UFC 121 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago

 Posted by at 9:48 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 222010
 

Paulo Thiago's (right) claim to fame was knocking out Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 in February 2009. The upset win propelled him through the ranks of the welterweight division. He hopes to accomplish the same against Diego Sanchez in tomorrow night's match-up. (file photo)

The UFC brings fans a prime cut of its well seasoned roster with UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez tomorrow night. The card is loaded not only with top class fighters but also a slew of superstars. The main event features heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar (5-1) and Cain Velasquez (8-0), and the under card is stacked with men worthy of supporting such a magnificent event as a fight for the most prestigious title in MMA: the UFC Heavyweight Championship of the World.  “The Hitman” Martin Kampmann (17-3) faces former Strikeforce middleweight king Jake Shields (25-4-1) in a welterweight tilt, TUF Season 10 stand-out “The Hybrid” Brendan Schaub (5-1) and “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (11-5) battle to remain relevant in the hunt for the belt Cain and Brock will dispute, and The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 contestant “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (8-2) will battle his former coach, the ultra-polarizing former UFC middleweight/light heavyweight champ “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-7-1). In a situation similar to Gonzaga’s bout with Brendan Schaub, “The Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-4) joins Brazilian sensation Paulo Thiago (9-2) in the Octagon.  The bout is similar in the fact that Gonzaga and Sanchez both were once title contenders but never had the completed skill set needed to remain at the top or tear a belt from the grasp of the respective champions they would face.  Meanwhile, Thiago and Schaub both rode into the UFC on a hype train that somehow managed to get off the tracks. Thiago came in to be a tomato can for “Kos” Josh Koscheck (15-4) and promptly knocked him out, igniting sparks of phenom-hood, only to be driven back into mediocrity by losses to Martin Kampmann and Jon Fitch (22-3). Continue reading »

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UFC 121 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill

 Posted by at 5:22 PM  MMA News  2 Responses »
Oct 222010
 

UFC bad boy Tito Ortiz will use his underrated submission grappling to eek out a victory over "TUF" protege Matt Hamill at UFC 121. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The UFC returns to Anaheim, California’s Honda Center for UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez on October 23.  Again the UFC delivers a card filled with top class fighters, fan favorites, TUF alumni, and heroes from days gone by. Headlined by heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar (5-1) and Cain Velasquez (8-0), UFC 121 also includes big names like “The Hitman” Martin Kampmann (17-3), former Strikeforce middleweight king Jake Shields (25-4-1), “The Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-4), Paulo Thiago (9-2), TUF Season 10 stand-out “The Hybrid” Brendan Schaub (5-1), and “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (11-5).  One fight that has fans talking is a match-up between The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 contestant “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (8-2) and his TUF coach “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-7-1). The bout raises several interesting ideas as to a potential hidden meaning. Ortiz was once the man to beat in mixed martial arts, the unstoppable middleweight/light heavyweight UFC champion. The problem is he hasn’t yet realized that his career has been steadily sliding downhill since 2004 and three losses separated only by a single draw has done nothing to bring this to his attention. Perhaps facing not only a gatekeeper, but a former student in Hamill is Dana White’s way of showing him just how far he’s fallen. On the other hand, maybe this has nothing to do with Ortiz and Dana is simply showing members of Greg Jackson’s camp and American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) that, whether it’s a training partner, a teacher, or a student he wants you to fight, he will get the fight he wants for the organization. Maybe, it’s just a fight between two fighters whose careers are passing each other’s in different directions. Continue reading »

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Bellator 33: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 4:28 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 222010
 

Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez retains his title after defeating UFC veteran Roger Huerta via TKO (doctor stoppage) following the second round. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

From its inception, Bellator 33′s main event between top-ten ranked MMA lightweight and Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (21-2) and UFC veteran “El Matador” Roger Huerta (21-5-1) promised to be one of the most action packed fights of the year in the 155lb. division.  Despite mixed emotions about the outcome, the match-up failed to disappoint.  The Alvarez/Huerta fight saw action from start to finish as both men put on a slugfest for the champion’s hometown crowd who consequently neglected their seats throughout the bout. In the same evening, fans also expressed their distaste for more lackluster fighting styles.  Here’s how it all went down. Continue reading »

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Looking for the Underdog: Brock Lesnar

 Posted by at 12:39 AM  MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 222010
 

UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar has shown incredible progress in his growth as a mixed martial artist, but will it be enough to stop red hot competitor Cain Velasquez? (File Photo)

The UFC plays host to the top MMA fighters in the world. On top of them all holding the heavyweight crown is Brock Lesnar (5-1). This Saturday at UFC 121 he will face off against Cain Velasquez (8-0) in what will be a true test to the skill set of both competitors as mixed martial artists. If Lesnar wins he looks to continue a growing winning streak which includes two title defenses and wins against some of the toughest competition in the heavyweight division. With the contested number one heavyweight Fedor Emilianenko’s (31-2) defeat by the hands of Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) in the main event at Strikeforce’s June card, some have questioned whether or not Brock could truly be dubbed the top heavyweight in the world. A win against Velasquez would solidify his status as the “Baddest Man on the Planet”.

Continue reading »

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