The Tuesday Takedown 11.27.07
Posted by Adam Morgan on 11.27.2007
In this week's edition of The Tuesday Takedown, we'll take a look at the big announcement of Hughes/St. Pierre for an interim title at UFC 79, Matt Serra and Karo Parisyan's injuries, who's filling in to fight "Mayhem" Miller, and much more!
UFC Quips & Quotes
Thoughts on Serra's injury, St. Pierre vs. Hughes at UFC 79
The bombshell dropped on Black Friday that Matt Serra would have to pull out of a title defense against Matt Hughes at UFC 79 due to a back injury sustained during training with none other than a cast member of this season of The Ultimate Fighter, Matt Arroyo. How ironic. Serra is reported to have multiple herniated discs in his back and is out for an indeterminate amount of time as it stands right now.
The UFC has invested a massive amount of time and money into building the Hughes vs. Serra fight into a heated rivalry. They have put an entire division, ripe with talent, on ice since April of this year in order to hype this fight through an entire season of The Ultimate Fighter. For some, the bad blood between Hughes and Serra is the only thing keeping them watching this season. The news that Serra was out due to injury was a crushing blow to the UFC's December 29th event. To headline that show with Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell at this point in their careers just wouldn't have been enough to carry UFC 79.
The UFC had pulled themselves out of tricky situations before. There was doubt that they could do it again, especially having to replace a fight the caliber of Hughes vs. Serra.
Boy, did they ever make it right. They not only did what's right for the current situation, but what is right for the sport. Georges St. Pierre's camp immediately inquired about a possible fight with Hughes. Apparently Hughes was receptive. And now we have a fight between the last two champions of the division for an interim title. Serra will face the winner sometime in 2008.
Thanks to GSP and Hughes for being true warriors. Thanks to the UFC for making it happen and giving us an early Christmas gift. For as much as some people rag on the UFC sometimes, you've got to admit that they've outdone themselves here. Not only does this fight have meaning to the division, it also has the drama that was needed to replace a fight that was built from drama. Hughes has a decisive victory over Georges St. Pierre. St. Pierre has a decisive victory over Hughes and was the man who took Hughes' title from him. I would suggest that this main event is perhaps better than the previously scheduled program.
Karo Parisyan went into his fight against Ryo Chonan with a broken hand
Karo's performance doesn't look so lackluster now does it? What a beast this guy is. Say what you will about his ability to finish a fight, Karo is not going to shy away from a fight unless he is gravely injured. The amazing thing is that, while it wasn't pretty, Karo pretty much dominated the pace and feel of his fight with Chonan. All with a broken hand. That is just crazy. I know fighters break their hands in the middle of a fight and keep on fighting and that's honorable, but to go into a fight knowing that your hand is broken from the outset is downright ballsy. Let's hear it for "The Heat."
Rumored UFC Matchups
Some of the top MMA sites were on their toes last week posting news of future fights. Here are some of the most intriguing matchups that are rumored:
Alan Belcher vs. Ricardo Almeida (UFC 81)
Ricardo Almeida, a Renzo Gracie black belt, will be making his much anticipated return to mixed martial arts against Alan Belcher, certainly no pushover. Belcher has excellent muay thai while Almeida is world class on the ground. I'm looking forward to a good fight with Almeida winning by submission.
Josh Koshcheck vs. Dustin Hazelett (UFC 82)
Dustin "McLovin" Hazelett has been on a tear in the UFC, ending 7 of his 10 career victories via submission. Hazelett has a really good guard and he's long and lanky, while Koscheck will most likely play to his strengths, which are takedowns and ground and pound. The real question here will be how Hazelett deals with the top control of a wrestler the caliber of Koscheck when, not if, his back hits the mat.
Nate Diaz vs. Alvin Robinson (UFN 12)
Nate Diaz is a hell of a prospect in the lightweight division and this fight is no cupcake. Alvin Robinson, coming off an impressive domination of Jorge Gurgel, showed athleticism, quickness, and solid ground and pound in that fight. Diaz is tall, lanky, and has an active guard, so I figure this matchup to be another one of those where it's one guy's guard (Diaz) against the other guy's top control (Robinson). Unfortunately for Robinson, I think Diaz is the better all around mixed martial artist, but again, this fight is no gimme.
Patrick Cote vs. Drew McFedries (UFN 12)
Cote is coming off a KO victory over Kendall Grove and McFedries is coming off a KO victory over Jordan Radev. McFedries is a guy that likes to come out and throw bombs for the first couple of rounds in a fight and then usually gases. This happened to him against Martin Kampmann at UFC 68. Cote, on the other hand, is a more well rounded mixed martial artist with a bigger gas tank. This one may come down to conditioning, and if that's the case, I'll give the upper hand to Cote.
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Alberto Crane (UFN 12)
I expect a fast paced wrestling and jiu jitsu battle between these two lightweights. Crane had some really slick jiu jitsu in his fight against Roger Huerta, he just didn't have the gas tank to keep up with Huerta's unrelenting pace. Neither of these fellows will want to stand, so I expect it to hit the ground early. Hard to tell who has the advantage there, but if I had to choose, I'd go with Crane.
Mike Swick vs. Josh Burkman (UFN 12)
The return of Swick-Fu. And at 170 lbs. no less. This is a tough test for Swick in a new weight class. Burkman is a tough fighter to finish but has weaknesses in his game. If I were Swick, I'd work Burkman's body like Forrest Petz did at UFC 77. Those shots seemed to take a lot out of Burkman. Burkman's strength is wrestling, while I'm sure Swick would like to keep it on the feet. Another classic striker vs. grappler matchup.
Yushin Okami inked a new deal with the UFC
Perhaps the most boring fighter on the UFC's roster has inked a new deal with the company. While I don't like to watch Okami fight, there is no denying that he is extremely talented. He is one of the hardest punchers and strongest all around wrestlers in the middleweight division. I think it speaks volumes of the UFC that they're not getting rid of him due to him being boring. If they want to be seen as a promotion with all the best fighters, then you can't let talent get away, even if they're not the most exciting fighter on the roster.
In other MMA news..
Tim Kennedy replacing Sean Salmon against Jason "Mayhem" Miller at HDNet Fights
The news broke last week that IFL fighter and active Army Ranger Tim Kennedy will be stepping in to replace Sean Salmon, who has been suspended indefinitely after a knockout loss to Jorge Santiago at the Strikeforce event two weeks ago. Kennedy holds a previous victory over "Mayhem," so this should be an interesting fight. It's an absolute upgrade over Sean Salmon, that's for sure. Kennedy is a certified badass and hasn't lost a fight in over six years. He is 8-1 in his professional career. This fight is no pushover for Miller and you can take that to the bank.
