Five Rounds Of News 02.29.08
Posted by Randy Harrison on 02.29.2008
Five Rounds is chock full of goodness, with news on Elite XC and UFC both making big announcements, a UFC 82 preview, and IFL preview and fight videos of all of the fighters set to do battle in the UFC 82 main events. Kick off those shoes and put your feet up. Your weekend full of fights starts with Five Rounds.
Introduction
Welcome back to the main event, championship fight of MMA news, Five Rounds Of News. I'm your party host, Randy Harrison, and we've got TONS of news to cover this week, with Elite XC signing possibly the biggest deal in MMA history, the UFC trying to make waves of their own, huge previews of UFC 82 and the IFL event this weekend, and so much more. There's going to be fighting, music, fight videos, news, opinions, cake and ice cream, punch. Do I have to give you all so much content and so much stuff every week? No, but I do it because I love to do it and I love to keep you all informed on the happenings in the world of Mixed Martial Arts week in and week out. There's a lot to get to and I don't want to miss any of it, so let's get strapped in and situated and ring the bell to get the Five Rounds underway!!
Round One
Elite XC and CBS Strike A Deal
The biggest story of the week, and possibly in the history of Mixed Martial Arts, is the news coming out that Elite XC and CBS have reached a deal to allow for four two-hour live events featuring the pugilistic prowess of the Elite XC roster to be shown in Primetime on the network. The deal is set to begin this April with the Elite XC event that is scheduled for New Jersey, and it looks to put the new promotion neck and neck with the UFC, in terms of their public perception and their standing in the race to become the leader of the pack domestically in MMA.
It looks as if Elite XC was able to pick this cherry right out from under the nose of the acknowledged leader in the United States, the UFC, by being a little looser with turning over their production to the CBS team that would be running the broadcast. This was thought to be one of the main sticking points that prevented the UFC from being able to reach a deal with CBS, and it's believed that it was also the main reason that the proposed deal with HBO fell through. Elite XC has decided that the move from premium cable to network television is worth that sacrifice and time will tell if that decision will pay off.
It also looks like CBS has a bunch of changes planned, including focusing less on the singers and cageside dancers that Elite XC have been known for in their time on Showtime, as well as perhaps a different broadcast team. The last Elite XC show featured a broadcast team of Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Bill Goldberg, and it's unknown at this time which if any of those announcers would be replaced. I agree with the thought that the cageside whores, I mean dancers, will be focused on a lot less when the show debuts on the Eye Network, because they've honestly never added a useful moment to any of the previous Elite XC shows.
When it comes to the announce team though, that could be where I would take some issue with CBS. Change just for the sake of change can be a problem, and the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" has been around this long for a reason. Ranallo has the voice that can sell the big match, and while I agree he's been a little too reliant on one-liners and "clever" turns of phrase, he's still light years ahead of the UFC's Mike Goldberg as a play-by-play man, and he knows his stuff when it comes to MMA. It'd be a shame to see him replaced by someone on the CBS payroll that has no idea what he's talking about.
Stephen Quadros as the main color analyst is also someone that I would strongly consider keeping in the fold with the broadcast team, as he provides the gravitas and the depth that Mauro can sometimes lack. He knows MMA backwards, forwards, upwards, downwards, and sidewards, and his memory of previous events, previous fights and how to equate those to the current product or the current fight that is unfolding in front of him is one of the greatest things about having him on an event. Sure he might look like the Green Goblin sometimes on camera, but he's still the best in the business when it comes to behind the mike, and I hope that CBS realizes that and keeps him around.
That leaves us with only one person who could be the potential casualty, and honestly, the one guy that probably would deserve the big ugly ax more than any of the three. Bill Goldberg, despite his well-known love of MMA, Big Bill has seemed out of place in the booth next to the two previously mentioned announcers since his debut in the booth. His post-fight interviews seem painful at best, and he really adds nothing because he doesn't have the color that Mauro has, or the experience and knowledge that Quadros has, so he just comes off as unnecessary. Hopefully CBS pulls him from the booth and puts him elsewhere, like reporting backstage, and allows someone else to take his place. The big question at this point,and the one that will need answering before April, is who fits that bill?
The other huge aspect to this story is that, with this one announcement, Elite XC has immediately solidified themselves as the number-two MMA promotion in the world, no doubt about it. With the money that they will more than likely earn from being on network television, their budget for the roster of fighters will surely grow, which will help them to attract more talent from around the world, and from their main rival, the UFC. There have been lots of rumblings about fighters not exactly being happy with the UFC, and if there's another viable option to them, expect a lot of them to take it. The fact that they will have exposure on national television will only serve to sweeten any potential deals that EXC can offer any free agents they court.
With their steadfast refusal to allow any changes in the production of their events, the UFC has just ensured that their nearest competition now has the opportunity to equal, or perhaps someday, surpass them as the undisputed kings of the MMA universe. Fans will likely flock to this show to ensure the growth of the sport continues and that there will continue to have be more MMA on broadcast TV, and possibly the opportunity for more promotions to explore the platform. That will drive more new fans to MMA, but more specifically, new fans to Elite XC, which is exactly what they are looking for in their competition with Zuffa and the UFC. This could be a deal (or non-deal on their part) that will haunt the UFC for a long time to come.
Random Strikes
News after the squiggle, opinions in bold, entertainment at no extra charge!!
§ The new DREAM organization has announced more fights and participants for it's upcoming "Lightweight Grand Prix" tournament that will be held on their debut show on March 15th at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan:
-Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kultar Gill
-Joachim Hansen vs. Koutetsu Boku
-Gesias "JZ" Calvancante vs. Shinya Aoki
-Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Luiz Firmino
-Andre Amade vs. To Be Announced
-Gilbert Melendez vs. To Be Announced
-Caol Uno vs. To Be Announced
-Mitsuhiro Ishida vs. To Be Announced
-Artur Oumakhanov vs. To Be Announced
-Jung Bu-Kyung vs. To Be Announced
*Mirko Cro Cop is also rumored to be fighting on this card.
Well, the big match-up still looks to be Calvancante vs. Aoki, with a lot of the other fights looking like they're being made to set up better fights in the following rounds. There are just too many "to be announced" opponents to get extremely excited about this card yet, but honestly seeing that fight and possibly getting to see Mirko fight in a ring in Japan again, will be enough to sell me on it. Hopefully they fill in some of those slots with some great
§ Karo Parisyan made an appearance on the PWB Official Podcast Hotline with Lex and Ian show and had some harsh words for fellow UFC Welterweight Jon Fitch regarding the rumors that Karo ducked out of a fight with Fitch:
"That is bullcrap, that is like, absurd, I have never been offered to fight Jon Fitch in my life. Joe Silva has never called me and said ‘Karo, would you fight Jon Fitch?' Jon Fitch is starting to get on my nerves with his camp. I'd like to say right now is, who in the hell is Jon Fitch? All of a sudden he's beaten Diego Sanchez that I lost to and that makes him mister tough guy, like he can challenge me and if I don't take the challenge that means I'm afraid? These guys were in there mom's stomach when Karo Parisyan was fighting in MMA…I'd like to clear this up with everybody, there is no way in my life I've ever ducked or dodged any opponent…"
Karo, Karo, Karo. I love you, but honestly you need to just stop talking and start fighting again. He hasn't seen the inside of a cage in quite some time and instead has been making asinine comments left, right and center. First his thoughts on women's MMA where he said that they had no place in fighting, and now this where he's bashing someone who is obviously going to be serious competition for him down the road. I am looking forward to see Karo fight in April, but he seriously needs to just shut up and train.
§ Hermes Franca has announced via his message board that he has been officially released from the UFC. Franca last fought for the UFC in July against Sean Sherk in a fight where Franca lost and both fighters tested positive for anabolic steroids. Franca hopes to return to fighting in July when his suspension ends.
This is sad for Franca, but honestly probably for the best for him. He would have been branded with the scarlet letter for the rest of his UFC tenure for testing positive in a title bout. I would fully expect to see him plying his trade in Elite XC before the ice thaws and melts in my home and native land. So spring. See him sign with Elite this spring, and look for him to be fighting in the summer, as soon as he's free from the suspension.
§ It's being reported that Mike Swick will be facing Marcus Davis at UFC 85. Davis is currently riding an 11 fight win streak and is coming off a victory over Jess Laudin at UFC 80. Swick is coming off a decision victory over Josh Burkman at UFC Fight Night 12.
If things keep going this way and Davis keeps winning, we might never see him fight in the US again. All kidding aside, I'm happy to see Davis get a chance to step up and if he's able to win this fight, he could be looking at being one or two fights away from a title shot. Davis will always have my respect for the route he's taken to get back to the top of the UFC, focusing on his submissions in all of his fights before making his return and making sure he was a well-rounded fighter, and not just a boxer.
§ Strikeforce has set a Washington state record for highest dollar amount grossed by an MMA, boxing, or kickboxing event with their "Strikeforce at the Dome" show that was held this past weekend in Tacoma, Washington. The event was attended by 7,089 fans that saw Jan Nortje defeat Bob Sapp, and Cory Devela upset UFC veteran Joe Riggs
Bob Sapp got his ass beat, but he knows how to draw a crowd. I doubt that there would be that big a crowd just for Sapp next time, so if they head back to Tacoma, Strikeforce had better consider bringing a better card with them. It was sad to see Sapp get handled so easily in front of his hometown crowd, but at the same time it was great to see such a huge crowd and such a huge gross. Expect to see the UFC in Seattle sometime soon, now that they've caught wind of the fact that MMA can sell in the state.
§ Joe "Diesel" Riggs will undergo surgery to repair spinal damage that he suffered during his fight with Cory Devela at the "Strikeforce At The Dome" show this past weekend. Riggs said that Devela threw a kick, which Riggs then tried to catch and use for a takedown, but he instantly felt something wrong. Riggs mentioned that he vows to return and re-match Devela as Devela has "no business beating a guy like him (Riggs)".
This was a sad injury as I was hoping for Riggs to be able to get a big win and turn the corner as his career has been on a bit of downward slope lately. He ended up having a car accident before his fight on the WCO show in San Diego in January, then had his fight purse taken from him when the show was cancelled. He's been battling injuries for some time now and this just adds to that battle. The good news is that Riggs isn't hurt more seriously, because watching it live, it definitely looked scary and could have been a lot worse. Best wishes to Joe on a successful surgery and a quick recovery.
Round Two
The UFC Makes Their Own Announcement
Hot on the heels of the Elite XC announcement, Zuffa and the UFC made an announcement of their own, that they have struck a very lucrative deal with their biggest sponsor to date, Anheuser-Busch. As part of the deal Bud Light will be the exclusive beer sponsor of both the UFC and WEC, and will have their logos in the middle of the cage mats for both organizations, as well as being on backdrops for press conferences and weigh-ins, and Bud Light will be a presenting sponsor for at least two UFC pay-per-view events. The deal also calls for Bud Light to be the official beer of UFC Fight Night cards on Spike TV.
First off, this sadly means that the UFC's affiliation with Mickey's FINE Malt Liquor has come to an end. ~Sniffle sniffle~ This truly is the end of an era and I will miss hearing Bruce Buffer pimping that malty swill at the beginning of every main event. With that being said, this is a HUGE deal for the UFC and WEC and this could be the tip of the iceberg in terms of getting major corporate sponsors on board with the MMA craze that has swept the country through cable TV, network TV, the internet and DVD sales.
It's not known how much this deal will earn for the UFC, but it's safe to assume that it's a tidy sum and that they are going to be hoping to parlay this into many more deals in the future. The UFC had been without a primary sponsor since the fall of Xyience, the premium energy drink and supplement company that had gone tits up late last year and caused the UFC to have to scramble to find a sponsor. Recent UFC events have had the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company as the main sponsor in the middle of the cage and at the weigh-ins and events, but one would have to assume that that deal is now complete, with this announcement made by Zuffa.
Dana White was quoted as saying "Landing Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light is huge for us, our fighters and especially our fans. We've got the No. 1 selling beer in the world and one of the top marketers in all of sports as our sponsor. If our TV ratings, pay-per-view buys and venue sellouts weren't enough, this definitely cements UFC as a major player in sports business." This is all true of course, but the main thing that is missing from that equation is the network TV that I spoke of in the previous Round that Elite XC has managed to secure. This leads me to one of two conclusions about the UFC's plan moving forward.
Either they are going to let Elite XC hang themselves with the rope they've been given and let them deal with any of the growing pains that an MMA organization will have to deal with by being on network television, before the UFC even attempts to put their product on a major network. It's that scenario or it is that they're going to let Elite XC draw big ratings for CBS and win in the end by negotiating a better contract with another broadcast network, be it ABC, FOX or most likely NBC, whom the UFC has a loose working relationship with already. 99 times out of 100, Zuffa and the UFC come out on top and this doesn't look like it will be any different.
There is however, a difference between being first at something and being the best at it. If Elite XC flops on CBS, they are the ones that end up with all of the heat, all of the negative publicity and all of the questions being raised about their business sense. If they do well and open the door for more networks to open THEIR doors to MMA, then the UFC is in the catbird seat, being the best and deepest organization in the world who will have all of the suitors clamoring over the broadcast rights. If Elite XC fails, the UFC wins, and if they succeed then there's still a very good chance that the UFC still wins. However, this news bit is not about the possible broadcast future of the UFC, it is about their advertising present.
They will surely be looking to parlay this sponsorship deal into more prominent and lucrative sponsors, which means that it might not be long before we see Nike logos on the side of the cage, or have a replay be brought to us by Domino's Pizza. The UFC has been on the cusp of breaking into the mainstream of public perception for a long time and this deal could be the next step in that progression. Sure, the network TV deal is bad for them, but it more than likely won't hurt them in the long run for the reasons I outlined above. Rather, this deal is big for them because it helps to legitimize them in the eyes of big business and it could lead to many, many more deals like this being announced in the future. It's been said that all it takes is for one domino to fall and the rest will topple after. The UFC is hoping that this is their domino.
Bands That Rock My Face
Well, last week it was my favorite TV show that gave you a little glimpse into the world of Randy, and this week it's music. My favorite type of music for about as long as I can remember has been punk. Sex Pistols, Crass, The Ramones, and on to newer artists like Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, Dropkick Murphys and this band. The first band to ever be featured in Bands That Rock My Face, and my favorite band of all-time. I give you....NOFX!!
NOFX – Idiot Son Of An Asshole
I love the Hedwig and the Angry Inch reference too. Fucked up movie, but highly entertaining.
NOFX – Seeing Double At The Triple Rock
I will say this about our Lord. He sure knows how to deliver a mean-ass swirlie.
NOFX – I Wanna Be An Alcoholic
I'm sure that businessman told that story to everyone he worked with for the next year. I love how he tries to seem all cool on the outside while he's probably weirded out beyond all belief on the inside.
That's it for the first edition of the Music segment of Five Rounds. I'm sure that it will be back soon, maybe even next week. It won't be NOFX again, but rest assured you'll see lots of them since there's TONS of videos of them around and they're all pretty fantastical. Now back to your regularly scheduled MMA news column.
Round Three
Hendo vs. Silva For The Middleweight Championship...OF THE UNIVERSE!!
All eyes are set to be on Columbus Saturday night as the Undisputed Middleweight Championship will be contested as the age-old struggle between the wrestler and the striker manifests itself in its latest incarnation at UFC 82. Dan Henderson, PRIDE Middleweight Champion, will take on Anderson Silva, the UFC beltholder, in a winner-takes-all showdown to see who is the best 185 pound fighter in all of the world today. This is an epic showdown and will more than likely be a fight for the ages, both in terms of quality, and in the effect it will have in the sport moving forward.
This will be the second unification bout to take place since the buyout of PRIDE last April, and it looks to be the last, with Takanori Gomi locked into a contract with World Victory Road and Fedor Emelianenko signed with M-1 Global and not available for an exclusive contract. The first unification bout also featured Dan Henderson and, as you all remember, that fight didn't end up going in his favor. He'll be looking to redeem himself for that loss in his last fight, and looking to restore the honor of PRIDE when he steps into the cage little more than 24 hours from now.
This fight is intriguing on many levels, as it presents a myriad of possibilities, both standing up and on the mat. Henderson has heavy, heavy hands, but will he be able to get into the pocket and trade with Anderson, knowing that he'll be waiting to try to dissect him with elbows, knees and pinpoint punches. Or will Henderson use his extensive wrestling background to get this fight down to the mat, where Silva is still thought to be not as strong as he is standing. Can Silva do enough with his takedown defense to keep the fight standing and press Henderson into making mistakes inside?
Silva is the precision striker and has the most dangerous knees and elbows in MMA, doing tons of damage from the clinch. Any doubts on that just ask Rich Franklin, Chris Leben, Nate Marquardt....the list goes on and on and on. Henderson also does his work from the clinch, but he uses it more for dirty boxing and takedowns, two Team Quest trademarks. Whether he can avoid the strikes from Silva to get in close, and whether he can do the damage he needs to do to get the fight to the mat are the two things that will largely determine who's going to win this fight.
Henderson will also have the advantage of fighting a little closer to his natural weight class, which will help with the quickness on his takedown attempts. In the fight with Quinton Jackson, Henderson seemed to be swimming upstream when it came to his takedowns and trying to use the clinch to dictate the pace of the fight. He was able to get his fair share of takedowns, but when Jackson held what was probably a 5 to 10 pound weight advantage, it was too much to allow Henderson to use all of his repetoire.At a more natural fighting weight for him at 185, Henderson will be quicker, more agile, and yet still have all of the strength that he had in the fight with Jackson.
The main problem that presents itself to Silva is that Henderson has never been stopped due to strikes in his extensive MMA career. Not even once. Silva's bread and butter as of late has been knees from the Thai clinch, and seemingly laser-guided punches that connect with deadly force and accuracy. If Henderson is able to take all of the strikes that Silva can dish out, and keep coming forward with his heavy hands and takedowns, there could be an upset in the making. Hendo's chin is strong, but it will be in for the test of a lifetime at the hands of Silva.
In the end, I think that Silva's striking and his pace could just prove to be too much for Henderson. We know that Dan's cardio is going to be top-notch, but the pace I'm referring to means more in the sense of Silva being able to get off first and dictate how the fight is going to go. If he can do that, I think that Silva has a great chance to defend his belt and gain a new one, but if not and Henderson is able to take Silva down at will and pound on him, we could be looking at the beginning of a new era in the middleweight division.
Links In The Cage
Content, content, content, and all of it fantastic. The 411mania.com MMA zone brought it this week with lots of great stuff, so be sure to check em all out.
There are four more big fights to look at for UFC 82, and we're going to get a look at them now, along with my picks for the rest of the card. What was it Jimmy The Greek said on The Simpsons? When you're right 52% of the time, you're wrong 48% of the time. Yeah, that about sums up my picking prowess, but hey, who says you have to know what you're talking about to be able to throw darts at a board! Let's get to the fights!! Coming to you live and direct from the 411mania.com UFC 82 Roundtable, here's a sneak peek at my picks.
Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson
There's good news and bad news on this one. The good news is that I get to see Jon Fitch fight again, and he's one of my absolute favorite fighters going today. The bad news is that Akihiro Gono got hurt and had to pull out of this fight, thus depriving up of the DJ GOZMA entrance that would have rocked my face off. As it is, this should be a good tune-up for Fitch before he makes the big jump to fighting the top guys in the weight class or possibly even getting a title shot. Wilson is a Team Quest fighter that I just saw in my video review of the SportFight DVD, and he looked impressive, but Fitch will more than likely eat him alive, Team Quest or no Team Quest.
Winner: Jon Fitch
Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner
Tanner sure didn't do himself any favors with his comeback fight, that's for certain. Okami is an absolute beast at middleweight and Tanner hasn't fought in over 20 UFC's. Tanner's too smart to get submitted on the ground, and he might be able to get the better of Okami in the stand-up, but I think that Okami is going to be just too strong for the returning Tanner. On a personal note, it's going to be great to see Tanner in the Ocatgon again after such a rocky road that he's been on for the past couple of years. On a professional note, it's going to be sad to see him lose his comeback fight.
Winner: Yushin Okami
Alessio Sakara vs. Chris Leben
This one is going to be fireworks people. Sakara stands and bangs with anyone, be it to his advantage or detriment, and so does Leben. Leben has a bit of a stronger chin so he's got the advantage to me in this fight, but Sakara has a bit of size and is a stronger technical fighter standing, so he might be able to avoid Leben's crazy haymaker punching style. This is going to be the middleweight equivalent of Alexander and Silva in the light heavyweight division, and Leben is going to be Silva. "The Crippler" continues on his way through the UFC and pads his record with another win, in impressive fashion
Winner: Chris Leben
Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo
Heath Herring needs a win. BADLY. Cheick Kongo might be one win away from fighting for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Kongo is known to have the stand-up but his ground game will always be the big question mark, until he shows that he can handle himself on the floor that is. Herring has some good stand-up as well, as referenced by his high kick that nearly knocked out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in their fight last year. The difference is that Herring has a ground game, and he will more than likely use it to exploit Kongo's inexperience on the mat. If Herring is healthy, both physically and mentally, he's going to win this fight and finally get off the big squadootch in the UFC. If he shows up to fight like he did against Jake O' Brien, Kongo is on his way to a title match. I think that the highly motivated Herring will come to fight Saturday night, and that he's going to take the win.
Winner: Heath Herring
The Best Of The Rest Picks
Andrei Arlovski
Diego Sanchez
Josh Koscheck
Jorge Gurgel
Luke Cummo
As with every UFC, expect Michael Huckaby to be delivering top-notch play-by-play right here at 411mania.com starting Saturday night at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST. Check him out folks, it's the best play-by-play on the internet.
Random Strikes Part Deux
You know that Five Rounds and 411mania.com has you covered heading into the UFC 82 double main event, like no other site. Not only do we have tons of great news reports with the in-depth previews that you've all come to expect from 411mania, but there's also the Countdown to UFC 82 Report in the TV Reports section, and now as per the usual in Five Rounds, we've got fight videos from all of the main participants.
Anderson Silva vs. Jorge Rivera – Cage Rage 11: Face Off April 30, 2005
Dan Henderson vs. Crezio de Souza – Brazil Open Jun 15, 1997
Heath Herring vs. Sean McCully - WVC 9 September 27, 1999
Cheick Kongo vs. Christian Wellisch – UFC 62 August 26, 2006
Round Five
The IFL Banks On A New Format And Title Fights For 2008
The IFL embarks on a new season tonight from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, and live around the world on HDNet. This will be the second show in the partnership between the IFL and HDNet, and the first show that will feature the new camp vs. camp format, as well as the first card to feature title defenses from some of the IFL Grand Prix winners that were crowned at the end of the year last year. This is somewhat of a make or break show for the IFL, as there have been some small rumblings that the changes have been made to try and spark some interest in the fledgling promotion after what some feel was a stagnant season last year.
The fight camps involved in the debut card of the 2008 season are certainly some of the crème de la crème of mixed martial arts. Ken Shamrock's Lion's Den will take on Matt Lindland's Team Quest in a best-of-three showdown which will feature two of the event's three title fights as well. In the other team battle Mario Sperry's World Class Fight Center will be taking on the newly renamed Team Tompkins. Team Tompkins, is of course, the Xtreme Couture team, but with the UFC filing for an injunction to prevent the use of Couture's name in the promotion of the event, it looks like the IFL has taken a proactive step and removed Couture's name voluntarily.
Let's take a look at the three title fights that will be taking over the airwaves on Friday night, and I'll also give you my expert analysis and guaranteed (guarantee not valid in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, or Antarctica) fight picks.
Schultz makes his first title defense with a chip on his shoulder as he tries to prove that his crushing, dominating victory over Chris Horodecki at the IFL Grand Prix Finals last year was not a fluke. Schultz went into that fight being thought of as more of a wrestler than a striker, but with that one win and the fashion in which he won, he showed that he has skills standing as well, and is slowly but surely becoming one of the most well-rounded fighters in the IFL's 155 pound division. Anyone who underrates his hands will more than likely be tasting them for most of the night before looking up at the lights, and he's much more dangerous a fighter with his newfound KO skill. He's still got that Team Quest wrestling pedigree that has served him well so far, but now he's got heavy hands for his opponents to be leery of which makes him a double threat.
Gunderson is trying to legitimize himself in the IFL Lightweight division and show that despite only being a .500 fighter in the league up to this point, that he has the talent and the drive to sit on top of the division and defend the title for a long, long time. He's also known to be well-rounded and with Ken Shamrock's years of experience behind him, he's going to be looking for submissions on the ground. He had an eight fight winning streak before his stint in the IFL began, so we know he's got the talent. It's just the matter of if he can take that step up to push his career over the top and get a big win under his belt to begin defining himself as a fighter.
They've both got roots in the Pacific Northwest, with both having been featured on previous SportFight cards in the area. This fight has apparently been brewing for some time as they've crossed paths in various promotions but never been able to compete against each other, which makes this an interesting fight. They've seen each other compete live and on tape at the various IFL events and otherwise, and they're very evenly matched. If I had to give a slight edge to anyone, I'd say Schultz, just because he is coming in with a ton of confidence and is the defending champ. Gunderson is 2-2 in the IFL, and granted the man has had tough fights, he just seems too inconsistent to take the jump to the championship level.
The second big upset of the IFL Grand Prix Finals, produces our second titleholder and second defense of the evening as champ Matt Horwich takes on Ryan McGivern. Horwich is coming off of his huge win over Benji Radach to take the title, in a fight where he was widely considered to be a heavy underdog. Horwich has always had a great ground game with strong submissions, but the fight against Radach showed that he also has power in both hands and the ability to end a fight standing up, as well as on the mat. Horwich has won three in a row in the IFL and will be looking to avenge an earlier loss to McGivern, a decision loss that he suffered in 2006.
McGivern is looking to spring an upset of his own and take the Middleweight title back to the desert and the Lion's Den. He's also a bit of an inconsistent fighter, amassing a 5-4 record in the IFL thusfar, while being unable to string together consecutive wins in almost two years. He seems to have grown as a fighter since his victory over Horwich, despite the record not really bearing that out. He has strength in his wrestling and in his punching and will be looking to keep out of the clinch, where Horwich has been known to do a lot of his damage. Look for McGivern to shoot in from outside, or to use his jabs and combinations to keep Horwich at a distance.
This fight looks to be a lot like the first title defense, and a lot like their first fight. The only difference I see is that Horwich has had more growth in his all-around game since the first fight these two had. He's going to be able to avoid the takedowns to keep the fight standing, while using his brawling and heavy punches to keep McGivern off-balance while they're on the feet. Both fighters are pressure fighters who keep their opponents off-balance and moving backwards. The fighter who keeps the pressure on for the entire fight will take the win, and I don't see Horwich letting up at all.
The big boys round out the title defenses with Roy Nelson putting his belt on the line against Fabiano Scherner. Nelson is known as "Big Country" and seemed to step up to provide some stability to the IFL heavyweight division when big Ben Rothwell left the promotion holding the bag. Nelson has long been thought of as a submission and ground fighting specialist (see a pattern forming amongst the IFL champs yet?), but with his TKO wins over Bryan Attell and Antoine Jaoude en route to the fancy snakeskin belt, he announced that he also has some serious stand-up that people need to be careful not to get caught with.
Scherner is the guy that gets the task of trying to wrest the belt from the big bear Nelson, and he could be more than up to the task. Scherner has UFC experience and is a Team Quest fighter that has a great jiu-jitsu game when he's on his back. He's also shown a willingness to stand and bang, which has been seen in his fights for SportFight more than anywhere else. He's making his IFL debut here and could do it in a big way by taking Nelson out in his first title defense. Scherner is going to more than likely get this fight down to the ground or allow this fight to go to the ground and start working his guard and hips to try to secure a submission.
Nelson had better have worked submission defense in his camp leading up to this fight because if he hasn't it could end up being a short night for him. Scherner is strong and quick and will be looking to make a huge impact in his first fight in the IFL. Look for him to be trying to keep the fight on the ground at all costs to avoid the big ham hocks that Nelson will be throwing around with serious bad intentions. Nelson will try to use his wrestling to sprawl and brawl and put Scherner off-guard and knock him out. I think that Scherner has the chin and that he'll be able to weather an early storm from Nelson to get the fight where he wants it and pull off the upset.
Winner: Fabiano Scherner
There are many other great fights on the card, and yours truly will be providing live round-by-round coverage for 411mania.com, starting at 11 pm EST/8 pm PST, and I will happily be keeping all of you fight fans up to date with all of the action from Las Vegas. Be sure to join us and check it out then!!
Post Fight Wrap-Up
That does it for this week's Five Rounds folks. I thank you all for taking the time to check it out and I hope that you all enjoy the big weekend of fights and fun. Enjoy the fights with some friends and be safe and I'll see you all here in seven days for another dose of your main event, championship fight of MMA news, Five Rounds Of News!! Goodnight Springton, there will be no encores!!
Be sure to check out my fellow Canuck, Joe Ferraro and his "Showdown" radio show, every Thursday at 10 PM EST, on FAN 590 or the archives of the show at Showdown Entertainment.
