Erik "Nahm" Fontanez
Showing newest 11 of 23 posts from October 2009. Show older posts
Showing newest 11 of 23 posts from October 2009. Show older posts
It was reported early this morning, by several media outlets, that Thiago Alves has injured his knee and will be unable to participate in a rematch with Jon Fitch at UFC 107. Alves was a replacement for Ricardo Almeida who, ironically, also injured his knee.
Later in the day, conflicting reports surfaced that Thiago Alves is fine and is ready to go in his bout with Fitch.
Although Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves is an intriguing rematch, one cannot help but wonder..,what about Matt Hughes? When word dropped of Ricardo Almeida's knee injury, people started to talk of another opponent with Matt Hughes' name being thrown around as the favorite. Thiago Alves was then picked up as the replacement and people said, "Oh, well, I guess that's alright.".
Can we drop the charade? No one wants to see a rematch between Fitch and Alves as much as they would love to watch Fitch and Hughes go at it.
With the recent bad blood between Matt Hughes and American Kickboxing Academy, a Fitch/Hughes fight seems to be the most appropriate scenario. With Josh Koscheck already fighting at UFC 106 and Mike Swick at UFC 105, UFC 107 could feature a great bout between Fitch and the original farm boy in Hughes.
Theres nothing like a good rivalry to stir up the pot in the UFC. Every event has a pre-show that builds tension and sells the bitterness UFC fighters have for one and other. Some are merely to sell tickets, others are genuine. The recent claim by AKA fighters that Matt Hughes is ducking them is fueling a dislike between the former welterweight champion and the San Jose, CA based camp. The potential for great fights is huge if Hughes beats Fitch. Josh Koscheck and Mike Swick would surely be next in line.
Much respect to Thiago Alves, but, I'd much rather see Matt Hughes prove he still has what it takes to compete through a bout with Jon Fitch. The story line is just too good to pass up. Fans would love it. The media would eat it up. Joe Silva, make it happen.
If you've finally gotten over your hangover left from UFC 104, then make sure you're ready for another night out of drinking up some solid MMA with UFC 105 in Manchester, England. The bad taste left in everyone's mouth from UFC 104 can potentially be washed down with an underestimated fight card featuring a main event between former division king Randy Couture and Brandon Vera.
Randy Couture will be making his return to light heavyweight following back to back losses at heavyweight to current champion Brock Lesnar and former interim champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Dropping down a division could lead to a steady stream of victories for the five time UFC champ. Despite being 46 years old, Couture is still in great shape and as dangerous as ever. His willingness and heart have carried him this far in his career and combined with his solid Greco-Roman Wrestling, Captian America can give even the top tier light heavyweights a good run.
Brandon Vera was, once upon a time, the #1 contender in the heavyweight division. After losing his bid for the heavyweight title against, then champion, Tim Sylvia, Vera lost a second straight fight to Fabricio Werdum prompting a drop to the light heavyweight division. Vera started slow going 1-1 in his first two 205 pound fights, but, has since won two in a row with his most recent win over former Ultimate Fighter competitor Krzystof Soszynski. Looking solid in his last outing, Brandon Vera could potentially shoot himself up into top tier light heavyweight status with a win over Couture. This will, however, be the toughest 46 year old Vera will ever face.
In addition to a great main event, middleweights Michael Bisping and Denis Kang will trade blows to reignite careers.
Michael Bisping was last seen being put in a coffin by Dan Henderson at UFC 100, suffering his first lost at middleweight in addition to having his senses knocked into the next century. Kang has been inconsistent of late going 4-4 in his last eight fights after going 18-0-1 in his previous 19 outings. Both fighters need a win with Kang likely being the more desperate one.
Mike Swick and Dan Hardy will contest each other for the right to try at Georges St. Pierre's welterweight strap.
Hardy is on a six fight win streak with wins over Akihiro Gono, Rory Markham and most recently a split decision over Marcus Davis. Hardy recently spoke out about Bernard Hopkins and his opinion of MMA being a gay porno, offering to fight Hopkins, but, since Dana will never co-promote a boxing/MMA fight, Hardy will have to settle for Mike Swick.
Swick has lost just one fight over the last five years and is undefeated in his 170 pound tenure. The drop from middleweight proved to be a good decision since his last two outings have come by way of KO and TKO. Hardy is sure to have his hands full against a hungry Swick, but will bring heat to the man who coined the phrase "Swickinator". With both of these fighters being great stand up artists, this fight has potential to be fight of the night.
With the disappointment of the decision at UFC 104's main event, UFC 105 has a great chance of being a card to make up for a lot of it. No one should ever underestimate Randy Couture, regardless of age and Brandon Vera looks to have finally found his stride at 205 pounds. Michael Bisping and Denis Kang is interesting to say the least while Mike Swick and Dan Hardy will, for sure, be a great stand up war. Three solid fights with a healty undercard will make for a great UFC event. Not to mention...IT'S FREE!!! Watch it on Spike TV Saturday November 14th at 8pm.
Brock Lesnar added to the growing dislike by fans and media yesterday when he pulled himself out of UFC 106 due to a flu that has prevented him from training for the past month. Now, it appears that he has a whole new reason for everyone to hate him.Word broke earlier today that Lesnar attended a Minnesota Vikings football game on October 18, around the time he was unable to train for his UFC 106 title defense against Shane Carwin. Many gave Lesnar the benefit of the doubt saying that it wasn't a big deal for someone with flu like symptoms to go to a football game...until they saw this video...
Is it just me or does Lesnar look perfectly fine?
The flu can take a toll on people to the point of looking like zombies. Brock Lesnar, despite his enormous stature and superhuman strength, appears to be looking like he is not suffering at all. While talking to a reporter on the field, his speech comes across clear while standing straight up and unaffected by any weakness caused by illness. I smell a faker.
If Brock Lesnar is indeed sick and unable to train, why the healthy look? It doesn't seem as though his withdraw from UFC 106 is totally from illness, if at all. Could there be another motive behind Lesnar's absence? Family issues? Fear of Carwin? Who knows? If anything, the one thing that is evident is the fact that UFC 106 has lost some serious draw power, leaving UFC big wigs to scramble and put together another co-main event because Forrest and Tito ain't cutting it.
Rumor mills are spinning with talks of BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez moving their match up ahead of time, maybe even Cheick Kongo and Frank Mir stepping up on short notice. No word from Dana White or the UFC on if there will be another co-main event but I'm sure they are dancing around the idea.
The highly anticipated bout between UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and #1 contender Shane Carwin has been postponed according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo sports.
The heavyweight king, Lesnar, has been battling a flu for several weeks now and has been unable to train. Lesnar has had no other choice than to pull himself out of his fight with Carwin, disappointing, not only fans, but his eager opponent.
"Very disappointed", Carwin posted on his Twitter account. Not only is it hard to swallow for Carwin, but to hear about it through the media makes it even harder, "It's dissappinting hearing about your career and life through the media. Nothing from the boss's yet."
Shane Carwin was being held as the people's savior who can dethrone the unpopular champion in Brock Lesnar. Now, while the postponement is still fresh, the talk of moving the Tito Ortiz/Forrest Griffin bout up to main event status has been the most popular in the rumor mill but nothing has been confirmed.
The lack of a heavyweight title fight brings down some serious hype surrounding UFC 106, which is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on November 21st. There has been no word from the UFC on if Carwin will have another opponent or if he is scratched from card altogether, but, a decision will undoubtedly be made by Dana and company in the coming days, maybe hours.
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(UPDATE)
Looks like Carwin will get his shot at Lesnar but next year. Check out his Twitter post:
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"I just heard from Jason. Looks like it is posponed till Jan 2. I had h1ni myself and I understand how devastaing it can be."
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2010 is going to start off with a bang.
If you watched UFC 104 on Saturday night then you probably were pretty surprised by the decision made by the judges in the bout between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Shogun Rua.
Machida won a unanimous decision over Shogun to the utter dislike of the crowd in Los Angeles. In case you haven't seen the scores, here they are:
Nelson Hamilton scored the bout 48-47 Machida
1st Round: Rua 10-9
1st Round: Rua 10-9
2nd Round: Machida 10-9
3rd Round: Machida 10-9
4th Round: Machida 10-9
5th Round: Rua 10-9
Marcos Rosales scored the bout 48-47 Machida
1st Round: Machida 10-9
1st Round: Machida 10-9
2nd Round: Machida 10-9
3rd Round: Machida 10-9
4th Round: Rua 10-9
5th Round: Rua 10-9
Cecil Peoples scored the bout 48-47 Machida
1st Round: Machida 10-9
2nd Round: Machida 10-9
3rd Round: Machida 10-9
4th Round: Rua 10-9
5th Round: Rua 10-9
There is a theory that if a contender is competing for a title, then he must defeat the current champion outright leaving no room for discussion. The win should be definitively by KO, TKO or submission. If left in the hands of the judges, the decision will not be a favorable one for the fighter challenging for the title.
It appears the unwritten rule of beating a champion may have come into play at UFC 104 but that cannot be confirmed. All I know is I witnessed Lyoto Machida get beaten up for the first time in his career, in person.
Nahm MMA and Yoshihiro Akiyama
Nahm MMA and Sherdog.com owner Jeff Sherwood
Nahm MMA and CB Dollaway
Random guy excited
Nahm MMA and Shane Carwin
A packed LA Live event deck watched the UFC 104 weigh-ins today. Gleison Tibau and Josh Neer both came in over weight but agreed to fight each other. Anthony Johnson was the biggest miss in cutting weight, coming in a entire six pounds over his 170 pound weight limit. Yoshiyuki Yoshida agreed to fight Johnson despite the six pound difference. Here are the main card results:
Lyoto Machida (202.5) vs Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua (204.5)
Cain Velasquez (238) vs Ben Rothwell (265)
Spencer Fisher (155) vs Joe Stevenson (155.5)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170) vs Anthony Johnson (176)
Gleison Tibau (157) vs Josh Neer (156.5)
UFC 104 will take place on Oct. 24, 2009 at The Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.
Yesterday, at the Westside Pavilion, the UFC held a public press conference for UFC 104 which will take place tomorrow, October 24th, at The Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Fans came out in support of the UFC and their fighters, cheering for their favorites based on passed performances and popularity.
Dana White came walked out with the four main event fighters, Lyoto Machida, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Cain Velasquez and a bandanna sporting Ben Rothwell. Doing what he does best, Dana introduced each of his fighters with the enthusiasm of a confident salesman breaking sales records because he believes so much in his product, and justifiably so.
Ben Rothwell was the first to come to the podium and express his excitement for his bout with Cain Velasquez. Simply put, Rothwell referenced taking care of business on Saturday and doing it by handling Cain Velasquez. Out to prove a point, Rothwell sounded ready do what it takes to stop the climb of Cain Velasquez up the UFC heavyweight division.
Cain Velasquez was the next to come to the podium. He choose to voice no elaborate speeches, but expressed how great it feels to be fighting in Los Angeles. In an effort to reach out to the Hispanic fans, Velasquez spoke Spanish to the liking of everyone in attendance, cementing the UFC's stake on cultural diversity.
Number one contender in the light heavyweight division, Shogun Rua walked up to the podium and spoke in his native tongue of Portuguese. With the help of an interpreter, Shogun explained that he was thankful to everyone who is in support of him, media and fans alike. For a brief moment, he gave me a chuckle when he said, "Thank you for paying my salary.".
Light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida was flossing a stylish suit and displayed the professionalism he carries into each of his fights. The noble karate black belt was humble in his description of being a champion and illustrated the model of what young and even veteran fighters should be. Talking to the fans, Machida explained that LA is like a second home to him and spoke about how forward he is looking to his bout with Shogun.
When asked of his thoughts about there being a clash in stand up styles with Shogun, Machida explained that karate and muay thai will not be of importance on Saturday. The fight will an MMA fight between him and his former Pride fighting opponent.
Shogun showed much respect for his opponent and spoke of Machida's all around talent, however, he felt that he too is a great all around fighter and will show it on Saturday. He and his coaches developed a specific game plan to compete with and defeat the new champion in Machida. The fight is for more than title in his eyes, explaining that he also fights for his family, team, city, country and fans.
When asked of his concern for his recent knee injury, Shogun down played the knee and appeared as though it would not play a role in his bout with the champion Machida.
Being on the biggest stage in his career is not a big deal to Ben Rothwell. Having been a professional for 10 years, Rothwell feels no added pressure when asked if any lies on the shoulders of his 265 pound frame. Rothwell feels his obvious size over Velasquez will work to his advantage and plans to use it in their co-main event.
Cain Velasquez sounded very comfortable going into his fight with Ben Rothwell, describing LA as his source of said comfort. Unfazed by his opponents confidence, Velasquez was not concerned with Rothwell's size and answered questions in reference to his potential for a shot at the heavyweight title. Cain Velasquez will gladly place his championship destiny in the hands of the UFC.
Dana White fielded questions from the media and the fans. Still confident in the expected performances from all his fighters, Dana emphasized the return of the old Shogun Rua, stemming from his TKO victory over Chuck Liddell. The return of a fighter from major surgery is a difficult road. Dana feels that it doesn't matter who you are, it takes an extended period of time for someone to return from something like that, but, it appears Shogun is now done walking that road and ready to compete at the highest level.
The question of splitting the heavyweight division arose and Dana White was quick to shut down the idea that it would happen. The issue was brought on when Randy Couture came up to heavyweight, but, the UFC president is happy with the way the division is stacked now since not many fighters compete at Randy's ballpark 220 pounds.
In the closing of the press conference, Dana White expressed his own excitement, just as his fighters did earlier and recommended that no one miss UFC 104 this Saturday. The conference finished with a surprise appearance by Brandon Vera to speak about his favorite charity and a photo opportunity between all of the main event fighters in anticipation of their future bouts.
An excellent display of UFC public relations. I applaud them for taking the time to let, not only the media, but the fans ask questions about their favorite MMA topics and allowing everyone to gain some insight. Regardless of his opinion from critics, Dana White and the UFC were class acts on this day.
Nahm MMA and Vitor Belfort
Waiting for the press conference
Ninja Rua makes an appearence
Ben Rothwell at the podium
Ninja Rua makes an appearence
Ben Rothwell at the podium
Cain Velasquez at the podium
Shogun Rua at the podium
Lyoto Machida at the podium
Dana White at the podium
Velasquez and Rothwell ready to scrap
Machida and Shogun for the light heavyweight title
Shogun Rua signing autographs
Shogun Rua at the podium
Lyoto Machida at the podium
Dana White at the podium
Velasquez and Rothwell ready to scrap
Machida and Shogun for the light heavyweight title
Shogun Rua signing autographs
Shogun falling asleep during an interview
Nahm MMA and Ninja Rua
A lighter side of Brandon Vera
Nahm MMA and Brandon Vera
And, the shot of the day. Thanks Dana.
Nahm MMA and Ninja Rua
A lighter side of Brandon Vera
Nahm MMA and Brandon Vera
And, the shot of the day. Thanks Dana.
