MMA June PPV Double-Shot

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

YOOOOUR Fight and Fighters of the DAY are:

 

Pedro Rizzo vs. Tra Telligman

 

Name: Pedro Rizzo

Nickname: The Rock

Record: 12 - 5 - 0

Height/Weight: 6’1/228 lbs.

Birth Date: 05/03/1974

From: Brazil

Style: Ruas Vale Tudo

Association: Ruas Vale Tudo

• Last Fight: Vladimir Matyushenko (Loss *Decision* - UFC 41: Onslaught)

Key Fight: vs. Randy Couture (Loss *TKO/Strikes* - UFC 34: High Voltage)

Key Win: Mark Coleman (Win *Decision* UFC 18: Road to the Heavyweight Title), Tra Telligmen (Win *KO* - UFC 20: Battle for the Gold)

VS

 

Name: Tra Telligmen

Nickname: Trauma

Record: 5 - 3 - 1

Height/Weight: 6’2/233 lbs.

Birth Date: 02/07/1965

From: U.S.A.

Style: Submission

Association: Lion’s Den

• Last Fight: vs. Igor Vovchanchyn (Win *Decision* - Pride 13: Collision Course)

Key Fight: vs. Pedro Rizzo (Loss *KO* - UFC 20: Battle for the Gold

Key Win: vs. Igor Vovchanchyn (Win *Decision* - Pride 13: Collision Course)

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Picked this up on another site.

 

**I know some of you might be pondering purchasing one or both of the upcoming MMA PPV's.. I wrote the following material in an effort to provide an element of comparison between the two shows. I posted a MMA forum yesterday, and I thought maybe it could be a worthwhile read for a few guys here as well**

 

Obviously next weekend contains two of the most anticipated MMA cards in the last few years. While in an ideal world everyone would be able to see both shows, the reality is that many fans out there will have to choose between either the PRIDE card or the UFC alternative. I will be attending the UFC event, and will be getting the PRIDE card on the 8th(Of course its recommended that everyone support MMA by purchasing both if possible). But for all those who are in between one event or another, here is how I see the potential of both cards bouts.

*Im including matches that will make the PPV portions of each show*

 

PRIDE 26 Match # 1

 

1.Kazuhiro Hamanaka vs Antonio "Nino" Schembri

 

This match has a pro-wrestling type storyline accompanying it into the show. Nino beat Sakuraba in what some consider the biggest upset (or fluke) in the history of PRIDE. Schembri still is a newcomer to the MMA scene, having 2 other victories over Takase and Oliveira.. Now, contrary to the Sakuraba fight, those two matches were predominantly contested on the mat, where Nino obviously excels.

 

Hamanaka ,on the other hand, has a strong amateur wrestling background, alongside the pride of his Takada Dojo stablemates on the line. His physique is going to play a big part in this match, because of the fact that he will most likely have 15-20 pounds of muscle on Nino. PRIDE certainly hope Takada Dojo's young fighter can emphatically beat Schembri, due to the fact that there is an incredibly deficiency in native fighters in PRIDE.

 

The key to this match will be whether Schembri can somehow take this fight to the ground. Hamanaka will have an advantage standing, but on the ground, Nino will be able to display his vast arsenal of submissions.

 

*Intrigue Level--7 out of 10*

 

UFC 43 Match # 1

 

Matt Lindland vs Falaniko Vitale

 

This fight will be won and lost on the ground. Vitale has won his last 5 fights via submission, but he may be better suited attempting to take Matt out standing. Vitale has the striking advantage standing, but Lindland is such a dominant wrestler, that it may be inevitable that he will be in Vitale's guard.

 

Lindland is clearly the top 185 fighter right now in the UFC, and Vitale is going to have be very aggressive in his submission if he is going to catch Lindland. It's not inconceivable that Vitale could win, but its going to either have to come early with some convincing striking on the feet, or in later rounds when Lindland tires after escaping a barage of submission attempts.

 

*Intrigue Level--5.5 out of 10*

 

PRIDE 26 match #2

 

Anderson Silva vs. Daiju Takase

 

Silva is coming off a HUGE KO win over Carlos Newton, and he may just be the best(and exciting) 185 and under fighter in the world. Takase is an Uno trainee, with decent grappling, and submission skills. Takase had an absolute snoozefest with Nino in the PRIDE Best vol.2, and lost a split decision. Takase doesn't really bring much that worries Anderson.

 

Even if this match goes to the ground, Silva is more than proficient at defending himself, and may even be able to control Takase on the mat. If anything, this match has the "how a brutal of a KO will Silva score" thing going for it.

 

*Intrigue Level--5 out of 10*

 

UFC 43 match # 2

 

Frank Mir vs Wes Sims

 

Mir is coming off of an impressive 40 second submission win over Tank.. Sims' size is going to play a role in this match, unless Mir can quickly neutralize him, and work for a submission like he did in his last bout. Sims has the advantage standing, and if he can somehow make this a stand-up war, I think he will have a great shot at beating the guy many MMA fans think will be the next legitimate challenge for current UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.

 

*Intrigue Level 6 out of 10*

 

PRIDE 26 match #3

 

Quinton Jackson vs. Mikhail Illoukhine

 

Rampage is guaranteed a shot at Silva and the PRIDE MW belt in August, but has this match as a warm-up. Mikhail is a former Sambo champion, with a wide array of submissions. He holds a submission victory over Randy Couture, which obviously is an impressive feat. Having watched Mikhail compete in a variety of matches in RINGS over the last 10 years, I think he has the elusiveness that could give him a real chance to beat Quinton. His striking has not been emphasized on these boards, but he won't be a pushover standing, like many have predicted. However, his age, and ring rust may prove factors.

 

Rampage is a tremedous striker, with much improved grappling skills. I don't know how Mikhail will be able to take Quinton down, but if he does, the match will change dramatically. If Rampage manages to dominate the crucial clinches, than he will dominate this match.

 

*Intrigue level--7.5 out of 10*

 

UFC 43 match # 3

 

Vitor Belfort vs. Marvin Eastman

 

FINALLY!! The Phenom returns to the Octagon, and is apparently healthy. Belfort is the biggest enigma in the sport. Everyone wants to know where the hell the "Old Vitor" is. Belfort is a deadly striker, and has a very efficient ground game. Eastman, on the otherhand, is very capable wrestler, and a big time striker.

 

Belfort has an obvious reach advantage, so I think if he wants to stand and box with Marvin, he can. If the fight goes to the mat, I think Belfort has the advantage there too. The only question is whether Vitor actually shows up ready, and willing to fight. I think every single MMA fans still holds a glimmer of hope that the "Old Vitor" shows up, and machine gun punches the Beastman into the 4th row.

 

*Intrigue level--8 out of 10*

 

PRIDE 26 match # 4

 

Mirko Filipovic vs. Heath Herring

 

Crop Cop is the hottest fighter on the planet, and Herring is coming off of a tough loss at the powerful hands of Fedor. This match could determine who gets the next shot at Fedor. Mirko has the advantage standing, but that doesn't neccessarily mean that Heath won't stand with him.

 

If Heath can pull Mirko to the ground, the complexion of this whole match changes. It's more than likely that this match will end by way of TKO one way or the other (perhaps Heath could catch Cro Cop in a choke as well).

 

One thing is for sure, this match could serve as a PRIDE main event alone.

 

*Intrigue level-9.5 out of 10*

 

UFC 43 match # 4

 

David Abbott vs. Kimo Leopoldo

 

Obviously this match has nostalgic factors going for it, alongside the fact that these two guys are incredibly unpredictable. What we know is that they will throw some bombs, and the guys that can withstand the majority of haymakers will come out the winner.

 

Tank has deceptively quick hands, but if this match goes to the ground, I have to give Kimo a slight edge. I don't know if Kimo could submit Tank, but it might be his best strategy to take Abbott off his feet.

 

Conditioning is also going to play a key role. Tank hyped up how fit he was for the Mir fight, but does he think that since this is going to be a brawl, that he doesn't need to have the gas to go 10+ minutes. The purist in all of us would probably rather watch the Edwards-Ruiz match-up, but these two characters will undoubtedly put on a spectacle of a fight.

 

*Intrigue level--7.5 out of 10*

 

PRIDE 26 match #5

 

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Kazuyuki Fujita

 

Obviously we know that Fedor has a brutal ground and pound game, and that Fujita has a dome made of steel. Fujita is a very good wrestler, and will be highly motivated and in shape for this fight. Fedor showed tremendous strength against Nogueira, but will he be able to outpower, and dominate Fujita on the mat?? Im not quite sure.

 

Fedor can box too, which means that he could score points standing on Fujita. But the question will be whether Fujita withstand an early barage, and take control later on in the fight (a la Fujita-Kerr). I think a lot of people underestimate Fujita's grappling ability, which will make it difficult for Fedor to ground him, and beat up on him (then again, he did it to Herring).

 

*Intrigue level- 8 out of 10*

 

UFC 43 match #5

 

Pedro Rizzo vs. Tra Telligman

 

Rizzo is coming off of some very subpar performance, where he was incredibly passive standing. Tra has not been competing consistenly, but beat Igor Vovchanchyn in early 2001. Rizzo KO'ed Tra the last time they fought at UFC 20.

 

I think Rizzo will dictate where this match goes. If he wants it to be a high octane slugfest, then it will be. He must be less passive standing, and has to punish Telligman with a barage of leg kicks early if he wants to win this match. Tra can attempt to take this to the ground, where he probably can control Pedro, and work for a sub. Rizzo has good takedown defense, and will most likely look for a quick win.

 

*Intrigue level-7 out of 10*

 

PRIDE 26 MAIN EVENT

 

Don Frye vs Mark Coleman

 

I realize that this match isnt the last match, but for comparitive purposes I placed it here head to head against Chuck vs Randy.

 

This rematch is 7 years in the making, and one that Frye says he thinks about everyday. Coleman has not been in the ring since he lost to Minotauro almost 2 years ago. Frye is coming off a controversial loss to Hidehiko Yoshida, where he was armbarred in the middle of the first round. Frye has been training intesively with Franky Shamrock, and has put on about 30 pounds of muscle since the last time these two fought.

 

Coleman has the advantage in the grappling aspect, and if he can ground Don, he will have a real chance to score diligently, and ride it out for a win. However, if Don can assert his superior striking, than he may well end this one quickly. Coleman has always been susceptible to a strong stand-up, and if he tries to stand and box with Frye, he will get KTFO.

 

There is so much at stake here, besides just a future shot at the PRIDE heavyweight champion.. Lots of PRIDE honor from two of the legends of the sport.

 

*Intrigue level-9.5 out of 10*

 

UFC Main Event

 

Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture

 

We all want/wanted to see Tito fight Chuck, but this is most certainly a suitable replacement. Randy is cutting some weight to take this fight at 205. Chuck has created an undestructable aura around himself with a series of impressive performances.

 

The key to this match will be whether Randy can ground and pound Chuck. Chuck has tremendous takedown defense, and is an accomplished wrestler in his own right. Yet, he isn't going to be going for any single legs against Couture. Chuck has to neutralize Randy with leg kicks, and jabs. If Chuck is taken down, he has to ride it out, and play aggressively against a powerful Couture.

 

This match has the potential to be great, but then again, I can see it mimicking the Mo Smith/Randy fight from UFC Japan 1. I dont think Chuck will be as methodical as Maurice was, but he certainly can't be careless either. It's going to be a great, great match in any case.

 

*Intrigue level-9.5 out of 10*

 

OK, I know that was quite long, but I did it for the benefit of some fans out there who might have to pick between the two cards.. Plus the fact that I think it makes an interesting read when comparing the cards fights next to one another.

 

I left out both the Vernon White/Freeman and Overeem/Arona matches because of the uncertainty dealing with Arona, and because I wanted to have some semblance in the two cards..

 

Overall, my own intrigue level averages stack up like this.......

 

UFC 43 Intrigue Level- 7.33 out of 10

 

PRIDE 26 Intrigue Level-7.83 out of 10

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

- Nino Schembri -300

- Kazuhiro Hamanaka +220

 

- Anderson Silva -1500

- Daiju Takase +750

 

- Quinton "Rampage" Jackson -340

- Mikhail Ilioukhine +260

 

- Don Frye +200

- Mark Coleman -280

 

- Mirko Cro Cop -154

- Heath Herring +114

 

- Emelianenko Fedor -1100

- Kazuyuki Fujita +600

 

--------------------------------

 

- Vitor Belfort -300

- Marvin Eastman +220

 

- Vernon White -200

- Ian Freeman +160

 

- Chuck Liddell -282

- Randy Couture +202

 

- Tre Tellingham +130

- Pedro Rizzo -170

 

- Matt Lindland -350

- Falaniko Vitale +275

 

- Tank Abbott +108

- Kimo -148

 

- Yves Edwards -1300

- Eddie Ruiz +700

[Guest Army Eye]

Where did you get those odds? Love the line on Silva/Takase

 

Couture and Herring look like good bets.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Olympic Sports has the latest Pride 26 betting odds. These are the odds as of 5/30/03 9am. For up to date Pride 26 betting odds, head over to Olympic Sports and click on the "Other Sports" and "Boxing" link.

 

-mmafighting.com

 

Yeah, I'd bet on Freeman, Frye, Herring, and if I were feelin it; Hamanaka

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Rizzo vs. Telligman is a rematch from UFC 20 where Rizzo KO'd Telligman in an exciting stand-up battle. Rizzo is known for his controversial loss to Randy Couture at UFC 31, his impressive kickboxing skills, and a very odd relationship with his trainer and mentor Marco Ruas (Pedro grew up in a rich family who wanted him to become a vet IIRC, he ended up meeting Ruas and secretly began training him and frequently picked him up on street corners so his parents wouldn't find out... Yeah...)

 

And Tra Telligman has one pectoral muscle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONE!

 

DEAR GOD!

 

WHY DOES HE BOTHER LIVING!?!

 

...Anyways, other than being a freak, Tra is known for beating Igor Vovchanchyn back when that meant something. He is a pretty good fighter, but nothing special. Rizzo's has been 1 - 4 in his last 5 fights but is 29 years old so he still can recover. The age difference may be a factor if this goes long, and Tra hasn't faught in a while - so conditioning will probably be a factor. Their last fight was short and explosive so you never know...

 

...He has one pec.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

How do those betting odds work, is it something like If I bet $1100, on the Fedor fight for Fedor, I'd get my money back plus another $100?

[Guest Army Eye]

Yes that's right.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Telligman's Back from Boxing, Ready for Rizzo

 

maxfighting.com

 

Four minutes of toe-to-toe thunder filled Tra Telligman's first meeting with Pedro Rizzo at UFC 20 in May 1999. Surprisingly, Telligman more than held his own on his feet with the touted striker for a good portion of the bout.

 

He stalked Rizzo early, throwing heavy rights and lefts, one of which bloodied his opponent's nose. Then he appeared to run out of gas.

 

He stopped moving forward. His aggressive pursuit of Rizzo disappeared, and he began backpedaling awkwardly. The end came soon after, as Rizzo's fist found Telligman's jaw.

 

It was an eventful fight while it lasted, and popular opinion targeted Telligman's cardio as the match's downfall. If he'd had better wind, felt many, the blistering exchanges would have continued.

 

Actually, says Telligman, it was his leg that gave way, not his lungs.

 

"I tore my quad three weeks before that fight," he says, "and was nursing it going into the fight thinking it was going to be fine. Watch the fight and you'll see me shoot on him. My leg just totally gave out. I hit him and fell back. At the time I didn't really know what happened because of the fast pace of the fight.

 

"After that I kind of started blacking out; I started not feeling right. I had a real bad feeling when he started picking up that something was wrong with me, when he started pressing the fight and coming after me instead of me coming after him. Everybody keeps saying, 'Oh, you gassed out. You were tired.' It had nothing to do with that. I was in pretty good shape for that fight."

 

Bum leg or not, the bout's conclusion may have been the same. Rizzo was regarded as one of the top strikers in the sport at the time, but Telligman was not among the echelon of elite fighters on the feet. Even after the match, Telligman didn't join the ranks of the sport's best standing.

 

It was not until he stood toe-to-toe with Igor Vovchanchyn at Pride 13 and lived to tell about it that he finally received recognition for his striking prowess. Telligman's encounter with Vovchanchyn in March 2001, a splendid performance in which he outgunned and upset the Ukrainian heavyweight, would be his final MMA match for some time. Following the biggest victory of his career, The Lions Den product exited the sport and decided to test his hands in the world of boxing.

 

After beginning 4-0, Telligman dropped consecutive matches. A record of 4-2 may not be too bad in MMA, but it often spells a bleak future for a boxer. With the prospects of a lucrative payday in the boxing ring fading quickly, Telligman's focus has since shifted back to his first love.

 

For his return MMA fight, he has been given a second shot at the man who bested him four years ago. Only now, Telligman has over two years of professional boxing experience under his belt. "My standup game is 100 percent different than it was back then," he says. "I'm a totally different style of fighter. The one thing I can tell you, the people that are judging me by the fighter that I used to be, they're idiots. I fight nothing like I did before. My game has gone to another level. I think my standup is better than his, and I'm going to prove that."

 

Although Telligman is still associated with the Lions Den, he has not been preparing with them for this fight. Instead, he's been training in Ft. Worth at the same gym as boxers Paulie Ayala and Kirk Johnson. He says his sparring partners have been top-notch, and his grappling training under Machado black belt Travis Lutter has also been first-class.

 

"I've kind of backed away [for] a couple years," says Telligman of his training separation from the Lions Den, "because of the boxing and started doing my own thing. At my age, it's hard to explain this, but at my age I have to be a little selfish in my training. In other words, I can't be there everyday for everybody else anymore and me still progress. I kind of pulled away and started training for me, started training for myself, and it's really upped my game quite a bit. I've risen to another level because of it. Looking back in hindsight, I should have done it a long time ago."

 

Telligman may be a different fighter than the man who slugged it out with Rizzo, but he's still guaranteeing another entertaining bout in the rematch. He is confident his aggressive style will draw Rizzo out of the shell that has become commonplace for the Brazilian heavyweight.

 

"I've gone on record saying we're going to be the fight of the night, and I'll say it again and I'll keep saying that," he says. "Our style of fighting will make for a good fight. He's a counter fighter; I'm a counter-counter fighter. I come forward. I press the fight. I initiate, he counters that, and I counter off of what he's doing. It makes for an exciting fight."

 

Despite his rigorous standup training, Telligman is not determined to stand and trade with Rizzo. Any opening that arises, standing or on the ground, he plans on attacking it. "Ken Shamrock used to say to me a long time ago: 'Tra, don't go out there and try to be technical with anybody, just go out there and kick their ass.' I'm going out there and whatever he gives me, I'm going to take it. If I see an opening, I'm going to take him down. If I see a submission, I'm going to take that. If I can land a combination, I'll do that."

 

As for what a win over Rizzo would do for his career, Telligman is indifferent. "I'm going to kick some ass," he says. "I've some had big wins, and I've had some big losses. I've found that sometimes the big wins do something for you, sometimes they don't. Sometimes the big losses do, sometimes they don't. I don't really care about that anymore. This is all for me now."

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

When I heard about Tank Abbott v. Kimo, I felt that Kimo would kick Tank's ass.

 

But..

 

now that I hear the winner could face Shamrock, I want Tank to win.

 

So Kenny can duck out of another shot at fighting Tank Abbott.

[LooseCannon25 0]

Awesome preview RRR.........very well decribed. I'm pumped for both events almost equally. Maybe a bit more for Pride with Herring vs. CroCop and Coleman vs. Frye. Both events should be awesome though

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

--Mike Bencic, who is Mirko Cro Cop's trainer in ground fighting in Croatia, replaces Ricardo Arona against Alistair Overeem on Sunday's Pride PPV

 

-Wrestling Observer

 

I don't know anything about this guy, but anything is better than Arona.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

YOUR Fight and Fighters of the DAY ARE:

 

Vitor Belfort vs. Marvin Eastman

 

Name: Vitor Belfort

Nickname: The Phenom

Record: 10 - 3 - 0

Height/Weight: 6’0/205 lbs

Birth Date: 04/1/1977

From: Brazil

Style: Jiu Jitsu

Association: -

• Last Fight: vs. Chuck Liddell (Loss *Decision* - UFC 37.5: As Real as it Gets)

Key Fight: vs. Randy Couture (Loss *TKO/Strikes* - UFC 15: Collision Course), vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (Loss *Decision* - Pride 5)

Key Win: vs. Wanderlei Silva (Win *TKO/Strikes* - UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil)

Belfort Highlight Reel

 

VS

 

Name: Marvin Eastman

Nickname: The Beastman

Record: 5 - 2 -0

Height/Weight: 5’9/204 lbs

Birth Date: 1971

From: U.S.A.

Style: Wrestling

Association: Lewis/Pederneiras Vale Tudo

• Last Fight: vs. Alex Stiebling (Win *KO* - WFA 3: Level 3)

Key Fight: vs. Alex Stiebling (Win *KO* - WFA 3: Level 3)

Key Win: vs. Quinton Jackson (Win *Decision* - KOTC 4: Gladiators

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I'm not feeling the Arona hate...

[Guest Lei Tong]

Part of that stems from the fact that Arona has finished 3 fights out of roughly 30 MMA and submissiong wrestling (Abu Dhabi) matches not because he does'nt have the skills, but to simply "play it safe."

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

He has had 9 MMA fights, 7 ended in decision.

[Guest Brush with Greatness]

I was really pumped for June after PRIDE 25 ended. It looked like we would have Ortiz v. Liddell and Silva v. Jackson within a week of each other. I'm a bit dissapointed that were getting neither of those matches (yet) but both cards look pretty awesome regardless. However, it'll be damn tough for either to come close to topping the last PRIDE show.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Oh yeah, definitely, it's going to be tough. But this Pride card could come close.

 

Pride 25:

 

Antonio Rodorigo Nogueira vs. Emelianenko Fedor = Coleman/Frye (probably not as good..most likely) -3

 

Dan Henderson vs. Shungo Oyama = Jackson vs. Ilioukhine (Could be better) +.5

 

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Nino “Elvis” Schembri = Fedor vs. Fujita (probably better) +1

 

Rogerio Nogueira vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura = Overeem vs. Bencic (I see this being better) +.75

 

Carlos Newton vs. Anderson Silva = Cro Cop vs. Herring (Probably better) +2

 

Alex Steibling vs. Akira Shoji = Anderson Silva vs Daiju Takase (probably not as good - though it will be fun!) -1.5

 

Quinton Jackson vs. Kevin Randleman = Schembri vs Hamanaka (I see this being better) +.25

 

-4.5 vs. +4.5

 

(very loose basis for 'better' level - but it looks pretty even)

[Guest the pinjockey]

Just wondering, being a MMA newbie, if you have only seen 1 or 2 UFC events and no PRIDE ever and only being able to get one show, which would you get?

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Pride.

 

For the announcers alone. Quadros and Rutten are so good and so knowledgable and are able to look at fights both as experts and as fans - you just pick up their enthusiasm. They use some humour (especially the beginning skits) and they have pre-fight interviews with the fighters, so you get to know their characters a lil more. And Prides production values are much better than the UFC's (close to, or at, WWE standards)

 

Plus there's the ring, which is easier to adjust to than the cage of the UFC and often provides better fights. And the crowd is bette - the Japanese audience won't groan and yell "BORING" if the fight goes to the ground for over a minute.

 

AND it's on a 5 day tape delay (it tapes on Sunday, airs on Friday) so you can hear from others (people who like to read spoilers - see, me) and know whether or not it is worth it.

 

The only problem is you probably won't know most, if not all, the fighters (depends on those 1 or 2 UFC's you've seen) and that's difficult in anything. Watching my first Pride all I knew was Kazushi Sakuraba, Gary Goodridge, Mark Kerr... I didn't know who Quinton Jackson, Antonio Minotauro Nogueira, or Heath Herring were and promptly forgot their names after the show ended (they did put on some good performances though, I was just too new to it to really get a grasp on it)... and now those three guys are amongst my favourite fighters to watch. That's why I started this thread, to try to get people a little bit familiar with the fighters if they haven't seen it, and if they have, to get some discussion going.

[Guest the pinjockey]

One more quick question, is that tall guy in the sig that Semmy Schilt? I remember while playing the Pride FC PS2 game a really tall white guy who they made a complete wuss.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Yep And that's a pretty close description, lol... Semmy hasn't had a lot of success in MMA.

 

I love the picture cause there's such a fucking size difference shown in it and Fedor (the smaller guy) is currently the Pride Heavyweight Champ.

 

MMA: Where talented and hard working 'regular sized' people usually end up beating hosses, bah gawd.

[Guest Jimmy Saint]

For the announcers alone. Quadros and Rutten are so good and so knowledgable and are able to look at fights both as experts and as fans - you just pick up their enthusiasm. They use some humour (especially the beginning skits) and they have pre-fight interviews with the fighters, so you get to know their characters a lil more.

my favourite was the skit with Quenton Jackson at Pride 17. The whole thing with Bas acting stupid with the cuddly toy, "20'000 yen", QJ pocketing the money then looking confused and not being able to work the till and at the end Quadros's "Is'nt that Quenton Jackson ?". Then the Pride music kicks in and an awesome video package starts.

 

 

Quadros and Rutten do fucking rule. Always informative and funny without being disrespectful of the fighters. I love the image of them in stupid Hawaii shirts at Shockwave just acting like marks at the whole size of the show and enjoying themselves.

[Guest Lei Tong]

Well, Schilt's strength was the fact that he was open weight King of Pancrase, thus he got to fight smaller guys much often. ALso, due to the rope breaks in the Pancrase organization (you're allowed to grab the ropes a certain number of times in a fight to escape positions and subs) and his huge reach, he was never more than a foot away from using the ropes. In his own weight divsion, Schilt has very little success.

 

However, to his credit, he's looking to be a force in K-1 in the future, as he smartly uses his size and reach to his advantage (that, and jab-esque front kick).

[Guest Vyce]

I'm not interested in the UFC card at all (fuck it, I'm not paying to see Tank Abbott fight), but I'm thinking seriously of ordering Pride.

 

How much do those things run? Cause no offense, but I ain't willing to pay more than 20 bucks for it. I kind of dig MMA, but it ain't worthy more than that to me. I got bills to pay.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

In a few more days, I'll be 40~!

 

Holy crap, Couture looks ready to go. SWEET.

 

I believe the cost for the PPV is $30.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

...And it was worth it.

 

That UFC PPV got me all nice and ready for the next PRIDEFC PPV! BRING ON THE BIG BOYS!

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

On Paper this looked to be a guaranteed good show with the potential of being a very good show. I am happy to say that it lived up to, and went beyond, it's potential (which is something _no_ WWE event can say). I enjoyed the commentary, though they are no Quadros and Rutten, Rogan and (Mike) Goldberg did a good job... But they really need an "expert" ala Mike Tenay to help out with the history of each respective fighter and a more thorough analysis into the fights and clash of styles... There wasn’t the sloppy production errors that was seen at the last event, so there’s another plus. My main gripe was with the interviews, both pre-fight, post-fight, and in-between fights. I think the post-fight promo should only be used after a big match and not after every single one - it really breaks the pace of the show and usually doesn’t deliver the goods. The pre-fight promos with the fighter talking off the screen puts too much focus on the fighters promo abilities, and takes it off what they say. Just do it like Pride does with a one-on-one interview where you can take some pressure off the fighters - those Rampage promos wouldn‘t be nearly as good without Quadros (or Bas) to set it up. As for the in-between fight interviews, I really don’t care what C-movie actors and rappers have to say about who’s going to win what “Yeah, I think Randy’s going to win cause I like him and he’s tough...”

 

Ian Freeman vs. Vernon “Tiger” White

 

This was the match of the night. Both guys gave it their all, some really nice transitions, a fairly constant pace (even though they looked gassed - all heart there), and I want to see that rematch on the next PPV. I hate draws, and even though this made sense, after the Mir/Sims incident an actual finish should have been pushed.

 

Yves Edwards vs. Eddie Ruiz

 

Ruiz took a helluva beating, he escaped that wicked triangle, he maintained consciousness after that sick shin-kick, and he lasted the entire bout. But Yves Edwards put on a show and is a contender in that superb UFC lightweight division. Screw Bang/Sudo II, I wanna see Edwards/Ludwig ASAP! Uno, Penn, Serra, Sudo, Ludwig, Edwards, Thomas ... Pulver? 155 and under is the place to be!

 

Pedro Rizzo vs. Tra Telligman

 

This was a really good stand-up battle. I would have liked to have seen it go to the third round and end in a KO to make it a great match, but it was good enough. The UFC have put a lot of money in Pedro Rizzo, he is still a young guy, but is there anything (or anyone) in the future for him? Where the lightweight division is strong, the heavyweight division is pretty weak... If I were Dana White, I’d be on the phone trying to get the Texas Crazy Horse over from Pride (whatever happened to Rodriguez and Barnett? Get those two guys back along with Heath Herring and throw in Frank Mir and you got yourself a division)

 

Matt Lindland vs. Falaniko Vitale

 

This is something that can stick on you like a wet sock. Lindland from now on will be known as "the guy who knocked himself out", no matter who he beats or how badly he beats them, he still botched a belly2belly... it would be sad if it wasn't so damn fucking funny.

 

Frank Mir vs. Wes Sims

 

This match was going really good up until the DQ. If the UFC handles this right they could make quite the angle from it and maybe put a lil spark in the heavyweight division. Sims came off like a total jerk (or as Michael Cole would say “He’s a BULLY! Nothing but a big BULLY! Damn that BULLY!”) and Mir came off as big babyface esp. with apologizing for not defending himself. They could build up a giant killer angle/gimmick leading up to a title match with Tim Sylvia (who?).

 

Vitor Belfort vs. Marvin Eastman

 

People are marking this the return of “Old Vitor”, I am a little bit hesitant to throw up the banners quite yet and would like to see one more fight to make sure that “The Phenom” is back. With that said, I couldn’t help but mark out as Vitor threw those two knees and started to rain down those machine-gun like punches in a very exciting moment. I really enjoyed his post-fight promo.

 

David Abbott vs. Kimo Leopoldo

 

Tank lost to a mounted side-choke. Is that even possible? I think he tapped out due to frustration rather than suffocation for a second straight pathetic showing. HE’S one of the highest paid guys in the UFC? When you are getting paid $150 000 to fight and $25 000 to win, you’ve already won in terms of payday. There was no incentive for Tank to train for the fight nor was there any for him to actually try to get out of that side-choke. Just a stupid call on the part of Zuffa. The money they paid Tank they could have used to get Heath Herring or Quinton Jackson or even Tito...

 

Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture

 

Speaking of Tito, he just breathed a deep sigh of relief after this fight. Chuck Liddell has been expose; Randy Couture is back atop the mountain; and the light-heavyweight division just got a lot more interesting. Randy looked GREAT for this fight and he fought even better. He completely owned Chuck Liddell. He took Chuck down at will, with 4 very impressive slams and takedowns. The problem Chuck had was in a)controling the pace of the fight and b)dealing with Randy's unconventional stand-up and c)stopping the take down.

 

Now, would Tito control the pace of the fight like Randy did? I personally don't think so. The way I see it is that Tito would have just stood around and waited until Chuck did something and then go for the takedown. I could be wrong, I am far from being an expert, but that's how I set it (or at least ‘saw‘ it). Tito's stand-up is questionable. His fight with Shamrock was an example of this - he seemed hesitant, almost uncomfortable, certainly not natural (pun not intended). Couture was pretty fluid with his striking. Now, in terms of Takedowns, Couture had his way with Chuck. This could mean one of two things: either Randy is a great wrestler, or Chuck sucks at blocking takedowns. I'll look at this as Randy is a great wrestler. Would Tito be able to do this? Maybe. I mean, Chuck got taken down 4 times, and couldn't do anything to stop it. Couture is a world class wrestler, Tito isn't. But Tito is a _very good_ grappler, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here. He probably could take Chuck down once or twice, but he'd have to work for it.

 

What could Tito learn from this fight? Lots. Titos confidence just skyrocketed and Chucks plummetted, Tito would go into their match more aggressive than he we have before, because that's how Randy won - he controlled the pace. Tito's GnP is better than Randys, so the issue is with slamming and getting the side/mount. The key is in the standup and waiting for an opportunity to get the slam. Would Tito beat Chuck in a match? I don't know, Chuck was taught a lesson in this fight - whether he learned it is the key.

 

-----

I think the biggest lesson taught after this event was that by just adding 2 or 3 new, hot, faces to a division, then that division will heat up quickly. Vitor and Randy in the light-heavyweight division added to Tito and Chuck has just created 4 new fights for the company - each a very strong main event (Tito vs. Randy, Chuck vs. Tito, Randy vs. Vitor, Tito vs. Vitor). Bang Ludwig, and Genki Sudo, along with Yves Edwards added to the Lightweight Division has made it one of - if not the - best division in the UFC and had created more than enough matches to last throughout this and next year. Gee, I wonder who needs to learn _this_ lesson of having strong contenders in a division?

[Guest Lei Tong]

Randy is quite possibly the best "clinch' wrestler in MMA, which does wonders against "sprawl & brawlers" like Liddell, Rizzo,etc. since the non-reliance on shoots render thier sprawls useless. Also, his very orthodox, almost "basic" boxing totally negated Liddell's somwhat wild counter punching, much like Murilo Bustamante's did. Couture is easily the worst styel match-up for CHuck Liddell. Granted, I still think Tito could take him, but not like Randy did.

 

However, on the subject of Randy, this win doesn't make him unbeatable. Tito would be a bad match-up for him, as he's already shown he's able to compete against great wrestlers (vs. Vladimir Matyushenko), and a man widely considred by many to be the HW version of Tito, Ricco Rodriguez, was able to defeat Randy despite numerous questiond about his experience, heart, chin, and wrestling skills.

[Guest Army Eye]

I agree that it was a very good UFC. Every fight was exciting except for Tank vs. Kimo , and that was short. I went 5-2 on predictions, missing the Lindland and Tank fights.

 

I feel a little sorry for Tank. Well, maybe I would if I hadn't seen his salary, but through his much-hyped comeback he's had two fights and has barely been able to even throw a punch, let alone connect with one! The fans loved Tank more than anyone there; why not give this guy someone who will stand and throw with him?? Sylvia, Cabbage, Freeman, etc. or bring back that fat blob Ferrozzo, do SOMETHING.

 

Overall, the show's production was lacking somewhat. RRR made a great point about the fighter interviews. For the pre-fight hype, UFC has these guys 'cut a promo' solo and it usually sucks if it's not someone like a Ken Shamrock, Phil Baroni, etc. Pride on the other hand has Quadros or Bas interview them. Even then sometimes the interviews are terrible. A lot of MMA fighters are really dreadful talkers, and I don't mean compared to pro wrestlers, but just compared to normal people! Also, the show had too much time before the first fight and too much time between the first few. Lots of stalling went on for some reason.

 

On to the commentators/interviewers for a minute, the commentary was OK. Goldberg is just 'there'; he never says anything notable. Rogan is getting a little better at not being prone to screaming fits where he drowns out the play-by-play. Eddie Bravo, the in-ring interviewer, did a sucky job. Bravo is a fighter, and I'm not sure why you use a fighter in this position. He had some blunders, including calling Randy Couture 'Chuck' at one point, asking Kimo why TANK wanted to take the fight to the ground (WHAT FIGHT WERE YOU WATCHING AND WHAT COLOR IS THE SKY IN YOUR WORLD??), and he rudely cut off Vitor Belfort in the middle of his rambling as he was yelling "and i want to say, I want to say..". Bravo just ignored him like he wasn't even there. I don't really care what else Vitor had to say as he was almost hysterical, but it just looks bad for your people to be so rude to a fighter. It's not like there was a time crunch!

 

The main event was amazing to see. Couture establishes himself as one of the best ever, if he wasn't already! I don't know if the Iceman was exposed, or had an off night, or what. His stand-up game was SAD! He didn't seem to have a clue how to initiate anything; he seemed to be waiting just to counter but Couture was just owning him. Did Couture have some beatutiful takedowns or what?? After hyping Iceman all night as the 'best takedown defender in MMA', Couture took him down several times with ease. This did not surprise me that much. Couture is such a good wrestler, you WILL go down at some point, but it was embarassing for the UFC considering what they kept saying about how nobody can take him down. This is typical UFC rotten luck; seems like whenever they hype a guy to the moon, he leaves the company, holds out, or loses badly. They REALLY need to catch a break at some point. Maybe they have with Vitor though; we will see. Finally, what was with Iceman's entrance video. Too long and just really lame. On top of its badness it doesn't fit Iceman's 'no bullshit' personality at all. Lately UFC has done good entrances for their big main events but I didn't care for this one..

 

The Vitor Belfort massacring of Marvin Eastman ALONE was worth the price of the show, all 30 seconds of it or whatever it was. My friends and I just were screaming and generally going berserk when this happened. We must have woke up the whole street. This is the kind of incredible explosion of offense, so fast you miss it if you blink, that nobody can do quite like Vitor. He looked in MUCH better shape than his other recent fights; and, vs. Liddell for example, he was also so lethargic, just going for takedowns and stuff. Combining that with how he was a friggin BASKET CASE after winning Friday, and we had to wonder if Vitor was going through some kind of serious personal problems that he has now put behind him.

 

That cut on Eastman's head - OH MY GOD! I think I saw his brain! That is without a doubt the sickest fight injury since the Holyfield/Rahman 'second head'.

 

Eastman is no joke either. It's too bad his UFC debut went like this.

 

The Sims DQ was hilarious. Not only is he blatantly stomping Mir in the head but he's bracing himself on the cage too! Two major infractions at the same time! LOL. Soon after I wondered why I hadn't seen a stomping quite like that ever in Pride, but the commentators promptly answered my question by noting that Mir's head was trapped against the cage, which can't happen in Pride.

 

Rizzo looked pretty good.. not as much of a pussy, but he had an opponent who was attacking with no hesitation. Rizzo wins by cutting Tra with the dreaded 'elbow scrape'. Time to ban elbows on the ground, UFC...

 

Does anybody still think that Liddell would've beaten Tito? Probably not too many..

 

 

On a side note, if anyone plans on talking Pride spoilers in this thread, PLEEEASE put them in spoiler boxes. I want to be fresh when I watch Pride on Friday. It won't be easy!