Alistair Overeem vs. Ricco Rodriguez Set for DREAM.15
by Anton Tabuena on Jun 30, 2010 6:30 AM EDT
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Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem (33-11) is set to face former UFC Heavyweight Champ, Ricco Rodriguez (42-11) on July 10 in DREAM.15. From MMAJunkie:
Overeem (33-11 MMA, 3-0 DREAM) has verbally agreed to face former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez (42-11 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) at DREAM.15.
Bout agreements are expected to be finalized shortly, and a formal announcement for the heavyweight contest should come soon after....
Rodriguez had been linked to a July 18 bout with Jeff Monson under the Australian-based Impact FC banner, but MMAjunkie.com has learned that the former UFC champ will likely not participate in the event in order to fight Overeem.
Ricco Rodriguez first won the UFC heavyweight championship by defeating Randy Couture back in 2002. He then lost the belt to Tim Sylvia and had to battle through substance abuse and weight issues. Now, at 32 years old, he has gotten himself back on track, in shape, and has won seven straight fights.
He has a chance to make it back to the limelight with a victory on the stacked DREAM.15 card, but as we all know, toppling "the Demolition Man" isn't an easy task nowadays.
Rumored DREAM.15 card so far:
- Shinya Aoki vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri [DREAM Lightweight Championship]
- Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante vs. Katsunori Kikuno
- Alistair Overeem vs. Ricco Rodriguez
Light-heavyweight grand prix opening round
- Melvin Manhoef vs. Tatsuya Mizuno
- Gegard Mousasi vs. Jake O'Brien
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Isn’t Ricco’s weight around 205 these days?
Lemonade was a popular drink, and it still is. I get more stunts and props than Bruce Willis- Guru
around 220 I think?
but yeah, I think he can drop to 205 if he wanted to… pretty interesting since he weighed at around 350 a few years ago, if I remember correctly.
by Anton Tabuena on Jun 30, 2010 2:13 AM EDT up reply actions
and had a bunch of drug problems
word is though that the guy turned his life around, still he has like 60 fights on his record and was an addict and is on the wrong side of 30 so it’ll be interesting if his body can really recover and make him relevant once again
We have a saying back home that if your coming on, COME ON!!!!
he's 32.
he still has a chance to be relevant… but I think he should’ve just pushed through with the fight against Monson, and maybe try to get back in the UFC as a 205’er.
Now, against Overeem, I think he’s in over his head.
by Anton Tabuena on Jun 30, 2010 2:20 AM EDT up reply actions
i never see him being relevant as a ufc contender again
at this point in his career just making it back to the ufc would be huge for him
and while he is 32, many times the fighters ring age will be much higher, how old did nog look against velasquez? and hes only a little over a year older than ricco
and while i agree hes in over his head against overeem, his performance should indicate wheres hes at in terms of competing against top guys and ricco’s game can provide some things to give overeem fits if riccos at his best
We have a saying back home that if your coming on, COME ON!!!!
yep.
but when I said relevant, I didn’t mean contender (unless he shocks the world against Overeem)… I meant him fighting in the UFC again, not fighting mostly unheralded guys on smaller shows.
by Anton Tabuena on Jun 30, 2010 3:04 AM EDT up reply actions
It would be an amazing return if he could swing it.
I don’t know if I could then think of a fighter with a wider career arc .
I’m still in a bit of shock that he got back in shape for ADCC. I wondered at the time if he would stay in shape after such a tough draw.
This picture makes me think
of like a video game cheat where you can play as a fat version of the player.
Not really into art, but this poster doesn’t look particularly remarkable to me.
by Electro Boy on Jun 30, 2010 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions
When UFC posters are the standard bearer, it should.
by Polyhedron on Jun 30, 2010 11:18 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
i was under the impression ricco was trying to make a run back in the ufc as a 205
overreem is gonna bring it to him, but if ricco can get this on the mat overeem could be in trouble his ground game is still legit and far outclasses overeems
an overeem loss here could be disasterous for SF too ricco’s no can and poses legitamte threats to overeem here
We have a saying back home that if your coming on, COME ON!!!!
Yeah I heard he was making a comeback at 205 too. Hopefully Ricco doesn’t put all that fat back on for this fight.
Lemonade was a popular drink, and it still is. I get more stunts and props than Bruce Willis- Guru
I don’t get it. Give a guy a title shot that hasn’t fought a series of ranked fighters in years? Is that how Strikeforce works?
Being overrated is overrated.
not sure,
just hearing unconfirmed rumors so far.
by Anton Tabuena on Jun 30, 2010 8:52 AM EDT up reply actions
I believe it’s not in Strikeforce.
Not that I condone facism or any ism for that matter. Isms are in my opinion, not good. A person shouldn't believe in an ism, he should believe in himself.
I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me". Good point there, after all he was the walrus. I could be the walrus. Wouldn't change the fact I have to bum rides off of people.
once again, shots taken at strikeforce just because you hate strikeforce...so ridiculous...
the ufc does things that SF gets reamed for….an interim champ? SF would get bashed…Fedor beats Werdum, then SF is bashed, but no, Werdum was a good opponent, and beats Fedor, and SF gets reamed….yeah, its FREE MMA for those with satelight etc…why the hate?
Team Pioli/Haley. Decade of the Chiefs.
and yeah, this is DREAM....type it in, watch dream 13/14...watched KJ dominate 13, then 14 has diaz etc
If anything, a Strikeforce HATER would also hate on dream…there is ACTUAL RESPECT…its actually martial arts…in the UFC, I see brock lesner acting like its the WWE out there and fake, but its not…its bad for the image, and we should do what they do…introduce the judges and have them bow, introduce the fighters all together and have them bow…what happened to the integrity and respect in every organization?
Team Pioli/Haley. Decade of the Chiefs.
Man if Rico wins that will be something and I will jump for joy
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13
it will be a great story,
and a nice comback for Ricco, but I really doubt he can do it…
by Anton Tabuena on Jun 30, 2010 2:16 AM EDT up reply actions
isnt ricco the guy that was driving drunk, got into an accident and put his girlfriend who he thought was dead in the driver seat so the cops wouldnt know he was driving?
sounds like a great guy
yes he did that
and he has done some terrible things. But the guy was molested often by his uncle as a kid, and has had his share of problems with substance and psychologically speaking.
I agree what he did was horrible, but i like to try and give the guy the benefit of the doubt and hope he has changed all areas of his life
I always think that when someone takes drastic, unpleasant measures to change their life (like committing to rehab, etc.), that you almost have to give them a chance to put the past behind them a bit. There are limits, obviously, and Ricco has come close to them. But I’m willing to wait and see if he really is a different person now.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
by AJB on Jun 30, 2010 4:25 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
For me this fight has no winner and I lose regardless
"We are entering the last phases of the Farewell Fedor tour, and I, for one, am looking forward to the future." - subo -
by Bob Boblaw on Jun 30, 2010 2:26 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I know man, free MMA and it isn’t the best vs. the best, jeez what’s with that! Let’s moan til the cows come home.
by TheKeyboardWarrior on Jun 30, 2010 3:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Or I'm a fan of both fighters?
"We are entering the last phases of the Farewell Fedor tour, and I, for one, am looking forward to the future." - subo -
by Bob Boblaw on Jun 30, 2010 3:09 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The plot thickens…….
Stallar.com take a gander!
by Earl Montclair on Jun 30, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd like to see Rizzo fight close
He can return to having a reputation in the MMA community without winning IMO. That’d be good because the depth of out-of-UFC HW talent would continue to grow. I’ve been watching too much Pride DVDs lately and long desperately for promotional rivalries and debates between cages and rings.
Moisture is the essence of wetness.
REALLY FEG?
You can not be fucking serious. If there is one fighter you can pull out of Impact FC to fight Overeem it is JOSH FUCKING BARNETT.
too much money
"We are entering the last phases of the Farewell Fedor tour, and I, for one, am looking forward to the future." - subo -
barnett fedor is the fight I would want, then reem/werdum 2, winner faces Fedor(after beating barnett)
Team Pioli/Haley. Decade of the Chiefs.
I hope Alistair shows mercy and takes him out early.
Your beliefs become your reality.
by Hardy's in your face on Jun 30, 2010 2:59 AM EDT reply actions
a fight between a guy who lost 100 lbs and another who gained 100 lbs.
winner gets to eat ten pizzas.
everything dana white says is a complete lie
by slantedwindows on Jun 30, 2010 3:00 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
LOL well played sir
Twitter @i_c_u_hater
http://dreamthemez.wordpress.com
http://dreamthemez.unfilteredmma.com
by Thats It For you! on Jun 30, 2010 8:06 AM EDT up reply actions
What’s the problem here?Ricco is better than just about everyone Overeem has faced in MMA in the last several years,including Brett Rodgers.
I’d rather see him fight Josh Barnett in Dream,but this beats the hell out of some random can.Ricco,for his faults,is still a good fighter and will put up a better fight than Brett Rodgers,Fujita,James Thompson or Gary Goodridge did.He’s an extremely good grappler and has under rated boxing skills.He’ll give Overeem a good fight.
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by Brian Mayes on Jun 30, 2010 3:18 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Please please win Ricco
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Jun 30, 2010 3:19 AM EDT reply actions
It would be mildly hilarious if Ricco landed one flush on Overeem’s jaw,and the wheels fell off.
Check out my MMA highlight videos!
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by Brian Mayes on Jun 30, 2010 3:24 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Ricco's all like
aaarrrrghhhh fuck I wish I was fat again
Facts don't come with points of view.
by Robert Livingston on Jun 30, 2010 3:38 AM EDT reply actions
This is actually a lot better opponent than I thought they would find for him.
I acutally thought Ambriz would be the best guy they could find. This is the most interesting Dream HW fight since he fought Cro Cop. Not that thats saying anything.
Agreed.
You can at least say that Ricco has the tools to win, even if it’s a long shot. He’s no can.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
beats the dream 13 matchup of barnett/big mo
Team Pioli/Haley. Decade of the Chiefs.
It would be great to see Ricco have a one night flashback to when he was in his prime and beat Overeem, Coker would be having the same facial expression that he did after Werdum tapped Fedor.
"they mad at me, I keep going hard reppin/
cause what's your Rampage to Rashad Evans/"
-Joe Budden (Something To Ride To)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/76866807deabe3c1/
Coker would go suicidal.
First Hendo loses then Fedor. After the Fedor fight the expression on his face was like “Fuck My Life”.
Gif?
I did not see that expression….anyone have a gif of that shot?? Sounds hysterical.
Have to admit that Werdum was very classy in his victory speech.
Megareen all the way here, but credit to Dream for a decent opponent and moreso for that sweet artwork…
by BrothersGottaAndyHug on Jun 30, 2010 8:26 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I never saw that expression since he always looks the same....
and I was looking for it…
more people looking to take shots at coker and SF….Liddell lost AGAIN in a main event after dana said he was done before…is that not WORSE?
Coker wants to put on good fights, and now he runs the organization that held the fight where FEDOR was upset….by Werdum, another UFC “reject” that is young, talented and was released FAR too early…lets keep liddell, and jardine till he cant fight anymore, but lets release Werdum…THAT was the mistake of the weekened…now coker has overeem/fedor who have BOTH lost to werdum…sets up a nice group of rematches.
Team Pioli/Haley. Decade of the Chiefs.
Oi Megareem:
Ya know… um… there’s this guy out there… named Werdum… you may have heard of him… he just choked out Fedor… and he pretzeled your arm a few years ago… I’m just sayin… maybe you could you know… fight him?
Keep Firing, Assholes!
Have you accepted BROCKLESNARRRRRR!!!!!!! as your personal Heavyweight Champion?
That's what Megareem wants...
this fight is happening on July 10, and he’d have plenty of time fight Werdum in SF in a few months or so… (that’s if SF wants him against Werdum, and not just settle for an immediate rematch with Fedor)
by Anton Tabuena on Jun 30, 2010 7:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Stop being a moron.
He just smashed Brett Rogers and Werdum fought a couple of days ago. Give it some time. Overeem wants to fight Werdum and will do so unless an immediate rematch with Fedor is booked.
"Referees, be sure to step in and stop the fight on time tomorrow, because I might get carried away in the moment and my many punches may end up destroying my opponent." - Tatsuya "CRUSHER" Kawajiri
…toppling “the Demolition Man” isn’t an easy task nowadays.
It was never an easy task.
"Referees, be sure to step in and stop the fight on time tomorrow, because I might get carried away in the moment and my many punches may end up destroying my opponent." - Tatsuya "CRUSHER" Kawajiri
Still always put up a fight though.
During his LHW tenure he was one of the best fighters for the first 3 minutes of a bout.
Food goes in here
Finally...
The super fight we’ve all been waiting for. Overeem vs Rodriguez…
Thanks Dream. Now I can die happy.
Did you catch that Dana White? Who needs GSP vs Silva when we’ve got this.
mighty mo vs Barnett was worse. Dream 13-
Team Pioli/Haley. Decade of the Chiefs.
This Card
is pretty stacked. Last time FEG put on a card like this was the NYE show. I will be watching at 4am for sure
Twitter @i_c_u_hater
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by Thats It For you! on Jun 30, 2010 8:09 AM EDT reply actions
wow that’s freakin awesome
a life: it's the shit that happens while you're waiting for moments that never come -Lester Freamon
by eastcoastatlas on Jun 30, 2010 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Ricco was on the wrong end of the worst decision I've seen
he BEAT Big Nog in Nog’s prime.
Vote Quimby
Every time I consider that a matchup like Aoki vs Kawajiri is going to be announced by Tony Schiavello, I feel a little bile in the back of my throat.
I like schiavello, mostly because anytime minowaman is out there, he is basically the same as john madden in regards to brett favre
Team Pioli/Haley. Decade of the Chiefs.
Tony Schiavone?
Inhale deep, like the words of my breath—I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death
by Anthony Pace on Jun 30, 2010 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Ricco is on a roll lately. Since he showed up to ADCC looking like a new man he has won 5 straight with the last 4 being stoppages. And let’s not forget that he came really close while huge to beating Antonio Silva. The guy has never had a legitimate two fight losing streak in his career given that he pretty clearly beat Nogueira (my favorite fighter of all time FWIW) when they met in PRIDE.
Obviously Overeem is the substantial favorite, but this isn’t a gimmie fight like the Thompson, Sylvester, Fujita or Goodridge fights were.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Jun 30, 2010 11:55 AM EDT reply actions
Lost in all the one-liners is the fact that this is a really good card: 2 top 10 LWs for the title, 2 legit LWs for the #1 contender, 2 Two top 10 fighters at LHW and HW taking on respectable opposition, and Melvin Manhoef.
I wont complain like many are...this is more free MMA...ill take this over paying 50 bucks to watch lesner disrespect the sport...
Team Pioli/Haley. Decade of the Chiefs.
MMAFighting’s now reporting that Overeem hasn’t agreed to the fight: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/06/30/alistair-overeems-participation-at-dream-15-in-doubt/
Great card
Possibly the best Dream card I’ve seen. Really interested in how both Aoki and Mousasi will look coming back after tough losses.
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