The Ultimate Fighter 8 Thoughts and Recap

Results:

• Efrain Escudero defeats Phillippe Nover via Unanimous Decision
• Ryan Bader defeats Vinicius Magalhaes via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
• Wilson Gouveia defeats Jason Macdonald via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
• Anthony Johnson defeats Kevin Burns via TKO (Head Kick) Round 3
• Junie Browning defeats David Kaplan via Submission (Armbar) Round 2
• Krzysztof Soszynski defeats Shane Primm via submission (kimura) in round two
• Eliot Marshall defeats Jules Bruchez via submission (rear naked choke) in round one
• Tom Lawlor defeats Kyle Kingsbury via unanimous decision
• Shane Nelson defteas George Roop via split decision
• Rolando Delgado defeats John Polakowski via submission (guillotine choke) in round two

Bonuses ($25,000 each):

• Fight of the Night: Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan
• Submission of the Night: Krzysztof Soszynski
• Knockout of the Night: Anthony Johnson

Thoughts:

• First off, congratulations to the Ultimate Fighter 8 winners Efrain Escudero and Ryan Bader!
• Efrain dominated Phillipe.  I was honestly shoscked.  The difference was Efrain’s wrestling.  He continually went under Phillipe’s punches and got the take down at will.  Efrain is a good kid who deserved the win. He has a bright future in the UFC.  Efrain had the toughest road to the finals by submitting Shane Nelson and Junie Browning. 
• Phillipe Nover will also have a good career in the UFC.  He will be back. While it may be admried that he has been loyal to his gym, Team Insight for many years, I think he could use stints witht the likes of Shawm Thompkins at Xtreme Couture and Greg Jackson. 
• Ryan Bader needed ones round to KO Vinny Magalhes.  Bader threw one right that clipped Vinny.  Quite honestly it looked like it was blocked, but Vinny fell and ate 3 or 4 hammer fists before turtling up and the fight being stopped.  Bader did what his friend, teamate and roomate, C.B. Dolloway could not and that is win The Ultimate Fighter.
• Vinny needs work on striking and on taking a punch.  IF he cac do that he can be a force in the octagon.
• Anthony Johnson had another highlight reel KO of Kevin Burns.  I feel justice was served.
• Wilson Gouveia was just in another league than Jason MacDonald.  Wilson Gouveia could be a real force at 185 lbs…that is if he can make the cut.
• Junie Browning was very, very impressive.  I was shocked by how good he looked.  His triking looked crisp.  His footwork and head movement were great. His grappling and submissions game was top notch.  UFC 155 lb division watch out for Junie Browning.  No, really!  By the way, how about the classy move of his to apologize to Coach Mir and the fans for his antics on the show.  Good move Junie.  Stay out of trouble and the sky is the limit.
• Krzysztof Soszynski dominated Shane Primm.  Then he pulled off a sweet kimura which earned him $25,000 and submission of the night. 
• Eliot Marshall also looked phenonmenal against Jules Bruschez.  He came out aggressive and looked good standing and looked better on the ground
• There are sure to be some of these guys let go.  Let me tell you how it should work:
• Who to keep: Ryan Bader, Vinny Magalhes, Krzysztof Soszynski, Eliot Marshall, Efrain Escudero, Phillipe Nover, Junie Browning, and Shane Nelson
• Who to dump: Jules Bruschez, Shane Primm, Kyle Kingsbury, Dave Kaplan, George Roop, John Polakowski,
• Who to give one more chance to because of their finale win: Roli Delgado and Tim Lawlor

TUF 8 Finale Predictions

Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero

These two fighters have a huge ceiling as far as talent goes.  In fact, I think either of these guys could be contenders eventually.  I would put both of them up against many UFC lightweights right now.  Escudero really impressed on the show.  I saw many people picking him to go far in forums, but I was a doubter.  In fact when he was matched against Shane Nelson I thought he was done.  When he was matched against Junie I thought he was done.  Efrain has greta wrestling and great submissions.  That tirangle choke on Nelson was sick.  We may not really know how good Efrain is because he had the tougher road to the finals.  It is really possible that he beat two of the best guys in the house.  Phillipe has to beware of Efrain’s submissions.  Dana White has been in this business a while and like him or not he knows MMA and recognizes talent.  Dana raved over Phillipe.  In fact, he says that Nover may be the most talented kids ever on The Ultimate Fighter.  That is saying something considering TUF has produced names like Forrest Griffin, Diego Sanchez, Rashad Evans, Joe Stevenson, Kenny Florian, Michael Bisping, Mike Swick, Josh Koscheck, Matt Hamill, Stephan Bonnar, Nate Diaz, Gray Maynard, etc.  Nover looks to have a complete skill set.  His striking and muay thai seems to be unrivaled at 155 lbs.  He showed slick submission skills.  I would not keel over with a heart attack if Efrain won, but Nover has to be the favorite and that is why I am picking Phillipe to win by submission in round 1.  However, both of these guys have bright futures in the UFC. 

Phillipe Nover		vs.	Efrain Escudero
		Nickname
	NR	MMA Blog Rank	NR
	155 Lbs.	Weight Class	155 Lbs.
	5-0-1 (0-0 UFC)	Record	10-0 (0-0 UFC)

For The Ultimate Fighter 8 Lightweight Championship

Ryan Bader vs. Vinny Magalhes

If someone would have told me this would have beent he fight for the finals I would not have doubted it, but I would have picked Bader to dominate.  However, after the semi-finals my opinion has changed slightly.  Bader won, won easily, but did not look great in his lay n’ pray victory.  Vinny looked very good against fellow Team Quester Krzystof Sosynski.  Vinny has fantastic ground skills.  Some have said he is one of the best in the world.  I agree.  Bader could be in trouble.  Bader has a solid wrestling pedigree.  He will look to use his wrestling to keep the fight standing.  Vinny insists that he has improved his striking and will win by knockout.  I don’t see that happening.  Vinny seems timid and reluctant with striking and does not like getting hit.  Bader has KO power.  I would be shocked if Vinny’s chin is not tested.  That will be the test.  If the fight goes to the ground it gets interesting.  Can Vinny work a submission while being punched?  Can Bader avoid submissions?  I worry that this finale will end just like the finale with his teamate C.B. Dolloway.  Anyways, I pick Bader by decision, but watch out for submissions.

Ryan Bader		vs.	Vinny Magalhes
	Darth	Nickname	Pezao
	NR	MMA Blog Rank	NR
	205 Lbs.	Weight Class	205 Lbs.
	7-0 (0-0 UFC)	Record

For The Ultimate Fighter 8 Light Heavyweight Championship

Jason MacDonald vs. Wilson Gouveia

This is a hard fight to pick.  MacDonald is a very good and so is Gouveia.  Wilson did well at light heavyweight, but dropped to 185 lbs following his loss to Goran Reljic.  Gouveia is a good jiu jitsu player, but MacDonal showed against Demian Maia that he has decent submission defense.  I think MacDonald is better all around.  I think MacDonald will beware of Gouviea’s submissions and will win by decision.  By the way, I am wavering on this fight prediction.

Wilson Gouveia		vs.	Jason MacDonald
		Nickname	The Athlete
	17	MMA Blog Rank	15
	185 Lbs.	Weight Class	185 Lbs.
	11-5 (5-2 UFC)	Record	21-10 (5-3 UFC)

Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns

This is a re-match of an earlier fight that ended in controversy.  Burns poked Johnson numerous times in the eye and it led to Johnson falling down due to an eye poke and Burns being declared the winner by TKO.  Horrible decision.  However, the re-match should be good.  Burns is a godo fighter and he did not want the fight to end that way.  he says that he was forced to strike with an open hand because of a broken hand.  Howeverm he says it is fixed.  Johnson is looking for revenge.  We saw in the Johnson vs. Tommy Speer fight what Johnson is capable of.  Don’t look for him to walk through Burns.  Burns has solid all around.  He submitted Roan Carneiro in his UFC debut.  I still think Johnson wins this fight by TKO in round 2. 

Anthony Johnson		vs.	Kevin Burns
	Rumble	Nickname	The Fire
	NR	MMA Blog Rank	NR
	170 Lbs.	Weight Class	170 Lbs.
	5-2 (2-2 UFC)	Record	7-1 (2-0 UFC)

 Junie Allen Browning vs. Dave Kaplan

Dave Kaplan and Junie Browning are both jokes.  Frank Mir was all on the Kaplan bandwagon.  He looked terrible against Phillipe.  Was Phillipe that good or is Kaplan that bad?  We just don’t know with Junie.  Has he gotten his act together?  Is he going to be mentally prepared for this?  Physically, Junie is the better fighter.  Mentally, I don’t know.  Anyways, from what I hear Junie is sober.  Junie is training at Xtreme Couture and is living with Shwan Thompkins.  I think that has to help.  I predict that Junie comes out and impresses.  I predict that Junie wins by TKO in round 1. 

Junie Allen Browning		vs.	Dave Kaplan
		Nickname
	NR	MMA Blog Rank	NR
	155 Lbs.	Weight Class	155 Lbs.
	2-0 (0-0 UFC)	Record

 Quick Picks:

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Shane Primm

Eliot Marshall vs. Jules Bruchez

Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor

George Roop vs. Shane Nelson

Rolando Delgado vs. John Polakowski

This Week In MMA

 ·         UFC Fight Night 16: Fight For the Troops – Wednesday, December 10^th

This event is a special bonus for fight fans.  Also, it is a stand up gesture by the UFC.  Say what you want about Dana White and the UFC, but no other fight organizations show the benevolence that the UFC does.  The goal of these fights is to raise money for the Intrepid Fallen heroes Fund.  Click here to find out more or to make donations.  Not only is it a good cause, but there are several good fights.  We will see stars such as Josh Ksocheck, Mike Swick, Matt Wiman, Jim Miller, WEC champ Steve Cantwell, and Luigi Fiorvanti.  Tune in to SPIKE on Wednesday Night to watch this event. 

o   Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

o   Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet

o   Matt Wiman vs. Jim Miller

o   Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hussan

o   Liugi Fioravanti vs. Brodie Farber

o   Nate Loughran vs. Tim Credeur

o   Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees

o   Eddie Sanchez vs. Justin McCully

o   Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff

o   Corey Hill vs. Dale Hartt

·         Adrenaline MMA 2 – Thursday, December 11

Some good fights on tap here.  The biggest enw may be the return of legend, Pat Miletich against Thomas Denny.  Also in action will be former IFL Heavyweight champ Ben Rothwell, rising Heavyweight star Mike Russow and several other notable fighters. 

o   Pat Miletich vs. Thomas Denny

o   Ben Rothwell vs. Chris Guillen

o   Mike Russow vs. Branden Bice

o   LC Davis vs. Billy Kidd

o   Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Derrick Mehmen

o   Gabe Lemley vs. Dan Loman

o   Ryan McGivern vs. Geno Roderick

o   Pat Curran vs. Ramiro “Junior” Hernandez

o   Jesse Lennox vs. Ryan Williams

·         Mixed Fighting Alliance – Saturday, December 13

This boasts a solid main event between two heavyweight legends in Monson and Rodriquez.  The big news will be the debut of WWE star Bobby Lashley.  The question will be can he do what Lesnar has done? 

o   Jeff Monson vs. Ricco Rodriquez

o   Bobby Lashley vs. Joshua Franklin

o   Ariel Grandulla vs. David Baggett

·         The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale – Saturday, December 13^th                   

I do not know of another TUF finale that I have been so excited about.  This season has all the 16 cast members fighting on this card.  Two exciting finals and two exciting bouts of non TUF cast members in Jason MacDonald vs. Wilson Gouveia and a re-match between Kevin Burns and Anthony Johnson.

o   Ryan Bader vs. Vinny Magalhes

o   Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero

o   Jason MacDonald vs. Wilson Gouveia

o   Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns

o   Junie Allen Browning vs. Dave Kaplan

o   Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Shane Primm

o   Eliot Marshall vs. Jules Bruchez

o   Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor

o   Shane Nelson vs. George Roop

o   Rolando Delgado vs. John Polakowski

 

 

The TUF 8 Finale Match-Ups Are Set

 The match ups are all set for the TUF 8  Finale which airs live on Spike on December 13th.  The surprise is that all the cast members are fighting.                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Main Card:                                                                                                                                                     Ryan Bader vs. Vinny Magalhes                                                                                                                     Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero                                                                                                               Jason MacDonald vs. Wilson Gouveia                                                                                                     Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns                                                                                                                 Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan

Undercard:                                                                                                                                              Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Shane Primm                                                                                                           Eliot Marshall vs. Jules Bruchez
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor
Shane Nelson vs. George Roop
Rolando Delgado vs. John Polakowski

TUF 8 Episodes 11 & 12 Recap, Finalists Set

The finale will be:

Lightweights: Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero

Light Heavyweights: Ryan Bader vs. Vinny Magalhes

Two good action packed episodes back to back.  Ryan Bader is very strong and showed good wrestling, but was boring.   He layed and prayed his way to victory.  Vinny is a beast on the ground and is a dangerous fight for Bader.  Vinny locked in a arm bar on Krzytof.  Phillipe is awesome.  He locked in a deep kimura on George Roop.  Nover just outclassed Roop.  Efrain didn’t look back either submitting Junie with a D’Arce choke.  Junie did not take Efrain seriously.  I have a feeling the antics were so he would have an excuse for a loss.  Both lightweight finalists have good submissions. 

 At first I was mad that Dana didn’t kick Junie out.  However, he was right.  It was much better to see Junie loose than to be kicked off.  Now he has no excuses.  Congrats to those guys and to the whole cast for a good season.

The rest of the fight card should be announced soon.

WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia and 2 Episodes of TUF on Tonight

Don’t forget tonight to watch WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia live on VERSUS at 8:00 P.M.

 

Also, following WEC 37 turn to SPIKE to watch the final two episodes of the Ultimate Fighter Season 8.  There will be four fights aired, plus the potential to see Junie kicked off.  The light heavyweight fights will be Ryan Bader vs. Eliot Marshall and Krzysztof Soszynski Sosynski vs. Vinny Magalhes.  The lightweight scraps will be Philippe Nover vs. George Roop and Junie Briowning vs. Efrain Escudero.

The Ultimate Fighter 8 Ultimate Poll Questions…

Take a minute to vote on these poll questions. 

Breaking Down the UFC Light Heavyweight Division

The Champion: Forrest Griffin

The Top Contender: Rashad Evans

The Next Tier:

·         Wanderlei Silva

·         Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

·         Lyoto Machida

·         Thiago Silva

·         Rich Franklin

·         Dan Henderson

·         Keith Jardine

·         Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

·         Chuck Liddell

·         Luis Arthur Cane

·         Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

 

On the Rise: 

·         Luis Arthur Cane

 

Other Notables:

·         Brandon Vera

·         Mat Hamill

·         Stephan Bonnar

·         Jon Jones

·         Tim Boetsch

·         Steve Cantwell

·         Brian Stann

·         James Irvin

·         Eric Schafer

 

Scheduled Fights:

·         Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hussan at UFC Fight Night 16 on December 10

·         Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans @ UFC 92 on December 28 (For Title)

·         Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva @ UFC 92 on December 28

·         Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy @ UFC 92 on December 28

·         Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson @ UFC 93 on January

·         Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Mark Coleman @ UFC 93 on January 17

·         Andre Gusmao vs. Antonio Mendes @ UFC 93 on January 17

·         Ivan Serati vs. Tomasz Drwal @ UFC 93 on January 17

·         Jon Jones vs. Stephan Bonnar @ UFC 93 on January 17

·         Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva @ UFC 94 on January 31

 

Match Ups I’d Like to See:

·         Luis Cane vs. Keith Jardine

·         Brandon Vera vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

 

Other Thoughts:

·         There are rumors of a Anderson Silva vs. Chuck Liddell match up at UFC 95

·         There are a lot of light heavyweight contenders and the match ups are being set.  The winner of Wanderlei vs. Rampage should get the next title shot, although the winner of Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva should be considered as well. 

·         We are waiting for the debut of rumored UFC signee Glover Teixeira who has been having visa troubles in Brazil. 

·         The UFC could sign former EliteXC light heavyweight Rafael Feijao, which would be a big time contender.

·         The UFC has a clear monopoly on the light heavyweight division.  There are only a few fighters worth a  dime in this division not in the UFC (Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ricardo Arona, Tito Ortiz, and Renato “Babalu” Sobral)

·         I looks like two solid light heavyweights have dropped to middleweight in Goran Reljic and Wilson Gouveia

·         The Ultimate Fighter 8 which featured light heavyweights is sure to place a few good fighters in the divison, but it will take time for them to climb the ladder.  Watch out for guys like Ryan Bader, Vinny Magalhes, Kryztof Soszynski, and Eliot Marshall.

·         It is somewhat possible to see Randy Couture take a few fights at light heavyweight and also to see Anderson Silva fight at 205 more often in 2009

 

MMABlog’s Light Heavyweight MMA Rankings

 

Here are my 205’ers.  The UFC clearly has the deepest and best pool of 205 lb fighters.  I only see a couple of non-UFC fighters being top 25 material. 

Rank	Name	Organization	Next Fight
1	Forrest Griffin	UFC	Evans (#6), 12/27
2	Quinton Jackson	UFC	W. Silva (#4) 12/27
3	Lyoto Machida	UFC	T. Silva (#10) 1/31
4	Wanderlei Silva	UFC	Jackson (#2) 12/27
5	Mauricio “Shogun” Rua	UFC	Coleman (NR), 1/17
6	Rashad Evans	UFC	Griffin (#1), 12/27
7	Dan Henderson	UFC	Franklin (#12), 1/17
8	Keith Jardine	UFC
9	Chuck Liddell	UFC
10	Thiago Silva	UFC	Machida (#3), 1/31
11	Antonio Rogerio Nogueira	Affliction	Moisa (NR), 11/3
12	Rich Franklin	UFC	Henderson (#7), 1/17
13	Brandon Vera	UFC
14	Vladimir Matyushenko	Affliction
15	Luiz Cane	UFC
16	Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou	UFC
17	Ricardo Arona
18	Renato “Babalu” Sobral	Affliction	Southworth (NR), 11/21
19	Matt Hamill	UFC	Andy (NR), 12/27
20	Tito Ortiz
21	Rafael Feijao	EliteXC?
22	Steve Cantwell	UFC	Al-Hussan (NR), 12/10
23	Stephan Bonnar	UFC	Jones (NR), 1/31
24	James Irvin	UFC
25	Brian Stann	UFC

Also considered: Jon Jones, Tim Boetsch, Bobby Southworth, Mark Coleman (Didn’t include him because he hasn’t fought again.  He probably is top 25 material)

TUF 8 Episode 3 Thoughts And Episode 4 Leak

Episode 3 reportedly got the lowest ratings in the show’s history.  Frankly, I have enjoyed this season through 3 episodes.  I think the coaches are world class and I think there are 6-8 guys that will be in the UFC long term. 

The Injured:

It seems that born Karn and Brian had fractured noses and were not cleared by the Athletic comission.  While some may think the UFC was unfair by asking them to leave, it was really out of their hands.  This is a part of the game.  I don’t blame them for making them leave, but I do hope to see Karn and Brian in the finale.  Last season not many of the guys got a a chance at the finale.  I think we will see more this season.  In fact I hope all 16 guys + Karn and Brian get a chance at the finale.  I’d love to see a Karn vs. Eliott re-match at the finale (unless Eliot makes the finals).  I couldn’t help but to feel bad for Karn and Brian, I really hope they get a second chance. By the way, I think Antwain Britt should have been give a chance too, but it looks like he is fighting elsewhere.  He may make it to the UFC one day anyways. 

The Replacements:

The LHW replacement for Karn was the obvious choice and the best choice; Kyle Kingsbury.  He deserved a chance.  I always feel bad on those fight your way into the house fights for the guy that is matched against one of the top guys.  Kingsbury very well could have beaten many of the other light heavyweight guys.  If the UFC is going to use the fight your way into the house idea, they need to see fighters somehow so that the best guys get in the house.  In other words, if you have 16 light heavyweights fighting for 8 spots, they would match the best fighter against who was considered the weakest, the second best against the second worst, etc, etc.  With that said, Kingsbury was a good choice, and I think they may have come close to getting the 8 best light heavyweights in the end.  The lightweight fighter remained a mystery as he was flown out.  I expected Wesley Murch to come back, but he may have been injured.  For some reason I thought I saw him in some group photos of the cast.  I guess I was wrong.  I also would have expected a guy like Joe Duarte who was a favorite to win by many bloggers.  The replacement was Roli Delgado.  I don’t know about that call, but we will see how he does. 

The Team Selection:

The first pick went to Team Mir and he picked Krzysztof Soszynski.  He looked impressive and would have to be a favorite to make it far in the show.  Team Nogueira’s first LHW pick was Ryan Bader, the favorite to win the show.  I think the teams were pretty even.  If I was to guess i would say both teams will have 2 semi-finalists from each weight class.  My earlier picks for the final for LHW are: Krzysztof Soszynski, Ryan Bader, Vinny Magalhaes, and Shane Primm (in that order).  And for LW: Shane Nelson, Efrain Escudero, Phillipe Nover, and Junie Browning.

The Fight:

I liked the pick.  Team Nogueira’s first pick against Team Mir’s last light heavyweight pick.  Ryan Bader is a bigger version of C.B. Dolloway.  The fight went as expected.  It isn’t that Lawlor isn’t good, but Ryan Bader is so strong.  He eventually took Lawlor down and worked a bit.  Then he took him down again with authority.  Finally, he postured up and KO’d Lawlor.  Lawlor was out.   Bader is still one of the favorites to win.  He did nothing to ruin that and he could be a tough match up for a lot of guys, but I’d love to see him fight a jiu-jitsu wiz like Vinny. 

The House Antics:

We know who this season’s Jesse Taylor or Chris Leben is.  It is none other than Junie Allen Browning.  I think Junie is talented and maybe good enough to win and compete in the UFC, but he is nuts.  He needs medicated.  I can’t handle him for the whole season.  First, I think he likes the attention.  Second, I think he is crazy.  He runs his mouth way too much and he is going to get his butt beat by someone.  I like UFC, and I like TUF, but I don’t like the house antics.  I like the practical jokes.  By the way, what a great joke that way lead by Krzysztof.  It was done in fun and Bader and Primm thought it was funny too.  However, I don’t like the running around like an idiot, breaking things, drinking piss, fighting in the house attitudes.  I know some hate when people say this, but I will anyways: It doesn’t represent MMA well.  These dudes are supposed to be adults and professionals.  That leads me into this; check out the leak from Episode 4.  This seems to be crazy.  It shows Junie going nuts.  He tries to fight Bader, Lawlor, and Krzysztof in this little segment.  He looked dumb as a rock.  Also, those 3 Light Heavyweights showed great restraint.  Many people would have KO’d Junie right there, but they didn’t.  Junie tried to pick fights the best he could, but those guys showed serious class…from what was shown.  Apparently, things break loose and Dana is called in and has to chew them out.  I can only imagine what antics go on next episode, but I hope the antics don’t overshadow the fights and the fighters.