Right after the fight when Dana normally goes in to say his "great fight" bit to the winner you could tell he wasn't too pleased that Chuck had raved about going to Pride to face Silva.
Overall I though it was a better show than UFC51 - The more I see of Matt Hughes the more I like the guy. Twice he was in a tough spot against Trigg and both times he managed to escape - he's hoping for a rematch with St Pierre (who was also impressive without really having to raise his game too much)
I for one would quite like to see Randy and Ken get it on - given the way they have both yo-yo'd through the weight divisions of late (In fact I can't remember what Ken is classed at now!) I'm sure that would be a big pull even if it would potentially be to the detriment of some of the up & comers
Hopefully one of the "ultimate fighters" will feature in UFC53 (against someone other than was on the show) as well
I pretty much agree with all of that.
It really was a low blow to the UFC. The two organisations don't really compete for the same fanbase, but they do compete for talent. Liddell almost blew off his win over Couture, in the hope of a shot at Silva.
Hughes and St Pierre are definitely the kind of people that they need to start building around. You can only live on the established names for so long, before you need to create new stars (Hughes, at this stage, I would class as a great fighter rather than a UFC superstar, but he's close).
The idea of matching up Shamrock and Couture is an excellent one. I wouldn't have them as the main event, though. I'd put them second from the top, and have a title fight as the final match. That way, it gives the impression that the company is moving forward, and the younger fighters are the new stars
As for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, casting and filming is starting shortly, and the first episode airs on Monday 22 August.
No I would take Couture or Liddell against any of those guys at the moment, but you have a right to your opinion, they would be some excellent matchups though and I would expect any of them to "cause problems" to even Wanderlei.
Well, like you said, you have a right to your opinion.
Its prediction time for the Pride GP- cant wait to see this.
Wanderlei Silva (Brazil) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (Japan) Wandy
Dan Henderson (USA) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil) Tough call, but will go for Dan
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (USA) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Brazil) Rampage
Igor Vovchanchyn (Ukraine) vs. Yuki Kondo (Japan) Igor
Kevin Randleman (USA) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan) Has Kevin learnt any sub defense? Prob not, but will back him anyway
Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan) vs. Yoon Dong Sik (Korea) Sakuraba- never seen or heard of the other guy
Vitor Belfort (Brazil) vs. Alistair Overeem (Holland) If Vitor loses his career is prob over, so will back him.
Dean Lister (USA) vs. Ricardo Arona (Brazil) Arona
Pick to win overall tournament: Wanderlei Silva - I think Arona is his biggest threat.
You're right. I'm going to wait. Now wondering whether to d/l some of the individual fights that are already available or grab the whole show tomorrow. Think I'll go for the latter.
You're right. I'm going to wait. Now wondering whether to d/l some of the individual fights that are already available or grab the whole show tomorrow. Think I'll go for the latter.
Yeah, I'm going to do the same.
On another note, I just noticed that "legendary" British MMA fighter Ian "The Machine" Freeman is refereeing on Celebrity Wrestling on ITV right now.
Its prediction time for the Pride GP- cant wait to see this.
Wanderlei Silva (Brazil) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (Japan) Wandy
Dan Henderson (USA) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil) Tough call, but will go for Dan
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (USA) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Brazil) Rampage
Igor Vovchanchyn (Ukraine) vs. Yuki Kondo (Japan) Igor
Kevin Randleman (USA) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan) Has Kevin learnt any sub defense? Prob not, but will back him anyway
Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan) vs. Yoon Dong Sik (Korea) Sakuraba- never seen or heard of the other guy
Vitor Belfort (Brazil) vs. Alistair Overeem (Holland) If Vitor loses his career is prob over, so will back him.
Dean Lister (USA) vs. Ricardo Arona (Brazil) Arona
Pick to win overall tournament: Wanderlei Silva - I think Arona is his biggest threat.
Do you know if that was the actual fight order in the end?
I've only managed to find the individual fights as my previous source of MMA stuff has vanished
I don't want to run the risk of Bas blurting out "re-caps" of fights I haven't seen yet!
Do you know if that was the actual fight order in the end?
I've only managed to find the individual fights as my previous source of MMA stuff has vanished
I don't want to run the risk of Bas blurting out "re-caps" of fights I haven't seen yet!
Cheers
US PPV is only airing tonight, so all thecommentry in any fight you "obtain" will probably be in Japanese,
Answering your question, I dont know if this is the order they are in.
Have watched the show and felt that overall it didn't live up to expectations, some of the fighters clearly came in with a "play it safe" strategy, to make it through taking as view risks as possible (which is understandable given that elimination at this stage puts you way down the pecking order)- Igor V was the prime example of this.
Some others appeared to have cardio issues- Rampage, Randleman and Henderson.
No fight of the year candidates, but for me, the best fight of the night was the main event (Silva vs. Yoshida), mainly for the tension and the exciting finish where it looked like Silva could have been choked/sufficated out- Silva definately won the fight despite Yosh winning the first round.
Of the rest, I enjoyed:
“Rampage” vs“Shogun” Rua , but it was mainly because of Shoguns performance- its a shame Rampage was badly below par. Wandy vs Shogun would be an excellent fight, but dont know if they would agree to fight each other unless it was the final.
Belfort vs. Overeem - I would be very surprised if UFC takes Vitor back after this loss, Overeem fought well.
Vovchanchyn vs. Yuki Kondo, despite Igor not playing his usual strategy, this was a reasonable fight. I actually found myself rooting for Kondo during the fight as he performed well despite fighting a far bigger and stronger opponent and he nearly subbed him with the toehold.
Of the other fights I thought Antonio Rogerio Nogueira had the only stand-out performance, but Henderson didn't turn up for the fight.
I personally dont think any of the fighters showed that they could beat Wanderlei unless he has a really bad day. Shogun looks a good fighter, but there is no way he can beat Silva at his own game, same goes for Igor and Overeem. I also think that if Yoshida couldn't sub him with a gi, then Arona or Nog wont be able to sub him either.
Have to say I agree with pretty much everything there. Overall wasn't as great a show as I was hoping for - but it had its moments.
Was really dissapointed with Vitor - its a shame to see him like this at the moment when you consider the potential he showed in those early days.
I had a feeling Rampage picked up an injury early on in his fight as he seemed in constant contact with his corner - and appeared to mouth "its broken" at one point - might be wrong though and I only had the Japanese commentators to go by! And they are complete mentalists screaming all the time - even when the fight is in a bit of a lull!
Have to say I agree with pretty much everything there. Overall wasn't as great a show as I was hoping for - but it had its moments.
Was really dissapointed with Vitor - its a shame to see him like this at the moment when you consider the potential he showed in those early days.
I had a feeling Rampage picked up an injury early on in his fight as he seemed in constant contact with his corner - and appeared to mouth "its broken" at one point - might be wrong though and I only had the Japanese commentators to go by! And they are complete mentalists screaming all the time - even when the fight is in a bit of a lull!
More Pride Total Elimination:
Not as great as I'd hoped either. Rampage broke a rib about 1min20secs in (knee to his left side), and after that really didn't want to know. Look for the moment, he grabs it straight away. However, even before that he didn't look too great.
Wandy's fight was interesting inasmuch as it looked like he could lose to a submission.
Vovchanchyn looked very strong - his body was in superb shape.
Don't know why Randelman looked so fed up with the decision. Seemed pretty clear cut.
This was a difficult show to call. From a tactical standpoint, it was a classic. From a casual fan perspective, it was pretty dull. It depends whether you're into human chess or not. You can tell Pride has the best light heavyweights in the world, by the amount of respect that was shown in the majority of the fights. The second half of the show was more exciting, though.
Randleman did his usual great job of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. He talks a great fight, but rarely lives up to it. A record of 4-6 in Pride pretty much sums him up. Nakamura looked good after the first few minutes, and deserved the win.
Dean Lister impressed me a lot, especially as he only fought a few weeks ago. It was the right decision, but nowhere near as one-sided as I expected going in.
Vovchanchyn was probably the disappointment of the night. Kondo is decent, but Vovchanchyn was far too cautious. I can't see him having another off day like this in the next round.
Overeem vs Belfort was where the casual fan would start getting interested. This basically shows why either the majority of UFC light heavyweights aren't in the same league as those in Pride, or why the different rules make for two very different sports. Probably a bit of both. Other than Yoon Don Sik, Overeem had the longest odds for winning the tournament (42/1) having never beaten anyone of name value, and he pretty much manhandled Belfort. I'm not sure if the stuff with his sister's kidnapping last year is still ongoing, but he is nowhere near the fighter he was a few years back.
Henderson was a disappointment, but Nogueria is a definite threat to Silva and Vovchanchyn.
I think its safe to say that Yoon Don Sik was in the tournament to give Sakuraba a safe passage into the next round. Glad to see he didn't disappoint.
I can't believe how shocked the announcers were that Quinton Jackson lost. The fact is, he hasn't been the same fighter for the last two years, since he lost in the 2003 final to Silva. His personality has changed completely since he "found God", and it seems to have taken the edge off him. Shogun looked good, and I think will be in the final four with Silva, Vovchanchyn and Nogueria.
Silva vs Yoshida was their typical good match. Personally, I'd have gone with Yoshida won, as he controlled most of the fight. However, Silva is always busy in the ring, and Yoshida was cautioned for stalling at one point, so I don't think the decision was too far off.
The funniest moment of the show was the constant hyping of Phil Baroni. I think he's the only fighter in the world who can underachieve better than Randleman!
Have to disagree with you there, it had its moments in this respect, but in no way could you call it a "classic". I am into the "human chess" element of the game, but I seen very little of this besides Yosh vs Silva. Arona vs Lister should have been a very good tactical battle, but for 2 talented submission experts the work on the ground was generally poor and I was quite disappointed at this-Arona got the decision because of standup.
Given that Belfort is probably ranked about 4th or 5th in the UFC LHW division, you can hardly draw comparisons between the quality of the other fighters in that division due to the fact that he lost to Overeem. Although I would agree that Silva is head and shoulders above everyone in the world at 205lb, Couture and Liddell have the potential beat anyone else in the division, Babalu could also beat many of them - he beat Shogun.
Agree with you about the "new Rampage" - he is the worst advert for Christianity ever.
No way did Yoshida win that fight, the first round yes, but mostly he just stalled in the match and didn't really threaten Silva till the very end- even then he had missed the choke and just was holding on. Silva was attacking the whole match. One point I might put forward is, should he be allowed to wear a gi? There is no doubt in my mind that, without it, Silva would have beaten him easily.
I thought it picked up nicely in the 2nd half, too many people seemed to be fighting to not lose instead of winning. The Liser fight nearly had me in a coma. I think Shogun and Nogueira were very impressive, the latter probably being the main threat to Silva.
I actually found myself wanting Yoshida to win by the end of his match, but I think Silva just shaded it for his overall agression.
What was the point of putting Yoon Dong Sik in with such a strong line up? Completley out of his league.
Speaking of The Ultimate Fighter, this is a list of what each fighter was paid (spoilered due to giving away results): -
Ken Shamrock - $230,000 (the highest figure in history, but with no win bonus attached).
Rich Franklin - $7,000 plus another $7,000 win bonus (before anyone asks, no I haven't missed any zeros out!)
Sanchez/Bonner/Griffin - Ł117,000 per year for 3 years.
Ratings for the the final show were:-
Sanchez vs Florian - 1.9
Bonner vs Griffin - 2.5
Shamrock vs Franklin - 2.1
So the newcomers outdrew the legend (though that can be blamed on the late time slot of the main event).
Average rating for the fights on the show was 2.2, and the average rating for the features was 1.7. With so many features, and only 3 minutes of fighting in the first 75 minutes of the show, it's no wonder that the rating wasn't what they expected. Hopefully they won't mistake the same mistake in the second season, as this has been one of the tv highlights in recent memory.
Tito Ortiz' Potential Future in Pro Wrestling, Including at Least One Special Appearance on a TNA Wrestling Show
by Ivan Trembow
Tito Ortiz has signed on to make a special appearance on the next TNA pay-per-view, which will take place on Sunday, May 15th and will be called "Hard Justice." TNA stands for "Total Nonstop Action" and is a pro wrestling promotion that puts on shows three times per month in Orlando, Florida. TNA's official web site made by the announcement by saying, "Former UFC Champion Tito Ortiz has signed to be a major part of TNA Wrestling 'Hard Justice' May 15th on Pay-Per-View."
The announcement from TNA leaves it up to the reader's imagination as to whether Ortiz will actually be doing a pro wrestling match for the company or will simply be making a non-wrestling appearance. In fact, Ortiz' role will be limited to being the "special guest referee" in the scheduled main event of Jeff Jarrett vs. AJ Styles.
The Pro Wrestling Insider web site previously reported that TNA wanted to sign a special guest referee for the Jarrett vs. Styles match and was in negotiations with not only Tito Ortiz, but also Roy Jones Jr., George Foreman, and Mr. T. Jones' and Foreman's asking prices were deemed to be too high by TNA management, and Ortiz was deemed to be a bigger name in 2005 who would create more interest among fans than Mr. T would at this point.
Ortiz, who recently confirmed on his official web site that his days as a UFC fighter are over, could potentially make more special appearances for TNA in the future, but at this point he has only signed on for a one-time appearance. TNA's top main event wrestlers get paid on a per-appearance basis at a rate of anywhere from $1,000 per appearance to the most extreme cases of $5,000 per appearance for names like Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, who are huge names among pro wrestling fans.
It is very likely that Ortiz is being paid somewhere between $1,000 and $5,000 for his special guest referee appearance on the May 15th TNA PPV. TNA cannot afford to pay more than that because their PPV buy-rates are in the range of 20,000 to an all-time high of 35,000, while the promotion's TV ratings are in the range of 0.1 to an all-time high of 0.3. TNA is currently behind on pay with many of its wrestlers, but it is extremely likely that as a free agent name that they want to impress, they would make sure to pay Ortiz in full.
When Ortiz held out of his UFC contract in 2003, he was in negotiations with WWE management to potentially become a pro wrestler in WWE. Those negotiations never advanced to a point where a deal seemed likely at any time, simply because WWE is very firm in not wanting to bring in anyone who isn't going to be willing to be on the road working for them anywhere from 200 to 300 days per year, and Ortiz is not willing to work that kind of schedule.
On the other hand, TNA has made a habit out of signing free agents to short-term contracts and inserting them in main event story lines, which they did with Ken Shamrock in mid-2004. If Ortiz were interested in doing actual pro wrestling matches instead of just making "special appearances" for TNA, it's very likely that TNA would be interested. However, the downside for Ortiz is that TNA only runs three shows per month (two TV tapings and one PPV taping), and he would only be making $1,000 to $5,000 per appearance.
I would wish him the best of luck, but I remember all the crap he said to Ken Shamrock about wrestling.
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