Category: Mixed Martial Arts (Page 52 of 64)

      Top 10 Significant UFC Fights

      July 4, 2009 /

      With UFC 100 a week away on July 11, I decided to look back at what got the UFC to this point. Here is my take on what I believe are the 10 most significant fights in UFC history, helping the company become what it is today.

      1. Stephan Bonner vs. Forrest Griffin – Ultimate Fighter Finale 1: This fight was not only the most memorable fight to watch, but may also be the fight that really pushed the UFC into the next level of mainstream popularity. Following the debut season of The Ultimate Fighter, a show which UFC President Dana White and co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta funded out of their own pocket, the finale took place live on Spike TV, which was airing live fights for the first time in the history of cable television. The UFC knew it needed something big to happen to not only keep a cable television deal, but earn future advertisers, and also prolong its reality show for future seasons. Bonner vs. Griffin delivered just that. The two fought to the very end and both were so even, it was impossible to decide a clear winner for most fans. The fight at one point drew 10 million viewers, which was just what the UFC needed. The back-and-forth, non-stopped action gave the UFC an identity to fans that had never seen it before and got the ball rolling that has allowed the UFC to snowball into what it is today.

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      Mixed Martial Arts

      Saturday MMA Review: 7/4

      July 4, 2009 /

      Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

      – Bobby Lashley made Bob Sapp tap twice and Gilbert Yvel KO’d Pedro Rizzo at last week’s ‘Ultimate Chaos’ event.

      – Nick Diaz and Joe Riggs may be settling an old rivalry next month. But will anybody see it?

      – With UFC 100 coming up next Saturday, we counted down the 10 greatest UFC events of all time.

      – Nobody seems to think Michael Bisping has a chance against Dan Henderson in their UFC 100 fight. Though if he really plans on out-wrestling Hendo, maybe he really is doomed.

      – Indiana became the 39th U.S. state to begin regulating MMA. Last state to legalize the sport is a rotten egg!

      – Rampage Jackson says he’ll be knocking out Rashad Evans in his hometown of Memphis in December.

      – Tito Ortiz fooled us for the last time.

      – We chatted with Jon Fitch about the stupidity of trash-talk and the challenges of fighting a man in a dress.

      Mixed Martial Arts

      Saturday MMA Review: 6/20

      June 20, 2009 /

      Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

      – Rich Franklin edged out Wanderlei Silva and Cain Velasquez dominated Cheick Kongo at UFC 99 last Saturday. Also, Mirko Cro Cop defeated Mostapha Al Turk via illegal eye-pokes, then told the UFC to kiss his ass.

      – We saw some crazy knockouts this week, including Tim Sylvia getting wrecked by a 50-year old boxer, a brilliant flying knee KO at a Bellator show [http://www.cagepotato.com/knockout-day-nick-pace-wrecks-collin-tebo-bellator-xi], and a 9-second head-kick finish followed by a flying referee tackle.

      – Brock Lesnar is built like a black man, still not a fan of the gays.

      – Team U.K.’s James Wilks cruised to the welterweight finals on Wednesday’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter, ending a season that didn’t really live up to the hype.

      – MMA model Penny Mathis’s breasts may not be real, but they’re still fabulous.

      – Shaquille O’Neal is seriously considering a switch to MMA after finishing his basketball career, and wants to start off by beating up the giant Korean who smashed Jose Canseco.

      – When Cris Cyborg chokes out a reporter, that’s just her polite way of saying she’s finished with the interview.

      – Come back tonight [Saturday] at 9 p.m. ET/PT for our liveblog of the Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale show, which will feature Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida, Nate Diaz vs. Joe Stevenson, and the lightweight and welterweight TUF finals. And check out our exclusive interviews with Sanchez, Stevenson, and Chris Lytle.

      Mixed Martial Arts

      Ultimate Fighter Live Finale Preview

      June 20, 2009 /

      The Ultimate Fighter Nine Finals take place tonight with the live Ultimate Fighter Finale on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET. The main card will feature five fights including the two championship bouts for the Ultimate Fighter reality show. Overall, it is a nice card featuring the lighter weights in the UFC, which tend to provide stronger fights and better pacing. Here is a breakdown of the card and my predictions (I was 5-for-6 last weekend!!) for tonight’s show.

      Lightweight bout (155 lbs) – Diego Sanchez (23-2) vs. Clay Guida (25-9): This fight should be a war as both fighters have great motors and even better stamina. Sanchez has lost just two times in his career, both by decision, but is in just his second fight at lightweight in the UFC. His previous fight was a lackluster decision win over Joe Stevenson where Sanchez picked Stevenson apart on their feet. Guida won’t be quite that easy. The rocker has a fighting style and energy that makes it hard for you to not cheer for him and I think he will be the first fighter to really push Sanchez around in terms of pacing and octagon control. The key in this fight will be if Guida has the size to control the bigger Sanchez on the ground and if he can fight off his back. I would like to say I see Guida winning this fight, but I think Sanchez’ size and speed will ultimately earn him another decision win.

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      Mixed Martial Arts

      UFC 99 Preview and Predictions

      June 13, 2009 /

      This weekend marks the return of UFC to pay-per-view as the Ultimate Fighting Championships host UFC 99: The Comeback from the Lanxess Arena in Germany . The live fights start at 3 p.m. ET and will feature six matches on the main card.

      Last weekend I had an up-and-down couple of days (2-for-5 on Strikeforce predictions and 4-for-4 on WEC predictions), but I am back to give my take on UFC 99, which is headlined by what should be an exciting fight between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva in a catch-weight bout at 195 pounds.

      Catch-weight (195 lbs)- Rich Franklin (24-4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1): This fight would have been a blockbuster main event three years ago as the two were both world champions for the UFC and Pride respectively, but now, this shapes up to be more of a “loser leaves town” type of fight. While the loser won’t be gone from the UFC, they will certainly be out of the main event spotlight. Franklin has lost just two of his last six fights, but both come to the top middleweights in the UFC, which has prompted him to move of to light-heavyweight (205 lbs) where he is unbeaten in the UFC. A win for Franklin would further push his light-heavyweight surge and keep him in main event fights for the foreseeable future. For Silva, who has last four of his last five, another loss would leave him without a place to go. He has already been decisively beaten by top light-heavyweights and a loss to Franklin would already put him out of the middleweight picture. Silva will have place in the UFC because of his aggressive fighting style, it just may not be against top-level talent. Silva made a name for himself by taking the action to his opponents and applying pressure, but UFC has evolved more into a sport for counter-punchers, and that is what has been Silva’s kryptonite as of late. I see Franklin landing a solid shot on a Silva counter and putting him to sleep, much like he did Nate Quarry. Silva always leaves himself open and I think Franklin is too skilled to not capitalize. I take Franklin by KO late in round one.

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      Mixed Martial Arts

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