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| Brock Lesnar vs Heath Herring UFC 87 fight slated Posted: 24 May 2008 08:13 AM CDT Grizzled mixed martial arts veteran Heath Herring (28-13) has agreed to take on Brock Lesnar (1-1) — a relative newcomer to the sport — at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 9. Herring replaces recent UFC Hall of Fame inductee, Mark Coleman, who had to withdraw from the heavyweight bout with Lesnar because a knee injury sustained while training. “The Texas Crazy Horse” most recently defeated Cheick Kongo at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” back in March. He has two losses inside the Octagon, including a defeat to the current UFC Heavyweight Champion, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueria — a fight he was seconds away from winning if he had put more pressure on the Brazilian when he had him hurt. Herring has been fighting since 1997 and has been in against some of the best in the business such as Nogueira, Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Vitor Belfort, Mark Kerr, Igor Vovchanchyn, Enson Inoue and others. Put simply, he’s been tested. Lesnar, on the other hand, has not. He’s a genetic freak of nature who has amazing wrestling skills, trying to make the transition from the WWE to the UFC. And he looked solid in his Octagon debut against former heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 81: “Breaking Point” back in February … for about 90 seconds. He was punishing Mir, but then got caught in a fight-ending submission (kneebar). UFC President Dana White was apparently not kidding when he mentioned that Lesnar was going to be thrown in the deep end. It’s time to sink or swim. One positive for Lesnar is that Herring has terrible takedown defense. He could not stop a shot in his fight with Jake O’Brien and Kongo even seemingly took him to the floor at will. Lesnar has more wrestling ability in his left thumb than O’Brien and Kongo put together. And being underneath the massive Lesnar, eating punches and elbows, is not a cool place to be. Just ask Frank Mir. For the latest UFC 87 card click here. |
| Donald Trump: Affliction card is ‘great’ (Video) Posted: 23 May 2008 08:02 PM CDT |
| UFC 84 weigh in results for Penn vs Sherk PPV event fights Posted: 23 May 2008 04:12 PM CDT
The official weigh-in event for UFC 84: “Ill Will” at the MGM Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas, Nevada, has concluded. And it certainly had it’s share of memorable moments. In particular, former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz — in more than likely his last appearance for the promotion — is not going out quietly as expected. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” donned a t-shirt the read, “Dana is My Bitch,” referring to his nemesis, UFC President Dana White. It was no coincidence that White was not present at the festivities. Regardless, Ortiz will have one last opportunity to take a dig at White when he takes on Lyoto Machida tomorrow night. Expect something even more over the top. Here are the official results:
*Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights. Remember that MMAmania.com will also provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, May 24. Of course, the latest quick updates of the prelim bouts will begin to flow earlier than that at around 8:30 p.m. ET. It’s going to be a sick night of fights … check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight coverage you can handle. |
| Friday Night Throwdown: UFC 84 what to watch for Posted: 23 May 2008 04:11 PM CDT
During the past three weeks here in the Throwdown, we’ve covered the “big three” fights that comprise UFC 84: “Ill Will,” from BJ Penn-Sean Sherk to Lyoto Machida-Tito Ortiz to Keith Jardine-Wanderlei Silva. It’s obvious that this is one of the better cards in recent memory. But of course there are things that we haven’t discussed about each of the three fights heading into tomorrow night. This edition of the Throwdown will cover four things that fans should think about or consider while watching UFC 84 tomorrow night (Saturday, May 24), as well as feature some quick predictions on the main card action of the pay-per-view (PPV) event.
How is Sean Sherk going to react if he’s taken down? We’ve heard so much about how Sherk feels he’s going to take down Penn at will and beat him up there for five rounds. But what happens if it’s the other way around? Consider that the last two instances in which Sherk was on his back for extended periods those fights ended in defeats. In his fight with Matt Hughes, Sherk was taken down at will by the superior wrestler in a fight that went to a unanimous decision for the former champion (Hughes). In his fight against Georges St. Pierre, “Rush” picked apart Sherk on the feet before deciding to take it to the ground. It was there that St. Pierre thoroughly dismantled Sherk with brutal ground and pound, ending the fight via technical knockout. Now an argument can be made that Sherk was the smaller welterweight and is a natural lightweight, but the fact remains that Sherk doesn’t like being on his back. Therefore, what’s going to happen if and when Penn sweeps Sherk and he ends up on his back? This could be a huge factor, and Sherk can’t panic if Penn gains the upper hand when the fight hits the ground. Sherk has to look to get back up and try to take Penn down to score points. I say that because let’s face it … Sherk isn’t going to choke out or knock out Penn. But anything can happen right? It’s imperative that — if Penn can’t finish Sherk in the first three rounds — he wins at least the first two rounds while he’s fresh. It will then put the pressure on Sherk to try and win the final three rounds to reclaim his title. And even if Penn becomes susceptible to the takedown in the later rounds he has a very active guard, which can help him score points with the judges … especially if Sherk does not stay busy. Regardless, Penn will look to finish the fight because you never want to leave it in the judges’ hands. (See St. Pierre, Georges UFC 58). Can Jardine handle adversity? The last time we saw Jardine look overwhelmed in a fight it ended in just 48 seconds against Houston Alexander. We all know that Silva brings the pressure as soon as the bell rings, but can Jardine handle that “in your face,” bullish pressure? In his fight with Alexander, he underestimated Houston when it came to fighting on the inside. Jardine is a much more effective fighter when he fights from the outside and uses his great kickboxing to neutralize opponents. His kicks are by far some of the best in the business, but in the fight with Alexander he felt he could knock out Houston, which ended up biting him in the ass. In this fight, Jardine cannot be content to stand and trade with Silva. “The Axe Murderer” will throw with bad intentions from all angles, and one slip up for Jardine and it’s all over. There is going to be a point in this fight — especially if Silva is losing – that he is going to leave everything in the Octagon and will look to finish the fight by any means necessary. Jardine has to use his leg kicks and pick his shots. If he does that then he wins this fight easily and a title shot is a given. If Jardine ends up in the clinch or trading with Silva, he’s going to sleep. Win, lose or draw … Wanderlei has to move to 185 Silva’s legacy as an all-time great is secure, but a loss here tomorrow will only question how much Silva has left in the tank. Have the wars he’s had with the likes of Dan Henderson and others taken such a toll on him over the years that he will never be the Silva of old again? Will he ever be the Wanderlei Silva that ruled PRIDE for more than five years? Or are we just going to see an over-the-hill fighter in the twilight of his career from here on out? For me, Silva is just a natural middleweight who can thrive with the move down to 185. A win tomorrow night will lead to much bigger fights at light heavyweight but at what cost? Many of the guys at light heavyweight are truly bigger fighters than the ones Silva dismantled in PRIDE. PRIDE fed Silva cans here and there, but this is the UFC for crying out loud. I would still pick many guys in the division to defeat Silva. I would have Machida, Griffin and EVEN Tito Ortiz beating Wanderlei Silva right now. And yes to all those Rampage fans: a third fight between the two will not end up like the first two meetings. The fact is it would benefit the UFC and Silva for him to move to middleweight. The possibilities at that weight class are endless for Silva to show that he’s still got it. Silva against Rich Franklin would be a huge draw and we all know that Wanderlei wants another crack at Hendo. Silva can rack up a couple more wins at middleweight and possibly fight another Silva down the line sometime next year. Of course that would be Anderson Silva — the most dominant fighter in the world bar none right now. I could see it now: Silva vs. Silva, Brazil vs. Brazil for the middleweight title! Let’s get real … who wouldn’t want to see this fight happen next year? The middleweight division and Wanderlei need each other right now. A loss to Jardine will force the UFC to either consider redoing his current contract or convince Silva that moving down is the best thing for him. Will the UFC give Tito Ortiz the proper send off? Boy, will Dana White be the most anxious person in the MGM Grand Garden Arena when Ortiz faces Machida. If you guys haven’t seen the “Countdown to UFC 84″ show, then please do because if Ortiz does what he says … I’m going to leave it at that. Can you imagine Tito giving Dana the finger if he gets by Machida? Will he revert to his old school “grave-digging” taunt in front of Dana if he stops Machida? This is the fight I’m most anxious to see just because of the post-fight interview when it takes place. I mean whatever Ortiz or Dana White plans on doing after the fight will be live on PPV for the whole world to see. But the one thing you have to hope for is the best and the UFC gives Ortiz his dues by allowing him to say one last goodbye to the fans. Love him or hate him, Ortiz is a mixed martial arts pioneer, was a credible and defending champion, and he rakes in money. Period. Wherever Tito goes, the money will follow. His rematch with Chuck Liddell is still the highest grossing PPV show in MMA history. And his third and final destruction of Ken Shamrock is still the most viewed fight in the history of Spike TV. The numbers speak for themselves. And last but not least, he will go down as one of the most recognizable fighters of all time. It’s because of this that the next organization that Ortiz ends up with will be in good shape. I would hope Dana allows Tito to say goodbye whether he wins or loses against Machida. Tito deserves it and I’m looking forward to it. UFC 84 Predictions BJ Penn over Sean Sherk: I’ve had this fight for a while as my upset pick but BJ Penn is just simply a level above everyone else at 155 right now. Penn has fought twice at 155 and Sherk hasn’t fought in over eight months. Ring rust will show in this fight for Sherk in the early rounds, and it’s those rounds, like I stated earlier, that Penn must win if the fight goes the distance. I see Penn winning by TKO in the fourth round. Keith Jardine over Wanderlei Silva: Jardine’s technique is simply tailor-made to defeat an aggressive fighter like Silva. Jardine will keep Silva from swinging for the fences from the inside with his superior kickboxing to keep him on the outside. If Silva wins this fight, it will be because he pressures Jardine to make a mistake and capitalizes on it. I just don’t see that happening, and I expect Jardine to win via split decision. Thiago Silva over Antonio Mendes: This Silva is in the right weight class and is truly a diamond in the rough for the UFC. He has great striking and his jiu-jitsu is top notch, making Silva a great well-rounded fighter. Although Mendes is no slouch, this is clearly a showcase fight for Silva. A win here moves him up the rankings. Do I see a Silva-Evans fight finally taking place toward the end of the year? Wilson Gouveia over Goran Relic: Not much to say for this fight because it’s a fight that Gouveia can win in many ways. He can knock out Relic if they stand and bang, or he can submit him on the ground (which will be tougher to do). I just see this fight going to a decision and it will be a close fight. *UFC 84 UPSET SPECIAL* Tito Ortiz over Lyoto Machida: Let the roasting begin from guys like Adam G. and others with my pick of Ortiz defeating Machida. I like to switch things up and not be so predictable with all of my picks for each fight card. I just got a gut feeling that Ortiz can pull a rabbit out of the hat and win this fight. Machida’s offense-defense approach will confuse Ortiz in the first round, but I see Ortiz adjusting in the second and taking the fight to the ground. Although Machida is a jiu-jitsu black belt, it doesn’t mean a damn thing if you’re eating elbows to the face. Ortiz still has one of the best ground and pound skills in the game today. If Ortiz can win rounds two and three by taking Machida down, he wins. If not, well, Machida will win by decision. I’m just going with my gut here guys, so take this pick with a grain of salt. MMA news and notes Lesnar-Coleman off, St-Pierre-Fitch on for UFC 87 — It brings music to my ears to know that Lesnar will not get the opportunity to smash UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman for three rounds in August. I mean I have to be honest, that fight had all the potential to be a snooze fest. Anyway you look at it, that fight was going to hit the ground and stay there for 15 minutes. As for possible opponents for Lesnar, Justin McCully springs to mind — he was originally scheduled to fight Frank Mir at UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” before Mir was pulled to coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). One concern if you pair Lesnar with McCully is that McCully is a black belt in jiu-jitsu. Frank Mir was able to submit Lesnar, and McCully too has a chance to do the same. But if we see the same McCully that laid on Antoni Hardonk for 15 minutes, Lesnar has a great chance to defeat him as well. Guess we’ll wait and see in the coming weeks. As for the announced main event of Fitch-GSP … it’s about time! I was hoping that the main event would’ve been Silva-Okami, but hey, I’ll take Fitch-GSP anytime. It’s a great match up, but it’s going to be the true litmus test for Fitch. One must consider that he looked shaky against Chris Wilson at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” this past March. Perhaps Fitch was in cruise control and underestimated Wilson, but he looked a bit uncomfortable even though he won the fight. Either way it’s a fight that won’t go to a decision, and the early line has to go the way of GSP as the favorite. GSP is on a roll once again in winning three straight fights and regaining the UFC welterweight title this past April at UFC 83. For GSP, he knows it’s one thing to be champion but it’s another thing to stay champion. Everyone thought he would rule the division for years to come during his first title reign. Then came along a guy named Matt Serra, and one of the biggest upsets in MMA history came to fruition. We’ve got three months to digest this match up and it should be fun. DREAM Middleweight Tournament Round 2 match ups announced: — When you look at the current match ups that comprise the second round of the tourney, two fights stands out. Sakuraba goes against a monster in Melvin Manhoef, and you have to worry about Kaz in this fight. Melvin throws heavy hands and his kickboxing is among the best in the world. We’ve seen Sakuraba take some serious punishment, but Manhoef has the ability in terms of striking to retire Kaz for good. I sure hope you have one more ace up your sleeve, Mr. Sakuraba. The second match up will be Ronaldo Jacare and fan favorite Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller. This is a big fight for Jacare to show that he’s the real deal and worth every penny. Miller brings a whole lot to the table with good striking and a great ground game. Jacare will have to look to try and test Miller on the feet because Miller’s takedown defense could cause Ronaldo some trouble. For Miller, a win here and his career takes another step in becoming one of the best middleweights out there. Hell, winning the tournament as a whole will do wonders for his career, especially in Japan. The other match ups include Gegard Mousasi going against Yong Sik Yoon and Zelg Galesik facing Kin Tailei. Mousasi has to still be considered the dark horse in the tournament especially after submitting Denis Kang. This is a tournament for fans who love to see fights that never hit the ground. Man I would go into more news but that about wraps up this week’s edition of the Throwdown. Next week will be the first mailbag edition of the Throwdown, so be sure to email me with any questions, comments or story ideas right here. We’ll also cover the EliteXC card that takes place next Saturday as well. Until next week folks … I’ll see you right back here in the Throwdown. |
| Anderson Silva vs Wanderlei Silva UFC fight possible ‘in the future’ Posted: 23 May 2008 02:48 PM CDT
Props: MMAWeekly.com Quoteworthy:
Wanderlei Silva shares his thoughts on a potential drop to 185 pounds after his light heavyweight bout with Keith Jardine this weekend at UFC 84: “Ill Will.” He wants to stay at 205 pounds and challenge, according to the report, “UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for a third time and a rematch with Chuck Liddell;” however, he is not against a potential showdown with “The Spider” if things don’t go according to his plan. |
| MMA Quick Quote: Gary Shaw fires back at Dana White on Kimbo-Penn Posted: 23 May 2008 01:13 PM CDT
– Elite XC Live Events President Gary Shaw responds via Sherdog.com to recent comments made by UFC President Dana White that lightweight champion BJ Penn — despite and 80 pound weight disadvantage — could defeat Kimbo Slice. This is getting good. Shaw and White have been going back and forth for the better part of the 16 months Elite XC has been around, but these are by far the closest thing to “fighting words” that have come from Shaw. Therefore, this is more than likely nowhere near over. |
| DREAM 4: Middleweight Grand Prix Round 2 Posted: 23 May 2008 11:54 AM CDT
Among the notable competitors are Jason “Mayhem” Miller (21-5) vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (8-1). Miller was last seen in action on May 11 at DREAM 3, where he defeated Katsuyori Shibata by TKO. Souza is also coming off a DREAM win, when he submitted Ian Murphy back on April 29 in the opening round of the GP. In one of the more lopsided match-ups, elder statesmen Kazushi Sakuraba (24-10-1) is being fed to Dutch kickboxer “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (21-4-1). Sakuraba was able to get past the opening round of the grand prix by submitting Andrews Nakahara, but he is going to have his head taken off against Manhoef if he stays on his feet. Manhoef, like Miller, is coming off a TKO win on May 11 when he obliterated Dae Won Kim with punches and knees at DREAM 3. Considering he’s ended his last four fights via (T)KO, we can only hope that Sakuraba is a religious man. Here are the matches for the second round of the middleweight GP: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Melvin Manhoef Shinya Aoki will also take on Nagata Katsuhiko to determine the fourth and final man to advance to the semifinals of the 2008 DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix. The night was also supposed to feature the main event of former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight Mirko Cro Cop (23-6-2) facing decorated K-1 kickboxing champion, Jerome LeBanner (3-1), but a minor leg injury to the Croation striker forced that bout to be moved to DREAM 5 on July 20. |
| Keith Jardine: Wanderlei Silva UFC 84 fight ‘bigger’ than a title shot (Video) Posted: 23 May 2008 10:45 AM CDT |
| A final look at UFC 84 with Jesse Holland from MMAmania.com Posted: 23 May 2008 10:25 AM CDT
Our own Jesse Holland recently stopped in to chat with Ariel Helwani at MMARated.com to preview the UFC 84: "Ill Will" pay-per-view (PPV) event that takes place tomorrow (Saturday, May 24) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here are some specific discussion points:
Check it out when you have some time right HERE. It turned out to be a solid discussion. Thanks again to Ariel for inviting Jesse to come out and play. He doesn’t get out much and when he does his friends often attempt to ditch him. Discussions often go like this:
Sadly, he doesn’t get the hint. |
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