Posted by Lee Casebolt on 21st May 2008
With Zuffa’s latest ill-titled PPV offering fast approaching, it’s time for a thorough analysis of the bouts on offer this weekend. The card is one I expect to have, at best, limited appeal to the casual viewer. Neither Penn nor Sherk, the putative headliners, is renown as a draw. The only man on the card who has any drawing history, Tito Ortiz, is third from the top and fighting someone who appeals only to hardcore fans. Make that “a few hardcore fans”. There are a pile of guys even most hardcore fans haven’t heard of. That said, there are some intriguing matchups in store.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in BJ Penn, Lee Casebolt, Sean Sherk, Terry Etim, UFC, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Zuffa, heavyweight division | 1 Comment »
Posted by Bill Thompson on 4th May 2008
DISCUSS THIS STORY IN THE TOTAL-MMA.COM FORUMS
Cage Force held a pair of tournaments last year in the welterweight and lightweight divisions. The purpose of those tournaments was to get fighters ready for eventual competition in the UFC and for the winners to be signed by the UFC. In the welterweight division Yoshiyuki Yoshida beat Dan Hardy in controversial fashion in the finals. Yoshida was signed a while ago and will be facing John Koppenhaver on the upcoming UFC 84 card. After his last fight Hardy announced that he too has been signed by the UFC, although it is unclear whether Hardy will stay at welterweight or drop to lightweight. This will introduce two talented young fighters into the mix in the UFC. But, these two men bring more than talent to their new home. They bring a willingness to fight hard and with intensity wherever the fight may go. Yoshida is a bit more cautious than Hardy, who is balls to the wall in every fight, but both men go out with the intention of finishing their fight every chance they get. Win or lose the Cage Force tournaments have already paid off for the UFC in the form of these two young fighters.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Bill Thompson, Cage Force, Dan Hardy, Yoshiyuki Yoshida | No Comments »
