RavishingRickRudo

Speaking of Soko, (from TFN) SOKOUDJOU-ARONA ON THE TABLE Thierry Rameau Sokoudjou (3-1) has agreed to face Ricardo Arona (13-4) at April 8’s PRIDE 34 “Kamikaze,” scheduled for the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, according to a source close to the Cameroon native’s Team Quest camp. The 2001 U.S. Open Judo Champion stunned audiences with a 23-second dismantling of the heavily more seasoned Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (12-3) at Feb. 24’s PRIDE 33 in Las Vegas. The underestimated Sokoudjou was tagged as a +1600 underdog on betting lines that night. Sokoudjou is a pupil of recent double title-holder Dan Henderson, who captured the PRIDE Middleweight (under 205 lbs) title from Wanderlei Silva on the same night. Henderson will corner Sokoudjou in his second bid as unlikely underdog. HENDO’S CORNER Speaking of Dan Henderson, PRIDE’s winningest champion is on the move these days, filling his time as his broken hand heals for the next four to five months. “Hendo” will corner recent Team Quest acquisition Jason “Mayhem” Miller in his comeback bout against Team Wolfpack’s Hector Urbina at Icon’s March 31 event in Hawaii. Then the world traveler will be heading off to Japan a week before April 8’s event to attend Japanese fighter Ryo Chonan’s wedding. Henderson first met the Japanese middleweight in the PRIDE Bushido ring in Sept. 2005 with a KO punch. A friendship blossomed out of their mutual love of competition, and Chonan has visited Henderson’s Temecula, Calif. homebase numerous times since. Chonan is also rumored as a consideration for Henderson’s imminent IFL team in 2008.

http://www.dailymotion.com/torihada/video/...-gloverteixeira Sokoudjou vs. Glover

http://www.dailymotion.com/search/aoki/vid...akira-kikuchi-2 Answering my own request, Akira Kikuchi vs. Shinya Aoki II. Credit to Curry for tellin me. First two rounds were very good and active, then they decided to mail-in the 3rd. Might as well show their first fight too. 2/17/2006, SHOOTO: Victory of the Truth Shinya Aoki vs. Akira Kikuchi http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/...kira-kikuchi-op http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/...kira-kikuchi-1r http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/...kira-kikuchi-2r http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/...kira-kikuchi-3r

I don't really see Lakisha making the final 2, only because there's been a singer like Lakisha in every competition (to varying degrees) and they really don't make it to the end.

Michael Bisping on Matt Hamills challenge. All I can say is "OH THAT'S HATEFUL".

-Guys- Chris Richardson - vocally, he's nothing we haven't seen from countless guys who have never won the competition or came close to winning it. I can't see him finishing beyond the top 6, but like the guy he mimics, he could hide behind good production and presentation to maybe squeak through to #6 before being blown out by clearly more talented singers. Power, ultimately, wins this competition, and he doesn't have it. But, Simon sees something marketable in him so he has that in his pocket. Blake Lewis - Hey, if Justin can somehow get cred for beatboxing, why not? But this competition can't have two JT's, so one will cancel the other out. It's a tough call, as Lewis has more power than Blake, but tonally he is just a step above his talking voice and if people see through the bebedebededbebeBEatBOxING, then I can't see him making top 8. Sanjaya - I think he is the third best voice out of the guys, which isn't saying much, maybe in the top 6 of the voices IMO. If he lets loose, we could see that, but for now its just glimpses. He could KILL on Motown night doing Stevie or Jackson 5. Plus he has the tearful hug of his sister, which pretty much has gotten him this far. You know, with his hair. His gorgeous, gorgeous, bountiful, beautiful, full bodied, luscious, hair. Brandon R - He may get lost in the shuffle, especially now that Melinda does the "I am a background singer stepping out in front" thing better. He's got a nice smile and a safe look about him, but it's probably too safe, and ultimately he's nothing special. I'd be surprised to see him make the top 8. Chris Sligh - Second best male voice, but overall the best male performer. Picks the right songs and sings em well, and I think when the styles change he will adapt best out of everyone (cept Melinda, 'course). He has the power and range to go for anything, but then again, I can easily see him bombing at any given time, due to control problems. The dude's sense of humour, which I think is hilarious for American Idol, may rub people the wrong way, though. More Conan, less Jay. Phil Stacy - Potentially the best male voice, he just lacks pretty much everything to really have it shine through. Both he and Sanjaya, I think, have gotten by more on potential than performance. But if they don't perform next week, one will definitely be gone. Consistency is the key from here on out for Phil, because one bad performance is it. Hopefully the theme nights will help him with the song choices, because if he is consistently game, with the right choices, he could make top 6 and if he grows enough, maybe top 4. He could be this seasons Clay or Elliot, someone who benefits greatly from the process and grows into and through it.

A few notes from reading AIs website... It is scary at how similar all these girls' responses are to the questions on the AI website. HEHEHE They're goofy~! Isn't zat vierd?! Though Sanjayas aspirations "to be witty" is one I hope to see become nurtured in this competition. And Phil may just be my dark horse fave with his answer to who his American Idol is. And is poetry even a talent? That's kinda like "drawing", or "walking". I also like that "god" is one of Chris Richardsons heros. Yeah, that God, he's gone through some trials and tribulations and has handled being god real well. Just because he is omniscient doesn't mean he knows everything, ok folks. And how the fuck can Sheryl Crow be on so many fucking lists? Sligh and Blake calling each other their American Idol makes me smile. Jesus and Adam Duritz being listed together in Slighs heroes has red in the face with laughter. Jesus? Healed the sick, performed miracles, died for our sins. Duritz? Sang "Mr. Jones". I'd say their respective accomplishments are just about equal. But I doubt Jesus had the balls to rock the dreadlocks like Duritz, so maybe the edge goes to Adam.

Caol Uno vs. Marcio Barbosa - it says a lot about a fight when the first two rounds are clipped and there still is little action. I can't believe how tight that guillotine was from Barbosa, and equally shocked at how long Uno lasted in it. Speaking of guillotine chokes, Alexandre Franca Noguiera vs. Uchu Tatsumi was a quickie that had lil nog knocking Uchu down with some quick, hard (if not a bit wild) shots and finished it quickly after the stand up with a choke that had his entire body tightly wrapped around his japanese opponent. Dokojonosuke Mishima vs. Din Thomas opened with one of the coolest takedowns ever from Mishima. Mishima sprawls really well at one point and the two get to their feet only for Mishi to immediately trip Din down. GodDAMN Mishima is great here. Din on the other hand. Well. I don't know whats going on with Dins hair at this point in his career. Mishima is looking VERY young, as well. Din wins after rocking Mish standing and then wrecking him with some serious aggressive gnp. Fight finished due to a cut. Very much a tale of two fights. Baret Yoshida vs. Masahiro Oishi - Yoshida demonstrates one of the most active guards I have seen in this fight, sick ground game displayed here. Maybe Lei can drop some science on this guy, cause this guy fights like jiu jitsu on crack. Baret wins with a nice rnc. Luiz Azeredo vs. Mach Sakurai - The sequence that begins with Azeredo throwing a flying knee is dope. You really notice a marked improvement in Sakurai from these days, as I think time has benefited, both in training and demeanor. His striking today is so much better, as is his physical conditioning. I would love to see this fight today, not because I think it would be different in result, but because I think it would be awesomer.

On Unleashed tonight, Josh Haynes vs. Rory Singer was one the bloodiest fights I have ever seen. RORY was COVERED in Joshes blood. "This is a horror movie" - Joe Rogan "You can't even see his blue hair any more" - Mike Goldberg "There's a flap of skin" - Big John The first time I have ever seen the UFC cut away to the crowd, there was so much blood at one point. I like Josh Haynes despite a lot of things about him. The man got heart. He got LEVELED with a high kick that spun his head around and had him collapse and he still kept going. GSP vs. Sherk and Franklin vs. Silva coming up next... can't complain!

The is definitely the most bland top 12 yet. The closest thing we will get to a coke infused meltdown is if Sanjaya gets a sugar rush from diet coke and then comes down on stage.

Ok, that's it. After watching some YouTube vids, I am cheering for Melinda to take it. Her name is Melinda Doolittle, she has these teddy bear eyes, she rocks the power suit, and she is retarded enough on stage (yet oddly polished) that I am beggin for a Hicks/Doolittle duet (yes, mainly for the jab at rednecks that the name presents). And while she is not drop dead gorgeous, she's not unpleasant to look at... you know.... Unlike some other gloriously gifted singers in this competition. Though this whole meek/lacks confidence thing is clearly an act.

Saying they are mysterious now is like saying a guy with a screwdriver in his neck is mysterious. Theres the question of how he got a screwdriver in his neck, but it's not something you're chomping at the bit to know. I do like your idea about a changed Jack and a flashback to show wha-happen.

While the women are vastly more talented than the guys, I find them all insufferably boring and uninteresting. Melinda Doolittle gets points for the name, but that's about it. I really liked Leslie Hunt, who was goofy and cute and had that accent which is a great combination, and liked Feist, which is even better, and now that she is gone so has most of the personality from the ladies.

I know exactly why I am disappointed. It goes back to what the show first was - about 40+ people crash landing on a mysterious island. It stopped being that a long time ago. A lot of the time, at the time, it was hard to see where the show was headed and whether or not what they introduced was good or bad. The Others, for instance, started off as being good - Ethan being this superhuman badass, the raggity clothing, etc. But overall, to this point, their presence on the show has been detrimental because it really took away that island mystery, part of which had this mystical quality about it. Knowing that these are just regular people fucking around is kinda bullshit and takes away a lot from the show when there really isn't a fear of the unknown now. The first few episodes of the show, it was about survival, it was tough living there, now it's like - yeah, but they aren't alone, and are being controlled, and have (had) a hatch and food supplies and it's not really about survival any more. I don't know if this is/was the best or worst route to take, and like I said on a per episode basis, the show has taken a decline, but not a huge one and still is putting up good episodes. But a lot of the charm of the show is gone now. Also, to be fair, "I kept saying" is 2 posts, one of which said they don't know what the fans want, or did and indulged too much into it; the other of which said the show strayed. And the fans may in fact not know what they want, but they also know what they don't want. Who knows, it may have been inevitable for LOST to end up in this place given its structure and what made it popular.

Dude. Really. Quit bein a bitch. More! I wanna see the recent Aoki/Kikuchi fight, and I knows you got the goods. Randumb thoughts: K-Taro looked good against Niioka, I dunno if he really did cause I don't know how good Niioka is, but he showed a nice clinch game and a better rnc and that counts for somethin. Is K-Taro coming back to UFC? Carvalho vs. Inoue was sad. I watched it cause Carvalho is local, but damn. Too much of an open, loose, guard. I dunno Carvalhos history, but that ground game looked straight out of something you'd see at Joslins rather than MMA. Having said that, Inoues GnP (from guard, no less) was tight. Where would you say Lion stands in SHOOTO right now, Carvalho too for that matter?

I dl'd Hoost/Aerts and that is a real good fight. I am not a huge, huge kickboxing fan, but it's really accessible. Constant movement (perhaps because of the clippyness, but it is certainly not hacked to bits) and you can't help but notice why Hoost got the nickname "Mr. Perfect". Maybe BR4L or anyone else can help shed some light on where Hoost ranks on the all-time list, but he is certainly one of, if not thee, best technical kickboxer I have seen, especially at his weight. The way he would slip a punch and throw a leg kick at the same time, his constant combos, his counters, just everything was at a high level. The only negative I can see is when his fights turn to brawls, it is either feast or famine, which would explain why he had such a hard time against Sapp. Against Hoost he'd come out good on some exchanges, and not good on others. Still, an overall impressive performance.

That Fitch fight was fucking dope. A lot of good things in that fight from both guys and very few bad. Very high quality fighters, especially Fitch, who is sick, and it was a fight that was close enough where one mistake was all it took. Really strong base, Luigi had a real hard time moving his hips and I was surprised he did such an effective elevator. Fitch has to stop with the kicks, though, man. Man. Hamill. That post fight interview was fucking tremendous. No one puts that kind of passion into their words. The boxing was bad, from the way he threw punches to his head movement to the way he set nothing up to his footwork to everything. But damn can he wrestle. No takedowns, but his sprawl and defense was silly good. Very hard puncher, especially on the ground, so if he ever does develop his hands, he could be a fucking danger. A positive and a negative is his aggression. Where he comes forward and pushes the pace, but that leaves him open. The UFC has to be really careful with him because he is still not at the level where he can be put in there with anybody. But then again, they can't coddle him too much where he doesn't develop as a fighter. Still, he is very new to the fight game, less than a year as a pro, I think. Very raw, and has the unfortunate blessing of developing in the UFC rather than the smaller fight shows. Oh, and Goldberg is SO proud to call Rex Holman's penchant for throwing the uppercut. I <3 Goldie.

What, you didn't like his "I can hula" bit? I thought that was the edge he needed in the competition.

The same people who were here loving up the show a few years ago are bitching about it now. We obviously have shown that we care about LOST, but we also know that the show has really strayed from what made us love it. I don't think there has been any particularly bad episodes, but rather, a series of disappointing events that have compounded into one giant disappointment. Which is the risk of leveraging so much of the show on the "what's going to happen next!" factor.

Sanjaya is worlds above Covias, to be fair. He just plays it way too safe with both his song selection and the way he performs his songs. He has shown glimses of what the judges love, but rarely ever feels it and goes big. Chalk it up to nerves and inexperience in performing infront of big audiences, but he doesn't let loose and while I don't think that is killing him, I think it really is hurting him from placing beyond the top 11. I want Sundance to go far because I am just waiting for his coke-binge-fueled collapse on stage... and/or Meatloaf nite.

Reps. Oh shit, wrong board. Can't wait to see if Hamill improved his striking from Utterly, Horrifically, Retard-flingingly Shite, to just plain Utterly, Horribly, Shite.

Yeah yeah yeah. Lei Tong: 133 Rudo: 87 But this ain't a sprint, it's a marathon. And he had a torn leg! The entire leg was torn off! Fuck O'BORINGPIECEO'CRAP. Herring 4 Comeback~! In other CTDWAT News, I've been enjoying BODURGFIGHTS. The latests chick show was fine (not fine as in snapsnapsnap fine, but as in decent/ok/fine) viewin. Roxanne Modafferi gets tapped with a move that I could see myself tapping to, which gains her no respect. Kedzie looks bad against Buckner, and yet, still looks so good. vs. Winner of fight? Buckner. Winner of RRR's Pants? Kedzie. Real Winner? Kedzie. Sexton vs. Damm was ok. Nice, if not somewhat slow armbar from the bottom. RUBBERGUARD~! being used completely ineffectively (though I guess one -Eddie Bravo- could say it was used to -abstractly- set up the armbar). I am confused by Sexton. Part of me finds her adorable. Part of me finds that part of me confused. Fuck it. English Accent PHD Rubber Guard ADORABLE! Damm should have used that side flipping wheel kick. Capoeira is such a tease. Why can't you work as well as you do in Jean Claude Van Damme movies? The two asian chicks battle like the dudes in SOYATHINKYACANFIGHT! videos standing, but were fine on the mat. http://www.bodogfight.com/series-2/episodes/04/

Shut up.

They misinterpreted what the fans wanted. Probably more than any other TV show, they didn't know what made them successful... or they did, and they went waaaaaay too far with it. The tragic thing is that they can't go back as they went too far.

I dunno. Phil looked good in the recap, but he revealed that he is clearly crazygonuts (and not in the fun retarded quirky Taylor way) which may scare people. So it really depends on how many people value potential over performance.