Posted by Tommy Hackett on 5th February 2010
Last week, I asked myself who exactly is excited about tomorrow’s UFC 109 card. I got my answer yesterday, as one of our new writers, Jacob Lawton, sent along his predictions for it. According to Jacob, it’s PPV-worthy “just for the value of seeing two UFC legends going head to head.” Me, I’m not so sure. To be fair, I wouldn’t pay for Dan Severn vs. Royce Gracie 2 in 2010, either.
But, I might catch it at a bar. How’s that for a ringing endorsement? Ugh… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Jacob Lawton, Tommy Hackett, UFC | 2 Comments »
Posted by Jacob Lawton on 5th February 2010
I’m sure I’m not the only one who devoted a large slice of New Year’s Eve to watching the big cross-promotional MMA event in Japan. I’m sure I’m not the only one to have found much to love about said event. I’m sure I’m not the only one who can’t help but think how far Japanese MMA has fallen.
Don’t get me wrong, the card was fun, and, the first half of it at least, was competitive. Japanese legends Hayato ‘Mach’ Sakurai and Akihiro Gono had an entertaining, fast paced fight that ended via vicious Gono armbar. Korean upstart Jung Man Kim had a fight of the night contender with Hideo Tokoro and Melvin Manhoef TKO’d ‘The Grabaka Hitman’ Kazuo Misaki (yes, it was an early stoppage, but that’s for another rant). Even the obligatory Judo-player face off between Hidehiko Yoshida and Satoshi Ishii was a surprisingly fun slugfest. But so much of the card was a freak show. Shinya Aoki snapped Mizuto Who-rota’s arm with a nasty reverse hammerlock. Alistair Overeem and Gegard Mousasi dismantled career journeymen Kazuyuki Fujita and Gary Goodridge inside the first round. It wasn’t funny, and it wasn’t safe. Nevertheless, overall the card had been a success.
But neither Sengoku or DREAM have yet to officially book their first event of 2010, and here lies the problem. Japanese MMA is not deep enough to survive a comparison with the near-monthly high quality offerings promoted by Strikeforce and ZUFFA in the States. How has Japanese MMA fallen so hard?
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Posted in History, Jacob Lawton, Japan, Pride FC | 5 Comments »
Posted by Bryan Belangia on 2nd February 2010
Who is the best in the world at 170lbs? That’s an easy one right? The consensus top five pound for pound and UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. But while “Rush” prepares to defend his belt against Dan Hardy at UFC 111, Nick Diaz is making a case as the fighter that poses the biggest threat to him at 170lbs.
Since his departure from the UFC, Diaz has reeled off an impressive streak of 7-1 and 1 no contest. The lone loss came via doctor stoppage due to cuts above his eye to KJ Noons and Diaz submitted then top five lightweight Takanori Gomi with a gogoplata before the NSAC ruled it a no contest due to a positive marijuana test.
At 26 years old, Diaz seems to be finally hitting his stride.
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Posted in Bryan Belangia, Georges St. Pierre, Nick Diaz, Rankings | 1 Comment »
