MMA Hot Stuff

UFC 87: Post-Fight Interviews

Here are some of the post-fight interviews from UFC 87. As always the fighters show great class in speaking of each other. A note to Brock Lesnar, you need learn more about what to do in the post-fight press conferences as well as what to do in the Octogon. Just an FYI..

Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta discuss their fight, and Kenny talks about a fight with BJ Penn.

GSP discusses his fight with Jon Fitch and his thoughts on taking on all challengers. GSP is a true champion.

UFC 87 Results

Here are the high level results for ya.

GSP vs Fitch

Judges Decision! The official judges see the contest 50-43 and 50-44 (twice) for Georges St. Pierre. It was a great fight. GSP did clearly win/dominate the fight but hats off to Jon. He did a great job against a very tough opponent.

After the fight, as expected GSP called out BJ Penn. While I can't wait to see that fight happen, I would like to throw an idea out to Joe Silva and suggest Jake Shields and GSP meet up at some point!

Kenny Florian vs Roger Huerta

Judges decision - unanimous decision winner Florian!

Kenny you continue to look great!

Brock Lesnar vs Heath Herring

All three official judges see the bout 30-26 for Brock Lesnar. Wow this was NOT an exciting fight. In fact:

Dear Brock

Congratulations on defeating Heath Herring. No, really. A win is a win. Or is it? You had ONE good punch on the guy. The replays showed the same (one) punch over and over again! And you had at LEAST 15 pounds on him - that was at weigh-ins but who knows how much more you weighed tonight.

You hit him a couple of times, but didn't really rock his house. You had him in every dominating position possible, and didn't do anything with it. You didn't take his back. You didn't choke him out. You weren't even close to getting him in an arm bar.

You just used your weight advantage and laid on him. Lay and wait.

Then after the judges decision -why the hell it even went to judges decision is beyond me - you did the happy dance and a flex as if you had just won a WWE Title Belt. Much like this one here you can buy from Amazon.

No, you're not a big name in the heavyweight class for the UFC. Andrei Arlovski, Randy Couture, Frank Mir - those my friend are big names.

You've got a long ways to go to be a contender for any belt with the UFC or with Amazon. Show some respect to your opponents and fellow fighters. Don't get cocky and learn a legitimate move or two.

Dana White & Rampage in Minnesota

Yay, Dana did another video-post. Two of the best things about this video...

Seeing Rampage looking happy and healthy.
Hearing Dana call Tito a retard (again).

p.s. Dana that room key is almost as big as Tito's fat head.

Update: Dana White thinks Tito is a moron!

Have you heard? Dana White doesn't think too much of Tito. Apparently Dana thinks Tito is "an idiot", "a moron", and hopes Tito and Jenna's kid "looks like Jenna". Who knew? (Kidding of course)

Dana White did an interview in Minneapolis while at the press events for UFC 87. You can hear it here.

I must admit, as abrasive as Dana can be he is a funny S.O.B. He talks about the rumor that Tito has signed a ground-breaking deal with Affliction, and how "excited" he is that he can lay money down to watch Tito and Babalu fight (two guys that got knocked out by Chuck).

He also discusses the latest with Rampage and his brush with Johnny Law, as well as the lady accusing Rampage of causing her miscarriage.

What does Dana think of Roger Huerta's latest comments about the way the UFC treats their fighters?

And most importantly (and probably the most entertaining part of the interview), hear about the law suit Dana is involved in regarding the pool he's building in his back yard. I love his thoughts on "rich people".

ESPN MMA Live: Episode 13

Episode 13 of ESPN's MMA Live. This week we get a recap of the WEC event this past Sunday, as well as a nice preview of UFC 87 this weekend.

What does Frank Mir think of Brock Lesnar's chances this weekend against Heath Herring? And just how much potential does Lesnar have? Hear it from a guy that experienced it first hand.

What do Kenny Florian's colleagues think of his chances against Roger Huerta this weekend? And what about the main event between GSP and Jon Fitch? Find out here!

UFC 87 SEEK and DESTROY Predictions

This Saturday, Georges 'Rush' St-Pierre defends the UFC® Welterweight Championship at UFC® 87: SEEK AND DESTROY, as number one contender Jon Fitch steps up to take on the newly crowned champion. Then, hometown hero Brock Lesnar returns to the Octagon™ to seek redemption in the Heavyweight Division. Plus, in what could end up being the matchup of the year, lightweight contenders face off as Kenny 'KenFlo' Florian battles Roger 'El Matador' Huerta.

Here are my predictions for the main card.

Georges St-Pierre Vs. Jon Fitch
This is without a doubt going to be a great fight. While GSP has had some perfect match ups, I think this one may surprise people. We'll either see GSP showcase his ability or we'll see Jon push GSP to limits until now unseen.

GSP will enter the fight with a record of 16-2 with some major wins under his belt. Those wins include Matt Serra, Matt Hughes (twice), Josh Koscheck, Bj Penn, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg and Karo Parisyan. His two losses were against Matt Serra and  Matt Hughes.  I need to make the disclaimer that I'm a huge  Matt Serra fan, but having said that his win over GSP was a fluke, in my opinion.  He trains with some big guys and heavy hitters such as Rashad 'Sugar' Evans and Keith "the Dean of Mean" Jardine.

Jon  comes with a record of  19-2 with wins over Chris Wilson, Diego Sanchez, Thiago Alves, Alex Serdyukov and Shonie Carter. Jon has a wrestling background (at Purdue) and is a jiu-jitsu black belt.

Fitch began his career at Light-Heavyweight with a record of four wins, two losses, and one No Contest. Understanding that the sport required cross training in the martial arts, Fitch soon left for San Jose, California to train with the American Kickboxing Academy and has been undefeated since.

In his next seven fights, Fitch amassed wins over fighters such as Shonie Carter, Alex Serdyukov, and Jeff Joslin. After failing to make the selection process for the first season of The Ultimate Fighter – a last-minute decision by the production team that left Fitch stranded in an airport with his luggage already boarded – he earned a shot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 3, 2005 where Fitch defeated Brock Larson in a middleweight bout.

Soon after, Fitch dropped to the welterweight division and won his next six fights. With victories over Josh Burkman, Thiago Alves, Luigi Fioravanti and Diego Sanchez, Fitch was now seen as a welterweight contender. On march 1st, 2008 Fitch defeated Chris Wilson by unanimous decision at UFC 82. This marked his 8th consecutive victory in the UFC, tying the record set by Royce Gracie for most consecutive wins in the UFC. UFC President Dana White has recently praised Fitch's performances inside the Octagon, and indicated that Fitch would fight the winner of the GSP vs Matt Serra Welterweight title fight.

My prediction is this fight will come down to two things. GSPs overall athletic ability and the fact that Jon is known for having a late start, I predict GSP takes this win and continues to hold the belt.

Brock Lesnar Vs. Heath Herring
There's one thing you can say about Brock and that is he's a great and established wrestler. And wrestlers do well in MMA... He wrestled throughout his four years at college (University of Minnesota on a full wrestling scholarship) and at the end of his college career has a record of 106-5 taking some key titles such as two-time NJCAA All-American, two-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and the 2000 NCAA heavyweight champion.
After college he made a career in the WWE. I'm not going to go into depth with his "titles" while in the WWE because I don't really think much of it. Sorry, but it's true. It's fake.
After leaving the-so-fake-WWE he entered the NFL and "played" for the Minnesota Vikings.
But since entering the world of MMA he has a record of 1-1. He won his first fight against Min Soo Kim, whom Brock defeated by submission (via strikes) in under two minutes of the first round. During his second fight (and first in the UFC) was against Frank Mir. When they met at UFC 81, Lesnar secured an early takedown, but was deducted a point for hitting Mir at the back of the head. Brock this is MMA/UFC not WWE! Following another takedown by Lesnar, Mir managed to secure a kneebar and force a submission at 1:30 of the first round. And the kicker is Brock was paid $250,000 for losing the fight whereas Frank Mir received $80,000.

Heath "the Crazy Horse" comes to us with a record of 28-13. And none of his fights included a folding chair or costumes. To be honest, I'm not quite sure why Brock Lesnar, at 1-1 in his MMA career, is favored over Heath Herring at 28-13. I would be all over this. Heath has fought the best and toughest at heavyweight, and often made it very close. He's on a new strength and conditioning program and is coming off a victory over a very big and strong Cheick Kongo, so he knows how to fight bigger and strong opponents. Herring did have some problems with a wrestler when he lost to Jake O'Brien over a year ago, but I think his experience and toughness will win this fight for him. I don't think Brock has what it takes yet to compete with a veteran like Herring. My predictions for this fight goes to Heath.

Kenny Florian Vs. Roger Huerta
I'm most looking forward to this fight!

KenFlo comes to this fight with a record of 10-3 and is on a four fight winning streak. His three losses are with big name fighters that went to the judges decision with the exception of Diego Sanchez.  As Joe Rogan likes to say, Kenny has elbow strikes that are "razor sharp" and known to leave his opponents bloody and beaten.

Roger "El Matador" Huerta has a record of 25-1-1-1. Since entering the UFC he has won all six of his fights with his latest fight against Clay Guida.

His one and only loss came as a result of a dislocated jaw early in the finals of the SuperBrawl 36 tournament against Ryan Schultz on June 18, 2004, his third match of the day.

This is a tough one to predict, but I'm going to give this to Kenny, and I do think it's going to the judges.

UFC 87 Tickets are STILL available?!

Maybe it's the location?
Because it's definitely NOT the card that's preventing people from buying tickets to one of the most anticipated fights in quite some time.

This Saturday,Georges 'Rush' St-Pierre defends the UFC Welterweight Championship at UFC 87: SEEK AND DESTROY, as number one contender Jon Fitch steps up to take on the newly crowned champion. Then, hometown hero Brock Lesnar returns to the Octagon to seek redemption in the Heavyweight Division. Plus, in what could end up being the matchup of the year, lightweight contenders face off as Kenny 'KenFlo' Florian battles Roger 'El Matador' Huerta.

If you live in or around Minneapolis, you do NOT want to miss these fights.
And if you aren't able to attend the fight, check out my post listing bars in your neighborhood showing the PPV fights.

For tickets go to www.ticketmaster.com
Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Doors to the Target Center open at 6pm CT
First bout is scheduled to begin at 7pm CT
Live on television at 9pm CT

My prediction post will be coming later today...

UFC 87: List of bars showing UFC 87. Where will you be?

UFC 87 promises to be an exciting event, whether you're looking forward to GSP VS Fitch, Lesnar VS Herring, or Florian VS Huerta, there's a fight for everyone. Here's a list of bars showing the fight for your viewing pleasure. Don't miss it!

UFC 87: Preview Video

Check out this video preview for UFC 87! I can't wait for Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta to face off!

If I were a betting girl...

Welcome to the first installment of "If I was a betting girl" (which I am by the way... did I mention I won $230 on Forrest's victory over Rampage?)! In this post I'll be discussing the odds on some upcoming fights that I find too hard to resist. Now mind you, when it comes to MMA I like to bet on the underdogs. First off, it makes it more fun and second I find it hard to lay down $100 to win $20 on a sport where anything can happen (see Matt Serra over GSP).

I decided after my win last weekend on Forrest vs Rampage to share my thoughts on upcoming fights for those of you looking for some help in placing your bets.
** These odds were taken from Sportsbook.com on 7/10/09.

Here we go, let's start with the July 19th UFC event feature Anderson Silva:

• Anderson Silva (-600) VS James Irvin (+400) - I have to put some money on Irvin here. This is Anderson Silva's first fight at light-heavyweight, so who knows how he'll adjust to the bigger and stronger opponent. Plus, Irvin is a guy that likes to stand up and bang so he always has a shot at landing something, and, he's got power in those punches. Although standing with Anderson Silva isn't always advised, when it's James Irvin at +400 I'll take some of that action.
• Brandon Vera (-625) VS Reese Andy (+425)- Vera is definitely the favorite in this fight, but Andy is a great wrestler and a very powerful fighter. He's the kind of fighter that could take Vera down, hold him there, and land some decent shots for 3 full rounds. Although it wouldn't make for a very exciting fight, it could produce a victory fo Andy. This is Vera's first fight down at 205, but he was never that big of a heavyweight so I don't see him having a huge size advantage over Andy. I think the odds on this are so skewed because it's Andy's first fight in the UFC, but he's 7-1 with 6 fights in the IFL and was a high caliber NCAA wrestler, so he's no newcomer to competition. If Andy can get the fight to the mat consistently, I think this is a great underdog bet.

On to UFC 87 in August:

• Brock Lesnar (-275) VS Heath Herring (+215)- To be honest, I'm not quite sure why Brock Lesnar, at 1-1 in his MMA career, is favored over Heath Herring at 28-13. I would be all over this. Heath has fought the best and toughest at heavyweight, and often made it very close. He's on a new strength and conditioning program and is coming off a victory over a very big and strong Cheick Kongo, so he knows how to fight bigger and strong opponents. Herring did have some problems with a wrestler when he lost to Jake O'Brien over a year ago, but I think his experience and toughness will win this fight for him. I don't think Brock has what it takes yet to compete with a veteran like Herring.
• GSP (-265) VS John Fitch (+205)- The odds on this one aren't "great" and GSP is the man, showing he can deal with wrestlers in his victory over Josh Koshchek, but I think Fitch has the talent to make this fight really close. For that reason, I wouldn't mind dropping some money on Fitch. This isn't as good of a bet as the others, but a gut feeling.

Affliction: Banned:

• Fedor Emelianeko (-450) VS Tim Sylvia (+300)- Yes, Fedor is considered by many to be the best heavyweight ever, and even the best pound-for-pound fighter ever. But Sylvia has serious reach and a very awkward style. We saw him beat up on Nogueira's face for a few rounds before being caught in a submission, so we know he can cause a fighter fits. Sylvia definitely has the ability to use his jab and create a very slow paced fight on the feet, and thus eake out a boring victory. But a boring victory at -300 when I've got money down is pretty exciting to me. Fedor hasn't fought a quality opponent in about 18 months (disclaimer - Matt Lindland is a quality fighter, but the size difference was a little silly), so look for him to have some rust when it comes to dealing with a quality fighter as awkward as Sylvia.

So there you go, installment #1 and some thoughts on good underdogs to lay some money on. You can let me know what you think by leaving a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts.