Passing the Guard 07.19.08: Clash of the Titans

Posted by Stephen DeAugustino on 07.19.2008

With a huge weekend of MMA coming up, you do not want to miss this preview filled edition of Passing the Guard! Get the low down of all the fights for tonight, as well as some interesting news around the MMA world, including the latest on the Quinton Jackson incident as well as some interesting change ups in the DREAM 5 roster. All the and more inside!

MMA fans and frequent readers! Welcome to another weekly edition of Passing the Guard, your best source for MMA news. This is a very exciting week for MMA as the much anticipated Affliction: Banned card goes up against sport goliath UFC and their Ultimate Fight Night 14 later tonight. For weeks the tension and conflict has been building up between the two parties, with the result being two great cards in one night. Truly, it is the fans that are coming out on top in this one. To complement these great fights, Passing the Guard will have in depth previews of both cards, as well as my picks for each fight. Not only that, but the latest news and rumors around the MMA world as a cherry on top. All right, enough chatter. Lets get started!




Preview

Affliction: Banned

Affliction: Banned is by far the closest thing to competition the UFC has seen stateside for a very long time. What's all the fuss about? Well for starters, it is probably one of the most impressive heavyweight cards ever assembled, as professed by Big John McCarthy. With names like Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Josh Barnett, Pedro Rizzo, Andre Arlovski, and Ben Rothwell, this card is stacked from top to bottom. In addition, Affliction: Banned is bringing in some serious names for its light heavyweight division, such as Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Renato Sobral. Without further adieu, here are the fights.



Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
The main event of the evening that will definitely have some sort of repercussions in the heavyweight rankings will be one not to miss as former UFC champion and consistently ranked fighter Tim Sylvia will make an attempt to dethrone "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko. As most know, Fedor has been for the past few years widely regarded as the best pound for pound fighter in the world, and possibly the greatest fighter of all time. However, our contemporary open weight rankings seem to see a certain middleweight fighter at the top, not Fedor. Emelianenko's recent inactivity has put his reign into question; since his 06' win over Mark Hunt, Fedor has only fought twice with both wins being over opponents either underweight (Matt Lindland) or simply not near his skill level (Hong Man Choi). Regardless of this, Fedor is still considered the best heavyweight in the world. Just like Sylvia will be looking to run down Fedor for a chance to take the top spot, Emelianenko will do his best to recapture his pound for pound crown with a win this evening.

Without a doubt, Tim is the huge underdog. Even before his previous fight, Sylvia was always a few notches down from Fedor on just about everyone's rankings. Now taking into consideration the fact Sylvia was just submitted by the same Nogueira that Fedor was able to topple makes things seem very one-sided. My pick on this fight is of course Fedor, who I see winning it by submission in the second round. Tim has better striking than the Pride champion, but seeing how no one has been able to KO Fedor yet means the chances of Sylvia putting Fedor on the canvas is slim. With that in mind, a takedown is inevitable and so is the submission that will quickly follow.




Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
The second biggest fight of the night is actually a rematch between two great legends in the heavyweight division. Barnett has been active just as long as anyone, and has fought greats such as Dan Severn, Randy Couture, and Mirko Cro Cop. Pedro Rizzo is equally impressive, with a fighting career that is well over a decade. In their first outing, it was Pedro who took the W with a solid KO, but since that victory Rizzo has been having a rather tumultuous career. After his victory over Barnett, Rizzo dropped two to Couture since compiling a mediocre 5-6 record. On the other hand, Barnett has remained very competitive for some time, first racking up some impressive wins over in Pride and upon moving over to Sengoku, assimilated a 2-0 record with wins over Hidehiko Yoshida and Jeff Monson.

This should be a pretty good fight, but I see Barnett taking it in the end. Sure, some might argue that Barnett has had trouble with talented strikers in the past such as Cro Cop and Rizzo himself, but the way Barnett has been fighting lately has been very impressive. I don't see Rizzo being able to catch Barnett again on the feet, but I also believe Rizzo is well versed enough in jujitsu to defended any submissions Josh will throw at him. The result will be a back and forth shoot and sprawl, which Barnett will get the better of, along with the decision victory.




Andre Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
It is safe to say that up and comer Ben Rothwell will have his recent win streak put to the test against one of his toughest opponents yet when he steps in to duke it out with UFC veteran and former champ Andre Arlovski. Rothwell has made quite a name for himself within the IFL, essentially becoming their poster boy after stringing together a 13 fight win streak, with 11 of those wins coming from the International Fight League. His last victory was a decision win over long time competitor and former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez. An impressive victory, however given the current state of Rodriguez as a competitor, it will take more than that to oust "The Pitbull" later tonight. Since dropping two losses to Tim Sylvia two years ago, Arlovski has been able to put together three solid wins in what looks like the beginning of his return to glory. Rothwell has fought against opponents of about the same skill level as Arlovski early in his career, namely Tim Sylvia, but he has lost most of them. Has the IFL star improved enough since then to take down Arlovski, or will Rothwell end up another link in Arlovski's chain? It will be enjoyable to find out.

Looking a bit closer at the fight, I see Arlovski taking a decision win here. Rothwell has been on fire lately, but in all reality he should have been able to finish Rodriguez. If he can't do that, it is hard to believe he will be able to finish an aggressive fighter like Andre. Arlovski hasn't recovered totally from that pair of losses as we saw in his poor victory over Fabricio Werdum, but I believe he has set things straight enough to be able to handle Rothwell. Unanimous decision for Arlovski.




Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
After much discussion over Lindland's opponent for this card, Brazilian jujitsu black belt Fabio Negao was finally selected to step up to the big leagues and do his best to oust the MMA legend. An Olympic silver medalist, Lindland has been competing for over ten years now, and has fought and won against names like Ricardo Almeida, Phil Baroni, Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, and Carlos Newton. Besides his losses to Quinton Jackson and Fedor Emelianenko, two fighters who are significantly larger than Lindland, "The Law" hasn't lost a fight since 2004. Without a doubt, Negao is truly receiving a baptism by fire here, as his credentials pale in comparison to that of his opponents, but don't count him out. Lindland has been caught once before (by Murilo Bustamante in 2002), so don't totally cast out the idea of a Negao victory here.

If Matt can execute his game plan without messing up, I really don't see Negao being able to take out the former champ. Negao is a talented submission fighter, but I don't believe he has it in him to stop a takedown or pull off a submission here. It shouldn't be very long before we see Matt in Negao's guard, raining down strikes until we see him in the mount. Lindland takes it by TKO victory, first round.



Renato Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
In what looks to be a great light heavyweight match up critical to the development of Affliction's 205 division, UFC regular Renato "Babalu" Sobral will take on former Ultimate Fighter cast member Mike Whitehead. You may recall Sobral either as the dangerous Ruas Vale Tudo fighter that took out Jeremy Horn and Shogun Rua in one night, or the man that was recently kicked out of the UFC for his antics in his submission victory over David Heath. Either way, Sobral is a feared competitor that is always a threat in the cage. Whitehead on the other hand may not have the impressive big name factor on his win list, but after 12 straight fights in a row, people have to start giving this guy attention. The three time All-American wrestler has ground and pounded his way to this card, and will most likely try to utilize a similar game plan on Sobral. "Babalu" is very dangerous on his back and has submitted some great wrestlers in the past such as Chael Sonnen and Mike Van Arsdale, but Whitehead, who has competed in Abu Dhabi, will prove to be just as tough, if not harder, to submit.

This fight is most likely going to hit the floor. Sobral has looked rather tentative to strike since his KO loss to Jason Lambert, and I see that carrying over here; Sobral will probably be looking to surprise Whitehead and take a shoot to put the wrestler on his back, but up against a man that holds a strength advantage and significant experience, it will prove difficult. Whitehead will probably land on top, where he will put up some solid submission defense, but eventually "Babalu" will catch him. Sobral by submission in the second round.


Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Paul Buentello
It is no surprise that Aleksander Emelianenko is fighting on this card since older brother Fedor has always been adamant about promoters letting his brother and other members of the Red Devil Sports Club fighting on the same promotion as him. While he doesn't have the credentials of said brother, Aleksander is a great fighter that has constantly been popping in and out of the top ten since his later years in Pride. Buentello is also a big name in the sport, earning the nickname "The Headhunter" for his uncanny ability for head kicks early in his career. The American Kickboxing Academy trainee will no doubt be looking to keep this fight on the feet in an attempted to try and repeat Mirko Cro Cop's highlight reel KO of Emelianenko a few years back. In retrospect, Aleksander, a two-time Sambo national champion, will be looking for the submission victory as soon as he can. A classic grappler vs. striker match up.

Does Buentello have the ability to put Aleks to sleep? It's possible, but Emelianenko hasn't been knocked out since that certain head kick in Pride. On top of that, Buentello probably doesn't have the ability to defend any kind of grappling offensive Aleks can throw at him; seven of his ten losses come by way of submission. Looking at that simple fact, Aleks gets the submission victory here in the first round.

UPDATE: since the writing of this article, a change has been made to this bout. Instead of facing Aleksander, Buentello will be going up against Gary Goodridge.



Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Edwin Dewees
Another big name steps into Affliction's 205 division as Antonio Rogerio Nogueira takes on "Babyface" Edwin Dewees. The smaller brother of UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, "Lil' Nog" has complied a solid record over the years, with most of his wins coming from Pride. He follows a long line of excellent jujitsu competitors coming out of Brazilian Top-Team, securing submission victories over big names such as Dan Henderson and Kazuhrio Nakamura. Nogueira's career seemed to have hit a roadblock after his loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at Pride 33, as the organization was lost soon after. After leaving Japan, Nogueira made his way over to another doomed org, the Hardcore Fighting Championships in Canada, where he only fought once before it went under. With Affliction, Nogueira will be looking to find a home for his impressive skills and a place to fight long enough to get him back in the rankings. A win over Edwin Dewees will start him on that path. With almost 50 fights to his name, Dewees has had plenty of fighting experience. Coming out of the Lions Den, Dewees has a solid background in submission grappling, accumulating 28 submission wins over his fighting career. Lately however, things have been rather gloomy for the former Ultimate Fighter cast member; he has lost 5 out of his last 8 fights. In addition, two of those losses come by way of submission, one to Frank Trigg and one to Chris Leben, both of which are not known for great submission ability. If Dewees had trouble with them, he will have much more to worry about with Nogueira.

We have seen Nogueira get caught before (Sokoudjou) so to say Dewees is totally out of this fight would be wrong. However, Edwin is going to have problems. Nogueira is a much better grappler than Dewees is, and on top of that has a solid weight advantage over the former middleweight. Nogueira takes this one by submission, third round.





Ultimate Fight Night 14

It is pretty clear the only reason why fans will be watching free UFC later tonight is the fact that Dana White is doing his best to shut down new found rival Affliction, but who's complaining, right? Regardless of all the mess going on between the two organizations, fans will be treated to not only a grade A pay-per-view, but also one of the best Ultimate Fight Nights we have seen in a long time. Here is a good look at the fights and what to look forward to when the cage door closes.




Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
One of the greatest fighters in the sport today will look to make history as middleweight champion Anderson Silva begins his quest for the light heavyweight title as he takes on James Irvin in his first fight in the 205 weight class. Silva is widely regarded as not only the best middleweight fighter in the world, but also the best fighter in the world, well, period. Silva has always been a dangerous fighter since his run in Pride a few years back, but the muay thai sensation didn't hit full stride until his debut in the UFC, where he plowed through any and all forms of competition. Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, and Nate Marquardt all fell victim to Silva's assault, leaving the question "just what else is there left for this guy at 185?" Dana White had the answer. At Whites request, Silva is now looking at James Irvin, a fighter that has drawn a lot of attention for his exciting fighting style and highlight reel KOs. Irvin may not be the most technical or graceful fighter on the scene right now, but the "Sandman" manages to fill the seats with flying knee knockouts and superman punch put-downs. However, Irvin's inconsistency has always been a factor in his movement in the title contention chain; just when it looks as if he has the skills to contended in the top 5, Irvin drops a fight soon after, much like we saw with Thiago Silva and Stephan Bonnar. Will Irvin suffer the same fate again? It should be well worth it to find out.

I'm going to have to go with Anderson on this one. Yeah he is at a weight disadvantage here, but I have seen enough holes on Irvin's striking game that convince me that Silva is going to capitalize somewhere and finish this fight on the feet. The fact that Irvin doesn't like the grappler makes this prediction even more convincing. Silva by TKO, second round.



Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy
Brandon Vera will be looking to redeem his once flawless record with a win over accomplished wrestler and grappler Reese Andy. At one point, many believed Vera to be a potential heavyweight champion after his undefeated record saw an impressive win over former champion Frank Mir. However, after a drawn out contract dispute, Vera left the Octagon for nearly a year before competing against Tim Sylvia, where he lost by way of decision. Most recently, fans witnessed Vera's second loss at the hands of Fabricio Werdum at UFC 85. Vera strongly contested the outcome, claiming premature stoppage, which was probably the reason Dana White gave him another fight so quickly. The truth of the matter is, Vera will be facing just as strong of an opponent as Werdum in Reese Andy. Andy has competed in Abu Dhabi much like Werdum has (Werdum and Andy actually met in one tournament, with Werdum taking a submission victory), but what Andy lacks in grappling, he makes up for in wrestling; the University of Wyoming alumni is a 3x All-American. Vera has some impressive wrestling credentials of his own, but nothing like the collegiate wrestler, who also happens to be a Greco-Roman team member.

Vera will have some trouble, but should be able to pull through. His striking is crisper than Andy's, and Vera knows enough wrestling to at least keep it on the feet. Vera's muay thai should be a critical part of his victory here, and I am guessing a TKO somewhere in the first round. A solid victory for Brandon Vera.



Hermes Franca vs. Frank Edgar
Both fighters will be looking to fight there way back from respective losses as former collegiate wrestler Frankie Edgar takes on jujitsu fighter Hermes Franca. Edgar saw himself on a rocket ride to the top of the lightweight division after controlling both Tyson Griffin and Spencer Fisher for three rounds and meriting unanimous decision victories in both fights, however that was before Edgar got a taste of his own medicine in his most recent decision loss to Gray Maynard. Now Edgar will be looking to get back on track for a shot at the title, but he will have to work for a win over Hermes Franca, who is coming off a decision loss to former champion Sean Sherk one year ago. After the fight, both fighters were tested positive for steroids, sidelining Franca and Sherk for a good amount of time. This will be Franca's first time back since that incident, and many are wondering what they will see from the long time competitor after his brief hiatus.

As we saw in his last fight, Franca had trouble with the aggressive wrestler that is Sean Sherk, and he will be seeing the same thing his time around in Frank Edgar. Franca is probably a bit better in the striking and submission departments, but Edgar's takedowns will probably end up neutralizing any KO effort by Franca. We have also seen some impressive submission defense on Edgar's part, so I don't really see Franca snagging a submission here either. Frank Edgar wins this bout by unanimous decision.



Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns
Two up-and-comers square off in what could possibly produce another rising star in the already stacked welterweight division when heavy-handed Anthony Johnson goes up against skilled grappler Kevin Burns. Both guys are coming off upset victories. You may remember Johnson as the guy that put Tommy Speer out against the fence at UFN 13 in a flurry of punches in under a minute. Besides this victory, Johnson has a relatively clean slate; a 5-1 record with his only loss being to Rich Clementi by choke at UFC 76. Burns comes from a similar story, coming off an upset submission victory over Brazilian jujitsu black belt Roan Carneiro at UFC 85. His 6-2 record spans four years longer than his opponents, but the difference means little; both fighters have proven they are capable of ending a fight under unfavorable odds and in firework fashion. Should be a solid fight.

Burns doesn't have the skills to stand with Johnson, but that really doesn't matter here. His submission game is so good that it should more than make up for it. Unless Burns has improved his submission game since his lose to Clementi last year, I see this fight going to the floor quickly where Burns should snag a limb and get the tap. Burns by submission, first round.




Jesse Taylor vs. CB Dollaway
Similar to a "true second" match in jujitsu or wrestling tournaments, The Ultimate Fighter finalist CB Dollaway will take on the man originally intended for the spot, Jesse Taylor, in a match up between two accomplished wrestlers. Dollaway may have the slight edge in that department, competing and placing in Division 1 while Taylor stayed at the junior college level for most of his career, but after watching Taylor fight the same opponents Dollaway did, it is safe to say both fighters are about the same caliber. Taylor has better submission defense than his fellow cast member, but the chances of Dollaway looking to sub here are probably pretty slim; more than likely CB will be trying to put Jessie on his back for some ground and pound. Jesse will be looking for the same thing. Whoever succeeds first will more than likely take the fight.

It is very hard to call this fight. Both fighters are so much alike in their fighting styles and where one lacks, the other one seems to lack the skills to capitalize. Dollaway has shown a weakness for submissions, but Jesse isn't really known for his submission ability. Jesse has a weakness for alcoholism and public misconduct, but CB probably won't be able to capitalize on that in the Octagon. Regardless, my money is on Taylor. He is a bit stronger than Dollaway and has a bit better grappling ability. Taylor by decision.




News


UFC looking to purchase IFL

For the past few weeks, word has been circulating the Internet that the International Fight League is on its way out, even filing for bankruptcy at one point. With the kind of ratings and production value of the organization, it is really no surprise. However, a rather surprising turn of events has broken through that may lead to the big hands of Zuffa and the UFC around the dying organization. MMAPayout provides the inside word.

"A Senior Producer at HDNet's Inside MMA tells MMAPayout.com that the IFL will be bought by the UFC. MMAPayout.com has confirmed talks between the IFL and UFC."

Originally a team based organization, the IFL has recently changed its ways to be more of an individual based system due to its financial problems. On its own the organization is destined to go down sometime in the near future; however, if Zuffa purchases the organization they may be able to resuscitate the team concept with the kind of monetary power they have. If not, the UFC will be at least getting a whole slew of younger, talented fighters that will add even more depth to their already stacked line up.




DREAM 5 card in trouble as several fighters unable to compete

What was looking like one of the best DREAM cards yet is suddenly becoming a Japanese version of UFC 85 as several fighters have been ridden with last minute injuries that have or may exclude them from next Wednesdays card. The biggest loss as well as the most recent incident would be the exclusion of Norifumi Yamamoto. Yamamoto was scheduled to make his DREAM debut in the upcoming event, however, "Kid" managed to tear his ACL in training just five days before the fight.

"I want to apologize to my fans," said Yamamoto. "I must recover now over the next six months. If I were Joseph, I'd be angered by the sudden cancellation of our fight. I want to apologize to Joseph Benavidez."

Benavidez, Yamamoto's intended opponent, has arrived in Japan and it is yet to be determined his current role in the upcoming card. Also on the disabled list is kickboxing standout Jerome LeBanner, who was slated to face K-1 rival Mark Hunt on Wednesday. However, like Yamamoto, LeBanner had to withdraw due to a last minute injury. Hunt is rumored to be facing Dutch kick boxer Alistair Overeem instead.

Finally, Japanese featherweight and ZST standout Hideo Tokoro has been scheduled to fight Takeshi Yamazaki in an attempt to showcase his fledging division, however that fight may be placed into jeopardy as well as Tokoro was recently involved in a car accident.

Tokoro was rear ended Tuesday afternoon in downtown Tokyo, suffering minor waist and back injuries. After brief hospitalization, Tokoro was directed to recover for about a week's time, however that short recovery time would still run close to the event. It is still unknown whether Tokoro will be competing or not.




Quinton Jackson in downward spiral since title loss
Quinton Jackson has seen better days. This past week has been rough for the former champion, as Jackson saw himself not only arrested at gunpoint, but also checked into medical supervision for instability. Jackson's fiasco began on Tuesday where he was spotted driving with a flat tire, weaving in and out of traffic while on his cellular phone. After police attempted to pull over Jackson, the former champion sped off, leading into a pursuit that finally ended with Jackson being arrested at gunpoint. At first, no injuries were reported, but according to the Daily Pilot, 38 year old Holli Griggs was sideswiped by Jackson during his escape. Sixteen and a half weeks pregnant, Griggs was diagnosed with minor injuries. Jackson was released later that evening on $25,000 bail. It is rumored that Dana White flew down to post it.

That wouldn't be the end of Rampage's problems. TMZ.com was among the first of many to report that less than 24 hours later, Jackson was taken into police custody as they "were asked to assist with him and make sure that he was safe and not a danger to himself or others". Apparently several of Jackson's friends became concerned for his well being after some statements he has made, and flagged down police to assist. Lt. Rick Handfield comments on the situation.

"He was exhibiting some unusual behavior that his friends that were there felt concerned…. At the conclusion of our contact, we did detain him and take him to be seen by mental health professionals. We left him with the mental health professionals."'

For the time being, Jackson is being held for 72 hours, which is standard procedure. During that time period, Jackson will be unable to check himself out. Upon evaluation, medical officials will be able to make the decision to keep Jackson for a longer period or release him after the three-day stay.

In addition to all of the chaos between the two days, a strange interview with Rampage and Throwdown.com was released on Monday, the day before his arrest, which seems to portray a very weird and unusual side of Rampage. Jackson appeared in a haze the entire conversation, and was uncharacteristically solemn and morose. Throwdown reported that Jackson was perfectly normal the entire visit, sending the following message to FiveOuncesofPain.com;

"We've known him for some time due to Throwdown's sponsorship of him. We watched the Griffin fight with him and he told us that it was the first time that he's watched the fight in it's entirety. He analyzed the fight, pointed out what he did wrong and what he needed to change in the future. He was in good spirits all day, happy and was taking the recent loss to Griffin in stride. He was looking forward to training again, modifying his training to improve himself, cleaning up his diet and moving forward. We did not observe Quinton (as he has been recently described by the public & media) as ‘depressed' or ‘unhappy.' He was his normal joking, jovial happy self. We wish him the best and we will continue to support him 100%. He is and always will be part of the Throwdown family."


Here is the actual video, you be the judge.










Random Pass
MMAWeekly has some great interviews, really they do. However, this little convo with Arlovski before his big fight on Affliction may top them all. After some pretty basic back and forth banter, the question comes up about Arlovski's former girlfriend, who is rumored to now be dating former nemesis Tim Sylvia. What Arlovski has to say about it, well, is one of the best things I have heard in a long while.






Well that's about it guys. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy all of tonight's great fights, and until next time, you have just passed the guard!