UFC 53: Heavy Hitters

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I know early April was busy for Dana White, but he could have -you know- tried to plan ahead for June a lil better because this show has got nothing but neglect from the UFC, even though the card itself is bound to produce some good-great matches. I don't think I've seen a company lose that much momentum. Hey, two popular Ultimate Fighter contestants are debuting, didja know?! Unless you follow the UFC hardcore, you probably didn't... and so a lot of the audience the UFC gained from TUF don't. Good move Zuffa~!

 

Anywho, my Grandfolk are comin over from PEI on Saturday, so it's up-in-the-air whether or not I'll be seeing this on PPV. I really want to, cause there are some potential blow out matches on this card that could make it a sleeper PPV of the year, but they're old and my grandmother thinks the Simpsons is controversial so I can't imagine her reaction to the UFC. (Hey, if you live in the GTA, I'll go 50/50 and bring dip!)

 

Official Fight Card

 

Interim Heavweight Championship

Andrei Arlovski vs. Justin Eilers

 

Middleweight Championship

Evan Tanner vs. Rich Franklin

 

Welterweight Bouts

Matt Serra vs. Karo Parisyan

Nick Diaz vs. Koji Oishi

 

Middleweight Bouts

David Louiseau vs. Charles McCarthy

Nathan Quarry vs. Shonie Carter

 

Light Heavyweight Bout

Forrest Griffin vs. Bill Mahood

 

Heavyweight Bout

Paul Buentello vs. Kevin Jordan

[Guest Brian]

I'm pumped. I think Arlovski and Eilers are going to have a slugfest. Tanner and Franklin is going to be excitement for 25 minutes. And I want to see some Quarry.

 

Anyways, I can't believe how much they've dropped the ball advertising this thing. Has anyone seen one ad? They have Forrest Griffin, they have the guy who didn't get eliminated, and they have the man who put down Shamrock; three guys who had free, national exposure, and one in a title match.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

My picks:

 

Interim Heavweight Championship

Andrei Arlovski vs. Justin Eilers

 

I think Eilers will be trying to avoid a knock out, and I think that will leave him open to a submission. Arlovski by submission in the first round.

 

Middleweight Championship

Evan Tanner vs. Rich Franklin

 

Franklin is good, but Tanner is better, and I think that Franklin might be a little too confident from beating Shamrock, as it wasn't entirely his own doing that he won, what with Shamrock slipping at a key moment. I think that, along with Tanner being so damn good, will be enough for Tanner to win. Tanner by stoppage in the third round.

 

Welterweight Bouts

Matt Serra vs. Karo Parisyan

Nick Diaz vs. Koji Oishi

 

Middleweight Bouts

David Louiseau vs. Charles McCarthy

 

Nathan Quarry vs. Shonie Carter

 

I think Carter's experience on the big stage will be the difference, but Quarry won't be a pushover. Carter by submission in the third round.

 

Light Heavyweight Bout

Forrest Griffin vs. Bill Mahood

 

I don't know anything about Mahood, but even if I did, I'd still go with Griffin just because I want him to win. Griffin by KO in the second round.

 

Heavyweight Bout

Paul Buentello vs. Kevin Jordan

[the pinjockey 0]

I don't understand the disappointment in this card. People are complaining about the lack of stars? Guess what, the UFC has almost no stars. At this point in time Forrest Griffin is likely the 3rd biggest name in the promotion behind Couture/Lidell (who obviously won't be on this card).

 

I am pumped, as it will be my first trip to a show. I eagerly await three hours of strip joint music blaring between the fights.

 

Picks:

Arlovski - Whenever, whatever he wants (let's go 1st round submission)

Tanner - TKO 3rd (I am weary of picking Franklin with having to drop down the weight class)

Buentello - KO, 1st

Griffin - TKO, 2nd (Know nothing about Mahood, I just want Forrest to win)

Diaz - Sub, 1st

Parysian - Decision

 

No idea aboud the Carter/Quarry and McCarthy/Loiseau fights so I won't force a guess.

Edited June 2, 2005 by the pinjockey

[Lei Tong 0]

Arlovski def. Eilers: KO, Rd.1

Franklin def. Tanner: TKO, Rd.2

Buentello def. Jordan: KO, Rd.1

Griffin def. Mahood: Sub, Rd.1

Diaz def. Oishi: Sub, Rd.3

Quarry def. Carter: JD

Parisyan def. Serra: JD

Louseau def. McCartyh: TKO, Rd.2

[Guest Big_Jay101]

UFC 53 is tomorrow and it seems like a decent card with these Fights

 

Andre Arlovski(sp?) vs Justin Eilers (Interim Heavyweight Championship)

 

Evan Tanner vs Rich"Jim Carrey" Franklin(Middleweight Championship)

 

The Ultimate Fighter Champion Forrest Griffin taking on Bill Manhood

 

Nate quarry vs Shonie Carter

 

as well as other fights on the card that slip my mind at the moment, what do you guys think of the events and what are your predictions?

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Full card:

 

Official Fight Card

 

Interim Heavweight Championship

Andrei Arlovski vs. Justin Eilers

 

Middleweight Championship

Evan Tanner vs. Rich Franklin

 

Welterweight Bouts

Matt Serra vs. Karo Parisyan

Nick Diaz vs. Koji Oishi

 

Middleweight Bouts

David Louiseau vs. Charles McCarthy

Nathan Quarry vs. Shonie Carter

 

Light Heavyweight Bout

Forrest Griffin vs. Bill Mahood

 

Heavyweight Bout

Paul Buentello vs. Kevin Jordan

[razazteca 0]

I'm surprised that neither FSN nor ESPN or even Spike tv put on any UFC shows to promote the PPV. Before one of the networks would put on a show that had 2 fights from previous PPVs showcasing that UFC is a sport similiar to boxing just to promote the big PPV a few days later.

 

Inquiring minds want to know if Forrest Griffin still looks like the wrestler Kane.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

From Insidefighting...

 

Bad Ass Breakdown: UFC 53 - 6/3/2005

by Phil Baroni

 

Prefer Full Page Format? Click Here

 

Live from Japan after his Pride debut, the "New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni breaks down the televised portion of UFC 53 for the fans in what has become one of InsideFighting's most popular features, the Bad Ass Breakdown.

 

Andrei Arlovski vs. Justin Eilers

UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship

 

Eilers comes into this fight with nothing to lose, and that’s a good way to approach a fight. He’s expected to get knocked out because he got knocked out in his last fight against Paul Buentello. Eilers is a big, strong, athletic kid. He’s got an excellent right hand, and Arlovski has a suspect chin. That is the big question in the fight. Can Arlovski take a big punch?

 

So, I think this is a good move for Eilers. Coming off a loss, he can be the heavyweight champion of the world if he lands a big right hand. We know he has the power to do it because he knocked out Mike Kyle pretty easily. Eilers needs to come out aggressively and push the pace – that’s his only chance at winning. He needs to either land the right hand or put Arlovski on his back and drop some elbows.

 

Arlovski is quicker, more skilled and the better on the feet. He will pick Eilers apart if he hangs back and fights cautiously. So Eilers has to make it a brawl – put his chin down and come forward punching.

 

All the pressure is on Arlovski. He is the champ, so he needs to come in and take care of business, get this guy out of there quickly because Eilers is dangerous. He can do that by firing the right hand – either a straight right hand or a right uppercut – and put him to bed.

 

 

 

How good is the champ's chin?

 

On the ground, I give Arlovski the edge. Although I haven’t seen Eilers that much on the ground, Arlovski tapped out Aaron Brink with a nice arm bar and showed good composure with a submission against Sylvia. After dropping Tim, Arlovski was savvy enough to recognize the submission and take it rather than just jumping on him and throwing punches, which is the natural instinct. That showed great cage awareness.

 

Arlovski is the rightful favorite in the fight because he brings a lot more to the ring. Joey Oddessa has the guy as a -325 favorite. I hate betting big favorites in the UFC. I love Arlovski to win. But as a betting man, I’d put $200 on Eilers at +250 and hope for the best. Hey, maybe he’s onto something by preparing with Jeremy Horn instead of Pat Miletich for this fight. Who knows? It’s worth a shot.

 

Evan Tanner vs. Rich Franklin

UFC Middleweight Championship

 

This is going to be a great fight. Evan Tanner is a lot stronger at 185 pounds than 205 pounds. I can’t say the same thing for Rich Franklin, who looked somewhat weaker against Jorge Rivera. Also, this isn’t the same Tanner that Franklin faced at UFC 42. He is a lot more confident. He doesn’t see himself as a gatekeeper anymore. He sees himself as the champion that he is.

 

Tanner showed a tremendous amount of heart in his two fights against me and his fight against Terrell – David had him in trouble for a minute. He has improved his standup slowly but surely. However, I wouldn’t stand and trade with Franklin because he’s still much better on the feet. But Tanner should be able to hang enough to get the clinch and take Franklin down.

 

On the ground, Tanner is a lot better than people give him credit for. He is excellent on the bottom – a really good triangle to arm bar series. He choked out Robbie Lawler and arm barred Homer Moore, who is a really tough guy to submit. So, Tanner is an excellent finisher, but so is Franklin.

 

Tanner has the edge in experience and in big fight experience, although Franklin easily won a big fight against Ken Shamrock. And I give the edge in chin to Tanner because Franklin got knocked out cold in Japan. So, if get into an exchange, it might be Rich Franklin who goes to sleep.

 

 

 

Will Tanner feel the wrath of Franklin's standup (shown stopping Ken

Shamrock) like he did at UFC 42?

 

Granted, Franklin is the more skilled striker and has more tools on the feet. He has a really sneaky left high kick, and I can see that ending the fight. He is also very good in the clinch. I actually give him the striking edge in the clinch because he mixes it up more – Tanner has better knees, but Franklin is better with his hands and elbows.

 

But the biggest factor in this fight is Tanner’s wrestling. Tanner is a much, much better wrestler. He can take Franklin down whenever he wants, which is what he should do. It’s no big secret that Franklin’s wrestling is his biggest weakness.

 

Franklin’s guard is a good defensive guard, but Tanner is a nasty finisher from the top. So Rich doesn’t want to be on his back in this fight.

 

Honestly, at first blush, I thought this was an easy win for Franklin. But when you really break down the match up, it’s a lot closer than the results of their first fight would indicate. And Tanner’s wrestling edge allows him to decide where the fight will unfold, which is HUGE. If he doesn’t want to stand, he doesn’t have to. And that will decide the fight.

 

The odds should be a pick’em. But fans love Franklin because he’s exciting, athletic and is getting a big push from the UFC. The bet on this fight is that it doesn’t go the distance – that is definitely the bet. Based on Oddessa’s odds, I’m definitely taking putting big money on the underdog. I’m definitely taking the champ, without a question. I’d put $500 on Tanner. He’s outmatched in every fight on paper, but he finds a way to win.

 

Karo Parisyan vs. Matt Serra

Welterweight Bout

 

I think jiu-jitsu is better for MMA than judo. Granted, judo is more versatile with takedowns and submissions, but jiu-jitsu is more submission oriented and is better for fights that spend a lot of time on the ground.

 

However, I don’t like Serra moving up in weight. I don’t think he ever had submission in a major fight when he fought at 170 pounds. Parisyan, though, really doesn’t finish fights on the big stage, either. It would be nice to see one of them finish the fight on Saturday.

 

Karo’s judo game is more aggressive and better suited for MMA than sport judo guys like you find in Japan. Gokor and Judo Gene LeBell really train guys for fighting. So where a lot of judo guys get easy takedowns and then get tapped on the ground because they aren’t that experienced spending a lot of time on the ground, Parisyan is experienced. He is very comfortable on the ground, so Serra will have a ton of trouble submitting him.

 

 

 

I like Karo, and I like him by knockout

 

Also, when you’re getting thrown on your head, you lose your orientation so you lose position and end up getting your guard passed on the takedown. Serra has to be very careful of that because Parisyan will throw him. He has to be very careful about Parisyan passing on impact.

 

It’s a super tough fight to call. But I give the edge to Parisyan. He has the better chin, without question. Parisyan is the harder puncher, but he’s very wild. Has Serra really been working hard on his standup like he claims? I don’t know. Parisyan has the strength advantage because he’s a big 170-pound guy. I really like Parisyan in the fight, and I actually like him by knockout. Parisyan is a -170 favorite, so I’d throw $200 on him.

 

Nick Diaz vs. Koji Oishi

Welterweight Bout

 

Nick Diaz keeps himself busy with grappling matches and he just had a pro boxing match. I like that. The best way to prepare for competition is to compete regularly – it doesn’t have to be MMA, any competition working on a facet of your game is good. Diaz is a very well-rounded fighter, and he is young and loves to fight. I like that attitude.

 

Oishi is another in a long line of Japanese fighters who comes from an MMA background, not a boxer or wrestler who transitioned, but a guy who started his training in MMA. That makes him a jack of all trades, master of none. He’s tough in every aspect, but Diaz is just better in every area.

 

I love Diaz in this fight, and I like him to stop his opponent by submission or knockout. But the odds are killing me. -325 is a lot of chalk to lay on anyone. This is a big opportunity for Koji to make a name for himself. So, I’d lay $100 on the underdog and hope for the best once again.

 

Forrest Griffin vs. Bill Mahood

Light Heavyweight Bout

 

Griffin is good at light heavyweight. Is he the real deal? I don’t know. When I watched his fight against Stephan Bonnar live at the arena, I thought Bonnar won. I haven’t watched the tape. I thought Bonnar hurt him more, although it was a great fight. But I have to watch it again.

 

I have a feeling Griffin will come out and look to brawl once again. That is what Bill Mahood wants because he loves to bang on the feet. The question I have, though, is whether Griffin really has any power in his strikes. Did he ever really hurt Bonnar? I’m not sure. If not, can he hurt Mahood? Cote did. We’ll have to see.

 

 

 

It will be an easy night if Griffin takes Mahood down

 

Look, there is no doubt that Griffin is ultra tough. The guy has a big, big heart. He is a very game fighter. And this is a good chance for him to start cashing in on his fame from “The Ultimate Fighter.” But I think this fight is a lot closer than most think.

 

Honestly, I think the whole fight comes down to a mental game. But did Forrest’s celebrity go to his head? If so, he’s in trouble. Did his fame go to his head? If so, he loses. But I don’t know Forrest as a person, so I can’t say. On paper, he should win easy.

 

However, Mahood is super hungry. He thought he blew his UFC chance when he got knocked out by Cote. Now, he gets a second chance. That is precisely the situation that I faced in my last fight. It was super motivating because I’m not anybody’s stepping stone. I think Bill Mahood will react the same way. I like that, so my money is on the underdog once again - $75 on Mahood.

 

By the way, the fans want to see another standup war. But a fighter only has so many of those wars in the tank. If Griffin wants to be a star, he’s going to come out and bomb with Mahood. But if he’s smart and if he has trainers who care about it, he won’t. He needs to save the miles on the engine for a bigger fish. If Griffin comes out looking to take Mahood down and submit him, then I think he wins easy. But he seems like a crazy kid, so I think he’s coming out to brawl.

[Tawren 0]

As someone who was mainly introduced to UFC through Ultimate Fighter and UFC 52, both of which I loved, I'm not sure whether or not to order this show. Should I?

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Official Fight Card

 

Interim Heavweight Championship

Andrei Arlovski vs. Justin Eilers

 

- Not to jinx this, but Andrei Arlovski doesn't usually have bad fights, and neither does Eilers. Thing is, the odds of this lasting beyond a round is very slim. If you like big knockouts and don't care about how long it goes, this may be for you. Pay to see Arlovski, though. He could be the real deal in the heavyweight division. I think folk are greatly underestimating Eilers, cause there's about a 5% chance at an upset and people are thinking 0%.

 

Middleweight Championship

Evan Tanner vs. Rich Franklin

 

- This is an awesome fight. Tanner has been looking AMAZING in his last couple of fights and 185 seems to be right for him. This division is the hot shit, so this fight means alot. Franklin, if he's adjusted to this weight, is a top guy, but if he hasn't then Tanner could take it. Potential FOTYC.

 

Welterweight Bouts

Matt Serra vs. Karo Parisyan

Nick Diaz vs. Koji Oishi

 

- Diaz, Serra, Parisyan (haven't seen Oishi), are all exciting fighters. They fight at a constant pace and they're willing to take the fight to any position which means for extremely fun fights.

 

Middleweight Bouts

David Louiseau vs. Charles McCarthy

Nathan Quarry vs. Shonie Carter

 

- Quarry vs. Carter is such a good match, as Carter is so well-rounded and it's Nates first fight in the octagon. Louiseau hasn't really done anything to make me want to see him fight more, though.

 

Light Heavyweight Bout

Forrest Griffin vs. Bill Mahood

 

- Mahood, by all accounts, is a slugger and Forrest definitely showed he's game for a slugfest. Forrest knew that the SPIKE TV fight was a once in a lifetime thing, so he was looking to impress rather than win. This may be different, since he needs to get a win in his first official match to prove he belongs. Which means a more conservative Griffin. I may be wrong, though. I hope I am. Either way, this will be good.

 

Heavyweight Bout

Paul Buentello vs. Kevin Jordan

 

- They are grooming Buentello for a HW title shot, or so the word on the street is. He looked really good against Eilers, so keep your eye on him as well.

 

Overall, this is a great show. It's not a HUGE show, like the next PRIDE is, but the odds of this being boring or bad is very slim. I said it before, but this could be the sleeper PPV of the year.

 

RRR: Trying to find someway to watch it.

[The Ill One 0]

I'm considering ordering it- but at the same time the only fight I'm really pumped up for is Franklin versus Tanner.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Yeah, that's the one problem with this card, nothing really jumps out at you to get you pumped. It's odd that the big draw for this card is the ENTIRE card, rather than one or two matches in particular which usually is the case for the UFC. Very little hype and anticipation, but on-paper a very strong show.

[The Ill One 0]

Yeah, I'll wait until I hear some reviews and I may order it a day or two after.

[Guest Big_Jay101]

Spike TV actually did hype it showing a few UFC specials last night, read it on MMAnews. Theys aid one was Ultimate Knockouts 3 and the other was "Ultimate Fighting Championship" one of the hour long programs Spike is suppose to air so many times before 06'. I imagine it was packed full of UFC 53 commercials as TUF did with 52.

[Lei Tong 0]

Some of that betting advice was passable, but the guy's write-ups on most of the fighters were pretty poor.

[Guest Big_Jay101]

- "They are grooming Buentello for a HW title shot, or so the word on the street is. He looked really good against Eilers, so keep your eye on him as well."

 

They tried to give Buentello the shot but he couldn't because he was injured but now he is on the card fighting Kevin Jordan. So being groomed isn't the proper term he was offered but was injured and is now on the card. I assume he recovered, and was later put on. Hell he beat Eilers.Eilers was the only guy they could get, just coming off a loss he wasn't the man they wanted, but they settled for him anyway.

[The Ill One 0]

Spike TV actually did hype it showing a few UFC specials last night, read it on MMAnews. Theys aid one was Ultimate Knockouts 3 and the other was "Ultimate Fighting Championship" one of the hour long programs Spike is suppose to air so many times before 06'. I imagine it was packed full of UFC 53 commercials as TUF did with 52.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think I've seen a previous edition of the UFC Ultimate Knockouts and just remember not being impressed. Am I mistaken or was it pretty lackluster?

[Sass 0]

My picks:

 

Andrei Arlovski vs. Justin Eilers

 

- Arlovski

 

Evan Tanner vs. Rich Franklin

 

- Franklin

 

Matt Serra vs. Karo Parisyan

 

- Serra

 

Nick Diaz vs. Koji Oishi

 

- Diaz

 

David Louiseau vs. Charles McCarthy

 

- Louiseau

 

Nathan Quarry vs. Shonie Carter

 

- Quarry

 

Forrest Griffin vs. Bill Mahood

 

- Griffin

 

Paul Buentello vs. Kevin Jordan

 

- Buentello

[The Ill One 0]

Andrei Arlovski vs. Justin Eilers

~I'm actually going with Eilers

 

Evan Tanner vs. Rich Franklin

~Franklin

 

Matt Serra vs. Karo Parisyan

~Serra

 

Nick Diaz vs. Koji Oishi

~I don't think I know Oishi off hand, so no prediction.

 

David Louiseau vs. Charles McCarthy

~Louiseau

 

Nathan Quarry vs. Shonie Carter

~Carter

 

Forrest Griffin vs. Bill Mahood

~I'm interested in seeing how Griffin goes into this one.

 

Paul Buentello vs. Kevin Jordan

~Eh, what the hell. Buentello.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

That article is funnier if you imagine Phil Baroni saying it in his promo style.

 

I have to say I don't know what Rudo is talking about re: the next PRIDE card. I'm not looking forward to it at all. CRO COP~! NOGUIERA~!...fighting in different fights against jobbers. Sergei vs. Pedro Rizzo I admit should be awesome, as should the Shogun fight. Maybe Igor vs. Overeem. But that's all I'm really looking forward to. Honestly, UFC 53 is something I'm looking forward to more than that one.

 

Anyway, if I use my brain to pick the show and not my heart, I would have to go with

 

Arlovski

Tanner

Parisyan

Diaz

Buentello

Griffin

Loiseau

Quarry

 

Should be a great card, lots of new faces. Terrell was supposed to fight Chainsaw but got hurt, I think that fight would have been a better grappling match, but it doesn't matter since we probably won't see it.

[Guest Big_Jay101]

Ultimate Knockouts is OK, but really not that great.

[Guest Brian]

I liked the little Buentello/Jordan brawl. Some big shots landed, weird finish, kind of lazy last minute.

[Guest Brian]

Griffin/Mahood is up.

[Guest Brian]

Griffin looked real dominant. Choked him out in under two minutes.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Loiseau...........Jesus Fuck. What a kick. That jumping spinning roundhouse had me out of the chair.

 

Do not sleep on Montreal. Loiseau and St. Pierre are gonna run wild.

[Styles 0]

As always, UFC delivers. They just put on fun, fun shows. This was good.

 

Overall a fun show. Glad I ordered it.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Really good show, every fight was at worst "fun" and at best "awesome". The UFC is doing a great job at building their welterweight and middleweight divisions, and LHW is starting to look good as well.

 

Interim Heavweight Championship

Andrei Arlovski vs. Justin Eilers

 

- I think AA came out of this show looking nearly unstoppable. He just came at Eilers like the terminator, they did a great job building him. Fuck, this fight would have been sooo good had it went into the second round.

 

Middleweight Championship

Evan Tanner vs. Rich Franklin

 

- FUCK YEAH. Franklin looked awesome in this, and Tanner just won me over. He looked great against Terrell, but this fight showed his determination and will. Franklin had some great combos, was aggressive at the right moments, adapted when he kept getting caught with those counter punches, and though Meltzer said he looked gassed, I thought his stamina was pretty damn good. I really enjoyed the story of this fight, with it being even at the start, and then Franklin gradually running away with it but Tanner never quitting and having to have someone end it for him.

 

Welterweight Bouts

Matt Serra vs. Karo Parisyan

- Another great fight, Serra should have won it at the start as he kept plastering Parisyan after the knockdown. Karo using the power of JUDO~! for the win... that, and some really good gnp. Serra getting gassed was heartbreaking, because this could have been a FOTYC had he been in better condition and didn't slow down and become less competitive.

 

Nick Diaz vs. Koji Oishi

- Nice combination to end the fight. Oishi looked bad.

 

Middleweight Bouts

David Louiseau vs. Charles McCarthy

 

- SPINNING BACK KICK! FLYING KNEE! FLYING HIGH KICK! TKD! TKD! TKD! Fuck, I apologize to Mr Loiseau for my comments earlier.

 

Nathan Quarry vs. Shonie Carter

 

- Nate looked GOOD. Shonie did too, but that was when he was coming to the ring. Rock looked possessed in the ring, a different guy. I like that dynamic.

 

Light Heavyweight Bout

Forrest Griffin vs. Bill Mahood

 

- Griffin cuddling with Mahood after the tapout was gold.

 

Heavyweight Bout

Paul Buentello vs. Kevin Jordan

- Good fight, weak finish for both guys. In this day and age, conditioning shouldn't be so bad that you gas in the first round, heavyweight or not.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I have to say I don't know what Rudo is talking about re: the next PRIDE card. I'm not looking forward to it at all. CRO COP~! NOGUIERA~!...fighting in different fights against jobbers. Sergei vs. Pedro Rizzo I admit should be awesome, as should the Shogun fight. Maybe Igor vs. Overeem. But that's all I'm really looking forward to. Honestly, UFC 53 is something I'm looking forward to more than that one.

 

You "don't know what I'm talking about" ? What the fuck? Seriously, I can understand YOU not being hyped for this card, but to say you "don't know what I'm talking about"? What the fuck are you talking about?! Silva vs. Nakamura, Sakuraba vs. Arona, Shogun vs. The Other Nog, Igor vs. Overeem... NONE of these fights are bad... or anywhere near bad. Plus, Noguiera vs. anyone is a treat. That is an awesome show, that is a big show. That is what I am talking about.

[the pinjockey 0]

Holy Fuck that was awesome! I suggest if a UFC remotely gets to your area go to it.

 

Pre-show gambling note: If you ever go to the Tropicana and get a blackjack dealer named Francisco, run for your fucking life. Everytime I doubled down on an 11 son of a bitch flipped an ace on me.

 

Diaz/Oishi: First surprise happened early as Diaz is over like fucking gangbusters in NJ. And it wasn't just because he was fighting a foreigner, as they gave two shits about McCarthy and he was fighting an evil Canadian. Even some 9 year old kid behind me was going apeshit for him (you think maybe he can get back on the main card now?) With his reach, Diaz just teed off on Oishi.

 

Loiseau/McCarthy: Loiseau was immediately a heel being Canadian and all. The crowd was begging for McCarthy to sink the choke, but Loiseau escaped he won over the crowd. Of course if that wasn't enough, a spinning back kick/flying knee combo will win over the stragglers.

 

Quarry/Carter: Carter never stood a chance with the crowd going against Quarry. Of course a small contigent liked him because he looked stoned out of his mind. Carter flashing the ring side photographers was worth a laugh. Excellent job by Quarry, nothing much to say about it. Won via ass kicking.

 

Buentello/Jordan: Christ, Jordan's music was irritating. Good back and forth. The one shot from Buentello echoed throughout the whole building. Lackluster finish. Seriously, submitting from a one armed guillotine when the arm choking you is 1/3 fat?!?

 

Griffin/Heidenreich: Griffin is at least the third biggest star in the UFC now (possibly ahead of Couture with the right crowd). Kind of was hoping to see a slugfest here, but I wanted to see him win so I'll take it.

 

Franklin/Tanner: Tanner got F'd in the A by Ace. Kind of surprised that Ace was the overwhelming favorite. Tanner's got a good story and all, but I guess a lot of people just find him kind of blah. Bunch of assholes in the crowd apparently spoiled by 5 straight quickies boo at the first site of slow pacing. Save for the one shot Tanner just got completely outclassed. Hell, Tanner was bleeding from about 6 different places on his face afterward.

 

Karo/Serra: Forrest wins by submission and this turns into the slugfest. Ahem.....WTF?!? Serra was the crowd favorite being from NY, but Karo won people over just by kicking so much ass (the bitchslaps were a real favorite). If he has real GnP ability (didn't really show the ability to finish with it here) he could be a real force. As is he is only awesome as opposed to godlike.

 

Arlovski/Eilers: Eilers appeared to be getting finished as the injury occured anyway, so I don't look too much into that. Arlovski seemed to be able to tee off at will. Hopefully Mir gets finished with rehab so there can be a real HW title fight before Buentello gets his shot.

 

Celebs: Saw Chuck Zito leaving a restroom, but I like my spine where it is so I said nothing. Kenny Florian was walking around, but no one really seemed to care. Foley got the biggest non-fighter reaction, second to Lidell among people not on this card.

 

Not much dead time as 5 fights were put on the main time slot and with one fight going 3 and another going 4, it sucked up a lot of the time.