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Though many may consider men who enter an mma proving ground little else than hired human pitbulls ripping each other apart for massive money and radical amusement, it seems easy enough to recognize that professional level mma is the combat of highly disciplined human spirits, opposing each other for but the duration of the bout. The ultimate declaration of one's will to express oneself as a fighter, demands the form of radical intimacy, circulated between fighter and rival in a cage where the damage one suffers is the wit one failed to exhibit. The reaction of one's opponent is the reaction to whatever one could offer as offense. That is how, in my opinion, the mma fighter fights against himself, by being subjected to his own image, reflected by his rival. Who is, then, ignorant enough to express honest disinterest in such delicious fun?
The will and desire to fight seeks no propagation of aggression, as once two consenting parties are present in a fight, then it is nothing less than an expression of the human spirit and body in the form of combat. The ripe spirit embraces and respects this consenting rivalry, as this is the only channel its will might be shaped and perfected upon, until it realizes that the will of the rival is one with the will he opposes that with. Who though, has the more intricate command of that will? Well, this is why fights are made for.
Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs solid skills and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reaches its conclusion.
This is a review of the latest UFC event to date, UFC 114 - Rampage VS Evans.
Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups
UFC 114 marks the peaking of the bitter rivalry between UFC prominences Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "Sugar" Rashad Evans. The winner of this highly anticipated grudge war will have the opportunity to collide with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Seems to me that the UFC made this event headlined by a collision the whole mma world wants to see, while the promotion takes the same night as an opportunity to showcase its recent prospects, so next time both of those top level and - not something to be ashamed of - marketable warriors may return to the Octagon with a face you already recognize.
As such, Michael Bisping and Minotauro's twin brother are coming back to the fray to give their - logically - consecutive matches, yet I purposely refrain from naming their opponents, as I would need to check their names on the Internet. I intend to express no disrespect, what I mean though is that it obvious that the UFC wants to build up its recently added fighters as efficiently as possible, and, now that Minotauro got put away by Cain Velasquez via ruthless precision during a blink of an intent eye, - and resonating a whole new mma frequency in the process - now is the time to start market Minotauro's twin brother up to top of the foodchain competition, with possible plans of throwing him in front of the most promising resistance, if to emerge triumphant tonight.
Brit favorite, charismatic Michael Bisping comes back to Octagon, following a decision loss to Wanderlei Silva. Bisping, too, fights against someone I never heard of before, but, once again, this is not necessarily the fighter's incapacity, it might as well be mine. To be honest with you though, I would rather watch Antonio Rogerio Nougeira being unleashed on Bisping, than to watch the two notabilities engage with relatively unknown competition. This is quite enough of the whining though, as the UFC has a superbly exploited chance-pool to deliver quality in every second, and seldom it is that it fails at it.
John Hathaway VS Diego Sanchez
It seems Sanchez's forehead healed up nicely after the beating he received from BP Penn, and now The Nightmare moves up a weight class to once again establish himself as a force having a right to its nickname. Diego is quick to close the distance in the early segment of the fight, muscling fresh UFC addition unbeaten Hathaway to the cage. Sanchez tries to take this fight to the ground, but his attempts witness no instant fruition. Then it is Hathaway who exhibits dominant Octagon presence, as he tags the incoming Nightmare with a knee. Diego is knocked down, the Brit prospect swarming on him. The remaining portion of this here round is a chronicle of Hathaway's efficient ground and pound-, and of Diego's ability of being able to remain in a fight under pressure, relying on solid defense and his punishment resistance. It is not easy to control those long limbs from the back, when they are fueled by bad intentions: many of the shots do evade Diego's guard and connect on The Nightmare, yet the round comes to a conclusion without a Referee stoppage.
The second period is characterized by prolonged standup sequences, interrupted but momentarily by a couple of takedown attempts that fail to affect the pace of the round significantly. As if the two would have had an agreement, they battle it out on the feet, and, surprisingly enough, it is Hathaway who goes away with the better of the exchanges. Rendering himself as the primal aggressor of the sequence and forming advantage of his longer reach, the Brit effectively puts a beating on top of the foodchain UFC prominence Diego Sanchez.
The third and final round shows no difference from the second in it its nature, except the fact that it is more heated and Sanchez eats even more of the straight rights Hathaway darts in with. A solid decision victory by the Brit.
Jason Brilz VS Antonio Rogerio Nougeira
Another surprising match, as Brilz gives an exceptionally hard time to evident favorite, Little Nog. Brilz brings a solid gameplay and has the tools in his possession to enforce it, going for the single leg takedown with a constant urge, pulling it off successfully on multiple occasions. What comes as an even bigger surprise, is the fact that Brilz has a whole lot to offer even in the standup position, remaining absolutely competitive in the exchanges he exhibits the noted takedown threat from.
While Minotauro's twin brother, as a highly regarded Jiu-Jitsu expert - who, among other things, is Minotauro's twin brother, - is able to invite and force Berlitz to pretty dangerous positions on the ground, the evident underdog is capable to deliver his own submission attempts to Minotauro's twin brother. Brilz finishes the second round with landing wild, yet effective bombs on Minotauro's twin brother, who spends the last seconds of the round with the manic backpedaling going on.
Judges that probably were not even present at the match though, give their decision to Minotauro's twin brother, Antonio Rogerio Nougeira, while everyone who has seen the match knows that Brilz did NOT lost this collision. Looked sharp in the opening round, clearly won the second, and spent the last seconds of the third and final round with defending himself. Granted: slight advantage in that portion at Minotauro's twin brother. It is important and necessary to draw out attention to yet another case of idiotic judging by UFC Judges though. How they select UFC Judges? Do you have to be retarded AND subject yourself to frontal lobotomy right before the match? Oh, and no viewing allowed. No idea, truly. I might-, JUST might be content with a draw, but what the Judges did now is nothing less than they simply gave Minotauro's twin brother a win he does not deserve, and probably generated mild hatred in some fans towards the Victor. To be honest with you, I like Big Nog very much, even after he got his butt handed to him by Velasquez. But, following this decision which I feel completely unjust, I can't wait to see Minotauro's twin brother getting put away like his twin brother. Uhm. Am I making sense? No, do not answer, please. The crowd chanted: "Bullsh*t!, bullsh*t!", when Rogerio gave the everyday average "He is a tough guy, sure..." post-fight interview alongside Joe Rogan. What should you add to that? You can agree or be content with being lobotomized.
Mike Russow VS Todd Duffee
Heavy duty warfare here, as Todd Doffee heavyweight prospect, who holds the fastest knockout in UFC history - 7 seconds - steps up against fellow promise Mike Russow. The winner of the match catapults himself to the top of the heat.
Duffee is quick to claim the position of the aggressor, delivering all the shots in the world and then some more. It seems that the chronicle of the match truly is nothing more and nothing less than Russow's ability to take a massive punch and remain in the game nevertheless, as he gets subjected to constant pressure by Duffee, finding no antidote against the superior standup game of the talented heavyweight prospect. In the second and third round, Duffee exhibits noticeable signs of slowing down, his punches lack the fuel the initial assaults were ignited with, and then, from out of nowhere, the improbable happens: battered Mike Russow lands a shot from close quarters, which does not even seem to be too powerful of a strike, yet probably connects on parts of the head that is not too keen to receive a greeting like this. Duffee goes to the ground, chased fervently while on his way by a consecutive shot. The dominant prospect already is out when the final shot of good measure connects on him: a huge-, and highly non-probabilistic victory by Mike Russow. Now that Duffee has tasted defeat, it remains interesting to see what kind of a fighter he comes back to the Octagon as, yet, this one punch knockout certainly raises a question about Duffee's ability to take a strike.
Michael Bisping VS Dan Miller
Bisping claims then maintains the upper hand by expressing his superior standup skills all over the place. The match has a pretty balanced character to it nevertheless, as aggressor Bisping is not able to shatter the resistance of Miller, but undoubtedly lands the more precise and more damaging shots, remaining intact even after eating in the couple of impressive strikes his opponent is capable to find a home for at the Brit's expense. Though Miller gives a rather competitive match for the opposition, he clearly comes short this time and loses a decision to the Brit in this fluently paced, intact kickboxing bout.
Quinton Jackson VS Rashad Evans
Rashad lands a solid right hand at the beginning of the fight, then is quick to give a thorough hint of his gameplan, as he is muscling Rampage to the fences with the consorting intent of taking him down from the clinch position. The two show little if any success at administering damage in close quarters, and Referee Herb Dean decides to separate them on multiple occasions due to lack of significant action. In the standup exchanges, Evans shows superior agility and remains intent at forcing Jackson to the fences, getting away with the hardly disputable accomplishment of dictating how and where the fight takes place. Then Rashad is able to pull off a decent double leg takedown, solidifying his momentary superiority in this fight. Following two rounds of action gravitating around Evans' versatility, Jackson finds a brief moment of success by knocking his opponent down, yet the subsequent ground and pound assault, though thoroughly executed, fails to shatter Rashad's defensive lines. When the two greet each other on the feet again, Jackson shows cautiousness (passivity?) with his rival standing in front of him on relatively wobbly legs. Since Quinton probably is too worried about being taken down again, he gives time for Rashad to recover, and, as such: to seal a convincing decision victory over him in a match that has relatively little to offer via its endgame.
Check out videos I made on YouTube:
Videos I made on YouTube
If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
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Read more!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
UFC 113 Machida VS Shogun 2
Though many may consider men who enter an mma proving ground little else than hired human pitbulls ripping each other apart for massive money and radical amusement, it seems easy enough to recognize that professional level mma is the combat of highly disciplined human spirits, opposing each other for but the duration of the bout. The ultimate declaration of one's will to express oneself as a fighter, demands the form of radical intimacy, circulated between fighter and rival in a cage where the damage one suffers is the wit one failed to exhibit. The reaction of one's opponent is the reaction to whatever one could offer as offense. That is how, in my opinion, the mma fighter fights against himself, by being subjected to his own image, reflected by his rival. Who is, then, ignorant enough to express honest disinterest in such delicious fun?
The will and desire to fight seeks no propagation of aggression, as once two consenting parties are present in a fight, then it is nothing less than an expression of the human spirit and body in the form of combat. The ripe spirit embraces and respects this consenting rivalry, as this is the only channel its will might be shaped and perfected upon, until it realizes that the will of the rival is one with the will he opposes that with. Who though, has the more intricate command of that will? Well, this is why fights are made for.
Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs solid skills and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reaches its conclusion.
This is a review of the latest UFC event to date, UFC 113 - Machida VS Shogun 2.
Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups
UFC 113 gives you the rematch mma aficionados have been impatiently waiting for ever since its precursor got recorded into the books. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida emerges to defend his title for a second time against the man who gave him more problems in the Octagon than he ever had to deal with in it so far: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The first meeting of the two, that took place in October, 2009, yielded the most controversial decision of the year, and now is the time to find out if Machida is able to resonate the qualities he was characterized by earlier: the Champion scarcely got hit before the first Shogun fight, and he was able to deliver ruthless efficiency whenever chose to explode on the rival. Rua though, in my opinion, fought a delicately elegant, efficient and smart fight, taking away Lyoto's legs and refraining from offering counter opportunities for The Dragon. The match is still a tough one to call indeed, as, though in my reality Shogun won the first fight, the argument that you need to put a decent beating on the Champion in order to be crowned a fresh one, seems to be a legit one, indeed. I think Shogun would have walked away as the victor if the first meeting were not of Championship caliber, but his - nevertheless excellent - performance was not enough to leave Lyoto decisively beaten. Yet, in my opinion: it WAS enough to leave Lyoto beaten.
Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley found little if any tender tendencies so far with the help of the other one, instead, they decided to talk and throw rather steep smack at each other with excellent results: both fighter look forward to the collision with no love in the eyes. The Brit has exceptional knockout power in his left, enough power, in fact, that made Koscheck state how he - Josh - is ready to go toe to toe with Daley, as the seasoned mixed martial arts veteran is pretty confident that Paul has nothing more to offer than his left. There is something which adds even more importance to this great matchup: the winner of the bout will have the right to collide against reigning UFC Welterweight Champion George "Rush" St. Pierre.
Kimbo Slive VS Matt Mitrione
Did Kimbo look good against Houston Alexander, or was it Houston Alexander who looked really bad against Kimbo Slice? Sure, the twilight of the fight has fine moments, characterized by Kimbo's presence, that which is competent enough to find landing zones for precise, powerful, elegant, shady shots, and to command Alexander to the ground with impressive slams. Yet, the two spent the first round by doing little more than circling around in the Octagon. Hopefully, Matt "Meathead" Mitrione will cultivate none of this approach and will take the fight to Kimbo, as both parties seem to be agree upon the fact that fans want to see Kimbo knock somebody out, or, to be knocked out by somebody. I am a fan of both men, but please, deliver a kill, indeed.
Alan Belcher VS Patrick Cote
After a balanced first period primarily characterized by Belcher's efficient body kicks and Cote's intact ability of finding the range he can ignite rockets from with the highest precision, it eventually is Cote to gain a momentary upper hand by sticking to an offensive leg and taking it to the ground with him - with Belcher attached to it, fortunately. Though Cote delivers a competent performance on the ground by attempting a kimura, Alan proves to be able to reverse the dire situation, eventually administering more damage in this ground sequence than Cote is able to. The second round showcases some brief, nevertheless impressive exchanges in which no strikes remain unanswered, yet it is Cote who finds himself in the role of the hunted at the midway point of the round, desperately driving his rival into the fences as opposed of continuing the toe to toe warfare. Belcher is quick to gain the upper hand in the clinch position via an efficiently offered knee, convincing Cote to take the fray to the ground once again - in theory. In reality though, while Patrick is regaining his wits via cultivating an intimate relationship with the torso of his rival in close quarters, Belcher picks him up and face plants him into the canvas. This consecutive act of sobriety molestation proves to be enough to sink in the hooks from the back, demanding a tapout from Cote due to a rear naked choke.
Kimbo Slice VS Matt Mitrione
Kimbo looks good in the first half minute of the bout, countering Mitrione's attacks with a dive-in, scoring a beautiful double leg takedown, yet the former YouTube sensation is quick to find himself in the inferior position when reaching low quarters, with Mitrione's legs wrapped all over him. Though Kimbo escapes from this dangerous position, he gets subjected to consecutive submission attempts, nevertheless leaving the impression of a competitive fight behind. In the second round, Kimbo's defense looks way less effective, while his ability to deliver offense is virtually non-existent. Mitrione delivers vicious leg kicks and constantly finds a landing zone for those solid strikes, grinding down Kimbo up to the point on which Mitrione's noted rival is no longer in the same fight. Kimbo soon finds himself mounted on the ground, with Matt administering ground and pound on him. Having nothing more and nothing else to offer than sloppy defense work Slice has zero chance to stop Mitrione with, Referee Dan Miragliotta eventually puts an end to this contest. The winner is Matt Mitrione by second round TKO.
Josh Koscheck VS Paul Daley
Paul Daley might possess semtex power in his left indeed, yet his collision with mma veteran Kosch Koscheck clearly proves that a martial artist needs to possess a more versatile tool set than that in the possession of the talented Brit, if to face and remain competent against a fighter with the grappling experience of Koscheck. The story of this bout entirely revolves around Josh's ability to take down Daley at will, in order to subject the Brit to various submission attempts. While they spend the majority of the fight on the ground with Daley being the molested, the bout also is characterized by two rather strange incidents: Daley lands an illegal knee in teh first round, yet later it turns out that the knee did not exactly contact with Koscheck, who, nevertheless, delivers an acceptable performance of suffering the definite hurt real bad. Though no point is deducted from Daley eventually, he might just earned himself a suspension for his Octagon behavior following the end of the match. When the two do stand up from the ground position Koscheck exhibited constant superior position on, the talented Brit can not control his emotions, and punches his rival in the face AFTER the bout has arrived to a conclusion. This is a more intricate incident though, in my opinion, than it may seem like at first. It appears as if Daley would want to make peace with Koscheck, laying his hand on Josh's shoulder, yet Josh is walking away, signaling than he will have none of the peace Daley seems to offer. This is the moment, probably, by Daley loses control of his emotions, as he probably feels humiliated. As such: he punches the evident winner. Josh is the sound triumphant of the fight nevertheless, and will have the chance to headline the next season of the Ultimate Fighter reality show to culminate that event with a collision against reigning UFC Welterweight Champion George St. Pierre. As for Paul Daley, he probably will have a suspension, and, along with that, will have the opportunity to calm his emotions, although I remain reluctant to offer a radical verdict on his behavior, as he indeed seemed like he was trying to make peace with Koscheck, right before he decided to punch him instead - after the fight, which is totally unacceptable, of course - as result of being humiliated by the man who just bested him. Either way, I feel a suspension is a just decision in this case, because behavior like this does no good to the sport.
Lyoto Machida VS Shogun Rua
Shogun starts to work early on those legs again via finding the range he is most dangerous and efficient from, and, quite similarly to the first meeting, Machida seems to be unable to offer an antidote for those. The challenger shows an increased amount of aggression compared to what he was relying on in the first confrontation, getting away with the better of the swift, quality exchanges that summarize the virtually non-existent feeling out process of this bout. Interestingly enough, Machida decides to take Shogun to the ground on two separate occasions, yet the canvas warfare yields no other results than a relentless urge from Rua to get back on the feet, an intent he brings to fruition without too much desperation on his part. Continuing to stalk the Champion, Rua exhibits sober and well positioned aggression that swiftly-, yet surely forces Machida to play the role of the hunted, yet, at one point, The Dragon decides to have no more of that, and accepts the invitation to slug it out. As Lyoto darts in to close the distance, Shogun clips him on the temple: the Champion collapses, and the next second witnesses the challenger dropping precision air to ground missiles until the lights go out in Georgia for Lyoto. Mauricio Shogun Rua wins this battle at 3:25 in the first round by the way of knockout, and emerges as the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. A spectacular performance which leaves no questions behind this time around.
Check out videos I made on YouTube:
Videos I made on YouTube
If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
If you are to circulate magnificently pleasant vibrations: Buy me Beer Read more!
The will and desire to fight seeks no propagation of aggression, as once two consenting parties are present in a fight, then it is nothing less than an expression of the human spirit and body in the form of combat. The ripe spirit embraces and respects this consenting rivalry, as this is the only channel its will might be shaped and perfected upon, until it realizes that the will of the rival is one with the will he opposes that with. Who though, has the more intricate command of that will? Well, this is why fights are made for.
Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs solid skills and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reaches its conclusion.
This is a review of the latest UFC event to date, UFC 113 - Machida VS Shogun 2.
Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups
UFC 113 gives you the rematch mma aficionados have been impatiently waiting for ever since its precursor got recorded into the books. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida emerges to defend his title for a second time against the man who gave him more problems in the Octagon than he ever had to deal with in it so far: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The first meeting of the two, that took place in October, 2009, yielded the most controversial decision of the year, and now is the time to find out if Machida is able to resonate the qualities he was characterized by earlier: the Champion scarcely got hit before the first Shogun fight, and he was able to deliver ruthless efficiency whenever chose to explode on the rival. Rua though, in my opinion, fought a delicately elegant, efficient and smart fight, taking away Lyoto's legs and refraining from offering counter opportunities for The Dragon. The match is still a tough one to call indeed, as, though in my reality Shogun won the first fight, the argument that you need to put a decent beating on the Champion in order to be crowned a fresh one, seems to be a legit one, indeed. I think Shogun would have walked away as the victor if the first meeting were not of Championship caliber, but his - nevertheless excellent - performance was not enough to leave Lyoto decisively beaten. Yet, in my opinion: it WAS enough to leave Lyoto beaten.
Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley found little if any tender tendencies so far with the help of the other one, instead, they decided to talk and throw rather steep smack at each other with excellent results: both fighter look forward to the collision with no love in the eyes. The Brit has exceptional knockout power in his left, enough power, in fact, that made Koscheck state how he - Josh - is ready to go toe to toe with Daley, as the seasoned mixed martial arts veteran is pretty confident that Paul has nothing more to offer than his left. There is something which adds even more importance to this great matchup: the winner of the bout will have the right to collide against reigning UFC Welterweight Champion George "Rush" St. Pierre.
Kimbo Slive VS Matt Mitrione
Did Kimbo look good against Houston Alexander, or was it Houston Alexander who looked really bad against Kimbo Slice? Sure, the twilight of the fight has fine moments, characterized by Kimbo's presence, that which is competent enough to find landing zones for precise, powerful, elegant, shady shots, and to command Alexander to the ground with impressive slams. Yet, the two spent the first round by doing little more than circling around in the Octagon. Hopefully, Matt "Meathead" Mitrione will cultivate none of this approach and will take the fight to Kimbo, as both parties seem to be agree upon the fact that fans want to see Kimbo knock somebody out, or, to be knocked out by somebody. I am a fan of both men, but please, deliver a kill, indeed.
Alan Belcher VS Patrick Cote
After a balanced first period primarily characterized by Belcher's efficient body kicks and Cote's intact ability of finding the range he can ignite rockets from with the highest precision, it eventually is Cote to gain a momentary upper hand by sticking to an offensive leg and taking it to the ground with him - with Belcher attached to it, fortunately. Though Cote delivers a competent performance on the ground by attempting a kimura, Alan proves to be able to reverse the dire situation, eventually administering more damage in this ground sequence than Cote is able to. The second round showcases some brief, nevertheless impressive exchanges in which no strikes remain unanswered, yet it is Cote who finds himself in the role of the hunted at the midway point of the round, desperately driving his rival into the fences as opposed of continuing the toe to toe warfare. Belcher is quick to gain the upper hand in the clinch position via an efficiently offered knee, convincing Cote to take the fray to the ground once again - in theory. In reality though, while Patrick is regaining his wits via cultivating an intimate relationship with the torso of his rival in close quarters, Belcher picks him up and face plants him into the canvas. This consecutive act of sobriety molestation proves to be enough to sink in the hooks from the back, demanding a tapout from Cote due to a rear naked choke.
Kimbo Slice VS Matt Mitrione
Kimbo looks good in the first half minute of the bout, countering Mitrione's attacks with a dive-in, scoring a beautiful double leg takedown, yet the former YouTube sensation is quick to find himself in the inferior position when reaching low quarters, with Mitrione's legs wrapped all over him. Though Kimbo escapes from this dangerous position, he gets subjected to consecutive submission attempts, nevertheless leaving the impression of a competitive fight behind. In the second round, Kimbo's defense looks way less effective, while his ability to deliver offense is virtually non-existent. Mitrione delivers vicious leg kicks and constantly finds a landing zone for those solid strikes, grinding down Kimbo up to the point on which Mitrione's noted rival is no longer in the same fight. Kimbo soon finds himself mounted on the ground, with Matt administering ground and pound on him. Having nothing more and nothing else to offer than sloppy defense work Slice has zero chance to stop Mitrione with, Referee Dan Miragliotta eventually puts an end to this contest. The winner is Matt Mitrione by second round TKO.
Josh Koscheck VS Paul Daley
Paul Daley might possess semtex power in his left indeed, yet his collision with mma veteran Kosch Koscheck clearly proves that a martial artist needs to possess a more versatile tool set than that in the possession of the talented Brit, if to face and remain competent against a fighter with the grappling experience of Koscheck. The story of this bout entirely revolves around Josh's ability to take down Daley at will, in order to subject the Brit to various submission attempts. While they spend the majority of the fight on the ground with Daley being the molested, the bout also is characterized by two rather strange incidents: Daley lands an illegal knee in teh first round, yet later it turns out that the knee did not exactly contact with Koscheck, who, nevertheless, delivers an acceptable performance of suffering the definite hurt real bad. Though no point is deducted from Daley eventually, he might just earned himself a suspension for his Octagon behavior following the end of the match. When the two do stand up from the ground position Koscheck exhibited constant superior position on, the talented Brit can not control his emotions, and punches his rival in the face AFTER the bout has arrived to a conclusion. This is a more intricate incident though, in my opinion, than it may seem like at first. It appears as if Daley would want to make peace with Koscheck, laying his hand on Josh's shoulder, yet Josh is walking away, signaling than he will have none of the peace Daley seems to offer. This is the moment, probably, by Daley loses control of his emotions, as he probably feels humiliated. As such: he punches the evident winner. Josh is the sound triumphant of the fight nevertheless, and will have the chance to headline the next season of the Ultimate Fighter reality show to culminate that event with a collision against reigning UFC Welterweight Champion George St. Pierre. As for Paul Daley, he probably will have a suspension, and, along with that, will have the opportunity to calm his emotions, although I remain reluctant to offer a radical verdict on his behavior, as he indeed seemed like he was trying to make peace with Koscheck, right before he decided to punch him instead - after the fight, which is totally unacceptable, of course - as result of being humiliated by the man who just bested him. Either way, I feel a suspension is a just decision in this case, because behavior like this does no good to the sport.
Lyoto Machida VS Shogun Rua
Shogun starts to work early on those legs again via finding the range he is most dangerous and efficient from, and, quite similarly to the first meeting, Machida seems to be unable to offer an antidote for those. The challenger shows an increased amount of aggression compared to what he was relying on in the first confrontation, getting away with the better of the swift, quality exchanges that summarize the virtually non-existent feeling out process of this bout. Interestingly enough, Machida decides to take Shogun to the ground on two separate occasions, yet the canvas warfare yields no other results than a relentless urge from Rua to get back on the feet, an intent he brings to fruition without too much desperation on his part. Continuing to stalk the Champion, Rua exhibits sober and well positioned aggression that swiftly-, yet surely forces Machida to play the role of the hunted, yet, at one point, The Dragon decides to have no more of that, and accepts the invitation to slug it out. As Lyoto darts in to close the distance, Shogun clips him on the temple: the Champion collapses, and the next second witnesses the challenger dropping precision air to ground missiles until the lights go out in Georgia for Lyoto. Mauricio Shogun Rua wins this battle at 3:25 in the first round by the way of knockout, and emerges as the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. A spectacular performance which leaves no questions behind this time around.
Check out videos I made on YouTube:
Videos I made on YouTube
If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
If you are to circulate magnificently pleasant vibrations: Buy me Beer Read more!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
WEC 48 Aldo VS Faber
Though many may consider men who enter an mma proving ground little more than hired human pitbulls ripping each other apart for massive money and radical amusement, I tend to reject this view via a yawn of black hole, concluding that professional level mma is the combat of highly disciplined human spirits, opposing each other for but the duration of the bout, probably ending up as unified in the process as we could conceive, simply through their magnificent shared experience of being in a cage where the damage one suffers is the wit one failed to exhibit. That is how, in my opinion, the mma fighter fights against herself/himself. The reaction of one's opponent is the reaction to whatever one could offer as offense.
Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related (?) intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs every skills- and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is nothing less than the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reaches its conclusion.
This is a review of the latest WEC event to date, WEC 48 - Aldo VS Faber.
Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups
WEC 48 gives you two pivotal matchups, as long-time former WEC untouchability Uriah Faber comes back to the cage to redraw himself as a relentless presence, and there is no more solid nor more serious of a way of doing that than to do battle against Jose Aldo, the warrior who came out of nowhere, "just" to destruct everyone he crossed path with in the arena to emerge as WEC Featherweight Champion. Uriah Faber states that he wants to be the best of the world, and he wants to be chased by everyone else for the Belt. Jose Aldo replies: "Uriah thinks it is his belt. Come and get it."
Ben Henderson and Donald Ceronne will collide for a second time. The strait winner - by decision - of the first meeting and current WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson demonstrated exceptional punishment tolerance in the first fight, resisting submission attempts many would have tap out of. Henderson comes to defend his title with this kind of determination intact, fueled by properly positioned bad intentions, if you can ever call those that. The defendant probably will have a whole lot to deal with, as Ceronne has shown tactical improvement in the recent period, making his set of tools the most versatile, and, perhaps, lethal in the division. It is more interesting than ever to see if this tactically improved Donald Ceronne is able to stop Ben Henderson or - are you ready for this? - not.
Anthony Njokuani VS Shane Roller
Dangerous striker Anthony Njokuani storms the cage with an iron determination, just to find himself being taken down by Shane Roller, who exhibits considerable skills at off-balancing his rival. Roller subjects the opposition to various submission attempts on the ground, and, while Njokuani shows initial readiness to defend himself efficiently, there is no end to the numbers of the submission maneuvers Roller is throwing at him. Njokuani proves unable to offer the necessary skills to escape from the position of the hunted tonight, and taps out of this contest due to a rear naked choke.
Manvel Gamburyan VS Mike Brown
Former WEC Lightweight Champion Mike Brown gets put away rather quickly tonight, as result of a solid counter punch and the consecutive air to ground missiles, all administered by Armenian prospect Manvel Gamburyan.
Ben Henderson VS Donald Cerrone
Ben Henderson brings this championship confrontation to a swift and efficient conclusion, muscling Cerrone to the fences and maintaining control from the back. After softening up the former bull rider with a raining storm of knees to the legs, Henderson commands Donald to the ground, on which he administers a guillotine choke in 1:57 of the very first round.
Jose Aldo VS Uriah Faber
Reigning WEC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo is quick to define and claim complete control of this match, showing efficiency at finding the range, yet giving nothing of that for his rival. Faber is methodically getting taken apart simply by failing to find the defendant in the cage, suffering massive leg kicks in the process. These attacks on the low quarters eventually take a steep toll on Uriah's ability to offer relevant offense, slowly and surely ending up with the role of the harassed. With each and every round convincingly falling to Aldo's favor, the especially notable moments of the collision include numerous canvas inspections performed by the Sacramento Kid, as result of legs that can not help but give out from the kicks that land on them, while a healthy portion of fourth round observes Faber in the immensely dangerous crucifix position, with Aldo reigning down strikes and elbows to the head. Complete domination by the defendant with not a single moment of danger he has to deal with. Jose Aldo reigns supreme via putting up a truly stellar performance against a warrior many thought could not easily be defeated, yet, tonight: he got.
Leonard Garcia VS Chan Sung Jung
You do not see many matches like this, as the pace dictated and the punishment absorbed by its participants both converge to delicious absurdity: this collision, which very well might be among the most spectacular confrontations in the history of WEC and in the history of mma to date, delivers a back and fourth battle with simply way too much happening in it to be suitable and/or functional to address in a written form. This is the match you want to show to your family and friends so they can see what mma is all about.
Check out videos I made on YouTube:
Videos I made on YouTube
If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
If you are to circulate magnificently pleasant vibrations: Buy me Beer Read more!
Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related (?) intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs every skills- and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is nothing less than the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reaches its conclusion.
This is a review of the latest WEC event to date, WEC 48 - Aldo VS Faber.
Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups
WEC 48 gives you two pivotal matchups, as long-time former WEC untouchability Uriah Faber comes back to the cage to redraw himself as a relentless presence, and there is no more solid nor more serious of a way of doing that than to do battle against Jose Aldo, the warrior who came out of nowhere, "just" to destruct everyone he crossed path with in the arena to emerge as WEC Featherweight Champion. Uriah Faber states that he wants to be the best of the world, and he wants to be chased by everyone else for the Belt. Jose Aldo replies: "Uriah thinks it is his belt. Come and get it."
Ben Henderson and Donald Ceronne will collide for a second time. The strait winner - by decision - of the first meeting and current WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson demonstrated exceptional punishment tolerance in the first fight, resisting submission attempts many would have tap out of. Henderson comes to defend his title with this kind of determination intact, fueled by properly positioned bad intentions, if you can ever call those that. The defendant probably will have a whole lot to deal with, as Ceronne has shown tactical improvement in the recent period, making his set of tools the most versatile, and, perhaps, lethal in the division. It is more interesting than ever to see if this tactically improved Donald Ceronne is able to stop Ben Henderson or - are you ready for this? - not.
Anthony Njokuani VS Shane Roller
Dangerous striker Anthony Njokuani storms the cage with an iron determination, just to find himself being taken down by Shane Roller, who exhibits considerable skills at off-balancing his rival. Roller subjects the opposition to various submission attempts on the ground, and, while Njokuani shows initial readiness to defend himself efficiently, there is no end to the numbers of the submission maneuvers Roller is throwing at him. Njokuani proves unable to offer the necessary skills to escape from the position of the hunted tonight, and taps out of this contest due to a rear naked choke.
Manvel Gamburyan VS Mike Brown
Former WEC Lightweight Champion Mike Brown gets put away rather quickly tonight, as result of a solid counter punch and the consecutive air to ground missiles, all administered by Armenian prospect Manvel Gamburyan.
Ben Henderson VS Donald Cerrone
Ben Henderson brings this championship confrontation to a swift and efficient conclusion, muscling Cerrone to the fences and maintaining control from the back. After softening up the former bull rider with a raining storm of knees to the legs, Henderson commands Donald to the ground, on which he administers a guillotine choke in 1:57 of the very first round.
Jose Aldo VS Uriah Faber
Reigning WEC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo is quick to define and claim complete control of this match, showing efficiency at finding the range, yet giving nothing of that for his rival. Faber is methodically getting taken apart simply by failing to find the defendant in the cage, suffering massive leg kicks in the process. These attacks on the low quarters eventually take a steep toll on Uriah's ability to offer relevant offense, slowly and surely ending up with the role of the harassed. With each and every round convincingly falling to Aldo's favor, the especially notable moments of the collision include numerous canvas inspections performed by the Sacramento Kid, as result of legs that can not help but give out from the kicks that land on them, while a healthy portion of fourth round observes Faber in the immensely dangerous crucifix position, with Aldo reigning down strikes and elbows to the head. Complete domination by the defendant with not a single moment of danger he has to deal with. Jose Aldo reigns supreme via putting up a truly stellar performance against a warrior many thought could not easily be defeated, yet, tonight: he got.
Leonard Garcia VS Chan Sung Jung
You do not see many matches like this, as the pace dictated and the punishment absorbed by its participants both converge to delicious absurdity: this collision, which very well might be among the most spectacular confrontations in the history of WEC and in the history of mma to date, delivers a back and fourth battle with simply way too much happening in it to be suitable and/or functional to address in a written form. This is the match you want to show to your family and friends so they can see what mma is all about.
Check out videos I made on YouTube:
Videos I made on YouTube
If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
If you are to circulate magnificently pleasant vibrations: Buy me Beer Read more!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Strikeforce Nashville
Though many may consider men who enter an mma proving ground little more than hired human pitbulls ripping each other apart for massive money and radical amusement, I tend to reject this view via a yawn of black hole, concluding that professional level mma is the combat of highly disciplined human spirits, opposing each other for but the duration of the bout, probably ending up as unified in the process as we could conceive, simply through their magnificent shared experience of being in a cage where the damage one suffers is the wit one failed to exhibit. That is how, in my opinion, the mma fighter fights against herself/himself. The reaction of one's opponent is the reaction to whatever one could offer as offense.
Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related (?) intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs every skills- and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is nothing less than the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reaches its conclusion.
This is a review of the latest Strikeforce event to date, Strikeforce - Nashville.
Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups
Strikeforce has a special night indeed, claiming the promotion offers a free card on national television which lists and delivers collisions of pay per view caliber. Seeing how the night features three championship bouts and six top of the food chain Strikeforce notabilities in them, it is safe to say that the promotion did everything in their power to assuage the dire need of the fans to see Fedor Emelianenko in action. Originally, Strikeforce Nashville planned to put Fabrizio Werdum against Fedor, but the Russian phenom's primer promoter, M1 Global was not entirely satisfied with the conditions settled between Strikeforce and the aforementioned Russian promotion. Fortunately, negotiations brought agreement, but, as for the next performance of Fedor, brought a little bit of delay, as well. While The Last Emperor is likely to make an attempt at Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem in the near future, the Nashville card is as solid of a roster as you can get from the organization without featuring these particular heavyweight top dogs.
Former Pride! and UFC Legend, Dan Henderson steps up against Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields to - bizarrely enough - take the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion title.
Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez greets Shinya Aoki in the organization with nothing less than a title defense, as Aoki comes to this bout as the fighter of higher consensus caliber. While Melendez renders this title defense
with the agenda of destructing a prestigious name, Aoki needs to prove that Melendez is not a fighter who is ready to negate the masterful submissions Shinya is notorious of.
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi collides with King Mo Lawal, instantly summoning the promise of massive fireworks mma aficionados are eager to see being realized tonight.
Gegard Mousasi VS King Mo Lawal
Though not many would have thought that this match has a chance of going to the distance, it does, and resonates similar sequences of actions all the way through. The story of the fight is Lawal's relentless intent to take his rival down, and masterfully brings these attempts to dynamic fruition each time he decides to. It is clear that Mousasi's gameplan is to tire King Mo out on the ground, regardless how he - Gegard - is on his back. While in the earlier periods of the collision, Mousasi indeed shows considerable skills at offering solid resistance from the lower position, yet King Mo does not show the desperately low energy levels the reigning Champion probably hoped he would. King Mo's takedowns already are numerous AND counting, and all of a sudden Mousasi no longer seems to be particularly comfortable on his back, slowly and surely losing all control whatsoever of where-, and how this fight takes place. My impression is that Mousasi considered himself to be a more versatile fighter who may get away with the victor "simply" by tiring out his rival and move in for the kill, but this strategy collapsed utterly and completely, rendering you Gegard in the position of the hunted and harassed at the end of the day. King Mo Lawal is rightfully crowned as the new Srikeforce Heavyweight Champion as result of his ability of sticking to a gameplan and executing it with relentless will and raw power.
Gilbert Melendez VS Shinya Aoki
Shinya Aoki showcases his amazing skill set of how to be bullied around the cage for the duration of five five minute rounds, having virtually nothing to offer except the solid defensive work Melendez forces him to exhibit without no end. As a fighter of higher consensus rankings Aoki might have come, yet he leaves the cage tonight as the utterly defeated, as result of having no antidote to the fervency his opponent subjected him to. Dominant performance by Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez.
Jake Shields VS Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson comes in with a stellar opening, finding a home for his right hand of stopping power on two separate occasions, knocking down the reigning Champion and maintaining the role of the aggressor. In-, and from the second round on though, Henderson shows to be unable to prevent Shields' sound takedowns, and offers no resistance from the consecutive inferior positions he finds himself in. Shields mounts Henderson in the second round, administering effective ground and pound. Shields mounts Henderson in the third, fourth and fifth rounds as well, accumulating no less than 11 separate occasions of gaining and maintaining dominant positions. Having few if any alternatives than to bring desperate conclusion to this match with the dynamites Henderson sports as his right fist, the former Pride! and UFC notability still ignites his primal standup weapon, but finds no home for the strikes this time. After a catastrophic opening round, Jake Shields comes back on the tides of sheer will, scoring takedowns, controlling Henderson on the ground and delivering mild-, nevertheless efficient punishment. Jake Shields defends his title and remains the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.
Check out videos I made on YouTube:
Videos I made on YouTube
If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
If you are to circulate magnificently pleasant vibrations: Buy me Beer Read more!
Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related (?) intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs every skills- and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is nothing less than the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reaches its conclusion.
This is a review of the latest Strikeforce event to date, Strikeforce - Nashville.
Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups
Strikeforce has a special night indeed, claiming the promotion offers a free card on national television which lists and delivers collisions of pay per view caliber. Seeing how the night features three championship bouts and six top of the food chain Strikeforce notabilities in them, it is safe to say that the promotion did everything in their power to assuage the dire need of the fans to see Fedor Emelianenko in action. Originally, Strikeforce Nashville planned to put Fabrizio Werdum against Fedor, but the Russian phenom's primer promoter, M1 Global was not entirely satisfied with the conditions settled between Strikeforce and the aforementioned Russian promotion. Fortunately, negotiations brought agreement, but, as for the next performance of Fedor, brought a little bit of delay, as well. While The Last Emperor is likely to make an attempt at Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem in the near future, the Nashville card is as solid of a roster as you can get from the organization without featuring these particular heavyweight top dogs.
Former Pride! and UFC Legend, Dan Henderson steps up against Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields to - bizarrely enough - take the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion title.
Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez greets Shinya Aoki in the organization with nothing less than a title defense, as Aoki comes to this bout as the fighter of higher consensus caliber. While Melendez renders this title defense
with the agenda of destructing a prestigious name, Aoki needs to prove that Melendez is not a fighter who is ready to negate the masterful submissions Shinya is notorious of.
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi collides with King Mo Lawal, instantly summoning the promise of massive fireworks mma aficionados are eager to see being realized tonight.
Gegard Mousasi VS King Mo Lawal
Though not many would have thought that this match has a chance of going to the distance, it does, and resonates similar sequences of actions all the way through. The story of the fight is Lawal's relentless intent to take his rival down, and masterfully brings these attempts to dynamic fruition each time he decides to. It is clear that Mousasi's gameplan is to tire King Mo out on the ground, regardless how he - Gegard - is on his back. While in the earlier periods of the collision, Mousasi indeed shows considerable skills at offering solid resistance from the lower position, yet King Mo does not show the desperately low energy levels the reigning Champion probably hoped he would. King Mo's takedowns already are numerous AND counting, and all of a sudden Mousasi no longer seems to be particularly comfortable on his back, slowly and surely losing all control whatsoever of where-, and how this fight takes place. My impression is that Mousasi considered himself to be a more versatile fighter who may get away with the victor "simply" by tiring out his rival and move in for the kill, but this strategy collapsed utterly and completely, rendering you Gegard in the position of the hunted and harassed at the end of the day. King Mo Lawal is rightfully crowned as the new Srikeforce Heavyweight Champion as result of his ability of sticking to a gameplan and executing it with relentless will and raw power.
Gilbert Melendez VS Shinya Aoki
Shinya Aoki showcases his amazing skill set of how to be bullied around the cage for the duration of five five minute rounds, having virtually nothing to offer except the solid defensive work Melendez forces him to exhibit without no end. As a fighter of higher consensus rankings Aoki might have come, yet he leaves the cage tonight as the utterly defeated, as result of having no antidote to the fervency his opponent subjected him to. Dominant performance by Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez.
Jake Shields VS Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson comes in with a stellar opening, finding a home for his right hand of stopping power on two separate occasions, knocking down the reigning Champion and maintaining the role of the aggressor. In-, and from the second round on though, Henderson shows to be unable to prevent Shields' sound takedowns, and offers no resistance from the consecutive inferior positions he finds himself in. Shields mounts Henderson in the second round, administering effective ground and pound. Shields mounts Henderson in the third, fourth and fifth rounds as well, accumulating no less than 11 separate occasions of gaining and maintaining dominant positions. Having few if any alternatives than to bring desperate conclusion to this match with the dynamites Henderson sports as his right fist, the former Pride! and UFC notability still ignites his primal standup weapon, but finds no home for the strikes this time. After a catastrophic opening round, Jake Shields comes back on the tides of sheer will, scoring takedowns, controlling Henderson on the ground and delivering mild-, nevertheless efficient punishment. Jake Shields defends his title and remains the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.
Check out videos I made on YouTube:
Videos I made on YouTube
If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
UFC 113 Predictions
These are my predictions for the upcoming mma event UFC 113 Shogun VS Machida 2
Josh Koscheck VS Paul Daley
Though an excellent wrestler and a striker who shows constant willingness to improve in the standup position, Koscheck has shown difficulties so far when put together with notoriously dangerous punchers. Thiago Alves was able to take apart Koscheck, and I expect nothing less-, in fact, I expect more from Paul "Semtex" Daley, who lands his nuclear bombs with relentless precision and a tendency to find a home for those as soon as possible. As much as it would be nice to see a Koscheck who is able to offer relevant surprises for the immensely talented Brit, I fail to spot these possibilities right now and tend to think that Daley's efficiently positioned intensity and related raw power will earn him yet another impressive knockout victory, let alone the prestigious trophy I anticipate Koscheck to end up as this time. I am more than ready to be mistaken, though.
Kimbo Slice VS Matt Mitrione
A truly friendly and spiritual character, former YouTube phenom Kimbo Slice still struggles to prove himself as a professional level mma fighter, now that he is officially one of those. This here matchup that puts him against fellow-, former Ultimate Fighter contestant Matt Mitrione may seem like it has some promise in it in theory, but, in reality, my impression of Slice currently is that of a fighter who is superfervent at gassing out quickly, - sic! - and, regardless of his respectable urge to add new tools to his arsenal, prefers to wrap the confrontation up on the feet, switching to sloppy, non-impressive desperation mode when no home can be found for the bombs he is keen at releasing. Matt Mitrione, a man with the luscious psychotic tendencies he openly nurtures and discusses about, has all the chance in the world to put Kimbo away, as result of his - Mitrione's - massive punishment resistance, something Slice seems to lack currently. I expect Mitrione to knock Kimbo out.
Lyoto Machida VS Mauricio Rua
Seeing how their previous meeting went down, I feel and - frankly - hope that Shogun might once again emerge as the better fighter, as he did in the former collision, in my opinion. You have to - convincingly, decisively - beat the man to be the man though, and now it remains interesting to see if UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida brings an antidote against those vicious legkicks, or once again brings but the mere hunger-, and related landing zones for them. I tend to think that both fighters will exhibit an exceptionally cautious approach once again, though with the constant possibility present of turning the valve all the way to the right incorporated to their respective gameplay. Machida has a whole lot to prove in this fight, as many fans have been disappointed in his performance, while Shogun has "not much more" to do than what he did earlier, except for doing it "just a little" more or, - better scenario: more. This is a fight with myriad aspects worth looking forward to, and, though I am a Machida fan as well, I am with the Shogun this time, as I feel he got robbed previously, and remain ready to see him claim the Belt I feel already is belonging to him right now. If, on the other hand, Machida comes with the agenda and the consorting gameplan of negating Shogun AND will prove his ability to accomplish that, then my amazement of his skills will be complete once again.
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Josh Koscheck VS Paul Daley
Though an excellent wrestler and a striker who shows constant willingness to improve in the standup position, Koscheck has shown difficulties so far when put together with notoriously dangerous punchers. Thiago Alves was able to take apart Koscheck, and I expect nothing less-, in fact, I expect more from Paul "Semtex" Daley, who lands his nuclear bombs with relentless precision and a tendency to find a home for those as soon as possible. As much as it would be nice to see a Koscheck who is able to offer relevant surprises for the immensely talented Brit, I fail to spot these possibilities right now and tend to think that Daley's efficiently positioned intensity and related raw power will earn him yet another impressive knockout victory, let alone the prestigious trophy I anticipate Koscheck to end up as this time. I am more than ready to be mistaken, though.
Kimbo Slice VS Matt Mitrione
A truly friendly and spiritual character, former YouTube phenom Kimbo Slice still struggles to prove himself as a professional level mma fighter, now that he is officially one of those. This here matchup that puts him against fellow-, former Ultimate Fighter contestant Matt Mitrione may seem like it has some promise in it in theory, but, in reality, my impression of Slice currently is that of a fighter who is superfervent at gassing out quickly, - sic! - and, regardless of his respectable urge to add new tools to his arsenal, prefers to wrap the confrontation up on the feet, switching to sloppy, non-impressive desperation mode when no home can be found for the bombs he is keen at releasing. Matt Mitrione, a man with the luscious psychotic tendencies he openly nurtures and discusses about, has all the chance in the world to put Kimbo away, as result of his - Mitrione's - massive punishment resistance, something Slice seems to lack currently. I expect Mitrione to knock Kimbo out.
Lyoto Machida VS Mauricio Rua
Seeing how their previous meeting went down, I feel and - frankly - hope that Shogun might once again emerge as the better fighter, as he did in the former collision, in my opinion. You have to - convincingly, decisively - beat the man to be the man though, and now it remains interesting to see if UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida brings an antidote against those vicious legkicks, or once again brings but the mere hunger-, and related landing zones for them. I tend to think that both fighters will exhibit an exceptionally cautious approach once again, though with the constant possibility present of turning the valve all the way to the right incorporated to their respective gameplay. Machida has a whole lot to prove in this fight, as many fans have been disappointed in his performance, while Shogun has "not much more" to do than what he did earlier, except for doing it "just a little" more or, - better scenario: more. This is a fight with myriad aspects worth looking forward to, and, though I am a Machida fan as well, I am with the Shogun this time, as I feel he got robbed previously, and remain ready to see him claim the Belt I feel already is belonging to him right now. If, on the other hand, Machida comes with the agenda and the consorting gameplan of negating Shogun AND will prove his ability to accomplish that, then my amazement of his skills will be complete once again.
Check out videos I made on YouTube:
Videos I made on YouTube
If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
If you are to circulate magnificently pleasant vibrations: Buy me Beer
WTF?!
Read more!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
UFC 112 Invincible - Anderson Silva VS Demian Maia, BJ Penn VS Frankie Edgar
Though many may consider men who enter an mma proving ground little more than hired human pitbulls ripping each other apart for massive money and radical amusement, I tend to reject this view via a yawn of black hole, concluding that professional level mma is the combat of highly disciplined human spirits, opposing each other for but the duration of the bout, probably ending up as unified in the process as we could conceive, simply through their magnificent shared experience of being in a cage where the damage one suffers is the wit one failed to exhibit. That is how, in my opinion, the mma fighter fights against herself/himself. The reaction of one's opponent is the reaction to whatever one could offer as offense.
Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related (?) intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs every skills- and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is nothing less than the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reaches its conclusion.
This is a review of the latest UFC event to date, UFC 112 - Invincible.
Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups
UFC 112 puts two UFC Belts on the line, as UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva defends his title against the man many professionals regard as the direst threat one can face on the - literal - earth: Jiu-Jitsu Master-Wizard Demian Maia comes to the collision with an improved standup game, expressing openly that there is no secret in his gameplan tonight: he wants to invite Anderson to the ground and apply one of this -Maia's - lethal choke or submission on the Champion. Silva is not spring chicken on the ground either though, and says that he has a couple of ground-tricks up his sleeve that might surprise the talented Challenger. I predicted that Silva will exhibit no intention to wage this war on low quarters with the exceptionally dangerous Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, and, seeing how Silva outclassed Forrest Griffin with his standup game with offering nothing else than playful dodge maneuvers and a consecutive mercykill of it, Maia either would be very brave or very fool to accept an exchange invitation from The Spider.
UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn greets the superfervent Frankie Edgar in - logically - another Championship matchup. With the new kind of discipline he is dedicated cultivator of since 2007, BJ Penn certainly looks very hard to touch, and fans expect nothing less than the affirmation of this quality tonight. Frankie Edgar likes the role of the underdog, and certainly seems to be ready to capitalize on this special opportunity. Recently, no man could stand the standup talent BJ Penn brings to the Octagon, and, though Frankie Edgar states that Penn did not face the raw intensity he is capable to deliver, the Champion promises that if Edgar is serious about engaging on the feet, then he will find out pretty soon that he is in the cage with another street fighter.
The third match of vital importance is a collision of ancient - no disrespect, rather respect and lots of it - mma giants, as UFC Hall of Famer Matt Huges faces Renzo Gracie. Renzo is here to avenge the loss his cousin, Royce Gracie suffered under the meticulous care of Hughes' hands, while Hughes expresses his hopes of having more to deal with this time than what Royce gave him to.
Mark Munoz VS Kendall Grove
Following a first period in which he is getting crushed by a solid uppercut and numerous submission attempts by the tallest competitor of the UFC's middleweight division, Mark Munoz comes back to the Octagon with an agenda in the consecutive period: he finds more and more success on the highly cultivated ground warfare, maintaining-, and sticking to the position from which he is able to deliver air to ground missiles to Grove. Though Kendall's defense shows initial fruition, the number of missiles do not decrease, quite the contrary: Munoz is able to incorporate an increased amount of intensity and efficiency into these shots, eventually swarming the fighter who controlled the first round with an iron fist. Tremendous comeback victory from Mark Munoz, probably the biggest the UFC have seen in years.
Matt Hughes VS Renzo Gracie
Both the first and second round exhibit nothing less and nothing more than ultra-conservative approach cultivated by both legendary participants, introducing very cautious standup warfare in which Hughes finds more success by landing
solid leg kicks and landing a lot of those. By the third round, Renzo Gracie is gassed considerably, giving the chance to Hughes to deliver his leg kicks on even more frequent occasions. Gracie's leg eventually gives out, and then gives
out again, up to the point by which - as correctly pointed out by Mark Goldberg and Joe Rogan - nothing but pride invites him to stand up again. In the twilight of the round, even that proves to be a challenge: Gracie spends more time on his back, recovering, than what he probably had plans for. Finally, Hughes moves in for the kill at the fence and manages to greet the opposing Legend with a successive flurry of shots that puts an end to this contest. Matt Hughes emerges as the victor by grinding down Royce Gracie.
BJ Penn VS Frankie Edgar
The Lightweight Championship goes to the distance all the way, presenting a kickboxing match and a Frankie Edgar who is pretty effective at mixing up his attacks, especially from the third round on. His constant movement makes him very hard to find, and even manages to score two takedowns during the match. Though the collision shows quite balanced characteristics, BJ Penn shows signs of slowing down and can not resonate a radical verdict this time. Frankie Edgar is crowned as the new UFC Lightweight Champion via remaining in the ring with The Prodigy for five five minutes rounds and being able to express himself as a relentless Challenge BJ Penn could not negate tonight.
Anderson Silva VS Demian Maia
Silva delivers a showcase of his standup skills in the first two rounds, proving to Maia and the audience that the talented Jiu-Jitsu practitioner has no chance to find The Spider in the Octagon. In the second period, Silva puts tremendous effort into taunting his rival, inviting him to engage in the standup position as opposed exhibiting the constant urge to wage the war on the ground, expressed by Maia's jump-in attempts in order to score a takedown of any kind. From the third round on though, Silva becomes super-passive: the forth round is pretty much a chronicle of two fighters circling in the Octagon for three minutes, up to the point by which Referee Dan Miragliotta gives a warning to Anderson with the additional message to cease the utilization of this approach immediately. Many do wonder what happened, and, among those, Joe Rogan is the first to express an opinion that Silva might have tired during the rounds, but, I, for one have the impression that Silva simply did not want to destruct Maia, not after the massive amount of taunting he gave him earlier. Taunting a man in a professional fight this way, THEN knocking him the frick out - makes it very difficult to leave the Octagon without unnecessarily hard feelings. I have the impression that Anderson Silva did not want to take away Demian Maia's dignity by crushing him after the taunt. Anderson Silva emerges as successful defendant of the Middleweight Belt. On a sidenote: Dana White was utterly dissatisfied by Silva's noted performance. What can one say beyond this: we will see what is - up.
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Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related (?) intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs every skills- and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is nothing less than the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reaches its conclusion.
This is a review of the latest UFC event to date, UFC 112 - Invincible.
Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups
UFC 112 puts two UFC Belts on the line, as UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva defends his title against the man many professionals regard as the direst threat one can face on the - literal - earth: Jiu-Jitsu Master-Wizard Demian Maia comes to the collision with an improved standup game, expressing openly that there is no secret in his gameplan tonight: he wants to invite Anderson to the ground and apply one of this -Maia's - lethal choke or submission on the Champion. Silva is not spring chicken on the ground either though, and says that he has a couple of ground-tricks up his sleeve that might surprise the talented Challenger. I predicted that Silva will exhibit no intention to wage this war on low quarters with the exceptionally dangerous Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, and, seeing how Silva outclassed Forrest Griffin with his standup game with offering nothing else than playful dodge maneuvers and a consecutive mercykill of it, Maia either would be very brave or very fool to accept an exchange invitation from The Spider.
UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn greets the superfervent Frankie Edgar in - logically - another Championship matchup. With the new kind of discipline he is dedicated cultivator of since 2007, BJ Penn certainly looks very hard to touch, and fans expect nothing less than the affirmation of this quality tonight. Frankie Edgar likes the role of the underdog, and certainly seems to be ready to capitalize on this special opportunity. Recently, no man could stand the standup talent BJ Penn brings to the Octagon, and, though Frankie Edgar states that Penn did not face the raw intensity he is capable to deliver, the Champion promises that if Edgar is serious about engaging on the feet, then he will find out pretty soon that he is in the cage with another street fighter.
The third match of vital importance is a collision of ancient - no disrespect, rather respect and lots of it - mma giants, as UFC Hall of Famer Matt Huges faces Renzo Gracie. Renzo is here to avenge the loss his cousin, Royce Gracie suffered under the meticulous care of Hughes' hands, while Hughes expresses his hopes of having more to deal with this time than what Royce gave him to.
Mark Munoz VS Kendall Grove
Following a first period in which he is getting crushed by a solid uppercut and numerous submission attempts by the tallest competitor of the UFC's middleweight division, Mark Munoz comes back to the Octagon with an agenda in the consecutive period: he finds more and more success on the highly cultivated ground warfare, maintaining-, and sticking to the position from which he is able to deliver air to ground missiles to Grove. Though Kendall's defense shows initial fruition, the number of missiles do not decrease, quite the contrary: Munoz is able to incorporate an increased amount of intensity and efficiency into these shots, eventually swarming the fighter who controlled the first round with an iron fist. Tremendous comeback victory from Mark Munoz, probably the biggest the UFC have seen in years.
Matt Hughes VS Renzo Gracie
Both the first and second round exhibit nothing less and nothing more than ultra-conservative approach cultivated by both legendary participants, introducing very cautious standup warfare in which Hughes finds more success by landing
solid leg kicks and landing a lot of those. By the third round, Renzo Gracie is gassed considerably, giving the chance to Hughes to deliver his leg kicks on even more frequent occasions. Gracie's leg eventually gives out, and then gives
out again, up to the point by which - as correctly pointed out by Mark Goldberg and Joe Rogan - nothing but pride invites him to stand up again. In the twilight of the round, even that proves to be a challenge: Gracie spends more time on his back, recovering, than what he probably had plans for. Finally, Hughes moves in for the kill at the fence and manages to greet the opposing Legend with a successive flurry of shots that puts an end to this contest. Matt Hughes emerges as the victor by grinding down Royce Gracie.
BJ Penn VS Frankie Edgar
The Lightweight Championship goes to the distance all the way, presenting a kickboxing match and a Frankie Edgar who is pretty effective at mixing up his attacks, especially from the third round on. His constant movement makes him very hard to find, and even manages to score two takedowns during the match. Though the collision shows quite balanced characteristics, BJ Penn shows signs of slowing down and can not resonate a radical verdict this time. Frankie Edgar is crowned as the new UFC Lightweight Champion via remaining in the ring with The Prodigy for five five minutes rounds and being able to express himself as a relentless Challenge BJ Penn could not negate tonight.
Anderson Silva VS Demian Maia
Silva delivers a showcase of his standup skills in the first two rounds, proving to Maia and the audience that the talented Jiu-Jitsu practitioner has no chance to find The Spider in the Octagon. In the second period, Silva puts tremendous effort into taunting his rival, inviting him to engage in the standup position as opposed exhibiting the constant urge to wage the war on the ground, expressed by Maia's jump-in attempts in order to score a takedown of any kind. From the third round on though, Silva becomes super-passive: the forth round is pretty much a chronicle of two fighters circling in the Octagon for three minutes, up to the point by which Referee Dan Miragliotta gives a warning to Anderson with the additional message to cease the utilization of this approach immediately. Many do wonder what happened, and, among those, Joe Rogan is the first to express an opinion that Silva might have tired during the rounds, but, I, for one have the impression that Silva simply did not want to destruct Maia, not after the massive amount of taunting he gave him earlier. Taunting a man in a professional fight this way, THEN knocking him the frick out - makes it very difficult to leave the Octagon without unnecessarily hard feelings. I have the impression that Anderson Silva did not want to take away Demian Maia's dignity by crushing him after the taunt. Anderson Silva emerges as successful defendant of the Middleweight Belt. On a sidenote: Dana White was utterly dissatisfied by Silva's noted performance. What can one say beyond this: we will see what is - up.
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Saturday, April 3, 2010
UFC 112 Predictions
These are my predictions for the primal matchups of the upcoming mma event UFC 112.
Anderson Silva VS Demian Maia
In my opinion, reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva will want to keep this fight on the feet, strictly refusing to spend time on the ground with the exceptionally talented Jiu-Jitsu prodigy, who is notorious of putting away even the most fierce warriors when handling them downstairs. Silva is not a fighter who is keen at taking risks, he fights with the intact, rational agenda of eliminating the rival with the least possible effort required and exhibited. Regardless how this earned the momentary dissatisfaction of the crowd previously, Silva refused to go to the ground with Thales Leites, and will probably be ready to do so again when subjected to the imminent ground threats of even higher caliber which Maia could introduce to him. It is unlikely that the Challenger will be able to pose as a threat against The Spider in the standup position though: in my opinion, Silva solidly wins this on the feet.
BJ Penn VS Frankie Edgar
Challenger Frankie Edgar is as fervent as they come, but that only never was enough so far to take BJ Penn down - unless you are George St. Pierre, that is. Mini-steam machine Frankie Edgar is not, though: while I expect a decent fight out of him against The Prodigy, I do not think that he is ready against The Little Buddha yet. Hopefully Edgar will be able to offer more than Joe Stevenson did against Penn, but I expect him - Edgar - to be less efficient against The Champion than highly analytical Kenny Florian was. I see BJ Penn coming out of this in a dominating fashion, actually, I would be surprised if Edgar would be able to catch Penn with a red hand. Phun intended. BJ Penn wins this solidly.
Matt Hughes VS Renzo Gracie
This is a tough nut to crack, as I have no knowledge about the fighting style of Renzo Gracie at all, except for the fact of course that he is one of the most respected Jiu Jitsu Masters of the planet and a mythic face of early days mma. My curiosity in him: is complete. As Matt Serra have said, and, in my opinion, said correctly, Matt Hughes really is a one trick pony, who does that one trick superbly: he takes you down, giving you that bonus punch you can land on him in the process, then grinds through you via relentless ground and pound or a submission. This will go to the ground rather quickly, as both fighters will have the probable willingness to invite a conclusion at low quarters. This truly is a blind pick, but I'm going with The Renzo, as it would be nice to see how Jiu-Jitsu Wizardry prevails - but I'm ready to put on a hat just to be able to take that off to salute the highly-, nevertheless humorously egoistical Mr. Hughes in case he is able to pull the victor off that day.
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Anderson Silva VS Demian Maia
In my opinion, reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva will want to keep this fight on the feet, strictly refusing to spend time on the ground with the exceptionally talented Jiu-Jitsu prodigy, who is notorious of putting away even the most fierce warriors when handling them downstairs. Silva is not a fighter who is keen at taking risks, he fights with the intact, rational agenda of eliminating the rival with the least possible effort required and exhibited. Regardless how this earned the momentary dissatisfaction of the crowd previously, Silva refused to go to the ground with Thales Leites, and will probably be ready to do so again when subjected to the imminent ground threats of even higher caliber which Maia could introduce to him. It is unlikely that the Challenger will be able to pose as a threat against The Spider in the standup position though: in my opinion, Silva solidly wins this on the feet.
BJ Penn VS Frankie Edgar
Challenger Frankie Edgar is as fervent as they come, but that only never was enough so far to take BJ Penn down - unless you are George St. Pierre, that is. Mini-steam machine Frankie Edgar is not, though: while I expect a decent fight out of him against The Prodigy, I do not think that he is ready against The Little Buddha yet. Hopefully Edgar will be able to offer more than Joe Stevenson did against Penn, but I expect him - Edgar - to be less efficient against The Champion than highly analytical Kenny Florian was. I see BJ Penn coming out of this in a dominating fashion, actually, I would be surprised if Edgar would be able to catch Penn with a red hand. Phun intended. BJ Penn wins this solidly.
Matt Hughes VS Renzo Gracie
This is a tough nut to crack, as I have no knowledge about the fighting style of Renzo Gracie at all, except for the fact of course that he is one of the most respected Jiu Jitsu Masters of the planet and a mythic face of early days mma. My curiosity in him: is complete. As Matt Serra have said, and, in my opinion, said correctly, Matt Hughes really is a one trick pony, who does that one trick superbly: he takes you down, giving you that bonus punch you can land on him in the process, then grinds through you via relentless ground and pound or a submission. This will go to the ground rather quickly, as both fighters will have the probable willingness to invite a conclusion at low quarters. This truly is a blind pick, but I'm going with The Renzo, as it would be nice to see how Jiu-Jitsu Wizardry prevails - but I'm ready to put on a hat just to be able to take that off to salute the highly-, nevertheless humorously egoistical Mr. Hughes in case he is able to pull the victor off that day.
Check out videos I made on YouTube:
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If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
If you are to circulate magnificently pleasant vibrations: Buy me Beer
WTF?!
Read more!
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