MMA Thread 2011 edition: Death of a promotion

[weemadando]

UFC PPV numbers for next year are going to be brutal.

GSP out.

Brock retired.

Hope that Fox deal pays the bills.

[Edward Yee]

What interests me most is Fitch v Hendricks. I'd backed Hendricks (and still sort of am) on the grounds of Fitch's long lay-off and being in title contention purgatory being potential mental factors for him. But with an interim title in play, then there's his shot to hold gold AND get another run at GSP. And goddamn if that might even make him try to finish a fight.

Oh man did you call this one!

As for Overeem vs. Lesnar, from what I'm told, it was RIGHT IN THE LIVAH.

[Meest]

What a terrible main event, Brock looked worse than UFC era CroCop, couldn't tell if Overeem was patient or not sure if Brock was playing possum or just that weak. Don't think Brock can even go back to wrestling now his insides can't take much it seems.

[weemadando]

What interests me most is Fitch v Hendricks. I'd backed Hendricks (and still sort of am) on the grounds of Fitch's long lay-off and being in title contention purgatory being potential mental factors for him. But with an interim title in play, then there's his shot to hold gold AND get another run at GSP. And goddamn if that might even make him try to finish a fight.

Oh man did you call this one!

Currently ranked #73 in the tipping competition on Sherdog. YEAH.

[weemadando]

Brock's rich as fuck. He doesn't need to do anything. I think it was less a case of Brock being crap tonight, but Overeem actually showing up - unlike he did in his Strikeforce career.

[Solauren]

Actually, Brock could go back to the WWE if he wanted to. Remember, they're all trained to throw killer-looking shots and not actually hurt each other.

As long as he stayed out of gimmick matches and the like, (at least until his guts are back to 90%) he'd be fine.

However, I agree, Brock has enough cash, he can say 'screw this, I'm going hunting for the next 30 years' and be done with it.

[weemadando]

That was a fight I was there live for. Fucking entertainment plus. Lots of can crushing on the card due to matchmaking issues (2 promotions doing shows on consecutive weekends in a place with a small talent pool) but this one? This was great.

Had a chat to both fighters later in the night and both were still super jazzed about it.

[weemadando]

I hope you all realise that this is the line-up for UFC ONLY for the next little while

Jan 14 - UFC 142: Aldo v Mendes
Jan 20 - UFC on FX: Guillard v Miller
Jan 28 - UFC on Fox: Evans v Davis
Feb 4 - UFC 143: Diaz v Condit
Feb 15 - UFC on Fuel: Sanchez v Ellenberger
Feb 25 - UFC 144: Edgar v Henderson
Mar 3 - UFC on FX: Alves v Kampmann

and

Strikeforza
Mar 3 - Strikeforce 39: Tate v Rousey

WHERE IS MY FREE TIME?

[aerius]

As for Overeem vs. Lesnar, from what I'm told, it was RIGHT IN THE LIVAH.

He started well but after he ate the first knee he was pretty much done, the next 5 knees and kick to the liver was pretty much academic.

Also, why does every fighter go full retard when fighting against a Diaz? Cowboy was tooling the shit out of Nate Diaz in the 2nd round with kicks, then he gets to round 3 and goes back to trading punches. Seriously, knock him down with leg kicks, then get into halfguard or side control and hammerfist him, Diaz can't work subs or get scrambles from those positions. But no, let's go box with Diaz, and lose.

[weemadando]

The answer I like is "They have faces that you just want to punch" (thanks to that Beatdown After The Bell caller) and so people see them across the cage from them, with all that punch appeal and gameplanning goes out the window.

But I mean, it's not like Greg Jackson went: "FUCKING TAKE HIM DOWN" between rounds or anything.

[Sriad]

It's a common problem... when a fighter moves away from his comfort zone and into leg-kick zone and starts winning they often think (especially because, having been losing until that point by definition, they aren't thinking very clearly) "well, now that I'm winning I can win MY way!"

And then lose.

[Edward Yee]

If I recall, Cerrone admitted that Nate Diaz told him that Nate "didn't want to do any of that gay wrestling sh*t."

[aerius]

What the fuck. How the hell does AJ move up to middleweight and still miss weight by 11 pounds? Let me say that again. He missed weight by 11 pounds, and that's not a typo. 11 pounds. That's gotta be a record for missing weight.

[Koolaidkirby]

Apparently he was around 189/190 the morning of the weigh ins, but all those years of cutting to 170 from like 220 apparently caught up to him when he couldn't feel his legs, and the doctors ordered him to start taking fluids.

[weemadando]

Anthony "Creme Rumblée" Johnson is my favourite joke.

Or Dan Hardy's family delivering the burn:

[weemadando]

To clarify what my opinion is: This fight shouldn't happen. That's a huge weight difference and depending on how they're doing the fight-time weigh in (as Belfort specified that AJ can't be above 205 come fight time) Rumble will still be dehydrated and that's just not good. Depending on how credible the Dr story is, he either stays in the UFC or gets fired.

In a hilarious version, Vitor accepts the fight on the grounds that it's exhibition and doesn't count towards records and then comes out and Gonzaga Kicks Rumble out of the UFC. DQ loss sure, but exhibition fight...

[Edward Yee]

To clarify what my opinion is: This fight shouldn't happen. That's a huge weight difference and depending on how they're doing the fight-time weigh in (as Belfort specified that AJ can't be above 205 come fight time) Rumble will still be dehydrated and that's just not good. Depending on how credible the Dr story is, he either stays in the UFC or gets fired.

According to the UFC 142 Dana Vlog Day 2 video, Belfort was informed before the weigh-ins that Johnson was nowhere near weight, so Dana offered Belfort a 20% cut of Johnson's purse to make weight, or Belfort could choose to also miss weight and immediately begin rehydration. At the weigh-in, Dana White was telling Johnson that the fight-day weight limit of 205 was actually for noon, NOT fight time -- Mike Dolce predicted that Johnson would probably enter the cage around 220, with Belfort about 204.

[weemadando]

Like I said, Johnson needs a good Kongo/Napaoing.

[Edward Yee]

As of about an hour ago (midnight in Rio de Janeiro), Johnson was 211.6 lb to Belfort's 205.6 lb, three hours before the fight.

EDIT: Whelp, RNC @ 4:49 R1, plus a 4:59 R1 T/KO for Aldo.

[aerius]

Like I said, Johnson needs a good Kongo/Napaoing.

He got a quality screw job from the ref, those were the worst standups I've seen since the Arlovski/Nelson fight where they stood up the fight while Nelson was working a sub from side-control. I'm pretty sure the ref got some special instructions from the UFC heads.

[weemadando]

No one card should have all that violence. /Kanye.

Point one. FUCK JOE ROGAN. Jumping Yamasaki like that was bullshit. Strikes to the back of the head are illegal. Also Joe, you aren't the fucking commission. You don't have the privilege of doing refs over like that.

Point two. Jesus christ, Edson Barboza delivered an all time great ko. Serious ko of the year contender.

Point three. Aldo showed what a different level he is. Holding Mendes' hand to a) keep him in range and b) stop him from blocking it. And what a post fight celebration. Still, he used his free foul to avoid a certain takedown and that taints it a fair bit.

Point four. Still fucking Gladiator Man and Face The Pain. Urgh.

Point five. Palhares has terrifying good technique. Tomas Rios broke down that leg lock. So many points of leverage...

[2000AD]

Maybe I'm just being naive but am I the only one that finds the whole weight cutting and rehydration thing annoying? What's the point of calling someone the best fighter at a weight limit when they're probably fighting way above that weight?
Could they not have same day weigh ins or even weigh ins a couple of hours or so before the fight, so that people fighting at say 185 pounds are actually 185 pounds or less rather than 200 or so. Or is there some trick way to rehydrate with no side effects in just a couple of hours?

[Sriad]

Am I mis-remembering, or isn't "back of the head" actually just "all the way behind the ear" instead of just directly above the spine?

If that's right there were more like 3 or 4 back of the head shots.

Not that you NEED more than one illegal shot for a no-contest. And I sometimes wish refs would deduct points for blatant fence/shorts fouls; Aldo's was fight changing. Being able to cheat until the first time you're officially warned is kind of a big deal.

[Edward Yee]

Could they not have same day weigh ins or even weigh ins a couple of hours or so before the fight, so that people fighting at say 185 pounds are actually 185 pounds or less rather than 200 or so. Or is there some trick way to rehydrate with no side effects in just a couple of hours?

TL;DR: In the experience of Rosi Sexton (12-2 fighting @ 125 lb), they'd just keep cutting to make the same-day weight, even if it meant having to fight dehydrated.

[aerius]

UFC on Fox: Chael Sonnen vs. Bisping.

Let the trashtalk begin!