Chicks Heart Fights

Rashad Evans shocked the hell out of everyone tonight, including Chuck Liddell. His overhand left right was timed perfectly so that Chuck was moving forward into the punch, causing the force of Evans fist to be even greater. (See that? I was paying attention in physics!) Evans has definitely moved up the ladder and should be close to a title shot. As for Chuck, who knows. He has sounded punch-drunk at times, and tonight’s knockout certainly won’t help, as he was out for quite a while.

Rich Franklin showed that he belonged in the 205 lb. weight class. He looked strong and agile. Matt Hamill gave him a test, but that kick to the abdomen that finished off Matt Hamill was textbook. Franklin showed again after the fight why the UFC is better off with him fighting, no matter the weight class. He is pure class, and not Donald Trump classy, actually classy.

The UFC goes south with a stop in Atlanta for UFC 88. I’m putting the over/under in guys wearing sleeveless shirts at 13,245, and I’m taking the over. Actually, with Georgia near the top of the NCAA rankings, the Falcons not looking gawdawful, and the UFC in town, Atlanta may just explode in happiness. This time, Sherman can’t be blamed.

I’m done making southern jokes - onto the fights. I’ll be honest. I’m not over the moon about these fights, but, quite often, the fights that get all the hype turn out to be the most boring. Chuck Liddell is hoping that a win would give him a title fight against Forrest, and who doesn’t want to see that fight? No promise of a title fight awaits Evans, but it should move him up in the crowded light heavyweight division. My pick is Liddell, TKO by strikes in the second round. More on Chuck here and the fights here and here.

Speaking of the light heavyweight division, Rich Franklin is getting his first chance at the bigger weight class with Matt Hamill. Moving up was a smart move for Franklin when it became clear that Silva was an immovable force. Hamill is hardly a tuna can, and he will give Franklin trouble. Still, I think Ace will take advantage of the extra weight and win by decision. More on Franklin here.

Dan Henderson will also return to the Octagon after two losses in a row. Of course, those two losses add were to Anderson Silva and Rampage, so that doesn’t say much. I think the UFC wants Hendo to win more than anyone, as he will be fighting Rousimar Palhares, a fighter with one UFC win over Ivan Salaverry. But just like you shouldn’t go against a Sicilian when death is on the line, you shouldn’t count out a Brazilian on ground. Hendo, in three. A little more on Hendo is here .

Well, except for Michael Bisping. However, there wasn’t really a nice guy option in that fight. This was the rare event where the main cards live up to their hype, and we saw some good knockouts. Here is a full recap from someone who wasn’t drinking too much, and information on the fight night bonuses. My thoughts on the evening…

• Lutter’s armbar attempt in the first round was pretty weak. Franklin was in no danger of being submitted.
• Franklin was looking cut last night. As Ezra said: “He can teach me anything he wants.”
• More from Ezra: “Franklin looked better and Lutter looked worse than I anticipated.” Here’s my thing: outside of TUF, Lutter has never looked that good. I’ve always seen him as an underachiever, and last night was no different.
• I love when intelligent guys like Franklin are interviewed. He pretty much called Lutter a bitch without saying “You’re a bitch.” Love it!
• GSP in the red gi = HOT.
• At my bar, I was the only person cheering for GSP. Sorry, I just can’t cheer for the guy with “Buy and sell guns” on his shirt.
• GSP was amazing. His takedowns, knees. strikes, everything were as close to perfect as I’ve seen in a long time.
• Serra, on the other hand, looked like he had no idea just how good GSP was. Didn’t he watch the Hughes fight?
• A friend of mine asked if the knees that put Serra away were illegal. Not only were they legal, they were perfectly placed so they would be legal.
• I didn’t get to the bar until the very beginning of Lutter-Franklin, but I heard about Bisping’s match, and it sounds like his cut down to 185 was a very good move.
• Kenny Florian > Joe Rogan

I think that’s everything. I’ve got to go to church now!

This Saturday, UFC 83’s fight will be played out in front of the largest live crowd ever to watch a UFC event. The Ultimate Fighting world will converge upon Montreal, the hometown of Georges St. Pierre. (A note from GSP’s Wikipedia entry-he once worked as a bouncer at a club called the Fuzzy Brossard. So there you go.) We will have lots of great accents on this evening, with GSP, Michael Bisping, and Matt Serra all representing their ‘hoods. Rich Franklin will of course be representing Ohio, but do Ohioans have an accent? Predictions and a roundup, after the jump.

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A wonderful friend of mine, we’ll call her Ezra, kept me apprised of the happenings of UFC 77 last night by text messages. Read them, after the jump: (more…)

Tomorrow night is UFC 77, and with all the Couture discussion this past week (and by the way, if you haven’t seen Dana White’s ESPN interview, WATCH IT. It’s the smartest I’ve ever seen Dana play an interview.) these fights has been relatively overlooked. Unfortunately, I will not be able to see tomorrow’s fight. Nonetheless, my picks of the top fights, and the picks of people who know better than me, after the jump.

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