Is Brazil on the Verge of a UFC Takeover?
by Nate Wilcox on May 12, 2009 4:17 PM EDT
in MMA News
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That's what Brazil's #1 MMA site thinks. From Tatame.com:
Brazilian is good on the ground, but doesn’t know how to strike standing: this concept ran the world of MMA for many years, but this has changed. With the UFC consecrated as the biggest event in the world, we’re close to get three belts, which would put the country back on top of the sport.
Besides enjoying the English as a Second Language prose, I have to respect their national pride.
I also think its interesting that they're crediting the rise of capable Brazilian strikers with their resurgence. Didn't Chute Boxe's dominance of PRIDE end the "Brazilians can't strike" myth a while back?
Lyoto Machida has a most excellent chance to take the LHW belt, but I expect Thiago Alves will be sent home beltless by GSP.
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we’re close to get three belts
Well, two out of three. If Hughes can get Alves down, so can GSP. :)
I love me some Sexyama!
No, Tatame! Rashad Hashad will win!
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on May 12, 2009 1:02 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I see what you did there!…to bad no Gracie has been relevant in a while.
I stared at my screen with a constipated look for about 20 seconds before the “light bulb” moment.
Roger?
He’s an outstanding grappler and would be great MMA fighter if he would actually fight anymore.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on May 12, 2009 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Nog, Machida, Anderson, Alves could all easily be champs at the same time in the UFC.
The toughest sell is at LW for the Brazilians, which is odd since you would think the smaller weight classes would be easiest.
Yes, I have to agree that the Brazilians are starting to dominate in MMA again.
Brazilians, though well represented, are far from dominating MMA or the UFC. Anderson is a mainstay with the MW belt, Machida could be the LHW champ soon, but beyond that, Brazilians aren’t overly deep into “dominating” the Top 10 at any weight class. Alves is a top fighter, Mino is uncertain at HW, Shogun still has question marks…
I thought you had buried Nog after the Mir fight – who is the best Brazilian LW?
by Derek Suboticki on May 12, 2009 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Gesias Cavalcante?
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
by Richard Wade on May 12, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, he is in the decline FOR SURE, but he could also sub Lesnar or beat Mir in a rematch if he really was “injured” or whatever excuse they want to use. The HW picture is wide open for anyone to be champ really, and if he had won his last fight, he would be the interim champ right now.
by MMASuPreMaCy on May 12, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ve been fending people away from burying Nog since that fight – one bad night at 32 does not a done fighter make. I think he beats Couture and, by virtue of doing so, gets the next title shot.
by Derek Suboticki on May 12, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions
No, it doesn’t make him done. The next fight will tell us a lot.
I agree that the Nog-Couture winner will get the next shot at the HW belt. However, I think Couture will win, and then get flattenned by Lesnar again. If Nog isn’t shot, he has a great shot to demonstrate that, but I just don’t see it. JMO.
Yah, well some people think the Herring fight was a pretty bad night also so I can understand it. It’s a win, but to get as close to losing as he was to someone he had beat twice before? Nog has to be accompanied by some doubt.
To tell the truth I don’t think he’s anywhere close to done, I just think he’s changed into a “boring” standup fighter. He hasn’t mastered Machida’s “don’t get hit” decision win strategy, but he’s certainly working on perfecting it.
I should note that I love this strategy, good intelligent striking is never boring to me. It’s just unfunny social commentary.
Im not a fan of his
but people are really underestimating Brock. The guy is more athletic than anyone in the HW division, and young. He is so strong he can roll out of just about any sub and is improving on the ground at a scary rate. I think in a year or two we will be calling for Dana to bring in Fedor or Arlovski because no one in the UFC can touch Brock, especially a guy who fights at 230 when Brock is fighting around 270 and still light on his feet.
If Mir dosent win the HW belt now, no one will for a while.
by ryanwk628 on May 12, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Classic case of counting one’s chickens… Silva will probably keep his title in the near future, but Alves is a long shot at best and while Machida has a good chance, let’s see the fight before corking the champagne.
by Monday Morning Martial Artist on May 12, 2009 1:23 PM EDT reply actions
Ed Soares aka Dr. Evil
Dana: Silva fucking sucked last night!
Soares: Don’t mess with me. I’m one crazy mo-fo. I had to pop a cop cause he wasn’t giving me my props in Oaktown. No? I’ve heard that somewhere.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on May 12, 2009 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d love to see a CANADA vs BRAZIL version of TUF with GSP taking on Anderson Silva at the end of it. The national pride would make up for the subtitles.
by Higgz on May 12, 2009 2:06 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Canadians don’t have accents, and therefore would need no subtitles.
Keep firing Assholes!
This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.
"Canadians don’t have accents"
Huh? lol
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
We speak perfect franglais
Keep firing Assholes!
This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.
I need a translator while listening to GSP
like I need someone sitting next to me explaining hockey to me! lol
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
Even still, I
am always wondering why in the fuck the ref is blowing the whistle when a guy is skating by himself on the other end of the ice.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
You see dat is cause da other team shoot de puck from da other end of de haice on de wrong side of de centre haice redline eh.
Eider dat or da ref is call de play cause le play is offsyde.
Keep firing Assholes!
This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.
Exactly,
I have no idea what in the fuck any of that means! lol
I just see a guy blowing past everyone else & the ref calling him back.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
Like uh den in dat case da foreward or centre offensive playeur is offside.
Dis appen when de offensive palyeur attempt to entre de autre team’s defensive zone avec de puck leading a play while dere are other member of his team in de zone of play.
Fait tu comprendes? Bien.
Keep firing Assholes!
This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.
I can’t believe I understood all that – my whole damn family is Cajun, so I grew up on that accent.
If the UFC ever wants to return to La, they just need GSP headlining. Anyone French-Canadian is treated like family here. We’d throw him the best damn afterparty – crawfish, abita beer, and dancing all night long.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on May 12, 2009 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I am from Northern Ontario origionally, and I grew up around a lot of French Canadians. I picked up their accent and a bit of franglais, but I can guarintee that franglais from the Bayou will not match up well with franglais from Northern Ontario.
Keep firing Assholes!
This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.
Yeah, but it’s close enough – I’ve known many French-Canadians, and we understand each other well. I have more trouble with my family because I learned the standard Parisian French.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on May 12, 2009 9:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Alves go home beltless?? I think not
Kid Nate,
I think you are a underestimating Alves. The guy is a powerhouse and his striking is way more advanced than GSP. GSP may be a very very good fighter, but I dont see him keeping the belt this time around. Alves is to powerful standing up, and we have already seen with GSP’s last 2 bouts that he is a little shy with standing up. He prefers the take downs, Alves has excellent takedown defense, and when he does get on his back he gets right back up almost immediately. The one thing that people are not taking into account in this matchup as well is that all the opponents that GSP has faced before either were around his mass or less. Alves will be his first opponent that GSP will not have the size and strength advantage and will actually be at a disadvantage in this one. I dont see this ending quickly, but I see Alves winning a split decision.
Hughes got Alves down but couldn’t keep him down for obvious reasons. GSP can definitely take Alves down, and while Alves is probably the biggest guy GSP has faced to date, GSP has shown great technique and excellent top control, and his wrestling is second to none in the WW division. Superior technique can nulify size differences (up to a point.) He’s also extremely athletic, he’s a cerebral fighter who works a great game plan (along with Jackson), and sticks to it. On top of that, GSP will push Alves hard and I don’t think Alves has ever been in a five round fight. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a tough fight for both guys, but I still see GSP taking home the belt again. I think his strategy will to go for the takedown early, grind him down, then box in the later rounds when Alves is tired. GSP knows that in the standup, anything can happen, so he’ll stick to where there are fewer variables early on. The way I see it, GSP wins in the championship rounds, or he’ll win on points.
I love me some Sexyama!
The only real chance that I can give Alves against
GSP is if he catches him with some sick knees going for a takedown. But GSP has started getting in the clinch & then taking his opponents down, so I am not sure how that will work. There is no way Alves outpoints GSP in a 5 round fight though.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I saw GSP beat the everloving shit out of Fitch on the feet. For extended periods.
by Derek Suboticki on May 12, 2009 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions
That is most definitely true,
but no one confuses Jon Fitch with a dangerous striker either though.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
BJ has some power,
but has not been truly feared for his striking by other strikers, only against guys like Sherk really.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
Actually, this post is nearly a complete strikeout.
Alves is a good striker, but he’s not more advanced than GSP. More powerful with strikes perhaps, but not more advanced nor diverse. If people think Alves will be able to leg kick GSP at will like he did to Koscheck, they’re in for a rude awakening. GSP is a kyokushin black belt. He’s trained leg kicks for most of his life. He also uses range much differently than Kos. And Alves’ hands aren’t great (not bad by any means, just not great).
GSP beat up BJ Penn on the feet in their fight, and stood with Fitch for most of the fight, knocking Fitch down 4x in the process. If you’ve actually watched GSP’s fights, you wouldn’t be trying to perpetuate the myth that he’s shy standing up.
Alves does have good TD defense, but he was taken down by Karo (2x) and Hughes. And Alves got a ref standup in the Hughes fight to regain his feet, not an escape.
Yes, Alves is big, but Jon Fitch was clearly bigger (and taller) than GSP, and that didn’t seem to be much of a problem. GSP is also bigger (and stronger, and faster, and quicker) than anyone Alves has fought recently, so that goes both ways.
A fight that goes 5 full rounds does not favor Alves.
Actually, THIS post is nearly a complete strikeout
wow, just wow, how you can even say “Alves is a good striker, but he’s not more advanced than GSP” and/or “If you’ve actually watched GSP’s fights, you wouldn’t be trying to perpetuate the myth that he’s shy standing up.”
both statements are wrong. i can see an argument for gsp’s stand up is improving and he might be able to hang for a round or two when they finally meet, but better than Alves is just wrong.
And, YEAH he IS shy about standing up, Serra(second time), BJ(second time), Kos, the only people he kind of stood with are fitch and Sherk, and they were pretty much noobs.
………what the hell man?
good luck in life!
So you claim my post that addressed multiple points is a strikeout, yet only address one of them, and don’t make a case in your favor to prove where my post was incorrect? You should try harder.
Alves standup isn’t more advanced than GSP’s. You can cay it’s more effective or more powerful, but it’s not more advanced. GSP has an equal number of tools in the striking department as Alves, or more. That speaks to the diversity of each guy’s game. And Alves’ striking is known mostly for his kicks, which will likely be neutralized by GSP’s background in that aspect of striking. Seriously, if you don’t see this aspect of the striking matchup, then you’ve not analyzed each guy closely.
And GSP isn’t shy in the standup. He spent most of the fight with Fitch striking, and spent plenty of time striking with Penn (who has better hands than Alves). That’s just a fact. Because GSP also blends in TDs and ground work with his striking does not make him shy of the standup. That’s what makes GSP a transcendent fighter – his ability to take the fight to whatever realm he wants it to be in, and do so in a seamless fashion. You seem to miss this key point in your “analysis”.
No way this fight gonna be easy for GSP. Thiago isn’t BJ Talker Penn!
by Sweet Daddy Dee on May 12, 2009 6:51 PM EDT reply actions
Sorry man
I respect the hell out of Alves, but watch the Fitch fight and tell me how he doesn’t get outwrestled again.
by Derek Suboticki on May 12, 2009 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions
And I’ve never seen this quote from Goldberg (rewatching Liddell/Ortiz II):
Tito taking a book out of Chuck’s chapter there!
by Derek Suboticki on May 12, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions
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