Passing The Guard: 06.14.08: MMA Month
Posted by Stephen DeAugustino on 06.14.2008
Anderson Silva coming to TUF? Sonnen and Filho to duke it out a second time? Vitor Belfort on the Affliction card? All that and more inside, plus reviews for Sengoku III and UFC 85 along with an in-depth preview of DREAM 4.
Hello all of you unfortunate MMA fans and readers! This is the first ever Passing The Guard column written by me, sport fanatic and site newbie Stephen DeAugustino. I am not promising anything remotely entertaining, and the flame war of comments that will pursue this article may in fact be more interesting than anything my fingers will type out. You have been warned. Still here? Okay! Lets get started.
News, News, News....
Vitor Belfort added to already stacked Affliction card.
Cage Rage light-heavyweight and former UFC light-heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort will take part in the July 19th Affliction show. Originally announced as simply joining the organization, it is now known that "The Phenom" will actually be fighting in its first ever event. Because of the sheer number of notable fighters already on the Affliction card, it seems Belfort will be stuck fighting in the prelims, which may not be televised. His opponent will be a 16-4 Terry Martin that is coming off of a loss to Marvin Eastmen.
Along with heading over to a new promotion, Belfort has begun training at a new camp; the Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil.
Anderson Silva, Machida, Drysdale all named TUF 8 assistant coaches.
In what may be the best coaching team we have seen in The Ultimate Fighter, UFC heavyweight champion and head coach Antonio Nogueira has called upon pound-for-pound great and middleweight champ Anderson Silva as well as light-heavyweight up and comer Lyoto Machida to be his assistant coaches for season 8. Frank Mir has also thrown together a fairly talented cast, with ADCC grappling champion Robert Drysdale taking his side along with conditioning coach Rafael Alejarra. The new season is dated for a September 14th opener.
Nate Diaz to take on Josh Neer at Ultimate Fight Night 14
Already putting together an impressive 4-0 record in the UFC, Nate Diaz will look to improve his reputation by gunning for Josh "The Dentist" Neer at UFN 14. Neer last fought on the previous Fight Night card where he defeated cage veteran Din Thomas, bringing his record to 24-6-1. One of those losses happens to be against Nate's brother and EliteXC competitor Nick Diaz back in 2006.
UFN 14 will be held on September 14th and will also include Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer and Tamdan McCrory vs. Luke Cummo as well.
Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen II at WEC 36
According to Brazilian magazine Tatame, Filho and Sonnen will square off against one another for a second time at WEC 36, set to take place this September. In their first meeting, Sonnen dominated the fight for nearly two rounds before being controversially submitted seconds before the bell. A rematch was scheduled for WEC 33 however Filho dropped out at the last minute after checking into rehab a few days before the fight. Sonnen would go on to defeat Bryan Baker by unanimous decision instead.
Dennis Kang added to DREAM 5
After going 1-3 in his last 4 fights, Dennis Kang will look to set things straight with a fight against an unnamed opponent at DREAM 5. After a KO loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama at K-1, Kang took an upset loss in the very round first round of the DREAM tournament to Gegard Mousasi by triangle choke. Apparently after his fight at DREAM 5, Kang will become a free agent.
Taking place on July 21st, the card will host the semifinals of the lightweight tournament as well as some interesting non-tournament bouts such as Kid Yamamoto vs. Joe Benavidez, Mirko Cro Cop vs. Jerome LeBanner, and Nick Diaz vs. Hayato Sakurai for the DREAM welterweight title.
Reviews
UFC 85: Bedlam
UFC 85 was for the most part "doomed" from the start. The main event was scratched not once, not twice, but three times until Matt Hughes and Thiago Alves stepped up to the plate, and even then disaster struck when Alves was not able to make weight. However, despite all of the mishaps, the card was well rounded and while it lacked big star power, it brought plenty of high quality fighters to the cage that proved for a fairly entertaining night. Here are the fight-by-fight breakdowns, and for a good laugh, my preflight predictions that failed miserably, but succeeded in making me look like an idiot. This late in the week, I am sure most readers have already seen the results are are probably sick of reading about them so I will not touch upon every fight.
Antoni Hardonk defeats Eddie Sanchez by way of Technical Knockout in the second round
The fight: This fight was not televised probably because of the prior poor performances of both fighters in their last outing. In what seemed like a potential slugfest first started with Sanchez taking down Hardonk twice, and winning the round with the two shots alone. The second round was a bit more as predicted, with Sanchez scoring the first knockdown and Hardonk answering back with a strong combination of his own. However it was the European kick boxer that had the stronger punches and put Sanchez away at the 4:15 mark.
My pick: "This fight is going to have some fireworks. On one side, we have a heavy handed Sanchez that clearly likes nothing but standing and banging. On the other, we have Dutch kick boxer Antoni Hardonk. Both fighters have lost to their best opponent, with Sanchez getting put down by Cro Cop and with Hardonk being submitted by Mir, but Sanchez definitely posts the better record and seems to have a better feel of the cage than Hardonk does." Eddie Sanchez by first round TKO.
Thoughts: In what would be the start of a long line of failure for the night, my first pick falls short. After this fight, it seems Sanchez needs to rethink his plan of action in the cage; he prefers to go toe to toe with opponents, but lacks the technical finesse of more experienced strikes such as hardonk and cro cop. If he wants to be a striker, Sanchez needs to work on his game some more.
Luis Cane defeats Jason Lambert by way of Technical Knockout in the first round
The fight: What started at the ding of the bell went straight downhill for Jason in what either looked like a great performance by Cane, and horrible performance by Lambert, or a combination of both. Lambert seemed direly to want to clinch but Cane simply controlled all close quarters encounters with dirty boxing and elbows. Eventually we saw Lambert chase down his opponent with head down and arms swinging, which resulted in some slick shots from Luis off his back foot. One of those loaded rights caught Lambert and out him out, ending the conflict soon after.
My pick: "If you fight in Brazil, chances are you are a bad ass, and Luis Cane has done plenty of it. Fighting in several Vale Tudo cards over the past few years, Cane sports an impressive 7-1 record with all of his wins being stoppages. Well poised in both Muay Thai and Jujitsu, Cane's only loss has come from his DQ in his UFC debut against Irvin. Lambert, on the other hand is coming off of a KO loss to Wilson Gouveia. Despite that, I see experience playing a key factor in the fight." Lambert via decision
Thoughts: After taking a beating like that, it is safe to say people are now going to label Lambert's KO victory over Sobral to be a fluke. "The Punisher" needs to bounce back soon and will remain in the prelim slot until he does so. Cane on the other hand seems to have a promising future. Expect a rematch with Irvin soon.
Matt Wiman defeats Thiago Tavares by way of Knockout in the second round
The fight: Hitting the mat almost instantly, the first round was a great display of grappling ability on both fighters part. Interestingly enough, it was Wiman working from the guard most of the time and going for quite a few submission attempts throughout the round, however Tavares won the round by raining down blows for the majority of the five minutes. The second round would be a horse of a different color. Mostly a stand up war, Wiman manages to land a crisp right on the jaw of his adversary, dropping him to the ground at 1:57.
My pick: "People know Wiman fairly well from the Ultimate Fighter, and also from the highlight reel knockout he suffered from a Spencer Fisher flying knee. Wiman, a fairly effective ground and pound expert, will have his hands full when he faces submission specialist Thiago Tavares who has but one blemish on his impressive record. The fight will no doubt go to the ground, but the question is can "Handsome" Matt defend Tavares sub attempts? No." Tavares, via round 1 submission
Thoughts: While on the verge of depression due to my bogus picks, I was also very happy with the fight. I never considered Wiman a contender but after this fight he has shown much improvement and is a real threat to anyone. While Tavares took the L, he showed some great skills and is still a respected fighter in this weight class. I really believe both guys improved through this fight, and we can look forward to some great battles in the future and a possible rematch down the road.
Fabricio Werdum defeats Brandon Vera by way of Technical Knockout in the first round
The fight: A little slow at first, Werdum seemed to wake up everyone by taking Vera to the ground, where Vera quickly escaped and managed to connected a right hand that damaged Fabricio. That would be the only offense "The Truth" would get a chance to use as Werdum would soon after take Vera down and assume the mount. With 20 seconds left in the round, referee Dan Miragliotta questionably stops the fight, much to Vera's and apparently Joe Rogan's displeasure.
My pick: "Vera is coming off his first ever loss in the form of a decision thanks to Tim Sylvia, while Werdum put away the fierce Gabriel Gonzaga for the second time in his career. While Werdum is more experienced than his opponent, fans can look forward to Vera off setting his previous loss with a much-needed win over a big name." Vera by decision.
Thoughts: The truth of the matter is, Miragliotta is a poor referee. We saw him do a bad job at the EliteXC show and now with this, people really have to start questioning this guy. With that in mind, it is hard to analyze the fight as it could have easily gone one or two more rounds. If I had to put the stoppage aside though, I would admit that Werdum looked excellent. I have since forgotten of his poor performance against Arlowski, labeling it as first time jitters. With a dismantling of Gonzaga and a great showing against Vera, how can anyone else think otherwise?
Thales Leites defeats Nathan Marquart by decision
The fight: Leites would claim first blood by rocking Nate with a solid right hand, sending him to the floor. After some good counter grappling by Marquart, the fight would go back to the feet and while Nate manages to land some shots, Thales claims the round. The following rounds would be would go through some controversy. Marquart seems to dominate the second and third rounds but is charged with a point in each; one for an illegal knee and one for a strike to the back of the head. The calls would eventually cost Marquardt the fight as Thales wins by decision.
My pick: "Pancrase vet Nathan Marquardt takes on submission specialist Thales Leites in what looks to be a very promising display of grappling ability. Nate has only lost once in five years, taking a TKO loss to the pound for pound best fighter in the wolrd. Leites has racked up three consecutive wins and has proved his worth in the octagon, however "The Great" takes this one hands down." Marquart by TKO, round 2
Thoughts: I agree completely with the knee, which was as illegal as they come. However the strikes to the back of the head were a bit ridiculous. While "The Great" gets a loss here, he not his fans should be disappointed as he put on a great show and was clearly the better fighter that night. While he still has some ways to go before he can step up to the plate and take on Silva, he has some great potential.
Thiago Alves defeats Matt Hughes by way of Technical Knockout in the second round
The fight: It was no secret that Hughes wanted to take this to the ground and he did so, just not like long time fans expected him to. After getting stuffed a few times, Hughes pulls guard and makes some submission attempts but in the process eats some serious fists from Alves. After Hughes escapes, he finally manages to take the fight to the ground but fails to inflict any kind of damage. The second round would be much quicker, as Hughes gets caught by a flying knee the drops him to the canvas. The fight ends a little over a minute into the round.
My pick: ""The Greatest Welterweight Champion Of All Time" will have his hands full when he faces up and comer Thiago Alves. If Hughes was still himself, he would take this fight for sure as Alves has shown he is unable to stop a good wrestler in Jon Fitch. However, Hughes seems to be on his way out as he hasn't been nearly as dominant as he was in previous years. As much as I hate to say it, my favorite Welterweight of all time is going to take a fall." Alves by TKO, round 2
Thoughts: Finally! After a long night of being absolutely incorrect, I managed to hit this fight spot on. However this was a bit of a lose lose situation for me. Hughes is my favorite welterweight of all time and seeing him slip from his prime is really upsetting. I really only see him fighting his last fight against Serra and calling it quits, which is fine. He has done enough for the sport and has nothing else to prove. On the other side, Alves is quickly becoming one of my new favorites and I am looking forward to a title fight or a contender fight in the near future.
World Victory Road: Sengoku III
UFC 85 wasn't the only event taking place last weekend. While London laid it's eyes upon warriors in a cage, Japan had their focus centered on fighters in a ring as World Victory Road held Sengoku-Third Battle in the Saitama Super Arena. Not nearly as exciting as Bedlam, Sengoku was able to provide at least three entertaining fights for older fans in need of a Pride fix.
Hidehiko Yoshida defeats Maurice Smith by way of neck crank in the first round
After fighting the likes of Cro Cop and Wanderli Silva, it is hard to imagine why anyone would think Yoshida would be intimidated by the striking prowess of Maurice Smith, and after watching the fight, it appeared the judoka wasn't in the least. Perhaps it was Smith's fault. After a few minutes of standing, the former UFC champion failed to throw anything except a few light leg kicks, which would describe the majority of the fight. Having enough, Yoshida charged into a clinch and locked up a headlock, taking Smith to the floor. After adjusting the lock, Yoshida claimed victory with a side neck crank at 2:23 in the first round.
Yoshida vs. Smith puzzles me as a main event. Smith is clearly past his prime; after taking what seemed like retirement after his loss to Sobral in 2000, Smith came back in 07' to fight fellow legend Marco Ruas in what was more of a spectacle than anything else. Another win over tomato can Rick Roufus rounds out the veterans recent career. Coming into the fight Yoshida was sporting a three fight losing streak, leaving fans to question his validity as contending competitor. Sadly, his win over Smith hardly proves anything, except that it is time for Smith to call it a day.
Travis Wiuff defeats Kazuyuki Fujita by way of Knock Out in round 1
To the surprise of many, the two wrestlers decide to keep it standing and box it out for the entire fight. Both fighters just seem to be feeling each other out until Fujita lands an overhand right that gets the crowd going. Failing to capitalize, the fight goes back into more of a feeling out process when Fujita comes in and as caught by a stiff left jab on the chin. His knock out loss of his career, Fujita goes down at the 1:24 mark.
Some of you may remember Wiuff as the guy that won the stacked and well-revered (note sarcasm) YAMMA Pit Fighting tournament. While the tournament was hardly a worthy accomplishment on its own, adding it to Wiuff's impressive 53-11 record and his recent win over Fujita makes him a threat in the heavyweight division. Fujita on the other hand needs to fight a big name to show he still has some fire left, and unfortunately World Victory Road lacks that. Hopefully the Japanese wrestler will make his way to DREAM for a possible rematch with Cro Cop.
Marcio Cruz defeats Mu Bae Choi by way of triangle armbar in the first round
The classic clash between jujitsu player and wrestler starts out with some sloppy striking on both parties part and eventually leads into a lazy outside leg sweep takedown by Cruz. While the Brazilian tries to push his leg out of Choi's half guard, the wrestler rolls an impressive head and arm and is able to get back to his feet. Marcio attempts another outside leg trip but fails as Chois whizzers down. Regardless, the grappling champion is able to take the "Iron Fisted Beaver's" back and manages to rain down punches for nearly a minute. Surprisingly, the referee refuses to stop the fight, so Cruz transitions to a beautiful triangle armbar and ends the fight at the 4:37 mark.
Both fighters have been around for a good amount of time; you may remember "Pe de Pano" from his brief stint in the UFC, where he beat Frank Mir before losing to Monson and Arlowski, and people know Choi as a Pride regular. However this fight echoes the champion vs. champion ring that has been reverberating through Japan ever since Rulon Gardner beat Hidehiko Yoshida a few years back, with Choi, a Greco roman wrestling Olympian taking on an ADCC grappling champion in Marcio Cruz. Whatever the case, it was a pretty interesting fight that gave Cruz a great addition to his highlight reel.
Quick results for the rest of the evenings fights:
Fabio Silva defeats Yoshiki Takahashi by way of Knock Out in the first round
Rodrigo Damm defeats Jorge Masvidal by way of Techical Knockout in the second round
Sanae Kikuta defeats Chris Rice by way of Submission in the first round
Nick Thompson defeats Michael Costa by way of Submission in the second round
Kazuo Misaki defeats Logan Clark by way of decision
Previews
DREAM 4
MMA month continues as this weekend hosts some great events such as Adrenaline and EliteXC, however the highlight of the next few days has got to be the upcoming DREAM event that will take place on the 15th. DREAM 4 will be the second round of the middleweight grand prix tournament that began in April of this year. While probably not as stacked as the its lightweight counterpart, the middleweight tournament has had some interesting surprises thus far and does not seem like it will disappoint in its latest installment either. On top of the great tournament fights that will take place, DREAM 4 also has some great under card fights with names like Alistair Overeem and Hideo Tokoro.
Alistair Overeem vs. Tae Hyun Lee
Yet another fight that seems to fulfill the striker vs grappler theme that has been popular as of late, kickboxer Alistair Overeem will match his skills against Korean Ssireum player Tae Hyun Lee. Lee holds an impressive Ssireum record that contains over 400 wins, however he is 1-1 in his young MMA career. Overeem has had a rather tumultuous record lately that most recently has seen a victory over Paul Buentello, but the "Demolition Man" has not went up against an experienced grappler since he fought and lost against Ricardo Arona in 2006.
Whether or not Overeem can surmount the Korean challenge is yet to be determined, but one thing is certain; the DREAM upper weight picture just got a lot bigger with this fight. Like most Japanese organizations, so far DREAM has really catered to the lightweight crowd, however if they want to be as big as their Pride predecessor, they will need a complete fighter roster that includes light heavyweights and heavyweights alike. Seeing Overeem back brings them one step closer to that goal.
Alavutdin Gadzhiyev vs. Ralek Gracie
Originally slated to be Gadzhiyev vs. Alexandre "Cacareco" Ferreira, the fight was canceled Thursday due to "Visa" issues on Ferreira's part. However, DREAM event producer Keiichi Sasahara is spinning a different story. "I understand being jetlagged is not a pleasant feeling, but how professional is it to cancel your fight and let the fans down because of that?" Regardless of the excuse, DREAM is brining in fellow Brazilian and grappling pro Ralek Gracie to take his place. The fight seems to be a no-brainer as Ralek was recently dropped from the card when his grappling exhibition against Mirko Cro Cop was crossed out.
The fight should prove to be equally, if not more entertaining than the original bout. Gadzhiyev is a seasoned Sambo practitioner and is no stranger to the MMA stage, where he boasts a seven fight win streak. His last victory happens to be an interesting KO punch from underneath the mount. Gracie has only fought once back in 2007 where he obtained an armbar victory over Katsuyori Shibata at K-1 HERO'S. Clearly Ralek is a better grappler than Gadzhiyev, however the Russian's ring experience overshadows that of the young Gracie. It will be interesting to see if Ralek's jujitsu can compensate for that disadvantage.
Hideo Tokoro vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Another great showcase of grappling skill will also be a prime example of the growing DREAM featherweight division when Hideo Tokoro battles grappling extraordinaire Darren Uyenoyama. Darren really seems to be the better grappler as his credentials overshadow that of Tokoro's, but the janitor-turned fighter has loads of more experience in the ring than his opponent, which should tip the scales a little bit more evenly. In addition, Tokoro has gone up against the submission brilliance of both Royce and Royler Gracie and emerged unscathed. It will be a true test for Uyenoyama.
Shinya Aoki vs. Katsuhiko Nagata
After recovering from injuries sustained during his fight with JZ, Shinya Aoki will look to defeat Katsuhiko Nagata to bring him a step closer to the DREAM lightweight tournament crown. Aoki is bringing to the table an impressive 10 fight win streak that is a testament to his excellent grappling ability. With that said, world class wrestler Katsuhiko Nagata will be quite busy defending submissions once he takes this fight to the ground. Nagata didn't seem very spectacular in his last outing, however an athlete of his caliber always has the potential to improve greatly given any amount of time. This fight will round out the last of the lightweight grand prix quarterfinal round as the winner advances to the semis.
Zelg Galesic vs. Taiei Kin
Competing against one another once before in K-1, Croatian tae
kwon do practitioner Zelg Galesic will attempt to repeat his past performance against previous foe Taiei Kin, where he TKOed the karate expert in the first round. Galesic is coming off a surprising and impressive armbar finish of fellow European Magomed Sultanakhmedov. In the same night, Taiei Kin pulled an upset decision win over Pride veteran Ikuhisa Minowa. Granted it wasn't the most exciting of fights, but claiming the W was a definite feather in the cap for the fledgling MMA competitor, one equally as impressive as his decision win over Kiyoshi Tamura last year. The chances of this fight going to the ground are slim, and if Kin wants to avenge his loss to Galesic this time around, he will have to be a bit more aggressive than he has been demonstrating in his last few fights. Should be an enjoyable fight.
Jason Miller vs. Ronaldo Souza
Arguably one of the best grapplers ever, Ronaldo Souza will face his toughest challenge to date when he goes head to head with Jason Miller. Both fighters are coming off some impressive wins in the prelims of the tournament to get to where they are now, with "Jacare" quickly submitting collegiate wrestler Ian Murphy and "Mayhem" winning over Katsuyori Shibata via TKO. Miller, a veteran and fan favorite, had some fun in his last outing by entertaining the Japanese crowd with some mid-flight hot dogging however it would do him well to take the Brazilian seriously. Losing only one fight, possibly due to first time jitters, Ronaldo has established a solid 8 fight win streak with all of his victories coming by way of submission. While Miller is capable in the jujitsu department, it is debatable whether or not he will fair well against the grappling ability of a world champion and on top of that, Souza's training at Xtreme Couture has made him even more dangerous. Simply put, this will just as much of a test for Miller as it will be for Souza.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Dong Sik Yoon
Rising Korean judoka Dong Sik Yoon will be ready to unleash his patented "dongbar" against Armenian striker Gegard Mousasi in what appears to be another striker vs. grappler competition. Oddly enough, the striker included in this equation is coming off of a triangle choke submission win over jujitsu black belt and SpiritFC champion Dennis Kang. On top of that, Mousasi has 6 other submission wins included in his respectable 21-2-1 record. A knock out artist with great submission ability is a rare find in the MMA world which making Mousasi a real threat to anyone in this tournament. Despite that, he will have some trouble with Yoon. Carrying a misleading 4-4 record, Yoon lost four consecutive times in his Pride days to names like Kazushi Sakuraba, Quinton Jackson, and Murilo Bustamante before turning things around and putting together four consecutive wins that include his latest decision win over Shungo Oyama. Many consider Dong Sik Yoon as one of the most improved fighters in the sport today. The title will be either be confirmed or removed after this fight.
Kazushi Sakuraba vs Melvin Manhoef
Looking like the main event of the evening, long timer and MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba will be facing Dutch powerhouse Melvin Manhoef. "The Gracie Hunter" has had a some rough fights as of late which could probably attributed to his age and poor physical condition that comes with fighting for such a long time. After taking beatings from Yoshiro Akiyama and Kestutis Smirnovas, Sakuraba suffered a lost to long time nemesis Royce Gracie. However, Sakuraba won the Smirnovas fight, ended up getting a No Contest in the Akiyama fight, and was cheated out on the Gracie fight when it was discovered the Brazilian tested positive for steroids. With that in mind, Saku hasn't truly lost a fight since 2005 where he was TKOed by Ricardo Arona. Sakuraba's last fight would be a submission win over Andrews Nakahara.
A late replacement for Akitoshi Tamura, Kickboxing expert Melvin Manhoef will look to finish off the Japanese legend by keeping it on his feet. Having experience in K-1 and finding success in the standing game for his MMA career, "Marvelous" will no doubt try and repeat his tried a tested game plan. Out of his 21 wins, 20 of them come by way KO or TKO. Of course the gaping hole in Manhoef's game is the ground, something that plaques most strikers. The Dutchmen has suffered submission losses to grade A grapplers like Dong Sik Yoon and Yoshiro Akiyama, a category that Sakuraba definitely falls into. However age may really be the deciding factor in this fight. While Sakuraba has defeated opponents similar to the physical stature of Manhoef such as Quinton Jackson and Kevin Randleman, Sakuraba may be too old to repeat those feats once again. On top of that, both Randleman and Jackson were looking to take the fight to the floor while Manhoef of course wants it standing. With so many variables involved it is close to impossible to predict, however will be very entertaining to watch it all unfold.
Well that's about it for now. With so many great fights going on it is a real pleasure to be both writing about and watching MMA. Check back in next week for some discussions about this weekend's events and upcoming cards, as well as in-depth news from around the MMA world, including the much-anticipated Dana White announcement. Until next time, you have just passed the guard.
