MMA Hot Stuff

Strikeforce: Fedor VS Rogers Predictions

Here we are, only a few days until MMA returns to primetime television on CBS and Fedor makes his debut with Strikeforce! We're also treated to a title fight for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship, vacated by Cung Le, between Jake Shields and the always colorful Jason "Mayhem" Miller. We also get to see Gegard Mousasi and Fabricio Werdum return to the cage in action against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva respectively.

So you know the drill... my predicted winners in GREEN! 

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers

Does Rogers have a chance? Yes, just like all 31 of Fedor's previous opponents had a chance, and only one of them came away with a win (by TKO / Cut, hardly a win). You don't pick against a 97% winning percentage, and I'm not picking against Fedor.

Fedor is technically superior everywhere. Even though some say his striking isn't very technical (which it may not be by boxing or muay thai standards), he puts it all together so well that for MMA it is technical when you give consideration to takedown defense and set up. Rogers has power, and in a sport of 4 ounce gloves and multiple ways to finish a fight he certainly has a shot. As Mark DellaGrotte said in Kevin Iole's article on Yahoo! Sports "A perfectly placed punch can knock anyone out. Anyone". The problem is that Rogers has to land a perfect or near perfectly placed punch, which will be tough to do on Fedor given his footwork and agility. Ultimately I think this fight will go to the ground where the experience gap will shine through. Fedor wins by TKO / Referee Stoppage on the ground.

Disclaimer: Now if we're talking about betting the spread with my new shoe money, I'd bet on Rogers. I like the long-shots for the big payout! According to betus.com the current spread is Fedor -550 and Rogers +375! OH and because I AM a girl, I count my chickens before they're hatched/shoes before they're purchased: Here's what I want to get. Aren't they gor(geous)?LOVE!

Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Jake Shields (for vacant Strikeforce middleweight title)

Miller is a funny guy, the problem is Shields isn't laughing. Miller has proven that he can go the distance avoiding submissions against some of the best (see Jacare fight in DREAM), but Shields' isn't your typical Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He's all about pressure, passing guard, and making your life miserable if you're under him. The knock on Shields has always been his lack of ability on his feet, but in his fight against Robbie Lawler he showed he's not afraid to be there. Miller could use his reach and striking to avoid the takedown, but he will only be able to keep Shields at bay for so long. Look for Shields to secure the takedown, pass the guard, and finish Miller via submission.

Champ Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (non-title match)

Mousasi will dominate. Did you see Babalu? Out cold. Mousasi is a stud (at multiple weight classes). Technically sound. I see this one ending by TKO. Look for Mousasi to hurt Sokoudjou on his feet and finish him on the mat.

Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum

Even though Silva has a chin the size of a Rhode Island, look for Werdum to finish this one on the ground. His Jiu Jitsu is just too good. 

So gents, there's no need to leave your girls at home to hit the bar to watch this event on PayPerView. Since it's on CBS, throw a Strikeforce party at your house and get your girl engaged. Show her the shoes above and I promise she'll be hooked. On my site and the sport. Tell her more shoes with next week's predictions for UFC 105. 

While Roger's win against Fedor would allow those shoes to come home with me, I also have a bet consisting of bragging rights with Franklin McNeil! If you're not following him on twitter you should be. Did you see who he picked to win this weekend? If not, check out his picks on today's ESPN MMALive!

Friendly reminder, follow me on Twitter!

 

EliteXC: Kimbo Slice to face Ken Shamrock on October 4th

It's official, the Kimbo Slice show rolls on. It's been announced that Kimbo's next opponent will be none other than UFC legend, Ken Shamrock.

The two will mix it up in the cage on the next CBS event on October 4th in Florida. We'll get to see Kimbo and Ken on prime time television.

Kimbo is coming off a controversial win over James Thompson on CBS' first live broadcast. Many thought Kimbo tapped when he was caught in a standing guillotine, some thought the ref stopped the fight prematurely, and some thought he dominated. Needless to say, there are still some answered questions about Kimbo's talent as a mixed martial artist.

Although Shamrock leaves much to be desired given that he's 44 years old, on a 5 fight losing streak (4 by TKO and his last by KO, and all in the first round) and hasn't won a fight since 2004, he does pose a challenge for Kimbo given his submission prowess and experience in the cage. He's also a good fit for what EliteXC is trying to do, which is pull in viewers to increase ratings and get Kimbo some notable wins without putting him in too much risk of losing.

I think we'd all like to see Kimbo fight someone that's not well past their prime, but for now I think we have to settle for seeing Kimbo come up slowly. EliteXC can't afford to put Kimbo in the same situation Brock Lesnar was put in (fighting a former world champ that is still in his prime while he has limited experience). The UFC has multiple "Brock Lesnars" as well as the ability to continue his storyline after he lost to Mir, EliteXC has only one Kimbo Slice and they must protect it or risk losing credibility and fans.

EliteXC: Jake Shields to take on Paul Daley on October 4th

Originally we had reported that Jake Shields would be taking on John Alessio for his next EliteXC fight, however MMAHotStuff has learned that he will now be taking on Paul Daley.

The fight will take place on EliteXC's October 4th card which again will be aired live on CBS.The card will also contain fighters Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano.

Paul Daley is a Cage Rage veteran and a striker on a 6 fight win streak. But if you watched Jake's last fight you know he doesn't let an opponents win streak get in his way (Nick Thompson was on a 10 fight win streak).I suspect Paul will have his hands full with the Gracie black belt.

Jake had been rumored to be close to accepting a fight with Matt Lindland on the upcoming Affliction card, acting as a fill-in for the injured Vitor Belfort. Although EliteXC claims it was merely speculation, MMAHotStuff hears that the fight was very close to becoming a reality and that Shields was excited to take this fight and prove his metal at a higher weight class. I guess we'll just have to settle for watching Jake defend his welterweight title in EliteXC.

UFC Fight Night 14 Results

Here are the results from UFC Fight Night 14...

CB DOLLAWAY VS. JESSE TAYLOR
CB Dollaway defeats Jesse Taylor by submission (Peruvian Necktie) at 3:57 of the first round. For those girls out there reading my blog, the Peruvian Necktie is not an article of clothing.

KEVIN BURNS VS. ANTHONY JOHNSON
Kevin had been warned about poking Anthony in the eye and in the 3rd round while Kevin threw a left jab and his finger poked Anthony in the eye causing him to turn and fall (after yelling in pain) and then Kevin threw a right uppercut that just grazed Anthony... Kevin defeats Anthony by TKO at 3:35 of the third round. Johnson is gracious in defeat, as he's interviewed by Rogan he asks the crowd to stop booing Burns, noting that "it's a fight and things happen, give the man his props."  If you ask me it was a cheap win. I mean I know shit happens but what a shitty way to win. Even though I did pick Kevin to win this fight, I wasn't happy with the way it ended. Although, I also must say that I think Kevin would have gotten the judges decision had it gone the distance.

JAKE O'BRIEN VS. CAIN VELASQUEZ
I want to go on record and say you guys sent me a lot of emails giving me shit for picking Cain on this fight. Well  while I can't say I picked 'em all right tonight, I did pick this match up. Cain defeats Jake by TKO at 2:02 of the first round!
 
FRANKIE EDGAR VS. HERMES FRANCA
This was the one and only fight I didn't get right with my predictions. Frankie did an unbelievable job getting out of Herme's submission attempts. Hermes hit a beautiful armbar in the first round and I thought Frankie would tap for sure, but he managed to escape. The only other offense that Hermes could muster came at the end of the third round when he threw a nice knee as Frankie shot in, catching him flush on the nose and ringing his bell, but Frankie maintained his composure for the final few seconds. It ended up going all three rounds and in the end Frankie defeated Hermes by unanimous decision.

REESE ANDY VS. BRANDON VERA
Wow is about all I can say for this fight. I was NOT impressed. In fact I was a little disappointed with Brandon. I understand he probably had to cut the weight for the new weight class but I thought Brandon would eat this guy for lunch. That wasn't the case. It ended up going all three rounds and quite frankly was just overall boring. In fact the crowd booed. Don't blame them. Brandon defeated Reese by unanimous decision.

JAMES IRVIN VS. ANDERSON SILVA
Round 1 - The fighters touch gloves and the main event is underway. Anderson circles around from the outside.  He throws a couple low leg kicks, then steps inside and lands a 1-2 combination to the head.  Goldberg lets us know that Anderson's "precision is very precise."  :) Funny how everyone in the room burst into laughs at the same time. James throws a right kick towards the body. Anderson catches it and lands a perfect right hand to the button (that's a technical term for temple I'm guessing).James  is down immediately in the fetal position.  Anderson jumps on top and lands eight punches in a row, putting James out cold before the referee can step in.  Anderson defeats James by knockout at 1:01 of the first round.  Jame's right eye has a massive cut under it! I'm guessing that's going to bruise.

Anderson Silva is still the best fighter pound for pound in my book...

Tit for Tat: The UFC schedules a counter to EliteXC Saturday Night Fights

According to the UFC's TV Programming schedule, they are set to air quite a bit of MMA on Spike TV during the same time slot as the next installment of EliteXC and CBS' Saturday Night Fights on July 26th. The UFC has made no secret that they will counter every competitors show with a show of their own.

First they countered the first EliteXC / CBS event on May 31st with a tribute to "The Iceman", Chuck Liddell on Spike TV, followed by a replay of his victory over Wanderlei Silva. Next they countered the Affliction: Banned card with a card of their own, thrown together at the last minute, featuring Anderson Silva VS James Irvin as well as a host of other talent. Now they are set to counter the second EliteXC / CBS prime-time card with a whole host of programming on Spike. The line-up looks like this:

Saturday, July 26thMMA Television Schedule
Time (EST)	CBS / EliteXC	Spike / UFC
4 PM		UFC: Silva vs Irvin
7 PM		UFC Unleashed
8 PM	Live – Under card Fights	Ultimate Knockouts 5
9 PM	Live – Main Card	UFC 84: Penn vs Sherk (Replay)
11:30 PM		UFC 84: Penn vs Sherk (Replay)

They didn't go so far as to pull together another fight card, but they will be re-airing the very exciting UFC 84 card featuring BJ Penn VS Sean Sherk, Wanderlei Silva VS Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida VS Tito Ortiz and other great fights.

It's pretty clear Dana White is sending a message to every competitor that dare try and step in the sandbox, he's going to make them earn their share of the pie. The UFC, through it's wealth of fighter talent and relationship with Spike TV has the ability to pull this sort of thing off on short notice and wreak havoc on another promotions goal of attracting fans. The UFC currently has two attributes that no one else has, the ability to immediately put fights (new or replayed) on free TV, and consistent talent that is well known to the MMA fan base.

Unfortunately for competing promotions the UFC can offer high quality fights consistently on free TV. For Affliction, in the age of YouTube, it's tough for a fan to justify shelling out some hard earned money for fights they can watch later on the Internet. Especially when they can watch one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in Anderson Silva make his light-heavyweight debut on free TV.

As for the July 26th counter to EliteXC / CBS, that may be a little harder for the UFC to yank fans away from. After all, EliteXC / CBS is offering new fights on free TV, versus the UFC's re-run of older fights. The UFC definitely has the ability to make life difficult for new promotions trying to earn a fan base, and their tactics probably aren't good for the sport but then again the UFC isn't a sport, it's a business.

From my point of view, EliteXC has a few things the UFC doesn't on July 26th. They've got the rematch between Scott Smith and Robbie Lawler, Jake Shields fighting for the EliteXC welterweight title, and Nick Diaz fighting in front of his hometown of Stockton, CA. Sorry UFC, that's too much to pass up... which is why I'll be in Stockton watching the fights LIVE!!!

EliteXC: Jake Shields likely to fight Nick "The Goat" Thompson

As reported earlier, Jake Shileds is scheduled to fight for the welterweight title on the July 26th EliteXC card, "Unfinished Business". This card will be the second installment of CBS' Saturday Night Fight series and will also feature the re-match between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith.

MMAHotStuff has learned that Jake's opponent will most likely be Nick Thompson. Nick is riding a 12-fight win streak, with his last loss coming to Karo Parisyan at UFC 59 in April of 2006. Nick brings a lot of experience to cage with a 36-9-1 record, and victories over quality opponents, including Eddie Alvarez and Josh Neer.

Shields, on a 9-fight win streak of his own, comes in as one of the top ranked welterweights in the world, with quality victories over the likes of Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, and most recently Mike Pyle.

EliteXC: Jake Shields to fight for welterweight title (FINALLY!)

MMAHotStuff has learned that Jake Shields will finally be fighting for the EliteXC welterweight title! The icing on the cake is that Jake will get the opportunity to put his skills on display for millions of MMA fans as he is slated to fight on the next CBS Saturday Night Fights, EliteXC: Unfinished Business, scheduled for Saturday, July 26th!

Jake was originally scheduled to fight for the title against Drew Ficket on a Stikeforce / EliteXC co-promotion back in March, however Jake had to pull out due to back injury. The attempt to re-scheduled the fight ran into many obstacles, namely an injury to Drew Fickett. It was thought that Fickett would still be Shields' opponent when recovered, however he recently fought in a June show for Cage Rage, which begs the question, "I thought you were injured, Drew?".

Needless to say this turn of events didn't sit well with EliteXC officials, so Jake's opponent is yet to be determined. GracieFighter reports that possible opponents could be Nick Thompson or Jay Hieron. MMAHotStuff will stay on top of this story and bring you the latest news on Jake's opponent and preparation.

Shields is widely considered one of the top 10 welterweights in the world, with quality wins over Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, and most recently Mike Pyle. Known for his relentless style and amazing Jiu Jitsu (Jake is a Cesar Gracie black belt), Jake has won his last 4 fights in the first round, three by submission and one by TKO.

I'm guessing there will be more women huddled in front of their tvs watching this event, given Jake is hot! Don't forget to familiarize yourself with the MMA 101 basics I've outlined for you.

Good luck Jake!

ESPN MMALive: Episode 5

Here's episode 5 of ESPN's MMALive. Find out if Kenny thinks Thiago Alves deserves a title shot, and if he has what it takes to beat GSP. Will NBC begin airing Strikeforce events live based on the success of CBS' "Saturday Night Fights"? What's going on with MMA officiating lately and did CBS tell them to stop fights early so they didn't get too graphic and scare the primetime audience?

All of these questions are answered and more! Oh yeah, and we get to see Kenny Florian lookin' fly in a suit!

MMA Weekend: WEC & EliteXC Recap

What a weekend! We had quite a bit of MMA action to keep us entertained and glued to the TV.

First we had the debut of MMA on primetime television with CBS’ EliteXC Saturday Night Fights. According to The Hollywood Reporter the Saturday Night Fights Special brought in 4.3 million viewers, and that does NOT include the viewers for the main event, Kimbo Slice VS James Thompson.

The delays in the event pushed the main event of the night past the primetime cut off, and therefore will have separate rankings. Opinions of the broadcast seem to be varied. According to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, “there was more chatting than “The Tonight Show”, and “when it was 70 minutes into the show, there had been just 2:12 of fighting”. I definitely agree their production needs some work and fine tuning, but at the same time it must be tough to plan an event with fights that could last anywhere from 10 seconds to 15 or 25 minutes.

First topic from the EliteXC show is the fight between female MMA poster-child Gina Carano and Kaitlin Young. Going into this fight there was no question about which fighter had the better skill set, the question was whether or not Carano’s newfound success in Hollywood would interfere with her MMA career. Case in point, Carano didn’t make weight, and not by a little either, but by 4.5 pounds. In return for missing weight and for Young still agreeing to fight, Carano had to fork over a portion of her purse to Young (the rumor is 12%).

EliteXC Saturday Night Fights: Main Card Predictions

Alright everyone, as we approach the first ever MMA promotion on Prime Time television of a major network, I'd like to offer my predictions for the main card. Winners are in green!

• Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. James Thompson - James has a notoriously weak chin, not good news when you're fighting a notoriously heavy hitter like Kimbo.
  
• EliteXC champ Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith - This should be a great fight, but I think Robbie has been on a roll lately, although his recent lay off due to injuries could result in some "ring rust". Smith will present a good challenge, but I think Robbie wins.
  
• Gina Carano  vs. Kaitlin Young - Even though she didn't make weight, I think her skills are too much for Kaitlin.
  
• Jon Murphy  vs. Brett Rogers - Toss up.
  
• Phil Baroni  vs. Joey Villasenor - This should also be a good fight. But Baroni is notorious for running out of gas (see his last fight), and Joey is a very well rounded fighter. Baroni could sneak out a win if his heavy hands connect, but if it goes later into the fight (which I think it will), the edge has to go to Joey.