UFC Betting Sites – The Best MMA Online Bookies
UFC best betting sites and the best MMA odds and gambling news
After a four-month layoff, the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix 2011 tournament will finally conclude this Saturday. In one quarterfinal match, Josh Barnett faces Brett Rogers for the right to fight Sergei Kharitonov, who kno…
After a four-month layoff, the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix 2011 tournament will finally conclude this Saturday. In one quarterfinal match, Josh Barnett faces Brett Rogers for the right to fight Sergei Kharitonov, who knocked off Andrei “I Can’t Get a Break” Arlovski back in February. Then, Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair […]
Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix: Ranking the Striking of All 6 Fighters Left
BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (16-7-2 MMA, 12-6-2 UFC) was once the most feared lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Three of his first four fights in the octagon ended via punches, and while he’s regarded as a lethal submission…
BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (16-7-2 MMA, 12-6-2 UFC) was once the most feared lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Three of his first four fights in the octagon ended via punches, and while he’s regarded as a lethal submission artist, it’s Penn’s striking that has often been his opponent’s downfall. Making the list with Penn […]
BJ Penn and the Top 5 Fighters with Total Strikes Landed in UFC History
At UFC 132, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva will step back into the Octagon after being away from the cage for well over a year. Fans everywhere are saying the same thing: It’s about damn time. Silva is not the most relevant fighte…
At UFC 132, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva will step back into the Octagon after being away from the cage for well over a year. Fans everywhere are saying the same thing: It’s about damn time. Silva is not the most relevant fighter these days. He has won only two fights in the past five […]
Wanderlei Silva and the Most Brutally Aggressive Fighters in MMA
Courtesy of :The MMA Truth Related Posts:UFC 128 Fight Card: Is Jon Jones the Next Evolution in MMA?UFC 115: Is Mirko Cro Cop Responsible for the Evolution of MMA?About UsBrock Lesnar: Will He Become an MMA Legend or Merely Be a Paper Champion?Georges …
Courtesy of :The MMA Truth Related Posts:UFC 128 Fight Card: Is Jon Jones the Next Evolution in MMA?UFC 115: Is Mirko Cro Cop Responsible for the Evolution of MMA?About UsBrock Lesnar: Will He Become an MMA Legend or Merely Be a Paper Champion?Georges St-Pierre Featured on Cover of Men’s Health April EditionUFC BettingThe Evolution of […]
The Evolution of MMA: How Sport, Fighters, and Fans Have Evolved
They may not be the best of the best, or maybe they are currently title holders, but some fighters just don’t get the credit they deserve for whatever rhyme or reason. Some fighters just go about their business, without making a lot of noise. Oth…
They may not be the best of the best, or maybe they are currently title holders, but some fighters just don’t get the credit they deserve for whatever rhyme or reason. Some fighters just go about their business, without making a lot of noise. Other fighters may make so much noise, that their accomplishments get […]
MMA: Brock Lesnar and 11 Fighters Who Deserve More Credit Than They Get
It’s no Ghengis Con joint, but it’s something. VidProps: ShoSports
Nation, amongst all the large names and ginormous dudes fighting this weekend, you may have overlooked Daniel Cormier. This weekend’s bout with heavyweight submission grappler/anarchist/tattoo enthusiast Jeff Monson will be Cormier’s fifth fight for Strikeforce since his debut in September of 2009 under the Challengers banner. Perhaps it’s no shock that Cormier isn’t a household name, considering the lack of promotion from his, uh, promotion, but he’s nonetheless a dude you should know.
Come on in past the jump and better know Daniel Cormier, so you’ll have something intelligent to say at the bar while his fight is on.
It’s no Ghengis Con joint, but it’s something. VidProps: ShoSports
Nation, amongst all the large names and ginormous dudes fighting this weekend, you may have overlooked Daniel Cormier. This weekend’s bout with heavyweight submission grappler/anarchist/tattoo enthusiast Jeff Monson will be Cormier’s fifth fight for Strikeforce since his debut in September of 2009 under the Challengers banner. Perhaps it’s no shock that Cormier isn’t a household name, considering the lack of promotion from his, uh, promotion, but he’s nonetheless a dude you should know.
Come on in past the jump and better know Daniel Cormier, so you’ll have something intelligent to say at the bar while his fight is on.
Who is the best pure wrestler in MMA? Daniel Cormier’s resume is the definition of world class: high school champ and All-American, ju-co champ, Oklahoma State alum, member of the US Olympic wrestling team in 2004 and 2008. (Sadly, Cormier could not compete at the 2008 games.) Perhaps the most interesting wrestling experience is his time in the now-defunct Real Pro Wrestling league, where Cormier was a champion. Amateur wrestling rules were tweaked for the RPW, giving Cormier some experience with hybrid grappling and a bridge to MMA competition.
Cormier hooked up with the people at AKA in San Jose, where he trains with some of the best wrestlers-turned-fighters on the planet: Cain Velasquez, King Mo, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Kyle Kingsbury… we could go on, but we think you’ve probably heard of this team. Training with smaller guys has kept Cormier quick and sharp, and he can match power with the big heavyweights as well. The team has shown that they can teach wrestlers how to strike, and Cormier is a quick study.
Cormier is deceptively quick for a heavyweight, and he mixes strikes and takedowns extremely well. He has gone to decision just once, in his last fight versus Devin Cole; his six other victories are split evenly between subs and TKO wins. Only one of those sub wins was actually a sub win in the usual sense: Soa Palelei and Jason Riley both tapped to strikes. Cormier’s powerful ground and pound should continue to rack up victories for him.
Cormier was just 2-0 when Xtreme MMA out of Sydney, Australia offered him a fight for the XMMA heavyweight championship. Cormier claimed the gold with a TKO victory over Lucas Browne in the first round. (He went on to successfully defend that title as well.) King of the Cage offered him a fight with newly crowned champ Tony Johnson Jr last August, and he dominated Johnson for an RNC win in just two and a half minutes. (Full fight can be found here.)
Cormier comes off as a class act in interviews, whether he’s talking about his own progression as a fighter or the enmity between his bro-dog King Mo and Rampage Jackson. He seems thoughtful and humble, and have a very strong grasp of what he does well, and what he needs to improve upon. It’s this introspection that puts Cormier’s potential so high.
…but don’t sweat it. Cormier gets dinged for being undersized at 265, at only 5’11″ (74 inch reach), but he’s powerfully built. Against wrestlers, Cormier’s lower center of gravity is actually an advantage. Against submission artists, his short limbs make for difficult taps. Against pure strikers, his ability to change levels quickly and mix up strikes and shoots can keep kickboxers from pulling the trigger on big strikes and combos. Put simply, it’s going to take a complete fighter to hand Cormier his first loss.
Cormier will face a big test this weekend against Monson, and this could be his coming-out party, with a large expected audience for the heavyweight GP. And if the winner of the tournament vacates the title and moves over to the UFC, don’t be surprised if Cormier claims the Strikeforce belt quickly. If, that is, he doesn’t join up with the big show himself. And that’s the word.
[RX]