|
UFC 94 Roundtable
Welcome one and All to the
UFC 94 Roundtable! I am your Host, David Snipes, who got the MOST fights correct
last time, I am joined by Yoda and Robert but this time I am adding a 4th
member, Hyped just to get cocky and prove that I know more MMA than anyone else-
plus I am adding William Caraway in his debut
on the website to really make sure I embarrass myself.
I STILL think
Franklin
got robbed by the way. Now without
further ado, allow me to present the ISC roundtable- in witch I will not only go
1-9 but will finish Dead Last.
Welterweight
bout: Jon Howard vs. Chris Wilson
Yoda: This fight is basically just a time-filler to allow people to get their
food and beverage and get comfortable for the real matches. Howard doesn’t
even belong on the card. He must have a relative at Zuffa or some photos of Dana
wearing Oscar De La Hoya’s lingerie.
Wilson
’s in better shape, is more aggressive, and will dominate him.
David: See this type of
fight I would rather have then 2 guys I only know from TUF also rans.
Wilson
had a pretty good fight vs Jon Fitch, but not anything that is going to stop
people from running to the bathrooms, Howard is making his debut and
Wilson
might be trying to make a step up to TV/Fight Night
Hyped: “Doomsday”
Howard comes from an unknown camp and has wins over virtually unknown opponents.
Wilson
is a solid fighter out of Team Quest, with his
biggest win having been the one over Jay Hieron in IFL.
The only way for these guys to make a splash is to make this fight exciting.
Robert: Well, not much is
known about Howard. This is his UFC coming out party. He really hasn't beaten
anyone of renown, and I don't pick him to win against
Wilson
. Not that
Wilson
is all that known himself, his wins are of higher caliber opponents.
William: I don't know to much about either of these guys to give an honest
opinion of what to predict so just by looking at their records, styles, ages,
size, and opponents I would give the advantage to Wilson over the UFC debuting
Howard by decision.
Winner:
Yoda: Wilson 2nd
round –TKO
David:
Wilson
: DES
Hyped:
Wilson
by TKO, round 2
Robert:
Wilson
in a decision.
William: Howard Des
Welterweight
bout: Matt Arroyo vs. Dan Cramer
Yoda: This will likely be the night’s most boring fight. Neither fighter
is overly aggressive and Dan will likely outscore Arroyo gradually throughout
the fight. All Dan has to do is avoid Arroyo’s overrated submission game.
David: I look at the
MONSTER list of fighters at the UFC disposal, and all the fighters the WEC just
added- and we get this fight, I’m a little ticked. I can see the fights on the
prev card between two unknowns that are looking
for a job, But fights like this are why some people hate TUF, I know it
made me a fan of the sport- but also rans like this should be in the WEC not on
PPV with a 0-0 record. Arroyo had a better run on the Show and I simply don’t
see Cramer working 15 minutes
Hyped:An absolute filler.
Arroyo has more experience.
Robert: You gotta love the
matchups of yearlings. Usually all turn out with one participant making a
mistake and the other putting out his lights. At the very least, this fight
should provide much needed action. Especially if you are in attendance and have
to watch O'Brien/Wellisch.
William: The debuting Cramer vs the inexperienced Arroyo.
Don't know anything about either. So with Arroyo having the experience edge I'll
take him to win by decision.
Winner:
Yoda: Dan Cramer
David: Arroyo Sub 3
Hyped: Arroyo by TKO, round 3
Robert: Arroyo wins, TKO, round 1
William: Arroyo by Des
Heavyweight
Bout: Jake O’Brien vs. Christian Wellisch
Yoda: Wellisch is a
borderline UFC fighter at best. O’Brien is not the most intelligent fighter
and lost his last couple of matches, but he is still seen as having potential in
the weak heavyweight division. They are serving him up Wellish to put a win on
O’Brien’s record to keep his record (and value) respectable.
David: HEY! I LIKE Irish!
He is not going to threaten ANYONE that is going to headline a PPV but I don’t
find him that boring, of course If he was 185 instead of 205 he would be out of
a job but still. I agree with Yoda, this is a record padder for O’Brien- but I
will put money down that he loses his next fight. He is being set up for
something (someone) on a Fight Night or a PPV.
Hyped: Both are incredibly
one-dimensional fighters with “Irish” Jake O’Brien being a sort of
takedown and lay-n-pray specialist and Wellisch being good at submissions.
While O’Brien’s takedowns are good enough to get a decision win over Heath
Herring, that won’t work here against a more accomplished grappler. Besides,
Wellisch comes from a better camp, trains with better talent.
Robert: Wow, talk about
fireworks!! (If you didn't catch the sarcasm, you're in the wrong place.) This
fight probably won't make it to your living room. O'Brien might as well have
coined the term "Lay & Pray". And he'll use it to "win"
this fight.
William: I look for Wellisch to use his size advantage to wear down
O'Brien and end the fight due to strikes in the second round.
Winner:
Yoda: Jake O’Brien; TKO
round 1
David: Jake KO Round 2
Hyped: Wellisch by submission, round 1
Robert: O'Brien in a slow and painful decision.
William: Wellisch KO Round 2
Lightweight
bout: Thiago Tavares vs. Manvel Gamburyan
Yoda: After getting KO’d
in near record time last match, Gamburyan will tone down his aggression this
time around. That will be his downfall against Tavares. Tavares hasn’t shown
it the last couple of fights but he has a full arsenal of submission skills and
can play possum to set a trap.
David: Maybe I just don’t
see it in Manvel- I was pulling for him vs the Lil’Prick but since then he has
not impressed me, I bet his hands are a bit higher in this fight, But I think
Thiago still finds his skull enough to make Manvel want to go to the mat long
enough to tap.
Hyped: Do not blink, for
this one is bound to be an incredible fight.
Tavares is a BJJ standout hailing from the Brazilian Top Team, where he is
trained by former middleweight champ Murilo Bustamante. His striking is suspect
but is BJJ isn’t.
Gamburyan is the man that should have won TUF5. What he lacks in height and
reach he makes up in strength, grappling, cardio and overall determination.
This won’t stay on the feet long. I see Gamburyan getting the takedown and
Tavares working his closed guard.
Unfortunately for Tavares, Gamburyan has that kind of build (like Tyson Griffin)
which makes it hard to get a submission. Short, stocky, no neck, thick arms.
Robert: I must like the
name Thiago, because I'm picking Tavares in this matchup. His reach and his
speed will be more than Gamburyan can deal with.
William: Its judo vs. brazilian jiu-jitsu in this fight. Tavares has lost
3 of his last 4 and is probably fighting for his job in UFC against Manny. Manny
is another guy I have never walked away from one of his fights wowed. I havn't
seen Tavares fight as of yet but looking at his history he is a submission
expert.
Winner:
Yoda: Tavares, Submission
– 2nd round
David: Tavares: Sub 1
Hyped: Gamburyan by unanimous decision
Robert: Tavares wins via TKO in the second round.
William: Tavares submits Manny in 2.
Welterweight
Bout: Jon Fitch vs. Akihiro Bono
Yoda: Fitch was soundly defeated by GSP but is still one of the best
Welterweights out there. He’ll be pissed that he’s been relegated to the
preliminary card and he’ll be looking to make a big statement that he still
belongs in big fights. There won’t be much feeling out in this fight. He’ll
attach immediately.
David: I feel for Gono
here- he finally gets a shot at the UFC but he gets to fight a guy that DOES NOT
DESERVE to be here on the Prelims. Fitch is going to get the win and then look
for a rematch.
Hyped: Fitch lost to GSP
but you won’t see him losing to too many welterweights in the world.
Gono brings a world of experience to the octagon, with 27 MMA wins and deep
experience from Pride FC , Pancrase and Shooto. While he has defeated the likes
of Gegard Mousasi and Yuki Kondo in the past, he is also 34.
Fitch is stronger, has better striking, and unless he makes a big error Gono
won’t submit him. Gono is just the kind of fighter that is a very good matchup
for Fitch.
Robert: Fitch wins. I'm not
even questioning this. TKO, round 1. Fitch is going to come out to prove
something. After his loss to GSP, and all the drama with Dana White, you can bet
Fitch will be out to send a message.
William: Fitch is one of the best wrestlers and ground and pounders in the
welterweight division and is coming off of a beat down at the hands of the champ
GSP. Gono is veteran of Pride and Pancrase also coming off of a decision loss in
his UFC debut. Both fighters are just as likely to KO, submit, or decision any
opponent. I have to give the edge in this fight to Fitch who was riding a pretty
long winning streak up until the GSP fight, and is ready to start a new streak.
Look for Fitch to win by decision in a fairly competitive fight.
Winner:
Yoda: Fitch, TKO – 1st round
David: Fitch KTFO- Round 1
Hyped: Fitch by TKO, round 3
Robert: Fitch Murder, Death, Kill RD1
William: Fitch Des
Lightweight
bout: Nate Diaz vs. Clay Guida
Yoda: Clay’s aggressive ground and pound style is his strength and his
weakness. He leaves himself open for submissions too often and somehow Nate Diaz
always seems to be able to pull them off even when it looks like he’s
completely out of position.
David: Speaking of the
Lil’Prick, I just DON:T GET GUIDA- Yes, he;s funny looking, yes he could kick
my ass (even though I outweigh his brother) but I don’t see where he is so
great? Is there a bunch of lightweights that gas in 5 minutes and he;s the only
one that can go 15 minutes? I simply don’t see why he is so special. Diaz is
special, however- and I cannot wait to see him face Ken-Flo so I can see him
busted open.
Hyped: This has “fight of
the night” written all over it.
Nate Diaz comes from the Cesar Gracie camp and is well-known both for winning
TUF 5 and for being the younger brother of Nick Diaz.
He fights in the same style as his brother, but Nate’s striking isn’t as
efficient as Nick’s (even if Nick Diaz’s striking isn’t exactly
eye-popping).
Nate’s bread and butter are his submissions, especially from the closed guard
(triangles and guillotines, mainly).
Clay Guida (what kind of nickname is “Carpenter”? and why won’t he cut his
hair?) is a dynamo in action, he never stops and always tries to make his fights
exciting. He will never be champion, but is a fighter the UFC should definitely
keep.
I also see Guida as being stronger than Diaz, that will eventually dictate the
outcome.
Robert: I know the Diaz
brothers have been on a tear as of late, but I think Guida has what it takes to
stop the rampaging Nate. Guida's cardio will play a major role in this battle.
William: Guida is one of the most exciting fighters to step into the
octagan. He will take risks that most other fighters don't or won't take for the
sake of putting on an exciting fight for the fans. I have yet to see him in a
fight that wasn't exciting. Both fighters are submission guys who really have to
hit you on the button to knock you out. Guida though is more willing to bang
than Diaz is. Guida is far more experienced at the game than Diaz and I expect
that experience to lead Guida to a decision win.
Winner:
Yoda: Diaz By Submission
– 3rd round
David: Diaz- Sub Round 2
Hyped: Clay Guida by unanimous decision
Robert: Guida gets the nod, round 3, submission.
William: Guida Des
Light-Heavyweight
Bout: Steven Bonnar vs. Jon Jones
Yoda: Bonnar is the favorite but it’s been over a year since he’s fought.
Jones is very young (and still green) but he has looked good in every fight so
far. Jones is also humble enough to know that he still has a lot to learn and he
continues to train in all areas between fights rather than just on improving his
conditioning. Jones’ biggest test here will be that he doesn’t hold the
reach advantage in this fight that he had in his last 3 fights.
David: I wonder how Bonner
is going to be treated on here, this guy has a job for life, but how far up the
card is he? He has a great chin and Jones is a better than average striker. I
think a good standup fight is what Bonner needs to get on track. If Bonner wins
I expect him to become almost a striker-gatekeeper (Jake O’Brian?) But a win
for Jones moves him WAY up the card- and if he knocks him out expect Forrest in
the near future. For some reason I think Bonner goes to the ground early and
often here, and takes a close des.
Hyped: Jones is undefeated,
impressively notching 5 straight wins in only 3 months. He also seems well
rounded, but has not fought quality opponents.
Make no mistake about it, Stephan Bonnar will be a test for Jones, a step up in
competition.
As for Bonnar, his career has been somewhat of a roller-coaster. He went to the
finals of TUF 1, putting on a show which guaranteed him a contract with the UFC.
A few wins later fans began to think of a title shot for Stephan.
But losing to Rashad Evans and to Forrest Griffin, while accusing banned
substances, derailed his hopes. The bright spot was his return in good form.
Coming from the late Carlson Gracie’s academy, his BJJ is, as expected, very
good. His striking is also solid. But he always seems to lack something; I would
say Bonnar hasn’t been training with the right guys, the kind of people that
are going to eventually take him a step further.
Still, in this fight, Bonnar should dominate.
Robert: I really want to
pick Jones. He's young, with an umblemished record. But I simply can't go
against Bonner. Bonner has the expierence. That's gonna be the deciding factor.
William: The return of the "American Psycho" Stephan Bonner and
a relative newcomer Jon "Bones" Jones. I have to admit I havn't seen
to much of Jones to really give an honest account of his style. He is a young
guy that is undefeated though and will be a good test for Bonner to see how he
comes back from his knee surgery. Will be cautious and favor the leg that he
says is 100% or will he be the same guy that banged with Forrest Griffin in the
first Ultimate Fighter Finale? I say its the former and that he returns from
injury with an early knockout over the young up and comer.
Winner:
Yoda: Jones, Decision
David: Bonner, DES
Hyped: Stephan Bonnar by submission, round 2
Robert: Bonner, round 2, submission.
William: Bonner KO1.
Welterweight
Bout: Karo Parisyan vs. Don Hyun Kim
Yoda: Kim has the knock-out
power and is approaching this fight as a career-maker. Karo is technicaly the
better fighter but he is a notch below the elite fighters (he was destroyed by
Alves last time out) and does make the occasional mistake that Kim could take
advantage of. If the fight goes the distance though, Karo will take it.
David: Why is Fitch on the
Undercard again? Karo is needing a win as he got cut in line like a 10 year old
at the lunchline. Don is making his debut and a win here could spell the
beginning of the end of Karo (and his cousin) but a win and we have a logjam up
top. A Convincing Karo win and Dana may be thinking of running a tournament
again.
Hyped: Karo is one of the
most exciting fighters in all of MMA, with his combination of no-GI effective
judo throws and BJJ submission skills on the ground. His striking is only
average and too open, though.
Parisyan has become somewhat of a gatekeeper for this welterweight division. He
doesn’t seem like championship material, losing against key opponents. On the
other hand, he is good enough and exciting enough to be one of the main fighters
in the welterweight division. I think Kim is a trap for Karo though.
Dong Hyun Kim is the first Korean fighter to ever step into the UFC octagon,
sporting a present 11-0-1 record. He made his presence felt in the DEEP
organization, and later caught the eye of UFC scouts.
This is a big test for him. It also the kind of fight that Parisyan usually
wins, before losing to a bigger name.
Robert: Kim's last outing
against Matt Brown wasn't anything to be proud of. I even had Brown winning. And
Parisyan has won 8 of his last 10, only losing to Diego Sanchez in a decision,
and a TKO loss to Thiago Alves. Kim's not in either of those guys league.
William: I have seen Parisyan fight a couple of times and have never came away
from his fights impressed. He has never knocked anyone out in his 18 wins so Kim
will be able to take some risks that he wouldn't be able to against the upper
echelon welterweights. Karo's losses in his career, in his defense, are to guys
who are among the best of the best. There is no shame in loosing to GSP, Thiago
Alves, Diego Sanchez, and Sean Sherk. Kim though has done most of his career
fights overseas so he is really an unknown with a little knock out power and
very little in the submissions department. I would say Karo takes this three
rounds and wins a unanimous decision.
Winner:
Yoda: Don Hyun Kim via TKO
– 2nd Round
David: Kim DES
Hyped: Karo Parisyan by unanimous decision
Robert: Parisyan, decision.
William: Karo, Des
Light-Heavyweight
bout: Thiago Silva vs. Lyoto Machida
Yoda: Thiago will come out aggressively as usual and hope to catch
Machida
with a ‘lucky’ strike.
Machida
’s defense is simply too strong. He is one of the calmest fighters in the UFC
and in many ways is the best in the division. He simply doesn’t get himself
into trouble. His ‘boring’ style is the only thing that has held him back
from a title fight so far.
David: Ladies and
Gentlemen, welcome to the coming out party for Machida, the fighter (on TV) No
one wants to see but no one can beat- I LIKE this guy, he is one of the smartest
guys in MMA, he makes ALI look like George Foreman ( 1990’s version) in the
rope a dope- he moves all the time and no one gets a solid hit on him, this guy
ticked of Tito on his going away party, and I loved that fight. I think Lyoto
has to fight one more guy before he gets Rashad. Can I put a request in for
Jardine? Just to see Joe Rogan explode as neither guy does what they are
“supposed” to? Oh yeah, Silva is undefeated, but not next week, he;s not a
walkover by any means but one guy beat
Franklin
, the other beat Alexander.
Hyped: For many years
Machida
was MMA’s best well-kept secret. Nobody knew much about him. He worked in
some “different” shows, like Inoki-Bom-Ba-Ye. He was also undefeated and the
first man to beat former middleweight champion Rich Franklin.
Machida
has a very technical and elusive striking game,
while being a shotokan southpaw. You will not see Lyoto get rattled and thrown
off his game. His ground game has been less exposed, but it also seems solid.
Thiago Silva comes from what is probably the most legendary and feared academy
in all of MMA. He comes from Chute Boxe,
Curitiba
,
Brazil
. The academy that has produced the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva and
the Rua brothers.
Going 9-0 in
Brazil
, and being from Chute Boxe (these guys are cardio machines and make for
exciting fights, usually), he got a call from the UFC. And so we were able to
see him in the big stage. So far he has been impressive. A 26-year-old with an
aggressive striking style, while being 13-0 overall.
The interesting thing about this fight is that both men are undefeated. One of
them will no longer have a perfect record after this one.
Striking-wise Silva always goes for the haymaker, preferring looping punches and
crosses, while leaning his entire body, instead of mixing it with jabs.
Machida
has a more composed, conservative, style, that can easily throw opponents off
their game.
There is also a definite difference in fighting experience here (the biggest
name that Silva has fought is Houston Alexander).
Robert: I might be going
against the grain here, but I'm picking Thiago Silva in the upset, via TKO in
round 2.
Machida
is very elusive, but Thiago is very aggressive, with great KO power. I see him
striking often and striking hard.
William: Machida may be universally considered the most boring fighter on the
planet. Yet the guy still hasn't lost, and hasn't truely been tested. Why?
Because you can't hit what you can't reach. His opponents just don't get to lay
the wood to him. When his opponents have gotten their hands on him to take him
to the ground he has quickly ended the fights with his superb jui-jitsu skills.
Silva just knocks people out he is agressive with his striking just like his
hero Wanderlei Silva, but he is also a Black Belt in BJJ so he isn't devoid of a
ground game. An interesting matchup to say the least. I predict that despite
Machida's frustrating stand up game Silva manages to break through that
unorthadox defense and knocks Machida out in the 3rd and final round.
Winner:
Yoda:
Machida
, Decision
David:
Machida
, DES- and people want to see him for 25 minutes
Hyped: Lyoto Machida by unanimous decision
Robert: Silva, KO Round 2
Willaim: Silva KO Rd 3
Welterweight
bout: GSP vs. BJ Penn
YODA: Both guys have
virtually no weaknesses. BJ’s conditioning isn’t quite as good as GSP’s
but he compensates for it by not expending unnecessary energy in the cage. BJ is
better prepared for this fight than any previous one in his career. GSP
doesn’t rest of his laurels and seems supremely focused. When the fight goes
to the mat in the 4th and 5th, BJ will give up position in
attempts to use his flexibility to apply a submission. It’s a gamble as
meanwhile GSP will be scoring points in a ground a pound.
David: This fight is going
to be a battle of wills- if it stays on the feet I think Penn’s striking is
faster- I don’t know if he hits harder- I doubt it but in the first fight his
hand speed was faster and over 25 minutes even if he hits like a girl- those
strikes add up. GSP does add the kicks and with his reach I think he will be
able to throw a lot of them, I think GSP has a big advantage on the ground, Penn
might be a better submission artist, but I think GSP can do a lot more damage on
the ground than Penn can, GSP might not be able to submit Penn, but he will hurt
him.
Here is how I think the fight goes- GSP tries to use his range and pop Penn,
Penn closes and tries to do damage inside as GSP circles. One of them will
decide they are tired of this cat and mouse and goes to the ground; either BJ
decides he is getting hurt and stands up or GSP avoids submissions until the
round ends.
Rinse repeat for rounds 2-4.
Hyped: An overused phrase
in the UFC is certainly “the biggest fight in UFC history” or “the biggest
fight in MMA history”. Well, this time around, it may just be so.
Both men are champions of their respective divisions, both are extremely
well-rounded and both are also two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the
world.
In other words: an MMA fan’s dream come true.
GSP has some of the best and most versatile striking in MMA, great cardio,
energy and explosion, and extremely underrated wrestling (please look back at
his fight against Koscheck).
BJ Penn was already one of the best fighters in the game before GSP even came
onto the scene. His BJJ skills are, of course, legendary. His flexibility allows
him to do things other BJJ black belts can only dream of. And his striking is
also very solid, he definitely possesses KO power.
Now, in a fight so evenly matched, who wins?
Looking back at their first fight, GSP was clearly the most punished of the two
fighters. On the other hand, BJ gassed, allowing
Pierre
to pick up the decision victory.
But today cardio does not seem to be a problem for BJ. Pounds aren’t a problem
too, let us remember how he went up in weight to fight Matt Hughes for the
welterweight belt at UFC 46. Hughes was coming in as the invincible champion,
with a massive win streak and a record of sheer dominance; how was a lighter
fighter going to beat him? BJ won by rear naked choke and it certainly wasn’t
a fluke.
I will go by sheer gut on this one.
Robert: I got GSP winning
in a decision. Penn isn't going to tap or get knocked out, but he won't have
enough to stop GSP either. I see GSP controlling this fight using his wrestling
ability and avoiding Penn's submission attempts. Which is bad for the fans, as a
third match will be wanted.
William: Penn is fighting to get that 170lb monkey off of his back from their
first meeting. For most people fighting Penn is no picnic, and fighting a
motivated Penn is down right scary just ask Pulver, Stevenson, and Sherk.
Unfortunatly for Penn, GSP isn't just one of the guys. GSP has the ability to
beat you in a lot of ways. He strikes equally effectively with his legs, knees,
fists, or elbows. He is stronger than moonshine, and has some of the best
wresling in the biz. Penn has dynamite in his hands though and has ended his
last three fights pretty convincingly with them. His Jui-Jitsu skills are
unquestioned. Here is what the fight comes down to in my opinion. Can GSP's chin
last longer than Penn's cardio? Penn's stamina is far from legendary, and Serra
shocked the world by knocking GSP out a while back. Since then though Penn's
cardio hasn't been tested but neither has GSP's chin. If the fight is going to
end early it will be Penn with the win, and if it goes the distance it will be
GSP retaining the title. Either way the winner has the unfortunate task of
taking on the "Pitbull" Alves next.
Yoda: GSP, Decision
David: GSP Round 4 TKO
Hyped:
Georges St.
Pierre
by unanimous decision
Robert: GSP Des
William: Penn 2nd round TKO.
Comment on this article to Comments@informativesports.com
|
