Tag: Forrest Griffin (Page 3 of 4)

      MMA Game Changers: Anderson Silva

      July 25, 2011 /

      nullIt’s not hard to figure out which UFC middleweight has changed the face of MMA.

      The middleweight champion of nearly five years, Anderson Silva, quickly established himself as a game changer when he made his debut with the promotion back on June 28, 2006.

      His opponent was current middleweight contender, Chris Leben. The fight didn’t last long as Silva seemingly landed every punch and kick he threw, knocking Leben out in just 49 seconds.

      From there, Silva stamped his credibility by running through UFC champion, Rich Franklin, in just three minutes.

      Since then, Silva has continued to be a dominant force in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.

      His striking was something unlike anything we’d ever seen. Chuck Liddell was considered a striker back then, but Silva was on another wavelength.

      Silva uses all four of his appendages in a beautiful mix of strikes. His fists, feet, and knees are all deadly.

      Since his arrival in the UFC, only Chael Sonnen has put up a fight against the champion, but that still wasn’t enough. Silva used his jiu-jitsu black belt to submit Sonnen and retain his title.

      His highlight reel KO’s are stuff of legend as he has made Franklin, Leben, Vitor Belfort, and Forrest Griffin look like amateurs in the cage.

      What also makes Silva so special is that you could see him being successful 10 years from now, even as MMA continues to evolve.

      There may never be another Anderson Silva again.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      MMA Game Changers: Rashad Evans

      July 9, 2011 /

      nullIt’s easy to bring up the word game changer and think of one man in the light heavyweight division.

      The obvious answer is current champion, Jon Jones.

      But, while Jones still has a few questions to answer, one man that truly changed the landscape of the division is Rashad Evans.

      The winner of Season 2 of the Ultimate Fighter, Evans is a fighter that puts together a unique combination of elite-level wrestling and devastating striking.

      Evans more represents today’s growing crop of MMA stars than any other in the UFC, especially in the light heavyweight division.

      Evans started as a wrestler, coming off a successful collegiate career at Michigan State University, but as he evolved in the UFC, he became one of the top knockout artists in the organization.

      His head kick KO of Sean Salmon put Evans on the map, but his brutal right hand KO of Chuck Liddell back at UFC 88 is what truly signified a new time in the UFC.

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      Fighters, News, UFC

      Top 10 Light-Heavyweight Rankings

      June 9, 2011 /

      nullThe Light Heavyweight Division is currently led by a young phenom with a bunch of hungry sharks ready to take a bite out of him.

      Here is a look at how I see the top 10 in the 205-pound division in MMA. (Click here to see other weight class rankings)

      1. Jon Jones (13-1): Jones is still the leader of the pack but now seems to finally have his next opponent finalized. It looks to be Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, in what will be a very tough fight. Jones may struggle to move the large Jackson and in punch-for-punch power, he probably doesn’t have the edge against his veteran opponent.

      2. Rashad Evans (15-1-1): Rashad Evans is still the No. 1 contender in my eyes as he disposed of Jackson in his last fight and was set to challenge for the title before suffering a minor knee injury. Now set to face rising star, Phil Davis, Evans will have to prove that he can still hang with the best after more than a year away form action.

      3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8): Rampage looked good but not great in his decision win over Matt Hamill. He landed some good punches on Hamill and stuffed each of his takedown attempts. While Hamill has a good wrestling background, he lacked the explosive takedown attempts that Jackson will see against the likes of Evans, Jones, or even a Ryan Bader.

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      Fighters, Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC

      Five fighters that might survive the Apocalypse

      May 20, 2011 /

      nullIn case some of you haven’t been paying attention, the Apocalypse is set to take place tomorrow.

      If there are any athletes who might survive on the post-apocalyptic planet, it would be mixed-martial artists.

      Here are the five guys I would like to be around tomorrow, once The Rapture saves those who will be saved.

      1. Matt Hughes – As his walk-out song goes “A Country Boy Can Survive”. Hughes is a farm boy that can probably do anything and everything as long as he has a pair of boots and a piece of John Deere equipment that he can break down into parts. He can certainly kill any other living animal and will likely know how to build a fire and refine liquid into water. The question is, will he spend too much time making smart-ass remarks about how much of a girl you are for trying to get your IPhone to work? You also would have to put up with his stories about how boring a fighter Georges St. Pierre is.

      2. Lyoto Machida – Machida is almost like an animal more than a human when you consider his cat-like speed and reflexes. I would think no zombies stand a chance against him. Also, the man drinks his own urine, so a lack of water won’t be a big issue for him. Let’s just hope if we can’t find food that he thinks your bodily releases will also make for a good replacement.

      3. Forrest Griffin – The man wrote a book about it, so I have a sense he is prepared. He doesn’t seem too concerned with bathing or looking good, so he wouldn’t waste time with that. He also is a scrapper, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him try and take down a cougar or a lion for food. Problem with Forrest is, he might kill you, and not just for necessity.

      4. Chael Sonnen – As a man in an apocalyptic world, you are going to need to tap into your survival instincts and really draw on adrenaline and testosterone. Well, Chael has plenty of that. In fact, he has some by the bottle full. So, you may have to put up with a lot of idiotic statements that he will later claim he never said, but at least your motor should always be on high.

      5. Roy Nelson – Sure, he doesn’t look like much of an athlete, but the guy can hit hard and he can choke out any zombies or animals that might attack. He has a big appetite, so food will always be a priority in your survival group, which means you should eat well. Also, his belly should make a nice pillow during the down times

      Fighters, News, UFC

      Best non-finishers in MMA

      May 3, 2011 /

      AP ImageGeorges St. Pierre is quickly losing favor with MMA fans.

      Saturday’s UFC 129 bout with Jake Shields brought St. Pierre brought another decision victory for the welterweight champion, which was his fourth straight decision win.

      St. Pierre has not won by stoppage since Jan. 31, 2009 when B.J. Penn failed to answer the bell for the fifth round.

      Fans are growing tired of St. Pierre’s decision wins and his lack of “killer instinct,” and want to see him be more aggressive and finish his opponents like he did on his first run to the UFC title.

      Now with 22 career wins, St. Pierre has had 9 decision victories and 13 wins by knockout or submission.

      With that in mind, here are some of the other top fighters in MMA that have a few too many decisions to their credit.

      Jon Fitch (23-3-1, 13 Decision victories) – Fitch has pretty much become the measuring stick of this category. He is one of the best in the world, but he just can’t seem to finish fights. Fitch is now on a run of 9-straight fights that have went to the judges. His last finish came back in June of 2007.

      Randy Couture (19-11, 8 Decision victories) – Though a Hall of Famer and a legend, finishing opponents wasn’t necessarily Couture’s forte either. Actually, some of “The Natural’s” biggest wins were decisions including his victories over Tito Ortiz and Tim Sylvia.

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      Fighters, News, UFC

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