By DrubySunshine
It was not at all surprising that there wasn’t much buzz about tonight’s Ultimate Finale on Spike TV, especially after sitting through months of a lackluster season that involved fighters with little personality, fights with even less action, and few if any defining moments that would catch the attention of a casual fan and get them hooked on the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA).
Considering the high points of the season were the big farm boy Tommy Speer scoring a surprising knockout upset over George Sotiropoulos (who many considered to be a heavy favorite to win it all) and John “War Machine” Koppenhaver dropping an “upper decker” in Team Hughes toilet (I still think that prank is and always will be a timeless classic), who could blame anyone for not getting their hopes up?
My, how one night can change it all.
Tonight UFC fans were given a gift from the MMA gods with two fights that could be considered all time great scraps. Both were very different versions of the MMA game. The first was a bloody, all out brawl with little technique and a ton of momentum changes that had everyone on the edge of their seats.
The second was one of the fastest-paced and most technical battles that saw bell-to-bell action, a near second round finish that was halted only due to the bell and a great ending to a fight that deserved nothing less.
Those two fights alone erased the memory of two less-than-spectacular pay-per-views in UFC 78 with its insomnia curing main event and UFC 77 with its Silva/Franklin squash match and Sylvia/Vera bear hug and tickle fight. The best part: IT WAS FREE.
The preliminary fights weren’t much to get excited about since all of them ended in the first round. Jonathan Goulet made quick work of Paul Georgieff and Roman Mitchiyan did not even break a sweat submitting Dorian Price via ankle lock in just 24 seconds.
Matt Arroyo outclassed John Koslosci (who we’ll probably never see in the Octagon again) with an armbar submission and Troy “Rude Boy” Mandaloniz KO’d Richie Hightower in a fight that was actually a quality stand up battle for both fighters.
The main card however delivered a night to remember. Ben Saunders and Dan Barrera both showed up and put forth great effort in a solid ground battle that Saunders won easily via unanimous decision. Saunders jiu-jitsu was well above where I thought it would be.
With his unusal height (6′3”), long limbs and solid striking game I can see him becoming a quality 170lb fighter in the UFC. George Sotiropoulos made quick work of Billy Miles and showed off his black belt jiu-jitsu skills and helped erase the memory of his KO loss to Tommy Speer during the TUF 6 semifinals.
Speaking of Tommy Speer, he had a monstrous size advantage over Mac Danzig and that was about it. Danzig dominated for the full minute that the fight lasted and won the TUF 6 crown. Danzig, who announced his move to a more natural 155lb weight class, definitely has a bright future with his well rounded game.
Now to the fights that made the night one to remember. Jared “J-Rock” Rollins vs. John “War Machine” Koppenhaver was one of the bloodiest and best brawls I have ever seen. The action was nonstop, brutal and momentum was constantly switching to each fighter.
Both fighters looked finished numerous times throughout the fight yet they somehow made it to the third round where War Machine almost out of nowhere went from being mounted by Rollins and looking like he was finished to a switch into a direct full mount where he finished the fight in stunning fashion.
This one will be talked about for years to come and a rematch will almost certainly happen at some point. The Roger Huerta vs. Clay Guida match up lived up to its billing. Guida controlled most of the fight with his dominance in the takedown and ground game.
I thought he had the fight finished after rocking Huerta with a right uppercut, but luck was not on his side and he was unable to close the deal as he simply ran out of time and Huerta was saved by the bell.
Round three was like the rest of the fight. The pace was relentless and a well-placed knee from Huerta to Guida’s face put him to the ground rocked and bewildered. Huerta capitalized by taking Guida’s back and finishing the fight with a rear naked choke.
It was obvious that Guida was up two rounds to none so a stoppage was the only option Huerta had and to his credit he stepped up in crunch time and came through. These two fights were instant classics and will be talked about for years to come.
I for one feel lucky that I was able to witness such a great demonstration of everything that’s great about MMA. Even better, IT WAS FREE.
**TWO CENTS ALERT**
Hi folks, Jesse Holland checking in. First and foremost: Great job Druby on wrapping up tonight’s show. I wanted to throw my two cents in on a couple of topics that you touched on.
- Danzig vs. Speer was a squash match. I find it a bit odd that Clay Guida was turned down for TUF 5 for being overqualified but Mac Danzig was allowed to board TUF 6.
- Roger Huerta has great hands and an even greater heart. I thought he was a little more fragile than that but tonight he proved me wrong.
- I could watch Clay Guida fight a crash test dummy. Lay ‘N Prayers and sluggish heavyweights take note: This kid knows how to put on a show. He could fight on every PPV and I would not complain.
- Koppenhaver vs Rollins was like two junkyard dogs in a fight to the finish. While I prefer a more skilled performance, there is a time and place for these types of slugfests and tonight’s delivered.
- Forrest Griffin and Rampage Jackson are coaches for TUF 7? Talk about the world’s worst kept secret.
- Best of luck to Big John, his presence will be missed.
We had an exciting night of fights and to think that UFC 79 is just around the corner. What a great time to be a UFC fan!
For complete coverage and play-by-play of tonight’s event, click here.
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yeah that was an awesome fight j-roc vs war machine
The event was pretty good. However, the best TUF FINALE was TUF 5.
Great fights! I mean great FREE fights! War Machine and J-Rock had an awesome fight! John won but there really wasn’t a loser in my book. And Clay Guida is an absolute freak! I have not seen him fight much before but I am a fan now! Huerta really proved himself tonight. He came out in the third round a different fighter. I hope there is that much action in the Matt Hughes vs. GSP fight.
j-roc and war machine was was a great match. i really wanted and thought guida was gonna win , but it was a great a great matchas well
War machine and J-rock kicked ass, I do agree with pUniSHment Tuf 5 was awesome. Saunders was dominant with his size he seems like he would be awkward to fight.
This event was great. I mean good god. I expected it to be good. But the War Machine Vs. Rollins war, Huerta Vs. Guida, every fight they showed. Was great. Very impressed.
Roger Huerta is the MAN!!!
what i freaking fight.
good on him…. and Clay too!
It truly was afun and exciting evening. Congrats to all who fought for our entertainment… War Machine I take it all back you are a classy gent and I hope to see you grow in the sport for a long time. Huerta and Guida you both are champs big hearts and the rematch will be ELECTRIFING.
Dana from a fan that does not have a lot of money and is living on dissability please dont raise the price of the pay per view.. please I can understand if you did but if for nothing else do it for this fan or give me job. I am fluent in spanish and can take the show on the road if you need to.
I was a tourmanager for years and I love Mexico…
Please think about it.
WOW! Totally agree, those two fights were amazing! And man did Mac own the ish out of Tommy.
War Machine Vs. Rollins war, Huerta Vs. Guida what incredible fights! Just Awesome…
I’m surprised Mac handled Tommy that easily, Mac looked smaller but he was definitely ‘cut’ Mac must be stronger than he looks, because Tommy did not seem stronger than Mac…
Billy Miles just isn’t cut out for MMA… just a good wrestler only… he can’t mentally handle getting punched.
Does anyone know if the TUF contestants get tested for roids during the show?… just curious.
It’s been roughly 20 minutes since i just finished watching Huerta vs Guida and boy did that fight meet up to the hype or what? I’m really glad that Huerta won that fight hopefully some of the doubters are eating crow. Great card, great main-event all in all. I could have gone with out seeing Barrera vs Saunders though.
I have new respect for Huerta after this fight. The guy was tenacious as hell tonight. While Guida was executing his gameplan to a ‘T’, Huerta never gave up, came up with a great plan for round 3 (introduced his knee to Guida’s shot), and executed perfectly. Tough, tough, guy. Loved the look on both their faces as they stared each other down to start round 3. Great intensity in their eyes.
I really hope Guida wins a good fight soon though. I feel bad for the guy. Seems like he’s always losing close fights after performing like a beast. I hope he doesn’t get discouraged and keeps at it.
What a great night of fights!! Guida vs. Huerta just typified the reason I love watching the LW division. Damn those guys are fun to watch!!!
Kudos to War Machine and J-Rock. It was a little on the grody side, but a classic, classic brawl. I hope Dana bonuses those two dudes for their efforts.
Holy schnikees! Did you see Tommy Speer’s face after only 75 seconds (or however long the fight lasted)? Danzig put a quick and sure hurt on the farm boy. If Tommy really is like Matt Hughes GSP ought to have a pretty easy time of it on the 29th…
I hate wading through all the commercials on Spike, but damn, this freebie event rocked!!
Awesome TUF finale! Kinda bummed that Guida lost, but that was a great fight!
Hey Mania! Just read that Sherk has been stripped of the Lightwieght belt. Can you confirm that?
is there going to be a replay anytime soon? I had to work.
[quote comment=”229667″]I have new respect for Huerta after this fight. The guy was tenacious as hell tonight. While Guida was executing his gameplan to a ‘T’, Huerta never gave up, came up with a great plan for round 3 (introduced his knee to Guida’s shot), and executed perfectly. Tough, tough, guy. Loved the look on both their faces as they stared each other down to start round 3. Great intensity in their eyes.
I really hope Guida wins a good fight soon though. I feel bad for the guy. Seems like he’s always losing close fights after performing like a beast. I hope he doesn’t get discouraged and keeps at it.[/quote]
The staredown before round three was great. I felt really bad for Guida. I was pulling for Huerta, but Guida is such a hard worker. He deserves better then a 2-3 record in the UFC. They’ll keep Guida around though, the guy just brings it everytime out.
Very impressed with Huerta. The guy is so relaxed. He keeps his composure and I think that is why he is able to get out of so many bad spots. You can tell he knew he was losing the first two rounds. He came out in the third and brought it to Guida. AWESOME FIGHT!
i have agree. this was an a really good card and all the matches they showed were entertaining. Huerta showed a lot of heart in his fight and earned that victory! I’d love to see a rematch of the J-rock/warmachine fight. i thought there was supposed to be some big announcement from dana white during tonights card, did i somehow miss it?
7-2 on the night, not bad.
I came up on Bodog, $650 tonight!
Danzig came through, and Rude Boy was my sleeper. Lost to War Machine, but J-Roc had him rocked….that was a sick fight.
Also picked Guida by GnP, and he should have had it at the end of round 2….I give Huerta props, that kid has heart
Both have heart. I silently cheered them both on. A rematch would be awesome. I think Guida has fought a lot tougher competition than Huerta, but really this match could have gone either way. Both of them really put their balls out there.
caveman guida almost had it … props to huerta for his heart!
Excellent night. The Rollins - Koppenhaver fight was great as was the Huerta - Guida fight. I liked the look on Huerta’s face just before the bell sounded to start the third round - it was the same look that Rampage had just before he fought Chuck. Huerta just upped his stock with his display of heart. This fight will go along way to increase Huerta’s rep with fight fans and really increase his profile in the Hispanic community and Mexican fans (a demographic that the UFC is now targeting). This couldn’t of worked out any better for the UFC and Huerta for the reportedly upcoming card in Mexico. Guida is a very exciting fighter - it did seem though that his hair was blocking his vision sometimes. Koppenhaver, Rollins and Danzig have a bright future.
Funniest moment - before the start of Tommy v Danzig, Joe says something like “wow look at the size difference” - except the camera is already focused on the new ring girl’s DD chest.
Most Interesting - I’ve never seen such effective elbows from the bottom, but I didn’t think this was legal in the UFC (striking with the point of the elbow to the top of the head). if this is a legal technique I’ll bet a lot of people in full guard will start deploying this technique.
Props to Huerta, I’m eating crow. I thought he had no chance but he showed me heart and standup I didn’t think he’d have against a talented Guida
Great free show! This makes up for the $50 I blew on the last one.
It is illegal to elbow with the point of the elbow downward. Also hitting to the top of the head is illegal. If war-machine had not been split to the top of the head he would have won easily.
“The main card however delivered a night to remember. Ben Saunders and Dan Barrera both showed up and put forth great effort in a solid ground battle that Saunders won easily via unanimous decision. Saunders jiu-jitsu was well above where I thought it would be.”
Berrera is a joke. He wanted no part of Saunders on the feet, or on the ground. After his take-downs he just burried his head in Ben’s chest and threw a few worthless punches. I mean, isn’t that the definition of lay-and-pray?!? No attempt to posture up and throw decent punches, no attempts to pass guard, just laid there. Hope we never see him again. Saunders, on the other hand, impressed me greatly! Notice he went bald between the taped show and the finale, lol.
Yeah that major anouncement sucked mighty large elephant balls. Anyone who watched the show yesterday could have figured it out during the video game awards previews. They show Forrest back to back with Quinton, and cosidering Forrest is 2 and Rampage is 1 it only makes sense.
The Guida and Huerta fight absolutely amazing.
That is a definite contender for fight of the year. What a crazy comeback for Huerta. You could see his face coming out in the round like it had to be all or nothing.
I must say I wanted Guida all he w mthe third. IT was like he worked hiself into a win. His face was all or nothing. I wanted Guida to win all the way but Huerta showed me that he was deservant to be where he is at.
The Warmachine and J Rock fight was bannanas. Warm MAchine was a whole other shade of tan. That was one of the bloodier fights I can recall in a while.
No skill just all out striking. Some crazy elbows. This show over all was one the better all around cards in a while. These tuff kids were much better this time around…
Awesome event.
But I don’t know why you rag on UFC 77, Druby. That event was good.
I’m a big Huerta fan and was happy to see him get the win last night, but Guida is a hell of a lot of fun to watch.
Dude…. I was rooting for Guida. The guy has these amazing fights and then loses by a hair. The guy is so much fun to watch but has bad luck in the cage. Sucks because UFC can give him the boot now that he has that many losses. They shouldnt. Guida is the man. KEEP GUIDA!!!
[quote comment=”229796″]Dude…. I was rooting for Guida. The guy has these amazing fights and then loses by a hair. The guy is so much fun to watch but has bad luck in the cage. Sucks because UFC can give him the boot now that he has that many losses. They shouldnt. Guida is the man. KEEP GUIDA!!![/quote]
I wouldn’t worry bout that too much
Fighters with heart and show don’t get fired from the UFC
I would rather watch Clay lose then AA win (unless he puts some effort into it). Great fights, I was cheering even though they couldn’t hear me.
[quote comment=”229626″]Great fights! I mean great FREE fights! War Machine and J-Rock had an awesome fight! John won but there really wasn’t a loser in my book. And Clay Guida is an absolute freak! I have not seen him fight much before but I am a fan now! Huerta really proved himself tonight. He came out in the third round a different fighter. I hope there is that much action in the Matt Hughes vs. GSP fight.[/quote]
GSP can fight a tree and it would still be exciting.
This was the best finale since Forrest vs. Bonner.
Not only did these kids fight there heart off but they represented the sport with class.
How about WAR Mavhine: HIs tough past has been documented, I thought it was great to hear the crowd chanting his name. He showed such heart and class, and afterwards he was in tears because J-roc had to loose. This kid has a future. His mental breakdowns seem to help him in the cage. Kid doesnt quick, he dishes out punishment, and he can take punishment. I just think that his post fight interview was one of the best moments in UFC history,…I will never forget the night that J-roc and War Machine went to WAR!!!! Serra was definetly at home, watching it on TV feeling proud.
Mac showed why matt Hughe’s equztion for a succesful fighter doesnt always work SIZE Strength wrestling = win, Not tonight Hughes, skill 9 out of 10 times overcomes Strength. Matt Hughes made a clown of himself admitting he wanted to fight GSP because GSP could only train for a month, I thought that whole statement was Tasteless and shameful, kind of like everything Hughes says. Props to Mac, I am happy for tyhe kid, he is a very deserving winner and I look forward to the great match ups he will be involved in the UFC LW division.
How about Huerta? I thought Guida would win, and for the 1st 2 rounds I seemed to be right, until Huerta showed that heart and took over. I always knew Huerta was very skilled, but I didnt know how ready he actually was because he has nevber fought a real tough experienced fighter. Well he did last night and won in impressive fashion. Huerta has arrived l,adies and Gentleman….He has made me a believer that he can compete with anyone in the division. Props to clay for going to WAR.
In my oppinion this was the single best fight of the YEAR!!!
Props to Ben Saunders…..Bright UFC Future ahead of him, his grappling looked very sharp and much improved plus he has the “:head for fighting”! He will be around for a while.
RuuuuuuuuuudeBOY!!!!! I love that scrappy Hawian!
Tommy spears, was really overwhelmed by the atmosphere. He looked like he shit his pants. and why wouldnt he, he comes from a town with like 850 people. Last night he fought in front of a crowd that was like 5 times the size of his town! He was overwhelmed, but he is young, Durable and has a great future ahead of him, if he can getr as far away from Matt Hughes as he can.
Fighters I expect to see again in the UFC:
Mac
Tommy
Ben
J-roc
War Machine
George te Greek
Matty-boy
and maybe Rudeboy!
I see big things ahead for Ben Saunders
I thought Arroyo was fairly impresive as well. I would like to see him in there with someone who has a decent ground game and also has decent standup. J-Roc was tough, but I thought they were hyping him as a technician. He didn’t really go for any submissions from the bottom. I wouldn’t mind seeing him matchup with Arroyo.
No one has mentioned that these great performances came from Serra’s boys and are a tribute to his great coaching ability.
I hope his critics don’t chalk the Serra team members great showing and heart up to a”fluke,” as that would be a discredit to a truly great coach. He must have been very proud as he watched his teams fighting spirit.
[quote post=”4154″]No one has mentioned that these great performances came from Serra’s boys and are a tribute to his great coaching ability.
I hope his critics don’t chalk the Serra team members great showing and heart up to a”fluke,” as that would be a discredit to a truly great coach. He must have been very proud as he watched his teams fighting spirit. [/quote]
YOu are as right as right can be.
J-Roc, War, Clay and Roger should all get 40 g’s.
What a fight I saw last night at the Palms in Vegas. Last night what happened in Vegas will not stay in Vegas. We all have to admit we love underdogs, ROCKY’s movies and we got it last night, if you picked all the underdogsd you would have won 8 of the 9 fights on the card. I plunked down all my money that night on a kid I knew had the heart.I had saved for months on a kid called the Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver. I finally saw the heart I was looking for and then some. I was a nervous wreack during the best fight I have ever seen. Some say his ground game was just a brawl I disdagree, it was the hardest fought fight around the octagon the entire night, it was like Jon was a bulldog. I paced when he was up on the fence in round 3 I had the fight even, round 1 for Jon round 2 for J roc, then, in round 3 Jon was kneed hard which took him to the ground he was clearly rocked, he was about to go nite, nite. I teared up because I felt that boys heart way up in the stands in 10 seconds my tears went for being upset to complete mayham. Joy! Proud. Jon came to live reversed J roc and ended him in a bloody pulp. I knew I just witnessed the best fight for the reels for years to come. I hung around to greet him like I did his other cast members, but no Jon or J rock, they both went to the hospital with cuts needing stiching. While the others partied the two best were not there beacuse of ther injurys and determination to win.I can’t say muckh of the other fighters perfomances they had moments. But this fight was one big moment. I’m sure Jon was happy to get some peasce and quiet. He will relive every take down, punch, and kick in his mind. Additionally, he will feel them for awhile then they will go away. One thing I know Is Jon Koppe3nhaver is here to stay he was a true man with a heart and gave J rock proops, he’s a class act. Dana White is going to pay him $8,000, Jon should wake up with a contract under is pilliow for $108,000, if you want this writers opinion. I don’t know how it looked on Telvision but the entire place kept chanting WAR MACHINE! All you need is a big heart and a lot of talent and disipline. Follow your dreams. Jon did when he watched tapes of Gracie at the age of 8. Oh by the way I took $2570.00 from the Palms for his win.
Keep on keepin on Jon,
Ken
[quote comment=”229836″]No one has mentioned that these great performances came from Serra’s boys and are a tribute to his great coaching ability.
I hope his critics don’t chalk the Serra team members great showing and heart up to a”fluke,” as that would be a discredit to a truly great coach. He must have been very proud as he watched his teams fighting spirit.[/quote]
I think Serra is a good coach, but he may be an even better evaluator of talent. I think Serra won the first round when they made their picks. Hughes picked guys that were less talented than Serra’s. Blake, Billy, Paul, and Dorian were awful. War Machine would have beat any of those guys, plus J-Roc or Dan in the first round, and he was probably Serra’s 3rd or 4th best guy.
Did yall see Ben start laughing when he saw himself on the big screens? That pissed me off. I’m probably the only person who doesn’t like him, but he just giggles like a little girl way to much. And how about Richie Hightower getting knocked out by a jab? Thought that was funny. I want to see him get his butt worked by Mac.
Hey, does anyone know if the fighters get the bonuses for these events like with the PPVs.
Sub of the night award goes to who? So many to choose from. Arroyo’s was smooth but Huerta’s was so clutch to take the fight when he needed the big comeback.
Fight of the night? One wouldn’t think there would be a debate after that main event but how do you decide between Huerta/Guida and Rollins/Koppenhaver?
One thing is for sure.
Best new nickname after the night:
John “Tear Machine” Koppenhaver
(Just to be clear this is not a shot at him. The guy fought his a** off and showed just how much emotion he brought in there with him. He started to show this with what we were shown through by the editors on TUF6. Again, I am not making fun. The guy has heart. I will be one of many eagerly anticipating his next fight based on last night.)
I’m glad Roman won. He seemed like a real tough guy and didn’t get a shot to even fight once on the TV show. The fact he won super quick likely means he’ll get another opportunity.
War Armenians or something. They could have Karo, Many, and Roman on some sort of Armenia VS Brazil card or something.
[quote comment=”229624″]The event was pretty good. However, the best TUF FINALE was TUF 5.[/quote]
TUF 6 Finale was better than TUF 5. Not even close.
[quote comment=”229781″]It is illegal to elbow with the point of the elbow downward. Also hitting to the top of the head is illegal. If war-machine had not been split to the top of the head he would have won easily.[/quote]
i was saying the same thing to everybody yesterday. those elbows were illegal.
How about Matt Hughes saying that he took the fight so that GSP wouldnt have enough time to train?
I was a longtime Hughes fan, but after last night, I have zero respect left for the guy. (mods I am not bashing, read first, and then delete if you feel its necessary)
Hughes wants no part of GSP. He was destroyed in their last match and he knows it is likely to happen again. Last night Rogan asked Hughes about his thoughts on the fight, and he said that he knows GSP likes to have 3 months to train, but they are only giving him a month, and that he DOES feel that its going to impact the fight in his favor.
To me this says that Hughes is scared of GSP and that he looking for any way to get a win out of it. Fighting against someone who has less time to train and cannot show up at 100% is a BS win. Hughes’ acknowledgment of the fact that its a disadvantage for GSP, and that he is looking to exploit it is classless.
I hope Hughes loses, and I hope it is in dominant fashion, it would only seem fitting. I am not bashing Hughes. I cannot be the only one who saw this, did anyone else get the same thing from it?
[quote comment=”229893″]How about Matt Hughes saying that he took the fight so that GSP wouldnt have enough time to train?
I was a longtime Hughes fan, but after last night, I have zero respect left for the guy. (mods I am not bashing, read first, and then delete if you feel its necessary)
Hughes wants no part of GSP. He was destroyed in their last match and he knows it is likely to happen again. Last night Rogan asked Hughes about his thoughts on the fight, and he said that he knows GSP likes to have 3 months to train, but they are only giving him a month, and that he DOES feel that its going to impact the fight in his favor.
To me this says that Hughes is scared of GSP and that he looking for any way to get a win out of it. Fighting against someone who has less time to train and cannot show up at 100% is a BS win. Hughes’ acknowledgment of the fact that its a disadvantage for GSP, and that he is looking to exploit it is classless.
I hope Hughes loses, and I hope it is in dominant fashion, it would only seem fitting. I am not bashing Hughes. I cannot be the only one who saw this, did anyone else get the same thing from it?[/quote]
I completely agree
Although I do think Roger Huerta is a great fighter, this was his first win against a good opponent. All of Huerta’s previous fights were against “NO NAME” fighters. I am far more impressed with Clay Guida’s fights in the UFC because they were against good fighters. Roger Huerta has to fight people like Kenny Florian, Joe Stevenson or some one of top caliber to get a title shot.
that was one of the best ufc cards, in a long time, and it was for free. this makes up for the crappy evans/bisping card.
i am a now a life long fan of huerta and guida. i would pay to see both those guys fight anybody again.
war machine/j roc was an awsome fight, but can anyone clarify if those elbows to the top of the head are illegal.
[quote comment=”229893″]How about Matt Hughes saying that he took the fight so that GSP wouldnt have enough time to train?
I was a longtime Hughes fan, but after last night, I have zero respect left for the guy. [/quote]
I respectfully disagree
He was honest, which is certainly respectable. I think he could have phrased it better but I see nothing wrong with strategy being used during the decision-making process.
Who ever fights 100% healthy or 100% prepared? Why shouldn’t he or any other other fighter take these aspects into consideration.
How many times do we see fighter go after another fighters weakness (i.e. target a cut, target a known rib injury etc.)
what about when another fighter struggled to make weight, don’t you think the other fighter might be smart to emphasize cardio and play for the later rounds?
I’m no Hughes fan, (that “which bible character am I most like” crap was too much for me) but I was impressed that he admitted his GSP strategy in public.
hey, where was serra? i thought he would have at least showed up to watch.
Did I miss something last night? Is Big John McCarthy leaving as a referee?!
[quote comment=”229893″]How about Matt Hughes saying that he took the fight so that GSP wouldnt have enough time to train?
I was a longtime Hughes fan, but after last night, I have zero respect left for the guy. (mods I am not bashing, read first, and then delete if you feel its necessary)
Hughes wants no part of GSP. He was destroyed in their last match and he knows it is likely to happen again. Last night Rogan asked Hughes about his thoughts on the fight, and he said that he knows GSP likes to have 3 months to train, but they are only giving him a month, and that he DOES feel that its going to impact the fight in his favor.
To me this says that Hughes is scared of GSP and that he looking for any way to get a win out of it. Fighting against someone who has less time to train and cannot show up at 100% is a BS win. Hughes’ acknowledgment of the fact that its a disadvantage for GSP, and that he is looking to exploit it is classless.
I hope Hughes loses, and I hope it is in dominant fashion, it would only seem fitting. I am not bashing Hughes. I cannot be the only one who saw this, did anyone else get the same thing from it?[/quote]
NONONO
everyone hates matt hughes of late, but GSP wanted the fight DANA was interviewed a few weeks ago and stated that GSP called DAN or someone at zuffa and requested the fight, MAtt Hughes doesn’t own the ufc …..in the end the ufc as we all know does wtf it wants to do in their own interest…and this was in their interest so stop hating hughes when it was GSP who called for the fight if i was GSP i would call for it too.
I betcha AA is calling about a fight. f tim sylvia and give AA a shot, by the way…
[quote comment=”229934″]hey, where was serra? i thought he would have at least showed up to watch.[/quote]
I think Rogan said the doctors wouldn’t let Serra travel with his injury. Don’t know if that’s BS or not (or even if I heard it correctly)
[quote comment=”229778″]Funniest moment - before the start of Tommy v Danzig, Joe says something like “wow look at the size difference” - except the camera is already focused on the new ring girl’s DD chest.
Most Interesting - I’ve never seen such effective elbows from the bottom, but I didn’t think this was legal in the UFC (striking with the point of the elbow to the top of the head). if this is a legal technique I’ll bet a lot of people in full guard will start deploying this technique.
Props to Huerta, I’m eating crow. I thought he had no chance but he showed me heart and standup I didn’t think he’d have against a talented Guida
Great free show! This makes up for the $50 I blew on the last one.[/quote]
bow to top of the head is only legal on the ground but not standing
War-Jrock..Matador-Carpenter..should be included in the best of 2007.
War-Roc was Griffin-Bonnar quality
Matador-Carpenter was brilliant
and yes, those elbows to the top of the head when on your back on the ground are legal, or so my very credible source at The Pit says
[quote comment=”229821″]Tommy spears, was really overwhelmed by the atmosphere. He looked like he shit his pants. and why wouldnt he, he comes from a town with like 850 people. Last night he fought in front of a crowd that was like 5 times the size of his town! He was overwhelmed, but he is young, Durable and has a great future ahead of him, if he can getr as far away from Matt Hughes as he can.
Fighters I expect to see again in the UFC:
Mac
Tommy
Ben
J-roc
War Machine
George te Greek
Matty-boy
and maybe Rudeboy!
I see big things ahead for Ben Saunders[/quote]
I would like to see Killa B vs Mayhem Miller or Jake Shields and or J Ftich
[quote post=”4154″]ow about Matt Hughes saying that he took the fight so that GSP wouldnt have enough time to train?
I was a longtime Hughes fan, but after last night, I have zero respect left for the guy. (mods I am not bashing, read first, and then delete if you feel its necessary)
Hughes wants no part of GSP. He was destroyed in their last match and he knows it is likely to happen again. Last night Rogan asked Hughes about his thoughts on the fight, and he said that he knows GSP likes to have 3 months to train, but they are only giving him a month, and that he DOES feel that its going to impact the fight in his favor.
To me this says that Hughes is scared of GSP and that he looking for any way to get a win out of it. Fighting against someone who has less time to train and cannot show up at 100% is a BS win. Hughes’ acknowledgment of the fact that its a disadvantage for GSP, and that he is looking to exploit it is classless.
I hope Hughes loses, and I hope it is in dominant fashion, it would only seem fitting. I am not bashing Hughes. I cannot be the only one who saw this, did anyone else get the same thing from it? [/quote]
Wow,I think you take any advantage you can get. Plus GSP did not have to take the fight. Both Hughes and GSP deserve credit for choosing to fight.
i would like to say that the herta vs guida fight was the best fight i have seen for the year and maybe the best ever i have seen for the ufc. all i ask is for a rematch between the two
I was really disappointed that guida got caught at the end. that was a good night of fights though.
[quote comment=”229952″][quote comment=”229934″]hey, where was serra? i thought he would have at least showed up to watch.[/quote]
I think Rogan said the doctors wouldn’t let Serra travel with his injury. Don’t know if that’s BS or not (or even if I heard it correctly)[/quote]
I bet you anything it had more to do with marketing. It would work against marketing the new main event to have Serra there, they probably wanna get all attention off Serra for the time being, to focus it and more succesfully promote the new main event. Makes sense to me.
Good point Jesse on Guida being turned down for last season, but Danzig made this season. I wonder if Danzig would have gotten a bigger contract by just making it and signing with the UFC as opposed by winning TUF. To my knowledge, the TUF fighters, winners included, really don’t make much money. For example Nate Diaz and Kendall Grove are not making much money per fight. Jon Fitch makes more money per fight than Diego Sanchez and Fitch was going to fight on TUF 1, but didn’t at the last minute.
We got to witness two of the Top 10 fights of the year. They were FANTASTIC. However, I must admit that I was really pulling for Guida, and was a little upset that he lost, but Roger proved more than being a legit contender in the LW division. He also displayed extreme amounts of heart and a never say die attitude. He also showed the type of guy he truely is during the post fight interview when he was shedding some tears. I have about 10 times more respect for Roger Huerta than I did last week!
J-Rock vs War Machine - holy cow, was that a bloody scrap. I agree, it wasn’t the most technical match, but they were going at it. J-Rocks elbows from the bottom, that he was landing to the top of Koppenhaver’s head were straight up nasty. You gotta love at least one blood bath fight per event!!! I know I do!!! Just when it looked like J-Rock was beginnning to end the fight with that sweet elbow he threw to War’s temple when they were standing against the cage. It dropped him, then J-Rock landed a wicked knee, and was on top of J-Rock. Then all of a sudden, BOOM, War’s on top and finishes the fight with about 8 strikes from full mount. TRUELY AWESOME!!!!
[quote comment=”229624″]The event was pretty good. However, the best TUF FINALE was TUF 5.[/quote]
TUF 5 finale was great, the best at the time. TUF 1 will ALWAYS be a classic. I truely believe that this finale was the best to date. Sure the final TUF fight for the contract wasn’t the best fight, it was better than last years. Manny’s knee just blew out and that was that. The main event, BJ vs Pulver, was a completely one sided fight. The Maynard/Emerson contrversy. I thought this past one was the best finale. There were TWO fight of the year candidates. I think that they should BOTH be Top 10, Hueta/Guida easily being Top 5.
Boy oh boy, did Mac just OWN Tommy. Mac took the bigger, stronger, wrestler down, beat him up, choked him, tapped him out, welcome to the UFC! They better not start Mac out on the bottom of the LW division. He should not be fighting the like of Junior Asuenco for his first fight (that’s who Nate Diaz fought first). I truely believe that he should be fighting someone that is no stranger to the UFC. Perhaps someone ranked right around #10. Like anywere from 9th-12th.
[quote post=”4154″]I hate wading through all the commercials on Spike, but damn, this freebie event rocked!! [/quote]
Yes, there were commercials, BUT we also got to see more fights than we do on a PPV. They showed 7 fights!!! When was the last time we saw 7 fights on a PPV? Two - three years ago, if at all. I was more than pleased with this event. It was MUCH better than the last couple PPV’s. The Ultimate Fight Nights and the TUF Finale’s have became better than the average PPV in my opinion, at least, as of late. The last couple Fight Night’s were excellent as well.
[quote post=”4154″]Koppenhaver, Rollins and Danzig have a bright future. [/quote]
I would ad Tommy to that list for sure. And I also see George having a brighter future than J-Rock and War Machine, HOWEVER War Machine has quickly became a crowd favorite and I don’t see George having too many fans outside of Australia.
[quote post=”4154″]I just think that War’s post fight interview was one of the best moments in UFC history,…I will never forget the night that J-roc and War Machine went to WAR!!!! [/quote]
Absolutely John. I was also really impressed with Roger Huerta’s post fight interview as well. War Machine is now a crowd favorite!
[quote post=”4154″]Matt Hughes made a clown of himself admitting he wanted to fight GSP because GSP could only train for a month, I thought that whole statement was Tasteless and shameful, kind of like everything Hughes says.[/quote]
My wife loves Matt Hughes, and that was the first time that she hated what he said. Can you believe that, that that was only the FIRST TIME. But then again, she doesn’t watch every second of the UFC like I do…
Does anyone know why after Huerta submitted Guida, the camera cut to Matt Hughes and he was just as excited as when Serra beat GSP, and he grabbed/hugged and kissed his wife instantly and had the largest smile on his face. Does he have a crush on Huerta? Does he hate Guida? I didn’t get that reaction. Of course he’d be excited, but to grab and kiss your wife? I don’t know, maybe he had bet $250k on Roger…
[quote post=”4154″] There were TWO fight of the year candidates. I think that they should BOTH be Top 10, Hueta/Guida easily being Top 5. [/quote]
Actually, I am changing my assessment a little. Up until now the fight of the year was Fisher/Stout 2, which was just a stand up battle. I think that Huerta/Guida MUST be right up there, no less than #2 fight of the year. War Machine vs J-Rock I said is Top 10. F that. That fight is Top 5 of the year. Saturday night, we got to witness 2 of the best 5 fights of the year!!!!!!!!!
[quote post=”4154″]Actually, I am changing my assessment a little. Up until now the fight of the year was Fisher/Stout 2, which was just a stand up battle. I think that Huerta/Guida MUST be right up there, no less than #2 fight of the year. War Machine vs J-Rock I said is Top 10. F that. That fight is Top 5 of the year. Saturday night, we got to witness 2 of the best 5 fights of the year!!!!!!!!! [/quote]
No way was Fisher stout 2 better than this fight! This fight had it all, great stand up exchanges, good ground fighting with scrambles and takedowns, slams ,and submissions. They should defineitly get fight of the year. IT funny that Roger’s other fight with Leonard Garcia was mentioned as fight of the year candidate. I can’t wait to see a fight where Roger can go at it for five whole rounds.
I can’t beleive matt hughes actually said he wants to fight gsp now that gsp doesn’t have time to fully prepare. What ever happened to fighters saying they want to beat thier atangonists when they are at thier best. Some “champion”.
[quote comment=”230561″][quote post=”4154″]Actually, I am changing my assessment a little. Up until now the fight of the year was Fisher/Stout 2, which was just a stand up battle. I think that Huerta/Guida MUST be right up there, no less than #2 fight of the year. War Machine vs J-Rock I said is Top 10. F that. That fight is Top 5 of the year. Saturday night, we got to witness 2 of the best 5 fights of the year!!!!!!!!! [/quote]
No way was Fisher stout 2 better than this fight! This fight had it all, great stand up exchanges, good ground fighting with scrambles and takedowns, slams, and submissions. They should defineitly get fight of the year. IT funny that Roger’s other fight with Leonard Garcia was mentioned as fight of the year candidate. I can’t wait to see a fight where Roger can go at it for five whole rounds.[/quote]
Side Note: I didn’t say that Fisher/Stout fight was better. I said that that was currently being widely considered the #1 fight of the year. Thatbeing said, Huerta/Guida can be no worse than #2. I think it was actually better - way more aspects of mma. I love 2 skilled fighters scrambling all over the matt.
Quick Question: Who votes for the Fight of the Year? Do fans vote? Do fighters vote? Or does Dana just pick one?
If the fans vote, I think it will go to Fisher/Stout, because the U.S. fans aren’t as into all the aspects of MMA.
Agree with almost all the comments, what an awsome night. Lept out of my seat when Huerta won.
I think the most credit should go to Mac, he absolutly walked the entire show, didn’t even get touched and he’s a lightweight!
I think he’d hold his own against anyone in the L/W division.
You’ve got to love War as well, he’ll never be a great fighter but everyone will want to watch him.
More of the same Dana por favor.
I wish I had jumped in over the weekend to comment while it was fresh, but man! That was the best event of the year by far, bar none! Almost every fight ended by submission or stoppage, and the less it ends in the judges hands the better, in my mind. The J-Rock/War Machine showed why MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world. Those guys showed SO much heart! When was the last time you saw a football or basketball player or boxer put their entire soul into it like that. And the passion during the interview was gut wrenching, if not the most poetic.
The Guida/Huerta fight has to be a strong candidate for fight of the year! The technique, and scrambling for positioning could be used in training videos for anyone wanting to know what the ground game is all about. The fact that Guida was still alive after the barrage of knees he ate is nothing short of inhuman. Even though he lost the fight, his stock went up in my books. He showed so much class in the interview afterwards. That said, I called it. It was the unpopular opinion, but I did post it as Huerta winning. I though it would happen in the second, but Clay had a great game plan and really executed well. Just wanted to go on record
The whole event was a great watch. I was well impressed with all the fights. War machine has a huge heart and that’s the sort of attitude Dana White likes. Mac was clinical. Huerta showed he IS one of the top boys (in my opinion).
And Big Ben(!) could be a force and a half if he trains with a good team and sticks at it. He’s massive for his weight, has big strikes and is very flexible. Good tools to have that can be worked on.
The War Machine/J-Rock fight was entertaining but definitely not worthy of any “Fight Of the …” recognition. How these guys get BJJ belts is beyond me.
The Huerta/Guida fight was non-stop action and technical wrestling and striking. It was barely one-sided for Guida until the 3rd and what a great job by Huerta finishing. It was a great fight. I still think Guida wins 7-8 of 10 of those matchups and I wanna see a rematch ASAP…maybe after Tyson Griffin schools Huerta.
It was a great finish to a so-so season.
Huerta was great. Guida was too, for that matter.
It’s funny, because I remember back when people were still calling Huerta a nothing before the Alberto Crane fight. Talk about not being able to spot talent.
I love being able to say I told you so on this site. MMAmania is such a great site filed with great content. The athletes in this sport are awesome, and it gets so old listening to people on this blog make idiotic comments, listen to people boo at the fights. A lot of people come on this sit to dog the fighters. I enjoy dogging those punks the most.
Let’s keep it coming!!