UFC 76: “Knockout” is set for tomorrow (Saturday) night on September 22 from The Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The pay-per-view (PPV) event airs at 10 p.m. ET. Remember: UFCmania.com will provide LIVE updates and blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action throughout the telecast.
It promises to be a great discussion as usual for an amazing line up of fights.
To get us pumped for the festivities UFCmania.com contributor Jesse Holland and the top poster for the site, “Spida,” went toe-to-toe below to try and predict the fighters who will leave the Octagon with their hands raised tomorrow evening.
I’m actually glad I sat out on this one — there are some very competitive and intriguing bouts on the card.
It’s important to note for the predicitions that while someone may be lauding a certain fighter, he isn’t necessarily the guy who he thinks is going to win.
Basically, we never want this to come out sounding repetitive — that happens enough on this site day in and day out. At the end of each analysis, therefore, you will see the individual picks.
Let’s get to it:
Chuck Liddell (20-4) vs. Keith Jardine (12-3-1)
Jesse Holland: What is there to say about Chuck Liddell? He’s one of the greatest strikers the UFC has ever seen. It’s not fair to question his legacy based on the losses to Rampage. Every fighter — even the great ones — has that one opponent they just can’t beat (Hughes/Hallman, Nog/Fedor, Jackson/Silva). I don’t expect Chuck to do anything differently in preparing for this fight nor should he. He’s made a career out of knocking out strikers and it’s not like anyone expects this to be a ground war. Jardine will bring his A-game and of course do all the right things but unfortunately it just won’t be enough. Liddell’s striking is the stuff of legend and Jardine’s is merely good. Like Rua/Griffin, it’s up to Chuck how long this one lasts. One thing’s for sure, it’s not going the distance.
UFCmania reader “Spida:” Keith Jardine is coming off a fight where he got highlighted by Houston Alexander. Everyone was expecting Jardine to win that fight, especially after stopping Forrest Griffin early in their fight back in December. To some fans this is a surprise for Jardine to get to fight the former champ after getting clobbered by a guy nobody had ever heard of; but, with a lack of other quality options and a match between Chuck and Wanderlei put on the back burner, the UFC made the match. Keith Jardine couldn’t be happier. He goes from fighting and losing to a guy he was supposed to dominate, to now fighting a guy everyone expects to knock him out in the first round. Talk about taking the pressure off. Jardine is now the guy with nothing to lose. If he loses to Chuck Liddell, who’s going to hold that against him? He can come into this fight and just fight. Still though, Keith Jardine has is work cut out for him. He has a very good coach in Greg Jackson, who’s fighters are always in great shape and ready to fight. He has KO power and we know Chuck can be put down. He’s shown in the past he has a tough chin, but he’ll want to stay away from testing that chin against Liddell. Jardine is going to have to be the counter puncher in this fight. If he goes right after Chuck then he’s going to probably get stopped, but if he sits back and lets Chuck come at him and is able to counter with strong combinations like he did against Forrest then he might just have a chance to win a couple rounds and possibly even get a stoppage himself. Chuck is used to fighting five-round fights where he’s able to take his time a little bit and look for knockouts. If Jardine can steal an early round and stay away from Chuck’s power, he might force Chuck to push the pace more than he wants to, which might put Jardine in position to win this fight late with a decision. I know it’s the unpopular pick to say this fight will go the distance, but that’s how I see it going down. I see a slow first round that could go to either guy. I see Chuck picking it up in the second and pushing the pace more and chasing Jardine a lot and getting counter punched and losing a close round. Then I see a frustrated Chuck Liddell getting completely out worked by an in shape Keith Jardine in the third and dropping a decision.
Final Predictions
Holland — Liddell via technical knockout
Spida — Jardine 29-28 in an upset special
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (16-2) vs. Forrest Griffin (14-4)
Jesse Holland: Since the less than stellar debuts of fighters like Mirko Cro Cop and Heath Herring the PRIDE resume is more flaw than awe, but all that is about to change with the debut of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Shogun in my opinion is probably the second best fighter on the planet (behind Fedor). He knocked out current light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson with such ease it was almost comical. Of his 16 wins, only three have made it out of the first round. Add that to his 13 (T)KO’s and you have the definition of a “finisher” (sorry KenFlo). A loss to Babalu back in 2003 (when he was 21 and gassed in the third round) is the only blemish on his record. No points for Coleman’s win, see for yourself. Forrest Griffin is a tough guy and always brings it, but he is outmatched in every aspect. The only question is how long Rua allows the fight to go on.
UFCmania reader “Spida:” The best thing Forrest Griffin ever did was start training with Randy Couture. He looked great against Hector Ramirez. He fought smart and used some really nice leg kicks. Much like Keith Jardine against Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin has no pressure on him in this fight. Shogun Rua is one of, if not the best light heavyweight fighter in the world and nobody expects Forrest to last past the first round … much less win. Don’t tell that to Forrest Griffin, however. He says he matches up nicely with Shogun and likes his chances in the fight, and I agree. Forrest will have the crowd behind him, and that is huge. Having 20,000 screaming fans all cheering for you gives you a little extra adrenaline. Forrest is also used to fighting in the Octagon and with the UFC rules — Shogun is not. Shogun has won a lot of his big fights in Pride, including one over current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson, using rules that allow kicks and knees to downed opponents. He was great at stomping his opponents when they were down and utilizing the soccer kicks. He won a lot of fights like that, but now he’ll have to adapt to the UFC rules, which don’t allow him to use his best weapon. Forrest will have to try and avoid the clinch and stay away from Shogun’s knees. He’ll have to continue to use leg kicks and counter combinations with his hands. I don’t see Forrest winning this fight by stoppage, but I can definitely see him taking two out of three rounds. Randy Couture will no doubt have Forrest in top shape, and Forrest will be ready to go. If he can stay away from Shogun’s power and stay busy with the kicks, he’ll win a close decision.
Final Predictions
Holland — Rua via technical knockout
Spida — Griffin via unanimous decision
Diego Sanchez (17-1) vs. Jon Fitch (14-2)
Jesse Holland: Jon Fitch is the best welterweight that no one is talking about. With all the hype surrounding Hughes vs. Serra on The Ultimate Fighter 6 (not to mention the increasingly delicate psyche of Georges St. Pierre), people may not appreciate the ramifications of Fitch vs. Sanchez. Assuming we see the Sanchez of old and not the zombie that “fought” Josh Koscheck, we may have a candidate for fight of the night. Fitch is 6-0 in the UFC and for good reason: He’s that damned good. Fitch is as dynamic as GSP and as ferocious as Sanchez, only he’s not in therapy and he’s not a religious zealot (so that ranks him higher in my book). He had his hands full in round one against Carneiro but like all great fighters he was able to adjust his game and turn it around for the win. He’s a superior wrestler and while I don’t expect him to keep Sanchez grounded, he will be the busier of the two. It’s going to be close but I see Fitch clearing his last hurdle on Saturday night.
UFCmania reader “Spida:” Diego Sanchez is 19-1 as a professional fighter(6-1 in the UFC). He holds wins over Karo Parisyan, Nick Diaz, Kenny Florian, Joe Riggs, John Alessio, and Brian Gassaway inside the Octagon. There is no question in anybody’s mind that Diego has the ability to win this fight and be one of the best in this division. What people do question is which Diego Sanchez is going to show up to fight Jon Fitch on Saturday night. Is it going to be the super aggressive Diego that dominated season one of The Ultimate Fighter? The guy that won every round against superstars Karo Parisyan and Nick Diaz? Or is it going to be the Diego who fought Josh Koscheck at UFC 69 with no emotion and no energy? There’s no question if it’s the latter, then Diego is in trouble against a top fighter like Jon Fitch. Fitch is the kind of fighter who is aggressive standing and on the ground, he’s strong, he’s smart, he’s a great wrestler, he defends submissions well, he gets out of trouble well, he’s just good. If it’s the former, then we got ourselves one hell of a fight, and where there’s a great fight involving Diego Sanchez, most of the time there’s going to be a Diego Sanchez hand raised at the end. Diego thrives against opponents who try to push the pace. He’s a great counter fighter on the ground and underrated on his feet. I’d say it’s about even in the stand up, about even in wrestling, they both have great cardio(I’ve never seen either one get tired). I know Diego has a great chin. Fitch’s chin hasn’t been tested too much yet, but Diego doesn’t have great KO power, so I’ll call that one a draw too. I’ll give the advantage to Diego on the ground, he‘s one of the best. And I’ll give the strength advantage and the clinch to Fitch. This is about as tough a fight to call as there is. I say both guys come out in round one and try to feel each other out with a little stand up, and as soon as both guys get comfortable we’re going to see a war. I see a long three-round fight with Diego winning three close rounds.
Final Predictions
Holland — Fitch via split decision
Spida — Sanchez via unanimous decision
Tyson Griffin (9-1) vs. Thiago Tavares (13-0)
Jesse Holland: Thiago Tavares is an unassuming lightweight who has quietly compiled a perfect 13-0 record, including two UFC wins over Naoyuki Kotani and the always-durable Jason Black. The wily Brazilian is a submissions master, ending roughly 75 percent of his fights by tap-out. He’s finished opponents with the standard triangle and rear naked choke as well as by heel hook, which makes it pretty clear that anytime spent on the ground is a risk. That’s important against Tyson Griffin, who may rely on his wrestling if Tavares refuses to strike. Griffin may be the toughest test to date, but Tavares is more than capable of remaining undefeated if he can keep it on the ground. Easier said than done but Griffin has been known to be overconfident. It’s up to Tavares to exploit that.
UFCmania reader “Spida:” This fight is going to be a fight of the year candidate. Both guys are really aggressive and it’s a classic wrestler vs. grappler. Tavares has great jiu jitsu and Muay Thai. He’s looked very good in two UFC fights and is 13-0 overall in his career, winning 10 of those fights by submission and one by TKO. He seems to have all the skills to be the next great superstar in the UFC lightweight division. Then there is Tyson Griffin, the only man to ever beat Urijah Faber, who is one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. He recently won a very close decision against a very tough opponent in Clay Guida. He is 9-1 in his career and has five TKOs and three submissions. So he too looks to have all the tools to one day compete for a lightweight title. Both of these guys like to push the action and they both try to end fights. This fight is going to be won by the fighter who can push the pace more without making mistakes. Tyson Griffin has a very, very tough chin and it will be hard for Tavares to knock him out. Tyson also has very nice hands, but Tavares has great Muay Thai, so I’d say the stand up is a push. On the mat the advantage has to go to Tavares, but both guys are so quick and strong that I just can’t see either one being submitted. I think both guys are so good that its going to be hard for one to stop the other or submit the other. When they come out in round one Tyson is going to try to keep the fight standing and he has great take down defense so he should be able to do that. He’ll work the double jab and throw in some upper cuts and combinations and win round one. Round two will start the same way, but will hit the mat and Tavares will work the submission game and take Tyson’s back late in the round but Tyson will be saved by the bell, round two to Tavares. Round three will be an all out scrap with both guys letting it all hang out.
Final Predictions
Holland — Griffin via unanimous decision
Spida — Griffin via split decision
Ryoto Machida (10-0) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-6)
Jesse Holland: Kazuhiro Nakamura is an accomplished Judo master from Japan who unlike most Japanese imports probably won’t have difficulty transitioning to the Octagon. To his credit, Nakamura has fought some of the top names in mixed martial arts including Josh Barnett and Shogun Rua (who he actually took the distance). I don’t expect him to be nervous simply because it’s his first match inside the cage, especially after beating the dangerous Igor “Ice Cold” Vovchanchyn in front of 50,000 screaming fans at Final Conflict back in 2005. Nakamura needs to keep this from turning into a stand-up war where he has a distinct disadvantage and focus on one thing: Getting Machida to the mat. From there he must work to out-point his opponent. Since 2004 Nakamura has fought five times a year, so whether or not the long layoff will help him recover from such a rigorous pace or hurt him from inactivity remains to be seen.
UFCmania reader “Spida:” Lyoto Machida has never been beaten in his MMA career. He holds wins over BJ Penn, Stephan Bonnar and Rich Franklin. He likes to keep fights standing, but is more of a defensive counter puncher, and since he’s so good at that style a lot of fighters are timid when they fight him because they don’t want to fall into his trap. This makes for a lot of his fights to be not so exciting. This one has some potential though. Nakamura is a tough dude who holds wins over Kevin Randelman and Bustamante. He’s also fought and lost to W. Silva, Shogun Rua, Lil Nog twice, Dan Henderson and Josh Barnett, so he has some experience fighting big names in big fights. All those guys are top fighters and there’s no shame in losing to them, but there’s no reason to think Machida won’t have similar success. Nakamura hasn’t fought in nine months and is new to the UFC Octagon and rules. Machida has two solid wins over decent opponents in the UFC (Sam Hoger and David Heath). I would say Machida in a unanimous decision because that’s usually how his fights end, but I think the first time UFC jitters and the nine-month layoff are going to get to Nakamura. I think sometime either late in the second or early in the third Nakamura is going to lean in with some kind of lazy punch and get laid out by a Lyoto Machida uppercut. Machida is finally going to have the opportunity to win some American fans in this fight.
Final Predictions
Holland — Machida via unanimous decision
Spida — Machida via knockout
What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for UFC 76.
For the complete UFC 76: “Knockout” fight card click here.
93 Comments »
I said it first and i will say it again,Forrest will whoop Shogun’s ass.
Sportsnet.ca — The UFC hopes to make its debut in Canada in January, UFC president Dana White told Sportsnet on Thursday. The event will take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
In an exclusive interview from Anaheim ahead of UFC 76, White told Sportsnet’s R.J. Broadhead the UFC is planning a card for the first month of the new year. The organization had originally planned on having its first event north of the border this fall, but was unable to find a suitable date due to venue conflicts with NHL hockey.
White said that Georges St. Pierre, a Montreal native and fan favourite who would expect to generate a big draw, likely won’t be on the card. St. Pierre’s next fight will be for the welterweight title, against the winner of the Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes matchup following the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter 6. That fight won’t happen until December, which means the winner most likely wouldn’t be able to fight again on such a short turnaround.
White added that the UFC will come back to Montreal later in the year with St. Pierre in the main event. “We’re planning to come to Canada a lot,” said White.
The UFC is also trying to sanction mixed martial arts in all the big centres in Canada. White specifically mentioned Ontario, which is one of only a few provinces where MMA is not sanctioned and the only one outside of the Atlantic provinces.
While the sport is sanctioned in B.C., it is handled by each city through their municipal governments and Vancouver council members on Thursday voted against sanctioning MMA within the city. The council wants the provincial government to create a provincial body to regulate combat sports.
and The ICEMAN will knockout Jardine.
But i also said that i wanted Shogun to win so Rampage can whoop that ass in a remacth for the belt.
I like Diego but Fitch is a beast.Fitch by KO.
I hope “Spida” doesn’t have any money on his picks.
After this win,Machida deserves a tittle shot in 08.
A healthy Diego returns to get an exciting UD over Fitch, then stare down Koscheck in the corner.
I must say I am very excited about this and this makes it _ that much closer till I get to go see UFC 77 live!
Spida you knocked it silly, all of your picks I completely agree with!
I think Jardine is going to upset Chuck Liddell, I don’t know why, but it is a banger bout, and both have shown they can get caught, one get hit by a semi, one got it by Rampage.. who hits harder out of those two? Who cares, they both still knocked out people.
I think Jardine is going in there with a huge chip on his shoulder, similiar to Matt Serra/GSP. Everybody really doubted Serra like they are Jardine, just because Liddell is the more popular fight, thats why people think that this is a cake walk.
Jardine wins Via Round 2 KO
I honestly believe that Griffin will win as well. Not to be bias towards the UFC, but Pride fighters have struggled within the cage their first time. I believe only Mirko finished his fight in round 1.
Rua is going to have to adjust to the new rule changes and I think fighting infront of a audience this big, espically on TV might get to him.
Griffin via KO Round 3
Fitch/Sanchez bout it so so so hard to determine. Fitch has not fought anybody of the caliber of Sanchez, but Josh Koscheck said that Fitch was the toughest dude that he has ever trained with, and Kos defeated Diego. I think Fitch has the stand-up to his favor, but if it goes to the ground beware for fitch..
I want to call this one a tie because I dont know who to choose, but at the end.
Fitch via Split Decision
Thiago/Griffin another amazing lightweight match-up. But ultimatly I think the ground and pound of Tyson will outwear Thiago, and Thiago will end up losing.
Griffin via Unanimous Decision
Lyoto Machida/Nakamura…
Shoot me in my foot. This is so so so tough to even compare.
The UFC fans who are diehard probably have no idea who Keith is. The guy is good. But I think Lyoto is better.
This match is going to go decision which sucks for Lyoto who I think can beat almost everybody in the top 5. This guy is as tough as nails, and he better have picture perfect submission defense because he is going to need it.
Lyoto via Decision (Split)
I cant wait for this, already have it ordered, and I am so stoked for this great night of events, it is going to be hard to top UFN, but with this card, I think it blows it out of the water. Too bad UFC 77 is less than a month away.. at least that gives time for people to forget about UFN and UFC 76..
This should be an exciting card..to close out UFC September.
Next..UFC 77..Ohio..da Spider is back.
moderate this
diego will get his ass kicked. fitch by KO. and i will love this one.
I really like the chances of Jardine simply because he is not experienced in a big fight but the same upset has happened so many times thus far. Liddell will be ready and so will KJ. It’ll be slug fest and dont see it going the distance. Liddell’s off-timed counters to Jardines “come out swingin” will KO him.
Shogun may not be able to stomp and soccer kick, however he has almost limitless weapons otherwise. Forrest says that winning against Shogun will be the fastlane to a title shot, fact is…. it’s not about “fastlaning” it, its about building yourself better and better to the top of the ladder. Fastlaning will prove disasterous for Griffin, or anyone for that matter (Ok Serra —–)! He must climb the ladder, not just get lifted to the top where he will fail. He still has building to do. Fearless Shogun is oddly smart…and knows what to expect (even the unexpected). Not to mention 1-1.5 dimensional Griffin won’t see THAT coming. Griffin loses, probably TKO.
I see Fitch letting it all hang out. Diego will be the aggressor, but smart Fitch will counter nicely, and possibly even defend the mean Sanchez takedowns. Diego will be ready to brawl, but stellar training will give Fitch a late TKO or the decision.
Tavarez will probably be one of the next contenders. I seen Griffin’s last war, which was incredible, but I thought he lost the decision. Both confident guys are well versed, and I expect to see blood, sweat, and tears….Hard to call, all things considered, but young Tavares looks almost indestructable in 155. What am I thinking, so does Griffin hahaha. Griffin will get submitted though.
Rachida is Amazing….and confident, look for the Jitters getting to a stale Nakamura, and a quick finish.
All that being said I hope I’m right….HAHAHa
dude! i am so pissed off right now! Nobody subscribe to AT&T Uverse cable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the PPV is not availible and thier dumb asses have no clue as to when it will be!
Mania, do you know of any other way i can get this in my house with out having to watch it on my 17″ computer monitor?!?!?!?
im seing an upset at ufc 76 knock out… im hopping its gonna be forrest.. im hoping sho gun sucks in the cage…..my prediction…. sho gun will kick on the ground and be disqualified.. no contest finale decision..sho gun using pride rules
[quote comment=”154425″]I hope “Spida” doesn’t have any money on his picks. :)[/quote]
Small investment, big reward if he’s right on either one though.
[quote comment=”154426″]After this win,Machida deserves a tittle shot in 08.[/quote]
r u insane? Machida has shown nothing in the UFC. Yeh I know he beat Bj, Bonner, and Franklin, but since hje has been in the UFC h has been simply boring. I am not the typicall idiotic american fan who booo’s after nothing happens for 10 seconds, or when the fight goes to the ground. I rarely think that a fight is boring but Machida has been involved in “snoozefests”. A win over Nakamura (even if its exciting) will not earn him a title shot.
Pride champions have gotten title shots in the UFC without making remarkable octagon debuts (Rampage, Hendo). But none of Machida’s big wins came in Pride. His wins over tough UFC opponents in smaller organizations are just not enough to get him a title shot.
If Machida starts being exciting and beats Nakamura in highlight fashion, he will still need prolly 2 more impressive wins over top 5 contenders before we start to talk about him getting a title shot.
Machida was great in other organizations, but has done nothing special in the UFC. He will have to become more exciting b4 the American public will ever want to c him fight for the title.
Machida is the favorite, but I wont be surprised if Nakamura wins. Yes this is Nakamura’s octagon debut and he is used to fighting in Pride, but the rule changes will not affect him. He really never threw knees on the ground, never used foot stomps or soccer kicks. He took some serious abuse from Shogun before loosing, which tells me he will be tough to finish.
The rule changes dont concern me at all for Shogun or Nakamura. Shogun has fought in America under the UFC rules, he has fought in a cage a couple of times. Nakamura doesnt really even use the techniques that were legal in Pride but illegal in the UFC, so that wont affect him. What might affect Nakamura is that he is Japanease, which means he is used to fighting in Japan, in front of a “quiet” crowd. It will be interesting to see how he holds up fighting in front of 20,000 rowdy, drunken, Americans.
I am looking forward to thuis fight!
I’m nopt even gonna sit here and argue with [those] who think griffin will KO shogun.
For all u new fans who think griffin is a god, u will find out tomorrow night what a top 3 pound for pound fighter in the world (not just UFC, but the WORLD) will look like. Griffin has very little KO power. With that being said we cant even give Griffin a punchers chance. Griffin will be soooooo outclassed that it wont even be funny.
For those who think stephan Bonner messed Forrest’s face up, wait till you c what Shogun does to him.
My advice: RUN Forrest RUN!!!!
For the TUF only fans, who think Forrest is an MMA god, I’ll tell you one thing. Like Anderson Silva, Rua is a “different kind of striker”. Wait till u c his Tai clinch. We c most fighters throw knees out of the tai clince just straight up and down (vertically). When u see shogun throw his knees out of the clinch, notice of he brings his knees up vertically first, but strikes from right to left, or left to right. He actually strikes with his knees horizontally which allows him to destroy his opponents ribs and liver.
Shogun is the 205 pound Anderson silva. Also watch the way he fights wjhen he is standing and his opponent is on his back. He pushes his opponents legs to the side and throws a diving haymaker and lands in the opponents side guard. That is not an easy technique to master. The only fighter I have seen do that technique as well as him is FEDOR. I know Shogun is fighting the ultra popular griffin, but if the Fans bolooo Shogun, I’m gonna be really pissed off. This kid is NASTY and he is about 26 years old.
I hope the crowd shows him the respect he deserves!!!!!!!!!
My picks
Tyson Griffin by UD
Diego by TKO round 3
Nakamura by UD
Shogun by TKO round 2
Chuck by KO round 1
I see Forrest/Shogun looking like a more brutal version of Tito/Forrest round 1, but without Tito gassing. Forrest is a tough guy, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he lasted to a decision.
Nak/Machida is a tossup imo, but I think Nak gets it based on aggression
I say Diego wears Fitch out. Fitch hasn’t fought anyone with that kind of skill, and most of all pace in the ufc. I see Diego bringing it, and Fitch being finished like he would have been vs Joslin had he not called a time out
I think Tyson Griffin will keep his fight on the feet, and outstrike Tavares for a decision win
Oh, and Chuck KOs Jardine. Jardine will look impressive at first, throwing solid leg kicks, but when they start engaging he’ll be put away
Spida made a pretty good point about Griffin training with Randy. It might be the boost in his game that he needed. Griffin might come out a new fighter, with an awesome game plan. I wouldn’t put him past him to make an upset and take this fight. Shogun by all rights is the expected winner for a reason, he is a bad man, but don’t count Griffin out.
The Pride guys have not been looking so hot in the cage…
Can somebody please tell me why the UFC 75 (london) fighter salaries have not been made public??????/
Its been 2 long to not have heard any news reguarding the salaries and the results of the steroid testing for that event.
I’m on this site everyday and I doubt that I missed the thread, if I did could someone please tell me?
UFC Mania, ViolentMike, PhilQny, UfC fan and all the other usual suspects on here, if you have any info about the fighter salaries for that event please let me know… its driving me crazy.
I wanna know how much Hendo n Rampage made, along with Bispings salary for that crappy win, and how much money Dana wasted on another cro cop fight!!!
You have got to be kidding me. One, are you guys not realizing that chute boxe trains using UFC rules in Brazil, Second, he has already had two fight under UFC rules at the Thomas and Mack center in vegas for Pride(i went to both) and Overeem and Randleman were much tougher opponents than Griffin, and both were embarrassed in the first round, not to mention the first pride show was far louder than any UFC event i have ever been to.
Also, being able to have gone to the open weight grand prix finals in japan, it is not quiet in japan. Any fan who has been to Saitama knows that it is REDICULOUSLY loud. its just that it does not have good acoustics so the sound doesnt carry. Rua tko round 1. Griffin is good, and i love the guy and he is tough, but some people are just on another level. Rua is on another level.
John, you are very right. ALthough the completely ridiculous booing of the American fans will happen, Shogun still is one of the more focused fighters there is. Look for that clinch of Shogun, might just make for a quick Franklin-like loss. Griffin should still be having to fight other B-classers…..Thats like throwing him in with Arona, or Soudjouko (or howerver you spell it). I hope he cries again. LOL.
i like chuck, forrest,diego, machida, and tavares all to win in some shape or manner.
WAR NAKAMURA
Picks:
Lidell
Shogun
Diego (although I will be rooting for fitch)
nakamura
Taveres
Wow! I cant wait to see Rich Clementi Fight! lol
[quote comment=”154475″]You have got to be kidding me. One, are you guys not realizing that chute boxe trains using UFC rules in Brazil, Second, he has already had two fight under UFC rules at the Thomas and Mack center in vegas for Pride(i went to both) and Overeem and Randleman were much tougher opponents than Griffin, and both were embarrassed in the first round, not to mention the first pride show was far louder than any UFC event i have ever been to.
Also, being able to have gone to the open weight grand prix finals in japan, it is not quiet in japan. Any fan who has been to Saitama knows that it is REDICULOUSLY loud. its just that it does not have good acoustics so the sound doesnt carry. Rua tko round 1. Griffin is good, and i love the guy and he is tough, but some people are just on another level. Rua is on another level.[/quote]
I have been trying to say this for months now!
[quote post=”3394″]Wow! I cant wait to see Rich Clementi Fight! lol [/quote]
Don’t blink, or you’ll miss it. Rumble is going to score another lightning-fast KO.
[quote comment=”154471″]The Pride guys have not been looking so hot in the cage…[/quote]
I agree. They only have 2 ufc belts. Pride was so overrated…
Picks:
Liddell
Shogun
Diego
Griffin
Machida
To expand on that, I don’t see where this myth of “Pride fighters aren’t doing well” is coming from. Actually I do, and it is PURELY based on Cro Cop.
Did people forget how badly Anderson Silva, who was no where near title contention in Pride, stomped Rich Franklin? Are forgetting how Rampage embarrassed Chuck with a first round TKO? Neither of them ever owned a belt in Pride.
The only top Pride fighter that has been a letdown is Cro Cop. Werdum was at BEST the #5 heavyweight in Pride, and was maybe at the bottom of the top 10 in the world, losing to a fighter who was already ranked above him. Herring had won 1 fight in 2 years, and was way past his prime. Aurelio had one upset win in Pride, and was probably at the bottom of the top 10, if ranked at all. Those fighters losing doesn’t cancel out the success of Rampage and Silva.
Well written spida…
Wow…lots of upsets predicted. I do think Forrest is going to pull it off as well.
[quote comment=”154475″]You have got to be kidding me. One, are you guys not realizing that chute boxe trains using UFC rules in Brazil, Second, he has already had two fight under UFC rules at the Thomas and Mack center in vegas for Pride(i went to both) and Overeem and Randleman were much tougher opponents than Griffin, and both were embarrassed in the first round, not to mention the first pride show was far louder than any UFC event i have ever been to.
Also, being able to have gone to the open weight grand prix finals in japan, it is not quiet in japan. Any fan who has been to Saitama knows that it is REDICULOUSLY loud. its just that it does not have good acoustics so the sound doesnt carry. Rua tko round 1. Griffin is good, and i love the guy and he is tough, but some people are just on another level. Rua is on another level.[/quote]
Javy, Crocop was on another level too….
I think Spida is thinking too uch.
MMAth usually doesn’t add up. Jardine will come in hungry but does not possess the tools to beat Chuck. Chuck look’s like he is GREAT shape, and he is only fighting 3 rounds. Jardine is garbage and will be put to sleep on Saturday.
Shogun’s fight with Forrest will be closer than most people think. But, I see Rua coming alive late and delivering a viscious knockout.
Fitch and Sanchez will be the fight of the night. I can see either guy winning. I think you will see that Sanchez’s fight with Koscheck was a fluke and Fitch will pay for it.
Someone better get Forrest some kleanex.
Does having a couple of Pride standouts lose in UFC mean that all Pride standouts will lose in the UFC? This has NO relavence. Thats like saying all new expansion team in a major sport is gonna fail. ie. Edmonton Oilers. UNTRUE. It depends on the fighter and how good they are. Not where they come from. Crocop is edging over the hill. Is Silva doing the same? Oh he must be….He is from another league. Learn something!
[quote post=”3394″]Javy, Crocop was on another level too…. [/quote]
Crocop was and still is on another level, unfortunately I just think the battles he went through in Pride are starting to take its toll on his body. He went through wars in Pride that no UFC fighter has even come close to. The only fight worthy of being compared to Crocop vs Fedor from the UFC was Frank Shamrock vs. Ortiz. in short, i think crocop is aging too quickly, and because of his name people train harder than anyone they will ever fight in their life.
[quote comment=”154476″]John, you are very right. ALthough the completely ridiculous booing of the American fans will happen, Shogun still is one of the more focused fighters there is. Look for that clinch of Shogun, might just make for a quick Franklin-like loss. Griffin should still be having to fight other B-classers…..Thats like throwing him in with Arona, or Soudjouko (or howerver you spell it). I hope he cries again. LOL.[/quote]
Exactly.
Forrest Griffin does not strike fear into the hearts of any top fighters. I know Forrest is a crazy bad ass, but he has to have some doubts going into a fight with Shogun. He will feel nerves before the fight like he has never seen before. Sure, the crowd will be on his side, but it will take Forrest at least 3 minutes before truely feeling comfortable in the fight against Shogun. The problem with that is that I dont know if you can afford to give away 3 minutes against a Killer like Rua.
Don’t get me wrong, I have a ton of love, and respect for Forrest as a fighter. I wish him nothing but the best in his career, but lets call a spade a spade, Forrest will be highly outclassed in technique, experience, and probably Psychologically. He has the warrior spirit, heart, and determination behind him but so does Rua, so I doubt Forrest will be able to ride his heart all the way to a victory in this one. At some point Ko power, and Technique will have to come into play and in that aspect Forrest just doesnt match up well against Ruah.
Rua has fought and beaten so many top fighters and world class animals all in the “Big Show” atmosphere. He has beaten Arona,
Rampage, Randleman, Nakamura, Alistar (more than once), Rogerio Noguerra rather convincingly. Some may argue that was in the past but lets not forget Rua is what 26 years old? So we cant even say he has peaked, so to expect a lesser performance out of him is outragious. Shogun is the Younger and much more accomplished, more seasoned fighter.
On the otherhand Shogun will be with out a doubt the toughest opponent Forrest could have ever dreamed of facing. It doesnt get any harder and scarier then being locked in a cage with Shogun. If Forrest doesnt get crippled, and manages to put up a fight, he will become a much better fighter in the future. But right now he just doesnt have Rua beat at any aspect of the fight game. He is outmatched everywhere except heart, I would say thats even so he still doesnt have an advantage anywhere. If you dont think Shogun has the heart think again, that kid has been in openweight tournaments, he has been in their against heavyweights and not once in the 18 or so fights that I have watched him in, have I ever seen any nerves, or doubts in his eyes at any moment that he has ever been video recorded by a camera.
On the other hand, Forrest nerves have gotten the best of him in the past. It hasn’t happened often but he was very tentative and extra nervous in the 1st round against Tito. So It has to affect him at some level against Shogun. Also at times Forrest doesnt seem to wake up until he gets hit. If he starts to get hit by Shogun, it will pour on until Forrest is KO!!!!
Forrest is in serious trouble, but ultimately it will help him as a fighter. This wont be an victory for him but could be a great lesson to take his game to a higher level in the future.
Anyway you wanna look at it Shogun wins.
If Forrest wins it will be a bigger upset in my eyes than when Serra beat St. Pierre.
[quote post=”3394″]Can somebody please tell me why the UFC 75 (london) fighter salaries have not been made public??????/
Its been 2 long to not have heard any news reguarding the salaries and the results of the steroid testing for that event.
I’m on this site everyday and I doubt that I missed the thread, if I did could someone please tell me?
UFC Mania, ViolentMike, PhilQny, UfC fan and all the other usual suspects on here, if you have any info about the fighter salaries for that event please let me know… its driving me crazy.
I wanna know how much Hendo n Rampage made, along with Bispings salary for that crappy win, and how much money Dana wasted on another cro cop fight!!! [/quote]
I AM AS WELL ON THIS SITE EVERY DAY AND DID NOT SEE THE RESULTS ITHER….LETS DO THIS MANIA… WE NEED ANSWERS
Shogun should destroy Forrest and if for whatever reason that doesn’t happen then he is not as good as I think he is. The reason I say it that way is there have been an increasing number of upsets in this sport lately and I can only imagine the odds for this fight are way in favor of Shogun.
I see a quick overwhelming first round win for Shogun!
This is MMA anything can happen!
[quote post=”3394″]If Forrest wins it will be a bigger upset in my eyes than when Serra beat St. Pierre. [/quote]
Bigger than Douglas - Tyson!!!
[quote comment=”154471″]The Pride guys have not been looking so hot in the cage…[/quote]
Teah your right Rampage and Silva don’t hold belts and they are not from Pride good observation.
For those of you interested in salaries from Sept. 8’s UFC 75 event, unfortunately, they aren’t available (and probably never will be).
The event took place at the 02 Arena in London, England, and the country doesn’t have an athletic commission that makes salary figures available to the media.
Lidell - KO
Shogun - TKO
Fitch - TKO
Tavares - Sub
after that who cares, really. Side note, I love forrest like a brother, but both him and Diego shed some tears after their losses. Diego will shed more tears, showing the puss inside the lion.
The Pride guys have not been looking so hot in the cage…
Teah your right Rampage and Silva don’t hold belts and they are not from Pride good observation.
No kidding, Matt. Just what I was saying earlier. HAHAHA, I think Liddell KO’d Rampage….I mean he’s from Pride…..Get a clue, LOL
Chuck please knock da fock out of Jardine’s ugly face, and Shogun, please don’t demolishe Griffin’s body - at least not to much.
Chuck has “made a career out of knocking out strikers”? Um, you mean guys like Randy, Babalu, and Tito? Off the top of my head, the only striker that Chuck has knocked out is Alistair Overeem.
I think the fact that Chuck has made a career of knocking out GRAPPLERS is exactly why I think this will be an interesting bout. Chuck’s best weapons, next to his knockout power, is his sprawl and ability to stand up after being taken down.
With these weapons rendered irrelevant, it’s time to see how good of a striker Chuck really is. I think his tendency to hold his hands down low may cost him against a guy like Jardine.
My picks
liddel tko
shogun tko
sanchez decision
griffin decision
machida decision
Liddel will outclass jardine on his feet and it won’t go to the ground, I would really be surprised if this goes to the second round. Shogun is really way too good for forest, forest’s only chance is a punchers chance, for shogun to make a split second mistake and then for forest to capitalize. I really believe fitch is over rated and beat a lot of nobodies. On a good day sanchez will beat fitch but it will still be close, and fitch as good as good gsp LOL, I know gsp would mop the floor with him if he was 100% focused like his last fight. I actually think there are several welter weights better than him, Hughes, gsp, penn(if he moves up again),koscheck and sanchez. I think he’s more on par with karo as a fighter and he’s definitely a 10 ten but not top 5.
i agree with Gary about Chuck fighting grapplers but Jardine sucks. Chuck should be able to handle him easily.
If Jardine sucks, where does that put Griffin, probably waaay up there with Tito or Boner
[quote comment=”154473″]Can somebody please tell me why the UFC 75 (london) fighter salaries have not been made public??????/
Its been 2 long to not have heard any news reguarding the salaries and the results of the steroid testing for that event.
I’m on this site everyday and I doubt that I missed the thread, if I did could someone please tell me?
UFC Mania, ViolentMike, PhilQny, UfC fan and all the other usual suspects on here, if you have any info about the fighter salaries for that event please let me know… its driving me crazy.
I wanna know how much Hendo n Rampage made, along with Bispings salary for that crappy win, and how much money Dana wasted on another cro cop fight!!![/quote]
I’m not 150% positive but I do believe I saw a thread that said they did not release fighter salaries for that event.
NICE PICKS SPIDA!!! You’re always knowledgable in discussion and I’m with your picks all the way!!!
[quote comment=”154426″]After this win,Machida deserves a tittle shot in 08.[/quote]
I love Machida and all, but I think he needs to fight another contender to get a titleshot. I would hate for him to win the title and immediately be booed because nobody either knows of him or thinks he’s boring. I’m hoping that he puts Nakamura away and goes on to take out someone who has a lot of buzz like a Houston Alexander or Rashad Evans or maybe even the match that was supposed to happen, Forrest Griffin.
Rashad’s next fight will be his rematch with Cheato. Who knows how much of Forrest will even be left after his fight with Shogun. I love Forrest and hope he wins, but damn. That just leaves Houston.
[quote post=”3394″]I said it first and i will say it again,Forrest will whoop Shogun’s ass[/quote]
I agree. noone from pride has had a dominating UFC opening performance.
Also i have never seen someones stock drop like sanchez’s has. Does everyone forget this kid beat karo, diaz, kos on the show etc. the guy is 19-1 and has def not been protected by the ufc. people hate on him and hes got so much talent. Who has fitch beat that is on the level of KARO or NICK DIAZ. Someone please answer me that……..
[quote comment=”154429″]I must say I am very excited about this and this makes it _ that much closer till I get to go see UFC 77 live!
Spida you knocked it silly, all of your picks I completely agree with!
I think Jardine is going to upset Chuck Liddell, I don’t know why, but it is a banger bout, and both have shown they can get caught, one get hit by a semi, one got it by Rampage.. who hits harder out of those two? Who cares, they both still knocked out people.
I think Jardine is going in there with a huge chip on his shoulder, similiar to Matt Serra/GSP. Everybody really doubted Serra like they are Jardine, just because Liddell is the more popular fight, thats why people think that this is a cake walk.
Jardine wins Via Round 2 KO
I honestly believe that Griffin will win as well. Not to be bias towards the UFC, but Pride fighters have struggled within the cage their first time. I believe only Mirko finished his fight in round 1.
Rua is going to have to adjust to the new rule changes and I think fighting infront of a audience this big, espically on TV might get to him.
Griffin via KO Round 3
Fitch/Sanchez bout it so so so hard to determine. Fitch has not fought anybody of the caliber of Sanchez, but Josh Koscheck said that Fitch was the toughest dude that he has ever trained with, and Kos defeated Diego. I think Fitch has the stand-up to his favor, but if it goes to the ground beware for fitch..
I want to call this one a tie because I dont know who to choose, but at the end.
Fitch via Split Decision
Thiago/Griffin another amazing lightweight match-up. But ultimatly I think the ground and pound of Tyson will outwear Thiago, and Thiago will end up losing.
Griffin via Unanimous Decision
Lyoto Machida/Nakamura…
Shoot me in my foot. This is so so so tough to even compare.
The UFC fans who are diehard probably have no idea who Keith is. The guy is good. But I think Lyoto is better.
This match is going to go decision which sucks for Lyoto who I think can beat almost everybody in the top 5. This guy is as tough as nails, and he better have picture perfect submission defense because he is going to need it.
Lyoto via Decision (Split)
I cant wait for this, already have it ordered, and I am so stoked for this great night of events, it is going to be hard to top UFN, but with this card, I think it blows it out of the water. Too bad UFC 77 is less than a month away.. at least that gives time for people to forget about UFN and UFC 76..[/quote]
Rua’s gonna get nerves fighting in front of a crowd this big???? r u stupid? he fights in front of crowds double of what he is fighting in front of on saturday. he is gonna crush, i mean CRUSH forrest.
Wow spida i agree with all your picks except Fitch i say Fitch by ud.
[quote comment=”154662″][quote comment=”154426″]After this win,Machida deserves a tittle shot in 08.[/quote]
I love Machida and all, but I think he needs to fight another contender to get a titleshot. I would hate for him to win the title and immediately be booed because nobody either knows of him or thinks he’s boring. I’m hoping that he puts Nakamura away and goes on to take out someone who has a lot of buzz like a Houston Alexander or Rashad Evans or maybe even the match that was supposed to happen, Forrest Griffin.[/quote]
Im a big Machida fan, i also think he needs one more good fight before a title shot, but shit if Jardine and forrest win he might not be waiting long!
[quote comment=”154500″][quote comment=”154471″]The Pride guys have not been looking so hot in the cage…[/quote]
I agree. They only have 2 ufc belts. Pride was so overrated…[/quote]
i’m picking up on some sarcasm, everybody always says that about pride guys having two ufc belts, but anderson silva should not be considered a pride guy, he had 19 fights before getting to the ufc and only 5 of those fights were in pride, and 7 of his last 8 fights before coming the the ufc were in other organizations, i wouldn’t call him a pride guy, pride never had him locked down…the only champ is rampage…and look how cro cop has done, fabricio werdum and heath herring both lost their first fights, mishima lost twice, marcus aurellio lost, and some others i can’t think of right now…so yeah rampage has looked great, but who else?
[quote comment=”154519″]Well written spida…[/quote]
thanks wildbill