Saturday, September 19, 2009

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com


UFC 103 weigh-in photos gallery for ‘Franklin vs Belfort’

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 06:53 PM PDT

franklin_belfort_ufc103

Props: CombatLifestyle.com (Click the link to check out the complete gallery)

Mirko Cro Cop and Junior dos Santos go toe-to-toe after the jump. For official UFC 103: “Franklin vs. Belfort” weigh in results click here.

CroCop_dos_Santos_ufc103

UFC Quick Quote: Luis Cane doesn’t really want to fight Rogerio Nogueira on Nov. 21

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 06:06 PM PDT

luiscane.jpg

"That was the last fight we wanted. When Joe (Silva) offered it to us, I asked to put his against any other American — Forrest, Rashad, Rampage — but they said you have to fight whoever they put in front of you. Rogério is my friend, “Banha” is his fan … [he] likes him a lot, we didn't want this fight … and this fight will be dramatic, really tough…. The only thing that cheers me on that is that, if “Banha” passes through Rogério, he'll have possibilities to fight fort he title on a close future.”

– Alex Davis, the manager for surging light heavyweight, Luis “Banha” Cane, laments to Tatame.com about his fighter being paired up opposite Antonio Rogerio “Minotouro” Noguiera at UFC 106 on Nov. 21. As he points out, the Brazilians have somewhat of a history together, as well as a long-standing mutual respect. But UFC executives, including the top man in charge, Lorenzo Fertitta, have recently been vocal about their policy that fighters will have to fight who they want them to fight … regardless of friendship or personal preferences. Does this put Rashad Evans (who is adamant that he will never again fight Keith Jardine) or Anderson Silva (who vows to never get inside the Octagon opposite Lyoto Machida) or Jon Fitch (who claims he won’t take on Josh Koscheck or Mike Swick) on notice? Do these fighters need to put everything aside … especially if title implications are on the line?

Josh Koscheck vs Frank Trigg UFC 103 video fight talk

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 04:42 PM PDT

“Twinkle Toes” will have to rely on experience and wisdom, apparently:

UFC 103 weigh in results LIVE from Dallas for ‘Franklin vs Belfort’ (Updated)

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 11:39 AM PDT

franky-belfy

The official weigh-in event for UFC 103: “Franklin vs. Belfort” took place today (Sept. 18) from the Dallas Convention Center Arena in Dallas, Texas.

And either the scales were way off or everything really is bigger in Texas. That’s because it took main event participant, Vitor Belfort, four attempts to make weight (196 pounds) for his catchweight fight (195 pounds) against Rich Franklin.

Perhaps that eventual (and permanent) move to middleweight (185 pounds) may not be that easy for “The Phenom” in the future.

In addition to Belfort, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 winner, Efrain Escudero, was barely able to shed a half-pound to hit the lightweight limit (156 pounds) during his numerous attempts.

And former number one lightweight contender, Hermes Franca, didn’t even try to shed the extra four pounds he smuggled into the “Lone Star State,” agreeing to fight Tyson Griffin at 159 pounds.

Franca will now likely have to surrender a percentage of his purse to Tyson Griffin because he missed the mark.

Here are the complete UFC 103 weigh in results and LIVE stream:

Main event:

195 lbs.: Rich “Ace” Franklin (195) vs. Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (196*)

Main card (Televised on PPV):

265 lbs.: Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos (236) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (226)
170 lbs.: Martin “Hitman” Kampmann (169.5) vs. Paul “Semtex” Daley (170)
170 lbs.: Josh “Kos” Koscheck (170) vs. Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (170.25)
155 lbs.: Hermes Franca (159**) vs. Tyson Griffin (155.5)

Under card (Partially televised on Spike TV):

155 lbs.: Efrain "Hecho en Mexico" Escudero (156***) vs. Cole "Magrino" Miller (155)
155 lbs.: Jim Miller (154.5) vs. Steve Lopez (154.5)
155 lbs.: Rafaello "Tractor" Oliveira (155.25) vs. Nick “The Carnie” Lentz (155)
170 lbs.: Brian Foster (170.75) vs. Rick Story (170)
185 lbs.: Tomasz "The Gorilla" Drwal (185) vs. Drew "The Massacre" McFedries (185.25)
205 lbs.: Eliot "The Fire" Marshall (204.75) vs. Jason Brilz (205.25)
205 lbs.: Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko (205) vs. Igor Pokrajac (203)
155 lbs.: Rafael dos Anjos (155.5) vs. Rob “The Saint” Emerson (155.5)

Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights.

*Belfort needed two hours to drop a quarter-pound.
**Franca and Griffin agreed to fight at a catch weight of 159 lbs.
***Escudero needed two hours to drop a half-pound.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Sept. 19), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view from the American Airlines Center. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 8 p.m. ET with Spike TV telecast of the prelim bouts.

It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 103 coverage you can handle.

Here is the LIVE stream of the UFC 103: “Franklin vs. Belfort” weigh in event, courtesy of UFC.com:

Strikeforce eyeing Sears Centre for Nov. 7 ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ CBS event

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 10:39 AM PDT

SearsCentre1

The Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” mixed martial arts event is reportedly heading to the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois for its CBS prime time debut on November 7.

ESPN Chicago is reporting that the San Jose-based organization is close to finalizing the location that will feature a main event between the top heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, against heavy-handed up-and-comer, Brett “The Grim” Rogers.

It will mark the Strikeforce debut for “The Last Emperor” after being acquired in a co-promtion deal with M-1 Global last month.

Also expected to compete are middleweight stars Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Jake Shields, duking it out for the chance to claim Cung Le’s recently vacated 185-pound middleweight title.

Light heavyweight star Gegard Mousasi and women’s champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos are also expected to be in action on fight night.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on the Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” event as it becomes available.

Great Dane: An MMAmania.com UFC 103 interview exclusive with Martin ‘Hitman’ Kampmann

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 09:31 AM PDT

Martin Kampmann learned a valuable, albeit unsolicited lesson from Nate Marquardt at UFC 88 last September at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

“The Great” size and strength advantage of his opponent proved to be too much to deal with for the noticeably smaller Kampmann, who eventually succumbed to a first round TKO loss.

The move down to his ideal weight class at the welterweight limit of 170 pounds was the logical step — and he certainly hasn't disappointed since making the transition.

At UFC 93 he was relegated to a preliminary card match up against the Brazilian Alexandre Barros, whom he promptly TKO'd in the second round with relative ease.

Next up was the first headlining fight of his career at UFC Fight Night 18 back on April 1 against another young superstar in the making, former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit.

It turned out to be one of the best fights of the year up to that point with Kampmann recording the split decision victory and showing off his wide array of boxing, Muay Thai, and jiu-jitsu skills.

The UFC management took notice and set up a September 19 fight at UFC 103 with American Kickboxing Academy product Mike "Quick" Swick, who is also undefeated at welterweight (4–0).

The winner was to be the lucky recipient of a title shot against Georges St. Pierre, likely to take place sometime in early 2010, which easily made that fight the most important of Kampmann’s career.

The problem, however, was that just days ago Swick sustained an injury during training and was forced to withdraw from the matchup.

He was instantly replaced by another dangerous striker in UFC newcomer Paul "Semtex" Daley.

It is now unclear whether or not Kampmann will still earn that title shot with a victory, however, he would be best served to assume that is still the case and let the chips fall where they may.

In the meantime, "The Hitman" took some time out of his busy schedule to discuss the move to welterweight, swapping Swick for Daley, GSP, entrance music and potential look-a-likes.

Check it out:

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You had a tough loss to Nate Marquardt down in Atlanta at UFC 88 and you made the decision to drop from middleweight to welterweight. Was that directly related to the fight or had you debated doing it prior to that point?

Martin Kampmann: I had been debating that for a long time before. I wanted to go down to 170 for a long time. I walk around at pretty much the same weight. I decided with my manager we would keep going at 185 because I had been doing good so far. Then whether it's a loss or a victory we'll take it from there.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Is the cut to 170 easy for you now?

Martin Kampmann: Very easy.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're now 2–0 at 170 pounds. How is the 170-pound Martin Kampmann different from the 185-pound version? Have you noticed a difference?

Martin Kampmann: It's pretty much the same guy. A little lighter. Not much.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're coming off a big victory over Carlos Condit back on April 1 at the UFC Fight Night event. What was it like to be the headlining fight? What was that whole experience like for you?

Martin Kampmann: It was great. It was a big honor to be the main event. Hopefully some other time I'll be the main event again.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Did you feel added pressure to really put on a great show because you were the headlining fight?

Martin Kampmann: I don't know. Once you get in there and get punched in the head then you're not thinking about the pressure anymore. I was getting a lot more attention before the fight, of course, interviews and stuff like that. The pressure wasn't so bad. We did a good show. I think we did a real great fight.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Last Friday (Sept. 4) it was announced Paul Daley would replace Mike Swick as your next opponent for UFC 103 due to Swick's injury he had sustained a few days earlier in training. Did you find out at the end of last week like everyone else or had you known it was a possibility for a few days?

Martin Kampmann: I think I knew either Thursday night or Friday morning so it was last minute for me too.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Your initial reaction to the news that Swick was out of the fight for sure?

Martin Kampmann: I was very disappointed. I have been training hard to fight Swick and I was looking forward to it so of course I was disappointed.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you approach Daley the same way as Swick since they both have very good, aggressive striking? Will it be a seamless transition on short notice?

Martin Kampmann: They are different guys but there are still similarities. They both like the stand-up game. They have different body types but my training camp was good. There's not much I need to change up. I think I'll be well prepared still.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Daley made a statement about you in a recent interview with Thisisnottingham.co.uk saying, "His flaws are very exploitable for someone with my speed and power. I can KO him with one punch or kick." Would you care to respond?

Martin Kampmann: The guy can crack, you know. I've been hit by some heavy-ass handed people before. If he gives me a good shot I can take it.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you have an official prediction for the fight?

Martin Kampmann: Whatever it is (I don't care). As long as I win I'm happy.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you think it is still possible to get a title shot with a convincing victory?

Martin Kampmann: It's really up to the UFC. I don't know. I can't worry about that. I'm just focused on Daley right now.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Say all goes well at UFC 103 for you but the UFC decides not to give you GSP next, would you be open to fighting Swick in a couple months if he waits for you?

Martin Kampmann: Yeah sure. I think that could make sense. First I'm going to do this fight and then take a week off on vacation. Then I'll come back and train and see how I feel and see what makes sense.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): If Swick decides to take a fight pretty quick against someone else is there another name out there that would make sense for you to face like a Jon Fitch or a Matt Hughes?

Martin Kampmann: I don't know. Call me after the fight and then we'll talk.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Georges St. Pierre is at pinnacle of your division and has been very dominant in your weight class for a while now. Is this guy invincible?

Martin Kampmann: He's been looking very, very good. He's pretty close to invincible but anyone can be beaten on any given night and Matt Serra already showed that.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Who are a few guys you love to watch fight or look up to out there that may or may not be in the UFC?

Martin Kampmann: I enjoy watching GSP a lot. He's a great fighter and he's fun to watch. Thiago (Alves) he just fought is a guy I like watching too. Of course, Anderson Silva. I also like watching guys I know and guys I train with like Gray Maynard and Tyson (Griffin). I'm going to look forward to watching those guys fight. It's always more fun to watch people that you train with fight.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What is your routine the night before a big fight? What do you do? Go to sleep real early? Listen to music? Watch the entire Rocky series?

Martin Kampmann: No Rocky series. I'm just chilling out. Kicking back and relaxing and maybe going for a little light training the night before. I'll work a little bit on what I'm going to do in the fight and break a light sweat. Then I'll go chill in the room and get a good night's sleep and be ready for the day after.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you know what your entrance music is going to be for UFC 103?

Martin Kampmann: I think it's going to be the same I used last time, Three 6 Mafia's "It's a Fight." I'm still looking for something good. I haven't found the perfect entrance song. That's one Ron Fisher gave me at Xtreme Couture. He's usually the guy with the music. He's a DJ. He brings his IPod to the gym. I told him to find me an entrance song and he gave me that one.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Staying with the music thread – has anyone ever told you that you look like Billy Corgan, the lead singer of The Smashing Pumpkins?

Martin Kampmann: I don't look like that guy, come on.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): (laughs) Maybe if he lost 30 or 40 pounds.

Martin Kampmann: (laughs) 30 or 40 pounds? And if I dyed my hair black.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Well I guess I tried. That's all I had for you Martin. Is there anything you would like to pass along to your fans out there before we go or any sponsors you want to thank?

Martin Kampmann: Thank you to Hitman Fight Gear for hooking me up with some cool clothing. Thanks to Xtreme Couture and all the fans supporting me and MMA Agents.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Thanks again and best of luck to you at UFC 103.

Martin Kampmann: Thanks Derek. I appreciate it.

Derek Bolender is a contributor to MMAmania.com and InsideFights.com. He is also syndicated to CBSSports.com and CNNSI.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter and Facebook.com/Derek.Bolender.

UFC 103 predictions, preview and analysis

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 09:30 AM PDT

UFC 103: “Franklin vs. Belfort” is set to go down this Saturday, September 19, 2009 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, live on pay-per-view starting at 10 p.m. ET.

Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET.

To get us pumped for the event, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer, Jesse Holland (that's me), will break down the main event matches and take a closer look at the intricacies of each contest.

One of the big stories coming into this event is of course the headlining fight between Rich Franklin and Vitor Belfort. When “The Phenom” is locked in, he’s as dangerous as anyone.

Can “Ace” withstand three rounds from the Brazilian and inch his way up to an eventual rematch with Lyoto Machida?

There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding the future of Mirko Filipovic. Can “Cro Cop” still hang with the big guns in this division? Or is he a fading star two years past his prime?

Junior Dos Santos may help us answer that question on Saturday night.

Also on tap is the return of Frank Trigg as he makes one last run at the UFC welterweight title. Will Josh Koscheck make him sorry he came back?

There will certainly be a lot to talk about on Sunday morning.

I've also included the current betting lines for each fight so that you can get a feel for what the money has to say about the chances of each combatant.

Now, enough with the formalities … let's get cracking:

195 lbs.: Rich "Ace" Franklin (25-4) vs. Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (18-8)

Backgrounds (last five fights):

Franklin:

Record: 3-2
Notable wins: Dropped “The Hammer” on Matt Hamill, gave Wanderlei Silva a nip/tuck.
Notable losses: Turned inside out by Anderson Silva, didn’t make the final cut against Dan “Hollywood” Henderson.
Strengths: Good cardio, technically sound, underrated jits.
Weaknesses: Not good in the clinch, chin issues (chissues?)

Belfort:

Record: 4-1
Notable wins: Damn near charged with attempted murder following his knockouts over Terry Martin and Matt Lindland.
Notable losses: Pushed around by Dan Henderson at PRIDE 32.
Strengths: Makes E. Honda’s hands look slow, strong like bull, experienced.
Weaknesses: Mental preparations/distractions causes severe inconsistency in his performances.

Dumbass predicts: Rich Franklin has been an under-appreciated workhorse for the UFC, and to his credit he’s only lost to Lyoto Machida, Anderson Silva, and Dan Henderson. Not exactly tomato cans. He has clean stand-up and a level of technical proficiency in striking that is usually enough to keep most opponents at bay. Unfortunately Vitor Belfort is not most opponents. “The Phenom” has been born again, and while knocking out a flabby Matt Lindland is not enough to carry you into the sunset, his dismantling of Terry Martin before that was just as impressive. Vitor is a natural talent, but I like him more at the smaller weight classes. He’s already fast to begin with, and shedding some of that bulk makes him even faster. The key with beating “Ace” — as it’s always been — is to avoid the stick-and-move game of cat and mouse that lets the former 185-pound champ rack up points on the judges’ scorecards and get right in his face. The key to his undoing against Anderson Silva and what almost cost him the bout against Wanderlei Silva was being flustered in the pocket and overwhelmed with an aggressive onslaught. Belfort must do likewise. Forget the ground game. This is all about putting someone to sleep. While Franklin has done great things inside the Octagon, Vitor’s destiny is a middleweight superfight against Anderson Silva. “Phenom” via crushing knockout.

Betting lines (as of September 18):

Franklin: -150 ((Bet Now))

Belfort: +120 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Belfort via knockout

265 lbs.: Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos (8-1) vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (25-6-2)

Backgrounds (last five fights):

Dos Santos:

Record: 4-1
Notable wins: Knocked Fabricio Werdum out of the fight, out of title contention and right out of the promotion.
Notable losses: Put his arm on layaway courtesy of Joachim Ferreira.
Strengths: Merciless kickboxing, huge momentum, aggressive.
Weaknesses: Untested, ground game not quite there yet.

Filipovic:

Record: 3-1 (1 NC)
Notable wins: Turned Mustapah Al-Turk into Patchy the Pirate, kicked Hong Man Gland in the shins.
Notable losses: Dismantled by Cheick Kongo, questionable performance (sans ballsack) opposite Alistair Overeem.
Strengths: Still hits as hard as anyone in the game, fearsome leg kicks.
Weaknesses: Non-existent ground game, looking a bit rotund in his last fight.

Dumbass predicts: Screeeeeech! That was the sound of the Junior Dos Santos Brazilian express train coming to a screeching halt. Can we give him a few more fights before we anoint him the next king of the cage? While I was very impressed by his knockout over Werdum, it was obvious “Vai Cavalo” was overlooking the fight. The proof was in his physical appearance and lackadaisical defense. Now I don’t want to take anything away from Junior because he also steamrolled Stefan Struve (who has a decent resume) but my man is facing the mighty Cro Cop! Okay, so lately Filipovic’s been more Jerk-o than Mirko, but if you want me to pick between a guy who’s won nine fights with one upset versus a former K-1 guy who’s fought most of the world’s MMA elite and owns a grand prix title, then I’m going Deep Croat. Cro Cop has a huge ego and I know from following his career that he’s not going to exit stage left with his tail between his legs. I expect him to come out hungry and dangerous, working the cage like he did against Al-Turk. “Cigano” will look good early and may even put together some nice combinations, but once Croppy finds his rhythm and grooves one, it’s back to the scrap heap for Junior.

Betting lines (as of September 18):

Dos Santos: -135 ((Bet Now))

Filipovic: +105 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Filipovic by technical knockout

170 lbs.: Martin "Hitman" Kampmann (15-2) vs. Paul "Semtex" Daley (21-8-2)

Backgrounds (last five fights):

Kampmann:

Record: 4-1
Notable wins: Spoiled the debut of Carlos Condit, played “Little Drummer Boy” on Alexandre Barros’ face.
Notable losses: Tried to get to first base on a date with Nate Marquardt’s fist.
Strengths: Heavy hands, deceptive jits, powerful.
Weaknesses: Not many. He’s 15-2 and one of those losses was the result of a cut.

Daley:

Record: 3-2
Notable wins: Creamed John Alessio, punished Junior Barata.
Notable losses: Ground game exposed by Jake Shields.
Strengths: Dangerous striker, powerful, knows how to finish.
Weaknesses: Ground game is harder to find than Bin Laden.

Dumbass predicts: Okay, so it’s not as Swicktacular as when Mike Swick was fighting, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less than dangerous for Kampmann on Saturday night. Alright so maybe it is, but that’s not my fault, that’s Daley’s. It’s 2009 and you don’t have a ground game? The big question here is whether or not “The Hitman” will exploit it. I know the temptation is there to “be a man” and stand and trade, but should I believe that a fighter who turned down TJ Grant because it had the potential to cost him a title shot would be so reckless as to stand and bang with “Semtex?” I don’t buy it. I’m not saying Daley is the better striker, but he can end it with one punch. If Kampmann wants to unload his frustration over his last opponent being SIA (Swicking in action), than we could have a decent slugfest on our hands. But since this is a predictions column I predict Marty will feel him out, tie him up and tap him out. Welcome to the UFC Mr. Daley, thanks for coming.

Betting lines (as of September 18):

Kampmann: No Action (opponent change)

Daley: No Action (opponent change)

Prediction: Kampmann via submission

170 lbs.: Josh "Kos" Koscheck (12-4) vs. Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg (19-6)

Backgrounds (last five fights):

Koscheck:

Record: 3-2
Notable wins: Knocked “Zenko” Yoshida out twice — in the same fight.
Notable losses: Slapped around by Thiago Alves, used his chin to block punches from Paulo Thiago.
Strengths: Excellent wrestling, very strong, durable.
Weaknesses: Gets close to becoming elite and then goes belly up.

Trigg:

Record: 4-1
Notable wins: Tapped Edwin DeWees, put a ring over Danny Babcock.
Notable losses: Trigg fought the Lawler — and the Lawler won.
Strengths: Experience on the big stage, good wrestling.
Weaknesses: Father Time is known for his child abuse.

Dumbass predicts: Guess who’s back…back again…Trigg is back…tell a can. I know there are some sentimental feelings going into the return of “Twinkle Toes,” but did we forget why he left in the first place? He couldn’t beat Matt Hughes and was positively embarrassed by Georges St. Pierre — and that was when he was four years younger. Normally I wouldn’t care, but he’s been talking about making another run for the title and I just don’t see how he gets past anyone in the top five. Is there a place for him in the UFC? That depends on his performance against “Kos.” If he goes out there and makes fights exciting I’ll never say a another negative thing about him. However if he turns it into wrestlemania then I’ll use that match to go take a dump or download porn. Kocheck doesn’t get away scot-free either. He needs to recapture the momentum he had from the Yoshida fight and apply it to his future contests so that he can be considered a more well-rounded fighter. What better way to showcase your new Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu brown belt than by tapping out Trigg? It would be nice, but I’m predicting a three round battle for position. Unless of course they do what all good wrestlers do lately and try to become great strikers. I want more mixed in my martial arts. And if I sound down on wrestlers then blame Abe Wagner and John Madsen. That TUF 10 fight really annoyed me.

Betting lines (as of September 18):

Koscheck: -300 ((Bet Now))

Trigg: +400 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Koscheck via unanimous decision

155 lbs.: Hermes Franca (19-7) vs. Tyson Griffin (13-2)

Backgrounds (last five fights):

Franca:

Record: 3-2
Notable wins: Dethroned Spencer “The King” Fisher, fed “Maximus” Aurelio to the lions.
Notable losses: Lost a battle of the banned substances to Sean Sherk.
Strengths: Great jiu-jitsu, experienced, hard to finish.
Weaknesses: A bit flaky, has been known to underachieve.

Griffin:

Record: 4-1
Notable wins: Decision (yawn) wins over Aurelio and Tibau.
Notable losses: The dubious honor of being the only guy to get outboxed by Sean Sherk.
Strengths: Strong, well-rounded, durable.
Weaknesses: Hasn’t finished a fight in over three years.

Dumbass predicts: This is a fight that needs to do something special. It’s frustrating as an MMA fan to see two guys who are obviously talented spin their wheels in a division that is quickly running out of viable c0ntenders. You want to tell me how deep the 155-pound weight class is? Okay, so who is next for BJ Penn after Diego Sanchez? Gray Maynard? Frank Edgar? Tyson Griffin has all the tools, comes from a great camp, but for some reason can’t finish a fight. Stopping Franca would be a huge statement. I don’t mean just pounding him out, I mean a Sean “Slammin” Salmon type of KO where the eyes roll back and the body gets frozen solid like they just saw Mania’s high school year book photo. Wishful thinking? Probably. And Franca could use a statement fight himself. I’m at the point where I want to see these guys break through to the next level, or I’ll be largely apathetic to their future undercard or curtain-jerking fights that have little to no consequence on the division rankings. Get out there and make me care. As for a prediction, all I have to go on is the past performances and to their credit, neither fighter has been submitted. Franca’s been stopped once in Shooto, but that shot would have creamed a rhino. They’re striking is just so-so and this is probably going to the judges, so I’m forced to choose Griffin for the split.

Betting lines (as of September 18):

Franca: +210 ((Bet Now))

Griffin: -280 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Griffin via split decision

That's a wrap, folks.

Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of “Franklin vs. Belfort.”

What do you think? Now it's your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for Saturday's event.

DREAM 11: Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Melchor Manibusan set for Oct. 6

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 09:29 AM PDT

crush Fighting and Entertainment Group has confirmed the participation of Tatsuya Kawajiri (24-5-2) in the upcoming DREAM 11 event on Oct. 6 in Yokohama, Japan.

The “Crusher” has been prominently featured on the event poster and now throws his hat in the ring alongside the semifinalists in the Featherweight and Super Hulk Tourneys. He is scheduled to face Melchor Manibusan (2-3).

The bout against “Barracuda” will be Kawajiri’s fourth in 2009: Kawajiri has recently undergone a rapid-fire series of fights against Gesias Cavalcante, at DREAM 9, and then a K-1 bout in July against the Japanese K-1 icon, Masato. He earned a unanimous decision victory over the highly touted Cavalcante, but found himself outclassed at the hands of Masato, incurring a TKO loss and evening his K-1 record to 1-1.

He will find a respite from the top level competition at DREAM 11 before a tentative showdown on New Year’s Eve.

“Barracuda” Manibusan, a native of Guam, has had a spotty and erratic MMA career thus far, making his debut in 2001 and then taking a five-year hiatus before competing four times in 2006. His inexperience and lackluster record belie his grappling credential: A world class amateur wrestler and fourth place-finisher in the 1999 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship. His vaunted grappling prowess has impressed BJ Penn, who has welcomed him on board to his camp as a sparring partner on a number of occasions.

In his return to MMA at DREAM 11, Manibusan will find himself as the prey, contrary to his “Barracuda” moniker, against Kawajiri in a mismatch of absurd proportion. Once Kawajiri devours the “Barracuda,” he will persist with his plea to face the winner of the Lightweight title match between Joachim Hansen and Shinya Aoki on New Year’s Eve.

Elsewhere, Bob Sapp has been reinstated in the Super Hulk Tournament after his submission loss to Ikuhisa Minowa, and will square off with Sokoudjou. Also, as previously reported, Gesias Cavalcante has withdrawn from his bout with Daisuke Nakamura with injuries; at the moment, Nakamura is left hanging without a new opponent.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news on the upcoming DREAM 11 fight card.

Man plummets to his death; police blame deadly mixture of booze and UFC programming

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 09:07 AM PDT

bw

How do you know when the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has reached mainstream popularity?

When it joins “Menace II Society,” World Wrestling Entertainment and cheesy heavy metal lyrics as possible causes of death.

Darenell Jones, 25, fell from a third story window at a Best Western Inn and Suites in Farmington, New Mexico after having a few drinks and allegedly reenacting some moves from the Spike TV broadcast of UFC Fight Night 19 on Wednesday, September 16, according to The Daily Times.

Jones was in the hotel celebrating the wedding of a family member and after consuming alcohol, got into some friendly horseplay that mimicked the mixed martial arts action that played in the background.

The fracas led to Jones being pushed into a window that unfortunately gave way, causing the Fruitland native to fall 20 feet to his death.

Like most tragic accidents, this too was probably avoidable. And I think the first step to preventing these types of incidents is to lay off the bottle, not the UFC programming.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Jones family during this difficult time.

UFC 103 videos blog with Vitor Belfort (Episodes two and three)

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 06:48 AM PDT

Check out “The Phenom” in episode three after the jump.

No comments:

Recent Articles on Sherdog.com

UFC rss

Recent Interviews on Sherdog.com