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MMA-GAF |OT5| Father Time Is Undefeated
- Thread starter polyh3dron
- Start date
Is you senile son? Handsome Carlos beat that cancer patient back into intensive care.
Jest Chillin
Member
It was a pleasure seeing a return to form for Condit tonight. Overall a good night of fights from a bunch of non-athletes. Am I right?
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
For one round and that was it. Condit vs winner of Rory Mac/Ruthless Robbie is the next logical fight to make.
AwesomeSauce
MagsMoonshine
Lol I missed the whole event. Any fights worth looking up?
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
Yeah, the last three on the card.
End of the main event gif. Mmmm.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vXnyr9fjAlM/Uh65aPGL9NI/AAAAAAAAsjA/8u5soELmAfs/s1600/0.gif
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vXnyr9fjAlM/Uh65aPGL9NI/AAAAAAAAsjA/8u5soELmAfs/s1600/0.gif
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
Barnett should ask that blanket if he wants to be a fucking fighter.
polyh3dron
Banned
Just finally finished watching the main event.
Epic card from top to bottom. Every single fight was great. Take that, MMA GAF cynics.
Epic card from top to bottom. Every single fight was great. Take that, MMA GAF cynics.
EVERYONE.gif
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
The Court McGee fight sucked, stop crappin (I didn't see the first two on the main card since I left for an errand).
TheKaeptain
Banned
Glad my main homie and halftime Carlos "Incredibly handsome" Condit beat that chump down. Anyways, bros I might be taking a break from Gaf for a min. This semester is going to be insane.
you need some wd-40
polyh3dron
Banned
my god that thread is a graveyard.
and no she couldn't kick my ass, she'd gas out way too quickly. too much muscle, and gym muscle at that. What she's done with herself is an impressive feat though.
I think i need a mortician.
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
I just gave myself the itis, pounds of fat, and guilt with caramel brownies.
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
I would understand this matchmaking if it was panic-mode, injury-replacement-2-weeks-before-event sort of stuff, but all I'm left with right now is the distinct feeling that they're trying desperately to put Phil Davis over.
dream
Member
Probably the most important aspect of business these days is star creation. Looking at activity so far in 2013 on Google searches for boxers, MMA fighters and pro wrestlers can give a good idea over who people are interested in, as well as who is getting pushes that people really arent that interested in.
As a general rule, this is a pretty good gauge. I was first told about this years ago by people in boxing regarding how the promotions were using this to gauge who was clicking and how remarkably well it was as a tool to predict pay-per-view numbers. Like anything, there are flaws involved although with the exception of Anderson Silva fights, its almost amazingly accurate when it comes to U.S. PPV numbers.
The key things are not if No. 4 is more over than No. 5, but No. 5 is going to be more over in almost every case when it comes to ability to draw money than No. 35, unless there is a unique grudge match dynamic involved. In some cases, its going to measure a mainstream recognition and outside marketability level that may not be drawing power in a box office way but drawing power in other ways, in the sense people are intrigued with the person (such as Ronda Rousey, who is a draw, but not at that level, but gets magazine covers because shes been proven to do well in that regard and her media appearances garner so much talk and interest). Obviously Nick Diaz, who drew the biggest non-boxing PPV number being so low would be a flaw, but hes been completely out of the news since March. If you judged only January through March, hed be through the roof, but the reality is the public lost almost all interest in him after that fight, so it does tell a story for the year. Thats not to say if he resurfaces hell stay that low (although Im betting if he does fight he wont mean a fraction at the box office that he did in his last fight), but it does show nobody has been talking about him for months so his full year score isnt as strong as youd think.
If someone getting a big push is low on the list, it generally means from a money and public interest standpoint they arent there yet. In some cases, like a Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair, it measures fame and recognition. But the key thing to look at is who is new on the list and of newcomers, who is clicking with the public at what level. There are things on the list that are valuable to note, such as the Mark Henry placing and the surprising U.S. numbers for Money in the Bank, that answers a question. It also indicates the UFCs 12/28 show is going to be extremely successful and that Anderson Silva became a bigger mainstream star by being knocked out while Manny Pacquiao didnt, while Chris Weidman became a name while outside of boxing, Juan Manuel Marquez isnt nearly the name he should be. You also see how Natalya and Nikki Bella have made the list due to Total Divas, but the other women on the show, including Brie Bella, havent really made a dent. This is only for U.S. for the year 2013. The numbers for other years are based on the full year.
Rank Name 2012 2011 2010
1 John Cena 1 3 1
2 Floyd Mayweather 3 5 5
3 Dwayne Johnson 4 2 5
4 Ronda Rousey 11 --
5 Anderson Silva 8 8 9
6 C.M. Punk 6 11 8
7 Georges St-Pierre 12 7 4
8 Jon Jones 9 12 10
9 Randy Orton 13 11 10
10 Hulk Hogan 5 10 13
11 Canelo Alvarez 29
12 Brock Lesnar 7 15 2
13 HHH 14 16 12
14 Manny Pacquiao 2 1 3
15 Chael Sonnen 15 41 31
16 AJ Lee 20 --
17 Steve Austin 19 26 25
18 Ryback 25
19 Ric Flair 35 53 44
20 Undertaker 18 23 22
21 Big Show 17 36 33
22 Nick Diaz 24 29 --
23 Mark Henry 47 54 --
24 Chris Weidman --
25 Rey Mysterio 21 25 17
26 Dana White 28 34 26
27 Daniel Bryan 42 -- --
28 Dolph Ziggler
29 Shawn Michaels 31 38 18
30 Cain Velasquez 26 32 15
31 Miesha Tate -- -- --
32 Chris Jericho 33 40 40
33 Robert Guerrero --
34 Sheamus 36 71 47
35 The Miz 38 24 38
36 Alberto Del Rio -- -- --
37 Sin Cara 30 14 --
38 Rampage Jackson 57 42 21
39 Natalya -- -- --
40 Kimbo Slice 41 35 14
41 Nikki Bella
42 Alistair Overeem 37 55
43 Kurt Angle 53 61 --
44 Mick Foley -- -- --
45 Fandango -- -- --
46 Tito Ortiz 46 27 24
47 Jose Aldo
48 Jack Swagger -- -- --
49 BJ Penn 43 28 13
50 Urijah Faber 56 57 36
Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos have spent the better part of the last two years thinking about each other, studying each other, preparing to fight each other and on two occasions, going to war with each other.
In the end, both have had mixed results, with one win apiece. It is not only both mens only loss in UFC, but neither has ever even lost a round in UFC competition except to each other.
Right now, from a record standpoint in UFC, they are identical. Each is 10-1, with eight wins coming by stoppage, and every win being dominant. But their similarities largely end there.
Velasquezs perfect record of being in control for 90 percent or more of every fight hes had in his career was only stymied by the knockout punch Dos Santos hit him with behind the ear in the first minute of their first meeting. Not only that, but in his win over Dos Santos, a decision on Dec. 29 that brought him the heavyweight title a second time, he won all five rounds decisively.
Hes knocked out legends (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira), destroyed beasts (Brock Lesnar) and twice left a storybook giant (Antonio Bigfoot Silva) looking like somebody had nailed him in the head with a perfect shot using a rock and a slingshot.
Dos Santos victim list is even more impressive. Hes outstruck the best strikers (Mirko Cro Cop, Gilbert Yvel and Mark Hunt), and punched out black belts so viciously they may as well have been white belts (Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir, Roy Nelson and Gabriel Gonzaga).
Stylistically and personality-wise, they are very different. But they are the two most dominant heavyweights of this era. They would have run though the division like a Georges St-Pierre or Anderson Silva, if not for the presence of the other. But thats about all they have in common. That, and their professional goals are the same, to become UFC heavyweight champion, a title each man has taken once from the other.
But for all of the time theyve been consumed with the other, the two are neither great friends, nor bitter enemies. But when the stories of their careers are told, there is a good chance their legacies will be largely intertwined. When their careers are over, and this era is looked back on, it is very likely each will be the other ones greatest career rival. And it is something both can kind of feel going into their rubber match.
If thats the case, the title of best heavyweight of the era is in the balance on Oct. 19, when the two square off at the Toyota Center in Houston.
In preparation for the third act in their respective career story, both are spending a lot of time together this week. They started in San Francisco, then went to Los Angeles, New York and finally ended up at the Toyota Center itself, meeting with press and fans.
For Velasquez, hes happy hes doing it now, because in a few weeks, things get deadly serious. He, along with his main training partner, undefeated Daniel Cormier, who is technically the No, 2 contender for the title and the best wrestler in the heavyweight division, will train together as usual, but the dynamic this time is different. Instead of one helping get the other ready, they are, for the first time, fighting on the same card, meaning they look to both build to their peaks together. It may sound like a minor difference, but to Velasquez, its a significant edge for him.
The two men have indicated that they will probably never fight in competition, but will be in there with each other three times a week from early August until about a week before each mans fight.
Its definitely an advantage. Were both trying to peak on the same day. He has a three round fight. Three times a week, Ill be in with him for three rounds, and then theyll bring somebody fresh in for rounds four and five.
While Cormiers style is completely different from Dos Santos, Velasquez is concentrating more on being the best he can be, as opposed to preparing to fight a simulated version of Dos Santos.
After fighting three rounds with him three times a week, Ill be ready for anyone else.
Velasquez shook his head `No, regarding training with people who are emulating Dos Santos, saying the key is coming in with a set game plan for the Brazilian, and then honing it with the constant sparring and making it automatic by fight time with the constant repetition under fight simulated circumstances.
Where are you going to find someone that can emulate Junior?, asked Velasquezs manager, Bob Cook. The only person in MMA would be him, or youd have to get a top-tier heavyweight boxer.
Cook noted that Dos Santos, a heavyweight, is even faster than Velasquezs teammate and sometime training partner, Luke Rockhold, a 6-foot-3 middleweight, who is also fighting on the Houston show against Tim Boetsch.
Velasquez is very different from most heavyweight champions. He comes from a hard working family, his father worked countless hours in the desert sun on the fields. Its almost a family heritage thing, having a job that requires hard physical labor. While many athletes see training to get in peak shape as a necessary cost to reach a goal, for Velasquez, training hard, something hes done since childhood, seems instilled as part of him.
Many fight for fame. But for Velasquez, while money is certainly part of his motivation, it clearly makes no difference to him if people recognize him when hes in public or not. Hes gracious, but he is the opposite of somebody who is looking to be noticed or be the center of attention in a room. Still, as UFC heavyweight champion, in some circumstances, you become that whether you want to be or not.
I feel like Im three people, he said over lunch. Theres the person who is at home with his family (he has a wife and a four-year-old daughter). Theres there person in the gym. And theres the person who fights.
While the person in the gym is the backbone of the person in the cage, he makes a clear differentiation.
I was looking for a job that would allow me to keep training, he said.
A star athlete in football and wrestling growing up, he got Division I offers in both sports. Unlike most in that situation, he chose wrestling. The choice at the time had nothing to do with an eventual career in MMA, since he never considered that until his junior year of college. He just thought hed be better as a wrestler, and the hard work with little glory lifestyle of a Division I college wrestler fit in fine with him.
While he was aware of UFC from the start and can remember watching early UFC tapes with his friends, in his mind it then faded away. While in college, when it resurfaced, he quickly knew his next direction.
It led him to San Jose, Calif., and the old version of the American Kickboxing Gym, about an hour north of Salinas, the city he was born in 31 years ago this week. But when he was very young, his family moved to Arizona.
His wrestling coach at Arizona State, Thom Ortiz, said years ago that Velasquez had told him wrestling was too limiting. When he was out there on the college mats, in battle, his mind kept telling him when he saw openings to punch and kick, and attack relentless, taking any opening. But the rules didnt allow him to do such a thing. In that sense, Ortiz felt Velasquez was mentally, a natural MMA fighter.
Discussions about being professional fighters werent unusual in the wrestling room. Three former ASU wrestlers, Dan Severn, Don Frye and Dan Henderson, had already become legends in the sport.
A number of people in that wrestling room ended up fighting. Ryan Bader and C.B. Dollaway, who, like Velasquez, were All-American upper weight wrestlers, ended up in UFC. Both assistant coaches, Aaron Simpson and Eric Larkin, fought in UFC and Bellator respectively. Even Ortiz, in his early 40s, fought a couple of times just so hed better understand the experience of fighting.
Bader and C.B., they were thinking about it, he said. John Moraga (who lost to Demetrious Johnson in a UFC flyweight title fight this past Saturday), he was one of the guys I hung around with in college. He always wanted to do it but he got started late because at first they didnt have his weight class. Hell get better. I think it takes five years to really put it all together.
Dos Santos, 29, came from a poor section of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, a hotbed of the sport in the early 60s. In his native land, hes known more as Cigano, which means Gypsy. When Brazilians come to the U.S. to see him fight, nobody chants for Dos Santos, but Cigano chants fill the arenas. When tourists from the Brazil are in Las Vegas when he fights, they ask about Cigano, almost always, never Junior Dos Santos.
When they met up in San Francisco on Monday, sitting at the same table for a press luncheon, the interaction, or more precise, the lack thereof, spoke louder than any words. Neither had a bad thing to say about the other.
Velasquez arrived early, and was quiet and polite. Naturally shy, he will answer any question brought up, but unless hes fully comfortable with the person, he will not speak unless he is spoken to first. If not asked a question, he seems to be in constant thought, whether its about his training, his fight, or his family, only he knows.
When Dos Santos arrived and sat several seats down, the two ignored each other. There was no casual greeting, no smiles, not even a nod of recognition. Nor were there any dirty looks, attempts at mind games or intimidation. There was only a few people between them, but they very well may have been on different continents, like is usually the case.
Dos Santos, who usually has a smile on his face and is fun loving, seemed at times tense, but most of the time was laughing and joking. Both spoke of the other in most respectful ways, but not to each other at all.
Unlike many fighters, who give scientific explanations about their diets, Velasquez doesnt worry about diet or weight that much. Hes 250 right now, although he doesnt look it. He expects the rigors of camp will get him down to the low 240s.
As far as eating, he didnt seem concerned, past the point of telling the waitress, No fried food, please. Unlike Dos Santos, he didnt touch the cotton candy brought in as desert.
I made a lot of mistakes in the last fight, said Dos Santos, who in the past believed he had overtrained for the fight and thus didnt perform at his best.
Still, he would say nothing bad about his opponent.
He always moves forward, said Dos Santos. His stamina, its very good, especially for a heavyweight. His grappling is great. Hes a complete fighter. But Im also a complete fighter.
This time is going to be a different fight, for sure, he said.
Dos Santos noted the spinning back kick that he used to finish Mark Hunt as the example that he would not be the same fighter as in the first or second fight. Velasquez noted it as well, saying that while hes very experienced at preparing for Dos Santos, he has to be aware that Dos Santos may come in with something hes never seen before, for that very reason. He noted that in a fight that may go 25 minutes, he cant have a mental lapse, even for a second.
Only, when asked to stand in front of the San Francisco Bay to pose for a photo, the two locked eyes. Neither would blink, flinch or move. There was not the slightest threat of violence that an intense staredown at times brings. But there was absolutely the feeling that neither was going to be the first to stop staring into the others soul or give the opponent any idea of weakness.
When the posing for publicity shots ended, they went their separate ways. They would be flying on the same planes, and repeating the same thing, for the rest of the week.
Tourists from around the world outside the Ferry Building watched, some recognizing them, others not. One older man noted that he knew they were two UFC heavyweight stars, but asked which one was the current champion. The greater visibility of MMA fighters in Brazil was clearly obvious, as Brazilian tourists reacted like a major cultural celebrity was there, making a big commotion about Cigano. Velasquez got stares of recognition and curiosity, had some people wanting to take photos with him, but no screams of people like a rock star was in their midst. Although perhaps, if you had taken the show to Mexico, the reaction would be reversed.
Velasquezs father was born in Sonora, Mexico, and as a child he went to Northern Mexico to visit relatives frequently. He wasnt aware that his fight was going to air live on Televisa, the leading network, in that country, but he fully understand what being on Televisa meant. On that night, in Mexico, he will be the cultural hero that millions will be watching.
Javier Mendez, his trainer since he moved from Arizona, noted long before anyone had heard of Cain Velasquez, that he would be UFC heavyweight champion. He also said, with certainty in his voice, that unlike nearly everyone else, when that day came, that the guy who would train until puddles of sweat were all over the mats, and then mop it up when the session was over, would not change with the fame and money the championship would bring.
Such things like the burden of being the center of the hopes and dreams of millions on the night of his next fight may add pressure, or create a sense of ego, to most.
No, no added pressure, he quietly said, while thinking about whatever it is that makes him tick.
Dana White attempted to make a Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva match, which did make sense considering Sonnen has been cutting promos on Silva. He wanted to add that fight to the 11/16 show in Las Vegas instead of 12/28. The 11/16 show will be the companys 20th anniversary show since the first UFC was November 12, 1993, in Denver. I would have pushed the December show as the 20th anniversary sinces its the blow away show. White told Ariel Helwani that Silva said he wouldnt take the fight unless he was given PPV points. Its all posturing at this point, Silva working to get the best deal possible and clearly knowing this is his money match, and White acting like theyll move on from it because Silvas demands are too high. The promo Silva did for the fight (on the Internet), if it gets shown on TV the next few months on Countdown shows that have an audience, promotional shows, and when Sonnen does his comebacks, they could have the most non-title heat since Evans vs. Rampage. The Portuguese promo (with English subtitles) was so amazing that it had more than 933,000 views on You Tube alone (it was put in a ton of places) as of 8/26, three days after it was put up. Silva demanded a five round fight so he could punish Sonnen for a full 30 minutes (yes, I know five times five equals 25 and not 30 but thats what he said, and I guess if you include the rest period between rounds it is 29 minutes. Maybe hes counting on getting a couple of low blow time outs to stretch it out). You get those promos for that match and put it on 12/28 and its the biggest show in years. The craziest thing is he did an interview in Portugese, and they had to use English subtitles, and it was more effective than any direct MMA or WWE promo this year with the exception of Nick Diaz.
The situation with Stefan Struve is that in late July, he was getting a routine heart test done and the nurse suddenly got quiet and called in the cardiologist. He underwent an immediate MRI and they found he had a leaking aorta and an enlarged heart, which was only working at 70% effectiveness. Struve is going to need open heart surgery at some point to get his aortic valve replaced. He was hospitalized for a week for various testing and is going back on 10/2 to see how his heart has responded to the medications hes been put on. At that point his Holland doctors will tell him if he can fight again, but either way hes going to be sent to the best cardiologists in the U.S by UFC for a second opinion. Struve, 25, badly wants to continue. The problem is if a mechanical aortic valve is put in, hell need to be put on blood thinners and its very dangerous to fight on them because if you bleed, and that can happen at any time, your blood wont clot and thats a very dangerous situation. You cant fight on blood thinners. He noted that in training for Mark Hunt, he got the flu and it stayed with him for three or four weeks, and that he was exhausted after the first session when he was supposed to do two-a-days leading to the fight. He noted that in the fight with Hunt, which he lost via third round knockout, that his conditioning sucked and he couldnt figure out why. There is a kickboxer, Mark Miller, who fights for Glory, who had a similar condition as Struve and he did come back from it.
The Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald fight will be on 11/16 on the Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks undercard. Also on that show will be Tyron Woodley vs. Josh Koscheck in another welterweight battle.
There was a very interesting comment by Carlos Condit, who has faced both GSP and Hendricks in his two most recent fights. When asked who would win, he said Hendricks has a punchers chance. Thats a euphemism for saying Hendricks has the chance anyone who hits hard has, but would indicate he doesnt think hes got that good of a chance.
There is a PPV, UFC 164, on 8/31 from Milwaukee. Facebook fights at 6:30 p.m. are Magnus Cedenblad vs. Jared Hamman, Ryan Couture vs. Al Iaquinta (really interesting theyre putting Couture on Facebook when hes better known and would mean more on TV than most of the guys on the TV portion, not that as a fighter hes any better but he was pushed in Strikeforce and has the name), and Nikita Krylov vs. Soa Palelei. The FS 1 prelims at 8 p.m. are Chico Camus vs. Kyung Ho Kang, Pascal Krauss vs. Hyun Gu Lim, Tim Elliott vs. Louis Gaudinot and Gleison Tibau vs. Jamie Varner. The PPV fights are Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier, Brandon Vera vs. Ben Rothwell, Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida, Josh Barnett vs. Frank Mir and Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis for the lightweight title.
As a general rule, this is a pretty good gauge. I was first told about this years ago by people in boxing regarding how the promotions were using this to gauge who was clicking and how remarkably well it was as a tool to predict pay-per-view numbers. Like anything, there are flaws involved although with the exception of Anderson Silva fights, its almost amazingly accurate when it comes to U.S. PPV numbers.
The key things are not if No. 4 is more over than No. 5, but No. 5 is going to be more over in almost every case when it comes to ability to draw money than No. 35, unless there is a unique grudge match dynamic involved. In some cases, its going to measure a mainstream recognition and outside marketability level that may not be drawing power in a box office way but drawing power in other ways, in the sense people are intrigued with the person (such as Ronda Rousey, who is a draw, but not at that level, but gets magazine covers because shes been proven to do well in that regard and her media appearances garner so much talk and interest). Obviously Nick Diaz, who drew the biggest non-boxing PPV number being so low would be a flaw, but hes been completely out of the news since March. If you judged only January through March, hed be through the roof, but the reality is the public lost almost all interest in him after that fight, so it does tell a story for the year. Thats not to say if he resurfaces hell stay that low (although Im betting if he does fight he wont mean a fraction at the box office that he did in his last fight), but it does show nobody has been talking about him for months so his full year score isnt as strong as youd think.
If someone getting a big push is low on the list, it generally means from a money and public interest standpoint they arent there yet. In some cases, like a Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair, it measures fame and recognition. But the key thing to look at is who is new on the list and of newcomers, who is clicking with the public at what level. There are things on the list that are valuable to note, such as the Mark Henry placing and the surprising U.S. numbers for Money in the Bank, that answers a question. It also indicates the UFCs 12/28 show is going to be extremely successful and that Anderson Silva became a bigger mainstream star by being knocked out while Manny Pacquiao didnt, while Chris Weidman became a name while outside of boxing, Juan Manuel Marquez isnt nearly the name he should be. You also see how Natalya and Nikki Bella have made the list due to Total Divas, but the other women on the show, including Brie Bella, havent really made a dent. This is only for U.S. for the year 2013. The numbers for other years are based on the full year.
Rank Name 2012 2011 2010
1 John Cena 1 3 1
2 Floyd Mayweather 3 5 5
3 Dwayne Johnson 4 2 5
4 Ronda Rousey 11 --
5 Anderson Silva 8 8 9
6 C.M. Punk 6 11 8
7 Georges St-Pierre 12 7 4
8 Jon Jones 9 12 10
9 Randy Orton 13 11 10
10 Hulk Hogan 5 10 13
11 Canelo Alvarez 29
12 Brock Lesnar 7 15 2
13 HHH 14 16 12
14 Manny Pacquiao 2 1 3
15 Chael Sonnen 15 41 31
16 AJ Lee 20 --
17 Steve Austin 19 26 25
18 Ryback 25
19 Ric Flair 35 53 44
20 Undertaker 18 23 22
21 Big Show 17 36 33
22 Nick Diaz 24 29 --
23 Mark Henry 47 54 --
24 Chris Weidman --
25 Rey Mysterio 21 25 17
26 Dana White 28 34 26
27 Daniel Bryan 42 -- --
28 Dolph Ziggler
29 Shawn Michaels 31 38 18
30 Cain Velasquez 26 32 15
31 Miesha Tate -- -- --
32 Chris Jericho 33 40 40
33 Robert Guerrero --
34 Sheamus 36 71 47
35 The Miz 38 24 38
36 Alberto Del Rio -- -- --
37 Sin Cara 30 14 --
38 Rampage Jackson 57 42 21
39 Natalya -- -- --
40 Kimbo Slice 41 35 14
41 Nikki Bella
42 Alistair Overeem 37 55
43 Kurt Angle 53 61 --
44 Mick Foley -- -- --
45 Fandango -- -- --
46 Tito Ortiz 46 27 24
47 Jose Aldo
48 Jack Swagger -- -- --
49 BJ Penn 43 28 13
50 Urijah Faber 56 57 36
Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos have spent the better part of the last two years thinking about each other, studying each other, preparing to fight each other and on two occasions, going to war with each other.
In the end, both have had mixed results, with one win apiece. It is not only both mens only loss in UFC, but neither has ever even lost a round in UFC competition except to each other.
Right now, from a record standpoint in UFC, they are identical. Each is 10-1, with eight wins coming by stoppage, and every win being dominant. But their similarities largely end there.
Velasquezs perfect record of being in control for 90 percent or more of every fight hes had in his career was only stymied by the knockout punch Dos Santos hit him with behind the ear in the first minute of their first meeting. Not only that, but in his win over Dos Santos, a decision on Dec. 29 that brought him the heavyweight title a second time, he won all five rounds decisively.
Hes knocked out legends (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira), destroyed beasts (Brock Lesnar) and twice left a storybook giant (Antonio Bigfoot Silva) looking like somebody had nailed him in the head with a perfect shot using a rock and a slingshot.
Dos Santos victim list is even more impressive. Hes outstruck the best strikers (Mirko Cro Cop, Gilbert Yvel and Mark Hunt), and punched out black belts so viciously they may as well have been white belts (Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir, Roy Nelson and Gabriel Gonzaga).
Stylistically and personality-wise, they are very different. But they are the two most dominant heavyweights of this era. They would have run though the division like a Georges St-Pierre or Anderson Silva, if not for the presence of the other. But thats about all they have in common. That, and their professional goals are the same, to become UFC heavyweight champion, a title each man has taken once from the other.
But for all of the time theyve been consumed with the other, the two are neither great friends, nor bitter enemies. But when the stories of their careers are told, there is a good chance their legacies will be largely intertwined. When their careers are over, and this era is looked back on, it is very likely each will be the other ones greatest career rival. And it is something both can kind of feel going into their rubber match.
If thats the case, the title of best heavyweight of the era is in the balance on Oct. 19, when the two square off at the Toyota Center in Houston.
In preparation for the third act in their respective career story, both are spending a lot of time together this week. They started in San Francisco, then went to Los Angeles, New York and finally ended up at the Toyota Center itself, meeting with press and fans.
For Velasquez, hes happy hes doing it now, because in a few weeks, things get deadly serious. He, along with his main training partner, undefeated Daniel Cormier, who is technically the No, 2 contender for the title and the best wrestler in the heavyweight division, will train together as usual, but the dynamic this time is different. Instead of one helping get the other ready, they are, for the first time, fighting on the same card, meaning they look to both build to their peaks together. It may sound like a minor difference, but to Velasquez, its a significant edge for him.
The two men have indicated that they will probably never fight in competition, but will be in there with each other three times a week from early August until about a week before each mans fight.
Its definitely an advantage. Were both trying to peak on the same day. He has a three round fight. Three times a week, Ill be in with him for three rounds, and then theyll bring somebody fresh in for rounds four and five.
While Cormiers style is completely different from Dos Santos, Velasquez is concentrating more on being the best he can be, as opposed to preparing to fight a simulated version of Dos Santos.
After fighting three rounds with him three times a week, Ill be ready for anyone else.
Velasquez shook his head `No, regarding training with people who are emulating Dos Santos, saying the key is coming in with a set game plan for the Brazilian, and then honing it with the constant sparring and making it automatic by fight time with the constant repetition under fight simulated circumstances.
Where are you going to find someone that can emulate Junior?, asked Velasquezs manager, Bob Cook. The only person in MMA would be him, or youd have to get a top-tier heavyweight boxer.
Cook noted that Dos Santos, a heavyweight, is even faster than Velasquezs teammate and sometime training partner, Luke Rockhold, a 6-foot-3 middleweight, who is also fighting on the Houston show against Tim Boetsch.
Velasquez is very different from most heavyweight champions. He comes from a hard working family, his father worked countless hours in the desert sun on the fields. Its almost a family heritage thing, having a job that requires hard physical labor. While many athletes see training to get in peak shape as a necessary cost to reach a goal, for Velasquez, training hard, something hes done since childhood, seems instilled as part of him.
Many fight for fame. But for Velasquez, while money is certainly part of his motivation, it clearly makes no difference to him if people recognize him when hes in public or not. Hes gracious, but he is the opposite of somebody who is looking to be noticed or be the center of attention in a room. Still, as UFC heavyweight champion, in some circumstances, you become that whether you want to be or not.
I feel like Im three people, he said over lunch. Theres the person who is at home with his family (he has a wife and a four-year-old daughter). Theres there person in the gym. And theres the person who fights.
While the person in the gym is the backbone of the person in the cage, he makes a clear differentiation.
I was looking for a job that would allow me to keep training, he said.
A star athlete in football and wrestling growing up, he got Division I offers in both sports. Unlike most in that situation, he chose wrestling. The choice at the time had nothing to do with an eventual career in MMA, since he never considered that until his junior year of college. He just thought hed be better as a wrestler, and the hard work with little glory lifestyle of a Division I college wrestler fit in fine with him.
While he was aware of UFC from the start and can remember watching early UFC tapes with his friends, in his mind it then faded away. While in college, when it resurfaced, he quickly knew his next direction.
It led him to San Jose, Calif., and the old version of the American Kickboxing Gym, about an hour north of Salinas, the city he was born in 31 years ago this week. But when he was very young, his family moved to Arizona.
His wrestling coach at Arizona State, Thom Ortiz, said years ago that Velasquez had told him wrestling was too limiting. When he was out there on the college mats, in battle, his mind kept telling him when he saw openings to punch and kick, and attack relentless, taking any opening. But the rules didnt allow him to do such a thing. In that sense, Ortiz felt Velasquez was mentally, a natural MMA fighter.
Discussions about being professional fighters werent unusual in the wrestling room. Three former ASU wrestlers, Dan Severn, Don Frye and Dan Henderson, had already become legends in the sport.
A number of people in that wrestling room ended up fighting. Ryan Bader and C.B. Dollaway, who, like Velasquez, were All-American upper weight wrestlers, ended up in UFC. Both assistant coaches, Aaron Simpson and Eric Larkin, fought in UFC and Bellator respectively. Even Ortiz, in his early 40s, fought a couple of times just so hed better understand the experience of fighting.
Bader and C.B., they were thinking about it, he said. John Moraga (who lost to Demetrious Johnson in a UFC flyweight title fight this past Saturday), he was one of the guys I hung around with in college. He always wanted to do it but he got started late because at first they didnt have his weight class. Hell get better. I think it takes five years to really put it all together.
Dos Santos, 29, came from a poor section of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, a hotbed of the sport in the early 60s. In his native land, hes known more as Cigano, which means Gypsy. When Brazilians come to the U.S. to see him fight, nobody chants for Dos Santos, but Cigano chants fill the arenas. When tourists from the Brazil are in Las Vegas when he fights, they ask about Cigano, almost always, never Junior Dos Santos.
When they met up in San Francisco on Monday, sitting at the same table for a press luncheon, the interaction, or more precise, the lack thereof, spoke louder than any words. Neither had a bad thing to say about the other.
Velasquez arrived early, and was quiet and polite. Naturally shy, he will answer any question brought up, but unless hes fully comfortable with the person, he will not speak unless he is spoken to first. If not asked a question, he seems to be in constant thought, whether its about his training, his fight, or his family, only he knows.
When Dos Santos arrived and sat several seats down, the two ignored each other. There was no casual greeting, no smiles, not even a nod of recognition. Nor were there any dirty looks, attempts at mind games or intimidation. There was only a few people between them, but they very well may have been on different continents, like is usually the case.
Dos Santos, who usually has a smile on his face and is fun loving, seemed at times tense, but most of the time was laughing and joking. Both spoke of the other in most respectful ways, but not to each other at all.
Unlike many fighters, who give scientific explanations about their diets, Velasquez doesnt worry about diet or weight that much. Hes 250 right now, although he doesnt look it. He expects the rigors of camp will get him down to the low 240s.
As far as eating, he didnt seem concerned, past the point of telling the waitress, No fried food, please. Unlike Dos Santos, he didnt touch the cotton candy brought in as desert.
I made a lot of mistakes in the last fight, said Dos Santos, who in the past believed he had overtrained for the fight and thus didnt perform at his best.
Still, he would say nothing bad about his opponent.
He always moves forward, said Dos Santos. His stamina, its very good, especially for a heavyweight. His grappling is great. Hes a complete fighter. But Im also a complete fighter.
This time is going to be a different fight, for sure, he said.
Dos Santos noted the spinning back kick that he used to finish Mark Hunt as the example that he would not be the same fighter as in the first or second fight. Velasquez noted it as well, saying that while hes very experienced at preparing for Dos Santos, he has to be aware that Dos Santos may come in with something hes never seen before, for that very reason. He noted that in a fight that may go 25 minutes, he cant have a mental lapse, even for a second.
Only, when asked to stand in front of the San Francisco Bay to pose for a photo, the two locked eyes. Neither would blink, flinch or move. There was not the slightest threat of violence that an intense staredown at times brings. But there was absolutely the feeling that neither was going to be the first to stop staring into the others soul or give the opponent any idea of weakness.
When the posing for publicity shots ended, they went their separate ways. They would be flying on the same planes, and repeating the same thing, for the rest of the week.
Tourists from around the world outside the Ferry Building watched, some recognizing them, others not. One older man noted that he knew they were two UFC heavyweight stars, but asked which one was the current champion. The greater visibility of MMA fighters in Brazil was clearly obvious, as Brazilian tourists reacted like a major cultural celebrity was there, making a big commotion about Cigano. Velasquez got stares of recognition and curiosity, had some people wanting to take photos with him, but no screams of people like a rock star was in their midst. Although perhaps, if you had taken the show to Mexico, the reaction would be reversed.
Velasquezs father was born in Sonora, Mexico, and as a child he went to Northern Mexico to visit relatives frequently. He wasnt aware that his fight was going to air live on Televisa, the leading network, in that country, but he fully understand what being on Televisa meant. On that night, in Mexico, he will be the cultural hero that millions will be watching.
Javier Mendez, his trainer since he moved from Arizona, noted long before anyone had heard of Cain Velasquez, that he would be UFC heavyweight champion. He also said, with certainty in his voice, that unlike nearly everyone else, when that day came, that the guy who would train until puddles of sweat were all over the mats, and then mop it up when the session was over, would not change with the fame and money the championship would bring.
Such things like the burden of being the center of the hopes and dreams of millions on the night of his next fight may add pressure, or create a sense of ego, to most.
No, no added pressure, he quietly said, while thinking about whatever it is that makes him tick.
Dana White attempted to make a Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva match, which did make sense considering Sonnen has been cutting promos on Silva. He wanted to add that fight to the 11/16 show in Las Vegas instead of 12/28. The 11/16 show will be the companys 20th anniversary show since the first UFC was November 12, 1993, in Denver. I would have pushed the December show as the 20th anniversary sinces its the blow away show. White told Ariel Helwani that Silva said he wouldnt take the fight unless he was given PPV points. Its all posturing at this point, Silva working to get the best deal possible and clearly knowing this is his money match, and White acting like theyll move on from it because Silvas demands are too high. The promo Silva did for the fight (on the Internet), if it gets shown on TV the next few months on Countdown shows that have an audience, promotional shows, and when Sonnen does his comebacks, they could have the most non-title heat since Evans vs. Rampage. The Portuguese promo (with English subtitles) was so amazing that it had more than 933,000 views on You Tube alone (it was put in a ton of places) as of 8/26, three days after it was put up. Silva demanded a five round fight so he could punish Sonnen for a full 30 minutes (yes, I know five times five equals 25 and not 30 but thats what he said, and I guess if you include the rest period between rounds it is 29 minutes. Maybe hes counting on getting a couple of low blow time outs to stretch it out). You get those promos for that match and put it on 12/28 and its the biggest show in years. The craziest thing is he did an interview in Portugese, and they had to use English subtitles, and it was more effective than any direct MMA or WWE promo this year with the exception of Nick Diaz.
The situation with Stefan Struve is that in late July, he was getting a routine heart test done and the nurse suddenly got quiet and called in the cardiologist. He underwent an immediate MRI and they found he had a leaking aorta and an enlarged heart, which was only working at 70% effectiveness. Struve is going to need open heart surgery at some point to get his aortic valve replaced. He was hospitalized for a week for various testing and is going back on 10/2 to see how his heart has responded to the medications hes been put on. At that point his Holland doctors will tell him if he can fight again, but either way hes going to be sent to the best cardiologists in the U.S by UFC for a second opinion. Struve, 25, badly wants to continue. The problem is if a mechanical aortic valve is put in, hell need to be put on blood thinners and its very dangerous to fight on them because if you bleed, and that can happen at any time, your blood wont clot and thats a very dangerous situation. You cant fight on blood thinners. He noted that in training for Mark Hunt, he got the flu and it stayed with him for three or four weeks, and that he was exhausted after the first session when he was supposed to do two-a-days leading to the fight. He noted that in the fight with Hunt, which he lost via third round knockout, that his conditioning sucked and he couldnt figure out why. There is a kickboxer, Mark Miller, who fights for Glory, who had a similar condition as Struve and he did come back from it.
The Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald fight will be on 11/16 on the Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks undercard. Also on that show will be Tyron Woodley vs. Josh Koscheck in another welterweight battle.
There was a very interesting comment by Carlos Condit, who has faced both GSP and Hendricks in his two most recent fights. When asked who would win, he said Hendricks has a punchers chance. Thats a euphemism for saying Hendricks has the chance anyone who hits hard has, but would indicate he doesnt think hes got that good of a chance.
There is a PPV, UFC 164, on 8/31 from Milwaukee. Facebook fights at 6:30 p.m. are Magnus Cedenblad vs. Jared Hamman, Ryan Couture vs. Al Iaquinta (really interesting theyre putting Couture on Facebook when hes better known and would mean more on TV than most of the guys on the TV portion, not that as a fighter hes any better but he was pushed in Strikeforce and has the name), and Nikita Krylov vs. Soa Palelei. The FS 1 prelims at 8 p.m. are Chico Camus vs. Kyung Ho Kang, Pascal Krauss vs. Hyun Gu Lim, Tim Elliott vs. Louis Gaudinot and Gleison Tibau vs. Jamie Varner. The PPV fights are Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier, Brandon Vera vs. Ben Rothwell, Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida, Josh Barnett vs. Frank Mir and Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis for the lightweight title.
dream
Member
Some more notes on the ratings for the 8/17 show on FS 1 that just blew me away. On its first night in existence, FS 1 was the highest rated station, broadcast or cable, in prime time in the 18-34, 18-49, Mens 18-34 and Mens 18-49 demos. The mens demo were surprising but not unheard of. Being No. 1 overall, when youre talking about a show that really doesnt do all that great with women, is impressive. But on a new station, that was crazy. The fact they could do so well speaks somewhat to the advertising FOX and UFC did, the card itself, but mostly to how avid the UFC fan base is. Im not saying this in comparison to WWE, because WWEs fan base is super avid to a point as far as following the characters and more so when it comes to loyalty to watching TV every week. The UFC fan base is obviously a lot more likely to purchase a PPV and willing to spend a lot more money on a ticket. But the three-hour main card did a 2.02 in Males 18-34 and a 2.30 in Males 35-49. For a comparison, on 7/27, when they were on FOX for two plus hours, the show did a 1.5 in Males 18-34 and 1.7 in Males 35-49. You would look at those numbers and think that would be impossible given one is a major network and the other was a station in its first day of existence. What that kind of tells me is that the exposure on FOX for a normal show really isnt expanding their audience, because anyone who watched the show on FS 1 was the kind of fan who was avid, because they had to seek it out, find where it was on the dial as opposed to it being on a popular channel and then finding it that night and deciding to watch it for a while just because its there. When they have a really loaded show like on 4/20, they did better on FOX but its not as big a difference as youd think. The prestige of being on network vs. cable means something, but far less than ever before. But I think it shows UFC is like pro wrestling in that it has its fans, who will seek it out if theres something they want to see, but its not like the NBA or even the NHL where if you put a big game on network TV, its going to bring in a lot of casual fans because its on a far more popular overall station. The exception are the football season shows, but thats more because they are promoted during football with so many tens of millions of adult males watching so the awareness is higher. In addition the prelims on FS 1 did a 0.72 rating and 881,000 viewers, while the prelims on FX before the last FOX show did a 0.73 and 904,000 viewers, or almost identical. One would think being on FX, a far more popular station, would make far more difference. When UFC in the past aired on Spike, the numbers were significantly better than when they had prelims on Ion a few times or live shows on Versus. A lot of that also speaks to the idea that more people were interested in this lineup with Chael Sonnen, Alistair Overeem and Urijah Faber than one with Demetrious Johnson vs. unknown John Moraga, title or not, and Rory MacDonald vs. Jake Ellenberger.
It looks like Bellator is going to be out a welterweight champion as Bjorn Rebney on 8/21 told ESPN that they were not going to make Ben Askren an offer, and if he wants to go to UFC, they will let him and speed up the process so he can fight. Askrens contract expired with his last fight, a dominant win over Andrey Koreshkov. Askren had said there was no chance he would be fighting on the 11/2 PPV show, which pretty much indicated he felt he was as good as gone. Askren has been challenging Georges St-Pierre for years and in conversations with him, hes indicated that he was wanting to go to UFC for that fight as soon as his contract allowed him. He contacted Dana White with a message saying that if Johny Hendricks gets hurt, hes ready to step in against GSP. I dont know if that would be a great fight, but it would be a fight where GSP would probably have to fight standing, because I just cant see GSP being able to have an advantage on Askren on the ground. Even if GSP can take him down, Askren is the best in the world at reversing from bottom to top, and hes difficult to take down to begin with.
Mayhem Miller was arrested again this week on a second Domestic Violence charge and was at press time being held on $5,000 bond. Miller pleaded not guilty to both of his recent charges at an arraignment hearing on 8/26. Among the notes are that Miller had large pieces of skin missing on one of his hands which he claimed was from when his girlfriend bit him. His alleged victim, whose name was withheld, said during the second alleged assault by Miller, that Miller urinated on her and choked her until she fell onto the floor, where she was punched and kicked viciously. Millers lawyer said that this was after Miller had asked her to leave his home and that Millers father was a witness and she attacked him first. Miller was making all sorts of expressive faces like he does on television, while in the court room, and got admonished by the judge for making funny faces. The prosecutors said the judge needs to take into account the cuts and bruises on the woman and Millers lawyer said that like Miller, she trains MMA and being cut and bruised is a regular occurrence. They noted that she never went to the hospital, and actually slept at Millers house and didnt report anything until a week later. It was also brought up that in the past, Miller had a restraining order taken out against her, as did more than one of her prior boyfriends. The prosecution brought up that Miller made a twitter post that read, If you are reading this with fear in your heart, maybe Ill kill you. The defense tried to say that Miller could have meant this about anyone, and specifically mentioned that he could have meant Dana White (Miller has gone off on White many times on Twitter). White in court was referred to as the president of the WWF, believe it or not. Another post brought up by the prosecution said, Some people prefer prisoners over partners. If they cant have you, no one can. Cant kill maybe, and another that read Die, Die, Die. The judge stated that Millers tweets deem him a threat to society, and Miler replied, Judge, I am an artist, and his attorney told him to be quiet. The judge placed a protective order against him to stay away from his girlfriend, banned him from owning any firearms and set his bail at $100,000, stemming from both sets of charges, with a preliminary hearing on 9/9.
It looks like Bellator is going to be out a welterweight champion as Bjorn Rebney on 8/21 told ESPN that they were not going to make Ben Askren an offer, and if he wants to go to UFC, they will let him and speed up the process so he can fight. Askrens contract expired with his last fight, a dominant win over Andrey Koreshkov. Askren had said there was no chance he would be fighting on the 11/2 PPV show, which pretty much indicated he felt he was as good as gone. Askren has been challenging Georges St-Pierre for years and in conversations with him, hes indicated that he was wanting to go to UFC for that fight as soon as his contract allowed him. He contacted Dana White with a message saying that if Johny Hendricks gets hurt, hes ready to step in against GSP. I dont know if that would be a great fight, but it would be a fight where GSP would probably have to fight standing, because I just cant see GSP being able to have an advantage on Askren on the ground. Even if GSP can take him down, Askren is the best in the world at reversing from bottom to top, and hes difficult to take down to begin with.
Mayhem Miller was arrested again this week on a second Domestic Violence charge and was at press time being held on $5,000 bond. Miller pleaded not guilty to both of his recent charges at an arraignment hearing on 8/26. Among the notes are that Miller had large pieces of skin missing on one of his hands which he claimed was from when his girlfriend bit him. His alleged victim, whose name was withheld, said during the second alleged assault by Miller, that Miller urinated on her and choked her until she fell onto the floor, where she was punched and kicked viciously. Millers lawyer said that this was after Miller had asked her to leave his home and that Millers father was a witness and she attacked him first. Miller was making all sorts of expressive faces like he does on television, while in the court room, and got admonished by the judge for making funny faces. The prosecutors said the judge needs to take into account the cuts and bruises on the woman and Millers lawyer said that like Miller, she trains MMA and being cut and bruised is a regular occurrence. They noted that she never went to the hospital, and actually slept at Millers house and didnt report anything until a week later. It was also brought up that in the past, Miller had a restraining order taken out against her, as did more than one of her prior boyfriends. The prosecution brought up that Miller made a twitter post that read, If you are reading this with fear in your heart, maybe Ill kill you. The defense tried to say that Miller could have meant this about anyone, and specifically mentioned that he could have meant Dana White (Miller has gone off on White many times on Twitter). White in court was referred to as the president of the WWF, believe it or not. Another post brought up by the prosecution said, Some people prefer prisoners over partners. If they cant have you, no one can. Cant kill maybe, and another that read Die, Die, Die. The judge stated that Millers tweets deem him a threat to society, and Miler replied, Judge, I am an artist, and his attorney told him to be quiet. The judge placed a protective order against him to stay away from his girlfriend, banned him from owning any firearms and set his bail at $100,000, stemming from both sets of charges, with a preliminary hearing on 9/9.
They need another sacrificial lamb for Jon Jones, but nobody is buying Mr.
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
Phil Davis is the most "physically compatible" contender for Jones. Both have decent wrestling credentials, both are high-quality athletes, and Davis only surrenders a 2 inch height and 5 inch reach advantage to Jones. However, whilst Jones has significantly evolved in every facet of the sport, Davis remains simply a wrestler who's only recently added K1-level striking to his toolset. And we all saw what happened the last time Davis was given a headlining match...
If/when Glover beats Bader he'll be the consensus No. 1 Contender. At the same time, Davis is really stuck for options right now regarding "meaningful" fights that will propel him up the rankings - especially considering the only real challenge for him at this point is another wrestler. However, if the winner of Jones/Gus is injured, Glover vs. Davis is surely set in stone for No. 1 Contender.
Host Samurai
Member
This would be a decent roster for a fighting game
Sin Cara & The MIz sell more PPVs than Rampage. Damn.
polyh3dron
Banned
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
Yesterday's victory for NWO White (team positive) was but an abnormality. Nothing stops this train of mediocrity. NWO Red (team negative) will be proven right in the long run. They're going to fuck up the matchmaking with NBK's next opponent, just watch.
Host Samurai
Member
Darth Bader will upset Glover and ruin the LHW plans. You heard it here first
I'm honestly not that even excited for a Glover x Bones matchup.
Bones x Cormier should be next on the agenda after Bones gets done mollywhoppin Gus.
185 is looking interesting again as well. Hopefully Mousasi puts on a nice little run and eventually fights for the strap.
Machida x Weidman sounds fresh.
There are a lot of great fresh fights on the horizon if things go according to plan. But yeah we always got Joe Silva who can throw in a monkeywrench at any time.
I hope so. That way Team Negative can begin to take hold of this thread.
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
I don't care what happens to Glover. Him losing to Bader would just cause us to make fun of Heel. But if Cormier doesn't get a shot at Bones within a year, I'm going to angrily douse this thread in gasoline. That's the match 205 needs.
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
At least they have a feeder league. Something the UFC could use instead of putting "Brian Melancon" on the same card as NBK.
Pristine_Condition
Member
Thanks for the Meltz, dream.
Host Samurai
Member
The 205 division is in limbo.
You got all legends that are on the legend circuit now. Shogun, Wand, Hendo and who knows whats up with Lil Nog. Chael is on the circus circuit who is just there. Evans wont ever be in contention again. Bader & Davis suck and you have Glover who is 34.
If lol Bader beats Glover than what? Mousasi wants no part of Jones at LHW and will most likely fight MW with Machida.
RIP LHW division. 2001-2013. Its looking to be one of the worst divisions in the UFC.
You got all legends that are on the legend circuit now. Shogun, Wand, Hendo and who knows whats up with Lil Nog. Chael is on the circus circuit who is just there. Evans wont ever be in contention again. Bader & Davis suck and you have Glover who is 34.
If lol Bader beats Glover than what? Mousasi wants no part of Jones at LHW and will most likely fight MW with Machida.
RIP LHW division. 2001-2013. Its looking to be one of the worst divisions in the UFC.
Lets just hope he can cut to that weight.
ah shit, what a great matchup
polyh3dron
Banned
where the hut numbers at heel?
also, first wednesday show. they have to build that night up. hell, I forgot it was on wednesday until the day prior when weigh ins were on.
TUF will build up wednesday night for the UFC.
also, first wednesday show. they have to build that night up. hell, I forgot it was on wednesday until the day prior when weigh ins were on.
TUF will build up wednesday night for the UFC.
Dana seemed to really love the Wednesday HUT levels compared to Saturday at the scrum last night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLxZYd7wEqA&t=41m
I guess you could chalk it up to them doing a poor job at getting the word out, but they should be worried if it starts to become a pattern. These are nearing the Bellator numbers that Dana jokes are worse than his video blog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLxZYd7wEqA&t=41m
I guess you could chalk it up to them doing a poor job at getting the word out, but they should be worried if it starts to become a pattern. These are nearing the Bellator numbers that Dana jokes are worse than his video blog.
polyh3dron
Banned
OP is up partly.. Was thinking of doing a memorial to the victims of Father Time in it but didn't feel like having people argue over questionable inclusions or exclusions.
And fuck funky Ben. I hope he gets an immediate shot at GSP so he can get jabbed to boredom.
And fuck funky Ben. I hope he gets an immediate shot at GSP so he can get jabbed to boredom.