UFC 132 Quick Picks

My picks:

Urijah Faber beats Dominic Cruz
Wanderlei Silva beats Chris Leben
Ryan Bader beats Tito Ortiz
Carlos Condit beats Dong Hyun Kim
Dennis Siver beats Matt Wiman
Melvin Guillard beats Shane Roller
George Sotiropoulos beats Rafael dos Anjos
Andre Winner beats Anthony Njokuani

UFC 131

My Picks:

Junior Dos Santos beats Shane Carwin
Diego Nunes beats Kenny Florian
Mark Munoz beats Demian Maia
Donald Cerrone beats Vagner Rocha
Sam Stout beats Yves Edwards
Krzysztof Soszynski beats Mike Massenzio
Dustin Poirier beats Jason Young
Michihiro Omigawa beats Darren Elkins

UFC 130

My Picks:

Matt Hamill beats Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Roy Nelson beats Frank Mir
Stephan Struve beats Travis Browne
Demetrious Johnson beats Miguel Torres
Kendall Grove beats Tim Boetsch
Gleison Tibau beats Rafaello Olivera

UFC 129

Georges St. Pierre vs Jake Shields

Georges St. Pierre is back defending his title again. This time he’s up against a fighter, Jake Shields, who is relatively new to UFC, but is a veteran of the sport who holds titles in two different organizations. Shield’s impressive win streak and his recent win over Martin Kampmann quickly catapulted him into title contention.

A fight with Georges St. Pierre is no walk-in-the-park for anyone. He has proved time and time again that he can beat any opponent at their own game. He beats grapplers with grappling and strikers with striking. GSP is a great fighter because he fights smart. He exposes weaknesses and capitalizes on his opponents mistakes.

Many UFC fans don’t know much about Jake Shields, but he is one of the top welterweight and middleweight fighter in the division. Shields is a very dangerous fighter and his Brazilian Jujitsu is almost unmatched in any division. With a winning streak that spans more than five years he is looking to add another win and another title to his resume. But to be the Welterweight Champ he’ll need to put GSP on his back, a job many opponents have rarely done, and implement his Jujitsu. Shields will need to constantly attack with submission attempts and maintain control whether he’s on top or bottom and hope for the Canadian Champion make a mistake. In the end its a very difficult task for Shields and I don’t see George St. Pierre’s belt leaving him any time soon.

Jose Aldo vs Mark Hominick

Jose Aldo has been on a tear in the Featherweight division. Since stepping into the cage in WEC he has destroyed every opponent with ease and looks to be unstoppable. Many are clamoring Aldo to make a jump up to the Lightweight division where he could be challenged. But Mark Hominick believes he has what it takes to stop the Brazilian Featherweight Champ.  Like Aldo, Hominick has great striking which will provide a very interesting fight. But unlike Aldo, Hominick hasn’t displayed the strength and killer instinct that has made Jose Aldo the champion. Overall this should be an exciting fight to watch as Hominick will be Aldo’s first opponent who striking ability equals to his.

My Picks:

Georges St. Pierre beats Jake Shields
Jose Aldo beats Mark Hominick
Lyoto Machida beats Randy Couture
Jason Brilz beats Vladimir Matyushenko
Jake Ellenberger beats Sean Pierson
Jason McDonald beats Ryan Jensen
Nate Diaz beats Rory MacDonald

UFC 128

Jon ‘Bones’ Jones will be following in the footsteps of the current Light Heavyweight Champ, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, by quickly ascending the division and capturing the title at such an early age.

Jones is a rookie compared to many of the fighters he has fought, but what makes him so different is his dynamic set of skills he brings into the cage. What’s more amazing is that those skills are evolving at a blistering pace. The combination of unorthodox striking and wrestling makes Jones so dangerous to many. But his most impressive attribute as a fighter is the mental aspect of his game and of the sport. The way he handles himself in and out of the cage makes him look like a mature fighter many years over. Whether it’s a studio interview or a post fight discussion Jones’s composure and respectful manners is very telling of his intelligence and passion for this sport. It is easy to see why he has a strong following of fans.

Standing in front of Jones is Shogun, the Champ whose skills and composure easily matches Jones. The big difference with Shogun is that he has the experience many other fighters only dream of. In 2005, at 23 years old, he captured the PrideFC Middleweight tournament beating the who’s who of MMA at the time. Shogun has showed he can take the fight anywhere and be successful, but does he have what it takes to stop the rising star that is aiming to take his belt? In this fight Shogun will have a hard time against Jones. The biggest factor will be Jones’s reach advantage and wrestling. Sure, Shogun has faced opponents who had a reach advantage such as Alistair Overeem and wrestlers like Kevin Randleman, but none of them has the combination of the two like Jones.

For Shogun to retain his belt he will need to take Jones down. He’ll need to close the distance and stifle the striking of Jones. It’s the scramble on the ground where Shogun will be able to catch a submission. But the longer the fight stays standing Jones will have the opportunity to establish his unorthodox striking and utilize his reach advantage. With a strong wrestling background Jones will have the tool he needs to keep this fight standing or gain top control where he can use his vicious ground and pound.

My Picks:

Jon Jones beats Mauricio Shogun
Urijah Faber beats Eddie Wineland
Jim Miller beats Kamal Shalorus
Nate Marquardt beats Dan Miller
Brendan Schaub beats Mirko Filipovic
Edson Barboza beats Anthony Njokuani
Luiz Cane beats Eliot Marshall
Ricardo Almeida beats Mike Pyle
Kurt Pellegrino beats Gleison Tibau

UFC 127

After dropping two decision losses to current Lightweight champ, Frankie Edgar, BJ Penn rebounded back by KOing future hall of famer, Matt Hughes. It seems like Penn is back at welterweight again trying to make another run for the title.

Unfortunately for Penn, Jon Fitch is standing in his way. Fitch is a force to be reckoned with in the division. Fitch’s only loss in his 20+ fights is to current champ Georges St. Pierre. Penn looks to be the Prodigy everyone knows him as but that’s what everybody says before he steps into the cage so that doesn’t mean much anymore. The big question is can he put Fitch away like he did with Hughes? I doubt it.

Fitch will be too much for Penn. His wrestling, size, and strength will be too much for the under sized Hawaiian. Penn has decent striking and his hands are fast and deadly accurate. He will need to use his striking to setup grappling control and work to get top position. As good as Penn is at BJJ being under Fitch is a bad idea as he has strong top control and relentless ground and pound.

My picks:

Jon Fitch beats BJ Penn
Michael Bisping beats Jorge Rivera
George Sotiropoulos beats Dennis Siver
Chris Lytle beats Brian Ebersole
Ross Pearson beat Spencer Fisher
Chris Camozzi beats Kyle Noke

UFC 126

Going to Las Vegas has become like a ritual around this time for the last few years. Superbowl and UFC weekend has fallen on or near my birthday UFC 126 is no different.  I am in Las Vegas to catch the weigh ins again. Unfortunately, I won’t be attending it, but I will be catching a closed-circuit viewing of the event instead.

This UFC event is one of the most stacked events in a long time. In addition to the headliners “Kid” Yamamoto, Miguel Torres, and Donald Cerrone making their UFC debut it will be exciting to see these lighter fighters show how dynamic their weight class has become.

Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort

It’s finally happening. This fight has been scrapped a few times in the past due to injuries from each fighter, but now both have healed up and ready to get it on. Vitor Belfort has come a long way with a roller coaster ride of a career with big wins and disappointing losses he has now in a position to solidify himself as one of the best fighters in the world. A win over Anderson Silva will rock the middleweight division. Belfort is known to have very fast hands, but he has always shown weakness in the mental aspect of the fight game. Troubled by personal issues of the past (he had a sister who was kidnapped and killed) was thought to be the cause of his poor performance. Belfort’s last loss has been in 2006, and his last win was an impressive KO over Rich Franklin which catapulted him to number one contender.

Anderson Silva has ruled the division longer than Belfort’s current winning streak. He has dominated almost all of his opponents and made his wins look easy. In this fight I don’t see Belfort being any more of a threat compared to his previous opponents. Silva’s striking is superb and his grappling is just as good as anyone in the division. I expect Silva to win dynamically. Belfort will try to be aggressive, but that will only make The Spider step up his game and win the fight fashionably.

For Belfort to win he will need to take the fight to the ground early and score points in the eye of the judges. Keeping Anderson on his back is the best chance for any fighter going against him. In the end the Champion will retain his belt unless Belfort can sneek in a flash KO with his quick hands but I don’t see that happening.

My Picks:

Anderson Silva beats Vitor Belfort
Forrest Griffin beats Rich Franklin
Jon Jones beats Ryan Bader
Jake Ellenberger beats Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Miguel Torres beats Antonio Banuelos
Chad Mendez beats Michihiro Omigawa
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto beats Demetrious Johnson
Paul Taylor beats Gabe Ruediger
Kenny Robertson beats Mike Pierce

UFC 125

As of tomorrow night it’ll be Frankie Edgar’s 3rd title fight in 9 months and a title defense within 4 months. As a UFC Champion that’s a quick turnaround given that other Champs take 6 or more months in between defenses. After beating BJ Penn twice Edgar is still not getting any respect coming into this fight. Many of the bookies and analysts expect Maynard to take the belt from the New Jersey native. Seeing that Maynard did win against their last bout it’s not unreasonable to believe he will win again.  Both fighters have grown leaps and bounds since their last meeting. Maynard has greatly improved his stand-up and Edgar’s ever-evolving quick hands and feet have helped both fighters rise to the top of the division.

This fight will be their most important fight of their careers. A win for Edgar will truly mark him as the undisputed Champion of the lightweight division and will give him the respect he deserves. For Maynard, it’s obvious, he gets the title. But a loss for either will put them much deeper down the division since UFC / WEC merger will add a boat load of up-and-coming lightweight fighters to the roster.

In their last fight Marynard received the unanimous decision. Maynard utilized his wrestling to control the fight and to keep Edgar off his feet as much as possible. It was a poor game plan on Edgar’s part. Edgar seemed so focused on striking and didn’t use his wrestling to mix up his attack which I think costs him that fight, but that loss doesn’t mean Maynard is a more superior wrestler than Edgar. Edgar’s wrestling credentials are just as impressive as any one in the UFC.  If Edgar mixes up his boxing and wrestling like he did against his last bout with BJ Penn a repeat win for Maynard won’t be as likely. For the past few months I can see Maynard winning this fight again in similar fashion, but after watching their last fight a few times and Edgar’s fights against BJ Penn I now I have change my mind that Frankie Edgar will win in this rematch. The fight will be close and a controversial win won’t be that all surprising.

My Picks:

Jacob Volkmann beats Antonio McKee
Clay Guida beats Takanori Gomi
Dong Hyun Kim beats Nate Diaz
Josh Grispi beats Dustin Poirier
Jeremy Stephens beats Marcus Davis
Thiago Silva beats Brandon Vera
Brian Stann beats Chris Leben
Frankie Edgar beats Gray Maynard

Maturity of MMA depends on the Maturity of its fans

Mixed Martial Arts is the fastest growing sport, but it is a sport that is still in its infancy. If MMA wants to become mainstream and be respected as a sport it’s up to the MMA fans themselves to respect the sport first.

Many of the MMA fans today are casual fans. These fans lack the basic knowledge and understanding of the sport. They buy the PPV events when Brock Lesnar, GSP, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell or some other high profile fighter is on the card. They are intrigued by the commercials and fanfare that spreads throughout the internet.  These are the same fans that ‘boo’ when the fight goes to the ground or when fighters jockey for clinch control. It’s all about understanding what MMA is all about. Not every fight needs to end in a devastating KO or a slick submission.

In boxing you see many commentators, analysts, and fans talk about the science of boxing. They talk about the boxer’s hand speed, ring control, and footwork. Fights that end in KOs are exciting, but it’s not what boxing is all about. In football, you hear about accuracy of a QB, speed of a player, and hands of a receiver. It’s the skill of a player or a record of a team that matters. Not whether or not there were bone crushing tackles or crazy triple reverse trick plays were in a game. Many life-long football fans loves the sport as a whole, and this passion for it is what makes football the most popular sport in the US.

MMA, like other sports, is about having the better strategy, skill, and out-pointing your opponent. Understanding why and how a fighter wins a fight should be just important to a fan as seeing exciting fights, but that’s not the case for today’s fans. Fans have unrealistic expectation of fights and fighters. Every fighter goes out to do their best and to win as convincingly as possible, but it doesn’t always happen. Why? Because there’s this thing called an opponent that is always constantly defending themselves. Fans fail to comprehend this. You can see in many of the popular forums where people talk trash about fighters. You see, “Fighter X sucks because he doesn’t finish fights” or “I don’t like Fighter Z because he just lays and prays” this goes to show those fans don’t understand “strategy” and the skill that is involved in MMA. They don’t love the sport. They love spectacle moments that doesn’t truly represent MMA. And that is not what you call “being a fan”.  Would you call a person a “hockey fan” if they only watch hockey games to see a brawl? Or call them a “NASCAR fan” if they only watch it for the spectacular crashes? I don’t think so. It’s unfortunate that majority of MMA fans have a misguided perception of MMA. It’s more unfortunate that it perpetuates to new fans which contributes to the sports slow inclination of maturity.

Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying MMA is doomed because of the ignorant fans. I believe it’s part of the growing pains of this fast growing sport. Just 10 years ago barely anyone knew what a 4 .oz glove looked like. Now, they sell those gloves at every sporting good store. I just hope the fans evolve with the sport, and one day in the future we can get away from the spectacle talk of the sport and get more into the art and science of it.

UFC 124

Georges St. Pierre vs Josh Koscheck

The trash-talking bad boy Josh Koscheck is looking to take the Welterweight Title from the current kingpin, Georges St. Pierre, and he’ll be doing it on enemy territory. You can forget about their last fight  more than 3 years ago as Koscheck was in the midst of becoming a fledging well-rounded fighter in the sport.  Koscheck has transformed himself from a wrestler-only fighter to a dynamic knockout artist that has racked up several big wins. Now that their coaching stint is done for TUF 12 it’s now for them to face off.

In my book GSP is the #2 pound for pound fighter (A. Silva being #1), and he has fought and beat guys who are one of the top practitioners in each in the varied martial art aspect of the sport; Jon Fitch/Matt Hughes (wrestling), Thiago Alves (Muay Thai), Karo Parysian/Matt Serra/BJ Penn (Judo and BJJ). So Josh Koscheck will not bring anything that GSP has not already faced. To beat GSP you have to be better than him in every aspect of MMA. If Koscheck wants to win he’s going to have to wait for GSP to make a mistake and catch him with a KO or a submission something that is very unlikely to happen.

Thiago ‘The Pitbull’ Alves vs John Howard

Whether you’re a casual or a hardcore fan this bout will surely be a fantastic fight. Thiago Silva and John Howard are two fighters with tremendous power that loves to stand a slug it out. This kind of fight will likely end in a brutal KO/TKO  and is one of the candidates for knockout of the night, if not, fight of the night.  But for tomorrow night I give the edge to the Pit Bull. He has more technical striking and has been in the cage with the top fighters in the Welterweight Division.  If Howard wants to win he’ll need to KO him (easier said than done) or take the fight to the ground from the get-go use wrestling to control Alves on the ground like GSP and Fitch did. There really isn’t any strategy for these guy to really come and execute. It’s all about who’s going to get knocked out first.

My Picks:

Georges St. Pierre beats Josh Koscheck
Sean McCorkle beats Stephan Struve
Jim Miller beats Charles Oliveira
Joe Stevenson beats Mac Danzig
Thiago Alves beats John Howard
Mark Bocek beats Dustin Hazelett
Dan Miller beats Joe Doerksen
Ricardo Almeida beats beats TJ Grant