Mik 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2006 12/30/06 from the MGM Grand in Vegas Main: Ortiz vs. Liddell 2 Under: Keith Jardine vs. Forrest Griffin Andrei Arlovski vs. Marcio Cruz Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald vs. Chris Leben Eric Shafer vs. Michael "The Count" Bisping Dark: Tony DeSouza vs. Thiago Alves Carmelo Marrero vs. Gabriel Gonzaga Yushin Okami vs. Rory Singer Anthony Perosh vs. Christian Wellisch I'm going to try and convert a bunch of my friends who have never seen UFC or MMA before into fans with this card. I think the card has a chance to be decent enough, especially if we get to see Rory Singer's face smashed in. It doesn't hurt that Lidell and Ortiz are two of the few fighters even non-fans know. Thoughts? Predictions? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lei Tong 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2006 - Tito & Chuck will be a longer version of the first fight. - Arlovski should smash Pe de Pano impressively. - Jardine vs Griffin will be a battle of two talented grapplers trying to strike. - Bisping vs. Schafer will likely be quick and entertaining one way or another. - DeSouza's fights are rarely boring, though it's not impossible to think Alves will go into ATT Blanket Mode. - Napao has a big opprotunity to finally live up to the hype by dispatching Marrero easily. - Okami continues rolling in a fight no one will see again. - Perrosh & Wellisch both suck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2006 Yeah, fuck UFC on this one. They know full well that Tito/Chuck will draw on it's own so they present a fairly lacklustre undercard and stock the show with HW's in a futile attempt to get people to care. I'm interested in seeing Bisping fight and Leben/MacDonald should be fun but other then that there's no reason why I should care about this show. Having said that if Tito wins (LOLLLERS) it would change the LHW landscape dramatically so there is a ray of light here. But, hey, LOLLERS. Speaking of Desouza I saw a clipped version of his fight with Luiz Azeredo in MECA in 04. Holy fuck that looked awesome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lei Tong 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2006 Actually, I think the card is rather solid, and should deliver in terms of entertainment, if not overall competitiveness. My main problem with the card aside from Wellisch/Perrosh likely airing is that Okami is taking a step back in competition in an undercard match, while gearing towards a possible title shot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randomguy 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2006 I look forward to Bisping fighting, the guy has some very crisp standup but has fought only scrubs. Can someone fill me in on Eric Shafer? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2006 12/30/06 from the MGM Grand in Vegas Thoughts? Predictions? Liddell to win in Round Three or Ortiz to steal it in Round Two. 850,000 buys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2006 Only way Tito takes this is via cut stoppage and he'll need to get Chuck down in order for it to happen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youth N Asia 0 Report post Posted December 11, 2006 I'd like to see Andre show well here. I miss him in the heavyweight title picture. Tim needs to go. Hopefully that won't be an issue after Vera Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starvenger 0 Report post Posted December 11, 2006 Thoughts? Predictions? I'm hoping that the cruise I'm on will show PPVs. Otherwise, I'll be partying and/or gambling. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted December 13, 2006 Ortiz vs. Liddell 2I predict a 3rd round ref stoppage to keep the Iceman champ so he can fight whoever PRIDE wants to send over. If Chuck Linddell is going to lose its going to be someone from Japan hey why not have Lindell vs Q. Jackson 2 at the Staples Center in 2007? Keith Jardine vs. Forrest Griffin If Griffin wins this does he get the right to be the next sacrificial lamb for the champion? Andrei Arlovski vs. Marcio CruzIf Arlovski does not win this he will be working small shows like IFL in the future Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald vs. Chris Leben If I were to place a bet on this it would be on Jason "Don't call me Norm" MacDonald. Unless Leben mastered the trademark Chuck Lindell overhand right knockout fist of fury combo I don't think he has a chance at winning outside of the freaky flash knockout early in the 1st round. If it goes to the 2nd or 3rd I see the Canadian winning by decision or submission. Eric Shafer vs. Michael "The Count" Bisping KO in the 2nd by Bisping Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Greg Valentine Report post Posted December 13, 2006 Weak undercard?! You have Arlovski, Leben, Griffin, and Bisping and you call that a weak undercard? You've got 4 super popular fighters including two TUF champions and the former HW champ, all of which are known for putting on either exciting fights or highlight reel knockouts. Maybe weak for you but not for me at least. I am real pumped for this show, this is the best lineup to me all year and I have to think the odds are that at least one of these fights will deliver. But to each their own. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted December 13, 2006 Nog/Barnett II, Kawijiri/Melendez, Shogun/Nakamura and Hansen/Aoki best the best of the UFC 66 card. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Your Paragon of Virtue 0 Report post Posted December 13, 2006 Shogun/Nakamura is a shitty choice, the rest I agree with. However this is not the best UFC lineup of the year, 57 was easily the best card, and 58 will probably end up being better as well. Lots of potential good fights, but we'll see. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lei Tong 0 Report post Posted December 13, 2006 Had Kawajiri/Hansen not ended in a DQ, SHOOTO's VotT would probably go down as the best card of the year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Your Paragon of Virtue 0 Report post Posted December 13, 2006 Well I was referring strictly to UFC cards, but I haven't seen that one so you're probably right. I may have to go on AIM sometime soon and grab that from you. Do you have it? I'll go on anyway so I can let you in on some Montreal MMA happenings. Hughes-GSP 3 happens in Montreal in April btw. "But what if Serra wins?" Bwahahahaha. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted December 13, 2006 LOLLERS. Serra struggled badly taking Chris Lytle down. No way he even gets close with GSP. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lei Tong 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2006 Serra via screaming inside trip. Also, I'll I try to upload most of the VotT matches when I get a chance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starvenger 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2006 LOLLERS. Serra struggled badly taking Chris Lytle down. No way he even gets close with GSP. Credit where credit's due though - during the season he took down guys with relative ease despite being 4 feet tall and moving up a weight class. With that being said GSP is probably more comfortable defending throws/trips rather than slams, so all Serra will be doing is giving Maria Sharapova grunting tips. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted December 28, 2006 Expect Mirko Cro-Cop's signing to be announced this Saturday, no word as of yet if he's actually going to be in-house but it's pretty much a gimme at this point that the final shot of the show is going to be Rampage staring down Chuck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2006 I remember Wanderlei Silva making an appearance to promote a fight but never signed the deal. Sometimes I wish UFC would do their contract signings in the Octogon with one of the guys signing it in blood or at least a powerbomb spot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2006 Leben's going to sleep. Athleticism, bitches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2006 It was a largely uneventful day before UFC 66 in Las Vegas. The weigh-ins in the afternoon went without incident. Both Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz looked small, but they'll both be 10-15 pounds heavier tomorrow. Ortiz had more cheers, which shows how times have changed. To the people at weigh-ins, he was the most popular fighter on the show, but as Hughes vs. St. Pierre showed, the hardcores at weigh-ins are very different from the masses who attend the event live. Ortiz was larger. Whether any of that will help him is anyone's guess. Liddell looked in better condition than he's been in recent fights, and everyone knows Ortiz trained hard for this one in Big Bear. This will be the first UFC main event in probably years that John McCarthy will not be the referee for. McCarthy will be refereeing on the show. It was a decision made by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to allow one of its regular referees to do the main event. The biggest news was Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission confirming he did paperwork to get a proper working visa for Mirko Cro Cop to appear on the 2/3 show. Kizer has yet to be approached by UFC for an opponent for Cro Cop, although Eddie Sanchez has been asked by UFC and has agreed to the fight. Kizer also noted that Ortiz would be getting a $210,000 flat guarantee and Liddell and $250,000 guarantee. Neither have a winners' bonus in their contracts, but both get a percentage of a PPV that is expected to be the biggest PPV of any kind in North America since 2002. For whatever this is worth, internally, everyone who would talk PPV was predicting the buys would top one million. For what it's worth, Mike Tenay, who has been the single most accurate predictor of UFC buy rates this year (he tabbed just over 750,000 for Ortiz-Shamrock when nobody would go that high and was right on at 600,000 for Hughes-Gracie) has gone with 800,000 to 900,000, although he didn't see any of the Thursday and Friday night Spike blocks. After the Countdown show aired, money started being heavily bet on Ortiz. The show portrayed it as a 50-50 fight (Countdown is always designed as a show to portray the underdog as the subliminal favorite) and the gambling odds were strongly in favor of Liddell. Predictions within the PPV industry were for 1.2 million buys, which sounds crazy on the surface, but they've beaten predictions almost every show this year. The live gate was expected to be between $4.5 million and $4.6 million, which destroy all existing records. Keep in mind that UFC always does less in live gate than the predictions. We didn't hear anything about closed-circuit locations, and they had them for several fights this year that sold out early. Weigh-in weights: Anthony Perosh (236) vs. Christian Wellisch (235) Yushin Okami (184) vs. Rory Singer (185) Carmello Morrero (220) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (244) Tony DeSouza (171) vs. Thiago Alves (170) Eric Schafer (205) vs. Michael Bisping (205) Marcio Cruz (236) vs. Andrei Arlovsky (236) Keith Jardine (205) vs. Forrest Griffin (205) Jason MacDonald (184) vs. Chris Leben (186) Tito Ortiz (205) vs. Chuck Liddell (205) Quinton Jackson was in the audience at the weigh-ins. Whatever charisma he had and lost, he seems to have gotten back. This will be the first UFC main event in probably years that John McCarthy will not be the referee for. McCarthy will be refereeing on the show. It was a decision made by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to allow one of its regular referees to do the main event. This part that worries me. I hope the NSAC pick someone competent. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumMan831 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Leben's going to sleep. Athleticism, bitches. Absolutely tremendous that raw Athleticism can conquer drunken tomfoolery any day of the week! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randomguy 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Anyone summarize the results? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaxxson Mayhem 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Anyone summarize the results? I just saw Liddell vs ortiz and ortiz got his face pounded in. It went 3 rounds. Ref stoppage at around 1 min. left in Rd. 3. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaxxson Mayhem 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Heres the official results from UFC.com Name Height Weight Record Name Height Weight Record Chuck Liddell 6.2 204 19-3-0 Versus Tito Ortiz 6.2 204 15-4-0 Keith Jardine 6.2 205 11-3-1 Versus Forrest Griffin 6.3 205 13-3-0 Andrei Arlovski 6.4 240 11-5-0 Versus Marcio Cruz 6.4 246 2-1-0 Jason MacDonald 6.3 185 17-7-0 Versus Chris Leben 5.11 185 15-2-0 Eric Schafer 6.3 205 9-1-2 Versus Michael Bisping 6.2 205 11-0-0 Tony DeSouza 6.1 170 9-2-0 Versus Thiago Alves 5.8 170 15-4-0 Carmelo Marrero 6.0 220 5-0-0 Versus Gabriel Gonzaga 6.1 242 6-1-0 Yushin Okami 6.2 185 18-3-0 Versus Rory Singer 6.2 185 11-5-0 Anthony Perosh 6.3 225 5-2-0 Versus Christian Wellisch 6.3 237 7-2-0 Chuck Liddell Vs. Tito Ortiz Name: Chuck Liddell Height: 6.2 Weight: 204 Record: 19-3-0 Chuck Liddell "The Iceman" Name: Tito Ortiz Height: 6.2 Weight: 204 Record: 15-4-0 Tito Ortiz "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Chuck Liddell Wins by Technical Knock Out at 3:59 in the 3rd round . Keith Jardine Vs. Forrest Griffin Name: Keith Jardine Height: 6.2 Weight: 205 Record: 11-3-1 Keith Jardine "The Dean of Mean" Name: Forrest Griffin Height: 6.3 Weight: 205 Record: 13-3-0 Forrest Griffin Keith Jardine Wins by Technical Knock Out at 4:41 in the 1st round . Andrei Arlovski Vs. Marcio Cruz Name: Andrei Arlovski Height: 6.4 Weight: 240 Record: 11-5-0 Andrei Arlovski "Pit Bull" Name: Marcio Cruz Height: 6.4 Weight: 246 Record: 2-1-0 Marcio Cruz "Pe De Pano" Andrei Arlovski Wins by Technical Knock Out at 3:15 in the 1st round . Jason MacDonald Vs. Chris Leben Name: Jason MacDonald Height: 6.3 Weight: 185 Record: 17-7-0 Jason MacDonald "The Athlete" Name: Chris Leben Height: 5.11 Weight: 185 Record: 15-2-0 Chris Leben "The Crippler" Jason MacDonald Wins by Technical Knock Out at 4:03 in the 2nd round by choke. Eric Schafer Vs. Michael Bisping Name: Eric Schafer Height: 6.3 Weight: 205 Record: 9-1-2 Eric Schafer "Ravishing Red" Name: Michael Bisping Height: 6.2 Weight: 205 Record: 11-0-0 Michael Bisping "The Count" Michael Bisping Wins by Technical Knock Out at 4:29 in the 1st round . Tony DeSouza Vs. Thiago Alves Name: Tony DeSouza Height: 6.1 Weight: 170 Record: 9-2-0 Tony DeSouza Name: Thiago Alves Height: 5.8 Weight: 170 Record: 15-4-0 Thiago Alves "Pitbull" May not be broadcast. Click for details. Thiago Alves Wins by Technical Knock Out at 1:10 in the 2nd round . Carmelo Marrero Vs. Gabriel Gonzaga Name: Carmelo Marrero Height: 6.0 Weight: 220 Record: 5-0-0 Carmelo Marrero "The Fury" Name: Gabriel Gonzaga Height: 6.1 Weight: 242 Record: 6-1-0 Gabriel Gonzaga "Napao" May not be broadcast. Click for details. Gabriel Gonzaga Wins by Submission at 3:22 in the 1st round by arm bar. Yushin Okami Vs. Rory Singer Name: Yushin Okami Height: 6.2 Weight: 185 Record: 18-3-0 Yushin Okami Name: Rory Singer Height: 6.2 Weight: 185 Record: 11-5-0 Rory Singer "Outburst" May not be broadcast. Click for details. Yushin Okami Wins by Submission at 4:03 in the 3rd round by strikes. Anthony Perosh Vs. Christian Wellisch Name: Anthony Perosh Height: 6.3 Weight: 225 Record: 5-2-0 Anthony Perosh "The Hippo" Name: Christian Wellisch Height: 6.3 Weight: 237 Record: 7-2-0 Christian Wellisch "The Hungarian Nightmare" May not be broadcast. Click for details. Christian Wellisch Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 I think the main event delivered. I would have given Liddell round 1 10-8 with how he dominated Ortiz, busted him open and came damn close to stopping him. Ortiz did well to hang in for as long as he did, and at times he did look like he might have a chance to let loose with something, but he couldn't pull it off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Fun show, nothing spectacular but nothing to complain about either. - That Michael Bisping was quite the over individual last night. Too bad he exposed himself a wee bit by throwing multiple leg kicks when Red had those scouted and almost GnP'd himself into an armbar. But these situations weren't brought on by Schafer pressing the action and Bisping escaped all the situations well enough so he didn't come off too badly. Him and Forrest both dropping the F bomb was awesome. - "Ready......ok........go" *BAM*. Arlovski rules, even if this wasn't anything to get hyped over. - ATHLETICISM BITCHES. 2006 was a great year to see Chris Leben get exposed standing and on the ground. UFC doesn't want Kendall to lose so they won't put him against MacDonald even if the fight makes sense at this point. Trying to tap while going to sleep = teh shit. - Alves hits hard and can throw knees. Hobo Beard can't do much else. Boring fight with a not-so-boring finish. - Tito/Chuck was stopped at the wrong time in the wrong round. Tito was doing nothing but covering up in the first when Chuck was unloading on him and was attempting to change positions when it was stopped in round three. Mad props to Ortiz for going out there and showing his heart but Chuck is Chuck and that hasn't changed. - I hated Marrero for the boring as fuck Kongo fight so I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him get tooled. 2007 should be fun. Bring on the Croatian and the Black Man! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 More than anything, the two most important things about the PPV were that it couldn't be a stinker and that the main event couldn't have an ending that people would crap all over. That it had neither of those flaws, because the PPV was pretty good and nobody disputed the ending of the main event, was the real success and something UFC couldn't afford to do in front of what will very likely be their biggest PPV audience ever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Turns out Liddell went into the fight with a torn ACL, which took place three weeks ago, and Ortiz apparently broke his foot in the first round. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
