MMA Classic Photo #7 "The Fall"

“Who does not fall that does not arise,” says Fedor. ”It happens so that I was made an idol. Everybody loses. That happens. I’m an ordinary human being as all of us are.”

Fedor Lost

The End.

Strikeforce: Emelianenko vs Werdum On Showtime

STRIKEFORCE And M-1: June 26, 2010
HP Pavilion in San Jose, California

WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) vs. Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1) The "Last Emperor" has returned to hold sway over the Heavyweight division as always. "Vai Cavalo" has won dos in a row after being canned by the UFC but has looked very improved in the stand up and always has dizzying tight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as his base. Fedor is Fedor and that is simply all you have to say. That being say, anything can happen in a fight and the bloodletting is always a scary with Emelianenko. He cuts very easily it seems and let's face it, gets injured in most of his fights. If, I say if, Fedor were to break that hand again, Fabricio has the trips, takedowns, and the hunger to shock the world. These are small little things that could turn the reign of the greatest heavyweight, nay greatest fighter of all time on its head. But it won't happen that way. Fedor will most likely starch Werdum early in revenge for his lil' brother Aleksander, before heading home to Russia where he is made King with Vladimir Putin as his sidekick. Anyone know what the point of the WAMMA title if they are never going to let him defend it.

WINNER-The "Last Emperor" by Rd.3 TKO

Cristiane Santos (9-1) vs. Jan Finney (8-7) "Cuddles" be in some trouble here. She is not even a 145er but she came up to where the belt is and a high market fight with "Femborg" gets her some press. Unfortunately, her game isn't conducive to fighting the Chute Boxe female and Santos is going to beat her stupid and whip her silly while doing the man dance.

WINNER-"Femborg" by Rd.1 KO

Cung Le (6-1) vs. Scott Smith (17-6) [Rematch] Cung ran out of gas in the 1st offering just back from shooting the movie "Pandorum" and perhaps didn't take the living punching bag's nickname, "Hands Of Stone," serious enough. That won't happen again as Le continues the barrage of the 1st outing keeping Smith at bay with a plethora of kicks and occasional punches. If Scott can weather the storm he wins a Decision loss. I think he should be stopped for Cung Le to kinda earn his stellar rep back. Its a beating by numbers as Scott takes an unholy amount of abuse only to not find that last second come from behind oh my god punch from hell.

WINNER-Cung Le by Decision

Josh Thomson (16-3) vs. Pat Healy (23-15) I believe the "Punk" is looking for opponents if anyone can help the AKA member out. Pat's a good guy and a good fighter, but he just isn't in Josh's league which is sort of a good thing because Thomson is a douche bag.

WINNER-The "Punk" by Decision

Well it may not be a very exciting card, but it gives you the "Last Emperor" so just take it like Kobe Bryant tips hotel maids.

The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale Picks & Boredom

ULTIMATE FIGHTER 11 Finale: June 19
The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada

Main Bouts (On Spike TV):
Ultimate Fighter 11 Final: Court McGee (10-1) vs. Kris McCray (6-0) The worst season of TUF and the weakest cast with doubt lingering that any of the contestants can make even the slightest dent in the UFC's roster for an extended period of time, finally ends with this bout. I like "Epic Beard" and am basing my pick on that and that alone. Who really cares?

WINNER-Court McGee

Matt Hamill (8-2) vs. Keith Jardine (15-7-1) The "Dean Of Mean" finds himself so dangerously close the the cut list of the UFC with 3 losses in a row and doubts of his legitimacy as an elite fighter. "What?" was given the gift of a lifetime against Jon Jones but here the elbows aren't a danger and Matt can exploit Jardine on the mat over and over again. A porous defense and abysmal track record against wrestlers tells me Keith is heading to Strikeforce soon.

WINNER-Matt "What?" Hamill by Decision

Chris Leben (19-6) vs. Aaron Simpson (7-0) It's a battle of the mediocre with Aaron squeaking by and if there is a god in hell, please cut Leben after this loss.

WINNER-"A-Train" by Decision

Spencer Fisher (23-5) vs. Dennis Siver (15-7) I love the "King" but the WEC is calling and ze German may have stumbled last time out, but he recovers here with a bloody win.

WINNER-Dennis Siver by Rd.3 TKO

Jamie Yager (2-1) vs. Rich Attonito (7-3) I'll take Rich because you know Yager has zero heart and is going to quit at some point.

WINNER-Rich Attonito by Rd.3 TKO

Prelims (Non-Televised):
John Gunderson (22-7) vs. Mark Hoist (8-1) W-Gunderson
Brad Tavares (4-0) vs. Seth Baczynski (11-5) W-Tavares
Kyle Noke (16-4-1) vs. Josh Bryant (10-0) W-Noke
James Hammortree (5-1) vs. Chris Camozzi (12-3) W-Camozzi
James McSweeney (4-4) vs. Travis Browne (9-0) W-Browne

Yes we all know this is one of the saddest cards the UFC will put together this year but hey, it is free and we have to go through this to continue the TUF series which had been getting better before this train wreck of lameness that permeated every point of this season. Besides, UFC 115 was an amazing card top to bottom.

Strikeforce Results: "Babalu" & "Cyborg" In Quotes!

Hugo Sandoval defeats Marcus Kowal via TKO in the 2nd.

Jeremy Umphries Upsets R.J. Clifford with the classic RNC also in round 2.

K.J. Noons squeaks by Conor Heun with a Split-Decision. Well I've never thought much of Noons but barely getting by a guy he was supposed to steamroll ain't going to do much for his stock but he has a big mouth to promote himself with.

Tim Kennedy earned a submission win over veteran Trevor Prangley with the aforementioned RNC choke in the very 1st round. Prangley got a beautiful whizzer takedown early but couldn't hold the former sniper to the mat. After another trip by Trevor Tim just grabbed Prangley's legs and hoisted him up and down to the floor. From there he earned full mount and when the South African tried to get to his feet, Mr. Kennedy sunk in the RNC with prejudice and the tapout came quickly. Quite impressive for the upstart who is bucking for a promotion in talent level for his next bout.

Evangelista Santos Upsets Marius Zaromskis by round 1 TKO. Who would've ever thunk that it would be "Cyborg" with the smart gameplan and technical execution? The formerly wild man of Chute Boxe came out patient and countered on the feet as the "Whitemare" found himself to be quite predictable. Santos was ready for the head kicks with stinging hands that immediately had Marius rethinking his approach. Unfortunately he only knows one way forward and that is recklessly. Hurt and wobbling from a head kick by Evangelista, who took a page out of the Lithuanian's playbook, the DREAM Welterweight Champion tried for a telegraphed flying knee that was met with a fist and some G&P just for fun. Nice win for the Brazilian and DREAM's 170 lb. stud drops two in a row stateside putting the legitimacy of his belt in question.

Renato Sobral defeats Robbie Lawler by Unanimous Decision. The 1st round was close with some feeling out but unable to gain a takedown, "Babalu" got out of the gate faster striking with his hands and feet trying to keep "Ruthless" honest. In the 2nd it was all Sobral with a brutal body kick that hurt Rob for a bit and gave way to a telling red bruise on his side. For the final round Renato got cut with a jab almost instantly but after wiping the blood away, he landed some strikes that weren't damaging but garnered points none the less. Lawler got aggressive too late as "Babalu" sensed the coming storm and got on his bike to avoid more damage and take the fight on the cards.

*Instead of fighting training partner Mo Lawal for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title, "Babalu" had his sights on Dan Henderson (who was in the crowd) and revenge for a defeat almost 11 years ago in Rings "King Of Kings" tournament. That could be a compelling match up and keeps the friends from having to fight it out. Now maybe Mo can focus on a rematch with former champ Gegard Mousasi since the pickings are slim at Light Heavy.

4-2 on the picks and the worst season (talent wise, fight wise, etc.) of TUF ends Saturday with the finale.

Strikeforce Lawler vs Sobral Picks & Picks

STRIKEFORCE: June 16, 2010

Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California

Main Bouts (On Showtime):
Robbie Lawler (17-5) vs. Renato Sobral (35-8) This is a catchweight bout at 195 lbs. with some odd caviets. If Rob wins he might get a shot at the Middleweight title (Yes, he just lost to Jake Shields but he's leaving for the UFC) while Babs would gain a shot at Muhammed Lawal's Light Heavyweight title. "Ruthless" playing the role of striker and "Babalu" getting the role of Jiu-Jitsu expert. Pick your poison. Sobral got KOwned in his last bout with Gegard Mousasi and the fear of that happening again is very real with a heavy handed bomber like Lawler. However, Mr. Lawler is known for having a gaping hole in his game which is anything involving mat work. The question is who imposes their game to take home a shot at potential gold.

WINNER-Renato "Babalu" Sobral?

Marius Zaromskis (13-4) vs. Evangelista Santos (17-13) A striker's delight as "Cyborg" continues to shrink his size with the help of man/wife Cristiane "Femborg" Santos to remain semi-relevant in the fight game, while DREAM's Welterweight Champion looks to rebound after a debilitating loss to Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz. "Cyborg" was never that good, just a powerful striker with zero endurance (Cristiane must love that) and the "Whitemare" is going to mix up his fascinating striking either putting the last remaining Chute Boxe fighter out cold to get back on track and bringing some Pride (get it) home to DREAM.

WINNER-The "Whitemare (what is that about?)" by Rd.2 TKO

Tim Kennedy (11-2) vs. Trevor Prangley (22-5-1) The veteran AKA fighter is very well rounded and durable but he is also taking this fight on short notice not to mention this fight was set up by Strikeforce to be a legitimate challenge for Kennedy, but a coming out party none the less for Kennedy. Tim comes from John Hackleman's Pit after a nine month layoff which is too long, but he can grapple with the Greco-South African while scoring points with a more fluid offense. I like this to be a fifteen minute grind with Tim garnering the judges approval but not necessarily that of the fans.

WINNER-Tim Kennedy by Decision

K.J. Noons (8-2) vs. Conor Heun (8-3) The "Hurricane" is coming off a loss to Jorge Gurgel. Should I go on? KJ is a little bitch but his boxing puts away Conor in the initial round.

WINNER-KJ Noons by Rd.1 TKO

Prelims (Non-Televised):
R.J. Clifford (3-1) vs. Jeremy Umphries (4-1) W-Umphrie
Marcus Kowal (2-0) vs. Hugo Sandoval (1-2) W-Kowal

UFC 115 Results: Mirko Cro Cop The Submission Wizard, Franklin KO's Liddell, & Lots Of Controversy

Mike Pyle defeated Jesse Lennox by Triangle Choke Submission in the last round. This was a really good fight as I had though but "Quicksand" lived up to the nickname by securing the choke after he was rocked in an exciting and bloody war. "Submission Of The Night" honors.

Claude Patrick bests Ricardo Funch by Guillotine Submission in the 2nd. The hungry "Prince" ate the faux "Golden Boy" on the feet where Funch was supposed to dominate and did what he do on the mat for the tapout.

James Wilks Decisions Peter Sobotta in a bout I didn't see.

Mario Miranda earns the TKO over David Loiseau in the sophomore round. "The Crow" may be done as a fighter but Miranda is just beginning and we would all do well to keep an eye on this cat.

Matt Wiman versus Mac Danzig is officially ruled a technical submission by Guillotine Choke for now. Here is what happened. "Handsome" had the "Vegan Warrior" said choke and Matt told the referee Yves Lavigne and he checked the arm which the referee thought was limb. Yves stopped the fight and Mac jumped up immediately showing he was not unconscious. In the replay, which the ref doesn't have the luxury of seeing during the fight, showed Mac's neck nearly free of the choke but he couldn't move his hands or Wiman could have sunk it in deeper. It was a glaring mistake on the part of Yves Lavigne but Danzig took it all in stride telling the booing fans that MMA referees have a ridiculously hard job and it was a human error. Total class from both fighters in an unfortunate situation and I would be shocked and irate if the Vancouver Athletic Commission doesn't overturn the result to a No Contest.

Evan Dunham out points Tyson Griffin to earn a Split Decision though it should have been Unanimous. Without "Peanut" Evan still dominated the fight by scoring takedowns at will and using his insane reach advantage to keep the lil' Griffin at bay. Tyson just can't reach the fellas in the Lightweight division and I wish the dude would head to the WEC's featherweight division where he would straight dominate. As Pam Anderson would tell you size matters and Tyson may have reached as far as his little arms can in the UFC. Dunham can now return to Xtreme Couture still undefeated and quickly homing in on the elite of the Lightweight division.

Carlos Condit stages a comeback to defeat Rory MacDonald by TKO in controversial fashion. Vancover's own Rory just dominated "NBK" on the feet and the floor doing as he pleased taking a massive two rounds to none lead. Before the final round, corner man extraordinaire Greg Jackson was uncharacteristically screaming at Condit to turn it on and that is exactly what he did. Carlos came out as vicious as he did in the WEC and beat MacDonald to a pulp making his face resemble Ken Shamrock's after he initially fought Tito Ortiz. Even so, there were a mere seven seconds left in the fight and the referee had not business stopping it robbing Rory of a victory (or possibly a Draw) and tarnishing his undefeated record prematurely. "Fight Of The Night" honors.

Ben Rothwell beats Gilbert Yvel by Unanimous Decision in an ugly pathetic fight. I don't have a lot to say about this bout save for I'd rather not see either guy fight again. Oh wait, Rothwell came out to Nickelback proving he is a douche bag.

Martin Kampmann schools Paulo Thiago and gets the Unanimous Decision victory. The "Hitman" owned the feet and the floor and almost secured a head and arm-triangle choke to end the fight but the Brazilian toughed it out. It was really a good fight with Martin's technical superiority shining through as predicted.

Mirko Filipovic defeats Patrick Barry by a Gracie style RNC Sub. Oh mommy was this one fun. "HD" came out firing and actually dropped "Cro Cop" twice in the opening round though both were flash KO's and Mirko was allowed to his feet as Barry has zero ground game which would come into play later. Filipovic also took a big shot to the jaw which swelled instantly and many thought we were about to witness the end of "Cro Cop." Not so fast. In the 2nd, Mirko listened to his corner employing more movement and letting that famous left high kick go to keep Pat honest. Some reverse inside kicks and a takedown helped "Cro Cop" earn some G&P in mount as well as confidence. In the 3rd round Barry had obviously slowed and Mirko turned things on coming hard and fast throwing combinations and attacking like the Open Weight Grand Prix Champion of old. Barry was visibly hurt and tired as "Cro Cop" dropped him with a punch and a blitzkrieg of violence. Nearing the end Patty left his neck exposed and locked up the RNC for a beautiful though rare submission. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND CRO COP AIN'T DONE YET! Now comes a new contract for the beloved Croatian.

Rich Franklin defeats Chuck Liddell by KO (Punch). The "Iceman" looked just fine early striking with abandon and it was "Ace" who looked sloppy and off balance on the feet. Chuck even scored a takedown and diversified his striking but at the final seconds of the round the past reared its ugly head. Liddell had Rich hurt and was chasing him when Rich landed a big right hand that dropped Chuck adding a left temple shot and the "Iceman" was dreaming. Even more impressive when you realize a kick from Chuck broke Rich's left arm and the cat is left handed! Ya just gotta love these two future "Hall Of Famers" and I would actually like to see Chuck fight one more time. He was in good shape and did almost everything right but in MMA anything can happen. I'm very happy for Franklin but Liddell should be allowed to fight Tito Ortiz or some other tomato can and go out on a win. My guess is he'll try and Dana White will deny it. "Knockout Of The Night" honors.

8-1-2 on the picks and I'll explain. The Wiman/Danzig debacle and the MacDonald/Condit error will not be counted because it's my website and fuck em. What's right is right and those endings were wrong. Still a great PPV with a sick card filled with great fighters. Well done Zuffa and thanks to Canada.

UFC 115 Picks & Such Things

UFC 115: June 12, 2010
General Motors Palace in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

This is an underrated card with more interesting fights on the undercard than the PPV but each bout could be close and a match pickers nightmare. Top to bottom this event is full of fascinating fights. We get free fights on Spike TV that are excellent, tons of promotion for the TUF 11 finale and the absolute worst season and cast of all time, three future Hall Of Famers, and a standard appearance from GSP, all from Canada!

Main Bouts (PPV):
Chuck Liddell (21-7) vs. Rich Franklin (26-5) "Ace" is the hardest working man in the UFC taking on anyone at any weight and now at any time. That should be respected more than it is but anywho, Chuck returns after the rest of the world caught up with his striking style and his chin came into question. Rich was owned by Anderson Silva and a lucky strike from Vitor Belfort but he beat Dan Henderson no matter what the judges say. This means Franklin is actually underrated and we all know he has a much stronger well rounded MMA IQ than the "Iceman." I respect how Chuck went back to camp and came in amazing shape but despite the claims from The Pit that he has trained all of this new stuff, once in the fight, I think it will disappear from his mind (as always) and he'll continue to strike as Rich brings the leg banging kicks, southpaw striking, and the potential to take things to the mat where he'd own Chuck and possibly earn a stoppage. It should be stand up for the most part but expect some unexpected takedowns as Franklin diversifies his way to a victory.

WINNER-Rich Franklin by Decision

Mirko Filipovic (26-7-2) vs. Pat Barry (5-1) I don't give a damn about anything in this fight save one mere thing. I love "Cro Cop" and I'm going out on his shield one way or the other.

WINNER-Mirko Filipovic by Rd.1 KO

Paulo Thiago (13-1) vs. Martin Kampmann (16-3) The Brazilian special forces guy (*when has a MMA card ever had two special forces fighters on the same card?) is destined for a title shot while the 86th "Hitman" can do it all, he lacks the striking power Paulo possesses though I believe he could have the advantage on the floor even with Thiago being a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Marty is very smooth on the floor but that just leads to a stalemate and I see Kampmann breaking down Thiago with his superior technique on the feet as the fight wars on toward a possible Split winner.

WINNER-Martin Kampmann by Decision

Ben Rothwell (30-7) vs. Gilbert Yvel (36-14-1) Tim Sylvia Jr. fights a one dimensional jackass whom he should own. I can't say either guy impresses me much but the Miletich fighter is more well rounded and adept to staying within the rules of MMA.

WINNER-Ben Rothwell by Rd.2 Submission

Carlos Condit (24-5) vs. Rory MacDonald (10-0) "NBK" was a guy I thought would tear up the UFC welterweights when coming from the WEC but that has only produced mixed results. "Waterboy" will be looking for takedowns and Condit's defense is porous at best. This is a style disaster for Carlos who's skinny frame will be a target for the core strength of Rory who continually amasses points in what is going to be a gritty ugly war.

WINNER-Rory MacDonald by Decision

Prelims (On Spike TV):
Mac Danzig (19-7-1) vs. Matt Wiman (11-5) I do love free fights and this one should be good. Both TUF veterans find themselves with their backs against the wall in this "loser leaves town" fight. The vegan dropped three in a row before Zuffa gave him the gift of Justin Buchholz which he almost blew while "Handsome" dropped dos in a row before receiving the gift of Shane Nelson (*both men also recently lost to Jim Miller). Both of these guys have disappointed in what many thought would be successful careers for both men and while Matt has better hands, Mac had better stop these punching exchanges that get him in trouble and return to his Jiu-Jitsu roots. Fighting a a much higher level for most of his career will help but a smart Danzig will make Wiman scream for "Mother."

WINNER-Mac Danzig by Decision

Tyson Griffin (14-2) vs. Evan Dunham (10-0) The fact that this fight is NOT on the PPV is shocking but thank you Mr. White. Also how about two Xtreme Couture teammates agreeing to fight each other (I'm looking at you Jon Fitch & Josh Koscheck of AKA)! The inevitable show stealer finds mini-Tyson oh so close to that brass ring while the undefeated Dunham takes the time in his fights to learn his opponent and then beat them like mentor Randy Couture. Evan just isn't ready yet for this ever improving wrestling machine who is supposed to have improved his stand up for this particular fight though he will have a definitive size advantage. Tyson owns the mat while the striking will be close in a high tilt affair for bragging rights at the gym as Griffin slowly pulls ahead enough to get the judges to nod in his direction.

WINNER Tyson Griffin by Decision

Prelims (Non-Televised):
David Loiseau (19-9) vs. Mario Miranda (9-1) Oh the "Crow" returns in a stand up affair with a Washington fighter who just suffered his 1st career loss. Loiseau is returning from a win over a guy who is 6-20 so let's just ignore that and move on. Miranda will have the length advantage and quite frankly is a better all around striker. Dave may try more flashy moves but they don't usually work and the "Crow" is getting a bit long in the beak anyway. Look for an exciting war from the durable veteran but the end comes with the final pink slip from Zuffa.

*Mario had a bit of trouble making weight and looked very gaunt. If he hydrates properly it should not matter but something to take note of.

WINNER-Mario Miranda by Decision

James Wilks (6-3) vs. Peter Sobotta (8-2) "Lightning" won TUF and then got curb stomped by the highly overrated Matt Brown proving just how awful his stand up skills are but his highly skilled and bewildering Jiu-Jitsu will rule the day when he gets back on track by vying for the coveted "Submission Of The Night" paycheck.

WINNER-Jamey Wilks by Rd.2 Tapout

Claude Patrick (11-1) vs. Ricardo Funch (7-1) Claude, a former IFL fighter from Canada (eh?) makes his Zuffa debut against a fun to watch, though less talented and for god's sake kid take the damn braids outta your hair it looks retarded, "Golden Boy." Despite the fact that there can only be 1 "Golden Boy" in combat sports, I fully expect Patrick to drag Ricardo to the ground and tap him with as much ease as possible in a fight.

WINNER-Claudett by Rd.1 Submission

Mike Pyle (18-7-1) vs. Jesse Lennnox (11-2) Haters tryin' to stomp out "Quicksand's" mixed results in the UFC as failure but don't count the Xtreme Couture product out just yet. The kid is super slick/sick on the mat and smarter than your average Miletich student. Speaking of which, Jesse's only shot is staying on the feet, ignoring his wrestling base, and landing the big shots that have been known to crumble Mikey. That would be the opposite strategy he is used to employing but a ground war is a bad idea against a guy who has pinned a submission on everyman he has beaten save two. A simply confused Lennox won't know how to handle the gamer who won't let go of his limbs.

WINNER-Mike Pyle by Rd.3 Submission

NEW Anderson "Spider" Silva Interview (I like him again)