The UFC Fight Night 33 card taking place this December in Brisbane, Australia has just picked up its third match up as heavyweights Pat Barry and Soa Palelei are now set to face one another. Barry is coming off a TKO loss to Shawn Jordan at UFC 161 this past June and Palelei off a UFC debut win just over two weeks ago at UFC 164.
Palelei’s win is almost being treated like a loss by some, notably UFC President Dana White who, after UFC 164, criticized Palelei’s bout with Nikita Krylov saying that the fight was a poor representation of what UFC-level fighting is, calling the fight “sloppy” and the fighters poorly conditioned. We can’t yet know what kind of shape Barry and Palelei will come in to their fight in but we can make an educated guess that at least Barry will make the bout exciting.
The UFC Fight Night 33 card taking place this December in Brisbane, Australia has just picked up its third match up as heavyweights Pat Barry and Soa Palelei are now set to face one another. Barry is coming off a TKO loss to Shawn Jordan at UFC 161 this past June and Palelei off a UFC debut win just over two weeks ago at UFC 164.
Palelei’s win is almost being treated like a loss by some, notably UFC President Dana White who, after UFC 164, criticized Palelei’s bout with Nikita Krylov saying that the fight was a poor representation of what UFC-level fighting is, calling the fight “sloppy” and the fighters poorly conditioned. We can’t yet know what kind of shape Barry and Palelei will come in to their fight in but we can make an educated guess that at least Barry will make the bout exciting.
UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia continues to take shape this week, as a matchup between Pat “HD” Barry and Soa “The Hulk” Palelei has been reported (via WAToday.au) for the card. The battle should provide fireworks, as each fighter brings to the table the sort of heavy-handed striking that generates knockouts more often than not. Of […]
UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia continues to take shape this week, as a matchup between Pat “HD” Barry and Soa “The Hulk” Palelei has been reported (via WAToday.au) for the card. The battle should provide fireworks, as each fighter brings to the table the sort of heavy-handed striking that generates knockouts more often than not. Of […]
(Bigfoot returns to MMA from his foray into music December 6th against Mark Hunt.)
Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva will headline a December 6th UFC Fight Night card somewhere in Australia. MMA Fighting reports that the two hard-sluggin’ heavyweights have verbally agreed to fight one another. A city and venue has not been announced for the event.
Hunt is a native of nearby New Zealand but currently lives in Sydney, Australia, and is coming off his first loss in five fights at UFC 160 in May, when he was knocked out by Junior Dos Santos. Silva is also looking to rebound after a loss that same night, as he suffered a first-round TKO loss to current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
Even in a division dominated by finishes, Hunt and Silva are particularly decision-averse. All four of Bigfoot’s UFC fights have ended by stoppage due to strikes (including his wins over Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem), while Hunt has only gone the distance once in six UFC appearances, earning victories over Chris Tuchscherer, Cheick Kongo, and Stefan Struve.
What do you think, Taters? Will Hunt start another unlikely campaign towards the heavyweight title or will “Bigfoot” use his eight-inch reach advantage to stop the “Super Samoan?” We’re not sure, but we know we like watching highlights of them smashing things so…Hunt and Silva highlight vids after the jump!
(Bigfoot returns to MMA from his foray into music December 6th against Mark Hunt.)
Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva will headline a December 6th UFC Fight Night card somewhere in Australia. MMA Fighting reports that the two hard-sluggin’ heavyweights have verbally agreed to fight one another. A city and venue has not been announced for the event.
Hunt is a native of nearby New Zealand but currently lives in Sydney, Australia, and is coming off his first loss in five fights at UFC 160 in May, when he was knocked out by Junior Dos Santos. Silva is also looking to rebound after a loss that same night, as he suffered a first-round TKO loss to current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
Even in a division dominated by finishes, Hunt and Silva are particularly decision-averse. All four of Bigfoot’s UFC fights have ended by stoppage due to strikes (including his wins over Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem), while Hunt has only gone the distance once in six UFC appearances, earning victories over Chris Tuchscherer, Cheick Kongo, and Stefan Struve.
What do you think, Taters? Will Hunt start another unlikely campaign towards the heavyweight title or will “Bigfoot” use his eight-inch reach advantage to stop the “Super Samoan?” We’re not sure, but we know we like watching highlights of them smashing things so…Hunt and Silva highlight vids after the jump!
Perhaps the most unique thing you can say about last year’s TUF: The Smashes was that it showcased the age old rivalry between England and Australia for fans who might not have known how deep-seated it truly went. It not only raised the stakes between teams to a new level, but it also played a role in the verbal (and allegedly physical) on set squabbles between coaches Ross Pearson and George Sotiropoulos, and culminated in a pretty damn entertaining fight when all was said and done.
And while TUF: Brazil 2 is currently playing LinkedIn to The Ultimate Fighter’s Facebook, there were at least a few of us who were excited to see which rivalry would be showcased on the next other, other version of TUF, which I guess you would label the MySpace of Ultimate Fighters, maybe? I dunno; management keeps telling us that we need to start writing to our key demographic (drunk, agoraphobic 14 year-olds) and I’m just trying to keep up with the times. *stares out window, finishes scotch*
In any case, MMAFighting has passed along word that the next international season of The Ultimate Fighter will showcase the epic rivalry between…Canada and Australia. I may have lost most of my long term memory in that scaffolding accident, but I can’t seem to recall any conflict every existing between the two –it doesn’t help the Wikipedia page for “Canadian military history” is completely blank.
Why the UFC decided to go with this rivalry (or another season of Australians, for that matter) is anyone’s guess, but here are a few rivalries we think would have better suited the next international season of The Ultimate Fighter…
(Yeah, we don’t get it either, buddy.)
Perhaps the most unique thing you can say about last year’s TUF: The Smashes was that it showcased the age old rivalry between England and Australia for fans who might not have known how deep-seated it truly went. It not only raised the stakes between teams to a new level, but it also played a role in the verbal (and allegedly physical) on set squabbles between coaches Ross Pearson and George Sotiropoulos, and culminated in a pretty damn entertaining fight when all was said and done.
And while TUF: Brazil 2 is currently playing LinkedIn to The Ultimate Fighter’s Facebook, there were at least a few of us who were excited to see which rivalry would be showcased on the next other, other version of TUF, which I guess you would label the MySpace of Ultimate Fighters, maybe? I dunno; management keeps telling us that we need to start writing to our key demographic (drunk, agoraphobic 14 year-olds) and I’m just trying to keep up with the times. *stares out window, finishes scotch*
In any case, MMAFighting has passed along word that the next international season of The Ultimate Fighter will showcase the epic rivalry between…Canada and Australia. I may have lost most of my long term memory in that scaffolding accident, but I can’t seem to recall any conflict every existing between the two –it doesn’t help the Wikipedia page for “Canadian military history” is completely blank.
Why the UFC decided to go with this rivalry (or another season of Australians, for that matter) is anyone’s guess, but here are a few rivalries we think would have better suited the next international season of The Ultimate Fighter…
#1 – Germany vs. Poland (The people of Poland can’t even type “invasio” into Google without reigniting their hatred for all things German.)
There ain’t nothin’ better than a good old fashioned Dubya Dubya Two rivalry*reaches for Copenhagen Snuff* and these two have already established a bitter hatred for one another in one of the wimpiest sports out there: Soccer. Prior to their EURO meeting in 2008, the Polish National Newspaper published an image of their country’s coach, Leo Beenhakker, clutching the severed heads of Germany’s team captains. And go figure, Germany had zero sense of humor about it. Suffice it to say, if the Germany/Poland rivalry can ignite that kind of anger in the world of this nonsense, just imagine how brutal the MMA rivalry could get.
Of course, you gotta have coaches, but that’s the easy part. Dennis Siver is set to face Cub Swanson at UFC 162. Currently, Swanson is listed as a 2-to-1 favorite, so let’s assume he takes the fight for the sake of argument. Siver becomes the head coach of Team Germany and Polish-American slugger Bart Palaszewski is appointed the head coach of Team Poland. Sure, Palaszewski is on a three fight losing streak, but he’s a veteran of the sport with a wealth of experience and one who almost always puts on entertaining fights. Besides, both Pearson and Sotiropoulos were coming off losses when they began TUF: Smashes, so can we just agree that TUF coach fights don’t really matter anymore?
#2 – Canada vs. Mexico
Talk about capitalizing on an opportunity; this happened at the World Baseball Classic this year, you guys. Aren’t those things, like, for charity?
Coaches: Welterweight Diego Sanchez and Rory MacDonald, because who wouldn’t want to see that three ring circus?
#3 – Scotland vs. Ireland
(Pictured here: How every Ireland vs. Scotland soccer match ends.)
You’d have to be a fool not to want to see this rivalry play out in the octagon, and if Conor McGregor has shown us anything, it’s that there’s a ton of untapped potential in that area of the world. Homeless, untapped potential.
Honorable Mention: Ireland vs. Jamaica: The Subtitles.
Coaches: Conor McGregor and 1-0 Scottish phenom Andrew Glenn. To level the playing field, the fight will take place at the Bushmills Distillery at 2 a.m. after Mcgregor is half in the bag.
#4 – The Ultimate Fighter: Paraguay vs. Uruguay – One Guay Out.
OK, this one’s not international per se, but just try and tell us that this isn’t must-see TV.
Let’s face it, reality television has been scraping the bottom of the barrel since it was pushed out as the afterbirth of sitcoms in the early aughts. There are no boundaries anymore, and if you don’t believe me, just ask that last sentence. But if there’s one issue that never ceases to pucker our buttholes, it’s race. Thankfully, Brad Paisley and LL Cool J ended racism last week, so no one should be offended by the concept of pitting the semi-racist North against the super-racist South moving forward.
Can you imagine it? A big line painted straight down the middle of the TUF house, forcing each team to choose whether they want to be able to use the bathroom or the kitchen for the next six weeks. White guys on Team South doing everything in their power to avoid coming off as racist to the television audience. Team-segregated water fountains at the gym. This show would break barriers, you guys.
Coaches: Oh…we are not going near that one.
Like it or not, The Ultimate Fighter has become more about finding enough young talent to fill the UFC’s ever-increasing amount of cards than it has about creating a rivalry between coaches. Sure, the supposed “hatred” between Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones was the lone reason they were booked opposite one another on TUF 17, but just look at how that panned out once the show actually got under way. Fucking excavators and tire pyramids, you guys. So being that we’re stuck with this one, tireless concept until the end of time, shouldn’t we start having a little fun with it?
Are there any other great rivalries that you think The Ultimate Fighter should have gone with? Let us know in the comments section.
(You call ‘at a breedge? Check out old Albert and get back at me, you tosser.)
And go figure, the British Team is already being called “cocky.” In case you had already forgotten, the “hit” reality show recently announced its coaches for both the 16th season of the show here in America and the second international season. Pitting the United Kingdom against Australia, TUF: Smashes began filming today, according to a report by yourmmatv.com. When asked how the first stages of shooting were going, UFC President Dana White told the Herald Sun that the British team, going against everything we have ever learned about them, are acting unnecessarily arrogant in the presence of their Aussie opponents:
Because MMA is newer here than it is to the United States and the UK, and this happened when the US fought the UK, the US were very cocky and that they felt like you know, `there’s not enough good guys over there.’ Well that’s the way the UK is acting right now and when you underestimate your opponent, that’s when you get your ass kicked.
(You call ‘at a breedge? Check out old Albert and get back at me, you tosser.)
And go figure, the British Team is already being called “cocky.” In case you had already forgotten, the “hit” reality show recently announced its coaches for both the 16th season of the show here in America and the second international season. Pitting the United Kingdom against Australia, TUF: Smashes began filming today, according to a report by yourmmatv.com. When asked how the first stages of shooting were going, UFC President Dana White told the Herald Sun that the British team, going against everything we have ever learned about them, are acting unnecessarily arrogant in the presence of their Aussie opponents:
Because MMA is newer here than it is to the United States and the UK, and this happened when the US fought the UK, the US were very cocky and that they felt like you know, `there’s not enough good guys over there.’ Well that’s the way the UK is acting right now and when you underestimate your opponent, that’s when you get your ass kicked.
TUF: Smashes will feature opposing coaches George Sotiropoulos and Ross Pearson, who will turn chicken shit into chicken salad with the Australian and UK teams, respectively, before throwing down in a lightweight contest at the show’s finale. Both men have the reality show to thank for their rise to popularity, as Pearson not only competed in, but won the ninth season of the show at 155, whereas Sotiropoulos made it to the semifinals of TUF 6 before being knocked out by Tommy Speer (you remember him?).
Having recently made the transition to featherweight, where he has gone 1-1, “The Real Deal” is coming off a tough second round knockout at the hands of the ever-improving Cub Swanson. Having gone loss-win in his last five appearances, a win over G-Sots would definitely help Pearson gain back some much needed momentum. Speaking of momentum, let’s hope the show’s return to a pre-recorded format will help it gain back some of the fans it lost last season. Word has it that five time Academy Award winner Kirk Lazarus will make an appearance at some point this season to offer a few words of wisdom to his Aussie brethren, so we have that to look forward to as well.
Sotiropoulos, on the other, could just be the first coach in the show’s history to receive his walking papers following a TUF Finale match (Jason Miller having just lucked out), although it is highly unlikely. Having dropped his past two fights to Dennis Siver and Rafael Dos Anjos, G-Sots will be putting himself in a hell of a predicament if he drops a third consecutive fight to a struggling, though dangerous, fighter like Pearson.
Courtesy of :The MMA Truth Related Posts:Dana White: The Ultimate Fighter Headed Down UnderUFC on FX: Alves Vs. Kampann: Full Pre-Fight Press Conference Video From AustraliaUFC on FX: Alves Vs. Kampmann: Watch the Weigh Ins LIVE From Australia Tonight …
Courtesy of :The MMA Truth Related Posts:Dana White: The Ultimate Fighter Headed Down UnderUFC on FX: Alves Vs. Kampann: Full Pre-Fight Press Conference Video From AustraliaUFC on FX: Alves Vs. Kampmann: Watch the Weigh Ins LIVE From Australia Tonight at 10pm ETUFC President Dana White Announces WEC MergerTyron Woodley and Tarec Saffiedine to Showdown on […]
