MMA June PPV Double-Shot II~!

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

As for adaptability, Noguiera barely got a win over Cro Cop. He got lucky when Cro Cop exposed himself with the buck. He didn't do much in his triangle.

 

You've got to be kidding me? Noguiera was not lucky, he _made_ Cro Cop expose himself. I don't know how you can "barely" get a win when you sub a guy and make him cry, but this really isn't about that. Cro Cop threw everything he had at Nog and Nog still won. Do you think Fedor could survive that punishment? I mean, I think Fedor would beat Cro Cop personally, but if he was put in that position - do you think he'd be as successful as Nog?

 

If anything, I would say that Fyodor is more versatile, since he has better standup, is a better wrestler, and has a better ground game from the top, as shown by his wicked GnP.

 

I wouldn't say he has better stand up. Nog throws more combinations and works the jabs better. He throws knees and leg kicks more often. I love the fact that Fedor has trained with Golden Glory and hope to see this area improve, but I don't think he has really shown "better" standup just because he put down Goodridge and Nagata. Powerful punches are one thing, but Nog has shown better _skills_ standing.

 

"Ground game from the top" is too general. Fedor has better "in the guard" work, and also for sidemount and back control, but in terms of mount position, Nog is better. They have two different strategies and neither are better or worse - Nog works to get the mount while Fedor doesn't have an exact gameplan; he just likes smashing . Each man -when put in any of these positions- will do well. Nog has a better guard.

 

In terms of "wrestling" (takedowns?), I wouldn't say that Fedor is "better" here either. They, again, are different. If Nog wants the fight to be on the ground, it will inevitably end up on the ground. The fight with Cro Cop was a testiment to this. Fedor can do this too, but his style doesn't necessarily compensate for when he can't take them down. I LOVE the fact that he was able to armbar Coleman, but I'd love to see him on the ground again to fully get the depth of his guard skills.

 

Nog has proven that he can come back from a beating. He hasn't proven that he can come back from a Fyodor beating.

 

This is rather silly. He proven that he can comeback from a Cro Cop beating. He took kicks that broke ribs, he took punches that broke orbital bones. As much as I loved Fedors GnP display, Cro Cops beating was worse. Do you think Fedor could come back from that? You are putting too much emphasis on "Fedor beat Nog" - it seems like you're resting your entire argument on that point. It's not about Fedor vs. Nog, it's about Nog vs. Everyone else, Fedor vs. Everyone else, and how each would fair. Overall, Nog would fair better.

 

If you want to bring up the Fujita fight, fine. I'd say that Noguiera wouldn't have been able to take him down, and he doesn't have nearly the same agression that Fyodor has in his standup to dominate a fight standing. He would not have delivered the liver kick that set up the choke obviously. If anything, it's a BAD styles matchup for him.

 

He got Coleman on the ground. Fujita is not a Coleman level grappler. With Nog, it's inevitable. Here's how the fight would go: Nog "tests out the waters" with jabs and low kicks, Fujita fakes some shoot attempts and does nothing but back away from Nog, Nog tries for a take down, Fujita avoids... repeat until Nog finally takes Fujita down or pulls him into his guard.

 

Look at the fights they've had against the same people. Goodridge, Herring, Schilt, Coleman. The only fight where Nog looked more impressive was Schilt.

 

You understate his performance vs. Gary. "Quicker Result" does not necessarily = "better result". I know Gary took the fight on short notice, but Noguieras ground work in this fight was masterful. He dominated on the ground much in the same way Fedor dominated standing. However, Fedor had a bit of an advantage in knowing that Gary just liked to block shots and weather the storm rather than fight back. Each had his own strategy, and each executed it perfectly. I personally think Noguieras strategy showed more skill. The Herring fight, yes, Fedor made his name here. Great work, Herring didn't know what hit him. Coleman is a tricky situation; again, I love the fact that Fedor tapped him superbly - but I think it was a 50/50 effort here. 50% of it goes to Fedors masterful armbar, the other 50% goes to Coleman being clueless and underestimating Fedors ground work. That card has been played, it won't work the same way against Randleman.

Cro Cop dominated the first round like no other. Noguiera was lucky to get the takedown. He did nothing with Cro Cop in his guard. Didn't really have a chance to work anything. When Cro Cop exposed himself with the buck, that's when he grabbed the arm. It was a beautiful armbar, but it doesn't change the fact that Cro Cop was barely on the ground. Fyodor would have taken him down much sooner. He threw Heath like a ragdoll, he threw Schilt like a ragdoll, and he probably could have done the same to Gary. Nog can't take down people like that. His clinch work is much better than Nog's, and Nog's takedowns aren't nearly as effective as Fyodor's are. By the way, Nog didn't take Coleman down, the whole story of that fight was that Coleman couldn't take his strikes, so he took the risk of getting subbed by taking him down and taking his chances there. Well it didn't really work out for him.

 

Nog has a bunch of skills that he doesn't really use. What did he do to Ricco? His standup is FAR superior, but he didn't do shit. All the skills in the world don't matter when you lack the agression to use it, especially striking skills. He stands up much in the same way like he utilises BJJ. Power standing can be more important than skills in MMA. There are so many things to worry about. Who would knock out whom in a K1 match, Randleman or Cro Cop? Who could knock out whom in an MMA match?

 

Okay fine, he can come back from a beating. Sapp, Cro Cop, etc. etc. Liddell could come back from a beating too, but when matched up with someone more versatile (Rampage/Couture) it didn't mean anything. But I digress. The point is, that coming back from a beating isn't everything. Fyodor has shown other ways of being resilient, as when Coleman had his back and punched him repeatedly in the face Fyodor was the calmest motherfucker alive. Don't tell me that he *can't* come back from a beating. The fact that he's undefeated and has had matches where he's come back from bad spots shows that he can and can do it again.

[Guest NCJ]

I see your point, but honestly you put too much emphasis on Nog not being able to be knocked out. I think Nog is more likely to lose by ref stopage or decision than Fedor is. I think Kharitonov would get a decision or ref stopage on Nog. He has skills and would not let Nog sit there in his guard. He would press the action, or try to cause a stale mate to get stood up. There was no question in my mind that Fedor would beat Coleman. This round will probably be his toughest test, but he is still better than Kevin standing or on the ground. Randelman has a habit of geating caught in submissions so I would give Nog an advantage in this match, but even then you couldn't count Kevin out because he could hurt Nog with something big get the mount and cause enough damage for the ref stopage. Hearing has a better shot at beating Nog than either guy has at beating Fedor. I honestly feel Cro Cop has a better chance at beating Nog in a rematch than he would against Fedor because Nog dosen't have the take down skills that Fedor has. As soon as Fedor gets the takedown it is going to be lights out. Yes Cro Cop lost the first matchup with Nog, but that was because he got over confident. If he learned anything from that fight he should just try to pick Nog apart from a distance with leg kicks and straights unless something big presents itself. I would still pick Nog in that matchup, but Cro Cop doees still have a shot against him.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

YOUR Heavyweight Championship Fight and FIGHTERS of the day ARE:

 

Tim Sylvia vs. Frank Mir

 

 

Name: Tim Sylvia

Nickname: The Maine-iac

Record: 15 - 0 - 0

Height/Weight: 6’8 / 260 lbs.

Style: Wrestling / Miletich Fighting Systems

From: U.S.A.

Birthdate: 03/05/76

 

Last Fight: vs. Gan McGee (Win *TKO/Punches* - UFC 44: Undisputed)

Notable Fight: vs. Ricco Rodriguez (Win *TKO/Punches* - UFC 41: Onslaught)

 

 

Name: Frank Mir

Nickname: The Las Vegas Showboy

Record: 7 - 1 - 0

Height/Weight: 6’1 / 240 lbs.

Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

From: U.S.A.

Birthdate: 05/24/1979

 

Last Fight: vs. Wes Sims (Win *KO/Punches and Knees* - UFC 46: Supernatural)

Notable Fight: vs. Ian Freeman (Loss *TKO* - UFC 38: Brawl and the Hall)

 

This is a match of opposites.

 

It is clear the UFC has big plans for Frank Mir. After all, they’ve fed him the returning Tank Abbott and they’re giving him this title bout not having beaten any Top 10 heavyweight fighter. As a Las Vegas native and ladies-favourite, Zuffa sees dollar signs in Mir as a posterboy for their heavyweight division. With some excellent, and sometimes unique, submissions and good stand-up skills, Frank Mir could fill that role and perhaps give Zuffa the champion they’ve always wanted. A champion that isn’t Tim Sylvia.

 

“The Maine-iac” shocked the world -or at least, MMA fans- as he easily disposed of newly crowned champ Ricco Rodriguez. Zuffa invested a lot into Ricco; they put his voice on their shows as commentator, they put him on every show they could trying to get his name out, they gave him a title shot for the Barnett-vacated championship against Randy Couture. And why not? Ricco was a well-travelled (3-0 in PRIDE, as well as an 1998 Abu Dhabi champion), trained with some of the best people in the world (Machado’s, Takada Dojo, Team Punishment), and was 5-0 in the UFC; not to mention he was charismatic and “suave“. He was expected to successfully defend his title against the 6’8 Sylvia. As we all know in MMA, expectations and reality often clash. The match went quickly and ended with Sylvia catching Rodriquez and finishing him in short order. Sylvia then moved back under the radar and was better known as “the guy whose name sounds like “Silva” and never gets talked about on UFC shows” than the Heavyweight champ.

 

7 months later he successfully -and impressively- disposed of 6’10 “Giant” Gan McGee. Sylvia’s name was finally getting on the map. This guy wasn’t a fluke, he wasn’t just all size, he could be on-top for a while. Just as he was getting recognition it all came to a halt. A steroid test proved positive and he was stripped of his title. The irony doesn’t end there, however, as in my opinion, that test actually helped him out more than it hurt him. You see, it made Sylvia seem like the “true” champion. If anyone else held that title, they’d be holding Tims’ title. He is recognized as the legitimate top fighter in the heavyweight division.

 

And now he is going to get his title back.

 

Analytically speaking, I can’t see this being anything different from Sylvias last 2 fights. I like Frank Mir, but I don’t think he’s better than Ricco Rodriquez. His stamina is poor - he gassed out against Wes Sims - and while he has ok stand-up, you really have to be GREAT to be able to overcome a reach advantage this big. However, all is not lost. While Mir is not in Rodriquez’s league, I think he is more resourceful than Ricco. Mir demonstrated against Pete Williams and Tank Abbott that he is quick to react in situations and can get a lock out of anything given to him. If Sylvia gets too confident he could get caught in one of Mirs submissions. With that said, Mir had a hard time applying submissions to Sims - who is about Sylvias size - so he may be in for a long night if he isn’t training with the right people.

 

Ultimately, I see this as Sylvia keeping his distance from Mir and picking his shots. He has solid boxing skills and a reach advantage that is hard for anybody to break through. Mir got beaten badly by Ian Freeman and with Sylvia he is in a ton of drouble. Conditioning will be an issue for both men -especially Mir- as being gassed in a fight means you can be taken down easily (bad for Tim) or you drop your hands and get knocked out (very bad for Mir). Either way, both men should be looking for a quick win - this fight shouldn’t go beyond 2 rounds IMO.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

YPOV, please stop talking out of your ass.

 

Cro Cop dominated the first round like no other. Noguiera was lucky to get the takedown. He did nothing with Cro Cop in his guard. Didn't really have a chance to work anything.

 

That wasn't luck. Luck is Ishizawa beating Ryan Gracie. Luck is Victor Belfort beating Randy Couture. Noguiera got Cro Cop down, mounted him, and finished it. That was all Noguiera.

 

When Cro Cop exposed himself with the buck, that's when he grabbed the arm. It was a beautiful armbar, but it doesn't change the fact that Cro Cop was barely on the ground.

 

Why did Cro Cop "expose himself"? Luck? Or was it Nog mounting him and him not wanting to be there? Hmm, makes it sound like Noguiera "exposed" Cro Cop, eh?

 

Fyodor would have taken him down much sooner. He threw Heath like a ragdoll, he threw Schilt like a ragdoll, and he probably could have done the same to Gary.

 

Speculation. Fedor had a hard time with Fujita and all three of those guys don't have the takedown defense that Cro Cop has. Granted, I personally think Fedors smart enough to know Cro Cops weaknesses and capitalize on them, but you're missing the point _comepletely_. *Every* fighter, sooner or later, gets tested. That's the evolution of the game. Royce Gracie had his in Kimo, Frank Shamrock had his in Jeremy Horn, Mark Coleman had his in Maurice Smith, Sakuraba had his in Wanderlei Silva. Noguiera -as champion- was tested against Bob Sapp and Fedor. In Sapps case, he took an enormous beating and was able to come through in the end. Against Fedor, it was a different story. Why? Because Fedor studied Noguiera to perfection. The same case will be for Fedor. He will be put up against someone who has his number and he will have an up-hill climb. THAT is what I am talking about; Fedors ability to weather the storm. Against Fujita he did it very well, however, that's Fujita and Fedor was -wait for it- lucky that Fujita wasn't a better fighter than he was because he was in serious trouble and Fujita didn't take advantage of it. You say that Nogs ability to take punishment "isn't everything" but it IS something -and it's something big. I am unsure that I can say the same thing for Fedor. I am not saying Fedor can't, but I am saying that Noguiera can.

 

Nog can't take down people like that. His clinch work is much better than Nog's, and Nog's takedowns aren't nearly as effective as Fyodor's are.

 

Where do you get this "Fedor is better in the clinch" from? Have you even seen Fedor in the clinch? Noguiera has a fantastic leg trip and throws some good knees in the clinch. As for takedowns, Fedor has superior balance - but Nog wants to be on the ground anyways so it doesn't really take effect here. They've both swept each other and Noguiera was at a disadvantage at the time.

 

By the way, Nog didn't take Coleman down, the whole story of that fight was that Coleman couldn't take his strikes, so he took the risk of getting subbed by taking him down and taking his chances there. Well it didn't really work out for him.

 

Where did the fight end? (On the ground). And I didn't say "take down", I said "got down" - the difference is, Noguiera may not have took Coleman down, BUT, Noguiera got Coleman down to the ground anyways, and then sub'd him.

 

Nog has a bunch of skills that he doesn't really use. What did he do to Ricco? His standup is FAR superior, but he didn't do shit. All the skills in the world don't matter when you lack the agression to use it, especially striking skills.

 

Good point, but I don't think it is apt. He used his stand up well against Herring and showed a plenty aggression; ditto in his fight against Kopylov - Nog has "unloaded" in the past. I just think that Noguiera doesn't have a lot of knock out power to go along with his technique. But that doesn't mean his stand up is "worse" than Fedors.

 

He stands up much in the same way like he utilises BJJ.

 

I'd love for you to expand on this..

 

Power standing can be more important than skills in MMA. There are so many things to worry about. Who would knock out whom in a K1 match, Randleman or Cro Cop? Who could knock out whom in an MMA match?

 

As MMA evolves skills will undoubtibly be more important than Power. Because you'll have stand up fighters who can't be taken down - then you're fucked. So fighters have to improve upon all facets and can't just rely upon natural, physical advantage. Randleman/Cro Cop is such a bad example especially because Randleman was KO'd by Chuck Liddell and Quinton Jackson -who were superior strikers, and don't you think that technique wasn't involved in those wins- PLUS, I seriously doubt the same result would happen in a rematch. And lets not forget Cro Cop put down Vovchanchyn -a power striker-.

 

Okay fine, he can come back from a beating. Sapp, Cro Cop, etc. etc. Liddell could come back from a beating too, but when matched up with someone more versatile (Rampage/Couture) it didn't mean anything. But I digress. The point is, that coming back from a beating isn't everything.

 

Noguiera has never lost a match because of his beating - Liddell has. Poor analogy, since Liddells losses were beyond his control (towel, ref) and lacked skill on the ground to do anything about it. That's not the case with Noguiera. You can punish Noguiera from anywhere and he'll still be able to bounce back. This is a very important attribute.

 

Fyodor has shown other ways of being resilient, as when Coleman had his back and punched him repeatedly in the face Fyodor was the calmest motherfucker alive. Don't tell me that he *can't* come back from a beating.

 

I'm not saying he *can't*, I am saying I doubt he could do it as well as Noguiera. And those pats on the face couldn't have been "punches" . Granted, Fedor is extremely calm under pressure and that is a great asset to him - but Noguiera isn't? Noguiera was getting pounded on by a guy over 350 pounds, he got hit with a Cro Cop high kick, he got knocked the fuck out by Fedor, and he still maintained position. You can't compare their "resiliency", Noguiera has proven his time and time again.

 

The fact that he's undefeated and has had matches where he's come back from bad spots shows that he can and can do it again.

 

The _fact_ is he lost to TK because of a cut. Fedor is a pretty easy bleeder and this is a knock against him.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

YPOV, please stop talking out of your ass.

 

Cro Cop dominated the first round like no other. Noguiera was lucky to get the takedown. He did nothing with Cro Cop in his guard. Didn't really have a chance to work anything.

 

That wasn't luck. Luck is Ishizawa beating Ryan Gracie. Luck is Victor Belfort beating Randy Couture. Noguiera got Cro Cop down, mounted him, and finished it. That was all Noguiera.

 

When Cro Cop exposed himself with the buck, that's when he grabbed the arm. It was a beautiful armbar, but it doesn't change the fact that Cro Cop was barely on the ground.

 

Why did Cro Cop "expose himself"? Luck? Or was it Nog mounting him and him not wanting to be there? Hmm, makes it sound like Noguiera "exposed" Cro Cop, eh?

 

Fyodor would have taken him down much sooner. He threw Heath like a ragdoll, he threw Schilt like a ragdoll, and he probably could have done the same to Gary.

 

Speculation. Fedor had a hard time with Fujita and all three of those guys don't have the takedown defense that Cro Cop has. Granted, I personally think Fedors smart enough to know Cro Cops weaknesses and capitalize on them, but you're missing the point _comepletely_. *Every* fighter, sooner or later, gets tested. That's the evolution of the game. Royce Gracie had his in Kimo, Frank Shamrock had his in Jeremy Horn, Mark Coleman had his in Maurice Smith, Sakuraba had his in Wanderlei Silva. Noguiera -as champion- was tested against Bob Sapp and Fedor. In Sapps case, he took an enormous beating and was able to come through in the end. Against Fedor, it was a different story. Why? Because Fedor studied Noguiera to perfection. The same case will be for Fedor. He will be put up against someone who has his number and he will have an up-hill climb. THAT is what I am talking about; Fedors ability to weather the storm. Against Fujita he did it very well, however, that's Fujita and Fedor was -wait for it- lucky that Fujita wasn't a better fighter than he was because he was in serious trouble and Fujita didn't take advantage of it. You say that Nogs ability to take punishment "isn't everything" but it IS something -and it's something big. I am unsure that I can say the same thing for Fedor. I am not saying Fedor can't, but I am saying that Noguiera can.

 

Nog can't take down people like that. His clinch work is much better than Nog's, and Nog's takedowns aren't nearly as effective as Fyodor's are.

 

Where do you get this "Fedor is better in the clinch" from? Have you even seen Fedor in the clinch? Noguiera has a fantastic leg trip and throws some good knees in the clinch. As for takedowns, Fedor has superior balance - but Nog wants to be on the ground anyways so it doesn't really take effect here. They've both swept each other and Noguiera was at a disadvantage at the time.

 

By the way, Nog didn't take Coleman down, the whole story of that fight was that Coleman couldn't take his strikes, so he took the risk of getting subbed by taking him down and taking his chances there. Well it didn't really work out for him.

 

Where did the fight end? (On the ground). And I didn't say "take down", I said "got down" - the difference is, Noguiera may not have took Coleman down, BUT, Noguiera got Coleman down to the ground anyways, and then sub'd him.

 

Nog has a bunch of skills that he doesn't really use. What did he do to Ricco? His standup is FAR superior, but he didn't do shit. All the skills in the world don't matter when you lack the agression to use it, especially striking skills.

 

Good point, but I don't think it is apt. He used his stand up well against Herring and showed a plenty aggression; ditto in his fight against Kopylov - Nog has "unloaded" in the past. I just think that Noguiera doesn't have a lot of knock out power to go along with his technique. But that doesn't mean his stand up is "worse" than Fedors.

 

He stands up much in the same way like he utilises BJJ.

 

I'd love for you to expand on this..

 

Power standing can be more important than skills in MMA. There are so many things to worry about. Who would knock out whom in a K1 match, Randleman or Cro Cop? Who could knock out whom in an MMA match?

 

As MMA evolves skills will undoubtibly be more important than Power. Because you'll have stand up fighters who can't be taken down - then you're fucked. So fighters have to improve upon all facets and can't just rely upon natural, physical advantage. Randleman/Cro Cop is such a bad example especially because Randleman was KO'd by Chuck Liddell and Quinton Jackson -who were superior strikers, and don't you think that technique wasn't involved in those wins- PLUS, I seriously doubt the same result would happen in a rematch. And lets not forget Cro Cop put down Vovchanchyn -a power striker-.

 

Okay fine, he can come back from a beating. Sapp, Cro Cop, etc. etc. Liddell could come back from a beating too, but when matched up with someone more versatile (Rampage/Couture) it didn't mean anything. But I digress. The point is, that coming back from a beating isn't everything.

 

Noguiera has never lost a match because of his beating - Liddell has. Poor analogy, since Liddells losses were beyond his control (towel, ref) and lacked skill on the ground to do anything about it. That's not the case with Noguiera. You can punish Noguiera from anywhere and he'll still be able to bounce back. This is a very important attribute.

 

Fyodor has shown other ways of being resilient, as when Coleman had his back and punched him repeatedly in the face Fyodor was the calmest motherfucker alive. Don't tell me that he *can't* come back from a beating.

 

I'm not saying he *can't*, I am saying I doubt he could do it as well as Noguiera. And those pats on the face couldn't have been "punches" . Granted, Fedor is extremely calm under pressure and that is a great asset to him - but Noguiera isn't? Noguiera was getting pounded on by a guy over 350 pounds, he got hit with a Cro Cop high kick, he got knocked the fuck out by Fedor, and he still maintained position. You can't compare their "resiliency", Noguiera has proven his time and time again.

 

The fact that he's undefeated and has had matches where he's come back from bad spots shows that he can and can do it again.

 

The _fact_ is he lost to TK because of a cut. Fedor is a pretty easy bleeder and this is a knock against him.

Talking through my ass eh?

 

Okay, it wasn't luck. It just took him a long time to do it.

 

Cro Cop exposed himself by giving up his arm because he knows nothing about the ground. WOW NOGUIERA SUBBED A ONE-DIMENSIONAL KICKBOXER ON THE GROUND~! Oh wait, he's not one-dimensional, he has a sprawl after all.

 

Your main point seems to be he's come back from a beating. Okay fine, he can. I never said he couldn't, so there's no need to keep pointing it out. Fyodor bleeds easy, why because you saw him fight once where he got knocked by Fujita on the temple? That's a bad example, as we all know that Fyodor was not taking him seriously, and when he did he finished the fight, set up by the liver KICK by the way.

 

He lost one fight to TK by cut, which was there from a previous fight in the night against the man himself RICARDO ARONA~! So it's not fair to say that he's an "easy bleeder". Is Heath Herring an easy bleeder too? He hit Fyodor pretty good at times in that fight, yet he didn't bleed then either.

 

You're assuming that because every other fighter has met their match and come back again means that Nog will do the same to Fyodor and up his game or something. Fyodor will meet someone to test him sure. Nog has, and he lost. I think your example of Sak and Wand is more appropriate in this regard, because I don't see Noguiera beating Fyodor anytime soon, although it is possible.

 

That's all the time I have, I will answer the rest later.

[Brush with Greatness 0]

If it came down to a straight up rematch between Fedor and Nog, I would probably favour Fedor, albeit minimally.

 

However, when it comes to this tournament, I gotta agree with RRR and say the Nog should be considered the favourite.

 

Guys always get slapped with that "unbeatable tag" (hell, until Fedor beat him people figured Nog was virtually unbeatable). But the thing is, everyone is beatable and everyone eventually gets beaten (often surprising many).

 

Nog has faced so many different styles throughout his career and persevered through them to victory that in almost any fight he goes into, you know what to expect beforehand.

 

Fedor has not faced all that many challenges and we still don't know how he will react to certain fighters and certain situations.

 

Just using Crocop as an example. Going into the tourney, we knew what to expect if we got a Nog-Crocop matchup. However, with a Fedor-Crocop matchup, there are way too many question marks.

 

Fedor could very well walk through the tournament and beat everyone. He could also lose out in the second round unexpectedly. With Nog, there is not that uncertainess. It is virtually asssured that he is in the final which to me makes him the favourite to win the tournament.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

The more I think about it, the more I think he will be the favourite based on the fact that in the semi's Fyodor would get Schilt/Kharitanov and Noguiera would get OGAWA~!

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Here's an interview with Tim Sylvia from Insidefighting.com; the UFC really needs to give this guy a mic more often... I'll try to get up another Fight Profile today - ONLY 5 MORE DAYS TILL THE DOUBLESHOT!

 

Exclusive Interview: Tim Sylvia Gets Raw for UFC 48 - 6/11/2004

by Tony Caiazzo

 

For a guy like Tim Sylvia, time off is not something that is enjoyable. It has been ten months since we last saw the 6’9 Sylvia in the Octagon. A suspension due to using a banned substance, a last minute cancellation at UFC 47 due to trace elements of the banned substance remaining in his blood, and Sylvia is more than ready to resume his position atop the UFC’s heavyweight division. Next Saturday night, at UFC 48: Payback, Sylvia is ready to put his recent dark period behind him and reclaim his title.

 

Tim took time off of training to talk with InsideFighting about his upcoming fight with Frank Mir, the upcoming UFC reality series, and more. Oh yes, he also gets raw on the subject of Ken Shamrock and Kimo. Without any further delay, here is Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia.

 

 

InsideFighting: Frank Mir is a guy that you have wanted to fight for awhile. Are you feeling excited about the chance to finally get in there with him?

Tim Sylvia: Oh, most definitely.

 

IF: What’s the biggest reason for your excitement?

Tim: Probably because Frank Mir has been babied up through the ranks. He really hasn’t had a huge, tough fight. He lost against (Ian) Freeman – that’s only tough fight he’s had. And now that he’s the number one contender? I just think I’m a whole different fighter from some of the fighters that he’s met. I’m gonna show him what it is to fight against the number one fighter in the world. He’s just had an easy go, and he’s made a lot of money in the UFC by not fighting anyone tough at all. That really burns my ass because I bust my ass and I don’t get paid shit!

 

IF: What do you think about his ground game?

Tim: I think he’s very good on the ground, as long as the fight is going his way. But he couldn’t finish Wes Sims, and that creates some problems because Wes Sims sucks.

 

IF: Word has it that he’s not focusing on his ground game in his training nearly as heavily as he used to. With that in mind, would you be surprised if he tries to stand up with you?

Tim: I’d be very surprised.

 

IF: How have you changed your training for this fight as opposed to your last fight with Gan McGee?

Tim: Nothing at all. I never change my training for who I fight. I work on everything all the time. Nothing changes. I’m ready to go 25 minutes if needed. I don’t see that happening, but you never know.

 

IF: I’ve heard a lot of people who are involved with the sport say that you train as hard as anyone in the game. How do you maintain that level of intensity in your training and stay relatively injury free?

Tim: Nobody ever hears about my injuries because we keep them quiet. [laughs] Interview me again after the fight and I’ll you what’s wrong [with me - we both laugh].

 

IF: Ok, as you know, there is talk about a new UFC reality series in the works for SpikeTV. What are your thoughts on that?

Tim: I haven’t really heard much about it. I’ve heard some rumors, but the rumors are disgusting. I’m disgusted with some of the trainers they are going to have doing it. I’ve heard rumors about Ken Shamrock and [Phil] Baroni. I love Baroni, awesome guy, funny guy, great entertainer, but you can’t have him teaching people. You need people like Randy Couture [as trainers]. I’ve heard rumors about them asking Pat [to be one of the trainers]. Pat hasn’t spoken much about it. You need guys like Chuck Liddell, and maybe bring in a specialist on the ground like a Gracie or someone like that. I mean, I don’t know. I think they are heading in the wrong direction with something like this. Let’s bring out the respectable people - people who haven’t screwed anyone over in the past. Bring out stand up guys. I mean, Ken Shamrock is known for screwing everyone he could to get to where he is today. The WWE? They hate that guy. Japan? They hate that guy. So, anyway, I’d like to see them take some different routes and bring in stand up people - people that you can look up to. You know? I mean, I don’t look up to Shamrock.

 

 

IF: Speaking of Ken Shamrock, why doesn’t anyone seem to be talking about the fact that he’s only won twice since he left the WWE? And the two fighters he beat are not even close to having a .500 winning percentage?

Tim: I don’t know. He’s horrible. And I’m really disgusted that he and Kimo are the main event over Frank and I. Frank and I both deserve more respect than that. Frank could beat either one of those guys. I know I could beat either one of those guys. Their fight is a three round fight, and I’m surprised that the old farts can get up out of their wheelchairs long enough to fight. People ask me who’s going to win, and I tell them “whichever guy loses his crutch first.” The mistake Kimo and Ken are making is that they are stepping into the heavyweight division. They are stepping into MY division. That pisses me off. That’s wrong. If they want to try to work their way up through the ranks, feed me one of those pieces of crap. Let me make an extra 80 grand on slapping the piss out of one of these guys. I mean, I love the UFC. They’ve done me well. I just don’t agree with some of the marketing things they do.

 

IF: Ok Tim, well that pretty much covers all my questions aside from two that have nothing to do with Mixed Martial Arts at all.

Tim: Okay.

 

IF: Lakers or Pistons?

Tim: Lakers.

 

IF: Yankees or Red Sox?

Tim: Red Sox.

 

IF: Is there anything you’d like to add?

Tim: I’d like to thank my sponsors because I couldn’t make it happen without them, and also thank all the fans who have stayed behind me.

 

IF: Alright Tim, good luck in the upcoming fight, and I’ll be in touch with you after the dust settles.

Tim: Ok Tony, talk to you then.

[AmericanDragon 0]

I'm not really familiar with the Rings rules back then but I read that the cut in the Tk fight was from an illegal elbow. It would have been ruled a no contest but it was a tournament and someone had to continue.

[Lei Tong 0]

Personally, I agreed that going into the tournament, Noguiera was the favorite due to 2 people: Mirko Filipovic & Mark Coleman. Two guys who, for different reasons, could give Fedor a lot of trouble, and two already put down by Noguiera.

 

I believed Mirko's combination of KO power standing and scrambling ability on the ground, and Coleman's uparalleled takedown abilities and strong-yet-inconsistent G&P both would cause a lot of problems for Fedor. However, both guys have been disposed of, nd now I believe this tournament in Fedor's to lose.

 

Couple of other thoughts:

- Fedor is, IMO, a bit better from the clinch. His takedowns are better, and he can throw knees and uppercuts well from the break. Noguiera may not care if he gets taken down, but against someone like Fedor or possibly Kharitonov, it could make a lot of difference.

 

- I wouldn't use the TK fight as an example of Fedor being a bleeder (though he is something of one, like many Russian/former Soviet country's fighters). TK nailed him with a grazing elbow, which can slice open almost anyone (illegal, but unintentional).

 

-Wouldn't use the Kopylov fight as a positive sign of Nog's stand-up aggresiveness. His strikes were sloppy and inaccurate, due to being gassed (On a quick aside: I'm a huge Kopylov fan. He looks older than Father Time and has the physique of a retired construction worker, but damned if he wasn't tough to beat in a grappling sense). Rather, I think his fight against Horn and the KO against Kikuta are better examples of his standing abilities.

 

- If the Sylvia/Mir fight goes beyond the first, I'd be shocked.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

From MELTZER:

 

*Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Nino Schembri (yes, Sakuraba in the opener)

*Quinton Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona (winner meets Wanderlei Silva in October for the title)

*Semmy Schilt vs. Sergei Kharitonov (heavyweight tournament match)

*Giant Silva vs. Naoya Ogawa (heavyweight tournament match)

*Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Mark Hunt (judo vs. kickboxing)

*Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Heath Herring (heavyweight tournament match)

*Fedor Emelianenko vs. Kevin Randleman (heavyweight tournament match)

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

The following odds are courtesy of SportsBook.com:

 

Emelianenko Fedor -230

Kevin Randleman +180

 

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -550

Heath Herring +400

 

Sergei Kharitonov -115

Semmy Schilt -115

 

Quinton Jackson -170

Ricardo Arona +140

 

Odds to win the entire tournament:

 

Emelianenko Fedor +125

Kevin Randleman +500

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +135

Heath Herring +1700

Giant Silva +2500

Naoya Ogawa +2200

Semmy Schilt +1800

Sergei Kharitonov +1000

 

I bolded those two because the odds thing is so ridiculously against them, when it should not be, that it would be wise to make a bet on those two fights. I don't expect Heath to win, nor do I expect Sergei to take the whole thing, but I believe that at odds like that it would be foolish to not take somewhat of a chance.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

And you thought rolling on the mat with another guy was gay...

[Guest CurryMan]

And you thought rolling on the mat with another guy was gay...

thanks for giving me nightmares....

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

The PPV's are tomorrow and Sunday. I think that we should have a tad more discussion.

 

BTT is going 2-0 this Sunday, wh00t!

 

Schilt will show that Kharitanov has been over-hyped to the nth degree.

 

The Japanese will go 2-1, as opposed to the clean sweep that everyone expects. But who will be the fallen one? TUNE INTO NITRO, I mean CRITICAL COUNTDOWN TO FIND OUT.

 

Baroni will destroy Tanner, and I believe that Hughes will do the same to Verrissimo.

 

Well, those are my 'bold' predictions. Anybody disagree?

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

When I first started reading this, I thought Quinton had got all serious and was like that's cool, he's trying to make a difference and shit. But when I read the last paragraph I was dying. Courtesy of MMAWeekly:

 

He has his hands full with Ricardo Arona this weekend, but Quinton Jackson talks about his documentary with the homeless, who his toughest opponent was ever, and Ricardo Arona and Vanderlei Silva in our two part interview at MMAWeekly.com.

 

MMAWeekly: Quinton how are you?

 

Quinton Jackson: What's up blood?

 

MMAWeekly: How are you doing, you staying out of trouble?

 

Quinton: Yeah, I'm staying out of trouble.

 

MMAWeekly: Before we talk training and before we talk about your upcoming fight with Ricardo Arona, I tell you what, I was reading one of our articles and I've got to give it you man. You've been doing a lot of things other than just fighting. You've got a documentary coming out July 1st, called "City of Lost Souls: The L.A. Homeless." Tell me a little bit about that project. If I understand it right, you went out to the homeless and were interviewing some of the guys and doing a documentary. Tell me a little bit more about it.

 

Quinton: Yeah, I'm in L.A. a lot and I kept seeing all these homeless. I don't think I've ever seen so many homeless people in one spot in my life. I thought, why are so many people homeless. So, I decided to go out there and ask them, what's going on? Why are so many people out there homeless and hear their stories and I thought it would be a good way to maybe keep some kids from following their footsteps and making the same mistakes they did. You know what I'm saying. So, I just went out there. I decided to go out and do a documentary, me and a couple of my friends. We just went out there and, you know what I'm saying, f#%ing started interviewing them and shit.

 

MMAWeekly: That's got to be pretty cool to watch, I can only imagine. These stories, everyone sees them on the streets, Quinton, with the people you talked to, how did they get in that position?

 

Quinton: A lot of them got in that position from drugs. I ain't gonna lie to you, crack is a motherf#%er. All you people out there, don't ever even think about trying crack man. Crack is a motherf#%er. It will take everything away from you like it did those people. Man, crack has taken everything from those people and they still do it. They know it was crack that did it to their lives but they still do it.

 

MMAWeekly: Fascinating, that's got to be a tough way to go, no doubt about it. Quinton, you came up in some hard times kinda, when you grew up. Tell us about your background growing up.

 

Quinton: My background growing up wasn't a pretty site at all, you know what I'm saying. My shit wasn't as bas as some people's but it was just different, you know what I'm saying. Some people don't even believe the stories I tell them. I grew up in a broken home, where I didn't think some family members even liked me and it was just being an outsider in your own family. That's the way it was for me, so I just kept to myself and played video games. If I got in a little trouble, you know what I'm saying, on the streets. I grew up on the streets, I am a street thug, always have been that way, you know. I never joined gangs and I never experimented with a lot of drugs.

 

I just knew that it wasn't right. The only drug I ever did was marijuana, that's the only drug I ever even tried, in my entire life because I just knew it wasn't right. Where I came from, if you tried any other drugs, you were an outcast, you know what I'm saying. I just grew up in the streets, fighting and shit, all my life, you know what I'm saying, and doing all this shit, you know what I'm saying. I was raised by pimps, thugs and drug dealers. Those are the type of people who influenced me. They were my mentors. I didn't have a father at home to keep me the right way. After I turned ten, when mom and dad got divorced, so it was down hill from there.

 

MMAWeekly: It's interesting, I've done some community service with some young kids and the stories are very similar to yours. It's one of those things where, the kids I grew up with, you joined the cub scouts at age eight or whatever. For you, it was either, hey, at age eight, I could join a gang or I could sell drugs and make some money. I mean, that's the way the lifestyle was right?

 

Quinton: Yeah, you know it. By the time I was eight years old, I was already on the track of making money. The dude that helped me out, that usually, you know what I'm saying, the guy that lived across the street from me was a lot older and stuff. I'd make a little money with him because my mom wouldn't help me with no money. I'd cut some grass, wash some cars, got to the store fro him and he saw me as trust worthy. You know, I'd always bring him back his change and receipts. I was a young thing, you know what I'm saying, eight years old. So, he put a gun on me and put some crack on me and he was smart.

 

The police won't chase kids you know. When it came to the park, selling drugs, F#%k it, I'd be the one with the gun and the drugs on me, you know what I'm saying. At first, it started out, when he wanted to make a deal, he'd call me up when he's got it for me, and later, as I got older, he showed me what cost what and I was the man. He was smart man, cause he was like, he told me he was a con artist and shit too. He told me like, look, if I go to jail, shit, I'm going to jail. If you go to jail, you're going to juvenile. It was the right thing to say. He be like, do you want me to go to jail? And I was like, nah because he was like, if I go to jail, you ain't getting no more money and that was the only place I could get money from. And he's like, I'll pay you to do this right here and when the police come, all the other drug dealers are going to run, but me, I'm going to stay there acting like I'm playing basketball.

 

You just do what you do, play with these kids around the park and make some money. So that's what I did. I bet I sold drugs from eight, all the way up to probably like fifteen or sixteen.

 

MMAWeekly: How did you get out of it? How did you get away from that?

 

Quinton: Well, you know, I moved to another neighborhood and shit and I kinda like, wanted something better with my life and I started wrestling and it f#%ing changed my life. I started doing good in school and shit. I just wanted something better you know, cause I saw all my friends that I grew up with. Everybody was older than I. I didn't even hang with kids my age. I always hung with older people, you know what I'm saying.

 

That's why I'm trying to have a childhood now because I didn't really have a childhood. I always hung with older people and shit. I saw them disappearing ans some of them didn't come back and a couple of my friends go killed and shit. I was like man, what the f#%k, where the f#%k you been at, I hadn't seen you. You know, I was a little kid, like eight, nine, ten, eleven years old and my other friends disappeared for six or seven months. I was like, where you been?

 

I've been in jail and shit. I know I didn't want to go that way, so luckily my mom remarried and bought a house in a little nicer neighborhood. I went to their school and they had wrestling there. I used to be a real big pro wrestling fan, so I always wanted to be a pro wrestler. I begged the coach to let me go out.

 

MMAWeekly: So, you get into wrestling, you stay out of trouble like you said. How do you go from the wrestling room to MMA?

 

Quinton: Well, you know, I think everything happens for a reason. So I started wrestling and shit. At first I got my ass kicked but then, after a while, I went undefeated for a long time until, you know what I'm saying, the motherf#%ers decided they had to cheat me to beat me. My coach saw my determination in what I did and he had another coach, his best friend, this coach was coaching Dave Roberts, a friend I always talk about.

 

We used to train together. We started wrestling each other. Dave and I wrestled each other nine times but we still remained friends. I went on to college and started wrestling in college. I was like a year older than Dave but he was still wrestling in high school and stuff. I came back and Dave was in college and shit. I came back and he told me about what he was doing with fighting. Dave had always tole me that he did Martial Arts while we wrestled but I didn't believe him. Told me he did Tai Kwon Do and this shit. I didn't know what the f#%k he was talking about.

 

Then, later I came back and he took me to this show and they were whooping ass. They were slamming folks and taking people down and I was like man, what the f#%k? I said, they ain't getting in trouble? He said, nah, you know what I'm saying. This is kind of racial, I saw this black guy beat up this white guy up in the cage. I was like, what the f#%k, he's going to get in trouble. He said, nah man. I said, I can beat up on white folks and not get in trouble? I said, sign me up. Man, I can slam down some white folks. Cause, you know what I'm saying, I start laughing cause Dave's white too. You know what I'm saying, it's like an inside joke. In Memphis, man, if you fight a white guy in the street and you're a black man, they'll hide you up under the jail.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I said, I can beat up on white folks and not get in trouble? I said, sign me up. Man, I can slam down some white folks.

 

*BIG POP!!!*

[Lei Tong 0]

The PPV's are tomorrow and Sunday. I think that we should have a tad more discussion.

 

BTT is going 2-0 this Sunday, wh00t!

 

Schilt will show that Kharitanov has been over-hyped to the nth degree.

 

The Japanese will go 2-1, as opposed to the clean sweep that everyone expects. But who will be the fallen one? TUNE INTO NITRO, I mean CRITICAL COUNTDOWN TO FIND OUT.

 

Baroni will destroy Tanner, and I believe that Hughes will do the same to Verrissimo.

 

Well, those are my 'bold' predictions. Anybody disagree?

I think Noguiera does indeed win over Herring again, but my heart says Quinton TKO's Arona.

 

Schilt still seems to have little takedown defense, and I doubt Sergei's handlers will encourage him to try and duke it out a la the Ninja fight against Semmy.

 

The Japanese have been given pretty obvious gifts masquerading as opponents. I HOPE both Ogawa & Yoshida get dropped in a hilarious manner, but my gut tells me that were one of the 3 to lose, it would actualyl be Sak.

 

I agree on the Baroni thing (if only because Tanner doesn't seem to have admitted to the fact that he can't keep his damned hands up), but Verssimo is a different beast than the men Hughes defeated on his title defense streak. He may win, but I doubt he'll destory him.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Arona is a much better grappler than QUinton, and easily has the better submissions. The only reason Quinton wasn't caught against Murilo was because he was able to power his way out. That's not happening when the other guy is stronger than you, and he didn't get taken down by Randleman because he ended the fight early with some solid strikes. Arona is better on his feet than Randleman (at least at the time of that fight), so I see this going to the ground early and often. Arona by submission in Round 3. No decision.

 

It's accepted that he will outstrike Kharitanov, but on the ground I wouldn't count him out, since he has only been submitted from what I remember by Barnett and Nog, no slouches themselves. This is my upset pick of course, because it's just such an easy pick for Kharitanov to beat him down on the ground, but for some reason I think most are underestimating how good Schilt really is.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Yoshida KO'ed really. I don't think people are giving Hunt a puncher's chance. Silva would also have an easy time KO'ing a guy who has said that he "doesn't like to get hit in the face".

 

Baroni's cardio has improved vastly from what I'm told, since he has shed a lot of weight. He's walking into the fight about fifteen pounds lighter than usual, and working with Enson for like eight months couldn't have hurt. People also forget his All-American wrestling credentials. And his hands, well, his hands.

 

Everybody click the link for the Matt Lindland-made Baroni video. You won't be disappointed.

 

Hughes is angry, and his training for the last fight was all out of whack, which explains his tentativeness in the cage. I expect him to come out like a caged beast in this one. Verrissimo looked impressive against Newton, but Newton wasn't himself in that fight either. Hughes' ground and pound vs. Verrissimo's Slap and pound? The choice is easy.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

A triple post eh? Worthy of a....

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

[Lei Tong 0]

Arona is a much better grappler than QUinton, and easily has the better submissions. The only reason Quinton wasn't caught against Murilo was because he was able to power his way out. That's not happening when the other guy is stronger than you, and he didn't get taken down by Randleman because he ended the fight early with some solid strikes. Arona is better on his feet than Randleman (at least at the time of that fight), so I see this going to the ground early and often. Arona by submission in Round 3. No decision.

 

It's accepted that he will outstrike Kharitanov, but on the ground I wouldn't count him out, since he has only been submitted from what I remember by Barnett and Nog, no slouches themselves. This is my upset pick of course, because it's just such an easy pick for Kharitanov to beat him down on the ground, but for some reason I think most are underestimating how good Schilt really is.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Yoshida KO'ed really. I don't think people are giving Hunt a puncher's chance. Silva would also have an easy time KO'ing a guy who has said that he "doesn't like to get hit in the face".

 

Baroni's cardio has improved vastly from what I'm told, since he has shed a lot of weight. He's walking into the fight about fifteen pounds lighter than usual, and working with Enson for like eight months couldn't have hurt. People also forget his All-American wrestling credentials. And his hands, well, his hands.

 

Everybody click the link for the Matt Lindland-made Baroni video. You won't be disappointed.

 

Hughes is angry, and his training for the last fight was all out of whack, which explains his tentativeness in the cage. I expect him to come out like a caged beast in this one. Verrissimo looked impressive against Newton, but Newton wasn't himself in that fight either. Hughes' ground and pound vs. Verrissimo's Slap and pound? The choice is easy.

- I think you're overestimating Arona's grappling. Indeed he's better overall, but 'd say the biggest difference is that he's a smart grappler, as opposed to Quinton's recklessness.

 

Arona doesn't have great submission skills, either, relying more on positioning and control. Can he slap on a submission when given the chance? Of course, but very rarely does he finish whatever hold he has. As far as takedowns goes, Quinton has great takedown defense, and will probably have the best combination of that, strength and striking power that Arona has faced yet. Also, important is that Arona tends to sow during the middle of his matches, coming back with a second wind to win during the final minutes to pull out a JD. With his inactivity, I wouldn't be suprised to see this pattern showing up once again, giving QUinton a chance to unload.

 

- Yeah, Schilt hasn't been submitted much, but that's mostly because of the size difference he's had over most of his opponents. Those with some size and submission skills on their side have suceeded in tapping him out, both of which Sergei has.

 

- Of course Yoshida could get KO'ed, but Hunt seems more interested in picking a new hobby than training seriously for MMA. As far as Silva/Ogawa, I'd say Silva has a better shot at a KO if the rough time it takes for a strike of his to move didn't need to be measured with a sun dial.

 

-It's not simply a matter of size w/ Baroni's cardio: the outburst of power he puts into every blow surely has its hand in crushing his stamina. Also, his wrestling hasn't been anything special thus far in MMA. Still, I think he KO's Tanner.

 

-Hughes jsut isn't really that type of fighter. The closest he's looked (aside from his early bouts, in which his aggressiveness only served to work agaisnt him) was against Castillo, and even then it was due in part to Gil being very timid after the accidental headbutt. True, his G&P is better than Verrisimo's, but standing up Renato has much better technique and power than Hughes, and on the ground Hughes' has been proven to be human in his last few fights.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

MMAWeekly: So, you wrestled in college for a short time?

 

Quinton: Say what?

 

MMAWeekly: Did you wrestle in college for a short time?

 

Quinton: Yeah, Junior college. I didn't start, I was a scrub. They f#%ked me up. I don't even want to say what they did to me. That college f#%ked me over man.

 

MMAWeekly: What school was it?

 

Quinton: I don't even want to say man. It was pretty bad what they did to me. I got injured and shit. I got injured in training and them motherf#%kers just told me, ah, if it hurts later on, go to the emergency room. It did, I woke up screaming man, at three O'Clock in the f#%king morning man, cause I knew that the body part that I injured and the motherf#%kers, they do shit. I was in a little small town and I needed an MRI and the motherf#%kers wouldn't take me to get an MRI. Then, the motherf#%kers had the nerve to send me the doctor's bill to my momma's house. What kind of shit is that?

 

MMAWeekly: Wow, that's no good man. So, you get into fighting and the rest is history man. You're are one of the best fighters at 205. It's a great, it's an amazing story and a great one none the less. So Rampage, how has training been going man?

 

Quinton: Training has been going pretty good man. I've been training my ass off. Every thing's for the fans man. If there wasn't any fans, there wouldn't be a sport, so

f#%k it.

 

MMAWeekly: So here you are, you've got all these things going on and you're giving out a phone number for fans to call you. What's up with that?

 

Quinton: Man, I just figured, if you're a fan, why can you not be a friend. I meet all the fans when I got to the UFC. It's the only time I get to meet the American fans. You know, cause I'm always dealing with the Japanese fans. I can't talk to their motherf#%ing ass. I know a little Japanese but I don't know enough to talk to their motherf#%ing ass. So, you know what I'm saying, I just wanted to talk to some fans. I see them at the UFC when I go to the UFC and when I got to King of the Cage and all them shows. I see them but it's the only chance I get to see the American fans. Most of them are pretty cool, you know what I'm saying. I was like f#%k, I'll give them my phone number and let them be my friend, cause if you're a fan, you're a friend. That's how I think. I don't know why other people don't think that way but, they like you because they like what you're are ding and shit. I know a lot of people have a lot of questions they want to ask me. A lot of people don't know about the sport. They're in the sport but they want to know stuff about training. They don't even know what to do and I can put them on the right step.

 

MMAWeekly: I think it's cool. I just worry that one crazy person will get your number. I think that's the only thing a lot of people worry about.

 

Quinton: What can a crazy person do with my number? What can they do with it?

 

MMAWeekly: I don't know.

 

Quinton: All they can do is play on my motherf#%ing phone. They can't find out where I live from my phone number because it's not even in my name. So far, I have had any crazy people calling me, thank God. But, if somebody crazy does call me, it's cool, you know what I'm saying, like, some people on blocked numbers that call and hang up in my face and shit. It just makes me stop answering blocked calls, so it's going to hurt people trying to call me from over seas. If the number don't show up, I don't answer it because if it doesn't show up and, they're acting crazy, I don't have their motherf#%king phone number.

 

MMAWeekly: No doubt about it, I think some fighters are fan friendly but you've taken it to a new level. On thing that's pretty cool is, on your website, you've got a little raffle ticket, a little contest going on. Tell the fans a little bit about how that is working out.

 

Quinton: Yeah, yeah, I'm going to be 100% straight up with you motherf#%ers now. I wanted to have a contest where somebody could win and be my water boy. I could take somebody that would never have a chance to go to Japan, a fan, you know what I'm saying, and go watch the big show because ya'll have no idea how big it is in Japan. American fans have no idea. I want to take whoever wins the contest, they could be my water boy, they could go to Japan with me and hang out with me and go to the fight and walk me down to the ring and be my water boy. I was going to get it all set up and was telling my friend that does my website and he got so excited, he just put it up now without thinking everything through. But, he said he's keeping track of everybody who's buying stuff. He's writing it down and they get some type of number when they buy something. I told him that it would be cool if he sent a raffle ticket with their stuff too, but the guy who does my site, he's a friend and stuff too, he said he's keeping track of everybody that's ordering stuff and who ever wins gets to be my water boy.

 

MMAWeekly: So, bottom line is, they buy something on the site, www.rampagejackson.com, and they'll get a kind of raffle ticket right?

 

Quinton: Yeah, I wanted him to send the people the raffle ticket but he said everybody that buys something, they have to have an order number anyway so, he said he writes it down in his book. So, even if you guys don't get a raffle ticket sent to your house, he has the number for you guys.

 

MMAWeekly: Yeah, they get an order number and I'm sure he's keeping track of the order numbers.

 

Quinton: I don't do any of that stuff. You know me, I'm a fighter. I don't know any business. I don't know shit man. I barely know how to check my email.

 

MMAWeekly: [laughs] That's very cool. I think that's a great thing. You've got to be the most fan friendly fighter my man. I'm telling you, with all the stuff you've got going on, that's very cool, no doubt about it. Let's talk about this fight with Arona. Tell me about it. We talked months ago when you were in the Grand Prix, when you were supposed to fight Arona the first time. Bustamante, of coarse stepped up to the plate. You knew a lot about Arona back then, what's different between when you were training for him months ago for the Grand Prix to now? What's the difference or is there anything different?

 

Quinton: Yeah, it is different. I have a different strategy now, you know what I'm saying. At first I had another strategy and coach and I, we always make strategies for the people we fight. This time, I have a different strategy for Arona, which is weird, you know because we haven't even fought.

 

MMAWeekly: What is different then? I mean, why change strategies from now compared to then?

 

Quinton: Because it is a better strategy. If I could pull it off you know. Cause you know there are different ways of fighting. I haven't fought in a while. You know I broke my hand and I needed a warm up fight but doesn't look like I'm going to get one so, but I broke my hand. The hand is good and stuff but I just have to fight different, fight smarter.

 

MMAWeekly: With that said, people have been talking a little bit about your training. No Tito Ortiz this time around, how come?

 

Quinton: Do what, no Tito Ortiz, what?

 

MMAWeekly: For training, how come Tito hasn't been training with you?

 

Quinton: Shit, I don't know. He trains with me when he has time but most of the time, I train with my teammates and they aren't even professional fighters.

 

MMAWeekly: Do you have any big guys to help you out to get ready for a guy like Arona?

 

Quinton: You don't always need big guys. When you're training, you need big guys, little guys, everybody. You don't always need big guys. I got two guys close to my size.

 

MMAWeekly: OK, you got any predictions for this fight? What do you expect to do in this fight?

 

Quinton: I expect to win the motherf#%king fight. That's all I can say. I ain't going all the way to Japan to lose, f#%k that shit. I have to win this fight. It's on Father's Day and my birthday, so GD, I need to win this fight.

 

MMAWeekly: So, it doesn't matter if it's a KO or a decision?

 

Quinton: I don't want a decision man. I don't want to fight f#%king twenty minutes. I don't want to fight for twenty f#%king minutes.

 

MMAWeekly: People wanted me to ask about women.

 

Quinton: Women, they don't want to know about the women.

 

MMAWeekly: Which is better, American porn or Japanese porn?

 

Quinton: American porn by far. Japanese porn blips out everything, you can't even see pussy or hair, nothing.

 

MMAWeekly: So it's not really porn then.

 

Quinton: Yeah, exactly.

 

MMAWeekly: The ideal woman for Quinton Jackson, what does she look like?

 

Quinton: She's got long black hair, slanted eyes, she barely speaks English. She's got a nice handful of titties and a nice ass.

 

MMAWeekly: She barely speaks English?

 

Quinton: Yeah, I like that.

 

MMAWeekly: So, where would she be from, if that's the case?

 

Quinton: She's got to be from Japan. I'm trying to tell you man, Japanese women are the best women in the world. They do everything for you. They don't let you do shit for yourself. They do everything for you.

 

MMAWeekly: The Asian women work hard basically?

 

Quinton: Asian woman work hard, they're no like American women. American women, they get mad when you ask them to fix you something to eat, you know what I'm saying. Especially black women. They give you an attitude and shit. I dated this one Japanese girl, she got mad when I brushed my own teeth.

 

MMAWeekly: [laughs] So, you're saying that American women are high maintenance?

 

Quinton: F#%k yeah. My Japanese girl used to try and wipe my ass and I was like, woah, woah. That's where I draw the line. I can wipe my own ass. I'm not a baby. [laughs]

 

MMAWeekly: What's your favorite movie?

 

Quinton: F#%k man, ya'll are going to laugh at me if I tell you my favorite movie. GD, you're asking me the hard questions.

 

MMAWeekly: I'm coming hard at you, what's your favorite movie?

 

Quinton: The Last Dragon.

 

MMAWeekly: The Last Dragon?

 

Quinton: [singing] You are the last Dragon...

 

MMAWeekly: I don't think I've seen it, who's in that?

 

Quinton: F#%k man, I don't even know man, ain't no real famous motherf#%kers. You ain't seen The Last Dragon? It's an old movie man.

 

MMAWeekly: What's the premise of the movie? What's the storyline?

 

Quinton: There's a black guy that's a Kung Fu Master. You haven't seen The Last Dragon? You'd like it, you'd laugh. [quoting from the movie] Sho nuff, who's the master? Sho nuff.... You never seen that shit?

 

MMAWeekly: I'm going to have to go rent it now.

 

Quinton: I'm sorry, I forgot, you're white huh?

 

MMAWeekly: Yeah, exactly. What's your favorite food?

 

Quinton: My favorite food. I'm not a favorite person. I don't even like eating that much man. I guess my favorite food is pizza.

 

MMAWeekly: Pizza, do you eat pizza when you train?

 

Quinton: Sometimes, f#%k yeah. When I've got to cut weight and get down to the grind now, I leave all that shit alone.

 

MMAWeekly: So, do you eat anything, I mean, some guys are on a strict diet. Are you on a strict diet when you train?

 

Quinton: Well, I supposed to be. I've go a nutritionist and shit keeping me on a strict diet but, you know what I'm saying, f#%k, everybody's gonna cheat.

 

MMAWeekly: OK, good enough. Your toughest fight ever?

 

Quinton: Yeah cause it surprised the shit out of me. I was training for Arona but then I had to fight that motherf#%ker. It was tough as f#%k on me, you know what I'm saying, cause the people at that level, you need a game plan for them. You've got to have a game plan. If you don't have a game plan, what the f#%k you doing? I was like, damn man, I'm not a bright motherf#%ker but I look like a smart guy when I fight though.

 

MMAWeekly: Talk real quick about what's in your CD player. What's in your CD player?

 

Quinton: You can see deez nuts, is that what you're talking about?

 

MMAWeekly: I knew that was coming.

 

Quinton: I'm just f#%king with you. I be rapping, they got me rapping in Japan. I be listening to my own shit.

 

MMAWeekly: You've got your own stuff out?

 

Quinton: I got my own shit. I don't need to be listening to everybody else. I listen to my own shit.

 

MMAWeekly: Break off some for us right now, come on man.

 

Quinton: I don't want to f#%k with ya'll right now. [laughs]

 

MMAWeekly: Tell us about you CD or DVD you've got out.

 

Quinton: It's a demo. My CD is just a demo tape right now. It ain't finished cause I make my shit in Japan. They got me putting down shit in Japan. So, every time I go there, I go to the studio and put some shit down. I'm trying to get a record deal in Japan. I've been keeping it on the down low but I'm letting that shit go right now cause you're asking me to many motherf#%king questions.

 

MMAWeekly: I'm coming hard at you. Dude, if Bob Sapp can have a CD, Quinton, come on man, you've got to be able to sell a lot of those shouldn't you?

 

Quinton: Well, ya'll have no idea how famous Bob Sapp is man. Bob Sapp has his own dildo in Japan. Y'all are laughing but I'm telling the motherf#%king truth right now.

 

MMAWeekly: You're kidding me.

 

Quinton: No man, ya'll have no idea how famous Bob Sapp is in Japan.

 

MMAWeekly: Do you think he's done fighting?

 

Quinton: Nah, Nah, Bob Sapp, he never was a fighter. He's a hustler. He's out there hustlin, you know what I'm saying. Shit happens like that sometimes. Bob Sapp, he'll be back man. He's making his money man but when his contract is up, Bob Sapp's smarter than you think he is, When his contract is up, he's doing to retire and live off his other shit that he's made. He'll still probably make money in Japan after his fight career's over. Bob Sapp did something that no other man has done in Japan before man, blew up that quick.

 

MMAWeekly: Yeah, no doubt about it. Someone wanted me to ask you about Matsui.

 

Quinton: Man, what the f#%k's wrong with you, asking me about Matsui man? F#%k Matsui! Man, I'll slam Matsui on his motherf#%king head next time. That motherf#%ker ain't even going to step in the motherf#%king ring with me man. F#%k Matsui man! He's a f#%king bitch. Matsui's a bitch ass motherf#$ker man. Man, that motherf#%ker doen't even look at me man. F#%k Matsui man.

 

MMAWeekly: Tell me how you really feel Quinton.

 

Quinton: Man, I'll tell ya, if there's any fighter I don't like man, it's f#%king Matsui man.

 

MMAWeekly: I can get that. My gosh dude. Why do you hate him so bad, just cause the fight?

 

Quinton: Yeah man, this motherf#%ker acted like he had to be carried out on a stretcher. Man, you guys didn't see that shit man. They didn't show that shit man. He had to be stretched out on a motherf#%king, he had to be carried out on a motherf#%king stretcher cause he got kneed in the nuts, and I didn't even knee the motherf#%ker in the nuts. Man, he's a bitch man.

 

MMAWeekly: I think you have destroyed Baroni's and Lee Murray's F-bomb record.

 

Quinton: Well, f#%k both of them. It's my record. Lee Mary, I like Baroni but f#%k Lee Mary.

 

MMAWeekly: How come you don't like Lee?

 

Quinton: He talks too much motherf#%king shit.

 

MMAWeekly: Yeah?

 

Quinton: Yeah, how in the f#%k is he going to talk shit about Tito, then when it comes time to fight, he don't want to fight Tito? He made himself look bad. Lee Mary, I'll tell him to his face, you a stupid motherf#%ker and let him come to Pride.

 

MMAWeekly: You'd want to, you'd take him on?

 

Quinton: Man, f#%k Lee Murry. He ain't got shit. I'll put in short work with that motherf#%ker. He's a shit talking motherf#%ker man. I'm all about America, where the f#%k he from?

 

MMAWeekly: [laughs] Quinton, always a pleasure my man. I've got to wrap it up.

 

Quinton: I always wrap it up man. You don't know what these women got out here playa. I always wrap it up.

 

MMAWeekly: Words to live by. Hey, a pleasure. I'll talk to you soon.

 

Quinton: Alright, take care.

 

MMAWeekly: Good luck against Arona OK.

 

Quinton: Thanks man.

[Styles 0]

So, RRR will there be any previews for either show? (not that I'm really on the fence-I'm ordering both...yikes this month's cable bill is gonna be high), but I just enjoy reading them.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I'm planning on a UFC Review and a Pride Preview in one.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Ok, nix the UFC Review, the sports bar wasn't showing it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

*watches Bushido III instead*

[the pinjockey 0]

HOLY FUCK

 

Three minutes in (Hughes/Verissimo) and no matter what happens here on out....BEST FIGHT I HAVE FUCKING SEEN.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

WHAT?!?!?!?

[the pinjockey 0]

Well Hughes kind of went into L&P for the last two rounds. But Verissimo was trying all kinds of stuff in round 2. Round 1 ruled the fucking world with a sweet slam, repeated triangle choke escapes, and a sweet looking mounted triangle.

[the pinjockey 0]

Heh, Verissimo got fucking jobbed.