Hot fights. Hot men. Hot month. There is no other way to describe UFC 87 than hot. I’ve been elbow-deep in the Olympics, yet I still can’t escape the heat permeating from Minneapolis, Minn. for this weekend’s event. HOT.
Let’s get out the cold compresses and dive in:
Champ Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch (for welterweight title)
GSP has looked unstoppable in his last three fights. Jon Fitch has been the next big thing for a while now, but considering how top-heavy welterweight is, this is his biggest test. Unfortunately, it’s a test he will fail. GSP’s ground game and vicious kicks will win out.
Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring
Brock Lesnar is quite skilled at picking things up quickly. His first fight with Mir made the kind of mistakes that only a beginner would make. (Or a dumb veteran.) Even though Herring won over Cheick Kongo, I’m still not impressed. I think this will be Lesnar’s first win in the UFC.
Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta
Speaking of hotness - I need to crank the AC up for this one. This has the potential for fight of the year. Both fighters go nonstop, and are technically sound. The match-up is about as perfect as it gets. I have to pick my man Roger, because, well, he’s Roger. A gal’s gotta follow her heart.
It is a near crime how under the radar the WEC is. On the same weekend Kimbo Slice and company were making MMA look foolish, the WEC put together one of the best cards I have seen in a long time, with Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres turning in the best performances of their career.
This Sunday, the WEC has another strong event scheduled. Three championship matches are scheduled, including Brian Stann, who will defend his belt against Steve Cantwell. I’m calling Brian and his perfectly sculpted jaw for the win. Jamie Varner and Marcus Hicks will fight for the lightweight title, and I think we will have a new champ at the lightweight division. Finally, Carlos Condit will take on Hiromitsu Miura to keep his welterweight belt, and he will, indeed, keep it. So, tune in to Versus on Sunday night, and check out some great MMA action.
On a completely separate note, I have to say congratulations to Danielle Hobeika for winning the Dan Gable “America Needs Wrestling Award.” In addition to being an awesome friend to watch a fight with, she has done amazing things for wrestling. Need a Web site? Call Danielle. Looking for pictures? Call Danielle. Want to figure out ways to promote the sport? Call Danielle. Seriously, she rocks, and is very deserving of this award. Check out some of her work here, here and here. Congrats, lady!
So I have a secret for you. Ready? I didn’t watch the EliteXC fights on Saturday. I know that might make me a bad fan, but I had my niece’s graduation party, and I just plain forgot about the fights. Apparently, I as not alone, as the ratings were down. Of course, the production approved about a gajillion percent. Oh well.
Mark from Rev Wrestling pointed out an interesting trend to me-wrestling has more coverage from the media than it has in the past. Well, it seems so. I have no empirical data to support this claim, but there have been many great profiles of wrestlers in large publications, including:
In anticipation of the Olympics, Forbes.com has a story where some of the world’s top athletes discuss who is the perfect athlete , and many picked Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan. Though they wouldn’t be my choice, they are reasonable choices, as they are two of the most dominant forces in their sports. As I read the story, I couldn’t help but be peeved that the no wrestlers or mixed martial artists made the story. I’m used to it, though, my favorite sports are often forgotten.
As I thought about it, I realized that perfection is not really possible in wrestling and MMA, because both sports require mastery of a person, not a course, apparatus, or any other unchanging object. A gymnast can garner a perfect score when she executes her routine flawlessly-no breaks in form, no steps, no mistakes. A pitcher has a perfect game when he doesn’t allow anyone to reach base. No matter how much baseball or gymnastics change over the years, perfection is attainable because the goal does not change. Make it through a mistake-free routine. Prevent 27 batters from reaching base. Hit that mark, and you reach perfection.
In MMA and wrestling, you are aiming to dominate a person. People are no static objects; instead, they are constantly working to get better, and to learn the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. When Steve Mocco beat Tommy Rowlands at the Olympic Trials, it was because the pair had wrestled each other many times, and Steve was ready for what Tommy was bringing to the mat. Mastering a dynamic human opponent is quite different than mastering a balance beam, which will not change.
Watching two separate events tonight was fantastic, as there was rarely a moment when there wasn’t a fight going on. On the flip side of that is the fact that there were few fights that I could watch closely, so I know I missed some things. You can catch the full results here. Some observations from the evening:
Good gosh almighty, Fedor was amazing. He was frighteningly calm going into the ring, but the second that bell rang, Tim Sylvia’s night was over. He had textbook striking, a perfect takedown, and a perfect rear naked choke.
My favorite body part of the evening was Andrei Arlovski’s knee. That flying knee to Ben Rothwell’s head was the beginning of the end for Rothwell.
For Affliction being a clothing company, there were many wardrobe malfunctions. First, Mike Whitehead’s shorts were ripped in a very odd way. DH and I were very concerned that we were going to see a little bit too much of Mr. Whitehead. One friend said he looked like he got fired from Chippendales. Also, Josh Barnett’s shorts looked one size too small, causing Barnett to have a muffin top. Mixed martial artists should not have a muffin top.
When Anthony Johnson suffered that bizarre eye poke that caused him to lose, one of the guys at my table yelled “He poked him in the brain!” That’s pretty accurate.
I was so happy to see C.B. Dollaway win, and with the Peruvian necktie, nonetheless.
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Nascimento was the all-ugly fight of the night. Nascimento looked like an elephant. Or a bat. Or a rhinoceros.
I was very happy to see Brandon Vera get comfortable in a new weight class. With Anderson Silva’s win, I wonder if he is going to stick around at light heavyweight.
Joe Rogan needs a new shirt. I think I’ve seen this one about four times.
Because I was in a bar, it was tough to judge the overall Affliction production. I like the cage better than the ring, and Michael Buffer just doesn’t seem to fit. However, I enjoyed the overall show. It will be interesting to see where they go from here.
In the discussions I’ve read of this weekend’s fights, I keep reading the same theme. Those who watch Affliction are hardcore MMA fans, those who watch UFC Fight Night are only UFC fans, and not real MMA fans. Can’t a person be both?
I was introduced to MMA through the UFC, and most of my live MMA watching is limited to the UFC. I’ve watched plenty of Fedor on Youtube and DVDs, and am excited to see him fight in a non-circus match-up. On the other hand, I am familiar with many of the other Affliction fighters because of their experience with the UFC. Does that make me a bad MMA fan?
Though Saturday’s UFC fights are hardly blistering match-ups, some great fighters are going to be showcased. No matter who he fights, I always enjoy watching Anderson Silva’s all around dominance. Brandon Vera is in a must-win situation, and I am thrilled to get a chance to watch Cain Velasquez. Does this make me a bad MMA fan?
There is a tendency in the MMA world to vilify the UFC as the Evil Empire, which I guess would make Dana White Darth Vader. And possibly the Fertittas the Emperor, who looked a lot like my great-grandmother. Anyway. The reason that they’ve lasted so long is because no matter what, the product in the Octagon is, by and large, good. Is there anything wrong with an MMA fan watching that product instead of paying for Affliction?
By no means am I saying that the UFC is perfect, and competition is a good thing. Like I said, I am watching both shows this weekend. But can we stop with the subtle digs at the people who don’t?
If you’ll allow me a self-indulgent post-and I know, I’ve had a lot of those lately-there are two birthdays to celebrate. First, today is my brother’s birthday. He’s old. Older than me. OLLLLLLLD. So, Happy Birthday, Bubbas. Have some cake.
Secondly, though it passed by without me noticing it, this here blog has been around for a year. When I started it, I was hoping to write some thoughts on my favorite two sports, and not sound like an idiot. I know I’ve succeeded on one of those counts. I had no idea that people would actually read, and possibly enjoy my work.
What’s next? Who knows. I know that I will have a fun announcement in the coming weeks, but no matter what, I will still be writing about wrestling and MMA.
Rampage Jackson, who lost a close decision to Forrest Griffin on July 5, was arrested in Newport Beach today for felony hit and run and felony evading arrest. He did this while driving in this truck:
Rampage my dearest, please don’t let this be a sign of things to come with you. The loss to Forrest was tough, no doubt, but your fighting career is hardly over. I think you’ll wear the belt again, if you keep your head on straight. Running from the cops in a truck with your picture on it? Not keeping your head on straight. I, for one, truly enjoy watching you fight, and would like to see you in the Octagon again, soon. Please let this be a one-time bout of being a moron, plead out quickly, and focus on your training.
Hot fights. Hot men. Hot month. There is no other way to describe UFC 87 than hot. I’ve been elbow-deep in the Olympics, yet I still can’t escape the heat permeating from Minneapolis, Minn. for this weekend’s event. HOT.
