UFC 82 has alot of popular fighters in the card. Hopefully some of the fights end fast so we can see more of them on the PPV airing.



Anderson Silva Vs. Dan Henderson
(Anderson Silva Wins by Submission (Choke) at 4:52 in the 2nd round by rear naked choke.)
RESULTS: Henderson pretty much controlled Silva the first round, but then Silva activated his superior game plan in the second blowing through Henderson and dazing him at one point which was probably the main reason he caught Henderson in a RNC.

What a sweet fight. Partly because Anderson Silva has been so dominate since arriving to the UFC. Dan Henderson makes a comment about this on Jim Rome is burning show by saying he remembers when Silva used to lose in PRIDE. Dan said he would use his Greco alot, but be careful not to leave any space between him and Silva when the were in the clinch. Dan also said that in his first fight in a cage he was a little clumsy and tripped on the cage a little bit. A few pride fighters even like Wanderli commented on the sutle differences in using the cage. Anyway Silva does have dangerous strikes and Dan is aware of that, but he said that he personally hits very hard as well. Henderson said that a lot of the other guys Silva has fought very not good styles for Silva’s fighting game, but that his wrestling would help him control the fight. I think Dan will in fact control the fight and take Silva down and at one point TKO Silva. Dan via TKO in the second round.

Heath Herring Vs. Cheick Kongo
(Heath Herring Wins by Split Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round)
RESULTS: Herrings cardio was much improved like he said it would be. He did some pretty neat reversals a couple of time, but wasnt able to do much else. Kongo did have a much improved ground game really showing some new skills he picked up.

What a good comeback fight this would be for Herring. He has had some bad luck and poor conditioning in his last fights inside the octagon. His strength, size and technique in the past have been very impressive, but he has not been able to get any traction inside the octagon. Kongo impressed everyone with his last fight in defeating Mirko Cro Cop. His fights haven’t always been the most exciting, but he may be turning a corner as of late. I hope Herring brings his A-game and makes this an all out brawl like the old days. I will go with Herring winning via decision.

Alessio Sakara Vs. Chris Leben
(Chris Leben Wins by Technical Knock Out at 3:16 in the 1st round)
RESULTS: Leben and Sakara came out to bang in this fight. It was clear in the first few seconds of the round that this one would not make it past the first round. Leben caught Sakara in the chin one time and followed up with a couple more when Sakara hit the ground. Sakara kept his hand down by his waist for the first two punches so the ref stopped it. Rogan said that he could see it being a early stoppage, but for once I don’t agree with this. Sakara wasn’t defending the punches to his face and his hands were not doing anything else either.

Leben and Sakara have had some mixed success in the octagon. I think with there styles this will be a really good fight. Leben showed his all go no quit attitude in last fight with Terry Martin where his was losing the fight until the end of the fight where he knocked down Martin in a shocker KO. I might have to go with Leben getting a TKO in the third round.

Yushin Okami Vs. Evan Tanner
(Yushin Okami Wins by Knock Out at 3:00 in the 2nd round)
RESULTS: This fight was really similiar to the Silva/Hendo fight. Okami got dominated or I should say controlled by Tanner the first round and wasn’t able to mount his game plan. Then in the second Okami came awake in a clicnh and caught Tanner cold with a knee out of nowhere.

Welcome back Even Tanner. Tanner is a true veteran dating back to UFC 18. He has had some problems in the past with some of his “adventures” as he likes to call them, but he has of late been living and breathing MMA to prepare him for this fight. Tanner will be fighting Okami a very dominate and big middleweight. Okami will most likely put Tanner on his back, but he better watch for Tanners sick Triangle Choke. Okami might be one tough dude, but a choke is a choke. know I always tend to go with the veterans, but I would have to say that Tanner will submit Okami in the second round.

Chris Wilson Vs. Jon Fitch
(Jon Fitch Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round)
RESULTS: Wilson didn’t threaten Fitch as much with submissions as I thought he would until at the end of round one with a triangle. I know Fitch is on a really important win streak, but the UFC isn’t only about wins.

Fitch is riding a super big winning streak inside the octagon. He may have the record for the most wins in a row soon. Hopefully Fitch will be in line soon for the welterweight title along with all the other guys that deserve a shot. Fitch is aware that Wilson has long legs and likes to tangle his opponents up in submission. I really do not think that Wilson will be a match for Fitche’s raw strength and ability to control his opponent. I am going with Fitch winning RNC in the second round.

Jake O’Brien Vs. Andrei Arlovski
(Andrei Arlovski Wins by Technical Knock Out at 4:17 in the 2nd round)

This fight could win boring fight of the night. O’Brien in his last fight just kept taking Herring down and laying on him to get a decision. Herring was pissed, but didn’t do much himself to get out from under him. Arlovski should start to feel his back up against a wall and should come out in this fight as if it was his last. I will go out on a limb and say that Arlovski might catch Jake in a transition with a punch and get a TKO.

Luigi Fioravanti Vs. Luke Cummo
(Luigi Fioravanti Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round)

Both of these are exciting to watch laying out all on the line each time they fight. Cummo has been having the most luck latley with his improvements in each appearance inside the Octagon. I will go with Cummo winning via decision.

Dustin Hazelett Vs. Josh Koscheck
(Josh Koscheck Wins by Technical Knock Out at 1:24 in the 2nd round )
RESULTS: Hazelett had some killer standup and frustrated Koscheck for the first round. KOS did pretty good considering he did not have the reach advantage.

Josh was on a warpath before he got man handled by GSP. For a wrestler I was very surprised that he got tooled so bad against GSP. I heard Josh make a comment one time that he didn’t need to power lift anymore since he does it in some form of training. Alot of fighters are realizing that strength is still an important in the fight game. Dustin’s strength is his submission game, but the only guy to catch KOS in a submission was Drew Fickett, but after he was dazed by a strike. I think this one will probably go the distance with KOS winning via decision mostly on take downs.

David Bielkheden Vs. Diego Sanchez
(Diego Sanchez Wins by Submission (Other) at 4:23 in the 1st round by strikes)

Sanchez is coming into this fight to redeem his winning ways. He has been training hard a new camp and has re-introduced strength training back into his mix after the last fight against Fitch. Bielkheden is making his debut in the Octagon, but I think he will probably be overwhelmed by Diego. Sanchez via TKO in the first round.

Huge News for Xtreme Couture. ATT just got Marcelo Garcia, but Xtreme Couture camp just got Robert Drysdale. This guy has some new BJJ moves and has improvised a lot of the old BJJ stuff to make it work better when competing against guys that already know BJJ. His DVD set, Nth Dimension, is a good watch for anybody competing in No-Gi competition. He got popular after beating Marcelo Garcia in the Absolute during the ADCC 2007 competition.

“2007 Abu-Dhabi Absolute Champion, Robert Drysdale, is the newest member of Xtreme Couture. Robert just moved to Las Vegas, where he is living full time. He is
excited to be the newest addition to our Pro Team where he will train in
preparation for his MMA debut. Robert will be instructing the Pro Team in jiu
jitsu and will teach the jiu jitsu classes at the gym. He is also going to coach
our amateur submission grappling and jiu jitsu teams.”

Source:
http://xtremecouture.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/robert-drysdale-joins-xtreme-couture/

I am sure Elite XC wasn’t thinking of Yves Edwards when they said that people in this would become street certified after fighting in this event. Back in the day, Yves was fighting dudes in a high school gym NHB tournament just to get some experience in. When people think about some of the original threats in the UFC, Yves is on the list.

 

 

Yves is one of the UFC’s great lightweights, and one of the best strikers at his weight, but he has been overlooked over the past year or two because of some losses. Yves even made a comment about his fighting style during those losses with Sherdog, “I was doing the wrong things, like preparing for MMA fights, but going at as if I was a boxer and solely a boxer. That was, I think, the biggest problem.”

 

Known best for his great striking finishes, Yves admits himself that he forgot about the other parts of MMA that make it so appealing. Chuck Liddell recently has learned the same lesson. In Chuck’s last fight against Silva, Chuck threw in a couple of takedowns.

 

With all that being said, and Yves now training at American Top Team, I think he will continue on his winning warpath. Yves even mentioned possibly getting back in the UFC and doing some damage.

 

Article Source:
http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=11294

Good night of fighters again. The WEC and UFC Fight Night both free I might add, are becoming better than the PPV events. I think a couple of these match ups could go either way so that equals good fights.

Carlo Prater Vs. Carlos Condit
(Carlos Condit Wins by Submission (Choke) at 3:48 in the 1st round by guillotine choke)
It has been almost four years since Condit lost to Prater via Triangle choke, but I am sure it has been burning in the mind of Condit ever since. Both of these guys have fought some of the best and done have done well. This will be a match up so even that it will be hard to figure the winner. Both of these guys like submissions so it might end up being a standup war. It seems like that always happens. Condit has calmness about him while he fights that helps him look for mistakes in his opponent. Prater is a Houston guy so I know he doesn’t make any mistakes. So I would have to go with Prater winning via Submission in the first.

Jamie Varner Vs. Rob McCullough
(Jamie Varner Wins by Knock Out at 2:54 in the 3rd round)
This will probably be my favorite fight of the night. McCullough is just a bad KO machine. Varner is a slick dude with killer instinct submission skills and a tough chin. Both of these guys finish people very fast so it will so fun to watch these two guys lock up. Varner says that he does have a lot of striking skills even though everyone is saying that this fight will be a striker vs. a wrestler. He might use this fight to prove it, but I hope he stays safe and goes where he needs to depending on the fight. I really have no idea who will win this one. I will guess on Varner getting the upset with a slick submission in the second.

Miguel Torres Vs. Chase Beebe
(Miguel Torres Wins by Submission (Choke) at 3:59 in the 1st round by guillotine choke) - More like an upside down RNC like Mir stated
Beebe is so fun to watch because he actually gets tougher and more energized as the match goes on. He has fought some tough BJJ guys like Yahya and been able to get out of every submission hold. That knee bar especially was so sick, but Beebe was able to tough it out like the crazy guy he is. Torres has a great ground game getting a lot of people with submissions. The only submission that he needs to focus on are ones that will make Beebe pass out. Any pain ones and Beebe will probably power out of it like he did that knee bar. I think Beebe will wear him out and catch one of Torres’s long arms. Beebe is so tough so I am going to have to go with Beebe via arm bar in the third.

Most of us know the history of Mixed Martial Arts, and how it was banned from many states, before it became what it is today. In its infancy it was true to the fight purist–with no weight classes and not many rules at all. Some states allowed it even after it was banned in others, such as, Iowa, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Some states went out of their way to create laws banning it.

 

 A lot has changed since then, with almost all of these states having brought back MMA events under their own athletic commissions. Some are still either trying to bring it back through passing new state bills and others are still not addressing it as an issue. I want to take a look at the few states left that still have MMA as an illegal event.

 

Tennessee’s Boxing Administrator, Charlie Patterson, said when asked about it, “No bills are currently in progress, but there is discussion in committees.” He is referring to a Tennessee government document that states, “AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 68, Chapter 115, relative to professional boxing, mixed martial arts, sparring or wrestling matches or exhibitions.” Although there are things in the works in a positive direction, it may be another two years before Tennessee sees its first MMA event. This is the usual timeline that a state goes through once a need like this is identified and agreed on. Click HERE for the document.

 

West Virginia’s State Athletic Commission Chairman, Steven A. Allred, answered some questions for me as well. He told me that MMA is currently illegal under Legislative Rule 177-1-48 (48.1 - 48.2 a thru j). He also stated, “The Commission is made up of five (5) individuals, all of which at this time strongly oppose the legalization of MMA in West Virginia. Previous efforts by MMA supporters and one particular promoter to legalize the activity approximately 4 years ago was soundly defeated by both chambers of the legislature on unanimous votes.” The vote was so unanimous, West Virginia’s own House and Senate all voted against it. It was 100-0 in the Senate and 34-0 in the Senate. I explained to Steve that a lot has changed in MMA in four years, but there still were things that concerned him. He mentioned that striking a downed opponent, and using elbows and knees were what he deemed as a threat to the fighter’s safety. He also believes that fighters will have severe orthopedic problems in the future. He did make note that he is only one among many in his state that oppose it, but he somehow takes most of the MMA criticism from the public. So much, in fact, that he and some members of his family have received threats.

 

 The pressure will only build over time, with many states around West Virginia legalizing MMA, thereby bringing in new tax revenue. Steve even mentioned that he got a call from Ohio’s state commissioner, Bernie Profato, and he too mentioned the great tax revenue being generated by the new sport. Steve also mentioned that they might feel  pressure initially from the casinos operating in West Virginia.

 

 Mr. Allred was very professional with these questions I asked him and very objective while discussing it. I should also mention that he even took private Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lessons for one year to better understand the sport andmake a better decision regarding it. Even so, it doesn’t look like any MMA events will be held in West Virginia anytime soon. The barrier from making MMA legal seems to be the commission members as well as the House and Senate. The West Virginia rules banning MMA can be viewed HERE.

 

Pennsylvania’s State Athletic Commission Executive Director, Gregory Sirb, on February 7th 2008 said, “We are in the process of completing our rules/regulations - thus MMA events should be legal in PA within the next 6-8 months.” In July of 2007, Pennsylvania voted to approve draft regulations that allow Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events within the state. Previously in July they said it may take 12-18 months until these rules can take effect. It sounds to me like they have prepared them sooner and are getting closer every day. To view their SAC website about MMA click HERE.

 

South Carolina’s State Athletic Commission Assistant Deputy Director Randy Bryant was quick and to the point about their current status. He said that is was still illegal and there were not any current plans to make it legal.

 

Maryland’s Executive Director of the Maryland State Athletic Commission, Patrick Pannella, also weighed in on the current status of MMA in their state. He said that the legislature is reviewing how they could create the proper laws to bring it to pass and govern it. Patrick’s attitude on the situation is that the MSAC is completely neutral and they have complete confidence that the Maryland Legislature will do what’s right.

 

 Once a bill is drawn up, the MSAC will be able to weigh in on their thoughts. It may take the conventional year to get it completely done, but until then, as Patrick described it, “If anything is not regulated by the MSAC then it is illegal.” To view the latest on it click HERE.

 

North Carolina’s General Counsel, Marvin R. Waters, with the NC Dept. of Crime Control and Public Safety, had this to say about their current status, “Session Law 2007-490 (An Act To Define and Regulate Mixed Martial Arts…)became law on August 30, 2007. MMA, whether professional or amateur, is added to the events allowed by law and which are regulated by the NC Alcohol Law Enforcement Division (ALE) of the Dept. of Crime Control and Public Safety. See the amended G.S. 143-652.1. However, ALE must go through the Administrative Code Rules process of G.S. Chapter 150B to adopt rules BEFORE events can take place. The Rules process is being followed, and it is hoped that rules will be in place within the next two months which will allow for both Professional and Amateur MMA.” Click HERE to view the amended Bill. Get ready North Carolina, it sounds like the first MMA event will take place in three or so months.

 

Michigan’s Rep., Barbara Farrah, on May 30, 2007 introduced a bill to allow “ultimate fighting championships” or “mixed martial arts” events, which are defined as unarmed combat involving a combination of techniques from different disciplines of the martial arts including grappling, kicking, jujitsu, and striking. The bill revises the existing fees, licensure standards and regulations on boxing matches to incorporate ones for these events”. This was also signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on December 20, 2007. To view the latest document click HERE.

 

I was not able to get any comment from representatives of other states, such as, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine. It is my hope that these states are either working on this issue or at least addressing it. I am sure it will be something that will come up in the future for them if it already has not. One of the commissions I talked to said that MMA could very possibly be just another fad. If this is the case then perhaps the conservative approach is the best solution, but if it isn’t a fad, then what?

Marcelo Garcia is coming out with a book. He has in the past released a few DVD’s, but this book will be one of his first.

Order now to have your copy in-hand on the release date of March 15, 2008!

Marcelo Garcia, winner of five Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championships and a man many feel is the best pound-for-pound submission grappler of all time, unveils the secrets behind the most effective guard system in existence-the X-Guard.

Unlike most jiu-jitsu instructional books, Garcia leaves no stone unturned. Not only does he show you how to sweep your opponent using the X-Guard from nearly every control position, he shows you how to do it both with a gi and without.

Covering everything from grips to timing, this book will be a savior to anyone wishing to compete in jiu-jitsu tournaments, no-gi grappling competition or mixed martial arts.

Source:

http://secure.sherdog.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=511

Last night at UFC 81 might be a blast from the past in regards to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Remember back when you only had to be good at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to beat up guys in the UFC? With all the talk about the importance of being a well rounded MMA fighter over the past few years, UFC 81 may have come a shock to some. We saw two heavyweights take a serious beating from their opponents, only to submit them. Lets take a look at both of the heavyweight fights from UFC 81.

 

Brock Lesnar came in powerful as ever as he had to cut weight just to make the 265 lb. limit for the heavyweight division. Mir weathered the storm and started fishing for submissions, going after the arm bar first. He couldn’t get it locked in due to the shear size of Lesnar’s arms. Mir said that wrestlers were prone to leaving themselves open to foot locks. Well, he was right, because even with Lesnar’s impressive wrestling background, he left himself wide open for a knee bar.

Everybody was saying that Nog was training hard for this fight and he looked to be physically in great shape. When the fight started, Sylvia proved to push the pace and pick Nog apart slowly with strikes. Tim got out of every guard Nog had him in. Nog got him down in side control, but it was at the very end of the round as the bell rang. Tim clinched well and really left the fight out in the open utilizing his strikes. Nog’s face was really a bloody mess. Nog tangled Sylvia in his guard and never let him out and worked for a couple of submissions until Tim made one mistake, that was all he needed to catch Tim in a Guillotine. Nog hasn’t ever been knocked out, even fighting the greatest in MMA history. Nog proves that if you can’t take a good BJJ guy out he will catch you sooner or later if he is given enough time.

I am not saying you don’t need all the tools to be a MMA fighter. Alberto Crane and Marcelo Garcia have learned this early in their MMA careers. The MMA evolution has appeared to have early fighters great at one and hardly knew any other arts. Then fighters became great at one and practiced the other arts just to be familiar with them. Still, a lot of fighters these days are able to know all of them, but be great at only one. If I had to pick the one, it would be Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. As you can see after last night, it still proves to be one of the best out there in MMA today.