Where Do UFC 110 Fighters Go Next?
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 21, 2010 3:30 PM EST
in MMA News
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Everyone loves to play fantasy matchmaker and there's no better day to take on the challenge as the day after a major event. Here's a selection of last night's fights and where I think the fighters should go from here.
James Te Huna vs. Igor Pokrajac - Te Huna is a guy that they're going to want to keep around but from the reports (I have not yet seen the fight) he got buzzed by Pokrajac in the second round. I'd think a move to a fight with Razak Al-Hassan is a fair step. It's not really a progression from Pokrajac but I think it's too soon for him to take that step up to the level of a Brian Stann or Steve Cantwell. Al-Hassan is 0-2 and doesn't look like he has any business in the UFC so it's probably sensible for him to be used as a "get me over" fight for a guy the promotion wants to protect for regional interests. As for Pokrajac? Next for him is a job search.
Chris Lytle vs. Brian Foster - Really great leg lock win for Lytle and for the first time since August of 2007 he has back-to-back wins. If Ben Saunders gets the win over Jake Ellenberger a fight between him and Lytle has fight of the night written all over it. The winner would also emerge as a fringe contender at welterweight. As for Foster, his job should be safe given that his style is very crowd friendly but he does need a win to stick around. If Amir Sadollah weren't going to be tied up with Dong Hyun Kim that would be a good fight. As a matter of fact, pretty much every fighter who would be a good fight for Foster is tied up at the moment with almost all of the mid-level 170 pounders being booked between now and UFC 115.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski - Really there isn't anything better for either guy than a rematch. They were putting on a good fight that would please more or less any crowd on any show they put it on. The inconclusive ending really makes for plenty of reason to throw them back on a card on Spike or Versus.
Two more individual fighters:
George Sotiropoulos - I'd be interested to see George move up to fight Sean Sherk (depending on the status of his injury). Sherk is basically "good Stevenson" and I'd be interested to see if Sotiropoulos can continue on with his good use of length and extremely high level floor game. Sotiropoulos is very good but he's also 32 so you can't waste too much time before seeing what he's got.
Michael Bisping - Against dangerous strikers Bisping just looks so hesitant to fully engage. He spent the entire fight against Silva looking to pot shot and very rarely threw anything hard enough to make Silva think twice about coming in with his wide shots. The Kendall Grove/Mark Munoz winner would be a very nice fight for Bisping who needs to re-earn his spot fighting against the upper end of the middleweights.
Where is the rest of the card? Ryan Bader, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Cain Velasquez? Well, that's what I'm tasking all of you with, dear Bloody Elbow community. Have some fun and share your thoughts on what the appropriate next step for everyone is.
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Nog v Crocop- not the first to mention this. seems like a good fight that would sell fine as a co-main on a ppv.
Silva v Akiyama- same story. Akiyama apparently wants the fight.
Jardine v At least two more. I have to think he has at least two more tries even if he isnt under the bonnar-forrest ‘like my kids’ banner.
Agree with all your match ups, but Nog needs a layoff from this KO and Cro Cop needs a real fight soon. So i think Cop vs Rothwell soon then Cop vs Nog in the fall.
Cain vs Winner of JDS/Gonz or Loser of Mir/Carwin
G Sot vs Nate Diaz
Bisping vs Winner of Palhares/Drwal
Bader vs Cane (Bader needs his stand up tested)
Instead of Nog vs CroCop
I wouldn’t mind seeing Crocop vs Yvel. I think that has the potential to be a great fight and can give Crocop the platform to show his training in Holland.
by Roll for Life on Feb 22, 2010 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
I like Cain vs Winner of JDS/GG
Akiyama/Silva and Nog/CC 2 seem like obvious match-ups.
New Orleans Saints - 2010 Super Bowl Champions. Unbelievable. Who Dat.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Feb 21, 2010 3:37 PM EST reply actions
I like your Cain vs JDS/GG winner. Great idea. If it comes down to Cain vs JDS, does the winner earn a possible title shot or number one contender? Is it too early for either of them?
to me that's wasting a title shot
but given that Lesnar won’t defend the belt until July 2010 against the winner of Mir vs Carwin, perhaps it makes perfect sense to have the title eliminator between Cain and JDS on that same card as Lesnar vs Mir/Carwin.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
Yeah, that's the major issue
I don’t imagine Cain wants to wait until late fall/early winter to fight again after coming out of last night’s bout with no more than a tiny cut on his forehead.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
And they have to give Cain SOMEBODY
He broke into that “upper tier” in the heavyweight division (and did it in dramatic fashion), so they can’t give him a big step down from Nogueira. Might as well keep him busy with JDS.
JDS and Cain are the futures of the heavyweight division, so it’s not like you have to tarnish one of them by having them fight each other. They are both here to stay.
This is all assuming JDS beats GG, which is far from a certainty.
Yep
Just like a Jones/Bader fight won’t harm either fighter long term— they’re the future of the LHW division and will likely see one another again down the line.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
I would love to see Jones/Bader but suspect Bader isn’t quite as far in his progression as a fighter as Jones is. Jardine was a big win for Bader but I wasn’t exactly blown away by his performance.
Nog should get the loser of Carwin vs. Mir
If not either of those two, I wouldn’t mind seein him fight Gabe, or CroCop.
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
CroCop is nice, Napao could hurt Nog too much.
by dancingChicken on Feb 21, 2010 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
I think you give Bader the loser of Vera vs. Jones
I don’t like Lytle’s chances against Saunders as he will likely keep it standing. Saunders would do some serious damage in the clinch.
Bisping vs. Belcher or hell, feed him Dolloway
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
I don't like
matches between a guy coming off a loss vs a guy coming off a win. The exception to that is if the guy coming off the loss is clearly at a higher tier than his opponent.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
Would you put Bader at a higher tier than the loser of that fight?
I do understand your logic, but I think Bader should have one more 10 – 15 guy before facing some of the top guys at LHW. Thiago Silva seems to be the popular choice around the internets though.
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
Well look at it this way, Jardine has a win over Vera, so you can debate the levels of the fighter but that really muddies it up for me and it’s not really clear who is higher up on the food chain.
Bader vs Vera sounds just fine with me.
just 'cause you pour syrup on shit, don't make it pancakes
by imnotjohnlong on Feb 21, 2010 4:21 PM EST up reply actions
Really don’t want to see Nogueira against anyone other than Cro Cop to be honest. He doesn’t need any more losses to contenders or middling HWs, I’d rather just see him in there with someone around his own age/experience. If he can beat Cro Cop then give him the Mir rematch and if he loses again, call it a day.
As for Saunders/Lytle, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ellenberger ruin that fantasy matchup. I haven’t seen Saunders on his back but Ellenberger is a monster from top control and could wreck Saunders if he isn’t careful.
Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.
by lowellthehammer on Feb 21, 2010 3:42 PM EST reply actions
I thought Al-Hassan got cut, so he couldn’t take on Te Huna
Go get that bread, Kimbo Slice. - Mike Fagan
by SouthAlaBamaRampage on Feb 21, 2010 3:43 PM EST reply actions
I thought I heard that, but then I couldn’t find it confirmed and he’s still listed on their roster.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 21, 2010 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=forum.posts&thread=1588049
I took this as he was cut, unless they are letting him fight outside then come back if he wins.
Go get that bread, Kimbo Slice. - Mike Fagan
by SouthAlaBamaRampage on Feb 21, 2010 10:26 PM EST up reply actions
Bader just passed through a gate keeper. The winner of jones Vera makes sense on paper but isn’t very exciting. Thiago Silva would be interesting without and would have about a 50/50 chance of making him a contender instead of eliminating one by having him fight Jones or Vera.
by timthemit53 on Feb 21, 2010 3:48 PM EST via mobile reply actions
That's why you go with the loser of Jones/Vera
Bader isn’t ready for the top 10 competition yet
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
I think jones/vera vs bader is a great match and the winner will be
in serious contention.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
Jones vs Bader would be a serious peek into the future of the division
I’d buy that as a semi-main, even.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
But what if Vera wins ?
Vera vs Bader doesn’t have the same appeal to me as Jones vs. Bader.
"I was not impressed by your performance"
I agree
I’d have to reevaluate under that circumstance, but Bader/Vera isn’t a fight I’m interested in right now.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
The Polish Expiriment couldn't handle that
He barely handled Bonnar
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
As much as I am a fan of K-Sos, this is true. He’d get taken down and pounded out. He’s powerful, but slow; Bader – at least until he gasses – is fast and also powerful.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
i actually think K-Sos could win that fight tho...
Bader is always a wild punch attempt away from running into a fist. lol.
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
LOL@this
Bader would eat his face off.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
nice work. hopefully this becomes a regular feature.
i wouldn’t mind seeing lytle rematch serra honestly. they’re both coming off recent wins, and there’s the storyline of the close decision for the tuf contract and title shot.
no clue who to suggest for bader, but he did much better than i expected against a big leap up in competition against jardine. perhaps keep him at that level and have him thiago silva?
I think it should b bader/thiago silva and then nog vs the winner of Struve/Nelson. Cain vs jds if he gets by napao.I think bisping should fight Nate the great. I think lytle should get a rematch vs serra, now the matt likes to stand and bang. IMO lytle wins the rematch and then u can give him a contender and see if he cam take that next step. Cro cop should fight the loser of struve/Nelson.
by J smooth 420 on Feb 21, 2010 3:55 PM EST via mobile reply actions
If Franklin weren’t tied up, Bader vs Franklin would be my choice.
Nog should fight Mir if Mir loses to Carwin.
If JDS gets past Gonzaga, then JDS/Cain has to happen.
Lytle/Rumble would be gangbusters, in my mind.
I would love to see Bisping vs Okami.
If Pellegrino beats Morango (and I hope he doesn’t), I’d love to see Sotiropoulos fight him.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
I personally would like to see
Bisping v. Belcher
Jardine v. someone without a left arm
Sotiropolous v. Tyson Griffin
Whoever loses between Mir/Carwin v. Cain
Joe Stevenson v. Evan Dunham
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 5:57 PM EST up reply actions
Bisping vs Dollaway: Who’s douchier?
Nog vs the winner of Struve-Nelson or Ben Rothwell
Cro-Cop vs Chris Tucherererererer
Chris Lytle vs Rumble would be awesome. Im with you Blackout.
George Sot vs Sherk or Maynard
Id like to see Bader fight a good striker, give him the winner of Diabante vs Cane.
Your style's like garbage cans meant to be taken out on a weekly basis
Ever since your first record you've been in a state of suspended animation
You look like Snuffleuffagus and Australopithecus
Me cray, you abacus
I think Bisping wins the douche-off.
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 6:07 PM EST up reply actions
I’m going with C.B. on that
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
I think CB’s only advantage is that his nose is shaped as such that it always looks like he is smelling poop
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 6:10 PM EST up reply actions
I like crocop vs tuchserererrqeerewr because I think cop needs another confidence fight but that’s bias match-making I suppose
by cagefightonacid on Feb 21, 2010 6:59 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
as for jardine...
hard to say. maybe chuck or tito depending on how their fight shakes out? though i’m guessing his next fight will be a danzig/bucholz win-or-gtfo type matchup. maybe a guy like kyle kingsbury?
I don't know
I personally don’t see any reason to cut Jardine— he’s a great test for potential contenders, always shows up ready to fight and puts on a good show. I think he’s in good with Zuffa and isn’t at risk to leave, given his tenure and willingness to take on anyone. He won’t get a gimme in his next fight— and that’s why he’ll stick around, win or lose.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Feb 21, 2010 4:06 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
yeah, i don’t think he should be sent packing either. i guess he has fought a pretty ridiculous lineup of guys since the alexander loss.
He's a tough dude
That damn left hook always finds him at the worst possible time.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Say hello to FN prelims, Jardine. They might give him to the loser of Vera/Jones as a ‘bounce back’ fight.
Silva-Akiyama sounds nice – if Wandy loses, it might be a good time to start considering retirement. If he wins, maybe there’s a contender match in his future.
by Monday Morning Martial Artist on Feb 21, 2010 4:10 PM EST reply actions
Holy confused logic
If Wanderlei wins, he’s a title contender, but if he loses, he needs to apply for his AARP card? That’s one important fight…
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Feb 21, 2010 4:14 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I think that with the amount of name recognition he has Jardine is much better suited to co-headline a fight night card as opposed to being sent to prelim hell
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 5:59 PM EST up reply actions
What to do with Nog.....
Nog vs. Gonzaga (If he loses to JDS) I want Nog to get a win under his belt before throwing him to the wolves. He is getting to be a very old 33 (I think he is 33). I don’t think he can be the man he was in pride. I know he is coming off of a great performance against Randy Couture but, Randy is 46 years old. I don’t think Nog can win against the youth of the Heavyweight Division.
Cain vs Lesnar. I know Mir or Carwin are in line for the shot but, I want Cain to leap frog them. Plus I don’t want lesnar to have five fights in the octagon and three of them be Frank Mir.
CroCop vs. Kongo . I think that would be a great fight.
Sotiropoulos vs. either Tyson Griffin or Sean Sherk. I think with his age. He needs to be fast tracked with contenders.
Bisping vs. Marqardt. Thats a big fight for Bisping and launches both back into the title picture.
Silva vs. Akiyama. Let them duke it out.
Stevenson vs. Guida. For some reason that fight just sounds good to me.
Bader vs Cane A good fight between up and comer fighters.
Jardine vs. Phil Davis. If your gonna make him a gatekeeper. Use him on Davis. I really want Jardine to either move up or down a weight class. I think 205 is too stacked for him now.
"I was not impressed by your performance"
Kongo already beat Cro-Cop and Im 100% sure the outcome would be the same if they fought again.
Your style's like garbage cans meant to be taken out on a weekly basis
Ever since your first record you've been in a state of suspended animation
You look like Snuffleuffagus and Australopithecus
Me cray, you abacus
by ProfessorBLove on Feb 21, 2010 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
Kongo vs Crocop II isn't a bad idea.
Crocop wants to prove he can hang with the big dogs right ? Have him avenge a loss. Kongo is coming off of two loses and has been Crocop once before. If Kongo wins, he is on the winning track again and Crocop is pretty muck done. If Crocop wins then he takes a step up and Kongo is probable gone.
"I was not impressed by your performance"
Totally
I’d love to see that rematch, personally.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
we'll probably see kongo kneeing crocop in the balls again
Own the Podium became Owned on the Podium. What a failure.
Making the world a better place, one dirtbag at a time.
Phil Davis.
I think it’s way to soon to be having Davis fight a guy like Jardine.
Under ideal circumstance Davis would be cutting his teeth in a smaller promotion right now.
He just tooled Stann
I think where Jardine is now that would be the next logical step.
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
I would agree
Davis needs a step up in competition and Jardine is the desinated gatekeeper at 205.
"I was not impressed by your performance"
He has five fights, he took his step up with Stann, he needs a couple more fights on that level because his game still needs a lot of polish.
What threat does Jardine bring ?
Besides his unusual striking. His wrestling isn’t that great and I believe Davis would be able to manhandle him on the mat. The question then is Davis striking good enough to get it to the mat ? To be honest I don’t know. It does seem premature to have Davis fight Jardine in his second fight in the Ocatgon, but I feel confident enough that if the UFC made this fight Davis could win it.
"I was not impressed by your performance"
Or, Jardine could use that ugly paw jab to keep Davis at bay long enough to blast his lead leg a couple of times, keeping Davis standing and letting Jardine pick him apart from the outside; if that fight stays standing any longer than Sonnen-Marquardt, Davis is done.
Davis is a fabulous prospect and a great athlete. But he fought a guy who is a slow, obvious (and powerful) striker, and who is notorious for having marginal take down defence and darn near no ground skills. Davis isn’t ready for Jardine.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
Not to beat a dead horse but.......
Nog v Cro Cop….loser goes home.
just 'cause you pour syrup on shit, don't make it pancakes
Ugh
Nog will not go home if he loses to Crocop.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Feb 21, 2010 4:22 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Nor should he
But man it looks exciting booked like that.
just 'cause you pour syrup on shit, don't make it pancakes
by imnotjohnlong on Feb 21, 2010 4:25 PM EST up reply actions
Umm
If he loses to Cro Cop, he probably should.
by ufc4 on Feb 21, 2010 6:02 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
no.
he got his 6th loss last night to a top 5 heavy, that’s ridiculous to say that.
by cagefightonacid on Feb 21, 2010 7:03 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Maybe it's a pro wrestling style loser leaves town...
where the loser goes away for a month and then comes back and no one is surprised.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 21, 2010 4:39 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
YES
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Wandy said he wont fight Anderson and he wont fight Maia because they trained together. Unless Sonnen somehow wins the title this year (lulz) I dont think Wandy will fighting for the title anytime soon…
Your style's like garbage cans meant to be taken out on a weekly basis
Ever since your first record you've been in a state of suspended animation
You look like Snuffleuffagus and Australopithecus
Me cray, you abacus
He won't either way
Gotta get a few more fights in. If Belcher gets past Cote, Belcher/Wandy at some point would be fucking lights out.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Bader vs Cane
Big Nog vs loser of Mir/Carwin
Cain vs JDS (wouldn’t have it any other way)
CroCop vs winner of Barry/Yvel
Sotiropoulous vs Guillard
Keep firing Assholes!
Blackout is always right
Cane is fighting Diabate.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Sotiropoulous vs Guillard ????
shouldn’t he be taking a step up in competetion instead of a step down ?
"I was not impressed by your performance"
Oof
Guillard is coming off a huge win and seems a lot more disciplined now that he’s at Jackson’s. I don’t like the matchup at this time, but it doesn’t reflect on how good Guillard looked last time out now that he’s seemingly living up to his huge potential.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
I'm not a believer...yet
If he show in the next couple of fights that his takedown defense has been fixed then a fight with Sotiropoulous would be good. I just think with his history of mental mistakes and horrible takedown defense that the fight wouldn’t be very competitive.
"I was not impressed by your performance"
I agreed that I'm not interested in that fight right now
But calling Guillard a step down from Stevenson after how Guillard looked against Ronnys is too generalizing. He’s on an upswing just like George is.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
I won't lie
I’m biased. The day I say Guliiard lose to Rich Clementi. I figured he would always be a prelim feeder. IF Guliard develops a decent takedown defense, follows his game plan, and submission defense he could be a very good fighter. I’m just not going to roll out the red carpet because he was good in one fight.
"I was not impressed by your performance"
Even still, Guillard is at best a lateral move.
I’d love to see George fight Diego if he weren’t headed back up.
Loser of Gomi/Florian would also be a good fight for George. You’ve already made one big jump with him fighting Joe Stevenson, why not another? And if he’s successful you have an instant contender.
Amazing how much that sentence would change simply by adding an “s” at the end.
by ufc4 on Feb 21, 2010 6:03 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Thats sharp thinking on Cro Cop
Pat Barry completely slipped my mind.
just 'cause you pour syrup on shit, don't make it pancakes
by imnotjohnlong on Feb 21, 2010 4:27 PM EST up reply actions
I think Pat Barry is to young and to fast for Cro-Cop. I see it ending the same way as Cro Cop vs JDS
Your style's like garbage cans meant to be taken out on a weekly basis
Ever since your first record you've been in a state of suspended animation
You look like Snuffleuffagus and Australopithecus
Me cray, you abacus
by ProfessorBLove on Feb 21, 2010 4:31 PM EST up reply actions
I’m not interested in Barry/Crocop. Seems everyone wants to see Barry do nothing but fight kickboxers and I don’t really get it, myself.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
I think the point of this is to let Barry have time to progress his ground game. He is a marketable guy with big power and quickness so they want him to have time to progress, much like guys who win TUF.
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 6:13 PM EST up reply actions
plus I don't mind the striker vs. striker matchups..
We don’t see a lot of them….
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
I think a fight with Bader vs. Cane would be nice. Both are up and coming fighters and I think Cane is going to be hungry after that loss he had.
"I was not impressed by your performance"
I said this in another thread but...
Bader vs Forest would be perfect. Forest trying to rebuild…Bader looking for a big name win. Just need to cancel that Lil Nog debacle.
just 'cause you pour syrup on shit, don't make it pancakes
by imnotjohnlong on Feb 21, 2010 4:28 PM EST up reply actions
Forrest would be down for that
Forrest doesn’t want to fight Lil Nog. I think he is afriad he will lose to him. Bader vs. Griffin seems like a mismatch to me.
"I was not impressed by your performance"
And Forrest doesn't want that fight, so possibly
I can see it, but there are a couple of fights I’d prefer to that at this point.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
I’d like to see Bader vs Thiago Silva… Silva said that his inability to fight off his back against Evans was due to injury… against another top notch wrestler, it’d be interesting to see if that’s true.
I think Silva gets an easier fight next time out, for being such a trooper and staying aboard despite his injury.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
A lot of great potential matchups
Like most, I really like Cro Cop vs. Nog. I’ve got so much respect for Nog. He looked a little slow against Cain as he did against Mir. Let’s see him fight one of his contemporaries in Cro Cop.
Bader is ready to move up if only a bit. The winner of Jones/Vera seems like a good fit.
Lesnar’s health issues have jumbled up the heavyweight picture a bit, but I think he deserves a shot at another top guy asap.
Most likely scenario
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Screw the loser, I say give Sotiropoulos the winner of Gomi v Florian. George is 5-0 in the UFC, riding on a bit of hype and putting on exciting fights. In my eyes, he’s really only 1 or 2 wins from a title shot. Those 2 or 3 fights are far from a given, but Florian got the title shot after beating Stevenson and Sanchez had one fight after beating Joe Daddy before getting the title shot. Stands to reason that Georgy S should be a couple of wins away as well. Plus, who else is there for a title shot? Maynard or Edgar, thats it really.
That's actually not a bad idea.
Since before Saturday a lot of people were saying Joe Daddy will beat anyone not named Florian or Penn, it seems to reason giving George “Nomar Garciaparra” Sotiropoulis the winner of that fight (gonna be Florian, IMO) would be a big stepping stone.
is it wrong that i'd like to see mirko fight someone who'll trash talk?
i wanna see him fighting pissed off.
Overeem?
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
That is wrong
Unless you wanna se CC dead.
by ufc4 on Feb 21, 2010 6:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
i dont see any problem with that :)
j/k but im i am sick of the unjustified (recently) love that silva and CC get.
How do you feel about Chuck Liddell then?
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 6:14 PM EST up reply actions
I don't really think its wrong
But getting genuinely pissed off is something that Mirko may need to help his motivation
Hmm…that’s interesting. BJJ for both guys is very tight. I think George would probably pull out a tough decision on striking from a distance.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 21, 2010 4:56 PM EST up reply actions
Fights I'd make...
Ryan Bader vs. winner of Brandon Vera/Jon Jones
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. winner of Roy Nelson/Stefan Struve
Cain Velasquez vs. winner of Gabriel Gonzaga/Junior dos Santos
George Sotiropoulos vs. winner of Nate Diaz/Rory Markham
Joe Stevenson vs. winner of Kurt Pellegrino/Fabricio Camoes
Michael Bisping vs. winner of Rousimar Palhares/ Tomasz Drwal
All I can think of right now…
George fights at 155
Nate fights at 170 now
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
Maybe..
I think they want to move him along a little quicker than that because of his age.
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
Crocop vs Gonzaga after he loses to JDS (he needs to avenge that loss!)
Cain vs Lesnar b4 Carwin since I think Carwin would beat Lesnar robbing us of that fight.
Mur vs Nog 2 plz
Bader vs Thiago Silva
*hears Sandstorm (watching the ppv again lol)
Wandy vs Sonnen cataupulting him to contender status :)
I'm gonna make a bold prediction here and say Cain "pillowhands" (as some of you have called him) lol Velasquez catches Nog right on the chin and finishes via strikes on the ground. Nog looked good against an old Randy. It didn't show me much. We’ll see.
by xFenixKnightx on Feb 18, 2010 11:09 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
by xFenixKnightx on Feb 21, 2010 5:06 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Not much Sotiropoulos love here, eh? I disagree with the Sherk matchup. The author says Sherk is a ‘good Stevenson’ but Sherk hasn’t been the fighter he used to be, and doesn’t use his wrestling the way he used to. I think it’s a step down in competition. Same thing with the other suggestions I saw here. Guillard, Diaz, Markham, Pellegrino… all steps down. Look at the January top 25. He just beat an improving Joe Daddy who was ranked 14th. Follow that logic, and your next step up in competition (I don’t believe Tyson Griffin is a step up from Stevenson) would be Diego Sanchez. Sanchez will have enough time to heal since George just fought.
I think Diego is going back to 170
But I agree, I like the Jim Miller suggestion someone made earlier. Tyson Griffin would put him close to contender though
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
Diego is going back to 170
Supposed to be fighting John Hathaway I believe.
How is Sherk not the fighter he used to be?
Because he boxed Frankie? Okay d00d..
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
and boxed Tyson
and boxed BJ
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 8:54 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah
He didn’t beat Tyson, did he?
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Feb 21, 2010 10:19 PM EST up reply actions
He did beat Tyson
But that doesnt change the point that he is, in fact, not the fighter he used to be. Gone are the days of relentless takedowns and gnp. Its all kickboxing and it seems to be futile because he doesn’t have KO power I know toddlers that have a reach advantage on him. Kickboxing Sherk gets back in the fans good graces after the roids, but it is a departure from what made him successful. His only option to win fighting like this is much like Bisping’s, to outpoint his opponent to a decision.
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 11:51 PM EST up reply actions
Point still stands
The loss to Edgar made people change their opinion of him. Not using his wrestling and not being able to are not the same thing, and that doesn’t mean he’s regressed.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Feb 22, 2010 12:05 AM EST up reply actions
Ryan Bader: Probably the next step that makes the most sense for him would be the winner of Vera/Jones.
Keith Jardine: I imagine they could still go ahead w/ the original plan for Keith’s fight before Bader, which was supposed to be Rich Franklin vs. Jardine. The loser of Vera/Jones could be another option, but if its Vera, then it depends on whether or not Vera gets released and if a rematch between the two could be a draw. I kind of doubt it, honestly.
George Sotiropoulos: Joe was a pretty big win for him. I think him and Danzig would make sense for a fight, but maybe he wants to parlay his win for a bigger opponent, maybe Maynard?
Joe Stevenson: Not sure where he goes from here. To me, he was the favorite in the fight against George. Next fight: the loser of Guida/Gugerty or Pellegrino/Camoes?
Michael Bisping: The loser of Grove/Munoz is his best bet for a rebound fight.
Wanderlei Silva: Probably best to go ahead w/ the Akiyama fight.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: The loser of Carwin/Mir makes the most sense for his next opponent.
Cro Cop: Probably best to go ahead w/ the fight that was originally planned against Ben Rothwell. If not that, then probably the winner of Kimbo Slice/Matt Mitrione.
Cain Velasquez: Not sure. Really depends on how Carwin/Mir goes. Ideally, he probably really wants that Lesnar fight, then the winner of Carwin/Mir for the title re-unification.
The winner of Vera/Jones?
just 'cause you pour syrup on shit, don't make it pancakes
by imnotjohnlong on Feb 21, 2010 6:02 PM EST up reply actions
Oops
you covered that.
just 'cause you pour syrup on shit, don't make it pancakes
by imnotjohnlong on Feb 21, 2010 6:03 PM EST up reply actions
Bisping vs. Marqardt
W. Silva vs. Akiyama
Sotiropoulos vs. Winner of J. Miller / Bocek @ UFC 111
J. Stevenson vs. Loser of J. Miller / Bocek @ UFC 111
Velasquez vs. Winner of JDS / Gonzaga
Cro Cop vs. Rothwell
Lytle vs. Winner of Saunders / Ellenburger @ UFC 111
Bader vs. Hammill
Jardine vs. Pokrajac
Big Nog. vs. Loser or winner of P. Buentello / Kongo
"If I wanted to spend a half hour between two hairy legs I'd go to your mother's house." -Don Frye
I hate to say this but I hope we don’t see Big Nog again. That was hard to watch, he looked like he was in slow motion and almost made young Cain look like Anderson Silva. After seeing him get blown away by Mir and now Cain I think he should be smart and just teach.
I think Wandy still has the desire and heart to fight but I am still not sold that he still has the skills to compete in the upper tier with the MW division. He will be competitive in the middle(where bisping was).
I think Bader was yes, Lucky he landed that punch. He was on his way to a UD loss. I still think a good mover would make him look like an amateur.
I was not impressed by CroCop and think that the version that we saw last night would have lost to Rothwell.
Bisping is good enough to be annoying, but never enough to be really effective against top competition. I think he will stay in the middle of the pack with guys like Belcher, Grove, Quarry and Miller.
I hate to say this but I hope we don’t see Big Nog again. That was hard to watch, he looked like he was in slow motion and almost made young Cain look like Anderson Silva.
Don’t sell short how much of the speed difference was because Velasquez is just fast. We’ve seen it before on his takedowns: he gets that first step and is inside on his opponent before they can blink; now that his striking technique isn’t holding him back, he’s able to use his fast-twitch advantage to throw very fast combinations. His hand speed has definitely improved. This screwed Nog because he had absolutely no way to get the fight to the ground against Cain, and was relying on his boxing being better to force Velasquez into clinching or trying to ground the fight. But there are very few fighters out there with the wrestling skill AND the improved hand speed of Velasquez.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
Bader: Another step up in competition. Both Shogun and Machida are out of reach for Bader right now, regardless of the winner, likewise for Rampage-Rashad. The winner of Jones-Vera is destined for bigger things as well. I don’t want to see him against Randy or Litter Nog yet either. I’d say Bader vs Cane, or Bader vs.T. Silva.
Cain V: I liked the suggestion of the JDS/Gonzaga winner. The winner of that gets whoever emerges from Lesnar vs. Mir/Carwin.
Big Nog: Loser of Mir/Carwin. If its Mir, people get the rematch they wanted. If its Carwin its an interesting match up. I suspect either way its the demise of Big Nog.
at hw? cop can’t make 205
by cagefightonacid on Feb 21, 2010 7:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Actually he can, he just doesn’t want to. 20lbs is not that massive of a cut to make.
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 7:29 PM EST up reply actions
future
crocop vs nog
silva vs marquardt or sexyama
bisping vs belcher
Cain vs carwin/mir winner
perosh vs kimbo
by cagefightonacid on Feb 21, 2010 7:07 PM EST via mobile reply actions
possiblilities
lytle vs. swick
wanderlei vs. akiyama
bisping vs marquardt
velasquez vs. loser of mir-carwin, since the winner of that fight will lesnar nezt
perosh vs tuscherer
te huna vs. phi davis or cantwell
by KahilBS_Marshal on Feb 21, 2010 7:49 PM EST reply actions
Marquardt will kill him.
Book It!
"I hope he tries to stand with me. That'd be great, I'd love it." - Heath Herring UFC 87 pre-fight interview.
by Earl Montclair on Feb 21, 2010 8:05 PM EST up reply actions
Bisping vs. Grove regardless of outcome of his fight with Munoz. I think Grove has a lotta upside, but stylistically its a good match for both guys. Bisping is trying to develop some power, and kendall’s chin is questionable. It helps Grove that Bisping doesn’t throw bombs like other MWs, and it gives Bisping a chance to gain confidence if he can get the KO. Also, Bisping would have to get past Kendall’s reach, probably negating his footwork, and require him to engage with actual combination punching and kicking. Overall, I think it would be a great match up, tho I seem to have more faith in Kendall’s development than most.
W. Silva vs. Akiyama. Fight of the Year Candidate for sure. I think this will be a war, and can’t wait. I think Wand will be more acclimated to 185, and be even better than he was against Bisping… I also think his desire to win is only enhanced by the fact that he’s jumped right back into relevancy, and he’ll get the decision over Akiyama after both guys are beat down, and bruised up. I believe he still has more power, I just hope his chin can hold up, as I believe Akiyama has a stiffer punch than Bisping does.
Sotiropoulos vs. undecided… Jim Miller sounds good tho. I think the reach will be a problem, but his striking imo is better than Joe’s, and he has good jitz. George will have the size advantage, which I think will probably translate on the feet, and on the ground. I think if George wins (i think he would) it sets up a contenders match (Florian, Maynard, etc depending on what happens in the next few months).
J. Stevenson vs. Guida. I think its a good fight for both guys, and I can imagine the scrambles already. I think Joe is better than Guida; Joe serving as the upper tier gate keeper, and Guida the middle tier gatekeeper. However, I also thought that Joe would be a lil bit too much for Georges, and was proven wrong. I don’t think that Guida has any advantages in this fight tho, physically or in terms of skillset, but his pace and tenacity might be able to overcome Joe who sometimes comes into the fight a tad too “bubbly” and maybe not as focused on imposing his will on his opponent.
Cro Cop vs. Rothwell. The fight was supposed to happen, so lets see it.
Lytle vs. Matt Brown. FOTN. Both have good Jitz, and both are aggressive, with Brown being the more technical muy thai fighter, and Lytle with his wild Boxing. It would be a great way to end the prelims before a UFC, and probably draw in some casual fans.
Bader vs. Matyushenko if he wins against Marshall… if not, then Rich Franklin would be a good fight for both guys, tho I believe Rich takes that fight if it happens. His experience, and better striking would be a bit much for Bader, who would get some takedowns, but probably wouldn’t keep Rich down. If Bader wins he is right up there as a contender, and if Rich wins he just beat a top young fighter in Bader.
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
didn't realize i typed so much.
:-/
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
I don’t think Joe would fight Guida as they are both in the same camp now. But who knows. But i do like Lytle and Brown i think that that fight would be a war.
by bigislandboi808 on Feb 21, 2010 9:53 PM EST up reply actions
After Rothwell, i’d be super excited to see a Nog vs. Cro Cop 2 (assuming he beats Ben). After that I would like to see him avenge his Gonzaga loss. If he beat could all 3 he’d be on a semi-impressive win streak and I would be happy =)
"The left hand brings death, but the right one even I am afraid of."-Mariusz Pudzianowski
This is What I want to see
Nog-Cro Cop 2 or Nog-winner of Nelson-Sturve
Cain-winner of Dos Santos-Gonzaga or loser of Carwin-Mir
Wandy-Marquardt or Wandy-Sonnen or Wandy-Akiyama
Bisping-Okami or Bisping-Maia(if Maia loses to Anderson)
Bader-Thiago Silva Bader-or Loser of Lil Nog-Griffin
Jardine-Matyushenko
Cro Cop v Rothwell I think will happen. I’d love to see him against Couture
Cain v Lesnar – winner fights Mir v Carwin winner
Nog v Struve/Nelson winner
Bader v Thiago Silva – Bader has proved he is a contender, why not take a chance and send him into the deep end
Bisping v Grove (TUF season III winners)
Sotoropolis v Maynard (number 1 contender)
Te Huna v Stann/Cantwell
Jardine v Matyushenko
Next Fights
Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown
Brian Foster vs. Kevin Burns
Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (rematch)
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Ryan Bader vs. Thiago Silva
Keith Jardine vs. Eric Shafer
George Sotiropolis vs. Kenny Florian
Joe Stevenson vs. Jim Miller
Michael Bisping vs. Alan Belcher
Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
Cain Velasquez vs. Loser of Carwin/Mir
agree!
hugely agree with
G-Sot vs winner florian/gomi
Cro Cop / Big Nog rematch
Bader / Thiago Silva
Silva / Akiyama
please let these fights happen.
why does keith jardine look like an 80 year old trapped in a 40 year olds body? anyone else hate watching him fight? the guy barely beat liddell by decision and now it seems he can fight and lose to anyone and not get cut….ufc needs to lay off star power and focus on maybe i dunno……..good fighters……just a thought, if you dont like it, tough shit buddy
Ryan Bader – impressive. match him against another 205’er like Thiago. See if Thiago can handle a tough, aggressive wrestler when he isn’t possibly sporting a back injury like I read afterward…..I think Ryan outwrestles Thiago and does more from top position than the 3 strikes Rashad threw….b/c Bader’s not ready for a title shot yet. in a 5 rd fight against Shogun or Machida he’s in trouble as his stand up still needs some development
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – seeing Nog lose is like watching a big brother get f’d up in a street fight. it just puts a damper on my whole night. the loss to mir and saturday night were 2 of the worst feelings iv’e had while watching mma. i think he still beats most mid-level heavyweights, if not all, but against guys with some explosives in their hands, like Carwin, it’s a problem. perhaps Kongo up next.
Cain Velasquez – i’m finally unable to ignore the hype train. he beat Nog better than Frank did when Nog was clearly not at full power. he did so looking technically very, very sound. really, you’ve gotta put him with Carwin or Mir or someone of the like up next. no other fight makes sense, and Cain seems to be a fighter that does well when facing increasingly difficult challenges. i’ve done a lot of questiong of AKA’s management, but perhaps, Cain really is the fighter who does best when facing a stern task at hand.
Gatti. Dekkers. Pele. Aoki. Kang. Vanderlei. Basillio. Harry Greb.
by theworldsoldestsport on Feb 22, 2010 10:52 AM EST reply actions
feel you there on Nog
Yah it was pretty sad. Even Cain looked a little sad afterwards.
I think people were expecting too much from Nog’s boxing, I never thought his boxing was as good as his brother’s. It’s good enough to clown mid level HW’s like heath herring and “Old Couture” but he always had trouble with fast athletic people with power (Crocop, Fedor).
It actually is pretty remarkable that we’re seeing explosively fast HW’s who also have power these days. It’s becoming a scarier and scarier world Fedor fans. He’s my favorite fighter and I know I’ll be even more sad when he loses o_0 (but let’s be realistic it’s going to happen one day).
by IpullguardIRL on Feb 22, 2010 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
the game's changing
maybe closed guard really is dead… i know George Sotiropoulos is bringing a new ground game, (looks like a mix between gracie and aoki). either way, i still think the closed guard is phasing out to a more aggressive active stance. I respect Nog’s game and it has provided for some of the more interesting fights i’ve ever seen but a new path is being paved. ehhh.. i could be completely wrong.
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