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Monthly Archives: February 2012

Ben Asks: Should Frankie Edgar get an Immediate Rematch??

I say no. I have watched this fight over and over and I can honestly only give the first round to Edgar. I think Henderson won the second round even without the up-kick at the end and went on to win rounds 3, 4 and 5. A lot of people, including UFC President Dana White have claimed they think Edgar won the fight. Put the fact that Edgar looked like he was in a car accident after the fight out of your head and really watch the fight. Edgar caught some of Henderson’s kicks but pretty much all those kicks did damage and landed. Henderson kept the pressure coming and coming at Edgar. Edgar got 5 out of 12 take-downs and was never able to really keep the fight on the ground. Henderson won the fight in my opinion in what I considered a war. Henderson is one of my hometown boys and I’m not playing favorites cause he isn’t even one of my favorite fighters, but I think he owned rounds 2 through 5 and owes Edgar nothing.

Everyone thinks Edgar should get an immediate rematch cause that’s what he had to do. That’s crap! Just because one guy had to do it doesn’t mean that the other guy should. Edgar had to give an immediate rematch to Bj because everyone, even Dana White thought that Bj won, plus it was Bj Penn. Edgar did a lot of dancing in that fight. In the rematch he whooped a legend and earned his title. He lost the first fight with Maynard in my opinion, the judges screwed Maynard. So of course when there is a draw there should be a rematch and there obviously was. Edgar went into that fight and got pummeled again and was able to show the world that even “bullies” get knocked out and earned his title again. Ben Henderson left it in the judges hands and it’s not like the scores were close. He took the fight with two 49-46′s, doesn’t look that close to me. There is no reason that Edgar should get an immediate rematch for the title in my opinion.

I do think that if Edgar was smart that he would just drop down to 145 and he will get an immediate title shot at Jose Aldo’s featherweight title. The Edgar camp already claimed that, that won’t happen. They are making their case for an immediate rematch with Henderson. Now I know Dana said at the post fight conference on Fuel TV that Pettis will be next for the title, but now that Dana has said he thinks Edgar won. Look for an immediate Ben Henderson/Frankie “The Cry Baby” Edgar rematch. Sorry to all the Edgar fans out there but I think he is a cry baby and whines too much.

If or when this fight goes down and you disagree with me, Think you know MMA? Fantasy MMA at MMAVictor.com! Come join the fun.

 

UFC on FX2 PREDICTIONS FOR ALL THE FIGHTS By Jiggler

Main Card:

Welterweight bout: Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann:

I’m so pumped for this fight!!! Thiago Alves is my favorite fighter and this won’t be the Rick Story fight where I have to bet against my boy based on better judgement. I would actually have to give the edge to Kampmann just because he has been the distance more and if he can keep his distance and get the fight to the ground, he will have a chance at riding out a decision. That being said, Alves is finally taking his weight-cut seriously and is ready to get back to the top of the division. I see Alves using his leg kicks, speed and power to finish off Kampmann late in the 2nd round. Jigglers Pick: Alves TKO 2nd round.

Flyweight bout: Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani:

This fight is going to be so much fun to watch. Any mma fan that doesn’t know Urushitani is in for a treat. Yasuhiro Urushitani is coming off of five straight wins and the 123 pound Shooto championship. His hands and speed are a visual treat and fans are in for a great fight. Benavidez is coming off a strong win and who some considered an upset over Eddie Wineland. I consider Benavidez the smaller version of Urijah Faber and that is a good thing. Benavidez is going to be the stronger guy and can finish this fight with a ko, tko, submission or grind out a decision. I would love to see Urushitani score an early KO but I don’t see that happening. Jigglers Pick: Benavidez Unanimous/Split if it goes Sudden death

Flyweight bout: Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall:

All I have to say is, “Here comes Uncle Creepy” lol. Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall is probably my favorite to win this whole thing and be the first ever UFC Flyweight Champion. In my previous article in December I said that the spotlight might be a problem for McCall, but I don’t agree with that anymore. The cameras have been in all four fighters faces since February and all four should be ready for the spotlight. Johnson has excellent speed and great wrestling but he is fighting Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall, the reigning Tachi Palace Flyweight champion who is undefeated at 125 and is coming off four straight wins. McCall I think has more power, is quicker on his feet, better all around fighter and I think he is the better wrestler. That’s right, I said the better wrestler. A lot of fans are taking Johnson which is not a bad pick but I know something they don’t and his name is “Uncle Creepy”. Not only is he a great fighter and has already been fighting at 125 for awhile now but I  just like saying “Uncle Creepy”. Jigglers Pick: “Uncle Creepy” after 3 rounds unanimous.

Middleweight bout: Court McGee vs. Constantinos Philippou:

Philippou is a new prosect with KO power in both hands. I think Court is smart enough not to trade with a man whose legs are as big as my whole body. I have studied both men and Philippou has cardio problems and I know Court doesn’t. That’s why Philippou comes in looking to finish early because going the distance isn’t his favorite thing to do. This is the same guy who barley won a split decision against Jorge Rivera, who only strikes. I expect McGee to hit his angles, set up take-downs with strikes and win a decision. Jigglers Pick: McGee Unanimous

Preliminary card On Fuel TV:

Light Heavyweight bout: James Te Huna vs.  Aaron Rosa:

Look for an early stoppage or KO by Huna. Rosa hasn’t looked bad since dropping down to Light Heavyweight but Huna is a beast and future contender in my opinion. Jigglers Pick: Huna TKO 1st round

Light Heavyweight bout: Anthony Perosh vs. Nick Penner:

This has potential for KO of the night if Penner can land one of his heavy attacks early. I just don’t see that happening. Perosh will use his Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and get this fight to the ground for a choke or submission of some sort. Jigglers Pick: Perosh 2nd round submission.

Featherweight bout: Cole Miller vs. Steven Siler:

Cole Miller makes his featherweight debut. I would jump down a weight-class too if Donald Cerrone kept calling me out and I wouldn’t fight him. Siler will get out classed and tap in the 2nd. Jiggler Pick: Miller 2nd round submission.

Middleweight bout: Kyle Noke vs. Andrew Craig:

This is going to be a tough one. Craig is making his UFC debut and if you haven’t seen this kid fight or haven’t heard of him, don’t write him off. This is not like Anderson Silva is fighting in his hometown so I can’t give Noke the edge just based on that. I think it will be a long night for Noke in his hometown and UFC fans will witness the birth of a new contender in the Middleweight division. Jigglers Pick: Craig Unanimous

Welterweight bout: TJ Waldburger vs. Jake Hecht:

Hecht is a beast and will be ready to bring it to Waldburger, the only problem is Waldburger will be waiting. When, and I say when, this fight gets to the ground Waldburger will have controll of the fight but will it be long enough to secure a submission? That is the big question. Waldburger has the better sub game but Hecht is the more well-rounded fighter and is skilled in more areas of the game and that’s how he will win this fight. Jigglers Pick: Hecht Unanimous

Featherweight bout: Mackens Semerzier vs. Daniel Pineda:

I’m so excited for this fight and been following Pineda before he made his UFc debut one fight ago. This is definitely going to be a step up in competion for Pineda but Semerzier hasn’t expressed me latley and I see Pineda getting an early round Tko or fighting his way to a decision. Jigglers Pick: Pineda Unanimous

Preliminary card On Facebook:

Heavyweight bout: Oli Thompson vs. United States Shawn Jordan:

Shawn Jordan trains with Greg Jackson and used to fight in Strikeforce and will be fighting a guy I have been waiting to see hit the UFC Heavyweight scene. I still think Jordan will have the edge and will be looking to finish this fight early. Jigglers Pick: Jordan first round TKO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MMAVictor Presents UFC on FX 2 Alves vs Kampmann

MMAVictor fantasy mma presents UFC on FX2 Alves vs Kampmann and the semis of the Flyweight tournament. This should be an awesome event for the UFC on FX and for MMAVictor. We have some great leagues started and ready for this Fridays card. So, if you haven’t joined MMAVictor and you want bragging rights or to play for money, then what are you waiting for???

The biggest league started for this Fridays card has to be “WideGlides MMA Freaks” started by WideGlide. If you are a mma fantasy player and are unfamiliar with WideGlide, he is a big name in the mma fantasy community and loves to take players money. He has came into MMAVictor with gloves off and has called out all of our top players including myself (jiggler), tapout1, no joke and our newest writer Pete D. We all like a challenge and love to battle, everyman for himself, but now wideglide is going to have to deal with what we are now calling “The Fatal 4″ consisting of jiggler, tapout1, No Joke and longhorn978. We are not a team but when these four are in your tournament, look out cause a challenge you will get. ONE MORE SPOT LEFT FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS A REAL CHALLENGE!!!!!!! HURRY HURRY. $5 ENTRY WITH A $45 PAYOUT.

Thanks to everyone helping our site. A special thanks to Pete D. for all his help on making our site more known and for all his hard work on our blog.

 

 

10 Rounds with Eben Kostbar (The Hammer) – Interview

This past Oscar night I had the privilege of speaking to Eben Kostbar the  writer and producer of the Matt Hamill narrative feature The Hammer.  Eben is truly an amazing guy and his work on The Hammer was truly extraordinary. As most MMA fans already know, Matt’s story is truly an unforgettable one, but what Eben and the entire team of The Hammer did is something that no one should miss.  Honestly, if you haven’t went out and seen The Hammer yet, please go out and and purchase it now!  It is a must watch/have for all sports fans!

10 Rounds with Eben Kostbar (The Hammer) – Interview

MMAVictor Pete D:
Eben, first, thanks for taking the time to speak to MMAVictor.com!  Anyway, please tell the MMAVictor fans a little about yourself.

Eben Kostbar:
Sure thing, I am an independent writer, producer and huge MMA fan.  I grew up as a wrestler and football player, but my primary passion was always wrestling.  That was until I saw The Ultimate Fighter with Matt Hamill.  Matt’s story truly struck a chord with me and being someone who was also heavily into wrestling it only made sense for me as a writer to try and write the next Rudy story with him.   Honestly, Matt’s story is such an unbelievable one that it has been an unforgettable project for me.  Since then I have also started a production company with Joseph McKelheer called Film Harvest and we have 4 other films slated to come out including one with Jesse Eisenberg called Free Samples.

MMAVictor Pete D:
That is some incredible stuff Eben, very exciting!  What drove you to the film industry?

Eben Kostbar:
I went to a division three school and played football but was never the best athlete.   When I realized sports was not going to pay the bills I decided to try out my second passion – film.  Basically, I decided if I wasn’t going to make it playing sports, then it was time to try Hollywood.  I lived out of my car for a while and made ends meet with some writing and commercial acting. All the basics that most hope to get started with in the film industry.  Further, once I saw The Ultimate Fighter with Matt and fell in love with his story I decided to take the next logical step try to and write a sports narrative feature about Matt’s life.  Honestly, The Hammer was truly my first momentous opportunity!

MMAVictor Pete D:
For those who have never heard of The Hammer tell them a little about the movie?

Eben Kostbar:
The Hammer is truly the Rocky of MMA stories.  It is the classic underdog tale but this time real-life and with a deaf wrestler/MMA fighter.  This movie truly showcases how badass a guy can be on so many different levels!  Think about it, The Hammer is the first movie ever starring a deaf person who won a collegiate national championship for wrestling, competed on the breakout reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter and had a tremendous UFC run with remarkable wins over the likes of Tito Ortiz.  Truly one amazing story that will give The Blindside a run for its money.

MMAVictor Pete D:
What was your favorite part about doing the movie?

Eben Kostbar:
Without a doubt the real UFC fight that opens the movie.  If it wasn’t for Dana White and the UFC allowing us to film during a live UFC event I am not sure it would have came across as good as it did.  It really brought the movie to another level and for that I thank them so much!  Also, which this isn’t necessarily about the movie, but during the film festival run with The Hammer, we did get to meet the real life Rudy and that was an awesome experience that I will never forget!

MMAVictor Pete D:
What made you pick Matt and his story instead of anyone else?

Eben Kostbar:
I learned along time ago that you have to write something that you are passionate about!  I have always been a fan of the underdog story and once I saw Matt on The Ultimate Fighter I couldn’t pass up the oppurtuntiy.  We had so much in common and I was beyond fascinated with everything that he was going through.  His story truly touched me and I wanted to bring it to the masses!

MMAVictor Pete D:
What surprised you most about Rich Franklin’s performance in The Hammer? (I am not going to lie, it reminded me of Bret Hart in Lonesome Dove…)

Eben Kostbar:
Rich came into the movie with an extremely professional attitude and did a fantastic job. Rich has been taking acting very seriously over the past few years and he didn’t care about what role he had, he just wanted to draw people in and respect the role.  It also didn’t hurt that he was extremely believable as Matt’s coach and people loved him!  Overall a fantastic job by him.

MMAVictor Pete D:
What is next on your plate?

Eben Kostbar:
When it comes to films, Film Harvest has a couple of huge projects coming out.  One of which is called Fight Church, and obviously the Jesse Eisenberg one we talked about earlier called Free Samples.

Fight Church is a full length feature on the confluence of Christianity and MMA.  The primary focus is on Christina fighters, Christian ministries that train fighters and is directed by Oscar winner, Daniel Junge.  This project is going to be extremely controversial and dynamic and really going to open up some people’s eyes.  Think about it, no one ever really talks about Christians in the NFL besides Tim Tebow, but MMA fighters who are devout Christians and ones particular who train under Christian ministries are getting black balled.  I truly believe this project is going to open some doors and some eyes to something that is very much on the hush.

We also have that Jesse Eisenberg movie called Free Samples.  Free Samples is a story about a woman who drops out of law school to become a server on a food truck.  During the movie Jesse’s character tries to court her and it is really another great role for him.  I must say too that the movie is a very quirky indy flick that we are really proud of.

Lastly, I also want to note that I have another movie coming out that I have a role in from Anchor Bay called The Aggression Scale.  It will be premiering around the May timeframe so be on the lookout for it!

MMAVictor Pete D:
Where can people find The Hammer?

Eben Kostbar:
The movie is everywhere from DVD to VOD.  DVD’s can be found online at our website and also at Best Buy and WalMart stores across the US.  Although, they are selling out from what I understand.  Also, for those of you VOD fans, it can be found on iTunes, AppleTV, Netflix, Blockbuster, DirectTV and several other VOD platforms.

MMAVictor Pete D:
Please take some time and thank any sponsors, family and friends?

Eben Kostbar:
First I have to thank Matt Hamill, his whole team and the entire deaf community because if it was not for all of them none of this would have ever been possible.  I would also like to thank Duff Holmes, all of my family/friends, the whole cast of The Hammer and the entire crew behind the movie.  Lastly, the biggest thanks of course goes out to the director of The Hammer, Oren Kaplan.  Oren truly turned this project into one of the best ever!  Thank you all so very much!

MMAVictor Pete D:
Bones Question!  -   If you could work on one movie project – no budget – anything goes – what would it be?

Eben Kostbar:
Interesting, let me give you one already made and one never made.  First, I would have loved to have put my stamp on Rocky.  Truly one of my favorite movies of all time.  If I had an anything goes budget it would have definitely been the Dan Gable story.  I still to this day believe his story was one of the most amazing wrestling stories never to be told!  Hopefully one day I will be able to make that happen!

MMAVictor Pete D:
Thank you so much Eben, this was truly an amazing interview and we all look forward to your many upcoming projects!

Again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Eben for the time the other night and truly hope everyone enjoyed 10 Rounds with Eben Kostbar!  Lastly, for those of you who are interested in The Hammer, MMAVictor and Eben are going to be offering a special tournament for UFC 145 and the winner will receive a copy of The Hammer on DVD!  So be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks!

~Pete D.  (Follow me on twitter – @longhorns978)
MMAVictor.com Writer
Think you know MMA? Fantasy MMA at MMAVictor.com!

WideGlide’s UFC on FX2′s Open Challenge

For those of you MMAVictor regulars out there you have probably noticed a new power user WideGlideFTE1 on the site starting to take peoples money left and right!  I for one have fallen victim to him countless times in the past and hope to take him down this week!  Now, for those you who are unaware WideGlide is a top earner in the Fantasy MMA community and has decided to bring his talents over to MMAVictor on a regular basis.  Aren’t we all lucky?

Anyway, WideGlide has been gracious enough this week to offer up his top 3 picks for this Friday’s UFC on FX2. He has also called out all of the top earners here at MMAVictor to a custom tournament he created called “wideglides MMA freaks” for UFC on FX2.  This challenge extends as far up as the one and only Jiggler – current top earner at MMAVictor and Editor-in-Chief of this blog!

Something tells me Jiggler, No Joke, Tapout1 and everyone else at MMAVictor are not going to want to miss this challenge.  Bragging rights are on the line here people!

WideGlideFTE1′s Top 3 Picks for UFC on FX2

#3 JAKE HECHT 11-2 185LBS
Jake is on fire with a four fight winning streak and I cannot see him being stopped.  He has great standup and is slick on the ground.  I am looking to give him a solid third round win by TKO or submission on Friday night.

#2 DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON 14-2 125LBS
Coming off his loss hard fought loss to Dominick Cruz I see Demetrious pushing his way back to the top on Friday night.  I am looking for his wrestling and striking skills to take a unanimous decision victory over Ian Mccall.

#1 ANDREW CRAIG 6-0 185LBS
You really gotta love a kid who knows what its like to fight!  Being the younger of two boys who competed throughout high school and college this kid is ready for any challenge at 185.  Plus, you have to respect someone who took his dads advice of “If you love it, don’t have ass it!” I expect a second round TKO or early round submission for him on Friday night.

Well, now that WideGlide has shown his hands who wants to bring it to him – I certainly do?  5$ entry with a $45 payout plus bragging rights equals a fun Friday night!  What are you all waiting for – lets all try to shut WideGlide up!

~Pete D.  (Follow me on twitter – @longhorns978)
MMAVictor.com Writer
Think you know MMA? Fantasy MMA at MMAVictor.com!

UFC’s New Flyweight Division-(Repost from DEC)

UFC’S New Flyweight Division-Will Fighting In The Spotlight Be The Difference Maker?

                                                                                                               by Ben McPhee
      The UFC’s weight-classes are again expanding. The big news latley is the start of the UFC’s 125 pound Flyweight divison and their 4 man tourney starting March 3rd in Sydney, Australia on F/X. The four man tourney consists of two fighters that already fight at 125 making their UFC debut’s and two making their 125 lb. debut who already have UFC experience.  Will fighting in the spotlight be the difference maker?
     Yasuhiro Urushitani, who is coming off of five straight wins and the 123 pound Shooto championship, makes his UFC debut against Team Alpha Male’s own Joseph Benavidez. Benavidez is coming off a strong win and who some considered an upset over Eddie Wineland. The second fight will be between Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson who had four straight wins before a tough lost to Dominick Cruz. Johnson is set to fight the reigning Tachi Palace Flyweight champion, Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall, who is undefeated at 125 and is coming off four straight wins.
     On paper, Ian McCall is already a small favorite to walk away the first ever UFC Flyweight Champion. But in my opinion, if you haven’t fought on the big stage yet, then that could play in and be a big deciding factor. And yes, I think it will be one when Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall fights Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. Johnson was an underdog against Norifumi Yamamoto and former UFC star Miguel Torres before beating both by dominating decision wins. He then went the distance with Bantaweight Champion Dominick Cruz before suffering a close decision loss. That being said, I think Johnson will actually have the edge and fighting in the spot light will make a huge difference in this fight for McCall.
    Yasuhiro Urushitani is not a very well known fighter to some, but to true MMA fans like myself, he has not slipped under our radar but more like shined on it. Urushitani holds notable wins over Takuya Mori, Lorenzo Coca, Yuki Shojo and John Dodson. Could the Shooto champ have a problem fighting in the spotlight? Benavidez (15-2) also has a good amount of UFC spotlight coming off of wins over Ian Loveland and Edddie Wineland and has won 2 straight since making his UFC debut. Benavidez has also seen spotlight in one of his two losses to Dominick Cruz in the WEC for the Championship at the time. I think Benavidez will not only have the edge in dropping weight where he looks more comfortable but also in the spotlight aspect.
    Will Johnson and Benavidez win based on spotlight experience? It will be a big part but counting out the Shooto Champ and the reigning Tachi Palace Champion would not be a good idea. Benavidez’s punching power and wrestling with be a big test for Urushitani’s stand up and I think will be the deciding factor in this fight. Benavidez by another Unanimous decision. Demetrious Johnson was very close to becoming the Bantaweight Champion and with that mind set alone, I think he will win after almost tasting gold at 135. Ian McCall will be the true test but between the spotlight and the hunger in Johnson, I will have to take Johnson by early second round tko.
    Spotlight aside, Ian McCall will still probably be a small favortie to win the first ever UFC Flyweight Championship but Johnson is still my favorite to win. But never count out Urushitani and another favortie in Benavidez of walking out the new UFC Flyweight Champion. This new divsion has the talent to be another great part to the UFC fighting experience. With a bunch of great 125 pounders already out there waiting to be signed, all the way to fighters that could drop down to a more familiar weight-class, this division has the potential to be one of the fastest, most exciting weight-classes in the UFC.

The Forgotten Flyweight Tourney

I will save my UFC market saturation rant for another day because it looks like everyone is forgetting the HUGE flyweight semifinal tournament matches this Friday night.  I know with the UFC returning to Japan, TUF Brazil being hyped and TUF on FX hitting live TV next week it is easy to forget about the Alves vs Kampmann card.  Kind of sad if you ask me, but that is what happens when you flood the market with content and oversaturate your viewers.

Anyway, this blog entry serves as a reminder to everyone that Friday is not only Alves vs Kampmann, but two great flyweight tournament matches with some new rule enhancements!  The UFC acknowledged earlier this week that the Demetrious Johnson vs Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez vs Yasuhiro semifinal matches on UFC on FX 2 will have a “sudden victory” round.  Demetrious went on Tapout Radio and solidified this for everyone by stating: “If it goes to three rounds, and the judges can’t decide who the winner is, then we’ll do a fourth round.”  That is absolutely huge news that makes this forgotten tournament that much better!

With that said, I am going to make this card that much better by sponsoring a winner-take-all MMAVictor tournament for this amazing card which is on FX this Friday night.  If you think you can beat me sign up for MMAVictor here and tweet me or throw a comment below so I can add you to the private group.

~Pete D.  (Follow me on twitter – @longhorns978)
MMAVictor.com Writer
Think you know MMA? Fantasy MMA at MMAVictor.com!

Pete’s MMA Training Corner

When I first started training Muay Thai I was always hesitant when being squared up against a female in the mixed group classes.   I know, what is the big deal, it is only a female right?  True, but when you first start training combat sports the last thing you want to do is worry about hitting a girl.  At least that was the last thing I wanted to worry about.  See, I grew up in an italian household where it was was frowned upon to hit girls.  Too bad when squaring up in these classes the italian household traditions were only in my head.

Seriously, I remember the first time my instructor Nate said “DiLo, get in there and square up.”  Of course, I shrugged with an overall look of disdain because I just couldn’t and wouldn’t.  There was simply no way I was going to throw leather, no matter what Nate said.  That was until the minute the bell rang and I got hit with two teeps and a right cross.  Talk about a rude awakening within 15 seconds.  It only got worse from there too as I blocked several more simliar slick combos.

After these first couple of one-way exchanges it didn’t take me long to realize I needed to throw my old traditions out the window and start throwing.  For the next 4 minutes I did just that and felt terrible afterwards.  Literally, so low that I didn’t even want to look at her afterwards.  Thankfully, she was a sport about the whole thing and I will never forget what she said to me on the way out that night.  She said, “DiLo, you better bring it next week cause otherwise I am gonna drop you.”  From that minute forward I never again worried about squaring up in that class.

Now, if you haven’t noticed already this Pete’s MMA Training Corners main focus was females in MMA.  A very perfect segway into one of the biggest fights in WMMA history this Saturday night.  Miesha Tate is throwing her Strikeforce bantamweight championship on the line against Ronda Rousey and I for one cannot wait for it.  No joke, after going through all I have gone through in my training career I truly respect WMMA and everything WMMA brings to the table.

Seriously, MMAVictor fans don’t be afraid of something different this weekend!  Go tune into Showtime and enjoy a great WMMA championship battle.  It also doesn’t hurt that Meisha Tate is almost Gina Carano hot!  Come on – I had to bring that up!

Lastly, don’t forget to sign up for MMAVictor Fantasy MMA.  With another UFC card this week – what are you waiting for?  Time to sign up for MMAVictor and win yourself some bragging rights and cold hard cash!

~Pete D.  (Follow me on twitter – @longhorns978)
MMAVictor.com Writer
Think you know MMA? Fantasy MMA at MMAVictor.com!

UFC 144 – Post Fights with Pete D.

What an amazing night of fights last night from Japan.  Simply cannot say enough how great the entire card was top-to-bottom.  As you all know, I was worried about the crowd last night and I believe I was dead on with the exception of the course of boooos for Okami after his last second choke.  If the fight was in Vegas I would have expected the negative fan reaction, but definitely not from a Japanese crowd.  I guess time does change people after all.  Enough boring talk though, time to break this entire card down.

  • Benson steals gold from Edgar in a five-round war.  Now, I am not going to lie, I did not have Benson winning gold on my scorecards.  I actually had the bout 48-47 in favor of Edgar due to a 10-10 on my scorecard from earlier in the fight.  Yes people, at 10-10, something that judges simply don’t use enough.  Although, I can tell you right now Edgar’s worn out face was the primary reason for a Benson unanimous decision victory.  For those of you who follow my posts on MMAVictor, you all know I didn’t think Benson could win by UD, I guess the judges didn’t agree with me.  Anyway, after re-watching the fight this morning, I still believe Edgar landed more shots and deserved the win, but hey they don’t call Frankie the “Rematch” for nothing.  Expect Pettis up next for Benson and the winner grabbing Frankie in a huge battle.
  • Darth Bader makes easy work of Mr. Fat via unanimous decision.  As I stated yesterday,  after seeing Rampage bark about a fake injury and coming in fat for the fight I was switching my pick.  Thank god I did too, cause in my MMAVictor leagues that was 35 points for me!  Bader really showed a great game plan last night and his stand-up is 100% better than in previous outings.  He is a force to be reckon with in that division regardless of his win-loss record.  Rampage on the other hand, looked terrible all over the octagon last night and it is time to put him on the shelf.  His lack of heart and subpar effort shows he is well below the normal pecking order at 205 now.  Although, I would not hate if the UFC decided to match him up one last time against Rich Franklin.
  • Hunt destroys the dreams of Kongo via a quick TKO.  Not going to lie, I was shocked with this outcome.  Sure everyone knows Hunt had a punchers chance, but this was Kongo’s time to reign.  Further, Hunt is now an ugly 8-7 in MMA action and now he is asking for a title shot?  Wait, what?  Sorry, Mr. Hunt, but if you want a title shot you are going to have to go through a beavy of talent at 265.  Sadly, Kongo looks to have fallen in the proverbial heavyweight dumpster with this loss.  A drop to 205 is possible, but will never happen.
  • Shields disappoints against Sexyama via unanimous decision.  Someone wrote on twitter during this fight last night “How did Shields ever handle Dan Henderson?”  I thought that tweet summed up how Shield’s performance was last night.  Ugly, nothing special and confusing.  Sure, Shields did enough to win the fight last night by controlling most of  where it went, but it wasn’t that special win he was hoping for.  Instead, more questions were left unanswered.  Conversely, I was intrigued by Sexyama’s performance though, so hopefully Dana and the guys will be willing to bring back “The Rock” of Japan.
  • Boetsch surprised everyone in Japan except Joe Rogan in a stunning third round TKO over Okami.  I had to watch this fight three times to truly understand what happened since Rogan was going crazy the entire third round.  Basically, Okami dominated every facet of the fight until about a minute left in the fight.  At that point, Okami had a little slip, which was just enough to Boetsch to slip in, hammer some uppercuts and destroy Okami’s will.  I honestly feel bad for Okami, but these things just happen sometimes.  The bigger question that remains now though is Boetsch for real?  I don’t think so, but only time will tell with his next test.
  • Hioki impresses with a unanimous decision victory over Bartimus.  Again, I was really hoping for a Bartimus win, but I can’t say enough how impressed I was with Hioki’s performance.  From top-to-bottom his stand-up was phenomenal and ground game was just as stellar.  Hioki can and will be a force to be reckon with and I am excited for him in his early UFC career.  Bartimus now drops to 1-1 in the UFC and I am still waiting for his breakout performance former IFL fans know he can offer.
  • Pettis head-kicks himself to a title shot with Benson in a key victory over Joe Lauzon.  Not much to break down here, Pettis threw a kick and J-Lo forgot to block it.  The rest is history.  Being from Massachusetts the loss stings as J-Lo hyped this as the #1 contender match and sadly for him this is going to send him into the dreaded free for all.  There is simply no way that J-Lo is going to be able to handle Frankie or Guida, never mind Benson.  Gomi – maybe?  I guess now it is simply time to focus on the Pettis and Benson rematch that former WEC fans have been clamoring for!

In other action:

  • Gomi survived an early struggle en route to a powerful TKO victory over Mitsuoka.
  • Vaughan Lee submitted “Kid” Yamamoto with a sick armbar!  Go find it online if you missed it!
  • Fukuda handed Steve Cantwell his fifth loss in a row all but assuring a  pink slip for him via unanimous decision.
  • Cariaso rode Takeya Mizugaki to fairly weak unanimous decision victory early in the fight card.
  • Issei Tamura opended up the show with an increidble knockout of the night against Tiequan Zhang.  One of my highlights of the night.

For those of you who missed out on the card and MMAVictor Fantasy MMA you really missed a great time!  With another UFC card this week – what are you waiting for?  Time to sign up for MMAVictor and win yourself some bragging rights and cold hard cash!

~Pete D.  (Follow me on twitter – @longhorns978)
MMAVictor.com Writer
Think you know MMA? Fantasy MMA at MMAVictor.com!

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