UFC Fight Night 11 Preview and Predictions: By Keith Shillan

UFC Fight Night 11 Preview and Predictions: By Keith Shillan

9 crazy days of MMA continues this Wednesday when the UFC Fight Night 11 airs on Spike TV followed by the season premier of The Ultimate Fighter Season 6. Thursday has the finals of the Internation Fight League. Pat Miletich’s Quad City Silverbacks tries to three peat when they meet Renzo Gracie’s New York Pitbulls( No Michael Vick jokes). Then on Saturday the UFC returns on PPV with UFC 76. It has 3 blockbuster fights as Chuck “the Iceman” Liddell starts his comeback trail for the UFC Light Heavyweight title when he takes on the very tough “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine. The top Light Heavyweight fighter in the world Maurico “Shogun” Rua enters the octagon for the first time, when he fight the fan favorite Forrest Griffin. There is also a Welterweight showdown when Diego “the Nightmare” Sanchez takes on Jon Fitch. The nine days ends on Sunday, with UK’s fight organization Cage Rage. Yet, before I get to those fights, we should take a look at the fights that are going to be aired this Wednesday.

Nate “the Rock” Quarry vs Pete “Drago” Sell

It has been nearly two years since we last seen TUF 1 alumni Nate Quarry. Nate started his UFC career with a bash. He won his first 3 fights all by KO/TKO. He looked to have been on a steady road to the UFC Middleweight title. At that time, the UFC Middleweight picture was a mess. The then champion, Rich Franklin had no real contender to face. So the UFC decided to throw the very new Nate Quarry at him. Franklin proved that Quarry was not yet a top fighter, as Franklin annihilated him. He landed big left crosses at will, and then finished the fight with a KO that is just scary. The last image we have a Quarry is an unconscious body laying in the octagon canvas. Quarry would then suffer an very serious neck/back injury that threatened his fighting career. Many believed that Quarry would not be able to return.

Quarry’s last win in the UFC was a very quick TKO over Pete Sell. In the first, round of their matchup, Quarry landed a shot that dropped Sell and referee Cecil Peoples jumped in to stop the fight. It seemed though that Sell had recovered from the shot and was able to continue. This fight was a very controversial fight, which many fans (myself included) thought was stopped immaturely. Quarry will try to answer three questions with this fight. First, he can return from his past injury and be effective. Second, that he deserved the TKO win over Sell in the first fight. Third, that he deserved his title shot, and is a top fighter.

Pete Sell has redemption on his mind. He wants to show that he could have beaten Quarry the first time, if the fight wasn’t stopped early. He also wants to show that he belongs in the UFC. He has not been to impressive lately. First, he lost a unanimous decision to Travis Lutter on TUF 4. He would then get KO’d by Scott Smith. Finally he would then get smoked by Thales Leites, losing by unanimous decision.

The key to this fight for Quarry is to keep this fight standing and use his better striking. He may also want to use the clinch. Sell is a student under UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra, so he has a very good submission game. Sell does have heavy hands, but Quarry is the better striker. Look for Sell to try to take this fight to the ground. Though Quarry will probable have a lot of ring rust, I expect him to win a very close standup war. Quarry by unanimous decision.

Nate Diaz vs Junior Assuncao

Nate Diaz is very similar to his older brother Nick. They are charismatic, cocky, and tough. Nate became a big star during his run on TUF 5. His mouth talked a lot, and his fighting backed it up. During the show, he first won a tough fight over Rob Emerson, winning by decision. He then would go on to submit both Corey Hill and Gray Maynard. He would take on Manny Gamburyan for the season title. It seemed like Nate was having a tough time with Manny until Manny suffered a freak injury, that caused Nate to win the fight.

Nate has an awesome submission game. He is constantly looking for submissions while on his back. His striking is similar to his brother’s. It is very unorthodox. He uses small pitter pat shots that slowly adds up and damages his opponent. Assuncao is a BJJ expert with a UFC record of 1-1. He will be looking to take this fight to the ground and will be looking for a ground and pound submission or a submission. A win over Diaz would really help Assuncao propel his career in the UFC Lightweight rankings. However, I see Diaz damaging Assuncao on the feet and winning by decision.

Chris “ the Crippler” Leben vs Terry Martin

Leben started his UFC career with a bang. After his stint on the original season of TUF, he went on a 5 fight winning streak. He stopped three of those opponents by either TKO or submission. He would then hit a road block named Anderson Silva. Silva gave Leben a lesson in Muay Thai by knocking Leben out in only 49 seconds. Leben would then rebound with a KO over Jorge Santiago. He would then lose his last two fights. First being submitted Jason MacDonald and losing a unanimous decision to Kalib Starnes.

Leben has a very solid chin and loves to slug it out. He has very heavy hands and a very underrated submission game. He is in a desperate need for a win. A loss here would probable send Leben to the WEC.

Terry Martin career has been on the total opposite road then Leben. Martin started as a Light Heavyweight and lost his first two UFC fights. He would then move down to Middleweight and it has been all success since. He would first knockout out Jorge Rivera in only 14 seconds and then would knockout out Ivan Salaverry in the first round of their matchup, by a big slam. Martin has made himself a serious contender in the UFC. Martin has very heavy hands and a good wrestling. Look for this fight to be an absolute slugfest. Leben might have an advantage in the later rounds because Martin has gassed in the past. I however don’t expect this fight to go long. I see Martin winning by TKO in round one. I also expect him to call out the winner of Anderson Silva vs Rich Franklin.

Kenny “KenFlo” Florian vs Din “Dinyero” Thomas

I am very excited about the main event. It puts to top Lightweight contender against each other. Both fighters are very similar. Both are very well rounded fight games and really bad nicknames. However the winner here could possible be fighting BJ Penn for the UFC Lightweight title (If Sean Sherk is stripped for steroid use).

Kenny has really changed people’s opinions about him since his time on the Ultimate Fighter. Kenny was fighting at Middleweight on the show. He would be the smallest fighter in the house and it showed during the finals. Diego Sanchez overpowered the smaller Florian and ground and pounded Florian to a TKO win. Florian would then move to Lightweight and would achieve great success. Kenny would win his first three UFC lightweight fight, stopping all by either TKO or submissions. Kenny would be matched up against Sean Sherk for the vacant UFC Lightweight belt. Many (Myself included) didn’t think Kenny deserved the title shot and expect Sherk to easily beat Florian in the first round. Though Sherk won the fight failry easily, the fight went the entire 25 minutes. Kenny showed a great heart, strong cardio, and that he can take a beaten. Kenny would rebound from this lost with 2 submission victories, first over Dokonjonsuke Mishima and then Alvin Robinson.

Din Thomas has been a UFC Lightweight journey man for a while. He has many ups and downs over the years. Din would enter the UFC in June 2001. He lost by strikes to BJ Penn. He would bounce back from that lost with a win over Fabiano Iha. Din would then lose a decision to Caol Uno but win a decision over current UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra. Din would leave the UFC and fight in smaller organizations. Din seemed unfocused and struggled only going 3-3 in that span. Din would return to the UFC as a part of TUF 4. He would get a win over Mikey Burnett but would lose a close decision to Chris Lytle. Since the show, Din seemed like a top Lightweight contender again. He would enter this fight on a three straight UFC wins. He would beat Rich Clementi, Clay Guida, and Jeremy Stephens.

This fight is a extremely hard fight to pick. Both fighters seem to be on a roll right now. Both have awesome BJJ but I think the striking is what will make the difference. Din has faster hands and is better technically. Kenny has the better Muay Thai style. He uses great leg kicks and uses his razor elbows greatly. I have changed my mind many times on this fight. It could be an absolute war. I am taking Din in a razor close split decision.

Prelims:

Thiago Alves vs Kuniyoshi Hironake: Alves by split decision

Luke Cummo vs Edilberto Crocota: Cummo by 3^rd KO

Leonard Garcia vs Cole Miller: Garcia by decision

Gray Maynard vs JoeVeres: Maynard by 1rd TKO

Dustin Hazelett vs Jonathan Goulet: Goulet by decision

UFC Fight Night 11 Preview and Predictions: By Keith Shillan

UFC 75 Champion vs Champion Picks from Keith

UFC 75 Preview and Predictions : By Keith Shillan

UFC vs. Pride is finally here! The hardcore fans have been calling for the unification bout for years. Finally, we will all know who the best 205 pound fighter in the world is. Well, maybe not. This fight isn’t what the hardcore fans expected. Fans expected the super hyped fight that never took place when Dana White announced a fight between the then UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell and the then Pride FC Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva. Dan “Hollywood” Henderson and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson had other plans. First, Dan Henderson knocked out Wanderlei Silva to take the Pride title and then Quinton Jackson ended Liddell’s impressive run as champ quickly with a left hook in the first round of the match in May. Quinton, who spent most of his career fighting for Pride, really doesn’t represent the UFC. It almost feels like a Pride vs. Pride fight. Also is the winner of this fight the undisputed best 205 pound fighter? Most hardcore fans would choose Maurico “Shogun” Rua, who has a quick TKO win over Quinton Jackson in the 2005 Grand Prix. Anyways, this fight might not be the UFC vs. Pride fight or the best 2 fighters in the light heavyweight division locking horns, but it is a great main event. Both fighters are top 5 fighters and it should be a great war.

The card also has the return of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Cheick Kongo, and the TUF 3 grudge match between Michael Bisping and Matt Hamill. Let’s take a look at the main fight cards and get to my predictions. Being that this fight will be on Spike TV and be full of commercials, I will only break down the four fights, which are promised to be shown.

Houston Alexander vs. Alessio “Legionarius” Sakara

Houston Alexander became an instant star when he surprised everybody with his spectacular KO over the highly favored Keith Jardine. Most people (myself included) had never heard of Alexander before his fight with Jardine, and took it as a cakewalk for Jardine. Alexander landed some extremely powerful blows on Jardine and made a highlight reel KO that would be shown in UFC Unleashed for years. Jardine seems to have instantly gained a huge fan base, and have been marked as a top contender in the UFC division.

Alessio Sakara is also known for his punches. He first hit the UFC scene at UFC 55 by smashing Ron Faircloth but the fight was ruled a no-contest when Faircloth hit Sakara with a low blow that Sakara couldn’t continue. Sakara then made a horror movie, with his pin-point striking over for three rounds over Elvis Sinosic, in which he hit Elvis with everything but the kitchen sink. Sakara then showed his weak ground game, when submission master Dean Lister triangle choked him in less than 3 minutes into the fight. He then took another step back when Drew McFedries outlasted Sakara in a slugfest eventually getting a TKO in the first round. He would then return with a first rd TKO over Victor Valimaki at UFC 70.

This fight is going to an absolute war on the feet. Both have shown KO power and great ability in their hands. Alexander will not have the element of surprise this time. I truly believe that Jardine toke Alexander lightly, and paid the price for them. Alexander seems to have the more striking power, but Sakara is probable the more technical striker. I see Sakara outlasting the early flurry by Alexander and Sakara eventually unloading a barrage of punches winning by TKO late in the first period.

Michael “the Count” Bisping vs. Matt “the Hammer” Hamill

I really loved season 3 of the Ultimate Fighter. I watched it when it first aired and then recently bought the season when it came out on DVD and watched it again. Yes, I need a life. These two fighters were training partners on the show and seemed to get under each others skin. It seemed like many times they were going to throw down. Many believe this would have been the finals of the show if Hamill didn’t get hurt. Bisping went on to win the contract and Hamill has kept reminding everybody that Bisping never beat him. With all due respect to finalist Josh Haynes, this was the fight everybody wanted to see.

Bisping has a huge following of fans, especially in England (where this fight is being held). Bisping is known for his standup. He has crisp hand striking but also has great high kicks and knees. His ground game is underrated and his wrestling has probable improved with training with Rampage. Since winning the contract, he has 2 TKO wins over Eric Schafer and Elvis Sinosic (though he was almost KO’d himself)

Matt Hamill is an amazing wrestler. He has won many gold medals during the deaf Olympics in wrestling. He is a little green, but is always trying to learn more. He is known for having a great work ethic, which made TUF coach Tito Ortiz really take an interest in him. Hamill’s striking is not good, though his striking from the clinch has shown signs of brilliance. Since the show, Hamill has looked impressive taking out Jesse Forbes, Seth Petruzelli and Rex Holman.

Both these fighters have undefeated records. Bisping has a lot more experience then Hamill has. A lot of so called experts have been taking Bisping, saying that the crowd will help Bisping. I do believe the crowd might influence the referee to stand the fight up, if Hamill takes down Bisping and is just holding him down, but I don’t take this to be a home town match for Bisping. The reason why: Hamill is deaf. He won’t even know that the crowd is booing him.

I expect Bisping to have some flurries on his feet that will hurt Hamill and many submission attempts, but I believe Hamill will take Bisping down easily and control him to a unanimous decision. If you remember on the show, Hamill was taking Bisping down, using no hands, imagine what he can do with both hands. Hamill in upset of the night.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Cheick Kongo

Before I get to this fight, I need to get a pet peeve off my chest. Attention UFC! His last name is not Cro Cop, its Filipovic. You don’t call Randy Couture, Randy the Natural; please call him Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. Ok back to the article.

This was a hand picked fight for Cro Cop. The UFC wanted a fighter to stand up right in front of Cro Cop and just throw down. They might have found that guy in French Muay Thai fighter Cheick Kongo. Kongo is an athletic specimen. He is tall, ripped, and very explosive. He has precise striking. He has crisp hands, lightning fast kicks, and unloaded a barrage of knees when he has is opponent hurt. Kongo has TKO wins in the UFC over Gilbert Aldana (RIP), and Christian Wellisch. He would lose a decision to Carmelo Marrero in which Marrero wrestled Kongo to the ground and simply held him until it was over. Kongo would then rebound with a decision win over Assuerio Silva.

When Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic signed with the UFC, hardcore fans assumed he would steamroll all the Heavyweights in the division and would quickly become UFC Champion. Mirko’s resume is unbelievable. He has beaten a who’s who list of MMA fighters, with wins over the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Josh Barnett, Igor Vovchanchyn, and many more top MMA fighters. Cro Cop is a K-1 level striker. He has smooth feet work, a string stiff left straight. His kicks to the legs and body is better then anybody in the business. Yet, it is his left high kick that gets all the talk. If you have never seen a Cro Cop left high kick KO, stop reading this right now and go on youtube and look up one of his many highlight videos. His high kick is probable the most feared strike in all combat sports. He usually peppers the body with his left leg, until his opponent drops his hands to defend it, and in an instant he snaps it up to their face. Next thing his opponent knows he is waking up with about a dozen doctors around his lifeless body. Yet Mirko is not just a striker. He is one of the toughest guys to take down in all of MMA and even has a submission victory over Kevin Randleman. Mirko made his presence in the UFC by beating Eddie Sanchez by TKO but was amazingly stopped by Gabriel Gonzaga. Gonzaga toke Cro Cop down and landed some devastating elbows. When the fight got back to the feet, Gonzaga did the unthinkable by knocking out Cro Cop by his own weapon, a high kick.

Kongo is a strong striker but he is not on Mirko’s level. I expect Kongo to want to get into a clinch and use his knees and strikes to try to stop Cro Cop. Cro Cop seems focused and ready to take his frustration out on Kongo. I expect Cro Cop to create the distance he needs to strike. Look for his straight left hand, and kicks to the legs and body to setup his left high kick to head for a first round KO.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs Dan “Hollywood” Henderson

Though this fight isn’t the unification fight that many wanted, it is still a great fight. Quinton Jackson instantly became the celebrity in America by knocking out the UFC cover boy Chuck “the Iceman” Liddell to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Though Rampage is now known, Dan Henderson is not known to the casual American fan. Many casual fans think Pride is a second rate organization, which means Henderson must be a second rate champion. Hardcore fans know that both these fighters are as good as they come.

Not to long ago Rampage looked like a fighter heading to the close of his career. In a short time he was knocked out by Wanderlei Silva, looked sluggish against Murilo “Ninja” Rua and lost by TKO to Maurico “Shogun” Rua. He has then seemed to have did an absolute 180 degree turn. He became a student of Juanito Ibarra. He seems focused and disciplined which he has been accused of not being in the past. He won a very close decision over Matt Lindland (which I thought Lindland won) in the main event of the WEC. He then signed a contract with the UFC. He first avenged his first loss of his career against Marvin Eastman. Rampage looked crisp in the striking. He landed a nice uppercut that led to a flurry of punches that caused the referee to stop the fight. Rampage then faced his rival Chuck “the Iceman” Liddell for the UFC Light Heavyweight title. The fight was super hyped but didn’t live up to it. In less than two minutes into the fight, Rampage landed a huge right hook that sent Liddell to the canvas. Rampage followed with some ground and pound and forced referee John McCarthy to step in and stop the fight. Rampage would instantly become a MMA superstar.

Dan Henderson has been around the sport for quite some time. He has fought just about everywhere including the UFC before. He has been a top 10 fighter for many years now but never quite made it to the top. He was always an undersized fighter for the 205 pound weight class and eventually moved down to 183 pounds. Henderson would enter and win the Pride Welterweight Grand Prix to crown to become their first welterweight champion. While being champion, he would move back up to 205 pounds and challenge Wanderlei Silva for the Pride Middleweight Belt. Henderson would shock the world by knocking out Wanderlei Silva to become the first ever two weight class champion.

This is going to be a war. Rampage is known for his amazing strength, breathtaking double leg takdown slams, and vicious ground and pound. He also has very good striking. He stays in tight, and doesn’t really leave himself open. Henderson is an Olympic caliber Greco Roman Wrestler. He has one of the best clinch games. He can take you down from the clinch, or use it to dirty box. He also has a great overhand straight left and a looping left. Henderson has been able to take a beating and dish one right back.

Both their resumes are awesome. Rampage has wins over the likes of: Chuck Liddell, Matt Lindland, Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Arona, Igor Vovchanchyn, and Murilo Rua. While Henderson has wins over the likes of: Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Murlio Rua, Murilo Bustamante, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria, Kazuhiro Nakamura, and Renzo Gracie. A win for either of these would just further strength their resume

The key for Rampage in this fight is to use his size and strength advantage over Henderson. The key for Henderson is to use the clinch and keep Rampage guessing if he is going to use dirty boxing or take Rampage to the ground. It is really tough to pick a winner here. I do believe that Henderson training with Matt Lindland, who had some success against Rampage in the past will help him create a better game plan then Rampage and will win a razor close split decision.

Prelims:

Marcus Davis vs Paul Taylor: Davis by 2rd TKO

Gleison Tibai vs Terry Etim: Tibau by UD

Tomasz Drwal vs Thiago Silva: Silva by 2rd TKO

Naoyuki Kotani vs Denis Siver: Kotani by UD

Anthony Torres vs Jess Liaudin: Torres by UD

UFC 75 Champion vs Champion Picks from Keith

UFC 73 Stacked Preview and Predictions

UFC 73 Stacked Preview and Predictions:

Hard core fans have been calling for it forever. They wanted a fight card with a bunch of headlining fights in the UFC. UFC President Dana White has finally granted the request. Saturday night fight fans will be entertained with 4 fights that could easily be a main event on most fight cards.
“Stacked” is a great name for the card. Two titles will be on the line. Middleweight Champion Anderson “the Spider” Silva will face former King of Pancrase Nate “the Great” Marquardt, and Lightweight Champion “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk will defend his title against Hermes Franca. Also on the card is a grudge match between former UFC Poster boy Tito Ortiz vs. the undefeated reality show star Rashad “Sugar” Evans, and the UFC debut of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira against his long time rival Heath Herring. Let’s get into the card.

Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira vs. “The Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring

Hardcore fans have waited a long time to see former Pride Heavyweight Champion Nogueira fight in the octagon. What most didn’t expect to see is him face the man he has beaten twice before. If you haven’t seen Nogueira before then you are in for a treat. He is a submission master with great boxing skills and possible the biggest heart in the game. Nogueira has been widely regarded as one of the top Heavyweight fighters for some time. Nogueira has beaten a who’s who list of fighters including Mark Coleman, Mirko Filipovic, Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum, Ricco Rodriguez, Dan Henderson, Gary Goodridge, Bob Sapp, Pawel Nastula, Semmy Schilt, Sergei Kharitnov, Enson Inoue, and Jeremy Horn. He has only 1 thorn in his side which is the number 1 fighter in the world named Fedor Emelianenko.
Herring has been a big disappointment since entering the UFC. In his first UFC fight, Herring was taken down at ease by wrestler Jake O’Brien and held down for a decision lost. In his second fight, Herring won a lackluster decision against reality show competitor Brad Imes. Herring does have an impressive resume for himself with wins of top fighters including, Mark Kerr, Igor Vovchanchyn, Evan Tanner, Gary Goodridge, Enson Inoue, Gan Mcgee, and Tom Erikson. Herring has heavy hands and a great ground and pound game but has had a questionable gas tank and his best weapon knees on the ground are not allowed in the UFC.
I really don’t understand why the UFC decided to put this fight together. I am assuming they are trying to guarantee a win for Nogueira considering he has already beaten Herring. Yet, if Nogueira beats Herring then Herring is probable done in the UFC and his acquisition was a waste, yet in the same time if Nogueira loses to Herring then another top Pride fighter doesn’t live up to expectation. It really seems like a no win situation. Anyways as for a prediction, I have Nogueira winning easily. Nogueira is just better in every area of the game. He has better standup, way better BJJ, and a better cardio game. Expect to see Nogueira catch Herring in a submission in the third period.

“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad “Sugar” Evans

First if this was a battle between nicknames then Tito wins. Anyways it isn’t. Tito Ortiz knows how to sell a fight. Usually if Tito’s match isn’t in the main event, it is still the most intriguing and talked about fight. This one isn’t any different. Tito has had many grudge matches with fighters including Guy Mezger, Ken Shamrock, Chuck Liddell, and even UFC President Dana White. Rashad Evans is just the newest foe. Tito doesn’t just talk. He has been a great fighter for a long time. During the UFC “dark ages”, it was Tito that was the poster boy and kept the organization a float. In the ring Tito has many skills. He has a great clinch game, and one of the best ground and pound games in all of MMA. His elbows from the guard has stopped many opponents. Tito has an underrated striking and BJJ game but his best weapons is probable his strength and cardio. Tito usually overpowers his smaller opponent and uses his cardio game to wear down his foes throughout the rounds. A classic example is his win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 51.
Rashad fighting style is very similar to Tito. He has a great wrestling game (NCAA wrestler at Michigan St.) and a stellar ground and pound. Rashad made his name known to MMA fans while on the second season of the reality TV show the Ultimate Fighter. Rashad would end up winning the Heavyweight contract by winning an absolute war against the much bigger Brad Imes. Rashad would make the transition from heavyweight to light heavyweight with two decisions over former reality stars Sam Hoger and Stephan Bonnar. These wins would label Rashad as a boring fighter who couldn’t end fights. Rashad proved those critics wrong in his last two fights. Rashad would get the biggest win of his career by pounding light heavyweight contender Jason Lambert by vicious ground and pound in their first round match. Rashad would then display his much improved stand up game with a highlight reel high kick KO over Sean Salmon.
These two guys really don’t like each other. The have already had a battle of words over the internet, and even got into a shoving match at a prior UFC event. Tito has to use these emotions to his advantage. Tito has been in these kinds of matches before and needs to keep getting under Rashad’s skin to try and take Rashad off his game plan. It will be difficult because Rashad trains with Greg Jackson’s submission fighting team, which is one of the best camps in all MMA, so he should have a good game plan. Tito is going to be the bigger fighter in this fight and needs to overpower Rashad. Get into clinch, press Rashad against the fence, and take Rashad down. If Tito can get there, elbows will be huge, and even a possible submission if the inexperience Rashad panics. It will be tough though because Rashad might be the better wrestler of the two. He also is more explosive fighter with better hands and he should be able to match Tito’s gas tank. As for a prediction, expect a war. I see Tito passing the torch to Rashad and setting the undefeated fighter up for a title shot. Evans wins by split decision.

Sean “the Muscle Shark” Sherk vs. Hermes Franca

Since the UFC brought back the lightweight division, it has pleased the crowds with amazing fights (Fisher/Stout 1, Griffin/Edgar, and Griffin/Guida are a few examples). This fight should be no exception. Both fighters bring high intensity and a fast pace to fights. Sherk has been in the fight game a very long time. He is a well rounded fighter, with a great wrestling background, short straight boxing skills, and freakish strength. He originally fought as a welterweight and had a ton of success but when he lost 2 marquee matches to much bigger fighters (Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre), Sherk decided to move down to the lightweight division. The decision proved to be a good one for Sherk, as he used his strength advantage over Kenny Florian to win the vacant UFC lightweight belt. Sherk is known for his strength. His physique is not matched by anybody in the lightweight division. He looks like the Nintendo character Mega Man. Sherk has good standup technique and awesome double leg takedown slams followed by devastating ground and pound. He has tons of experience and his cardio is second to none. His work out routine is just insane, I challenge everybody to watch his “UFC All Access” episode.
Hermes Franca is known for his wild looping punches and submission game. Hermes Franca has also been around for a long time. He first boosted onto the UFC scene with a bang in 2004. He first beat Rich Crunkilton by unanimous decision and then followed it up with a first round knockout over the then favorite Caol Uno. Franca would then fall short in back to back matches losing two razor shaper decisions in a row to Josh Thomson and Yves Edwards. The UFC would then drop the lightweight division and things would get worse for Franca, when dropped three fights in a row in 2005. Hermes would then go on to win 8 fights in a row, including three in the UFC, when the division returned. First he beat Joe Jordan by third round submission. Next, he would get a come from behind armbar submission win against Jamie Varner. Hermes would then get his most impressive victory in the UFC this past January with a second round TKO win over Spencer Fisher.
The key to victory for Sherk is to over power Franca and uses his ground and pound while avoiding the submission from Franca while in Franca’s guard. The key for Franca is to try to avoid Sherk’s takedown and land one of his bombs on his feet for a KO. Franca is a BJJ black belt but Sherk will be tough to submit because of his short arms and giant neck. I expect this fight to be not as close as people think. I just think Sherk is going to be a monster in the lightweight division. He should be too strong for Franca and his pace will be too hard for Franca to handle. Sherk wins by decision. If the rumors that BJ Penn is moving back up to the welterweight division, then I expect Sherk to be the UFC lightweight champion for a very long time.

Anderson “the Spider” Silva vs. Nate “the Great” Marquardt

In the other title fight, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva will defend his belt for the first time (because his last challenger didn’t make weight) against seven time King of Pancrase Champion Nate Marquardt, with the winner facing former middleweight champion Rich “Ace” Franklin later this year. This fight pits the striking standout Anderson Silva against the technician Nate Marquardt.
Anderson Silva has entered the UFC with thunder and lightning. He is a Muay Thai kick boxer who originally made his name in Pride and Cage Rage with knockouts over game fighters like Carlos Newton, Alex Steibling, Jeremy Horn (in Gladiator FC), Jorge Rivera, Lee Murray, Curtis Stout and Tony Fryklund (One if the best KO’s ever). Silva would make a big splash in the UFC middleweight division in his UFC debut by giving a free Muay Thai clinic to Chris Leben. He knocked out Leben in just 49 seconds and immediately was granted a title shot against champion Rich Franklin. Silva was the underdog entering the fight but showed the world how dangerous a Muay Thai clinch can be. He blasted Franklin with countless knees to the body and the head until Franklin was knockout in the first round. In Silva’s last fight, he toke on Season 4 of the Ultimate Fighter reality show champion Travis Lutter. This was the first time in the UFC that Silva looked human. He was taken down by Lutter in the first period and was eventually mounted and was close to losing via TKO. In the second round Lutter toke Silva down again. This time Silva would show his BJJ black belt skills off by catching Lutter in a triangle choke and dropped vicious elbows to Lutter’s head, forcing the second round tap out.

Nate Marquardt is not a house hold name to average MMA fans though he sports a perfect 4-0 UFC record and is a seven time King of Pancrase Champion. He debuted in the UFC in the main event of the very first Ultimate Fight Night against Ivan Salaverry. Marquardt was victories in an uneventful match. Marquardt would return at UFC 58 in which he out pointed Joe Doerksen to a unanimous decision. He would then be subjected to unaired prelim fights for his last two fights. First, he scored a second round submission victory over late replacement Crafton Wallace and then won a unanimous decision over Dean Lister. Marquardt is a decent striker but excels in the ground game in which he has fourteen submission victories.
The keys to victory for Anderson Silva is to keep this fight on his feet and land his trademark punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. He also needs to use his clinch but avoid the takedown. The keys to Marquardt’s victory is to by all means take the fight to the ground as quick as possible and avoid any clinch. He needs to overpower Silva and do some damage from the top position on the ground and look for a submission.
I have changed my mind about a dozen times on who is going to win this fight. I am finally picking Marquardt in an upset. As easy as Lutter toke Silva down, I expect Marquardt to do the same and win a unanimous decision.

Other fights on the card predictions:
Kenny Florian vs Alvin Robinson – Florian by submission
Stephan Bonnar vs Mike Nickels – Bonnar by TKO
Chris Lytle vs Jason Gilliam – Lytle by TKO
Frank Edgar vs Matt Bocek – Edgar by decision
Jorge Gurgel vs Diego Saraveia – Gurgel by submission

UFC 73 Stacked Preview and Predictions

MMA Rankings as of 6/13/07 by Keith Shillan

Before I give my predictions, please know my philosophy with rankings. I believe you are only as good as your last fight. So drumroll please!

Heavyweight:

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria
3. Josh Barnett
4. Randy Couture
5. Gabriel Gonzaga
6. Mirko Filipovic
7. Tim Sylvia
8. Andrei Arlovski
9. Mark Hunt
10. Fabrico Werdum

Light Heavyweights:

1. Maurico Rua
2. Dan Henderson
3. Wanderlei Silva
4. Quinton Jackson
5. Chuck Liddell
6. Rameau Thierry Sokodjou
7. Ricardo Arona
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueria
9. Tito Ortiz
10. Rashad Evans

Middleweights:

1. Dan Henderson
2. Matt Lindland
3. Paulo Filho
4. Anderson Silva
5. Rich Franklin
6. Denis Kang
7. Nathan Marquardt
8. Kazuo Misaki
9. Ryo Chonan
10. Murilo Bustamante

Welterweights:

1. Matt Serra
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. Matt Hughes
4. BJ Penn
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Diego Sanchez
7. Karo Parisyan
8. Jon Fitch
9. Jake Shields
10. Akira Kikuchi

Lightweights: (By far the hardest to rank)

1. Takanori Gomi
2. Hayato Sakurai
3. Sean Sherk (yes, I do count his wins at welterweight)
4. Nick Diaz (also count his wins at welterweight, and still count his win over Gomi as legit)
5. Gilbert Melendez
6. Shinya Aoki
7. Tatsuyo Kawajiri
8. Vitor Riberio
9. Joe Stevenson
10. Joaquim Hansen


Please send all your questions, comments, and hate mail to ShilltheThrill2000@yahoo.com

MMA Rankings as of 6/13/07 by Keith Shillan

UFC 71 Preview and Predictions: By Keith Shillan

It is about time. It feels like ages since we had a UFC main event that I got this excited for. It was probable UFC 65 when Matt Hughes fought Georges St. Pierre for the second time, that made me this excited. On Saturday night, the UFC's posterboy Chuck "the Iceman" Liddell tries to avenge his only lost in his career that hasn't been avenged. The man standing in his way is the charismatic body slamming machine called Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Lets take a closer look at the UFC's PPV card.

Chris "the Crippler" Leben vs Kalib Starnes

Both these fighters became popular by their stints on the Ultimate Fighter reality show. Leben on the debut season and Starnes on the third seaon. Both fighters are coming of disappointing loses. Leben known for his confidence (almost cocky) personality became a household name and his hands also made him a fan favorite. Leben was a disappointing on the show. Losing a decision to the then inexperienced Josh Koscheck and then losing on a cut to Kenny Florian (a fight that Leben was easily winning). Since the show Leben has had his ups and downs. He first beat Jason Thacker by first round TKO and then won a split decision slugfest against Patrick Cote. His wins would get even more impressive with first round submission (armbar) victory over Edwin Dewees, first round TKO victory over Jorge Rivera, and a unamious decision over Luigi Fiorvanti. Yet as of late times have been different. First, Leben was given a Muay Thai Kickboxing 101 lesson from current middleweight champion Anderson Silva, which made Leben look like an amateur. Leben would recover with a second round KO over Jorge Santiago, but was submitted by Jason MacDonald in their matchup.

As for Starnes, he also was disappointing on his stint on the reality show. He was the early favorite on the show. He made short work of boxer Mike Stine but lost to the show champion Kendell Grove when the fight was stopped due to Starnes receiving a rib injury. Starnes would make his actually debut in the UFC by making short work of Danny Abbadi by first round submission. He would then lose a uninspring third round TKO lost to Yushin Okami.

The key to Starnes victory is to take Leben down, where he holds an advantage in the submission game. I just don't see this happening. I believe Leben has a good enough take down defense (due to having trained in the past with top wrestlers like Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, and Dan Henderson). Leben clearly has the advantage in the hands. Every throw he makes has knockout written all over it. Leben has a head made off cement (Yes, Anderson Silva breaks cememt) and can take a beaten. This fight is probable due or die for both fighters, with their future with the UFC in jeopardy. I expect Kalib to try to take it to the ground but being unsuccessful, and see Leben landing a huge shot late in the first round. Leben by KO.

"The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine vs Houston Alexander

The TUF alumni continues when season 2 member Jardine faces off against UFC newcomer Alexander. Jardine is currently a top contender in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division. Jardine could arguable be undefeated in the UFC. He lost to fellow Greg Jackson submission academy teamate Rashad Evans on the show but has been on a tear since. Beating fellow castmates Kerry Schall and Mike Whitehead in his first two UFC matches but then lost a very controversial decision to Stephan Bonnar (I gave it to Jardine). He would redeem himself with a come from behind decision win against Wilson Gouveia. His success would continue, when he notched the biggest win of his career when he demolished fan favorite Forrest Griffin. Jardine looks to make a bid for the next title shot by using Alexander as his victim.

I can't really comment on Alexander, because I have not actually seen him fight before. He is really attempting to tackle a huge obstacle when he takes on top contender Jardine. Jardine has KO power in his hands, crisp leg kicks, and a good gas tank (which comes from training with team Jackson). I expect Jardine's experience alone to carry him to an easy victory. Expect to see Jardine showcase his hands with a first round TKO win.

Ivan Salaverry vs Terry Martin

It has been a long time since Ivan Salaverry has graced the UFC. He was last seen in the UFC losing a lackluster fight to Nate Marquardt back in August 2005. Salaverry first bursted onto the UFC seen by dismantling AndreiSemenov back in 2002. He would then lose a decision to top Middleweight contender Matt Lindland. He would get back on the winning path with back to back submission wins. He first beat Tony Fryklund by body triangle (possible the only one I have seen end a match), and then by triangle choke (led by an awesome kick from the bottom position) over the always tough Joe Riggs. Salaverry was then matched up on the very first main event of the UFC Fight Night card against Nate Marquardt. To the UFC disaproval Salaverry and Marquardt danced around the octagon with little action. Marquardt won the fight, and Salaverry was booted from the UFC. Only to have fought once since.

Martin has also had his share of ups and downs during his time in the UFC. Martin first came to the UFC as a Light Heavyweight. In his debut, he fought the heavy handed James Irvin. Martin known for his wrestling, toke Irvin down and controlled him for the first round. It was the opening of the second round that will always be in the UFC highlight reel history. Irvin threw one of the best flying knees in MMA history, KOing Martin in a flash. Martin would be invited back to the UFC matching him against Jason Lambert. The fight was pretty competitive until Martin's gas tank ran empty and Lambert would eventually win a TKO victory in the second round. Martin would then move down to the middleweight and have a highlight reel win off his own with a 14 seconds KO over Jorge Rivera.

This matchup matches Martin's size and wrestling ability against Salaverry's submission game. I expect Martin to come out with the early lead. Taking Salaverry down and controlling him on the ground. Expect to see Salaverry transition from submission attempt to submission attempt. I expect Martin to neutralize his attempts early but to eventually gas out late in the fight. I see Salaverry catching Martin in a submission in the early third round.

Karo "The Heat" Parisyan vs "The People's Warrior" Josh Burkman

This fight has fight of the night written all over it. Karo Parisyan has been a top UFC welterweight contender for a while. He has exciting victories of Nick Diaz, Chris Lytle, and Drew Fickett to name a few. Losing close decisions to former welterweight champ Geoges St. Pierre and also to top contender Diego Sanchez. Karo has unbelievable Judo throws and is awesome at the submission game. His Kimura against Dave Strasser is amazing. Karo has been know for having been in wars. He also a smart vet with a victory over current UFC welterweight champ Matt Serra.

Burkman is another former TUF 2 cast mate. He won a decision win over Melvin Guillard on the show. He would suffer an injury during that fight which would cause him to not be able to continue on the show. Burkman would make his first two UFC fights electrifying ones. Making short work of both Sam Morgan and Drew Fickett. He would lose by rear naked choke to welterweight contender Jon Fitch but would rebound with back to back decision victories over the always tough Josh Neer and the UFC debuting Chad Reiner.

This fight is going to be exciting. Both fighters bring fire works to the table. Burkman is very well rounded. He has great wrestling slams like his KO slam of Sam Morgan and a very underated submission game (Ask Drew Fickett). Burkman probable has the edge in the hands. I truly belive that Burkman could win a boring decision by staying away and pop shotting Karo to a three round victory ala Koscheck vs Sanchez. Yet, I don't think Burkman is that style of fighter. He loves to be aggresive and always come forward. Karo on the other hand, has world class Judo skills. His throws are highlight reel material. He also has the advantage on the ground. When on his back, he is always attempting submission attempts. I expect to see everything in this fight. Both guys throwing haymakers, Burkman slamminh Karo, Karo throwing Burkman, Burkman ground and pounding, Karo making submission attempt after attempt. This will be a closer fight then some expect. I see Karo using is experience in big fights to propel him into winning a split decision.

Chuck "the Iceman Liddell vs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

To many casual fans, this is a no-brainer. Chuck will win. Chuck always wins. To the hardcore fans, they know it is not always true. Jackson is the last fighter to beat Chuck. He is the only fighter to hold a win over Chuck that he has not avenged. These two fighers last fought almost 4 years ago. Quinton, as he would say himself, "whooped Chuck's ass". He won the standup, and toke Chuck down with one of his slams. He then stamped Chuck with a tremendous ground and pound display. Yet, since then both fighters have taken different paths.

Rampage has gone 7-3 since. He was brutally Kod twice by Wanderlei Silva. He also did not have one second of offense when he lost by 1rd TKO to Maurice "Shogun" Rua. He also won two controversial decisions over Murilo Ninja and Matt Lindland (I gave him the win over Ninja, and I am in the minority but the lost to Lindland). He did have a spectacular KO over Ricardo Arona (Best slam in the history of MMA) and his TKO win over Marvin Eastman.

Chuck on the other hand has been amazing. He has been on a 7 KO/TKO win streak. He avenged loses to UFC Heavyweight champ and Hall of Famer Randy Couture (twice) and Jeremy Horn, while beaten rivals Tito Ortiz (twice), Vernon White, and Renato Sobral (twice, once before he fought Quinton and once after).

This is a fight that Chuck and fans have been asking for a long time. These two match up great in so many ways. On the feet, Chuck is a counter puncher that throws pin point accurate bombs that have put the best of the best to sleep. While Rampage has an aggresive straight ahead, crisp punching style,has an awesome double leg takedown that is finished with a huge slam. Chuck on the other hand has one of the best takedown defense in the game. Wrestlers like Randy Couture (not their first fight) and Tito Ortiz have had awful times trying to take him down. If it hits the ground, Rampage has breath taking ground and pound (and we haven't even seen him throw elbows yet) yet Chuck is know for simply just getting back to his feet as quickly as he has been taking down. In their first fight, Quinton held Chuck down but was helped by knees to the ground which is illegal in the US.

This fight is great. I have changed my mind tons of times already. Yet, if I have to go on the record. I am taking Chuck by 4th round TKO. Though Rampage and his camp has sounded so confident, Rampage has had a bad history in title fights. If Chuck does win this fight, his legacy might make him the greatest UFC fighter in history and leave him second on the list to Fedor Emelianenko as greatest on the MMA list.

BTW-

Prelims predictions:

Din Thomas vs Jeremy Stephens - Din by UD
Sean Salmon vs Alan Belcher - Salmon by dec
James Irvin vs Thiago Silva - Silva by 1rd TKO
Wilson Gouveia vs Carmelo Marrero - Gouveia by 3rd sub

Email ShilltheThrill2000@yahoo.com for any questions or comments

UFC 71 Preview and Predictions: By Keith Shillan

Now We're Covering MMA: Miami Herald reporter living in combat world past.

From our newest reporter Keith Shillan. Today we're kicking off our coverage of mixed martial arts news and reviews in addition to our normal site content.

Miami Herald reporter living in combat world past by Keith Shillan.

Miami herald sports reporter Lyle Fitzsimmons watched one UFC fight on Spike TV and now he is an expert. He claims he tried to be a MMA fan in his recent article (http://www.miamiherald.com/597/story/102266.html) showing his complete ignorance towards the world’s fastest growing sport called Mixed Martial Arts. He watches one fight that showed ground technique and compares it to “gay hotel porn”. Being that Lyle is a reporter, one would think he would do some investigating instead of forming an uninformed conclusion. Perhaps watch more fights, maybe go to the public library and study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or even take a class. No instead he pokes fun at MMA and crowns “Boxing the NFL and MMA the XFL”. There are so many misconceptions here.

First MMA is currently more popular then boxing. The XFL was never more popular then the NFL. Second, the XFL was around for 1 year. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has been around since 1993. The UFC is the “next big thing” even if Lyle won’t acknowledge it.
Just a few years ago, the UFC was banned from both free television and pay per view. It was solely supported by live attendance (even though it wasn’t sanctioned in many states) and Internet viewers. Since then the UFC has changed many things. They have added weight classes, rounds, and more rules (like no kicks to the head of a downed opponent). MMA has now been sanctioned in many states. Yet it didn’t explode until the first season of the Ultimate Fighter reality show was aired on Spike TV in early 2005. Since then MMA has been like a virus spreading that nobody could stop. Pay Per View buys have over taken both Boxing and professional wrestling. Spike tv has added many more MMA related programs, including highlighted fights and even live events. Other stations (HBO, Showtime, ION, FOX, Versus, and others) have jumped on the MMA bandwagon, showing other MMA organizations as well (IFL, Elite XC, Bodog, Cage Rage, etc). The mainstream media has been forced to cover it. You can now see the recent UFC results on ESPN, NBC.com, and AOL to name a few.

MMA fighters have now become household name. They are on the cover of popular magazines, appearing in movies and televisions shows, and doing endless radio and television interviews. Go to any high school in America and mention names like Chuck Liddell or Randy Couture and you will notice that everybody knows who they are. Then mention boxing champions like Wladimir Klitschko or Manny Pacquiao (2 popular boxing champs, not even the no name champs) and see how many people recognize the name. You will hear a lot of people standing around the water cooler talking about the Chuck Liddell vs Quinton Jackson fight but not the Jermaine Taylor vs Cory Spinks fight.

Boxing was a great sport. There has been classic battles like Ali vs Frazier and Leonard vs Hagler but those days are in the past. In today's society, we demand new and improved technology, and sports are no different. MMA is the new and improved combat sports. So maybe Lyle didn't like his one viewing of MMA, I challenge Lyle and anybody to view fights like Nick Diaz vs Takanori Gomi, Frank Edgar vs Tyson Griffin, or Roger Huerta vs Leonard Garcia and see if you still think MMA is nothing but “gay hotel porn”.

I once watched a soccer match and the final score was 1-0 on a shootout. Though soccer is not my sport, I do know that most matches won't end the same way. Maybe soon the Lyle will learn the same lesson.

Keith “Shill the Thrill” Shillan

Send comments to ShilltheThrill2000@yahoo.com

Now We're Covering MMA: Miami Herald reporter living in combat world past.