson
What exactly has Emerson done to deserve main card status? Gamburyan has ditched the lay-and-pray style that he used so effectively on whichever season of TUF he was on and has become a bit of a submission dynamo. Emerson lucked his way into a no contest when Maynard put his head too far forward on a slam KO'ing himself and won a bad spilt decision in an incredibly forgettable fight. And, that's after losing twice while on TUF. How does that translate into the main card of a PPV?
Entertaining: Neither fighter makes you groan, but I can't help wondering how this made its way onto the main card.
MacDonald vs Maia
This is a battle of 2 very good middleweights.
Right now, MacDonald is a gatekeeper for elite middleweights. He'll finish average to good middleweights, but will be overwhelmed by elite middleweights (see his fight against Franklin). But, he is always fun to watch.
This fight will let everyone know how good Maia is. He's looked very good finishing his 2 UFC fights against solid competition.
This fight has as much talent as Cote vs Almeida, but styles that should make for a more entertaining fight, of course, waiting in line at the DMV is more entertaining than Cote vs Almeida was.
Entertaining: Yes
In total, we have a lackluster main event, a novelty act, a fantastic fight, why is this a main card fight, and a solid fight. Does that make UFC 87 worth your $55? I'd say no.
But wait, my cable company is running a promotion where I can order this PPV for $45. Is this worth $45? Depends on your opinion of GSP vs Fitch & the Lesnar side show. $45 is right on the edge of whether or not I think this one is worth it (it is worth $40, but not worth $50).
Best news about this PPV? Kongo has finally been demoted to the undercard. I so thought this guy was a serious heavyweight contender after he started his UFC career with 2 TKO's. Then, he became a decision machine without knock-out power and no ground game. Then, he became unwatchable when he developed enough of a ground game to lay on top of Cro Cop and Herring. Be very, very glad you won't have to watch him. If you have tickets to the event, use his fight as a good time to run to the bar and/or bathroom.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thank God its Free
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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