This featherweight fight might be a showcase bout for Hatsu Hioki, but George Roop is nobody to sleep on. He recently upset Josh Grispi to get a TKO victory in the third round of their bout.Hioki brings an extensive 24-4 record into his Octagon debu…
This featherweight fight might be a showcase bout for Hatsu Hioki, but George Roop is nobody to sleep on. He recently upset Josh Grispi to get a TKO victory in the third round of their bout.
Hioki brings an extensive 24-4 record into his Octagon debut, and this includes victories over Marlon Sandro, Ronnie Mann, Jeff Curran and two wins over former title challenger Mark Hominick.
Aside from holding a victory over Grispi, Roop also has a highlight reel headkick KO over the Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jung.
The bout opened with Hioki throwing a high kick and low kick that was countered by Roop. Roop fired back with some big shots and accidentally hit Hioki low, which caused a break in the brief action during the first round.
Hioki tried taking the fight to the mat by catching Roop’s kicks, but Roop defended well and broke away from Hioki’s bodylock only to be taken down afterwards with a little more than a minute left in the round. Hioki attempted a guillotine but Roop stayed busy and got back to his feet to land some punches in a close round.
Round two opened with Roop attacking with body shots and a high kick that was blocked by Hioki. Roop went inside and was tripped by Hioki, who fell right into full mount. After moving to side control, Hioki attempted a keylock before moving into full mount again. After some action on the ground, Roop got to his feet and attempted an upkick that landed on Hioki’s face.
The third and final round started with Roop taking Hioki down. Hioki was quick to get up and tried to get a takedown of his own. Roop defended it well but was pushed up against the cage. He was able to land a few knees and foot stomps, but the fighters were broken up by referee Josh Rosenthal.
The round ended with Roop on top and bleeding from a cut on his face.
Official Result: Hatsu Hioki defeats George Roop by Split-Decision (29-28, 29-28 and 28-29)
(It’s confusing, because in Strikeforce, standing elbow strikes during weigh-ins are totally legal. / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
After five years in the wilderness, Nick Diaz is finally returning to the Octagon tonight, at UFC 137 in Las Vegas. (As expected, Diaz is much, much less excited about this than we are.) His opponent is BJ Penn, a living legend and former two-division UFC champion whose future in the sport very much depends on his performance tonight.
Also on the card: Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo fight for a spot in the heavyweight title mix, Mirko Cro Cop and Some Fat Guy fight to save their jobs, and top ten featherweight Hatsu Hioki puts the reputation of Japan on his back.
Round-by-round results from the “Penn vs. Diaz” pay-per-view card will be piling up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, courtesy of CagePotato liveblog assassin Matt Kaplan. Refresh the page every few minutes for the latest updates; as with our last UFC PPV liveblog, we’ll be including “next page” links to reduce spoilage, so click ’em as the night goes on. Thanks for being here, and let us know how you feel in the comments section.
(It’s confusing, because in Strikeforce, standing elbow strikes during weigh-ins are totally legal. / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
After five years in the wilderness, Nick Diaz is finally returning to the Octagon tonight, at UFC 137 in Las Vegas. (As expected, Diaz is much, much less excited about this than we are.) His opponent is BJ Penn, a living legend and former two-division UFC champion whose future in the sport very much depends on his performance tonight.
Also on the card: Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo fight for a spot in the heavyweight title mix, Mirko Cro Cop and Some Fat Guy fight to save their jobs, and top ten featherweight Hatsu Hioki puts the reputation of Japan on his back.
Round-by-round results from the “Penn vs. Diaz” pay-per-view card will be piling up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, courtesy of CagePotato liveblog assassin Matt Kaplan. Refresh the page every few minutes for the latest updates; as with our last UFC PPV liveblog, we’ll be including “next page” links to reduce spoilage, so click ‘em as the night goes on. Thanks for being here, and let us know how you feel in the comments section.
Mk here, proud to add “assassin” to my assembly of liveblog monikers, along with “mercenary,” “jackhammer,” and “Shemp Howard.” You guys spoil me.
Some preliminary thoughts: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz are two of my top five favorite fighters, of all time, so I’m at a bit of a crossroads as far as rooting interest is concerned…I kinda hope Matt “Meathead” Mitrione wins so I can marvel at how awkward the cadence of his speech always is during the post-fight interview…Would Roy “Big Country” Nelson be a middleweight if he were in shape? A welterweight possibly?
Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop:
Rd 1: Pink gloves for referee Josh Rosenthal. I dig it. Hioki opens the action with a high kick, but Roop tags him with a right hands just seconds later. Roop’s hands are smooth and his early combos look good, but he hasn’t done any real damage yet. Woops. Roop kicks Hioki low, so the Japanese fighter is resting his marbles. Back to the fight. Good left hand from Hioki. Hioki presses Roop against the cage after exchanging a few shots with Roop. Roop and Hioki exchange knees to the thighs and foot stomps. They’re still tied up against the fence, and the crowd doesn’t seem to love it. Hioki is working hard for the takedown. Roop turns Hioki and has his back on the cage now. Nice takedown by Hioki, who falls into side control. After a brief scramble, Hioki is in Roop’s guard, but Roop pops back up. Hioki elbows Roop against the fence, but Roop breaks free and charges ahead in the final seconds of the round.
Rd 2: Roop opens with a nice punch combo, punctuated with a head kick. Hioki eats a body punch and another head kick from Roop and stays in the pocket. Big takedown by Hioki, who gets mount and passes slickly to side control. Real nice transition there. Hioki wants the Americana, it seems, but winds up back in full mount. Roop is being pinned down and cannot buck Hioki off of him. Hioki has control of Roop’s long legs with butterfly hooks, but isn’t going for a sub or ground strikes. Roop explodes up! Big punches and kicks after a nasty upkick to end the round. Too little too late, though.
Rd. 3: Immediate takedown by Roop, but Hioki is back up instantly. Roop throws a flying knee and barely misses. Hioki shoots, but Roop sprawls. Hioki has Roop against the fence with the same body lock from Rd. 1, but Roop defends well and puts Hioki’s back against the fence. Roop lands some punches, stomps some toes from the clinch. Hioki is controlling Roop’s left arm, but loses it. Referee Rosenthal separates them. Roop scores the quick takedown and is in Hioki’s guard. Hioki works the rubber guard and takes some punches from Roop. Hioki answers with elbows from his back, but Roop keeps pounding to the final bell. Good fight.
Winner: Hatsu Hioki by split decision. (Here come the boos…)
Filed under: UFCIn a heavyweight fight that didn’t quite deliver the fireworks fans were hoping for, Cheick Kongo beat Matt Mitrione by decision at UFC 137.
Mitrione, a former NFL defensive tackle, and Kongo, a muscular striker, had a fight that was b…
In a heavyweight fight that didn’t quite deliver the fireworks fans were hoping for, Cheick Kongo beat Matt Mitrione by decision at UFC 137.
Mitrione, a former NFL defensive tackle, and Kongo, a muscular striker, had a fight that was billed as a heavyweight slugfest but turned out to be more of a snoozefest, as both men came out looking tentative and hesitant. But Kongo got the better of the stand-up exchanges and battered Mitrione on the ground in the third round, and that was enough to earn the decision, 30-27, 30-28 and 29-28 on the judges’ scorecards for Kongo.
The fans in Las Vegas booed as the fight came to an end.
For Kongo, the win was his 10th inside the Octagon, and it showed that he’s still among the better heavyweights in the sport. But it also showed why he’s not among the truly elite: His ground game is still rudimentary, and he’s often too slow to let his hands go.
For Mitrione, the loss was his first since he was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter, and it showed that he, too, still has a long way to go. Mitrione is a talented athlete, but he’s not a complete MMA fighter yet, and this was not a great fight.
Undefeated middleweights, Dustin Jacoby and Clifford Starks, are scheduled to make their UFC debuts as they are scheduled to meet in a preliminary bout streamed live on Facebook.com. Originally scheduled to face Brad Tavares, Jacoby has now been lined …
Undefeated middleweights, Dustin Jacoby and Clifford Starks, are scheduled to make their UFC debuts as they are scheduled to meet in a preliminary bout streamed live on Facebook.com.
Originally scheduled to face Brad Tavares, Jacoby has now been lined up to face a late-replacement in Starks.
After competing in multiple organizations, Starks looks to leave a lasting impression on fans, as well as keep his undefeated record intact, when he makes his debut this weekend. Representing Arizona Sports Combat, Starks brings an accomplished wrestling pedigree with him, as he was NCAA Division 1 wrestling standout at Arizona State University. Currently on a seven-fight win streak, Starks has finished his last four opponents, most of which occurred at Rage in the Cage, while his most recent win came against Artenas Young at Shark Fights 20.
Jacoby, who also boasts an undefeated record, looks to extend his unbeaten streak to 7-0. While competing in various organizations, Jacoby has finished five of his last six opponents via KO/TKO. The 23-year-old will be coming into this bout with a distinct height advantage, standing at 6’4,” the tallest in the middleweight division.
Standing at 6’4,”Jacoby will enjoy a six-inch height advantage over Starks, who stands at 5’10.”
Starks will most likely want to avoid standing up with his opponent, as he will have difficulty trying to get inside of Jacoby and land effective strikes. Starks will likely look to take the fight to the ground to keep Jacoby off of his vertical base and utilize his wrestling skills to control him.
Jacoby’s height and reach advantage will help him find success on the feet, as he should look to maintain distance to prevent Starks from shooting for a take down. Both Jacoby and Starks hold finishing ability and neither one of them will hesitate to look for a finish should the opportunity present itself.
While both me holds similar professional records, it’s hard to imagine Starks finding much success with his wrestling ability, as he attempts to avoid Jacoby’s reach and get inside of his range.
Tyson Griffin and UFC newcomer Bart Palaszewski will face each other in a featherweight bout featured on the preliminary card, live on Spike TV. Griffin has endured a rough stint prior to dropping down to 145 pounds after dropping three consecutive los…
Tyson Griffin and UFC newcomer Bart Palaszewski will face each other in a featherweight bout featured on the preliminary card, live on Spike TV.
Griffin has endured a rough stint prior to dropping down to 145 pounds after dropping three consecutive losses to Evan Dunham, Takanori Gomi and Nik Lentz. Griffin rebounded with a much-needed victory over Manny Gamburian, which saw him effectively utilize a good combination of striking and leg kicks to keep his opponent at bay. The impressive performance earned Griffin only his second win in his last five fights.
After competing in multiple organizations, Palaszewski will finally make his UFC debut this weekend. The mixed martial arts veteran has recorded a total of twenty-seven stoppages throughout his career, as well as picking up some victories over opponents like Anthony Pettis and Ivan Menjivar, making “Bartimus” a credible competitor in the UFC featherweight division. During his most recent stint in the WEC, Palaszewski won five of his eight bouts.
While Palaszewski holds a lot of experience, his bout against Griffin will certainly not be an easy one to adjust to. Griffin has greatly improved on his overall game, specifically his striking, making him a difficult opponent to face. Griffin’s quick footwork and pace will undoubtedly make his opponent work harder but Palaszewski’s range and kickboxing could provide an interesting test for Griffin.
Griffin’s speed and footwork are instrumental in his bouts, especially when he is attacks and presses forward. Renowned for his tremendous work rate, Griffin’s is consistent throughout every round, and blends his striking with leg kicks impressively. In addition to his striking, he has also adapted a strong grappling game, which sees him utilize great scrambling ability.
Palaszewski won’t likely be surprised with Griffin’s striking, although his combinations could outpoint the veteran, but it is Griffin’s superior footwork and frenetic pace that will overwhelm and frustrate Palaszewski.
Brandon Vera was the next big thing that wasn’t. Upon his debut, there was talk of him being the savior of the UFC heavyweight division and possibly the next man after Randy Couture who would capture both the heavyweight and light heavyweight tit…
Brandon Vera was the next big thing that wasn’t.
Upon his debut, there was talk of him being the savior of the UFC heavyweight division and possibly the next man after Randy Couture who would capture both the heavyweight and light heavyweight titles!
However, the prophecies of Vera’s success were greatly exaggerated.
After starting 4-0 in the UFC, Vera went an abysmal 3-5, with none of the three wins being anything special (only one of the fighters he beat is still in the UFC, after all) and would’ve been kicked out of the UFC had Thiago Silva not failed his drug test.
Vera’s UFC 137 opponent, Elliot Marshal, hasn’t had much luck either.
Marshal is only 2-2 in the UFC with his most recent fight being an embarrassing loss to Luiz Cane.
Who will prevail when the two down-on-their-luck fighters meet?
It’s a difficult question to answer since both men are of an equal skill level.
Despite being a skilled Greco-Roman wrestler, Vera’s real strength is his Muay Thai. Seven out of 11 wins have come by way of (T)KO!
Marshal’s area of expertise is the ground game. He sports a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has five submission victories to his credit.
However, whenever Vera is faced with a big fight that he needs to win, he loses; he has terrible clutch! But this doesn’t mean that he is fated to lose, far from it.
Vera has enough wrestling to stop Marshal from taking him down. This will work towards Vera’s advantage since he has an edge in the striking. He’ll pepper Marshal with strikes en route to a late (technical) knockout or unanimous decision victory
In a heavyweight fight that didn’t quite deliver the fireworks fans were hoping for,