This is the third consecutive fight for Frankie Edgar in which the judges leave me scratching my head. It’s a scary world for a MMA judge today, so I try to give them the benefit.
This is the third consecutive fight for Frankie Edgar in which the judges leave me scratching my head. It’s a scary world for a MMA judge today, so I try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I’m done. No more saying things like maybe Benson Henderson stole the first fight at the end of the fifth round, and maybe Edgar didn’t win four of the five rounds in the rematch. No dammit!
Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo were at war with one another for five rounds, and it was an extremely close fight. The person who called this fight the best was Joe Rogan. Like him, I agree that Aldo won the first two rounds and Edgar won the last two, so the third round would determine the winner for a 48-47 decision. Personally, I feel Edgar took round three by getting the better of Aldo in the second half of the round.
I don’t know how anyone couldn’t possible fathom Edgar winning the third round seeing that those same people most likely claim that Michael Bisping did the same to Chael Sonnen in the first round of their fight, and therefore should’ve been awarded the victory. Yet based on that logic, Edgar being more aggressive, and landing more significant strikes than Bisping did on Sonnen, doesn‘t entitle him at least the same scoring? It seemed pretty clear that Aldo was slowing down and was eating more leg kicks than he was dishing out. Based on the number of strikes landed, aggression and overall pressure of Edgar, I don’t see how not one single judge scored round three for him.
Now let’s say that for whatever reason you think the front kick that scored for Aldo was enough to win him the third round. Okay, then how do you not at least have a unanimous score of 48-47? How in the world did two of three judges scored it 49-46? A high school wrestler could’ve scored that fight better, and those two judges might as well have been in Aldo’s corner.
I’m sure there are those who agree that Edgar could just as easily gotten the decision, it’s just a damn shame that those same individuals aren’t judging these fights for what they really are, and instead are throwing ridiculous scores out there.
UFC Light Heavyweight Bout: Rua vs. Gustafsson Odds: ( +185 Rua / -235 Gustafsson ) Betting Pick: Gustafsson Bet on this fight at Bovada In the semi-main event of UFC on FOX 5, former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will face a stern challenge in the form of up-and-coming Swedish prospect Alexander “The […]
In the semi-main event of UFC on FOX 5, former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will face a stern challenge in the form of up-and-coming Swedish prospect Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson. While Shogun has slipped a bit from the form that made him the most feared Light Heavyweight in the world in his PRIDE heyday, he is still a formidable striker with an underrated ground game. Gustafsson, though, could present some serious problems for Shogun in that he is also a skilled striker with a solid ground game who is younger, fresher, more physical, and probably in better condition. If Shogun wants to avoid a loss here he is going to need to fight smart and not gas out early and allow Gustafsson to overwhelm him.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was, at one point, the scariest Light Heavyweight on the planet. He destroys his opponents with accurate and powerful punching, devastating knees from the clinch, and an aggressive fight style that kept opponents running scared. Since making his UFC debut, he has suffered a series of knee injuries which have impacted his fitness fairly seriously. He still has the technique and power that made him such a terror in his PRIDE days, but his ability to push the pace for the entirety of a fight has degraded significantly. Still, anyone who is willing to stand in front of him is putting themselves in danger, because he has lost none of his ability to finish fights with strikes.
Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson is one of the UFC’s most exciting and up and coming Light Heavyweights. A heavy-handed striker with solid wrestling and submissions, Gustfafsson’s versatility and athleticism make him a dangerous opponent for anyone in the division. His only loss came at the hands of Phil Davis, when he was outmuscled and caught in an anaconda choke on the mat. Against Shogun he probably doesn’t have to worry about getting taken down and submitted, since he is probably the superior of the two in terms of grappling. If he can avoid getting caught on the feet, chances are he can land some good shots of his own and probably score some points with takedowns.
While Shogun is certainly the more established of the two, I think this fight favors Gustafsson. Both guys are capable of ending fights with strikes, but I think Gustafsson has the better gas tank and should be able to take Shogun off his game with superior grappling. This will be a close fight, but I think Gustafsson should be able to land enough punches and score with takedowns to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Prediction:Alexander Gustafsson by Unanimous Decision.
It’s difficult for a diehard MMA fan to have an in depth discussion about the sport with a more casual fan, especially those who may only have an opinion on Anderson Silva or Jon Jones..
It’s difficult for a diehard MMA fan to have an in depth discussion about the sport with a more casual fan, especially those who may only have an opinion on Anderson Silva or Jon Jones. Some of you out there claim to be MMA fanatics but you aren’t true fans. While I have no problem with casual fans who respect and appreciate a good brawl in the cage, it’s the ignorant so called “fans” who claim to love and know every aspect of MMA, but don’t seem to know the basic common knowledge that goes with that claim. To those people, I propose a test so to see just how loyal to the sport they truly are. The test is simple, you just can’t answer yes to any of the following questions.
Do You Think…
1.) The UFC is a college?
2.) Dana White is a woman?
3.) Rich “Ace” Franklin plays poker?
4.) Forrest Griffin is an Irish plantation?
5.) The Natural Born Killer is only a movie?
6.) Judo is the capital of Alaska?
7.) Jiu-Jitsu was created by the Jews?
8.) Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko is in a history book?
9.) Joe Rogan is most famous for hosting FEAR FACTOR?
10.) Minotauro Nogueria is a mythical creature?
11.) Melvin Guillard and Sisqo are the same person?
12.) Clay Guida is an Italian play-doh?
13.) Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy is a crook?
14.) You can‘t sweep your opponent without a broom?
15.) Cro Cop is a bird?
16.) Heath Herring is a fish?
17.) Team Quest is at the Renaissance Fair?
18.) Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia is in a mental institution?
19.) GSP is a TV network?
20.) Muay Thai is on an Asian menu?
21.) Martian “The Hitman” Kampmann is a contract killer?
22.) Full guard is a deodorant?
23.) Rubber guard is a condom?
24.) Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva is a serial killer?
25.) The rear naked choke is done in the nude?
I pray that no one who considers themselves knowledgeable about MMA answered yes to any of these questions, if so, I strongly advise those individuals to study up on MMA as if it was your college midterm. For the sake of the sport, we need to make sure the fans are educated.
Aaron Simpson vs. Mike Pierce When Simpson was set to face Jon Fitch in his welterweight debut, I thought he had a good chance of winning. As it turned out, it was a blessing.
Aaron Simpson vs. Mike Pierce
When Simpson was set to face Jon Fitch in his welterweight debut, I thought he had a good chance of winning. As it turned out, it was a blessing in disguise for Simpson when Fitch pulled out due to injury and was replaced by Kenny Robertson. Like many fighters in their first fight at another weight class, Simpson’s performance wasn’t his best. He was slower than normal, and the weight cut seemed to affect his cardio. Pierce on the other hand, has never showed problems with his cardio and is on the wrestling level of Simpson. Although Simpson may have the advantage in punching power, Pierce should have the overall striking advantage, which he will use to out strike and outpoint Simpson when the wrestling is a stalemate. Pierce has gone toe to toe with elite welterweights such as Johnny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck and lost controversial decisions. I think third times a charm for Pierce in this case. I don’t see this fight ending by Knockout or submission, so Pierce will take a decision. Don’t be surprised if it’s a split decision.
Carlo Prater vs. Marcus LeVesseur
LeVesseur is a high level wrestler, but seems to lack skills in the jiu-jitsu department and that could cost him dearly against Prater. He was clearly the stronger, more dominant fighter in his fight with Cody McKenzie, but a simple mistake got him caught with a guillotine choke, so Prater could find a quick submission if LeVesseur hasn’t fixed his novice mistakes. LeVesseur should seize control early in the fight seeing it took him just seconds to get a takedown in his fight with McKenzie. The challenge will be not letting Prater counter with his jiu-jitsu, but I can see LeVesseur using his wrestling to stifle Prater’s jiu-jitsu attacks and overpower him with his top control. Prater’s striking isn’t anything spectacular, and LeVesseur should be the heavier handed fighter, regardless of his own striking ability. This fight could go the distance, but I see LeVesseur getting and early finish via vicious ground and pound.
Darren Uyenoyama vs. Phil Harris
Even though Harris is making his octagon debut, he will be the more experienced fighter, about three times as much experienced. This may give Harris an advantage, but even the most experienced fighters have shown the “octagon jitters” in their debut which can negatively affect their performance. Uyenoyama may have only had one fight in the UFC, but it was against the very popular Kid Yamamoto. Even before his UFC debut, Uyenoyama has fought in top MMA organizations such Strikeforce and Dream, none of which Harris has ever fought for. Both are primarily grapplers and it’s difficult to say which fighter has the superior striking, but Uyenoyama was able to close the distance and avoid taking damage against Kid Yamamoto who is well known for his striking. This may be a lackluster ground fight, but I’m giving it to the fighter who has home field advantage. Darren Uyenoyama by decision.
Bart Palaszewski vs. Diego Nunes
Palaszewski is always looking for a highlight finish, his five knockouts in his last seven wins are proof of that, but the technical striking advantage clearly goes to Nunes. Nunes will use his kicks to keep Palaszewski at a distance, and seeing Nunes also possesses the speed advantage, I doubt Palaszewski will be successful in closing the distance to land any significant strikes. Nunes has faced several fighters with the capability of knocking anyone out and done exceptional well in those fights. In just his last four fights, Nunes has faced a diverse range of fighters from ground fighters, Mike Brown and Manny Gamburyan, to technical strikers,Kenny Florian and Dennis Siver. I don’t think it matters what Palaszewski brings to the table, it won’t be anything Nunes hasn’t seen before and hasn’t already overcome. Nunes hasn’t been known for finishing fights, so I’ll pick him to win by unanimous decision.
Jason Volkmann vs. Shane Roller
Roller is a good wrestler and has solid jiu-jitsu, but because his striking is average at the best, he is in a world of hurt when he faces a superior wrestler. The jiu-jitsu advantage may lie with Roller, but Volkmann is the better wrestler with great top control. Roller’s guard is not deadly enough to threaten Volkmann with anything off his back, and Volkmann’s losses have come at the hands of submission specialists, Paul Sass and Paulo Thiago. Roller just doesn’t possess that level of jiu-jitsu to give him a fighting chance of betting Volkmann. This is another fight that is most likely to take place on the ground, so I predict Volkmann to win by unanimous decision.
Dennis Hallman vs. Thiago Tavares
I think people are forgetting how skilled Hallman is on the ground and are automatically giving it to the Brazilian. What people are forgetting, is that Tavares’ loses have come at the hands of fighters who are good wrestlers and also possess submission skills such as Tyson Griffin, Matt Wiman, Kurt Pellegrino, and Shane Roller. Tavares’ last two wins over Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher were easier for him because neither of them had much skill in wrestling or jiu-jitsu. Now that he is facing an opponent who possess such skills, he will know he’s in a fight, Hallman is a fighter who comes out in the opening seconds of the fight and is in his opponents face. His early finishes of Karo Parisyan and John Makdessi are proof of that. On top of that, he nearly submitted Brian Ebersole early in their fight, but Ebersole was able to weather the early storm and reverse the position. Tavares doesn’t possess the durability of Ebersole, which is why I’m picking Hallman to win and I think he’ll even get the stoppage, either by KO or submission.
Michael Johnson vs. Danny Castillo
Johnson was very impressive in his last three wins, while Castillo’s last several performances has seemed sluggish, even against lesser talented opponents such as John Cholish and Shamar Bailey. His takedown attempts have been feeble and his cardio has taken a toll. Johnson is extremely aggressive and is dangerous on the feet. He should have no problem avoiding Castillo’s takedown attempts and picking him apart on the feet. Johnson won’t stop coming forward and will eventually stop Castillo via TKO.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Yves Edwards
This may be the fight where Edwards will exercise his jiu-jitsu, because I don’t see him going toe to toe with Stephens. After all Stephens out struck Sam Stout, and Stout was able to beat Edwards to the punch and knock him out. Edwards is the more technical striker, but he isn’t on the level of Marcus Davis, Anthony Pettis or Donald Cerrone. Therefore, I doubt Edwards will overcome the shier power and aggression of Stephens. Bottom line, I don’t see Edwards avoiding the power of Stephens or being able to use his technical striking to out point him. The chin of Edwards is in question and Stephens will look to test it over and over in their fight. I got Stephens by devastating knockout.
