UFC 118 is in the books; let’s see how the fights went down and how my picks went.

Note: The grades are based on how well I picked the fight and NOT on how good the fight was.

1) Nate Diaz defeats Marcus Davis via submission, Rd. 3

I said:

Davis will get the better of the stand-up, but it will not be enough to put the Stockton native away.  As we get a little later into the fight, young Diaz will finally secure a takedown and work towards a submission win.

Prediction: Diaz, Submission, Rd. 2

Nate actually got the better of Marcus on the feet thanks to his reach.  Other than that though, I was pretty damn close outside of the round.  Let’s keep it high.  Grade: B+

Nate looked sensational here taking the fight right to Marcus and using some patented Diaz-brothers striking in the process.  Once he got things to the ground, it was academic as he locked in the choke.  Davis was game, but he was no match for the Stockton native who appears to really be coming into his own these days.  All he needs to do is to improve his wrestling and he could be a real player.

Next for Davis:  I’ve always been a fan of the Hand Grenade and I hope he gets one more shot inside the Octagon.  How about a fight with Matt Brown?  Loser leaves town.

Next for Diaz:  The biggest question here is will Nate stay at welterweight or move back down to lightweight.  If he stays, I wouldn’t mind seeing him try to avenge his brother’s loss to Diego Sanchez.  If he goes back down, I think a fight with my main man Joe Lauzon (who looked awesome Saturday) could be a main event for a Fight Night – maybe even the next TUF finale.

2) Gray Maynard defeats Kenny Florian via decision

I said:

Do you really need to ask?

Kenny has more ways to win this fight, is always improving and, oh yea, it’s in Beantown baby.  Beantown!

I think Maynard finds taking down Kenny is no easy task and after a few unsuccessful he is forced to stand and trade.  Kenny gets comfortable and in the second round starts to open up.  He clips the Bully and then gets the big guy down ala the Guida fight.  From there, he works for mount and pounds his way to a win and another title shot.

Prediction: Florian, TKO, Rd. 2

Damn.  Grade: F

Given my love for Kenny Florian and the role he’s played in my passion for the sport, this one was tough to watch.  Maynard came and did exactly what he needed to do – all the props in the world to him.  Kenny had no answer for Gray’s wrestling and it’s going to be a long way back to the top of the ladder.

Next for Florian:  Kenny is no spring chicken and if he ever wants to get another title shot he will have to go on a run starting right now.  I imagine he jumps right back into a fight against a top guy next time out.  The winner of Sherk/Dunham wouldn’t be bad.

Next for Maynard: A well-deserved lightweight title shot and rematch with Frankie Edgar.

3) Demian Maia defeats Mario Miranda via decision

I said:

Maia is going to waste little time taking this to the ground.  Once there, it’s sayonara as Demian reminds us what he is all about.

Prediction: Maia, Submission, Rd. 1

Maia did everything but finish the fight.  While I was wrong that this would be quick, it still was complete domination.  So I’ll call it decent.  Grade: B

Demian put on a clinic in this one, unfortunately, he really could have used a finish to cement his status as being back.  It seemed like he was tapping people with ease back when he first arrived in the UFC.  Of course, to be fair, Miranda’s ground game is better than he was getting credit for – including from yours truly.

Next for Miranda: A prelim fight - perhaps against Tim Creuder.

Next for Maia: I think a fight with the Chris Leben would make sense for both guys.  It’s a classic striker vs. grappler match-up and whichever guy wins will most likely be in the top-5 contenders in the middleweight division.

4) Randy Couture defeats James Toney via submission Rd. 1

I said:

Toney is on his back within the first 30 seconds and it’s over soon after.

Prediction: Couture, TKO, Rd. 1

I actually had the means of victory wrong so let’s call it right below perfect.  Grade: A-

(Not that I’m tooting my own horn – after all, Stevie Wonder saw this coming.  By the way, why can’t Stevie Wonder see his friends?

Because he’s married…  Thank you, thank you – try the veal.)

This whole thing was absurd.  Only thing I can really say is the low single-leg was pretty cool.  Also, Dana can no longer claim he never puts on freak show fights.  Double negative, whatevs I do what I want.

Next for Toney: Maybe a fight in Strikeforce against Brett Rogers.

Next for Couture:  This is a tough call.  I know there is a lot of talk of returning to light-heavyweight and fights with the winner of Machida/Rampage or Anderson Silva but I’d like to see him stay at heavyweight and fight the winner of Mir/Cro-Cop.

5) Frankie Edgar defeats B.J. Penn via decision

I said:

While it will be tough to do it again – do it again he will.

Call this a gut instinct, but I think an even better Frankie Edgar comes in for this fight and this time wins things outright with no controversy.  I expect much of the same with Frankie moving in and out of range, scoring a few takedowns and being able to do more damage on both fronts this time around.

Someone call up the Situation, Snooki, JWOWW and the rest of the gang down at Seaside because Frankie is having his victory party at Karma - with Pauly D. on the 1’s and 2’s.

Prediction: Edgar, Decision

I don’t usually toot my own horn – but, toot! toot!  You don’t hit the nail on the head on an upset call much harder than that.  Grade: A

We saw the end of an era Saturday as the little guy from Toms River took it to the once invincible Hawaiian warrior.  Frankie won in every aspect and I was particularly impressed with the amount of shots he landed on the feet and significant damage he did on the ground.  B.J. was a broken man by the third.  The win was picture perfect.

Next for Penn: A lot of soul-searching.  In the end, I think he makes a cameo in the welterweight division – maybe against Jon Fitch – but after mixed results announces his retirement from the sport.

Next for Frankie: A tangle with a Bully by the bike racks after school.

Going to be a busy one, but I’ll try to get a few more updates in before the week is over.

Stay lucky,
Ken

UFC 118 is Saturday.  Let’s make some picks.

I tried to spruce these up a bit, let me know what you think…

1) Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis

How we got here:

After an impressive UFC welterweight debut against Rory Markham, Nate Diaz was ready for a bigger test and Marcus Davis is the man to give it to him.

Davis fell on hard times a few fights back, but recently returned to the win column with a victory over Jonathan ‘Glass Joe’ Goulet.  It’s now time for Marcus to try his luck against a big name opponent.

I also feel like there was some name calling that spawned this match-up, but I may just be imagining that given a Diaz is involved.

What’s at stake:

A win for Nate solidifies him as a legitimate player at 170 and may end his days at lightweight.

For Marcus, a victory puts him back in the middle of the pack where he was for the majority of 2006-2008.

The breakdown:

Despite what some are saying, I do not believe Nate holds an advantage wherever this fight goes.  Marcus is by far the superior boxer and should get the better of the stand-up, reach disadvantage notwithstanding.

On the ground, this is no contest.  While Davis has shown himself to be slippery on the canvas, he is not in Nate’s league.  Diaz’s main objective should be to shoot, trip or throw the Hand Grenade to the ground however he can.

I say:

Davis will get the better of the stand-up, but it will not be enough to put the Stockton native away.  As we get a little later into the fight, young Diaz will finally secure a takedown and work towards a submission win.

Prediction: Diaz, Submission, Rd. 2

2) Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda

How we got here:

Demian was originally scheduled to face Alan Belcher in the next Fight Night Main event, but injury sidelined the Mississippian.

Joe Silva did some shuffling and Nate Marquardt vs. Rousimar Palhares is the Fight Night feature bout and Miranda was matched up with Maia.

What’s at stake:

Maia needs this win after getting embarrassed by Anderson Silva in the infamous UFC 112 main event.  He absolutely cannot afford to lose this fight to a relatively no-name fighter or he risks falling off the map.

Miranda on the other hand can go into this fight with nothing to lose.  Despite a UFC win and an impressive 10-1 record, very few fans know who Mario is.  He now has a chance to pull off the upset and make his presence known.

The breakdown:

Miranda has the striking edge, but Maia has shown improving hands as of late.  Enough to keep him out of trouble.

On the ground, Maia vs. Miranda is roughly equivalent to me vs. a 4-year-old.

I say:

Maia is going to waste little time taking this to the ground.  Once there, it’s sayonara as Demian reminds us what he is all about.

Prediction: Maia, Submission, Rd. 1

3) Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard

How we got here:

This time last year Kenny Florian was getting trounced by B.J. Penn in his second lightweight title fight.  Since then, he has dominated Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi.  He is now one win away from his third shot at gold.

After his stint on TUF5, Gary Maynard has gone 7-0-1 in the UFC.  Credentials like that usually give a fighter a title shot, but lackluster decision wins have caused the Bully to take the long road to the championship and a fight against Kenny.

What’s at stake:

The next UFC lightweight title shot.

The breakdown:

Can Ken-Flo beat an elite wrestler?  The age-old question will get answered Saturday.

If Gray is smart he takes this to the ground quick and often.  Kenny’s stand-up has been on fire lately and Maynard would be smart to avoid it.

On the ground, Gray has shown the ability to stay out of subs with his smothering style.  It may not be the most exciting, but he is undefeated.  He will need to employ this to get the win – no matter how ugly it may look.

For Kenny, expect him to show the boxing which has looked so good in recent fights.  I don’t think he will be busting out those muay-thai kicks and risk getting taken to the ground.

If Maynard leaves even the slightest of openings for Kenny to score a takedown you can expect the Flo to go for it.  He has not been afraid to test his wrestling skills in the past.  Sometimes he’s successful – Guida.  And sometimes he’s not – Penn.  One thing is for sure, if Gray finds himself on the bottom at any point of this fight he is in deep, deep trouble.

I say:

Do you really need to ask?

Kenny has more ways to win this fight, is always improving and, oh yea, it’s in Beantown baby.  Beantown!

I think Maynard finds taking down Kenny is no easy task and after a few unsuccessful he is forced to stand and trade.  Kenny gets comfortable and in the second round starts to open up.  He clips the Bully and then gets the big guy down ala the Guida fight.  From there, he works for mount and pounds his way to a win and another title shot.

Prediction: Florian, TKO, Rd. 2

4) Randy Couture vs. James Toney

How we got here:

A few months back, James Toney chased Dana White across the country until he got a contract.

Randy got here because he is a big name and probably one of the worst match-ups for the boxing champion.

What’s at stake:

Given how the UFC has promoted this as MMA vs. boxing, the legitimacy of the sport is somewhat on-the-line.  If the Natural gets knocked out, it fuels the fire of boxing fans who in the last 3 or 4 years have had very little to defend their dying sport with against MMA.

No pressure Randy…

The breakdown:

It doesn’t get much more academic than this:

If this fight stays standing longer than 3 minutes: Randy gets the lights turned off.
If this fight stays on the ground for longer than 3 minutes: Toney gets pounded out.

Simple.

I say:

Toney is on his back within the first 30 seconds and it’s over soon after.

Prediction: Couture, TKO, Rd. 1

5) Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn

How we got here:

Back at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, Frankie Edgar did the unthinkable when he outlasted then champion B.J. Penn to capture the UFC lightweight title.

The result was controversial so we are now running this thing back in Boston.

What’s at stake:

For B.J.: The opportunity to reclaim his place as the lightweight king.

For Frankie: The opportunity to show the world Abu Dhabi was no fluke.

For both: The UFC lightweight title.

The breakdown:

This is pretty similar to the first fight in the sense that it would appear B.J. is better in all aspects.

So how did Frankie win the first fight?

He won by sticking and moving.  He went inside and was out before B.J. could get a word in edgewise.  He mixed in some well-timed takedowns to score points and was the more aggressive fighter.  Basically, he made it appear like he was the winner and fought the perfect fight.

It will be tough to do that again.

I say:

While it will be tough to do it again – do it again he will.

Call this a gut instinct, but I think an even better Frankie Edgar comes in for this fight and this time wins things outright with no controversy.  I expect much of the same with Frankie moving in and out of range, scoring a few takedowns and being able to do more damage on both fronts this time around.

Someone call up the Situation, Snooki, JWOWW and the rest of the gang down at Seaside because Frankie is having his victory party at Karma - with Pauly D. on the 1’s and 2’s.

Prediction: Edgar, Decision

I will be watching this one in Baltimore with 14 of my peeps after our fantasy football draft.  Big fight atmosphere baby!

Enjoy the fights all.

Stay lucky,
Ken

Any MMA fan can pinpoint the era in which they became a fan of the sport.  And, inevitably, during this era there were certain fights that brought your interest in MMA to new heights.

For me, I can recall four such fights…

4. Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar: TUF 1 Finale

No real explanation needed here – but, I’ll give one anyway.

I barely watched the first season of TUF and didn’t know how either Griffin or Bonnar got to the finals.  In fact, the only thing I really knew about the TUF 1 Finale was that Ken Shamrock was fighting a loser named Rich something.

Before I got a chance to see the World’s Most Dangerous Man tear apart some jobber, I had to watch the light-heavyweight finals between Forrest and Stephan.  When the fight started, I wasn’t expecting much.  When it was over, my mind was blown.

I compare it to a movie fight scene where you watch and say “that would never happen in real life” except it was really taking place.  Dana always talks about how the fight gained more TV viewers as it progressed.  While I can’t confirm that, I can confirm that my dorm room went from five viewers for the first round – to ten for the second round – to standing room only by the time the third started.  We were in awe.

This fight gets a lot of credit for putting MMA on the map in North America and it deserves every bit of it.  It was the UFC’s first live Spike show and these guys delivered one of the most memorable fights in history to put an exclamation point on the night.  Its #1 spot on the recent Top 100 UFC Fights was the right call.

3. Rich Franklin vs. Nate Quarry: UFC 56

Right around the time of UFC 56 my friend Dan and I were really starting to catch on to this whole MMA thing (or so we thought, anyway).

There was a lot of hype surrounding this PPV with both Hughes and Franklin defending their titles (of course, only Franklin defending actually happened).  In any event, we were pumped and wanted to watch.  We found a local night club that was airing the event and decided to go.  A bold move for two college kids who rarely ventured that far off-campus.

When we got there we found out we were the only two people who came to view the fights, but we would make due.  We also got there an hour and a half late because our expert opinion was “we only need to see the main events.  Georges St. Pierre vs. Sean Sherk, who’s that?  We don’t need to see those bums.”  Such naïve youths we were.

As for the fight, it was the first ‘spectacular’ KO I have ever seen.  Franklin dominated like I’ve never seen anyone dominate and ended the affair by turning Quarry limp.  Nate’s leg was literally stiff in the air.  Just awesome.

2. Kenny Florian vs. Kit Cope: TUF 2 Finale

This one was so great.

In college, my roommates and I started to watch TUF2 religiously.  It was on every week and we got so into it that we planned a TUF2 Finale viewing party.  In the end, we packed about 20 guys into out apartment living room and were ready to rock.

Opening the night was Kenny Florian vs. Kit Cope at 170lbs.  In one corner, the pasty Florian who was still noticeably pudgy from fighting at 185.  In the other corner, the tattooed, ripped to shreds Cope.

Again, I was an expert at this point so I knew the result of the fight before it even started just by looking at the two fighters.

“Kenny is going to get mangled!” I thought.  “Look at how shredded Cope is!  He’s going to destroy him!”

Obviously, this didn’t happen as Kenny put on a grappling clinic and choked Kit out in the second round.  I learned a valuable lesson after this fight: don’t judge a book by its cover.

To watch how far Kenny has come since then to where he’s at now is awe-inspiring.  I can’t wait for August 8th.

1. Luke Cummo vs. Sam Morgan: TUF 2 Semi-Finals

TUF2 was the first season I really got into.  And it should come as no surprise that I was pulling for Long Island’s own, Luke Cummo.

Not only was Luke a fellow Islander, but he was also the last pick, called a nerd and tagged as having no shot in the competition.  Pretty much the prototype for a fighter that I wanted to see succeed.

After handing out a beatdown to Anthony Torres, it was clear that Luke was a force to be reckon with and his showdown in the semi’s with Sam Morgan was my most highly anticipated fight at that point in my MMA viewing career - which was only a few months old mind you.

It was a great first round with both fighters exchanging on the feet.  Towards the end, Morgan nearly caught Cummo in an armbar which caused my heart to jump into my throat.  Disaster was averted and in the second round Luke caught Sammy with a devastating knee that knocked him out cold.  The geek that no one wanted was in the finals.

This was the first time I ever went nuts after a fight and no matter how much further his career slides in mediocrity, Luke will always be among my favorite fighters.

Those are my top four.  Does anyone else have any that come to mind?

-Ken
http://www.IntelligentlyDefending.com

Major props to Intelligently Defending reader Ryan for today’s Video of the Day, a Frank Shamrock and Kenny Florian highlight.

The video was made by Genghis Con who I have been a fan of for awhile now.  If you haven’t seen his work you can check it out at his official website.  He really does incredible highlight promos.

Check out the video:

The Fast Lane - Episode 003 - Frank Shamrock & Kenny Florian (By Genghis Con) from Genghis Con on Vimeo.

-Ken
http://IntelligentlyDefending.com

Some thoughts on the big news in the world of MMA.

Props to MMAjunkie and MMAmania where I found all these stories.

1) UFC 101: Declaration card complete for Philly Aug. 8th

Main event:
UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian

Main card (Televised):
205 lbs.: Forrest Griffin vs. Anderson Silva
185 lbs.: Amir Sadollah vs. Johny Hendricks
185 lbs.: Kendall Grove vs. Ricardo Almeida
155 lbs.: Kurt Pellegrino vs. Josh Neer

Under card (May not be broadcast):
170 lbs.: John Howard vs. Tamdan McCrory
170 lbs.: Matt Riddle vs. Dan Cramer
155 lbs.: George Sotiropoulos vs. Rob Emerson
170 lbs.: Danillo Villefort vs. Jesse Lennox
185 lbs.: Alessio Sakara vs. Thales Leites
155 lbs.: Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley

Damn, that cards is suh-weet.  And pretty much tailored made for me.

Obviously, the main event is huge as it could not have set-up anymore nicely for Kenny.  He is coming into this fight on a huge winning streak and B.J. is coming off the worst loss of his career.  Florian couldn’t have hoped for better circumstances coming into this, so we will see if he can pull off the upset.

Anderson vs. Forrest is a great fight.  One of the world’s best vs. one of the UFC’s most popular and a ‘giant killer’ in his own right.  I can’t wait.

Then on the main card we got Amir finally making his first appearance since winning TUF7, Kendall vs. Almeida in a fight that will propel the winner back into the mix at 185 and Pellegrino vs. Neer which should be entertaining.

Even the undercard is looking nice.  It’s always good to see Tamdan McCrory, Riddle vs. Cramer will be fun and both guys have a future, and George Sotiropoulos is back after a layoff.

Great stuff and a nice “make-up card” for the East Coast after the abomination that was UFC 78.

2) Bobby Lashley fighting Bob Sapp at “Ultimate Chaos” on June 27

I was going to say Sapp hasn’t fought in well over a year and then I remembered that we last saw him fighting a grown man in an anime costume in Japan last December.  Those Japanese fans sure do love their freaskshows.  If I remember correctly, the guy in the anime costume actually had Sapp in trouble at one point.

Anyway, the Bobby Lashley bandwagon hit a pothole after his fight against Jason Guida.  He won, but people were expecting him to destroy Guida in grand fashion – not through a lackluster decision.  In any event, beating a gamer like Guida in your second pro fight is nothing to sneeze at.  Then, last Friday, Bobby squeezed the life from Mike Cook in 24 seconds and showed his freakish strength in the process.  He now stands at 3-0 for his career.

Check out the fight with Cook for yourself…  Imagine getting locked in the cage with this monster?

Still, I’m not very interested in the fight with Sapp – though, I’m sure I’ll watch the video.  Look for Bobby to win handily using his wrestling and probably finish it once Bob-O gasses.

3) Hong Man Choi vs. Jose Canseco appears to be happening

Well, HDnet is advertising it…

Wow, are you serious?  Jose must really be hard up for cash.  This is going to be an epic mauling.

4) Rampage to coach next season of TUF with winner of Evans/Machida

What the hell.  Why?  Why?  Why?

It appears that the UFC will once again put the Light-Heavyweight Title on hold in order to have a season of The Ultimate Fighter.  You would think the upcoming Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra fight would have been a reminder that these things don’t always work out as planned and can end up screwing up an entire division.

Apart from the lack of logic, I don’t see the need to bring Rampage back so soon.  He was OK in his first go-around as a coach, but he didn’t set the world on fire with his personality or anything like that.  I wonder, since he’s at Wolfslair now, does this mean he will be bringing back the same assistant coaches that Bisping currently has?

The only positive I could see from this is promoting Machida, should he beat Rashad, to the American audience.

That’s it for this edition.

Check out the UFC 100 Dream Card Contest to win an MMA prize package.

Ken
http://www.IntelligentlyDefending.com