BELLATOR 35:
-You know why I don't pick fights with guys I haven't seen? Because of shit like McCullough/Friere. Everyone assumes that Bellator slotted him with someone who couldn't beat him and Friere turns out to be a much larger man who knocks his block off and controls him on the mat. McCullough had a good second round and was looking like he might win a decision in the third when he threw a leg kick and got timed with the right hand over it. He was done as soon as it landed. Friere is such a strong kid. Reminds me of Thiago Alves. I don't think he's that crisp, but he's definitely strong and his stuff hauls ass when he goes to land. Not really a plodder. Punches are, OK, not good defensively but all things considered, I wouldn't be worried about it.
Not to knock leg kicks either, but there's a time for them and a time not to bother. Friere didn't check them, sure. But then again, he was looking to walk through them and land on the back end of an ill advised low kick from McCullough. Razor Rob never really got to dictate the distance of the fight, which I suppose isn't surprising since he's not a slick striker and was smaller.
-Imada breaks some poor guy's arm (Shockey) in a 90 second fight. Shockey was better served standing with Imada, who got to the finals of a Shootboxing tourney last year with his grappling alone, but apparently he didn't get that memo. He tried to pass to side control, and Imada just regained full guard and then rolled up the arm. Shockey's attempt to slam out of it was ill advised. The whole situation was.
-Lloyd Woodard's win over Carey Vanier didn't inspire. He caught a guy moving straight back with his hands down. He nearly did it about 3 times in the first round but Vanier would be able to grab him and hold on for awhile. Even got a takedown. Woodard seems like he can scramble decently and he hits pretty hard, but technically he's nothing exciting. Friere smashes him so bad.
-Michael Chandler was another guy who won and just looked OK. Held gave a couple reasonable submission attempts for his offense but got choked out with a head and arm choke by the wrestler. If Chandler fights Imada next, he gets wrecked. Same with Friere. Woodard? He wins and gets to the finals.
SHARK FIGHTS:
See the review from earlier in the week.
Predictions for 2011: 7-1. Only picked two contests last week and got 'em both.
CORRECT: Villefort/Horwich, LaRosa/Damm
PREDICTIONS PREDICTIONS PREDICTIONS
UFC 128:
Shogun vs. Jon Jones: Man, is this a situation of too much too soon for Jones? Shogun's problems come against big guys who grapple. This is true if they are top guys like Forrest Griffin or old guys who may be a couple years from heart failure like Mark Coleman. Jon Jones is a really big guy who grapples. Bad, bad style matchup for Shogun. Now, its true that Shogun may be able to come forward and bring heat to Jones, but when has Shogun consistently brought pressure in an MMA fight since PRIDE's demise? He's a better submission artist than the guys Jones has fought; again true. But Shogun's last big performance rolling on the mat was what again; Kevin Randleman?
End result is this: Jones wins the title by stoppage in round 2. I don't know that Jones can beat Rampage Jackson, who I think is the biggest threat style wise to him in the division. But I'd like to see the fight.
Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland: Eddie is not old by any stretch of the imagination, but he's fought top guys before and lost. He can be outwrestled, and Faber can do that to him. Faber's a better athlete than Wineland and almost too fast to time, so that's probably outside of what is reasonably possible for Wineland to do. This should be another impressive showcase for Faber before a title fight later this year. I expect Faber to win by stoppage in the second.
Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus: Can Miller stop the takedown? Does it matter? Miller is a well rounded fighter with a good BJJ background. Shalorus is a wrestler with bad punches. Kamal's best bet is to swing and hope that Miller forgets the fundamentals and leaves a big enough opening to get hit. You don't bet on that happening. Miller wins a decision.
Nate Marqhardt vs. Dan Miller: Waste of time caused by Akiyama cancelling. Miller can't beat Nate anywhere. Only fear is that Nate the Great turns into a lay and pray machine.
Cro-Cop vs. Brendan Schaub: Smells like a setup fight for Schaub given how lousy Mirko has been for, gosh, 5 years? Schaub by decision in a tepid affair.
Luis Cane vs. Eliot Marshall: Tough fight to pick. Eliot is such a strong wrestler though that I have to imagine that Cane, who hasn't faced anyone similar ever, is going to have fits. Marshall by decision. Could be hotly debated after because of Cane's activity in certain parts of the early going.
Ricardo Almedia vs. Mike Pyle: How sad to see the Big Dog doing this. Pyle is, to be brutally honest, the better fighter at this point in time after Almedia took so many years off. Pyle is inconsistent, but as a wrestler he's still darn good, he's not easy to submit from the bottom, and he's a better striker than Almedia. Patrick Cote outwrestled the Big Dog - why expect Pyle not to? Pyle by stoppage late.
KSW 15:
Mamed Khalidov vs. James Irvin: What a sad fight. Khalidov will knock off Irvin's block. Dude is a mess on drugs and has no other options in life right now but to keep fighting. Almost tragic that it can happen.
United Glory Round 2:
Siyar Bahadurzada vs. John Alessio: Alessio is the best wrestler Bahadurzada has ever faced. I was stunned to discover that, but its totally true. On paper, Alessio runs over Siyar in under 3 minutes with a submission. The thing about this show is that the house promoter manages Siyar, so I can't be sure what sort of trickery may happen here. I stand by Alessio in 3 minutes by submission, but if he doesn't shoot, the fix is in.
Roan Carniero vs. Tommy Depret: Again, one guy here is the promoter's boy (Depret) against a more skilled outsider. Against the similarly sized and not as skilled Sergio Moraes, Depret was manhandled and finished in a round. Carniero may have activity issues, but he's fought top guys regularly and been competitive with them. He's a better grappler and he's a halfway decent striker too. He won't stand with Depret but that won't matter on my card. My card is the issue. I don't score officially. Some guys Golden Glory are paying will be. And they'll score a 3 round fight for Depret to my dismay.
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