I think he'll grind out another victory. I don't see either fighter finishing the fight. I hope the layoff hasn't ruined GSP with ring rust. Also I do worry about his knee, but Condit has also been on the shelf a very long time.
The MMA Thread
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I think he'll grind out another victory. I don't see either fighter finishing the fight. I hope the layoff hasn't ruined GSP with ring rust. Also I do worry about his knee, but Condit has also been on the shelf a very long time.
Poor Ace, this fight could have been a really great one, but Le finished it quickly with great timing.
As much as it hurts me, I think Franklin has seen his best days...
As much as it hurts me, I think Franklin has seen his best days...
I think GSP is going to jab-double leg-smother his way to another decision victory. As much as I would like to see a finisher take the WW belt, Condit will not be that person. He was timid against Nick Diaz...I can only imagine how outclassed he knows himself to be against GSP. I am also extraordinarily annoyed at Condit for not defending his fakey interim belt. Really? You're gonna win a boring decision over Diaz and then just hibernate until you get your shot against the real champ? Doesn't speak wonders for his confidence in his abilities to defend said belt.
It's too bad that GSP fights to win and not to finish. His fights ate getting a little boring and it's hard to watch him humping on the ground all the time. I liked it when he fought Koscheck and busted this orbital. That was entertaining, but Koscheck was tough. I think that GSP needs to KO Condit but I doubt that will happen. GSP is a great fighter but a bit boring.
I go back and forth on this all the time. On the one hand, I understand waiting. You earned a title shot, you should GET the title shot (I also HATE interim belts, if a guy doesn't defend for 12 months, strip him). The bad part is we don't get to see a good fighter for a long time.
Bottom line, and the reason I try not to get TOO annoyed, is that this is a job for these guys and a belt means a big step in pay, exposure, and most importantly sponsorships. So I won't be too hard on a guy for waiting.
What pisses me off is fighters game planning there way to voctory (damn near everyone in Greg Jackson's camp) and delivering BORING fights. The bad thing for my argument is that this goes entirely against the spirit of my previous point, that this is a job, etc. These guys need to win to get a belt.
I am unsure what the solution is...
Well, we're not talking about a contact sport here, we're talking about a beat-the-living-tar-out-of-each-other sport, and ... that hurts. A lot.
If MMA wants to "stay mixed", as it were, and continue to allow all the martial arts to be used in a "just find a way to win" sort of way, then that's what we end up with. guys play the percentages, see what works, do what they have to to avoid getting hurt, and ... the smart fighters end up being criticised for being "boring".
If you take an individual martial art ... karate, judo, muy thai, boxing, whatever ... the elite matches in that sport will be more entertaining, because the matches are more structured and have more rules ... that draw the athletes toward the key moves in that one martial art.
Maybe this "boring" thing is just one of the essential elements of MMA ... and the spectators need to accept that ... not look for 15 or 25 minutes of spectacular, but learn to appreciate the subtle nuances of the "dull" aspects of the match.
Other sports are boring, but have lots of ardent supporters who will tell you that they are not, actually, boring but that there's lots of interesting stuff going on, just not flashy stuff. Baseball springs to mind, as does soccer. I would add cricket to that list, but maybe that's more "long" than "boring" ... I've never sat through a 3-day test match to be able to tell you.
The highly effective and highly "boring" style of hockey called "the trap" perfected by Jaques Lemaire and his New Jersey Devils is a good example. Lemaire is one of the greatest coaching minds in hockey history, he took things to their logical conclusion, and figured out the best way to win. Everyone said it was boring as all get out, but it worked. The NHL has worked hard ever since to tweak its rules to make The Trap easier to play against, with limited success.
Great point Ian! Well said. That's a very true point that many fans lose sight of. Additionally, just becuase a fight isn't a slugfest, it's wrong to label it boring. You want nothing but a slugfest go watch K1.
Brilliant analysis, Ian, as usual.
By the way, weren't you supposed to be in some karate tournament in Japan? Am I to infer something from your silence?
Or did that not happen yet?
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anyone else looking forward to the Free Card on Saturday night?
to me, it looks like it will be the best card in a while, PPV or Free on tv...let's hope so.
to me, it looks like it will be the best card in a while, PPV or Free on tv...let's hope so.
I'm looking forward to it a lot. I'm a big fan of Shogun and BJ Penn, although they have both been pretty inconsistent of late. I'm pretty sure that neither one of them have a lot of fights left in them and I'd like to see them show what it is that made them great. Assuming that there are no injuries before fight time, this is one of the best cards that Zuffa has managed in a while. Unfortunately I have to go out right when the fights start on FX, but I've got the DVR and plan to watch it when I get home.
Cool, just found this thread when I clicked on the "new posts" button.
One of the nicest guys in MMA, JR Myers just won tonight (MB Warfare) with a north/south choke in the first round. I already congratulated him, but think it will be cool if he does any name searching on google and finds this thread. Also, one of the cats I used to roll with and a friend, Kreed Bateman, lost, but he took the fight on six days notice against an impressive new kid. Finally, Amos Collins, who I don't know personally but have rolled with once and seemed to be a really good ambassador of the sport with a ton of local fans, won his match decisively.
As for tomorrow; Benson/Diaz fight is going to be insane no matter who wins. Longtime BJ fan, but wouldn't put money on him against MacDonald. Lot of fans are counting Shogun out, not me. Agreed, this is a great card.
One of the nicest guys in MMA, JR Myers just won tonight (MB Warfare) with a north/south choke in the first round. I already congratulated him, but think it will be cool if he does any name searching on google and finds this thread. Also, one of the cats I used to roll with and a friend, Kreed Bateman, lost, but he took the fight on six days notice against an impressive new kid. Finally, Amos Collins, who I don't know personally but have rolled with once and seemed to be a really good ambassador of the sport with a ton of local fans, won his match decisively.
As for tomorrow; Benson/Diaz fight is going to be insane no matter who wins. Longtime BJ fan, but wouldn't put money on him against MacDonald. Lot of fans are counting Shogun out, not me. Agreed, this is a great card.
That's great news about your buddies. Hope this is the start of big things for them.
If I had to put some real money down on the fights tonight, I don't think I could bet on BJ. I think he'll be better prepared than a lot of people expect him to be, and I suspect he'll be agressive too. I'm pulling for him, but that's different than thinking he'll win. Who knows--maybe he'll surprise me, but I kind of expect to be entertained but ultimately disappointed. On the other hand, I think that Shogun has a good chance. I'd like to see him pound out a win. Who has he been training with for the fight?
"Who has he been training with for the fight?"
I think the chute box guys, but don't quote me on it...As for BJ, my thoughts are pretty identical to yours; although the same caveat always applies to him: "which Penn shows up?..."
I think the chute box guys, but don't quote me on it...As for BJ, my thoughts are pretty identical to yours; although the same caveat always applies to him: "which Penn shows up?..."
watched the first Prelim fight on Live...Siver looked incredible at 145....
Some pretty good fights on the prelims so far 
Some pretty good fights on the prelims so far
hopefully after the kids go to bed, wife falls asleep, i'll be able to at least watch the main card.
The first round of Swick vs. Brown: best first round I've seen in a long time...
Edit: that whole fight was just a win for mma. Hope the rest of the card follows suit.
Edit #2 (Non-spoiler update): It was...
Edit: that whole fight was just a win for mma. Hope the rest of the card follows suit.
Edit #2 (Non-spoiler update): It was...
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I love Shogun, but the man needs to retire. Out of gas very early into rd-2 says he doesn't have the commitment to train (no one questions his heart and desire). It's sad watching a legend look bad.
This is different than how BJ looked against Rory, as there's no way BJ should be fighting at 170. He was simply physically overmatched by several degrees.
Overall, I really liked the card. Especially whenever it involves a Diaz getting whipped.
This is different than how BJ looked against Rory, as there's no way BJ should be fighting at 170. He was simply physically overmatched by several degrees.
Overall, I really liked the card. Especially whenever it involves a Diaz getting whipped.
You're right. Shogun looked worn out and BJ was ridiculously overmatched. Rua needs to hang it up before he's punchy and, unless BJ can find the motivation to fight at lightweight, he should probably join him.
1. Macdonald really is like the second coming of GSP. He's just that good and is worthy of the hype. He might have had a serious size advantage against BJ, but that doesn't discount how phenomenal he looked. That said, I put him on my short list of fighters who just rub me the wrong way; sort of like the Kobe Bryant's of MMA. That kid has a huge ego (understandable but still obnoxious). With that attitude, despite vowing to never fight his mentor, we all know what's coming: give him another year or two and some manufactured drama will drive a wedge between Rory and GSP and they'll end up fighting. I, for one, hope GSP will smash him when that happens, but to each their own.
2.) BJ: if that whuppin doesn't convince him to go down a weight division, I don't know what will. He's still tough as they come, but I just don't see that same fire. A couple of times in that fight you could actually see him look like he didn't want to be there. You can say it's b/c he was losing, but it's more than that: just look at the spit still left in Diaz in that fight from start to finish even though he was taken a beating in his own right and had lost every round. I wouldn't be surprised to see one more big fight out of Penn before he announces retirement for good...
3.) Shogun- That was a bad matchup for Shogun from the beginning. I might be in the minority here, but I didn't see anything that indicated he should hang up his hat just yet. With the wear and tear he's put on his body, my guess is his training will never be much more than what it was for this fight, and that's probably a good thing. Of course that all speculation on my part since I didn't see his camp, but I wasn't disappointed in his cardio for the style that he fights...
4.)
2.) BJ: if that whuppin doesn't convince him to go down a weight division, I don't know what will. He's still tough as they come, but I just don't see that same fire. A couple of times in that fight you could actually see him look like he didn't want to be there. You can say it's b/c he was losing, but it's more than that: just look at the spit still left in Diaz in that fight from start to finish even though he was taken a beating in his own right and had lost every round. I wouldn't be surprised to see one more big fight out of Penn before he announces retirement for good...
3.) Shogun- That was a bad matchup for Shogun from the beginning. I might be in the minority here, but I didn't see anything that indicated he should hang up his hat just yet. With the wear and tear he's put on his body, my guess is his training will never be much more than what it was for this fight, and that's probably a good thing. Of course that all speculation on my part since I didn't see his camp, but I wasn't disappointed in his cardio for the style that he fights...
4.)
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