Amir Sadollah back at UFC 101

Yeah I know, I normally only write big news, but I’m trying to expand the site so I’m going to try and make daily contributions with whatever is happening in MMA, Boxing or K-1.
TUF 7 champion Amir Sadollah makes it take three at UFC 101 after pulling out of UFC 91 and then UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs Stephens both with injuries. His opponent with be undefeated WEC veteran Johnny Hendricks and the fight could likely end up on the televised portion of UFC 101 which features a main event of BJ Penn vs Kenny Florian for the UFC lightweight title. Hendricks has solid wrestling credentials as he was a runner-up at the 2007 NCAA division one National Championships (to put that in perspective, guys like Brock Lesnar and Mark Coleman were NCAA National Champions so this guy can obviously wrestle). This fight could be real interesting as Sadollah has very dangerous submissions and striking but his wrestling isn’t all there and with his year long lay off, Hendricks might be able to push the pace on him a bit more then he’ll like.
Another fight added to UFC 101 is Tamdan McCrory vs John Howard. McCrory is coming of a win over Ryan Madigan at UFC 96 where he was up against a complete novice in terms of ground fighting. John Howard should provide a sterner test. The vive year veteran brings a 11-4 record with a 1-0 record in the UFC having edged out Chris Wilson in January by split decision. The two will likely fight on the untelevised portion of the card. Also, Chris Leben is rumoured to be on the Couture-Nogueira undercard at UFC 102 against Jake Rosholt. Leben was serving a suspension for a failed drug test after his loss to Michael Bisping at the UFC 89 main event. Rosholt seems to be a bit of a soft touch for Leben as he has only six pro fights, losing his only UFC fight to Dan Miller in 67 seconds by submission.

UFC 89 Results

These are late but I only just got to sit down and watch the card in full. Despite there not being any big names on this card, all of the fights I watched were good in some way or another and this was a very good event. The UFC really are headand shoulders above the competition when they can put on a quality show like that without really even trying and organisations like EliteXC can go for broke and put on an event as nauseating as the Heat event the other weekend.

Michael Bisping Dec Chris Leben
I really thought both guys weren’t as good as their last showings where I thought both guys looked the best they’d ever looked. Leben’s striking went back to being one dimensional and Bisping was fighting like he was at light heavyweight where he seemed like he needed as much room to work as possible so he doesn’t get ragdolled. I really don’t know why Leben doesn’t throw more kicks like he did against Sakara. The kicks won him that fight because Sakara was in two minds about what was coming and Leben then found a home for his left hand. Bisping in my opinion needs to improve if he is to handle Franklin or Henderson who are his likely opponent in his next fight. I’d be surprised if he lasted three rounds with either of them.

Keith Jardine Dec Brandon Vera
I really don’t know whats happened to Brandon Vera. He no longer throws combinations, he no longer throws punches with any snap on them and he no longer looks like he has the hunger to win a tough fight. Vera was destroying good fighters at heavyweight, yet now he’s being outmuscled and outworked by light heavyweights. Keith Jardine deserves a lot of credit. His style is ugly to watch at times but he finds a way to beat good fighters and he is once again back in the mix. While the likely next title shot at Light Heavyweight will go to the winner of Rampage-Wanderlei, Jardine wouldn’t be too far behind them. If Rashad is to beat Griffin, I think there’s a good chance we’d see Griffin-Jardine II and I think Jardine has a very good chance at redoing what he did at UFC 66.

Luiz Cane 1st round knockout Sokoudjou
Luiz Cane is definately one of the top guys in this division. He has power to spare in his hands and from what I hear about his ground game, people are likely better off standing with him and risking getting knocked out. While I think he has shown that he will struggle against a good kickboxer (Sokoudjou isn’t a good kickboxer), Cane has the power to take any man out. Sokoudjou seems to be a Chuck Liddell style fighter in that he’ll outstrike any grappler who wants to take him down, but against someone with good strikes themselves he’ll look bad. I would like to see Sokoudjou show some of his Judo that he’s famous for at some stage, but I think the knockouts of Little Nogueira and Ricardo Arona have gone to his head, because there are plenty of better strikers out there then him.

Chris Lytle Dec Paul Taylor
What a fight! Easily fight of the night. Two things happened in this fight that I didn’t expect to happen. First of all, Lytle seemed to have the edge standing up even though taylor is a better technical striker. Second, Taylor was a lot better on the ground then I thought he’d be. While neither of these guys is going to beat Georges St Pierre, I don’t think anyone wouldn’t want to see these guys fight again.

Marcus Davis 2nd round Submission Paul Kelly
Kelly was absolute rubbish in this fight. I really don’t know what his strategy was but if it was throwing the same combination over and over again from outside of range then getting choked out the one time he took it to the ground then he accomplished his goal. Davis looked the best he’s ever looked in my opinion. He showed good boxing skills and good Jiu Jitsu when the fight hit the ground with a good guard pass in the first round as well as the finishing guillotine choke in the second round. I think the way to go with these last two fights (this one and Lytle-Taylor) is to match the winners (Davis vs Lytle) and the losers (Kelly vs Taylor II) of the respective fights. Davis vs Lytle is main card material and it would be a great fight as both guys have good boxing skills as well as good ground games although both of their wrestling sucks and Kelly vs Taylor II is a fight that would be easy to sell on the next British UFC.

Shane Carwin 1st round knockout Neil Wain
Carwin’s a beast of a man with huge power. The big test will be if he faces a good kickboxer or when he gets put on his back, but anyone he can take down who isn’t Nogueira or Werdum will be in a lot of trouble very quickly.

UFC 89 Predictions

With some of the other big UFC events coming up, this one isn’t really getting a whole heap of attention. I think the fact that one of the biggest boxing matches of the year (Bernard Hopkins vs Kelly Pavlik) is on the same day as well is taking some of the focus away for people like me who follow both sports. Still even without a big name on this card there are some bloody good fights on it. Chris Leben takes on Michael Bisping in a main event that will see where both fighters are at. The other four fights on the main card are also very evenly matched fights that could go either way.

Main Card
Michael Bisping vs Chris Leben
Prediction- Bisping by 3rd round knockout
I think the big factor in this fight is that Bisping is the better wrestler out of these two and the physically stronger man. Leben’s power will make for a dangerous fight if Bisping stands up with him and I think he has a good chance of catching Bisping if the fight stays on the feet. Bisping should take this fight to the ground and unleash some ground and pound similar to what he did with Jason Day. The fact that Leben likes to throw up for submissions (similar to the way he swings for the fences standing up) will give Bisping a chance to get to a dominant position and really start landing with some force. Lebens tough and Bisping doesn’t hit as hard as some of the other guys around at middleweight, but I think Bisping will stop him nonetheless.

Keith Jardine vs Brandon Vera
Prediction- Vera by 2nd round knockout
He’s made the weight once and even though he looked like shit against Andy Rees, that happens to just about everyone the first time they drop down in weight. Vera should be used to the weight and it should show in this fight. Should Vera look like I expect him to, the big difference in this fight will be in the stand-up where the fight is likely to take place. Vera is much more fluid and technical and I think he’ll pick holes in Jardine. Jardine’s awkward half brawling/half boxing style will play right into the crisp punches and leg kicks of Vera and I think Jardine will have taken all the punishment his body can handle in the 2nd round.

Luis Cane vs Sokoudjou
Prediction- Cane by first round knockout
This fight shouldn’t go a round. I’m picking Cane because I think he is the better striker of the two and that I think Sokoudjou will get caught up brawling with him and get knocked out doing it. Sokoudjou’s career has been made up of knocking out grapplers like Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona who have very limited stand-up ability. Cane is a real striker with deadly power as he showed in his last fight against Jason Lambert. Sokoudjou is a world class Judoka so I think if he uses this it could come into play, but I think he’ll want to bang with Cane and he’ll pay the price. It should be fireworks no matter what happens.

Marcus Davis vs Paul Kelly
Prediction- Kelly on points
Paul Kelly finally returns to the Octagon after the brawl with fellow Brit Paul Taylor at UFC 80 earlier this year. He takes on Marcus Davis in what should be a hard fought battle. Davis is a dangerous customer who can finish the fight from any position at any time, but I think Kelly will dictate where the fight goes with takedowns and will be able to avoid getting knocked out when they exchange strikes. Davis’ best chance is to win this one by strikes but I think Kelly’s wrestling will allow him to control the fight on the ground and win a close but unanimous decision.

Chris Lytle vs Paul Taylor
Prediction- Lytle by 1st round submission
Lytle should be too well rounded in this fight. Taylor is an exceptional striker and will probably have the edge over the former pro boxer Lytle, but Lytle is tough and has never been knocked out. On the ground Lytle has a big advantage and I think the fight will end up there at some point. Lytle should have no problems locking in a submission once he passes Taylor’s guard. If the fight stays standing, it has the potential to be a war.

Preliminary Card
Shane Carwin vs Neil Wain
Prediction- Carwin by 1st round knockout
Neither fighter has been past the first round in their combined 13 fight career and both are undefeated. I think the big difference is the quality of opposition these two have faced. Wain has fought his entire career in England and I’m not trying to put shit on English fighters here, but Carwin has fought three decent opponents in his last three fights and destroyed them all. Carwin also has a big size advantage and I think he’ll win this fight via strikes from on top. Wain is in over his head here I feel.

Akihiro Gono vs Dan Hardy
Prediction- Gono on points
I’ve heard some good things about Hardy, but like Neil Wain he’s probably bitten off a bit more then he can chew for a first up opponent. Gono’s fought in a lot of top organisations and even though he’s lost a few they’ve been to either top fighters (like Matt Hughes) or bigger fighters (like Mauricio Shogun). Gono’s unorthodox style will probably make it hard for Hardy to put on a good debut and he’ll lose a wide unanimous decision to the crazy Japanese fighter.

David Bielkheden vs Jess Liaudin
Prediction- Liaudin on points
A fight between guys coming off losses, I dare say the loser won’t be in the UFC much longer. Liaudin is a big step down from Bielkheden’s last opponent (Diego Sanchez) but Liaudin’s probably still a step too far for him at this point. It’ll probably be a competitive fight but Liaudin will be that little bit better in all areas to take the decision.

Per Eklund vs Samy Schiavo
Prediction- Eklund on points
Both guys were thrown to the wolves in their debut’s, with Eklund losing on points to Sam Stout and Schiavo getting battered by Clay Guida. It’s hard to know what Schiavo has off his loss to Guida so I could very well be underestimating him, but I think Eklund will win over three rounds with Schiavo spending most of the fight trying to hold onto guard while on his back.

Terry Etim vs Sam Stout
Prediction- Etim by 1st round submission
This is an old school striker vs grappler battle and I think the grappler will win this fight. Both guys are extremely dangerous if allowed to fight their fights, but I’m not entirely sold on Stout’s ground game yet. I may be underestimating him but I think Etim will get one takedown and win the fight off that. Etim’s faced two good fighters in his last two fights in Gleison Tibau and Rich Clementi (in fact both fighters are coming off losses to Clementi) who haven’t allowed him to fight his fight. I like Stout and I hope he surprises me but I think Etim will win by submission pretty quickly.

David Baron vs Jim Miller
Prediction- Miller by 2nd round submission
Both guys are coming into the UFC with a lot of hype behind them. Baron is coming off a guillotine choke victory over Japanese legend Hayato Sakurai and has been in with other top fighters including a PRIDE Bushido fight with Takanori Gomi. Despite Baron being the more experienced fighter, I think Miller has the better technique on the ground and will transition into a dominant position at some stage during what should be an interesting ground fight and take advantage of it.