Author: kmowatt

With all the talk surrounding the UFC’s busy upcoming schedule, one that is ripe full with MMA goodness, one tends to forget about the fact that Strikeforce is expected to have another card broadcast on CBS in April. In other words, when you’re beaming live on network television, you don’t roll out with a card that features ‘who’s this?’ vs. ‘I’ve never heard of this guy.’

That’s why there’s been a lot of talk that Strikeforce will roll out with the big guns for the event which could mean Gegard Mousasi will fight “King Mo” Lawal. In an interesting report from MMA Junkie, Strikeforce’s light-heavyweight champ  talks about the likelihood of facing Lawal, one of the sport’s brightest (and ‘outgoing’) prospects who has been quick to state that he’ll fight  anybody if the money is right. Your thought’s Gegard?

“Maybe he’s a nice guy,” Mousasi said. “Personally, if you get to know him, maybe he’s a nice guy. But for me, now I have to fight him and I don’t have to like him. And he’s challenging constantly and blah, blah, blah, so I don’t have to like him.”

No, and we certainly would never try to convince you otherwise Mr. Mousasi, especially after the way you pasted Renato Sobral last summer. Strikeforce has to do this…

When the UFC announced that Cain Velasquez would fight former  UFC interim champ Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira, there weren’t many people out there saying WTF? Although Nog has fought nearly 30 times more than Velasquez, has faced way more notable fighters, and is coming off a dominant UD win over Randy Couture, Velasquez is far from a heavy underdog heading into UFC 110. Guess that’s what happens when you’re a sick wrestler, agile as hell, and can also strike. That’s why UFC boss man Dana White had no problem throwing in the 7-0 Velasquez against one of the sport’s greatest fighters ever (thanks to Sherdog for the quote).

“(Velasquez’s) had a progression to get to this point,” said White. “I think that he’s faced good competition and won handily. I think he looks better every time he fights. I think he’s completely well rounded and one of the top heavyweight in the world, so facing a guy like Nogueira at this point in his career makes sense for him, in my opinion.”

We agree. Especially after Velasquez cruised through Ben Rothwell like he was an organic heavy bag at UFC 104. It will be interesting to see if Velasquez elects to stand and strike with Nogueira rather than take him down, which, if wants to, will probably happen. It depends on whether or not Cain wants to test Nogueira’s guard, and risk getting subbed or swept. Guys like Rothwell and Cheick Kongo are tough dudes, but their names aren’t exactly synonymous with ‘omoplata’ or ‘D’arce.’

To bet on Velasquez vs. Nogueira, or any other UFC 110 bouts, head here.

Now earlier in the week we commented on the fact that it seems like most of the spotlight heading into UFC 110 is on Michael Bisping and Wanderlei Silva, despite the fact that the card will also feature a bout between two elite heavyweights in Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Why? Well, perhaps it’s partially because Silva and Bisping continue to swap ‘un-pleasantries,’ while Nog and Cain haven’t run out of nice things to say about the other.

Case in point, at a pre-fight presser yesterday ‘down under,’ Bisping and Silva once again ‘let it all out’ verbally. Silva started things off with a promise to the Brit that he’s ‘going to kick your ass,’ before Bisping clarified that it was “The Axe Murderer” who started all the smack talk, and that in fact, he had a great deal of respect for Silva. (Thanks to MMA Junkie for the quotes) As you can imagine, Bisping couldn’t resist firing back a couple of ‘ah bollocks’ Silva’s way, one of which included:

“You do need to win fights in this business, Wanderlei, and you haven’t been doing that lately,” Bisping interrupted.

Damn; that’s cold and accurate. Now one of Silva’s best attempts at making Bisping shed a single tear was:

“100 percent of the guys that talk to him, (talk to me and say) kick him,” Silva said. “Everybody don’t like him.”

Well, judging by the reaction that Dan Henderson’s ‘one more for good measure’ KO of Bisping received this side of the Atlantic, yes, “The Count” doesn’t appear to be a fan favorite over here. This is going to be violently fantastic….

To bet on UFC 110 head here.

There are a ton of damn entertaining and compelling bouts scheduled for the coming months, which could very well mean that the TV, rather than our girlfriends, wives, buddies, imaginary friends, and or potted plants, will be receiving the bulk of our attention right through summer.

One of the bouts that hopefully won’t get lost somewhat in the mix is the upcoming April 24^th featherweight tilt between WEC champ Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber. Really, ‘on video’, we’d have to say that this bout could have the makings of fight of the year for 2010. Both guys are ridiculously fast, powerful and well rounded, with the striking edge going to ‘how’s my knee’ Aldo, and the wrestling to ‘taste the mat’ Faber. If you haven’t seen Aldo or Faber fight yet your life is incomplete.

Speaking to Gracie Mag, Aldo conceded that Faber has “good wrestling” and that he thinks the Sacramento fighter will “look to take it to the ground.” That’s probably a safe bet, although Faber has never been shy about throwing down while standing. Aldo also revealed that he has spent time training in the U.S. to work on his boxing and wrestling.

“I trained with Freddy Roach, Manny Pacquiao’s coach. The guy is awesome, has an enormous understanding of the sport. He saw many things, even in my movement, that could add to my game. He’s the man.”

Wow. It’s not like Aldo’s stand-up wasn’t already scary as hell, wonder what a legendary boxing guru like Roach has added to his game?

Once again old school MMA fans will tune in this Saturday to see how Mirko “Cro Cop” performs against Ben Rothwell at UFC 110; you’d think that after watching the Croatian bomber say ‘mayday’ several times now in the Octagon, we’d give up thinking Cro Cop might have one more mind blowing KO in him. Maybe Cro Cop’s days making brain’s cringe are forever limited to Spike’s “Best of Pride.”

According to a post from MMA Bay, which cites a “Ukrainian website” as its source, apparently heavyweight deity Fedor Emelianenko doesn’t think Cro Cop is the same dude that he faced in 2005 (Fedor won the bout by UD; check it out if you haven’t seen it).

“There is something that broke in him and he is not the same fighter as he was before. This is evident on his style of fighting and on his look during the fight. I don’t know how to explain. … You know when a person goes into the ring to win, or at least not to lose. I mean, when a fighter is ready and goes to fight than it can be seen by his look.”

Interesting coming from a guy like Fedor, whose eyes have less emotion than a mannequin’s right before a fight, but yeah, Cro Cop hasn’t looked comfortable in a long, long, time. As we’ve posted here recently, Mirko keeps saying Amsterdam is turning him back into a beast; we’ll see.

To bet on UFC 110 head here.

If you’re a real, die hard MMA fan, who doesn’t just watch some ‘cage fighting’ when a UFC airs, then you’re probably well aware that the sport isn’t always filled with ‘good matchmaking’. In fact, far too often a ‘AAA’ prospect with a record of 10-1, is matched up against some dude that looks like he’s been eating nothing but KFC for a decade, and has a pro record of 3-15. Shortly after the local athletic commission says ‘looks good to us’, Joe ‘Sacrificial Lamb’ Blow is quickly beaten to a pulp by Mr. Hotshot Prospect,  and immediately aired out to hospital.

Well, according to a report from MMA Junkie, the Ohio Commission has said nadda to a proposed bout between former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia and Wes Sims, at Adrenaline MMA’s upcoming show (the thought being Sims won’t fair well). Now of course both of these guys have been around the MMA block and back again, so this doesn’t fit the description we’ve outlined above, but like it or not, at least the Ohio Commission is being proactive rather than turning a blind eye.

Ohio Athletic Commission Executive Director Bernie Profato was quoted saying in the MMA Junkie report:

“The commission felt the fight was not going to be competitive at this time after comparing [Sims’ and Sylvia’s] records and the opponents both fighters had faced,” Profato stated in an email response. “And even though it was 2004, Sylvia previously stopped Sims at 1:36 of the first round.”

Well, and God bless Wes ‘Crazy Antics’ Sims, but his recent loss to Bobby Lashley probably didn’t help sell the fight.