Quick Thoughts on the Affliction PPV
By Matt D. | July 23, 2008 11:20 pm
I am on the fence as to the overall quality of the first Affliction PPV. I thought the fights were just OK with the exception of the Arlovski-Rothwell and Fedor-Sylvia fights.
The production values were terrible. Did the ring seem really dark to anyone else? I don’t watch a lot of Anaheim Ducks home games, so I’m not sure if that’s how the Honda Center always looks, but that definitely needs to be improved upon.
I thought Michael Buffer was a nice touch for the announcer. He beats Bruce anyday of the week.
Frank Trigg was decent. I thought John McCarthy was good as well, especially considering this probably was the first live event he covered. Jay Glazer was terrible, and I normally like Jay Glazer.
I liked Ben Rothwell before the Arlovski fight. The beating he took didn’ make me like him any less.
I think Arlovski-Fedor is the next dream match regardless of whether the Fedor-Couture match ever occurs.
Fedor isn’t really going to run through the top contenders like he did with Sylvia is he? I don’t think anybody wants to see another Fedor-Nogueria matchup. Maybe Affliction will let him kick the shit out of Josh Barnett if Fedor can beat the other top competitors. I’d pay to see that.
Topics: Affliction | No Comments »
The UFC either loves Evan Tanner or they hate him
By Matt D. | June 23, 2008 1:54 am
They Hate Him
If the UFC hates Evan Tanner their one problem might be that they are being too obvious about it. He was obviously outclassed against Kendall Grove on Saturday night. Even though he was able to go the distance he stood no chance against the rededicated Hawaiian. Tanner has now lost 4 of his last 5 fights and the UFC keeps throwing him in the ring against top opponents. Give the man a break. Put him on the the undercard against a scrub or two so he can get his confidence back.
They Love Him
If the UFC loves Evan Tanner it’s sure some tough love. His website makes it clear that he needs the money, so maybe Dana White is just throwing a down on his luck fighter a bone. Evan Tanner might be turning into a gatekeeper for fighters looking to make it at 185 pounds, but if that is the case he really needs to beat somebody of above average talent soon before the UFC loses its patience with him.
Topics: UFC | No Comments »
UFC 83 Undercard: Joe Doerksen vs. Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald
By Matt D. | April 16, 2008 5:12 pm
Middleweights:
|
Jason MacDonald
|
Name (Odds)
|
Joe Doerksen
|
|
19-9-0 (3-2 in UFC)
|
Record
|
39-11-0 (1-4 in UFC)
|
|
Canada
|
Country
|
Canada
|
|
Pro Camp
|
Team
|
|
|
32 Years Old
|
Age
|
30 Years Old
|
Jason MacDonald has had a pretty good run in the UFC. His only 2 UFC losses came at the hands of Rich Franklin (#3 middleweight in the world) and Yushin Okami (#8 middleweight in the world). Joe Doerksen is a veteran of pretty much every MMA organization you can think of (UFC, IFL, WEC, DEEP, KOTC, Rings). He even signed a contract to fight for PRIDE before the UFC took PRIDE over. The line for this fight isn’t out yet, but I wouldn’t take Doerksen at anything less than +600. This is because MacDonald and Doerksen fought in 2005, and MacDonald was able to submist Doerksen with a rear naked choke. Add that to his terrible UFC record and Doerksen has to be one of the biggest underdogs of the night.
Topics: UFC | No Comments »
MMA Links of the Week
By Matt D. | April 12, 2008 12:57 pm
No fights to bet on this weekend, so I’m going to start a new feature: Links of the Week. These are not advertisers, these are just sites and articles that I enjoy and want to share.
mmascraps.com - Ultimate MMA Videos. And excellent blog where you can literally find hundreds of hours of MMA fights and documentaries. My current personal favorite videos on the site are the documentary following Cro Cop leading up to his fight against Fedor Emelianenko, and the Decade of PRIDE video. If you’re a big fan of MMA this is a good site to visit fairly often, because they sometimes link to videos that are removed quickly if you know what I mean.
Cage Potato - I read lots of MMA blogs, but I think cagepotato.com is by far the most entertaining. The authors on the site post constantly (over 50 posts in the last week), and they are the funniest MMA blog around.
Sherdog, MMA Weekly - I use both of these sites as my primary source for breaking MMA news. They both do a good job with exclusive reporting, but for the love of your sanity stay away from the Sherdog forums. I honestly don’t think there is a bigger collection of idiots to be found anywhere in the world.
Petition to Stop YAMMA - I know this goes against my warning to stay away from the Sherdog forums, but check this post out. The poster Sharkk from Illinois (why do you have to sully my state’s good name?) started a petition to try and get the New Jersey Athletic Control Board to stop sactioning YAMMA events. I’ve read his post a few times looking for any sign that this is a joke, and I must say that I am pretty sure Sharkk is being completly serious. I’m not sure how individual state athletic commissions work, but I’m pretty sure a petition started by a (wo?)man who calls him/herself Sharkk is not going to have much influence.
Quick Matt Serra Quote - I don’t like mmamania.com. Most of their posters seem pretentious, and their actual articles sound like they wouldn’t be out of place on the Sherdog forums. But I had to include this link. This is by far the funniest healine I have ever read on the site.
Top 10 Dream Matches - I have to admit that I just found this site, but I almost completely agree with this list of 10 fights that need to happen. The article is from November so I’d tweak the list somewhat to account for what has happened over the last few months, but other than that this guy is right on.
Topics: Links of the Week | No Comments »
YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF 1) Fight Videos
By Matt D. | April 12, 2008 11:39 am
YAMMA Pitfighting Videos
Butterbean vs. Patrick Smith
Mark Kerr vs. Oleg Taktarov
Travis Wiuff post tournament interview:
I really like that Wiuff interview. It makes him seem like a real down-to-earth guy. I hope he is able to turn his YAMMA tournament victory into bigger and better things.
Topics: Fight Videos, YAMMA Pit Fighting | No Comments »
Quick YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF 1) Results
By Matt D. | April 11, 2008 10:56 pm
Oleg Taktarov won his fight against Mark Kerr in 1:55 by submission. Kerr is washed up, and Taktarov looked to be in excellent shape.
Butterbean’s old morbidly overweight ass quit because of the strikes he was taking at the 3:17 mark of round one to give Patrick Smith the victory.
Travis Wiuff defeated Chris Tuscherer in the finals of the eight man tournament to win the inagural YAMMA event.
This event proves that occasionally I can pick fights correctly. I picked the Taktarov and Smith wins. Additionally, Wiuff was one of the two fighters I liked to win the 8 man tournament. I wouldn’t say YAMMA 1 was a great event, but I think it was worth the $35 pay-per-view pricetag.
Topics: YAMMA Pit Fighting | No Comments »
The YAMMA Ring Revealed
By Matt D. | April 11, 2008 1:54 pm
I have to say I’m a little disappointed. I was hoping it was going to be more like an actual pit.
Topics: YAMMA Pit Fighting | No Comments »
YAMMA Pit Fighting Predictions
By Matt D. | April 11, 2008 1:31 pm
YAMMA Pit Fighting has their inaugural event tonight. Here are my quick predictions
Oleg Taktarov vs. Mark Kerr
Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov has had one fight in the last decade, but he won that fight. Mark Kerr is an ex UFC champion and PRIDE veteran who has lost five of his last seven fights. I know Kerr has had a great career, but all I can think of when I hear his name is this fight (fast forward to 45 seconds if you’re really impatient):
Sherdog lists that loss as a TKO by strikes. I guess you can call it that.
My prediction: Oleg Taktarov by submission
Patrick Smith vs. Eric “ Butterbean” Esch
Patrick Smith is 45 years old and the peak of his career came when he lost in the finals of UFC 2 to Royce Gracie. One of Smith’s losses came from a DQ caused by fan interference. I had to find that fight, and here it is. But it’s no where close to as entertaining as I thought it would be:
Butterbean is a Tough Man competition champion who weighed in at 416 pounds. Wikipedia lists him as 379 pounds, so I guess that means he is almost 40 pounds over his “ideal” weight.
My prediction: Smith by submission.
Eight man tournament prediction:
I like Marcelo Pereira as a good dark horse pick. He’s the lightest fighter in the tournament at 219 pounds. My second favorite fighter would be Travis Wiuff. His experience (49-11-0), and relative youth (he is only 30 years old) give him a good chance.
Topics: Predictions, YAMMA Pit Fighting | No Comments »
YAMMA Pit Fighting Q & A
By Matt D. | April 10, 2008 10:32 am
What is YAMMA Pit Fighting?
YAMMA is a new MMA organization that is trying to take MMA back it’s roots by hosting an 8 man one night elimination tournament. YAMMA makes their debut on pay-per-view live this Friday night.
Why do they call themselves “Pit Fighting”?
Supposedly it has to do with the new type to ring they are going to debut. According to reports the ring is going to be circular with angled walls to force competitors at the edge of the pit back in. Here is how the organization describes it in a press release:
The YPF surface, known as “The Yamma,” is an evolution of the traditional fighting structure and is designed to keep the fighting more explosive and continuous. In today’s MMA matches, fighters rush their opponents in the quest for a takedown, and the fight often ends up on the ground and pushed up against the fence. The action often stalls there, and must be stopped and moved back into the center of the ring. The Yamma’s design is specifically aimed at stopping this break in the action. The Yamma is a circular pit, shaped almost like a bowl, with a circular flat bottom that rises up around the edge. In this ring, if a fighter is pushed backwards towards the fence, he moves up the lip, gaining both a height and leverage advantage over his opponent. From this position, the fighter on the lip can use gravity and leverage to reverse his opponent, and take the fight back into the center without a break in the action.
Who is in the 8 man tournament? Anybody I should know?
Marcelo “Pato” Pereira, Sherman Pendergarst, Ricco “Suave” Rodriguez, Tony Sylvester, Chris Tuscherer, Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff, Alexey Oleynik, and George “Not The President” Bush are the eight fighters in the tournament. Ron “H20” Waterman is the alternate for the tournament. Who should an average MMA fan know? Ricco Rodriguez for one. Ricco is an ex-UFC bad ass who decided to develop a drug problem and has appeared on VH-1’s celebrity fit club. I don’t recognize him, but Travis Wiuff has a record 49-11 so fans may recognize him from somewhere. He has fought once in PRIDE (a loss to James Lee), and once in the UFC (a loss to Renato “Babalu” Sobral in 2005). The alternate Ron Waterman is a UFC and PRIDE veteran.
How much is the pay-per-view? Is it worth getting?
The pay-per-view is $35. I would say it might be worth it. The 8 man tournament is going to consist of 7 matches, plus there are going to be two “superfights”: Oleg Taktarov vs. Mark Kerr and Butterbean vs. Pat Smith. The only reason I say it might be worth it is because I really think the ring might add a new twist to the traditional art of MMA.
Topics: YAMMA Pit Fighting | No Comments »
Bow Tie Betting - Week 4 Results
By Matt D. | April 8, 2008 5:06 pm
| Fighter | Fighter | Hypothetical Bet Size | Event | Winner | Running Total |
| Anthony Johnson (+235) | Tommy Speer (-295) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Anthony Johnson by KO | +$235 |
| George Sotiropoulos (-165) | Roman Mitichyan (+135) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Sotiropoulos wins by TKO | +$135 |
| Clay Guida (-600) | Samy Schiavo (+400) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Guida wins by TKO | +$35 |
| Manny Gamburyan (-800) | Jeff Cox (+500) | $200 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Gamburyan wins by submission | +$60 |
| Marcus Aurelio (-800) | Ryan Roberts (+500) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Aurelio wins by submission | -$40 |
| Din Thomas (-160) | Josh "The Dentist" Neer (+130) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Neer wins by unanimous decision | -$140 |
| Houston Alexander (-275) | James Irvin (+215) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Irvin wins by TKO | +$75 |
| Nate Diaz (-200) | Kurt Pellegrino (+160) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Diaz wins by submission | -$25 |
| Matt Hamill (-200) | Tim Boetsch (+160) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Hamill by TKO | -$125 |
| Karo Parisyan (-180) | Thiago Alves (+150) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Alves by TKO | -$225 |
| Gray Maynard (+145) | Frank Edgar (-175) | $100 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Edgar by decision | -$325 |
| Kenny Florian (-220) | Joe Lauzon (+180) | $200 | UFC Fight Night 13 | Florian by TKO | -$525 |
| Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko (-500) | Jamal "The Suit" Patterson (+300) | $50 | IFL April 4, 2008 | Matyushenko by TKO | -$515 |
| Wagnney Fabiano (-650) | Shad Lierley (+450) | $50 | IFL April 4, 2008 | Fabiano by KO | -$507.31 |
| Jay Hieron (-330) | Mark Miller (+260) | $50 | IFL April 4, 2008 | Hieron by TKO | -$557.31 |
| Carmelo Marrero (-155) | Mike Ciesnolevicz (+125) | $50 | IFL April 4, 2008 | NO CONTEST (CUT) | -$557.31 |
| Bart Palaszewski (-200) | Jim Miller (+160) | $50 | IFL April 4, 2008 | Miller by unanimous decision | -$477.31 |
| Delson Heleno (-260) | Brad Blackburn (+200) | $50 | IFL April 4, 2008 | Blackburn by KO | -$527.31 |
| Alex Schoenauer (-650) | Brendan Barrett (+450) | $50 | IFL April 4, 2008 | Schoenauer by split decision | -$577.31 |
| Chris Horodecki (-650) | Nate Lamotte (+450) | $50 | IFL April 4, 2008 | Horodecki by unanimous decision | -$569.62 |
Week 4 was a terrible week. I made two big mistakes I ended up paying for. First off, betting against Matt Hamill was a mistake. I let my personal dislike for the man influence my judgement. That’s never a good thing. Secondly, betting on Karo Parisyan was a big mistake. I should have just gone with the underdog.
I guess I can take solace in the fact the a lot of bettors went down with me. The way the lines moved during the week showed all of the action going towards my fighters.
Topics: IFL, UFC, Weekly Results | No Comments »