UFC 102 Poster - Image: Ultimate Fighting Championships

Also winning in this fight were the fans, who witnessed what has to be a fight of the year candidate if I ever saw one. From slugging on the feet to near-finish submission escapes, this fight blew away quietly confident expectations and really reminded everyone why both fighters are legends of the sport. Even I was wishing the fight could have lasted two more rounds, and that’s with me thinking 5-round non-title fights are a tool of the devil.

Past that, UFC 102 as a whole was pretty awesome. Several giant knockouts and some slick submissions plus an extra war jammed in at the end gave the event massive bang for it’s buck, and it gave me a nice shot in the arm I needed after a crap-tastic UFC 101. I recommend finding a way to watch it, but if you just want the nitty gritty results, here they are:
- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira def. Randy Coture via Unanimous Decision
- Thiago Silva def. Keith Jardine via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
- Nate Marquardt def. Demian Maia via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
- Brandon Vera def. Kryzsztof Soszynski via Unanimous Decision
- Jake Rosholt def. Chris Leben via Submission (Arm Triangle) Round 3
- Aaron Simpson def. Ed Herman via technical knockout (injury) in round two
- Gabriel Gonzaga def. Chris Tuchscherer via technical knockout (strikes) in round one
- Mike Russow def. Justin McCully via unanimous decision
- Todd Duffee def. Tim Hague via knockout in round one (Seven seconds!)
- Mark Munoz def. Nick Catone via split decision
- Evan Dunham def. Marcus Aurelio via split decision

Bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Nogueira & Couture
- Submission of the Night: Jake Rosholt
- Knockout of the Night: Nate Marquardt

Next up: Gray Maynard vs Roger Huerta at UFC Fight Night on September 16!

Post from: EveryJoe

Nog Wins War Against Couture at UFC 102

Fedor Emelianenko - Image: Zuma Press

Who is Fedor? He’s a portly looking Russian who looks more like a window washer than a cage champion. But for nearly a decade he has fought in Japan, beating out a huge amount of the world’s best heavyweights. His record currently stands at 30-1, with the only loss coming via a cut from an illegal elbow that many claim should have been ruled a no contest. Simply put, Fedor is without a doubt the best heavyweight in the world, and many hardcore mixed martial arts fans have a total boner for the idea of him coming to the UFC and destroying Brock Lesnar.

The problem? Fedor and the UFC don’t get along. His management claims that restrictive contract clauses make joining the UFC impossible. The UFC responds that Fedor wants to have his cake and eat it too – to get paid an estimated 2 million dollars per fight without having to fight exclusively for the UFC. While Fedor is correct in his claim that UFC contracts are more restrictive than a straight jacket, the UFC also ain’t joking when they say Fedor’s demands are unreasonable. Long story short, even with UFC president Dana White declaring he’d make Brock vs Fedor happen somehow, it could be a while before these two groups see eye to eye.

In the meantime, next up for Brock Lesnar seems to be the winner of Cain Velasquez vs Shane Carwin in late October. Unless Randy Couture has anything to say about it … the Natural has been quite vocal about wanting a rematch against Lesnar, and he feels like a strong win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira would put him back on the path to another title shot. He’s also made it clear that if Fedor comes to the UFC, he should get first crack at him. Back in 2008 Couture tried to break his UFC contract to arrange a fight against Fedor, but a lengthy legal battle resulted in Randy’s return to the octagon with a new contract promising the UFC would make a reasonable effort to set up a Couture vs Fedor fight.

So for a guy most people don’t know who isn’t even in the UFC, Fedor Emelianenko sure does have some stiff opposition lined up if he ever chooses to sign on the dotted line. And we haven’t even brought up Fedor’s nemesis Mirko Crocop or the large number of UFC fighters that have called out the Russian fighter over the years. For now, we’ll just have to live with him being a free agent … he fights again on August 1st against former UFC champion Josh Barnett at Affliction: Trilogy.

Post from: EveryJoe

Who Is The Best Heavyweight In MMA?

First up, we saw an UFC and MMA Veteran lose his title to an MMA/UFC rookie with the Brock Lesnar Vs. Randy Couture fight. With the huge difference in weight between these tow fighters there has been a lot of people questioning if there should be a weigh class within the Heavyweight class. MMAWeekly.com presented this question to the Nevada Stats Athletic Commission. Their response was "This already exists", referring to the Super-Heavyweight class. Not really the answer they were shooting for, though. You can read what other SAC’s said at MMAWeekly.com.

This month also saw the dethroning of the WEC Featherweight Champ, Urijah Faber. Mike Brown caught Faber with a huge right in the first round of this highly anticipated fight and then capitalized on a stunned Faber and beat him in to a TKO (by punches, ref stoppage). Faber wants an immediate rematch in an attempt to reclaim his lost title, but we may see a Jens Pulver/Faber part 2 instead. I’d like to see someone else (like Leonard Garcia) face Mike Brown first, but Faber definitely deserves a shot again.

Within the last 2 months there has been more controversy with ProElite and EliteXC as ProElite shut down it’s operations leaving a lot of fighters in limbo and waiting to find out what the future holds for them. Will they become free agents or will their contracts be sold to another promotion?

Dana White has been running his mouth A LOT lately. Some say he’s become a huge ego-maniac and it’s bad for the sport. Being president of one of the biggest MMA promotion is a big responsibility. With the success of the UFC and Zuffa it’s tough for smaller promotions/competition to break through. With Dana White constantly talking trash and banning other promotions, clothing lines, etc. it doesn’t make it any easier. Is Dana burning too many bridges that he could possibly use in the future or is he just doing what the execs. at Zuffa tell him to? MMAFighting.com’s Friday Mailbag discussed a few of those issues.

Bobby Lashley, another Pro-wrestler gone MMA finds himself kind of in Limbo as the promotion he is currently signed with (Kentucky’s AFL), is in an unknown status. He’s bound to his contract but it seems that after the recent success this year of Brock Lesnar, other promotions are showing interest because of the big draw of the former pro-wrestling star. Until then, Lashley will have to ride out his contract. He recently spoke to TAGG Radio, a partner of MMA Junkie. It’s a great read and I think that Lashley could do well for himself in MMA. He big, he’s quick and he’s got good cardio. We’ll have to wait and see after a few fights.

After an extremely disappointing fight and an unprofessional turn of events for Paulo Filho this past WEC 36 with his bout with Chael Sonnen, the fighter was dropped from WEC. Though the WEC is dropping their middleweight division, Filho would have been a fighter considered for a move to the UFC next year. After his loss and not being able to make weight for his last fight it was bound to happen. Right now his management says that the priority for Paulo Filho is to get his life back in order and his mind focused.

Lastly, it’s been reported quite recently that Pat Miletich is getting back in to the ring next month. Miletich will face Tommy Denny at Adrenaline MMA’s second show in the Miletech Fighting System’s backyard of Moline Iowa. Read more on that at MMAWeekly.com.

Well that wraps things up here for the Month. Moving in to December we have a handful of great MMA fights coming up that you won’t want to miss.

All Image Credit: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

End Of Month MMA Wrap Up

Starting with the main event. Brock Lesnar came out hungry and proved that he’s not just a hyped up former WWE cash draw. While I like Randy Couture I just had a feeling that Brock’s size and (real) wrestling background was going to be an issue. When you pit two wrestlers up against each other and one weights about 40 more pounds than the other size is certainly going to be a factor. Brock defended Coutrure’s take downs well and Randy’s in ring stand up experience worked well to keep Lesnar at bay. All it took was a big right from Lesnar in the second round that stunned randy very briefly and sent him to the ground. Brock capitalized on this and made quick to jump on the downed Couture and start hammering away with fast, short and powerful hammer fists and punches. Couture tried hard to cover up and defend himself but the fists were coming in too fast for him to break away and make an attempt on a good defensive maneuver. The ref stopped the fight and Lesnar became the UFC Heavyweight Champion in only his 3rd fight in the UFC. This win doesn’t come without conversation of people arguing that Lesnar should have earned his spot for the title shot like so many others before him as opposed to being tossed in because it would be a huge crowd and money draw. Either way, there is nothing you can do now besides see what happens next. He may lose in his first defense of the title and have to work his way back up that way.

UFC.com said that Lesnar’s first title defense will take place early next year against the winner of the Mir/ Nogueira fight next month. Bot of these fighters have great Jiu-Jitsu skills and Brock lost to Mir in his UFC debut. I think Lesnar was looking for and expecting a quick win in that fight but Frank Mir played it just right and caught him in a submission. I don’t think Lesnar will let that stupid mistake happen again. Nogueira is no newcomer to fighting big guys either but his speed is slower than Lesnar and I think that will play a key roll if that fight takes place.

Kenny Florian proved to be an underestimated fighter and a skillful combatant with his win over Joe Stevenson with a rear naked choke. I honestly think that Stevenson was so not intimidated by him and was a bit overconfident. Kenny actually made it look very easy.

Gabriel Gonzaga made short work of Josh Hendricks with a big right that sent Hendricks to the matt. Gonzaga jumped in and went to work throwing punches to the face of a face-down Hendricks who after the first punch thrown by Gonza was tapping.

Demian Maia made quick work of Nate Quarry with his amazing Jiu-Jistu in the first round and Matt Brown looked exhausted after his win over Ryan Thomas, which he took on very short notice.

The fights were moving fast and they showed some under-card fights to kill time, even after the main event. Dustin Hazlett beat Tamdan McCrory with a great submission by an interesting straight arm-bar. Jeremy Stephens took Rafael dos Anjos out in the second round with a monster uppercut that looked like he threw from behind his knee and caught Dos Anjos square on the jaw.

Image Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

UFC 91, A Night To Remember

Post from: EveryJoe

ESPN First Take Lesnar Vs. Couture

You have Randy Couture:  A veteran octagon fighter since UFC 13, with 15 win and 8 loses. 6′ 2" tall and 220 pounds. He’s held the UFC heavyweight championship 3 times and the Light-Heavyweight championship twice.

Then You Have Brock Lesnar: A rookie MMA fighter who made his debut into the MMA in June of 2007 with his first win in his first professional fight. He went on to lose his first fight in the UFC against Frank Mir earlier this year. However he made an impressive win by decision over Heath Herring (Who has over 40 fights under his belt) back in August. Lesnar weighs in 45 lbs more than Couture and an inch in height.

So you have a literal newby who most think might not have a chance, unless by dominating Couture with his size. And you have Couture who has fought much bigger fighters than himself with more experience than Lesnar. Like I said though. This could go either way and I would want to bet on Couture but something tells me that it might not be that easy if Lesnar has been training right. You can catch UFC 91 live on PPV November 15th.

Randy Couture (220) vs. Brock Lesnar (265)
Kenny Florian (155) vs. Joe Stevenson (155)
Amir Sadollah (1858) vs. Nick Catone (185)
Gabriel Gonzaga (242) vs. Josh Hendricks  (246)
Dustin Hazelett (170) vs. Tamdan McCrory (170)
Alvin Robinson (155) vs. Mark Bocek (155)
Jeremy Stephens (155) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (155)

Image Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/news/2008/10/08/ufc-91-couture-vs-lesnar-poster-revealed

Post from: EveryJoe

UFC 91 Card and Poster

Other fights confirmed for the even are Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdan McCrory and Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson

Image used with permission from Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

UFC 91 Tickets Go On Sale Saturday September 20th

The year is 2002 on an episode of WWE Monday night Raw, the man that was to be known as “THE NEXT BIG THING” Brock Lesnar was on the scene and ready to take the professional wrestling scene by storm just as he did in the NCAA heavyweight division. At that time little was known about the 23-year-old former University of Minnesota collegiate wrestler, but one thing was for sure the man was a genetic freak.

Led to the ring by WWE personality Paul Heyman, Lesnar destroyed everything put in his path including the likes of Hulk Hogan and the The “Rock” to become (at that time) the youngest WWE Heavyweight champion and all in just the first year. Only 3 years after the start of a very promising Pro wrestling career Brock decided to hang up his wrestling boots and pursue a short lived pro career with the NFL. While only playing a few pre-season games, he made his mark on the league. And if you don’t believe me, ask Kansas City chiefs quarterback Damon Huard if he is still feeling the effects of a Brock Lesnar sack.

Fast forward to present day and Brock is at it again, but this time testing his skills in MMA. The whole Brock in MMA thing seems to have stemmed from a pro wrestling match in Japan with pro wrestler and former Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle. More than likely perceived as a joke, Angle challenged Brock to a MMA fight. From the looks of things I guess Brock wasn’t joking. Just 2 year later Brock is now a UFC fighter with 3 fights under his belt with a pro record of 2-1. Brock’s last fight left the MMA world buzzing and salivating for more. In just 3 fights the 31 year old newcomer has proven to the world he is not a joke and shouldn’t be taken lightly, showing some signs of a promising and dominating future.

So what is the next stop on the Brock Lesnar pain train? Well none other than Randy “The Natural” Couture for the UFC World Heavyweight Championship.

Check out the Brock Lesnar Vs Randy Couture – *Unofficial Promo*

Post from: EveryJoe

LESNAR: The “Next Big Thing…AGAIN”

We have all heard it before when it comes to Randy Couture. “He’s too old, not big enough, not strong enough, his time has passed” only to be silenced by the MMA legend. Randy has returned to the UFC with a new contract, all personal and business issues apparently ironed out with the UFC. Randy left the UFC in Oct of 2007 partially out of frustration the company did not sign Fedor Emelianenko. While Randy still remains hopeful a deal can eventually be worked out to fight the widely regarded greatest Heavyweight in the World, there is another perhaps far more dangerous obstacle in Randy’s path than any contract stipulation.

The 6’3 265 Pound Brock Lesner, will face Randy at UFC 91 in November. Lesner the former professional wrestling WWE Champion, has taken the MMA world by storm since making his UFC debut in Feb of 2008. Lesner a former real NCAA heavyweight champion in 2000 is a beast of an athlete. Perhaps the most devastating combination of size, strength and athleticism, MMA has ever seen. Lesner got off to a bit of a rocky start when he was submitted by former UFC heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. After thoroughly dominating the early action, Lesner made a rookie mistake and was submitted via knee bar by the Brazilian jiu-jitsu, expert.

He would rebound 6 months later at UFC 87 against Heath Herring. A fighter with a resume of 42 fights, including bouts with some of the most experienced fighters in the game like current UFC Heavyweight Champ Antônio Nogueira and was coming off a big win over current contender Cheick Kongo. Lesner dropped Herring with a massive right hand to start the fight, damaging Herring’s eye and dominated the entire 15 min fight on the ground. Brock’s overwhelming physical talent has many in the MMA world buzzing whether or not Randy at age 45 has enough left to tame the young lion once more?

This bout will be a classic tale of Experience VS Youth. Randy’s been down this road before. Few gave him a shot against Chuck Liddell in their first fight; others doubted he would defeat Tito Ortiz. Randy’s greatest act of defying his age and the odds came at UFC 68 when he moved up in weight and dominated 6’8 then Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia. Randy will go into UFC 91 the favorite, likely thanks to his ring savvy and experience but still the doubters remain. For even the Great Randy Couture, will one day succumb to father time and look old inside the octagon. The day will come when Randy can no longer defy the odds. Does the younger, stronger, bigger man in Lesner have what it takes to finally make Randy look every bit of his 45 years? It sure will be fun finding out in November.

Photo credit: Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

How Much Longer Can Randy Couture Defy Father Time?