Rashad Evans defeats Forrest Griffin via TKO in Round 3
Frank Mir defeats Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via TKO in round 2
Quinton Jackson defeats Wanderlei Silva via KO in Round 1
Cheick Kongo defeats Mustafa Al-Turk via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
CB Dollaway defeats Mike Massenzio via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
Yushin Okami defeats Dean Lister via unanimous decision
Antoni Hardonk defeats Mike Wessel via TKO in round two
Matt Hamill defeats Reese Andy via TKO in round two
Brad Blackburn defeats Ryo Chonan via unanimous decision
Pat Barry defeats Dan Evensen via TKO in round one
Fight of the Night: Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans
Knockout of the Night: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Thoughts:
Rashad Evans in underrated. He is a great striker with great wrestling skills. He is a force to be reckoned with in the UFC. He is now the UFC light heavyweight champ and maybe the best light heavyweight in the world. He boasts wins over Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell, and Forrest Griffin.
Forrest Griffin will be back, but I do not know who he will face. If Shogun beats Mark Coleman there could be a re-match.
I never expected Nogueira to get beat so badly. Mir tore him a new one. Nog didn’t show up. Maybe he is past his prime. Mir looke dreally good though. Now we get the Mir vs. Lesnar re-match.
I didn’t expect Rampage to KO Wanderlei either. It looks like Rampage could get a title shot.
C.B. Dolloway looked impressive in his win over a very good Mike Massenzio. He showed good wrestling, good striking and good submission defense.
Cheick Kongo really impressed in his vicious TKO over Al-Turk
You say Yushin, I say Okami. Yushin… (Okami). Okami is deserving number one contender now that he walked through Dean Lister
Pat Barry has really good kicks and is a force in the heavyweight division
Antoni Hardonk keeps winning. He may move up some rankings
Matt Hamill really impressed and probably knocked Reese Andy out of the UFC along with Dan Evensen, Ryo Chonan and Mike Wessel
UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 is one of the best cards of the year on paper. This card features what many consider to be 3 super fights. This card is sure to draw a good crowd and good pay per view numbers. Also, this will end 2008 with a bang and the outcomes of these fights will dictate many key match-ups in 2009, including Brock Lesnar’s next opponent, possibly Anderson Silva’s next opponent at 205 lbs, and possibly the next contender at 205 lbs.
Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans
Forrest Griffin
vs.
Rashad Evans
Nickname
Sugar
1
MMA Blog Rank
6
205 Lbs.
Weight Class
205 Lbs.
16-4 (7-2 UFC)
Record
12-0-1 (7-0 UFC)
This fight will be Forrest Griffin’s first title defense and a bout between the winner of the Ultimate Fighter 1 and the winner of the Ultimate Fighter 2. Rashad is sort of a surprise number one contender here. He earned the title shot with his highlight reel KO of Chuck Liddell. Evans is an undefeated fighter with a solid wrestling pedigree and very impressive striking. Forrest Griffin is already a future UFC hall of famer and one of the biggest stars. He relishes being the undersog. He was the underdog against Shogun. He was the underdog against Rampage. Forrest works as hard as anyone in the sport. Forrest is also known for his incredible heart. This is a very interesting match up style wise for me. Forrest will stand and trade, but Rashad probably has the striking advantage (just ask Chuck Liddell and Sean Salmon). The heart and toughness advantage would go to Forrest. The wrestling advantage would go to Rashad, but the submissions advantage would go to Forrest. Forrest will also have a slight size and reach advantage over Rashad. Quite honestly I think this is a bad match up for Forrest. I look for Rashad to use his wrestling to keep the fight standing or to scramble to his feet. I also think that he may clip Forrest with a good shot. However, he better watch for those leg kicks which devastated Ramapge. Forrest would have to have the conditioning advantage. If he is smart he will want to take Rashad past round 3. Forrest is a proverbial “cardio machine”. We saw Forrest win against Shogun due to his cardio. This could be the achilles heel for Evans. I think it is highly possible he will gas and that is Forrest’s best chance at winning. Some people speculate that Rashad could be distracted due to the recent birth of a child. However, I think that Rashad’s training with the legendary Greg Jackson will more than cover that possible distraction. I expect Rashad to have a great game plan. Hidden within this fight is a match up between two great camps Evans and Team Jackson and Griffin and Xtreme Couture. Whoever has the better game plan will win. It may be scary to say, but I do not know if we have seen the best of either of these guys yet. I think rashad has more raw talent, but Forrest has the heart of a champion. With that said, I pick Rashad to win by TKO in round 3 to become the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
vs.
Frank Mir
Minatauro
Nickname
1
MMA Blog Rank
3
Heavyweight
Weight Class
185 Lbs.
31-4-1 (2-0 UFC)
Record
11-3 (9-3 UFC)
I am just gonna call this one the way I see it. Nogueira is a legend in the sport. He is a near consensus number 2 heavyweight in the world. He has fought the best in the world. He is nearly impossible to knockout or submit. He has the best heart in MMA. Frank Mir has had good days. He is a former UFC heavyweight champ. He has solid all around skills and good ground skills. However, I do not think Mir is near the calibur of Nogueira. The two Ultimate fighter coaches will pair off for the interim heavyweight title and a chance to fight Brock Lesnar sometime in 2009. Nogueira holds the interim title and is the first person to be PRIDE and UFC champ. This fight gained exposure through season 8 of the Ultimate Fighter. Nogueira was the clear fan favorite of the coaches. In fact, Mir may have entered the reality show as the fan favorite, but the season ended with Nogueira being by far the favorite coach and becoming endeared by fans. At the end of the season of TUF, I posted a poll on MMABlog asking about the favorite coach and 88% of the 200 people polled said Nogueira was their favorite coach over Mir. I say that to say that Nogueira will be a fan favorite in Mir’s hometown. In fact I cannot think of one area where Mir will have an advantage. I think the key is mental. Mir has not been the same since his bike wreck. I also get the sense that he is intimidated by Nogueira. Many interviews Mir speaks of Nog as his hero, as a “Frankenstein”, and as nearly impossible to beat. I think Nogueira wins by submission in round 2…maybe even round 1.
Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
Wanderlei Silva
vs.
Quinton Jackson
The Axe Murderer
Nickname
Rampage
4
MMA Blog Rank
2
205 Lbs.
Weight Class
205 Lbs.
32-8-1 (2-2 UFC)
Record
28-7 (3-1 UFC)
This is the third installment of this particular fight. Two times Wanderlei Silva has destroyed Jackson. For those that have not see the previous two fights they are must sees, check them out here and here. Jackson claims to be in better shape and better prepared than he has ever been. Jackson also claims that Wanderlei is not the same guy he was in his days of dominance in PRIDE. Jackson is coming off of a defeat to Forrest Griffin, a bizzare string of events and eventual arrest, and a change in camps which saw him move to England to train at Wolfslair. Wanderlei is coming off of an impressive win over Keith Jardine at UFC 84. He looks to build on that. The winner of this fight could very well be in line for a title shot.
I do not know what makes this fight different than the previous two. I have to wonder if Wanderlei does not just have Rampage’s number. This fight will answer many questions such as: Is the difference in rules between PRIDE and UFC a big factor? Is Wanderlei past his prime? Is Rampage really better now than he was against Forrest? All I know is that Rampage better avoid the clinch and the knee of Silva. I do not see this fight going the distance. I think that we will see this also be fight of the night. I look for Wanderlei to win by TKO in round 2.
C.B. Dolloway vs. Mike Massenzio
C.B. Dolloway
vs.
Mike Massenzio
The Doberman
Nickname
27
MMA Blog Rank
28
185 Lbs.
Weight Class
185 Lbs.
7-1 (1-1 UFC)
Record
11-2 (1-0 UFC)
I am not going to defend the placement of this fight on the main card over Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister, but I will tell you this will be a good fight. These guys may not be as high up the middleweight ladder as Okami and Lister and they may not have the same name recognition, but both of these guys are solid prospects.
C.B. Dolloway burst onto the scene in the Ultimate Fighter 7. He was the heavy favorite throughout the whole season, but was upset in the semi-finals by Amir Sadollah. However, he was given a second chance following the booting of Jesse Taylor. C.B. beta Tim Credeur handily to earn a second crack at Sadollah for the TUF title. C.B. lost int he same way to Amir int he finale. However, he bounced back with a highlight reel submission of Jesse Taylor by way of peruvian necktie a submission that many consider a submission of the year candidate. C.B. is an accomplished wrestler out of Arizona State University who trains at Arizona Combat Sports with other MMA stars like TUF 8 winner Ryan Bader, WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner, and WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit.
Mike Massenzio is 1-0 in the UFC. He won is his UFC debut quickly over UFC vet Drew McFedries. He sunk in a kimura forcing McFedries to tap. Massenzio is a very good prospect who is very good on the ground. Massenzio is one of the fighters the UFC picked up from the now defunct IFL.
The question for me on this one is can C.B. avoid Massenzio’s submissions. He couldn’t avoid Amir’s. C.B. may elect to keep the fight standing if he can. He also may want to work some ground and pound. A lot of people like Mike Massenzio in this fight. However, I think C.B. is going to prove too good standing and too strong on the ground. I pick C.B. to win by unanimous decision.
Cheick Kongo vs. Mustapha Al Turk
Cheick Kongo
vs.
Mustapha Al-Turk
Nickname
5
MMA Blog Rank
12
Heavyweight
Weight Class
Heavyweight
12-4-1 (5-2 UFC)
Record
6-3 (0-0 UFC)
This fight will be the first fight to air on the main card. Cheick Kongo may be one the most inconsistent fighters in the UFC. He beats Cro Cop, but eats a loss to Heath Herring. I do think Kongo is one of the top 10-15 heavyweights out there, but he needs a big win. Kongo wants a title shot. He makes no bones about it. A win here may inch him closer, but it won’t put him next in line. He still has guys like Carwin, Gonzaga, and Couture ahead of him. However, rumor has it that a win here could garner him a fight between former UFC fighter Jeff Monson.
Al Turk is the former Cage Rage hevayweight champion. I am sure Al Turk would like to get out of here unscathed. Either way we could see Al Turk return at UFC 95 in England against new heavyweight signee Neil Grove. Al Turk seems to be a decent striker, but I do not know if he can hang with Kongo.
I pick Kongo by unanimous decision.
The Undercard:
Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister
Lister is a world calss grappler and jiu jitsu player. Okami is a top 3 middleweight in the world. Many people (including me) think Okami is deserving of a title shot. If Okami beats Lister it will be hard to withhold a title shot from him. There are two reasons Okami has not gotten that shot. First, he is not very marketable. Second, he is coming off of an injury. He would have gotten the shot over Cote, but an injury slowed Okami. Tehre are tons of people in line at 185 lbs. including Thales Leites, Nate Marquardt, Michael Bisping, and Demian Maia. I believe Lister could submit Okami, but I have to pick Okami to win this by decision.
Quick Picks:
Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy – Hamill by Unanimous Decision
Brad Blackburn vs. Ryo Chonan – Blackburn by Unanimous Decision
·Nate Loughran vs. Tim Credeur at UFC Fight Night 16 on December 10
·Jason MacDonald vs. Wilson Gouveia at TUF 8 Finale on December 13
·Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister at UFC 92 on December 27
·C.B. Dolloway vs. Mike Massenzio at UFC 92 on December 27
·Denis Kang vs. Alan Belcher at UFC 93 on January 17
Match Ups I’d Like to See:
·Yushin Okami vs. Anderson Silva
·Thales Leites vs. Rousimar Palhares
·Demian Maia vs. Michael Bisping
Other Thoughts:
·The UFC Middleweight division is very, very underrated!I believe it is because of Anderson Silva’s dominance.The middleweight division does not have a clear number 1 contender, but from top to bottom I would put this division with any.Albeit, the UFC’s competitors have some middleweight talents in the likes of guys like Gegard Mousasi, Jacare, Vitor Belfort, Matt Lindland, Jorge Santiago,and Kazuo Misaki.Not to mention the few solid middleweights from EliteXC such as Robbie Lawler, Joey Villasenor, Scott Smith, Frank Shamrock and Benji Radach.The UFC is sure to pick some of those guys up
·Rumor has it the UFC is in negotiations with top middleweight Yoshihio Akiyama.I do not know if they call pull him away from DREAM and Sengoku, but that would be a huge add.
·The middleweight division is growing with adds like signing Denis Kang, the move of WEC’s division which will add Chael Sonnen and Jake Rosholt as well as guys like Aaron Simpson and Danillo Vilefort likely to come over.
·Paulo Filho will not be in the UFC…yet.
·TUF 9 will feature middleweight coaches with Michael Bisping being a lock.The other names being thrown around are Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt and even Demian Maia
The TUF 7 runner-up C.B. Dolloway will be back in action at UFC 92 against former IFL fighter Mike Massenzio. Massenzio is 1-0 in the UFC, scoring a win over Drew McFedries with a kimura. This bout should excite as C.B. has seemed vulnerable to submissions like Amir. A ground and pound guy vs. a submission guy, should really be a good one, and may even make the main card. The crad is already stacked with 3 headliners: Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans, Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva III and Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
The Ultimate Fighter 7 runner up C.B. Dolloway looks to return to action at UFC 92 against middleweight fighter Jorge Rivera. Rivera is coming off of the tragic loss of his daughter a few months ago. This should be a good fight, but C.B. would have to be the favoirte entering into the fight. This should be a huge step up in competition for Dolloway and a tough test for him. This certainly is not a gimme.
C.B. is coming off of a win at UFC fight Night 14 in July against fellow TUF 7 competitor Jesse Taylor.
These suspensions are precautionary more than anything and many times the fighters will be cleared to fight earlier with doctor’s approval. Looks like at this event the winners took the bigger punishment. Velasquez, Credeur and Blackburn especially. Looks like Anderson Silva came out healthy and may be ready to go in September.
James Irvin — Suspended until Sept. 3 with no contact until Aug. 19 due to a right-cheek laceration
Hermes Franca — Suspended until Aug. 19 with no contact until Aug. 10 for precautionary reasons
Frankie Edgar — Suspended until Aug. 19 with no contact until Aug. 10 due to a chin laceration
Jake O’Brien — Suspended until Sept. 3 with no contact until Aug. 19 for precautionary reasons
Cain Velasquez — Suspended until Jan. 7 due to possible meniscal/ligament tear in left knee (can be cleared early by an orthopedic doctor); minimum suspension until Aug. 19 with no contact until Aug. 10 for precautionary reasons
Anthony Johnson — Suspended indefinitely due to a conjunctival laceration in right eye (can be cleared by an ophthalmologist); minimum suspension until Aug. 19 with no contact until Aug. 10 for precautionary reasons
Tim Credeur — Suspended until Jan. 17 due to a right-knee injury (can be cleared early by orthopedic doctor); minimum suspension until Aug. 19 with no contact until Aug. 10 for precautionary reasons
Cale Yabrough — Suspended until Sept. 13 with no contact until Aug. 19 for precautionary reasons
Brodie Farber — Suspended until Sept. 18 with no contact until Sept. 3 for precautionary reasons
Rory Markham — Suspended until Aug. 19 with no contact until Aug. 10 for precautionary reasons
Nate Loughran — Suspended until Sept. 13 with no contact until Aug. 19 due to multiple lacerations
James Giboo — Suspended until Sept. 13 with no contact until Aug. 19 for precautionary reasons
Brad Blackburn — Suspended until Jan. 7 due to broken left thumb (can be cleared by orthopedic doctor)
I have heard rumblings today that UFC middleweight fighter and TUF 7 alum Jesse Taylor could be out of the UFC again. Taylor is most known for being the guy who made it to the TUF finals, but was kicked off following a drunken tirade in a Las vergas casino. He was given a second chance after her pleaded his case to Dana White. He said he had enrolled in AA and was straightened out. He seemed contrite from all I could tell. He then was given a chance to fight C.B. Dolloway at UFC Fight Night 14 on July 19th. Dolloway was the clear favorite to win TUF 7 but he was eliminated twice by Amir by armbar. Dolloway made quick work of Taylor and submitted him by Peruvian Necktie. Here is the report about Taylor by Steve Cofield at Yahoo! Sports
Jesse Taylor was trying to erase the memory of his embarrassing episode on The Ultimate Fighter 7 with a dominant win. Instead, he was sent packing in less than four minutes as C.B. Dollaway lived up to his pre-show reputation pulling off a great submission, the Peruvian Necktie.
Taylor didn’t look any worse for wear as he hung out post-fight with training partners and fellow fighters. That may change this week, as it appears Taylor may be in hot water again with UFC officials.
Taylor spoke with the media last Thursday and had some choice words for Quinton Jackson and his psychotic episode last week, “What goes around, comes around, I guess.” Taylor wasn’t happy with the fact that Jackson told UFC President Dana White that he didn’t want someone like Taylor representing the company.
Those comments filtered back to UFC management and it was clear that they weren’t happy with Taylor as a high ranking official spoke with Yahoo! Sports during The Ultimate Fight Night 14 card at the Palms.
Adding to Taylor’s problem are the rumors swirling that he didn’t exactly clean up his conduct during his 4+ month hiatus
The reason for Taylor being let go would not be a lack of talent. It would be that he is an idiot. To his credit he did not know the extent of Rampage’s problems. When questioned about his first comments about Jackson here is what Taylor said…
I feel bad for the guy. Being on top of the fighting world and then not being there is going to destroy you. I think it was tough to handle for the guy. I wish he gets better, I didn’t know he was in this situation. He’s in a lot worse situation than I was in.”
Well, Taylor may be out again. I don’t have a problem with him being booted. Not because of what he said abotu Jackson, but because I don’t know if he can hack it in the UFC. It looks like only 5 TUF 7 guys will hang around (C.B. Dolloway, Amir Sadollah, Matt Brown, Tim Credeur, and Matthew Riddle). So long Jesse Taylor, have a good career on the undercard of the EliteXC.
Anderson Silva defeats James Irvin by TKO at 1:01 of the first round.
Brandon Vera defeats Reese Andy by unanimous decision.
Frank Edgar defeats Hermes Franca by unanimous decision.
Cain Velasquez defeats Jake O’Brien by TKO in the first round.
Kevin Burns defeats Anthony Johnson by TKO at 3:35 of Round 3
CB Dollaway defeats Jesse Taylor by submission (choke) at 3:58 of Round 1
Tim Credeur defeats Cale Yarbrough via technical knockout in round one
Rory Markham defeats Brodie Farber via knockout (head kick) in round one
Nate Loughran defeats Johnny Rees by submission (triangle choke) at 4:21 of Round 1
Brad Blackburn defeats James Giboo by TKO (strikes) at 2:29 of Round 2
Shannon Gugerty defeats Dale Hartt by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:33 of Round 1
Anderson Silva is awesome! If there were ever any doubters he silenced them. Some people thought that Anderson would have a hard time with the size, but he didn’t look like he gave up much size. Some people thought he may not want to strike with Irvin, he did and he beat him badly. Irvin was out of his league in this fight. Anderson looked awesome! Wow. I hope he fights some more at 205 because the Cote fight isn’t what I want to see.
Congrats to Brandon Vera for winning one. I think the move to 205 was good, but he did look tired. Thats okay the weight cut is tough and many guys have a hard time with the weight cut the first time. Mike Swick looked poor in his win in his first 170 fight, but looked better the second time. Vera will be a force at 205 and is right in the mix.
Frank Edgar impressed me. I thought Franca would win this one. Edgar looked much better than he did against Maynard. He dominated Franca.
The other guy I was impressed with was Cain Velasquez. Could it be a heavyweight star was born? He looked awesome. I buy the hype. I am on the Cain train. He could hold the title before too long.
I hated to see the Burns/Johnson fight end the way it did. I don’t know about the call, but whatever. I don’t think Burns was poking on purpose, but he was warned. Regardless of the deicsion Burns is a tough dude. I gained tons of respect for Johnson too, he is a top notch human being. How about him telling the crwods not to boo Burns? He is a stand up guy.
C.B. Dolloway did great, he showed his talent. He is always capable of winning. Some of the hype surrounding him was lost due to his losses to Amir. You can’t take anything away from Amir, but C.B. was beating him up both times they fought before he got caught. The point is that C.B. can hang with anyone at 185. I was also glad to see Jesse Taylor back, and hope he gets one more shot at least. By the way, I loved that Peruvian necktie. What a submission!
Welcome to the UFC Rory Markham. That KO was highlight material. I don’t know who to give KO of the night to, but I think this was a better KO than Silva’s KO. Ouch.
I will be interested to see who the UFC keeps and who they cut from this card. The guys on the chopping block:
– Reese Andy – Give him one more shot. He didn’t look great, but you can’t cut a guy for losing to one of the best.
– Jake O’Brien – I was against him being cut the first time, and I think he deserves one more shot, but he can’t hang with the top guys in the UFC heavyweight divison.
– Brodie Farber – Don’t forget he was winning the fight. I guess close doesn’t count, but I think he is a good prospect who lost to a veteran fighter.
– James Giboo – Cut him.
– Cale Yarbrough – Cut him. He can’t hack it and I never thought he could.
– Johnny Rees – Give him one more fight.
– Dale Hartt
KO of the Night: Rory Markham
Submission of the Night: C.B. Dolloway
Fight of the Night: Frank Edgar vs. Hermes Franca (Not the most exciting, but it went long and there was action)
I am looking forward to this fight. When I make my predictions I will look at all aspects of the game and some to a decision. Sometimes I will even pick an upset, but there are several fighters that I cannot pick against right now. Anderson Silva is one of those guys I cannot pick against right now, the others being B.J. Penn, Georges St. Pierre, and Fedor Emelianenko. I might miss a pick every now and then with that startegy, but more often than not I am right. I know Anderson will eventually lose a fight, but I will not pick against him anytime soon. James Irvin is good and he has knockout power. He could KO Anderson Silva. However, Irvin has never been a top 10 light heavyweight. He is fighting the number one pound for pound fighter in the world. The blogegrs and fans along with the media will try to hype this fight and give Irvin a bigger chance to win, in then end Anderson is going to beat him. I do not know how much can be said. I pick Anderson Silva by TKO in round 2.
Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy
Brandon Vera beat some good guys at heavyweight, however he was small for a heavyweight. I believe Vera can bang with anyone. Reese Andy is not known to a lot of MMA fans, but he was a former IFL fighter who hasn’t fought in a year. Andy has a decent record and I have heard he is pretty good, but he hasn’t beaten anyone. Vera will be by far the best guy he has ever fought. I believe Vera will be fast and strong at 205 and will win by KO in round 1. Welcome to light heavyweight Brandon Vera.
Frankie Edgar vs. Hermes Franca
Both these guys are good fighters. Edgar has climbed the ladder at 155, but dropped off a bit following his loss to Gray Maynard. Many people are forgetting that Hermes Franca was the number one contender and fought for the title against Sean Sherk before his failed drug test. Franca is strong and aggressive. Bioth guys have wrestling skills. Edgar can win, but he needs to be more aggresive. I pick Franca to win by unanimous decision.
Jake O’Brien vs. Cain Velasquez
I am glad the UFC brough back Jake O’Brien and I hope he gets another chance after this fight. O’Brien has done well in the UFC his only loss coming to Arlovski. However, I think Jake O’Brien’s strength is wrestling. Cain Velasquez will be able to neutralize that. From what I am hearing Cain is the real deal. I buy the hype. People say that Cain has great Jiu Jitsu and great stand up. People are hailing him as the future of the heavyweight divison. I will pick Cain Velasquez to win by TKO in round 1.
Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is looking to make an impression. His KO of Tommy Speer in his last outing was incredible. Kevin Burns looked good against Road Carneiro and pulled off the submission win. I think Burns will want to take this fight down. Johnson is big and strong and can strike with power. I don’t see Burns being able to get the take down. He will be forced to strike with Johnson and it won’t work well. Anthony Johnson wins by TKO in round 3.
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jesse Taylor
C.B. the odds on favorite to win TUF 7, but lost twice to Amir. Jesse taylor made it to the finals before being kicked off following his drunken rampage. This fight is interesting. It is the TUF 7 cast off versus the guy who replaced him. This fight is huge for both guys. I don’t know if it is a winner go home fight, but C.B. needs a win something bad. Jesse is big and strong and has something to prove. C.B. is well rounded (except submission defense). I think that Jesse is stronger and bigger, but C.B. is the better striker from what I saw on TUF. C.B. has better ground and pound, but Jesse does have good ground and pound. They are similar in style. They both probably are more comfortable on the ground. I believe C.B. may stand this fight at first and see how it goes. I think C.B. wins in round 2 by rear naked choke.
Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarbrough
Cale showed nothing on the show. I am bothered by this a little. Let me vent. I believe TUF 7 only had a few guys with real potenital and talent to make it in the UFC. The UFC didn’t bring back many guys to the finale. Why did they bring back Cale? Cale is a vegetable, isn’t it? I thought Gerald Harris is the guy that got cheated most, he deserves one shot in the UFC. With that said, Tim is too experienced and too good for Cale. Cale can knock him out if that stand, but Tim will take Cale down and soften him up and then submit him with a choke, in round 1.
The UFC has quickly put together a good card to compete with Affliction. All last week it was rumored that Jesse Taylor would be given another chance and would fight The Ultimate Fighter 7 runner-up C.B. Dolloway on this card. Even yours truly posted regarding this rumor (here). It looks like the fight will happen. We all remember Jesse Taylor as the one kicked off the Ultimate Fighter after he had earned a spot in the finale or as the pants peeing drunk. However, Jesse Taylor seems to have it together. He has quit drinking, and he has said and done all the right things. Jesse Taylor could have cried and made a big deal out of it, but he owned up to his actions, and I respect that. I still think removing him was the best way to handle what took place, but I am glad to see him get another chance. This from Dana White on Yahoo! Sports:
I’ve faced a lot of challenges since we’ve had the UFC, but I have a kid (Taylor) who pissed his pants on television and now I have to turn him into a star…. Without a doubt, the kid deserves another chance. He made himself look like a fool, and he’s aware of that, but everyone deserves another opportunity and we’re going to give it to him. He acted like a moron. He’s embarrassed by it, which he should be, but what he did doesn’t amount to enough to ban him forever. Come on. He was just young and stupid, but at least he seems to have learned from what he did.”
Taylor will have his hands full against C.B. Dolloway. This will be a tough match, and is very important for both fighters. C.B. lost in the finale to Amir, and needs a win in the UFC. If Jesse gets on top he could just lay there and ground and pound C.B. Jesse is a big fella. This should be a interesting fight anyways and I hope it makes it on the televised portion.
Here is the card as we know it today:
Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy
Hermes Franca vs. Frank Edgar
Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O’Brien
Jesse Taylor vs. C.B. Dolloway
Rory Markham vs. Brodie Farber
Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns
Brad Blackburn vs. James Giboo
Nate Loughran vs. Johnny Rees
Shannon Gugherty vs. Dale Hartt
I imagine that the battle for the fifth spot on the televised card will fall between Burns vs. Johnson, Marham vs. Farber and Taylor vs. Dolloway. I would have to say the edge goes to Dolloway/taylor because of how familar many SPIKE viewers will be of the two fighters because of TUF. I’d also like to see the other two fights. Markham is aggresive, so if he finishes quickly he may get aired as is Anthony Johnson. I’d also like to see them pick up the Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarbrough fight that got cancelled at the TUF 7 Finale due to Credeur’s adderall.
I saw a rumor on the Sherdog forums, so I have no idea how reliable the source. However, I do seem to remember Jesse Taylor mentioning in an interview that he hoped to be able to fight again in July for the UFC. The rumor is that Jesse Taylor vs. C.B. Dolloway will be added to the UFC Fight Night 14 card, only July 19th. JT has not been officially cut from Zuffa, so he needs a fight to make some money. This fight could be a good fight, but I think it is a bad match up for Jesse Taylor. However, I think the UFC will be hard pressed to keep the loser around though.
Drew McFedries def. Marvin Eastman via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 1:08
Matt Brown def. Matt Arroyo via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 3:40
Dean Lister def. Jeremy Horn via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 3:52
Matt Brown def. Matt Arroyo via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 3:40
Rob Kimmons def. Rob Yundt via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 3:58
Official Bonuses:
Fight of the Night: Josh Burkman vs. Dustin Hazelett
KO of the Night: Drew McFedries
Submission of the Night: Dustin Hazelett
Other Notes:
The Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarbrough fight was cancelled due to traces of Adderol being in Tim’s system still. Apparently, he informed the commission prior to weigh ins and they pulled the fight. It was not due to some advantage he would be given, but because of concern for Tim’s health while on Adderoll. No further discipline will be given.
Diego Sanchez looked great and his striking was awesome. I was disappointed because I wanted to see his improved ground game that he speaks of. He is still a force at welterweight and he beat a tough Luigi Fiorvanti.
Kendall Grove looked good, but he didn’t impress me. Evan Tanner is tough as nails. I don’t think Evan has what it takes to fight in the UFC anymore, but he can sure go in there and take a beating.
Congratulations to Amir Sadollah TUF 7 winner. Who would have picked this at season’s start? I like C.B. and think he will be just fine in the UFC, but he needs to leave Tempe and join a major camp where he can learn some submissions and submission defense. Anyways, Amir is awesome and he has a great personality.
I think Matt Riddle may shock some people in the UFC as he is tough and looked much improved.
Drew McFedries is back in a big way
Saddly, fight of the night and submission of the night were not televised (Burkman vs. Hazelett)
I have seen and heard a lot of upset people about C.B. Dolloway being in the TUF 7 finale. Some people don’t feel he deserved a second chance since he already lost to Amir once. This is not to argue whether Jesse should or should not have been booted. The fact is he was. The decision had to be made as to who would fight Amir in the finals. I believe the right final is in place and C.B. deserves it. Let me tell all you haters why…
1. C.B. Dolloway was the best fighter in the house. Most people would agree that C.B. was the favorite all the way through the show from start to finish. That does not mean he should be given a free fight or a pass, but he was the best. Remember, TUF is not just a tournament it is about finding the best fighter. The best, however does not always win. I am not saying there were not other guys who were good or could have beaten C.B. (Amir did beat him), but overall I still think C.B. was the best fighter and most people would agree with that point. Like it or not out of all the guys from this season, the “most likely to suceed in the UFC” award would have to go to C.B.
2. C.B. made it to the semi-finals. He wasn’t handed anything. I do think Amir had a much tougher road to the finals. Amir had to beat Gerald Harris, Matt Brown, and C.B. Dolloway to get the finals. He earned it hands down. Amir beat arguablly 3 of the top 5 or 6 guys in the house. C.B. got to the semis by beating Nick Klein and Cale Yarbrough. He earned a semi spot.
3. He fought for the spot on the finals. The spot against Amir was not just given to the president’s pet. They brought in Tim Credeur and C.B. Dolloway. They did not just pick C.B. to take the spot, although they could have and it still would have been fair. I am sure when thinking about who Taylor’s replacement would be the choice was between Tim Credeur and C.B. Dolloway. They were the top two guys going in and they both proved themselves. They were both number one picks.
4. The C.B. vs. Amir fight sells. The re-match concept sells. The revenge concept sells. C.B. sells. Amir sells. They are both fairly popular or polarizing in C.B.’s case. C.B. and Amir put on the best shows out of the guys in the house. They are exciting and fast paced. Amir’s fights were awesome. He proved incredible toughness. He endured beatings and pulled out wins out of no where. He was getting beat in all his fights (excpet maybe with Matt Brown) and managed to win. C.B.’s fight with Amir and his fight with Tim Credeur to get to the finals were awesome. They were perhaps two of the best fights not just of the season, but also of TUF history.
5. C.B. fought well against Amir. I know many people argue he shouldn’t have another shot against Amir because Amir already beat him. I know fans have grown to like Amir because he was the underdog. I honestly believe the fear of C.B. coming in to fight Amir a second time is that C.B. will win and should win. However, let us not forget that C.B. was beating Amir. Amir won a come from behind victory. I am not taking anything away from Amir, he won and won fair and square. A win is a win. I know you cannot really play what ifs, however if the fight had gone two more minutes and gone to a decision C.B. would have won by unanimous decision 30-27. I know it didn’t happen that way, but he still fought well and is a worthy opponent for Amir.
6. Honestly, who else was it going to be? Matt Brown? Amir already beat him too. C.B. would be a better choice than him. Dan Cramer? Tim Credeur already beat him, so he wasn’t the best choice? Dante Rivera? He looked horrible against Jesse Taylor and barely beat Brandon Sene. C.B. or Tim would be a better pick than him. Cale Yarbrough? C.B. beat him badly, so C.B. deserved the finals more than him. Someone who didn’t win their first round fight? Jeremy May? Ha! Gerald Harris? Nick Klein? Mike Dolce? Matthew Riddle? Come on. The two options were Tim and C.B. and rather than just pick one of them, they fought for the spot and C.B. won.
Bottom line, everyone who think C.B. Dolloway shouldn’t be in the finals needs to get over it and be rational about it. Like it or not he earned it just as much as Amir. Perhaps you don’t like C.B., perhaps you think he is too cocky, and you have that right. If that is the case root for Amir in the finale, but don’t be ignorant and say he didn’t deserve it. That is just hating on a guy who was and is the most talented fighter of the season.
Please, discuss this in the comments section. I am open for debate and want to have more discussion on here. Voice your thoughts even if you disagree with me, or maybe I converted you!!! Anyways, comment below and let’s talk about a polarizing subject. I’d really like to know why so many people don’t like C.B. Did he rub you the wrong way? Is it that you root for the underdog and hate the favorite?
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