(“Look, I’m an escort not a hooker. I’m just here for good food and good company, and whatever happens later…well, it happens. You’re not a cop, right?“)
“Lunch or Dinner: $1,000 Invite Rich to join you and your guests for lunch or dinner. You choose the restaurant and you choose what you want to talk about. Ask Rich questions about his career as a professional mixed martial artist. (Up to 2 hours)”
Man, I really want to start a Kickstarter account just so I can take Rich to Arby’s and talk about Anderson Silva‘s career for two hours. Does that make me a terrible person? I don’t know. But if I’m shelling out a friggin’ thousand bucks, I want to make sure my guest of honor is having as bad a time as possible.
(“Look, I’m an escort not a hooker. I’m just here for good food and good company, and whatever happens later…well, it happens. You’re not a cop, right?“)
“Lunch or Dinner: $1,000 Invite Rich to join you and your guests for lunch or dinner. You choose the restaurant and you choose what you want to talk about. Ask Rich questions about his career as a professional mixed martial artist. (Up to 2 hours)”
Man, I really want to start a Kickstarter account just so I can take Rich to Arby’s and talk about Anderson Silva‘s career for two hours. Does that make me a terrible person? I don’t know. But if I’m shelling out a friggin’ thousand bucks, I want to make sure my guest of honor is having as bad a time as possible.
Thuzio is also selling private lessons with Ace for $600/hour — “Rich will be your personal trainer giving you access to a middleweight champion. Learn first hand what it takes to a professional MMA fighter.” — which seems like a much better option than paying four figures for the most awkward dinner of your life. You can also make a “custom request,” if you’re looking for something a little more…shall we say…exotic.
Saturday’s featured middleweight bout between Tom Lawlor and Francis Carmont was supposed to serve as a thrilling affair that would likely push Carmont into the upper echelon of the promotion’s division. It ended up being a snoozefest that …
Saturday’s featured middleweight bout between Tom Lawlor and Francis Carmont was supposed to serve as a thrilling affair that would likely push Carmont into the upper echelon of the promotion’s division. It ended up being a snoozefest that consisted of a whole lot of wall and stall.
Don’t get me wrong, I was strangely entertained by the fight, and that was probably a result of the intrigue surrounding this specific collision. Could Carmont put away a rugged, dangerous guy like Lawlor? Would Lawlor finally snag a major victory for the promotion?
The answer in both cases was no.
Carmont turned in a somewhat timid performance, and while he was able to exit the cage victorious, the fight probably didn’t do too much to gain him many new fans. Lawlor, meanwhile, came up just short of derailing the highly touted prospect.
Carmont’s takedown defense and reach kept him out of serious danger, and Lawlor’s ability to close the distance without sustaining too much damage kept him alive in the fight.
What ensued was a spicy wrestling match that took place, for the most part, from the upright position.
It wasn’t particularly exciting, and it failed to produce the answers so many sought heading into the fight.
We’re still completely unsure of how Francis will perform against a top-tier middleweight, and we’re still uncertain of just how far Lawlor can go in the division. In the grand scheme of things, one could actually label last night’s meeting as irrelevant.
We learned absolutely nothing from watching these two men fight. Carmont is still unbeaten inside the Octagon, but Lawlor certainly isn’t, and if he wants to remain employed by the largest MMA promotion in the world, he’s going to need to pick up a few big wins.
The UFC has made public its list of medical suspensions and injuries from the UFC on Fuel TV 6 event in Macao. As expected, Rich Franklin has been told to stay away from a cage for six months following his knockout at the hands of Cung Le (h/t MMA Mani…
The UFC has made public its list of medical suspensions and injuries from the UFC on Fuel TV 6 event in Macao. As expected, Rich Franklin has been told to stay away from a cage for six months following his knockout at the hands of Cung Le (h/t MMA Mania).
However, it wasn’t a concussion that has put him out for this unusually long time, but a thumb he broke during the one-round contest.
His opponent, Cung Le, has also been told to sit on the sidelines for 30 days, as has TakanoriGomi, StanislavNedkov and Paulo Thiago—all for “precautionary” reasons.
Other precautionary suspensions include Tom DeBlass, who lost to middleweight Riki Fukuda, MotonobuTezuka, who lost to Alex Caceres, and Jeff Hougland, who lost to TakeyaMizugaki.
Note: Fighters on precautionary suspensions often return to action much sooner than initially anticipated pending a green light from a doctor.
Those with much more serious suspensions are Jon Tuck, who is out indefinitely until he fixes his right shoulder, and ZhangTiequan, also out indefinitely pending ENT clearance of a nasal fracture. Both have a minimum 30-day suspension with 21 days of no contact.
There are also two men on 180-day suspensions: Mark Danzing, who lost to Gomi and needs to heal his thumb, and Thiago Silva, who beat Nedkov but injured his right hand in the process.
The event, which took place last Saturday, was the UFC’s first foray into China and drew a $1,300,000 gate.
Although it wasn’t exactly cram-packed with exciting finishes, UFC Macao provided us with plenty to talk about nonetheless. Let’s not act like Bruce Leroy’s Haiduken punch just didn’t happen, because it did and it was either awesome or the dumbest f*cking thing we have ever seen. We can’t tell yet.
Elsewhere on the card, some people beat some other people by decision, so join us as we decipher the judge’s scorecards and try to determine who the night’s biggest winners should face next.
Cung Le: Despite being a healthy underdog with a significant size and slight age disadvantage, Cung Le was able to deliver a spectacular knockout in arguably the most high profile fight of his career. That being said, we’re not going to fool ourselves into thinking the 40 year old is truly in the title mix just yet. At this point, Le appears to be more invested in his film career than in that of his mixed martial arts one (and rightfully so), but the man is still a draw who can both deliver exciting finishes and hang with more than most, so it only makes sense to give him another high profile, low risk fight.
The problem is, there simply aren’t that many of those kind of fights available for Cung in the UFC’s current middleweight pool. Most of the division in currently tied up and Cung has stated that he would like to take some time away to spend with his family, so we think it would be best to give Cung some time off and have him face the winner of the Hector Lombard/Rousimar Palhares battle at UFC on FX 6, or maybe Chris Leben if he is able to get by Karlos Vemola at UFC 155. Who would you prefer, Taters?
Although it wasn’t exactly cram-packed with exciting finishes, UFC Macao provided us with plenty to talk about nonetheless. Let’s not act like Bruce Leroy’s Haiduken punch just didn’t happen, because it did and it was either awesome or the dumbest f*cking thing we have ever seen. We can’t tell yet.
Elsewhere on the card, some people beat some other people by decision, so join us as we decipher the judge’s scorecards and try to determine who the night’s biggest winners should face next.
Cung Le: Despite being a healthy underdog with a significant size and slight age disadvantage, Cung Le was able to deliver a spectacular knockout in arguably the most high profile fight of his career. That being said, we’re not going to fool ourselves into thinking the 40 year old is truly in the title mix just yet. At this point, Le appears to be more invested in his film career than in that of his mixed martial arts one (and rightfully so), but the man is still a draw who can both deliver exciting finishes and hang with more than most, so it only makes sense to give him another high profile, low risk fight.
The problem is, there simply aren’t that many of those kind of fights available for Cung in the UFC’s current middleweight pool. Most of the division in currently tied up and Cung has stated that he would like to take some time away to spend with his family, so we think it would be best to give Cung some time off and have him face the winner of the Hector Lombard/Rousimar Palhares battle at UFC on FX 6, or maybe Chris Leben if he is able to get by Karlos Vemola at UFC 155. Who would you prefer, Taters?
Thiago Silva: We’re not really sure what to take away from Thiago Silva’s victory over Stanislav Nedkov, who was so gassed by the time the fight came to an end that it appeared as if a well-placed yawn could have knocked him over. Silva looked quicker than he had in quite some time in the early going, yet looked frustratingly slow and linear when it came to avoiding the Bulgarian’s lumbering takedown attempts. Sure, he’s a BJJ black belt who finally showcased his submission skills, but we know that we’ll get the best Thiago Silva — win or lose — when he’s matched up against another hard-hitting striker. Enter James Te Huna, an Australian slugger with bricks for hands and a chin that’s just as solid. Not only is it one of those “fun” fights we love so much, but it actually makes sense. Everybody wins!
Takanori Gomi: Speaking of fighters that are best left to swing for the fences against guys who will do the same, we come to “The Fireball Kid.” He’s managed to save his UFC career with two straight wins, but we’re not exactly ready to throw Gomi another contender so we can watch him get submitted again. It just hurts too much. Personally, I’d like to see Gomi face the winner of either the Melvin Guillard/Jamie Varner or the Sam Stout/John Makdessi fight. We’d be guaranteed another slugfest in either case, and if Gomi stands a chance of winning anything, it’s a slugfest. Because we’re not trying to convince ourselves that Gomi will be fighting for the title anytime soon, we’d just like to see an old friend end his career with the kind of fights that defined it.
Dong Hyun Kim: Although he’s already called out Demian Maia for a rematch of their UFC 148 contest that ended with an unfortunate rib injury, we’d like to see Kim take his grappling talents elsewhere. Specifically, against a certain Icelandic grappling phenom with a demeanor that can only be described as…stoic. We’ve all been riding the Gunnar Nelson hype train for some time know, so why not see how he fares against a seasoned veteran like Kim? The grappling exchanges between these two could become the things of legend, and when you’re dealing with a fighter as stifling, dominant, and often tiresome as Kim, that’s the best you can hope for.
And because we feel we must address this, let’s move on to the night’s biggest loser…
Rich Franklin: Well, Rich, we surely didn’t expect to see you go down like that. It’s beyond an understatement to declare that “Ace’s” best days (and chin) are behind him, but there’s no denying the brilliant and captivating career he’s had. The UFC’s go-to guy also seems smart enough to realize that he should get out of the game before he suffers any more losses as brutal as the one he suffered Saturday, because they are only more likely to happen the longer he sticks around. But if Rich really feels the need to give the fight game one last shot, I dunno, maybe match him up against Vladimir Matyushenko in a special rules match where they both sit at a table, get drunk, and compare scars?
It’s time to step into the Octagon once again as we take a look at the latest step in the UFC’s quest for world domination. Rich Franklin faced Cung Le at their first ever show in China, shown in the early hours of this past Sunday morning …
It’s time to step into the Octagon once again as we take a look at the latest step in the UFC’s quest for world domination. Rich Franklin faced Cung Le at their first ever show in China, shown in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on ESPN here in Britain.
The broadcast began in the bantamweight division as Takeya Mizugaki faced Jeff Hougland.
This proved to be a highly entertaining opener. Both fighters looked to unload with the heavy leather early on, but as soon as the fight went to the ground Mizugaki dominated the action.
His ground and pound looked brutal at times, and although Hougland had his moments when he went for a couple of submission attempts that was it for him.
It was the same kind of story in the second and third rounds, and even when Hougland pulled guard a couple of times it didn’t really do him any good. Mizugaki controlled the action again. Towards the end of the fight a short left elbow opened up a nasty cut near Hougland’s left eye.
With no finish in sight the judges were called into action. All three gave everything to Mizugaki, with one judge scoring the fight 30-25. Such was the dominance of the Japanese star.
Then it was up to the lightweight division as Tiequan Zhang went up against Jon Tuck.
This was even better than the first fight, and showed every aspect of the MMA game.
The first two rounds saw plenty of action on the ground, with Tuck in particular putting on a fine performance, going for a number of submission holds. There were times when he seemed to transition with ease as he looked to put China’s only UFC fighter away.
Zhang came back well in the final round. As Tuck began to look fatigued Zhang took control with some crisp striking. It was a good display of fist work, but it came a bit too late.
That was evident with the judges as well, as Tuck took the unanimous decision.
The lightweight action continued with Takanori Gomi taking on Mac Danzig.
This was a much more even-looking affair. For three rounds these two put on some great back-and-forth exchanges.
Both fighters brought their A-games into this one. Gomi’s striking looked great throughout, although Danzig wasn’t that far behind him in that respect, especially with his Thai clinch in the first round.
The ground work was just as good. Danzig looked like he was going to get the win in the second with an arm-in guillotine. They later went on to exchange leg submission attempts before treating us to more great striking exchanges, with Gomi calling his man onto him at one point.
Despite all of this great action the judges were called upon again. Gomi took the split decision, the scores showing just how close this fight was.
Welterweight action followed as Dong Hyun Kim took on Paulo Thiago.
After the unfortunate injury in his last fight Kim was looking to make a statement, and he certainly did that here.
Buoyed on by his travelling fans, Kim put on a dominating performance on the ground. He made Thiago look positively ordinary at times.
It all began early in the first round when he scored with his first takedown. He took control immediately, and as the fight progressed it looked as if Thiago just didn’t have an answer to his opponent, especially when he went for a couple of chokes at the end of the first and second rounds.
The Brazilian’s one moment of offence on the ground came when he went for a kimura, a submission attempt which Kim survived quite easily. By the end of the second round Thiago looked like a beaten man, and when Kim dominated the ground game again in the third it was obvious who was going to win.
The judges agreed with everyone else when they gave Kim the unanimous decision.
The penultimate fight featured light heavyweight action as Thiago Silva faced Stanislav Nedkov.
The first fight of the show not to go the distance proved to be a very interesting back-and-forth battle.
The first two rounds saw the fighters engage in a striking and clinching battle. Silva’s striking looked top notch, especially his outside leg kicks and in the clinches against the cage where he connected with a series of knees.
Nedkov had some success in that respect, but his biggest success came towards the end of the second round when an overhand right sent Silva crashing. The Bulgarian followed him down but time was against him as he looked for the finish.
This scare seemed to light a fire underneath Silva in the third as his striking got even better. Nedkov seemed out of it, almost turning his back on his opponent at once point before Silva scored with a takedown. It wasn’t long before the Brazilian moved into a position so he could apply an arm triangle for the submission win.
The main event featured middleweight action as Rich Franklin went up against Cung Le.
The only fight of the show that didn’t make it out of the first round was proof of how the action can turn on just one punch.
Franklin began to control the action after a brief feeling-out period, and his combinations looked crisp and sharp as he used his reach advantage to good effect.
But after Franklin connected with a kick, Le connected with a big right that sent Franklin down like a sack of spuds. He looked out of it before he hit the ground. The referee stepped in immediately to give Le the knockout win.
In conclusion, the UFC’s incursion into new territory proved to be a highly enjoyable show.
There really wasn’t one howler of a fight here. We saw some great ground work throughout the three-round affairs, particularly from Dong Hyun Kim, and some nice striking from the likes of Thiago Silva and Takanori Gomi.
But for me, the fight of the night was the somewhat brief Rich Franklin/Cung Le affair. I know I’m going against the grain by not agreeing with the official verdict, but there’s just something about a one-punch knockout that gets me, which is why it’s getting the no-prize this time around.
So with all of that out of the way there’s only one more thing left to do, and that’s to give the UFC’s first trip to China the thumbs up.
Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one form or another for over 12 years now!
(Bruce Lee would be pleased with your performance, but sort of disappointed about how much of your life you spend on the Internet. Images via Lancaster/Roots of Fight)
– Blakethoria: Cung Le Defeats Rich Franklin via TKO @ 2:21 of round 1
KO of the night [Ed. note: The comments section of the fight-picking post is only displaying the most recent 25 comments for some reason, but believe me, it’s there.]
– Sniffer-Piffits: Le def. Franklin via TKO @ 4:17 of RD 1, KO of the Night, bitch…..
Well, I don’t think the profanity was necessary, Sniffer, but nevertheless you and Blakethoria have won spiffy new Bruce Lee Movember t-shirts from LancasterLTD. Shoot your real names, sizes, and addresses to [email protected] and we’ll get you hooked up soon. The rest of you should consider buying one of Lancaster’s Movember tees. A portion of all sales benefit the cause, y’know.
(Bruce Lee would be pleased with your performance, but sort of disappointed about how much of your life you spend on the Internet. Images via Lancaster/Roots of Fight)
– Blakethoria: Cung Le Defeats Rich Franklin via TKO @ 2:21 of round 1
KO of the night [Ed. note: The comments section of the fight-picking post is only displaying the most recent 25 comments for some reason, but believe me, it’s there.]
– Sniffer-Piffits: Le def. Franklin via TKO @ 4:17 of RD 1, KO of the Night, bitch…..
Well, I don’t think the profanity was necessary, Sniffer, but nevertheless you and Blakethoria have won spiffy new Bruce Lee Movember t-shirts from LancasterLTD. Shoot your real names, sizes, and addresses to [email protected] and we’ll get you hooked up soon. The rest of you should consider buying one of Lancaster’s Movember tees. A portion of all sales benefit the cause, y’know.
The UFC has made public its list of medical suspensions and injuries from the UFC on Fuel TV 6 event in Macao. As expected, Rich Franklin has been told to stay away from a cage for six months following his knockout at the hands of 
