411 MMA Fact or Fiction 06.09.10: UFC 115 Preview, Fedor/Werdum, Jens Pulver HOF, & MORE!

Posted by Jeremy Lambert on 06.09.2010

Will Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin win Fight of the Night at UFC 115? Is Fedor vs. Werdum the most anticipated fight of June? Who will be crowned the Lightweight winner of Bellator Season 2? Is Brad Tavares the favorite to win The Ultimate Fighter 11? 411's Larry Csonka and Samer Kadi debate these topics and more in this week's edition of 411 MMA Fact or Fiction!

MMA June kicks off tomorrow night with the Bellator Lightweight finals and continues to roll into Saturday with UFC 115 featuring legends Chuck Liddell and Mirko "Cro Cop"

To preview all the upcoming action for June we have the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. 411, THE Larry Csonka. His opponent is very excited for TUF12 because it means 12 weeks of GSP, he has the deadliest Rear Naked Column in the game, he is Samer Kadi.

In the words of John McCarthy…LET'S GET IT ON!

1. Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin will win Fight of the Night at UFC 115.

Larry Csonka: FICTION. Truth be told, I have no idea what to expect from this fight. Sure Chuck looks in shape and has a lot to prove, but he hasn't fought since April of 2009, and was essentially destroyed in his last two fights via (T)KO. And then there is Rich Franklin, who hasn't fought since September. In his last three fights, the man has NOT looked impressive. A split decision loss to Henderson, a victory over Wandy that wasn't impressive at all in my opinion, and then the one round destruction by Vitor. I am not one of the people totally shitting on this card, BUT, if I am honest, looking at their recent history, I am just not all that excited. Sure it could be good, but I don't have confidence that it will be. Also, I think that Barry vs. Mirko could be a bit wild and fun, and the same for Kampmann vs. Thiago and Rothwell vs. Yvell could be big guys throwing bombs, which can also be fun. So sorry to say, I will go fiction here.

Samer Kadi: FICTION. I think the bout will be fun as neither Liddell or Franklin have ever been in boring fights. It could be somewhat similar to Franklin/Wanderlei, where Franklin will use his speed, footwork and kicks to out-strike Chuck, while Liddell will be looking to land the counter power shot. Franklin is a smart fighter who doesn't fight wildly, so it is unlikely that the bout will turn into an all out slugfest. The safe bet for fight of the night as far as I'm concerned is Tyson Griffin against Evan Dunham. Historically, you can always rely on the lightweights to bring the goods and produce some mesmerizing action. In addition, both fighters are quality well-rounded lightweights, so the fight can take place on the feet or turn into a mad scrambling affair. Not to mention, Tyson Griffin has been involved in FIVE fights of the night.

SCORE: 1 for 1



2. Of the four TUF 11 semifinalists, you favor Brad Tavares to win the show.

Larry Csonka: FACT... I guess. I don't know, but for the most part, I haven't been into the fighters this season. I have enjoyed Tito's coaching, and some of Chuck's antics, but as far as the fighters go, very little interest and very little to catch my attention. Yager Bomb was about what I thought he was, he looked good, but once he got into the deep water, he was screwed. I liked Kyle Noke, but he didn't make it either. I guess out of the finalists, Brad Tavares likely has the best chance, but really, I have been so uninterested in the season, I am just guessing. Don't confuse this with not caring and not watching, I have watched every episode, I have just not been that interested.

Samer Kadi: FICTION. I'm totally with Larry here. Not a single fighter has stood out to me this season. Few fighters had impressive performances, and those who did weren't able to follow up on them. Because of that, I honestly don't think there's a clear favorite to win the competition, as they are all somewhat close in terms of skills. For the most part, Tavares may have looked the best of the bunch, but he hasn't shown anything spectacular either. Court McGee was written off by many, but he showed he's a solid fighter so he may give Tavares some problems (I know the fight already took place, but bare with me). I'm not saying the fights have been lackluster, especially compared to last season. Overall, they were solid fights, but no fighter has managed to look a step above the rest.

SCORE: 1 for 2

3. Jens Pulver is a Hall of Famer.

Larry Csonka: FACT. While the end of his career has NOT been good at all, and by that I mean 3-7 since 206, I will go fact here. He was the first man to defeat BJ Penn at Lightweight, and to this day one of only TWO men to do so. He was also the very first UFC Lightweight Champion. Before the WEC run, he was an undefeated featherweight and had built a very good reputation for himself. He is one of the early US guys to have success at the smaller weights. Unfortunately I fear that most will forget what he accomplished early on and only see what has happened since 2006. The other unfortunate thing is that Pulver says that he still plans to fight, and will never retire. And it is that attitude that will likely ruin what legacy he has left. But that's just my opinion.

Samer Kadi: FACT. For the newer fans, this statement doesn't sound too plausible. However, fighters are a product of their era. Jens obviously isn't competitive against elite competition in modern day MMA, but in his prime, the man was one of the best in the world. Like Larry said, Pulver was the first ever UFC lightweight champion, and unlike many, Pulver also managed to defend the belt on two different occasions. He defeated BJ Penn in what remains one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. Remember, Mark Coleman and Ken Shamrock are UFC hall of famers. And while those two may have done more for the sport in terms of being "pioneers", they were a product of their era, just like Jens was a champion in his.

SCORE: 2 for 3

Video Intermission



4. Mirko "Cro Cop" is the fighter most in need of a win at UFC 115.

Samer Kadi: FACT. This is a tough one, as Chuck Liddell is also in serious need of a win when he takes on Rich Franklin in the main event. A loss would mark Chuck's third defeat in a row, his fifth in six fights. However, Chuck is in the UFC for life. He will always be with the promotion in some capacity due to his loyalty and everything he's offered for them as well as his relationship with Dana. If Chuck loses and wants to fight again, he will, as we saw after the "Shogun" bout. If Chuck loses and wants to retire (for real this time), he'll retire as the biggest star the sport has ever seen. Whatever Chuck decides to do, his popularity remains almost intact, and people will always care to watch him fight. Mac Danzig is another fighter who's in dire need of a win. However, he has managed to right the ship in his previous fight and is no longer riding a losing streak. The fact that he's an Ultimate Fighter winner should give him some leeway as well.

Cro Cop however, has been flirting with irrelevance since his loss to Cheick Kongo. His entire UFC run has been a huge disappointment. The wins he's managed to rack up in the Octagon came against highly inferior competition and were far from impressive. His win over Eddie Sanchez on his debut was underwhelming to say the least. He got away with an eye poke against Mustapha Al-Turk, and struggled to put away a light heavyweight who took the fight on one day's notice in Anthony Perosh. Every top-level opponent he's faced has beaten him soundly. Pat Barry, a tremendously gifted kickboxer, is not an elite fighter yet. This bout is the last remaining fight on Mirko's contract, and unless he wants to be fighting on Showtime anytime soon, he needs to get the "W" here.

Larry Csonka: FICTION. I am going fiction here. Mirko may need a win, but what does a win for him mean? His UFC run has been a complete disappointment, he has never evolved, doesn't train for the cage and he has paid for it. If he wins so what? It means nothing in the grand scheme of things. I feel that both Rich Franklin and Chuck Liddell need to win. If Mirko loses, it is nothing special, he rides off into the sunset in Japan and that is that. If Liddell loses, it becomes sad because I think many of us do not want to see him get punished anymore. As much as I love the guy, I just want to see Chuck ride off as the guy I remember. As for Franklin, if he loses, what is he worth to the UFC? If he wins you can still have him main event Fight Nights and also work towards an eventual title shot via that, but if he loses, he is just another guy on the roster. It may sound mean, but those are the facts as I see them.

SCORE: 2 for 4



5. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum is the fight you're most looking forward to in June.

Samer Kadi: FACT. In terms of excitement, the Tyson Griffin/Evan Dunham bout this upcoming Saturday has fight of the month written all over it. The welterweight final between Dan Hornbuckle and one of the most decorating wrestlers in MMA, Ben Askren is one I'm eagerly anticipating. Another world class wrestler, Joe Warren, takes one of the most underrated fighters on the planet, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire in the featherweight finals. To be honest, I expect all of those fights to be more competitive and to have better action than Fedor/Werdum.

However, and despite M-1's best efforts, I still care about Fedor Emelianenko and want to see him fight. Watching him compete in MMA is somewhat rare these days, so I appreciate every time I get to see it. Werdum may not pose much of a threat to "The Last Emperor" due to the horrible stylistic match up that the Russian presents, but he remains a top ten heavyweight with a decent resume. If Strikeforce and M-1 know what they're doing, this fight should set up the eagerly anticipated Fedor-Overeem bout.

Larry Csonka: FICTION. Sorry Samer, I am glad that you are looking forward to the fight, but do not care about Werdum, and M-1 and Fedor have done so much to turn me off of just about any Fedor fight that I do not care. What am I looking forward too this month? Cung Le vs. Scott Smith, Kamal Shalorus vs. Jamie Varner, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire vs. Joe Warren, and Ben Askren vs. Dan Hornbuckle. These are the fights that are exciting to me in June. I like the guys involved, they have a chance for great fights and there is no bullshit involved. It may sound simple, but that's the way I see it.

SCORE: 2 for 5

6. Toby Imada will beat Pat Curran in the Bellator Lightweight Finals

Samer Kadi: FACT. But I can't say I'm confident with that pick. Imada is certainly the more accomplished fighter and is a superior grappler. If he fights smart, avoids the stand up exchanges and takes the fight to the ground without giving up dominant positions, he should be able to win, and possibly submit Curran as well. However, the main problem with Imada is that he always seems to be losing the fight before securing the Nogueira come-from-behind submission special. His memorable inverted triangle of Jorge Masvidal is a prime example, as was his most recent fight against Carey Vanier. Pat Curran is responsible for one of the biggest upsets of the year (or the biggest upset in MMA history if you believe the Bellator commentators) when he defeated Roger Huerta via Unanimous Decision last month. He has shown some marked improvements over the last three bouts and can certainly win this fight. I wouldn't be surprised one bit if he does, especially given the fact that Imada is a slow starter. With that said, it was only last year when Curran was getting submitted Travis Perzynski (who?).

Larry Csonka: FACT. But like Samer, I have some trepidation. Pat Curran has slipped in under the radar, and I feel that Huerta did not take him seriously. He never fought with urgency in the fight, and he paid for it. As Samer explained, Imada is a notoriously slow starter, a come from behind fighter, and while that has served him well, but you can't always expect to win when you fight that way. While I feel that Imada is a superior fighter, and will likely win, I would not be surprised at all if Curran shocks the world again, as it were, to take the tournament.

SCORE: 3 for 6

Larry and Samer split things down the middle so they're more Liddell/Franklin than Liddell/Ortiz. As always with a middle split, we know that the money is in the rematch.

Come back next week as two more 411 writers look at the fallout from UFC 115, preview Strikeforce: LA, and debate the latest news from around the MMA world only at 411 MMA Fact or Fiction.

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