Tag: MMA (Page 5 of 6)

      Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley Picks & Predictions

      April 9, 2011 /

      nullStrikeforce returns to Showtime tonight at 10 p.m. ET with two title fights and four total bouts on the main card. Here are my thoughts on those four contests.

      Strikeforce Welterweight Championship: Nick Diaz (24-7-1) vs. Paul Daley (27-9-2) – I like Diaz to retain his title in this bout as I think he has the better all-around skills. Daley has great punching power but is one dimensional. Once the fight hits the ground, Diaz will easily be in control and score a submission. Don’t sleep on Diaz’ striking either, as his jab has been able to cause problems for other strikers in the past.

      Strikeforce Lightweight Championship: Gilbert Melendez (19-2) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-6-2) – Melendez should be able to handle Kawajiri, who is making his first jump into the U.S. Kawajiri didn’t bother to train in a cage for this fight, which I think will be a problem. I like Melendez to work his striking and mix in some takedowns to earn another decision victory.

      Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Bout: Gegard Mousasi (30-3-1) vs. Keith Jardine (17-9-1) – Jardine is a late replacement for Mike Kyle, but I think he is a tougher opponent. Jardine has some big-fight experience, but has been on a bit of a downslide in his career. This should be a striker’s fight, and Mousasi has the faster hands and more power to work with. I look for him to land a clean punch on Jardine and earn a TKO finish in the second round.

      Strikeforce Lightweight Bout: Shinya Aoki (26-5-1) vs. Lyle Beerbohm (16-1): Beerbohm is a game fighter but I think this bout will ultimately go to the ground, and that is where Aoki should be able to take over. His slick and crafty submissions should be too much for Beerbohm to defend. I like Aoki to score a submission victory in the opening round.

      Events, Fighters, Strikeforce

      Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley weigh-in results

      April 8, 2011 /

      nullThe two title fights for Saturday’s Strikeforce card are now official as all four competitors weighed in on Friday night.

      In the main event, Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz (169.75 pounds) and contender Paul Daley (169.5) both weighed in under the 170-pound limit. Following their weigh ins, the two had an intense face-to-face stare down and had to be separated by officials as they yelled back-and-forth at each other.

      In the co-main event, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (154.75) and challenger Tatsuya Kawajiri (154.25) also weighed in under their 155-pound limit, making their championship fight official.

      The main card also features a light heavyweight clash between Keith Jardine and Gegard Mousasi while Shinya Aoki takes on Lyle Beerbohm in a lightweight contest.

      The main card will air live on Showtime starting at 10PM ET.

      For complete weigh-in results (courtesy of MMAMania.com), check the jump.

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      Events, News, Strikeforce

      Top 10 Heavyweight Rankings

      April 6, 2011 /

      nullEach week I will post my rankings for a respective weight class or my pound-for-pound top 10.

      This week is the heavyweights, which has seen its stable significantly improve over the last few years.

      So, without further ado, here are my top 10 heavyweights in MMA.

      1. Cain Velasquez (9-0): The UFC Heavyweight Champion has a great combination of wrestling and striking and he has been quick to finish some of the top guys in the sport, including Brock Lesnar. His speed and agility are tough for most opponents to deal with and his strength is on par with anyone despite having only a 245-pound frame.

      2. Junior dos Santos (12-1): I was having trouble with the next in line as each remaining fighter seems to have some clear negatives against them. Junior has torn through the UFC, winning all six of his bouts, but he has yet to face an elite-level competitor. Dos Santos clearly has the punching power and striking ability, but the question with him is his takedown defense. He has yet to face a truly great wrestler in the UFC, but that issue will be addressed when he takes on Brock Lesnar at UFC 131.

      Continue reading »

      Fighters, Strikeforce, UFC

      Silva vs. Leben set for UFC 132, can it live up to the hype?

      April 5, 2011 /

      nullIf you were going to have a blue print for an exciting slugfest, you would probably put down Wanderlei Silva and Chris Leben to participate.

      Well, that dream fight appears to be a reality as UFC President Dana White made the announcement on UFC.com on Monday.

      “Two fan favorites will go to war as Chris ‘The Crippler’ Leben has verbally agreed to face Wanderlei ‘The Axe Murderer’ Silva in Las Vegas July 2nd.”

      This fight has been rumored since Leben stepped in for Silva to submit Yoshihiro Akiyama back at UFC 116. This clash has all the makings for a classic. Both guys are strikers who aren’t afraid to stand up with any opponent.

      However, there have been plenty of fights in the past that were billed as “fight of the decade” in terms of two guys expected to slug it out and the end result was anything but. Need I remind you of the recent Dan Hardy vs. Anthony Johnson wrestle-fest?

      I don’t think that will be the case in this bout as both fighters are more concerned about putting on a show than winning. I expect plenty of leather to fly and likely a knockout finish for one of the two.

      Leben is coming off a loss and is in need of an impressive victory. Silva has now been off for well over a year and has to be hungry to have an exciting fight.

      This bout is a great addition to an already impressive UFC 132 card as Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber will meet for the bantamweight title while Tito Ortiz will put his career on the line against Ryan Bader.

      Events, Fighters, News, UFC

      Your weekly MMA TV Schedule update

      April 3, 2011 /

      nullWith MMA Blitz up and running, you can look for this weekly MMA TV schedule every Sunday night.

      I will be posting a list of events and specials that will be airing on television throughout the week so you can get a heads up on all of the action.

      Here is a look at the MMA content that will be airing this week:

      – On Wednesday, the second episode of The Ultimate Fighter will air on SpikeTV at 9 p.m. ET. Coach Brock Lesnar is looking for his first win while Junior Dos Santos is hoping to get a 2-0 start to the season.

      – Friday night has HDNet airing Maximum Fighting Championship 29: Conquer which has two title bouts. Welterweight champion Douglas Lima will defend his title against UFC veteran Terry Martin and light heavyweight champion Ryan Jimmo will take on Zak Cummings in a title defense. Other fighters competing that night include former UFC contender Hermes Franca, Pete Spratt, and Marcus Davis. The event takes place from Caesars Casino in Windsor, Ontario and will air at 10 p.m. ET.

      – On Saturday night at 10 p.m. Strikeforce presents Diaz vs. Daley live on Showtime from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. The show is headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Nick Diaz and challenger Paul Daley. The Strikeforce Lightweight Championship will also be up for grabs as Gilbert Melendez defends his title against Tatsuya Kawajiri. The card also features a light heavyweight contest between Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine.

      – Another show airing live Saturday night is Bellator 40 from the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma. The show will air live on MTV2 at 9 p.m. ET. The main event is a non-title fight between Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren taking on Nick Thompson. The show will also have the final lightweight tournament semifinal between Lloyd Woodard and Michael Chandler and the final welterweight tournament semifinal match between Brent Weedman and Jay Hieron.

      Bellator, Events, Strikeforce, The Ultimate Fighter, UFC

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