UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” is set for tomorrow (Saturday) evening on March 1 from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates and blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action throughout the telecast. As usual, it promises to be a great discussion during an amazing line up of fights.
To get us pumped for the festivities MMAmania.com contributor Jesse Holland and site veteran “Mahde” went toe-to-toe below to try and predict the fighters who will leave the Octagon with their hands raised tomorrow during the featured fights of the night.
It’s important to note for the predictions 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. At the end of each analysis, therefore, you will see the individual picks.
Let’s get to it:
UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (20-4) vs. Dan Henderson (22-6)
MMAmania.com reader “Mahde:” Question: Which middleweight contender was said to have the right skill set to dethrone current champ Anderson Silva?
- Travis Lutter
- Nate Marquardt
- Dan Henderson
- All of the above
The answer is: D. All of the above. Both Lutter and Marquardt managed to get Silva on to the ground. There (on the ground) they were supposed to have Silva right where they wanted him. But, Lutter got caught in a triangle (from which he was easily elbowed into a verbal submission) and Marquardt was swept (and subsequently pounded into a TKO). And yet, somehow, the hype behind this fight is the same as the others. The UFC would have us believe that the ground skills of Dan Henderson will be Anderson Silva’s kryptonite. Albert Einstein said it best: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Jesse Holland: Speaking of insanity, does anyone else want to go public with a comparison between Dan Henderson and Travis Lutter/Nate Marquardt? I certainly don’t. I won’t discredit Anderson Silva for his victories over the latter but Dan Henderson is called “Dangerous” Dan for a reason. Aside from his Olympic-caliber wrestling, Hendo is one of the few men in the UFC who doesn’t fear the Brazilian’s clinch. And why should he? He practically wrote the manual for inside fighting with a ruthless Greco-clinch of his own. He may talk tough about standing and banging but he’s too smart to turn this into a striking match. And I don’t expect a straight shoot either. Look for Henderson to constantly push Silva into the cage and employ a Randy-like offense where the champ is always off balance and always guessing. What Henderson lacks in accuracy he more than makes up for in power. I believe Hendo is the more complete fighter and now that he’s in his natural weight class I see him joining Big Nog as the second man to ever hold world titles in both PRIDE and the UFC.
Final predictions:
Mahde — Silva via technical knockout
Holland — Henderson via technical knockout
Cheick Kongo (11-3-1) vs. Heath Herring (27-13)
MMAmania.com reader “Mahde:” When CroCop resorts to taking you down to score some points, I’d say you have some pretty good standup abilities. In fact, I would go as far to say that Cheik Kongo has the best standup in the heavyweight division. Heath Herring, on the other hand, was picked apart on his feet by Nogueira, and really only landed one good shot the entire fight. I don’t see Kongo falling prey to a high kick any time soon. I also don’t see Herring taking him down. Judging from his pre-fight interviews, Herring seems to want to stand up with Kongo. My guess is that Herring will wait until after Kongo has proven himself to be the dominant, to change tactics. Herring may be one of the best scramblers in mixed-martial-arts, but I have yet to see him pull off an impressive takedown. Just watch his fight against CroCop. After being schooled in the art of striking, Herring made several conspicuous takedown attempts. This fight will most likely have a similar result.
Jesse Holland: Cheick Kongo may have the Gabriel Gonzaga syndrome. A dominating win over a listless Cro Cop is reason to celebrate, but it does not automatically transform you into top three heavyweight. Fortunately for Kongo, the UFC’s anemic heavyweight ranks lands him there by default. But Herring is no slouch. He suffered a less-than-impressive debut after being smothered by Jake O’Brien at Fight Night 8, but didn’t Kongo have a similar experience at the hands of Carmelo Marrero at UFC 64? Herring has been around the block, pounding out K-1 level strikers like Gary Goodrich and will not be easily intimidated. I don’t see this going to the ground, but I do fear it could become one of those slow-paced heavyweight battles we’ve come to dread. At least it’s only scheduled for three rounds.
Final predictions:
Mahde — Kongo via broken ribs in the third round
Holland — Kongo via unanimous decision
Evan Tanner (32-6) vs. Yushin Okami (21-4)
MMAmania.com reader “Mahde:” Both Yushin Okami and Evan Tanner are bigger and stronger than most other middleweights in the UFC. Both have respectable standup, good takedowns and takedown defense, and a submission game that opponents must look out for. The difference is that while the younger Okami was winning three out of his last four fights (he almost submitted Franklin in that loss), Tanner was throwing back a few too many and, more importantly, not training or fighting. I really don’t see how Tanner can manage to not enter this fight with a performance-altering amount of rust. Tanner’s best chance will be to take this to the ground, but Okami is not easily taken down. Also, Tanner’s awkward standup, while distracting to his opponents, leaves openings. Just ask Rich Franklin.
Jesse Holland: Evan Tanner is back from the Phantom Zone to try his luck against a middleweight who is 15-3 over the past four years. It may be a tall order for Tanner but if anyone can do it he can. Tanner has a style that’s difficult to adjust to and he can take a ton of punishment. “Thunder” has trouble defending when he’s overwhelmed and Tanner needs to stay in his face without getting out-muscled at ever turn. Tanner is also too wily to be submitted – having tapped only once (and that was over ten years ago). Not surprisingly, the X factor is Tanner’s absence from competition. I don’t think rust will be as much of a problem for a freestyle fighter as I do the level of cardiovascular conditioning. Okami gets better as the fight gets longer so Tanner has to avoid the feeling out process and go for the jugular in round one. He may not get it, but he will at least be the sentimental winner that night.
Final predictions:
Mahde — Okami via knockout
Holland — Okami via technical knockout
Jon Fitch (15-2) vs. Chris Wilson (13-3)
MMAmania.com reader “Mahde:” I want to start by saying that Chris Wilson is no joke. He has excellent Muay Thai and training with Team Quest has made him a force to be dealt with on the ground as well. Having said that, Jon Fitch is easily the second best fighter in the division, second only to GSP. Fitch’s submission defense is freakish. Getting caught in things like triangles or guillotines doesn’t seem to be a big deal for the former Boilermaker. His striking is also top-notch. And, while I don’t think Fitch’s striking is quite at the level of Wilson’s, I feel his wrestling will more than make up the difference. If there is one thing that can be learned by watching MMA, it’s that takedowns make kickboxers gun-shy. Short of a perfectly-timed knee, Wilson won’t have any opportunities to knock out Fitch. And a knockout is Wilson’s only hope. Fitch will take him down and pound him until the ref intervenes.
Jesse Holland: Chris Wilson has his work cut out for him against Jon Fitch but like the Tanner/Okami fight, Wilson has a legitimate shot in the first round. Fitch is a fighter who goes from good to great as the fight progresses. Fitch had all he could handle early on against Roan Carniero at Fight Night 10 and if Wilson has been watching tape he knows that’s his time. Again like Tanner, Wilson does not have the luxury of a feeling-out process and must try to overwhelm the Fitchster as soon as possible. If he makes it to the second or third round, it may be in his best interest to fight from his back since four of his five submission wins have come via triangle choke. Wilson is 13-3 and fights out of Team Quest and ordinarily that should be enough to make a case against any fighter. Then again Fitch is anything but ordinary.
Final predictions:
Mahde — Fitch via technical knockout
Holland — Fitch via submission
Alessio Sakara (12-6) vs. Chris Leben (17-4)
MMAmania.com reader “Mahde:” While Chris Leben may have a superior Octogan record (7-3) to Allessio Sakara’s (3-3), Sakara is definitely the more talented fighter. His standup is crisp and he showed excellent takedown defense in his last fight against James Lee. Yes, he will have to respect Leben’s knockout power because he has been overwhelmed before. However, I highly doubt Leben has the same amount of power as say, Houston Alexander or Drew McFriedes. The fomer pro-boxer will certainly test Leben’s chin and should be able to avoid and serious headshots. After his defeats to Alexander and McFriedes, and after seeing the way in which Leben has won his fights, don’t expect Sakara to overextend. This is the mistake that Leben’s opponents have made and paid for. That’s how Leben has bailed himself out of being out-pointed time and time again.
Jesse Holland: Chris Leben, like Alessio Sakara has been on hard times lately in the UFC. Both are 2-3 in their past five fights but in my opinion Leben has less to prove. While he may not be racking up the wins as of late, he still manages to get the crowd buzzing and his dramatic come-from-behind win against Terry Martin is why people still love to watch him fight. Leben may not have the most technical style, but he does have devastating power. Sakara could already be at a disadvantage with this fight being his middleweight debut. There is no telling how the cut will affect his performance and Leben will not be in a forgiving mood. Leben should be ready to come out and do what he does best: Get in Sakara’s face and start throwing bombs. I see this one ending in the first.
Final predictions:
Mahde — Sakara via unanimous decision
Holland — Leben via knockout
That’s a wrap, folks. For the complete UFC 82 fight card click here.
Remember to come check us out before, during and after the show for all the latest results, recaps and thoughts on this blockbuster night of fights.
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 82: “Pride of a Champion.”
58 Comments »
Ahhhh i love the predictions blog… it means it’s nearly time! Just have to find time at work to read it now : )
Does anyone here feel Silva is too tall and strong for Hendo’s Greco-Roman clich takedowns? I realize he was able to take Rampage down, but it will be harder for Dan to get inside of Silva. Also Anderson will isolate an arm not allowing for proper gable grip.
[quote comment=”334325″]Does anyone here feel Silva is too tall and strong for Hendo’s Greco-Roman clich takedowns? I realize he was able to take Rampage down, but it will be harder for Dan to get inside of Silva. Also Anderson will isolate an arm not allowing for proper gable grip.[/quote]
I have no clue at all at who is going to win this fight. This one is as close as they get.
I agree with Jesse Holland’s picks almost exactly. The only difference is that I think Hendo, Okami, and Fitch will have trouble finishing their opponents and instead go to a decision.
Leben (ko), Tanner (triangle), Herring (overwhelming), Fitch (submission, but very tough fight), Diego(an Oh My God type perfomance), Kos (but not as dominate as people may think), Arlovski (Ko), Gurgel ( 1st round, dont know what, oh yeah and he belongs in the ufc, if not the 145 wec division)…and Im not touching the Silva/Henderson fight
[quote comment=”334325″]Does anyone here feel Silva is too tall and strong for Hendo’s Greco-Roman clich takedowns? I realize he was able to take Rampage down, but it will be harder for Dan to get inside of Silva. Also Anderson will isolate an arm not allowing for proper gable grip.[/quote]
i think Dan can get him down, but I think people are over estimating his ground and pound, he never uses it like Couture or Lindland, also like in the Misaki fight, Dan likes to get in a pissing match with good stikers, even though he came out of that fight unscathed and Misaki looked like a mess, he still landed fewer punches and lost on the cards, i think this fight might go something like that
Well done Jesse and Mahde. I always enjoy reading rational, well-thought-out opinions on the fights, even if I don’t necessarily agree with them. I have the following:
Henderson TKO 3rd or 4th;
Herring arm bar/kimura 2nd;
Leben RNC after a nasty left in the 1st;
Okami by UD
Fitch RNC 2nd
Arlovski by UD (then buh-bye)
Fioravanti by UD
Hazelett arm bar 3rd
Sanchez TKO 1st
Gurgel RNC 1st.
this might sound stupid, but do you guys think henderson is stronger than franklin? i’m very impressed how silva was able to control franklin in the clinch in both fights…i just don’t see how henderson would do good in the clinch against the spider…franklin is one of the strongest 185ers in my opinion
[quote comment=”334325″]Does anyone here feel Silva is too tall and strong for Hendo’s Greco-Roman clich takedowns? I realize he was able to take Rampage down, but it will be harder for Dan to get inside of Silva. Also Anderson will isolate an arm not allowing for proper gable grip.[/quote]
No way if anything his height will make it easier for Hendo to dump him on his butt. As reported above Lutter and Marquart took Silva down, Hendo will do at will.
If he can avoid being caught on the way in once in close to Silva its Hendo’s world. I like the Randy comparison because thats how i see it… Hendo imposing his will, staying in tight and damaging Silva with some dirty boxing before taking him down.
The more i think about it the more i want to have some money on it!
I think Sakara over Leben is the best bet on this card…I’m still stunned (and happy) Sakara is the underdog. I like Dustin Hazelett over Koscheck as well…fantastic odds there. I have to be honest with you guys…I think Chris Wilson has a better shot than most think. Jon Fitch, in my opinion, is looking past this bout with all this Parysian and title shot talk. Don’t sleep on Chris Wilson bringing some heat and getting the upset of the night.
[quote comment=”334379″]this might sound stupid, but do you guys think henderson is stronger than franklin? i’m very impressed how silva was able to control franklin in the clinch in both fights…i just don’t see how henderson would do good in the clinch against the spider…franklin is one of the strongest 185ers in my opinion[/quote]
that is something I noticed too. silva looks like a skinny guy, but Franklin himself said he had the impression to be in tim sylvia’s clinch..
I think hendo will be surprised by anderson strength and face the same faith of rich, hendo will probably last much more though.
Deos anyone else think that the biggest reason for Diego’s 2 straight loses have been because of his change in camps? I know he trains out of UJJ (University of Ju Jitsu) but who else of consequence trains there? I think that Diego has lost a step. I know that the staf infection took its toll on him for the Koscheck fight but he didn’t look the same against Fitch either. I think Bielkheden has got some serious skills and that he could really take the fight to Diego. Diego might come out too agressive in this fight and make a mistake. Bielkheden trains with the Nogs and Anderson Silva at BTT so his BJJ should be pretty deadly. I know he hasn’t fought the level of competition that Diego has but his highlight reels on YouTube are fairly impressive.
[quote comment=”334394″][quote comment=”334325″]Does anyone here feel Silva is too tall and strong for Hendo’s Greco-Roman clich takedowns? I realize he was able to take Rampage down, but it will be harder for Dan to get inside of Silva. Also Anderson will isolate an arm not allowing for proper gable grip.[/quote]
No way if anything his height will make it easier for Hendo to dump him on his butt. As reported above Lutter and Marquart took Silva down, Hendo will do at will.
If he can avoid being caught on the way in once in close to Silva its Hendo’s world. I like the Randy comparison because thats how i see it… Hendo imposing his will, staying in tight and damaging Silva with some dirty boxing before taking him down.
The more i think about it the more i want to have some money on it![/quote]
I agree on the Randy Couture gameplan for Hendo…if he can execute the same type of gameplan Randy had with Gonzaga and Sylvia…that would give him the best chance at winning the fight. Even Franklin took Silva down in the second fight by pushing him against the fence. I think that putting Silva’s back against the fence is the way to control this fight.
Is there going to be a “where to watch it” post?
Buster Bluth, Nogs and Anderson dont train at btt anymore…niehter does Arona, filho or any of the guys that made that a dominant camp..still they have bustamante and other good instructors, but Diego is a black belt in bjj and is training with very good guys as well…
The only way Silva can lose is if Henderson keeps him in side control on the ground. Everywhere else Silva will crush him.
“people still love to watch him fight”
really? people love to watch Leban fight? wow, I had no idea. seriously, not being a smart ass, I didn’t think Leban had any fans.
wtf? i love leben, hes a tuff dude. but to say he’s gonna KO sakara in the 1st… sakara will win this fight. i guarantee it.
Dana White on Andre Arlovski’s contract status:
“Andrei is a guy we want (in the UFC),” White said. “I think we’ll get it done.”
Keep your fingers crossed!
I haven’t been this excited about a UFC card in quite a while….can’t wait for it get here already!
Hendo via TKO
Kongo via TKO
Sakara via Sub
Fitch via TKO
I hope it goes down this way so we can see the rest of the card!
[quote comment=”334561″]Dana White on Andre Arlovski’s contract status:
“Andrei is a guy we want (in the UFC),” White said. “I think we’ll get it done.”
Keep your fingers crossed![/quote]
yeah based on what AA has been saying all along, i haven’t ever been worried about him leaving. he genuinely likes being in the UFC and doesn’t seem interested at all in going anywhere else. it sounded like he was content to just wait for dana to make him an offer.
IMO, the Hendo-Silva fight will look a lot like Silva’s fight against Marquardt. You guys need to watch the Siva-Marquardt fight again. Marquardt is a strong wrestler and has some decent BJJ. Hendo is obviously a better wrestler and he is great in the clinch, but Marquardt’s skill is comparable to Hendo’s. Marquardt kept Silva on the ground for the majority of the first round, but didn’t inflict a whole lot damage. Silva controled Marquardt even while he was on his back. Silva worked some BJJ and eventually got a sweep and finished it with a TKO. I see this fight going the same way except, Hendo will make it to the third round. The only way I can see Hendo winning is holding Silva down for a decision. There is a small chance that Hendo’s big right hand catches Silva, but not likely.
With that said, I never count Hendo out. He’s like a mini Couture. Tough as nails and a very intelligent fighter.
on silva/hendo:
why franklin got handed and why hendo has a chance to overcome silva’s clinch..
1) control the head, u control the body
2) control requires resistance
e.g. franklin always tried backing out of the clinch once engaged –> wrong, this allows for great head control and feeds muay thai striking
3) hendo is looking for the clinch (well, his own).. which means he will be moving forward.. moving forward, even if silva catches his own clinch doesnt allow for effective head/body control and will force silva to back up… this feeds hendo’s takedown
now, if hendo can just avoid getting subbed.. hope–for my money’s sake–he doesnt go crazy trying to pass guard, this may get him into trouble with a long and slick bjj black belt.
Dan Henderson can beat anyone at anytime, but I do not see Anderson Silva losing to anyone anytime soon- that should clear everything up.
[quote comment=”334597″]IMO, the Hendo-Silva fight will look a lot like Silva’s fight against Marquardt. You guys need to watch the Siva-Marquardt fight again. Marquardt is a strong wrestler and has some decent BJJ. Hendo is obviously a better wrestler and he is great in the clinch, but Marquardt’s skill is comparable to Hendo’s. Marquardt kept Silva on the ground for the majority of the first round, but didn’t inflict a whole lot damage. Silva controled Marquardt even while he was on his back. Silva worked some BJJ and eventually got a sweep and finished it with a TKO. I see this fight going the same way except, Hendo will make it to the third round. The only way I can see Hendo winning is holding Silva down for a decision. There is a small chance that Hendo’s big right hand catches Silva, but not likely.
With that said, I never count Hendo out. He’s like a mini Couture. Tough as nails and a very intelligent fighter.[/quote]
I totally understand where you’re coming from but Marquardt is NO WHERE close to Hendo in my opinion. They may have some similarities in their styles, but that’s as far as the comparison goes.
i think hendo sounds alittle too confident. he is absolutly positive he will over power silva in the clinch. thats what franklin thought as well. i know hendo is better than franklin, but he did say that it felt like he was grapplin with tim sylvia when he was, so lets give silva some respect there. he also sounds pretty sure of his chin, saying that he thinks he will never be kocked out because he never has been before. i seem to remember another team quest fighter(former) who was never knocked out(couture)before, but then got blasted by an elite leveled striker(lidell).
hendo does have a very good chance at winning, but i think silva will surprise some people(again) with a dominating win.
I cant call the Okami Tanner fight, but I hope Tanner wins. I like Kongo by decision, Sakara by decision,Fitch(not sure how). I think Hazelett will upset Kos, and I believe Hendo is gonna crush Silva. You cannot compare Hendo to marquardt or Lutter. I believe he will finish Silva on the ground, but wont be suprised if he catches Silva on his feet either, only later in the fight after Silva gets tired.
[quote comment=”334472″]Buster Bluth, Nogs and Anderson dont train at btt anymore…niehter does Arona, filho or any of the guys that made that a dominant camp..still they have bustamante and other good instructors, but Diego is a black belt in bjj and is training with very good guys as well…[/quote]
Sorry…you’re right…I meant he trained there since 2001 though when those fighters were there. I think Arona might still train there though. Regardless…he’s trained with some of the best BJJ fighters and I just think that Diego hasn’t been the same since he left Jackson’s camp. It’s only been two fights but it might be a continuing trend. I don’t know what kind of camp UJJ is so it’s hard to tell what the quality of the training is that he is getting there.
I see the Leben Sakara fight going to the ground after a hard punch from Chris. Sakara will scramble however I see Chris submitting him quickly.
[quote comment=”334571″]I haven’t been this excited about a UFC card in quite a while….can’t wait for it get here already!
Hendo via TKO
Kongo via TKO
Sakara via Sub
Fitch via TKO
I hope it goes down this way so we can see the rest of the card![/quote]
I seriously doubt Sakara will submit Chris, he is a boxer with little ground skills.
[quote comment=”334561″]Dana White on Andre Arlovski’s contract status:
“Andrei is a guy we want (in the UFC),” White said. “I think we’ll get it done.”
Keep your fingers crossed![/quote]
John you just might have made my day. Where did you find this out at?
[quote comment=”334715″][quote comment=”334561″]Dana White on Andre Arlovski’s contract status:
“Andrei is a guy we want (in the UFC),” White said. “I think we’ll get it done.”
Keep your fingers crossed![/quote]
John you just might have made my day. Where did you find this out at?[/quote]
Of course Dana is going to say that…it’s not like he’s going to say that he’s happy to let Arlovski go. Dana is always confident that fighters will come to the UFC.
[quote post=”5153″]MMAmania.com reader “Mahde:” While Chris Leben may have a superior Octogan record (7-3) to Allessio Sakara’s (3-3), Sakara is definitely the more talented fighter. [/quote]
Great job Mahde, but I really thought that this statement stuck out. Sakara the more talented fighter? Does that also mean that you think that he game is more well rounded since you think that he is the “more talented fighter”. If so, you are the first person that I have heard say that.
[quote comment=”334379″]this might sound stupid, but do you guys think henderson is stronger than franklin? i’m very impressed how silva was able to control franklin in the clinch in both fights…i just don’t see how henderson would do good in the clinch against the spider…franklin is one of the strongest 185ers in my opinion[/quote]
Firstly, your’re question does not sound stupid in any way, its a rather good question. I would say that Hendo is stronger for sure. Randy Couture always talks about how strong Hendo is and how he has “guerilla grip” with his hands, and he also likes to say that he has “guerilla strength”. Looks may be decieving, but two time Olympic wrestlers have tons of strength!
[quote comment=”334607″]on silva/hendo:
why franklin got handed and why hendo has a chance to overcome silva’s clinch..
1) control the head, u control the body
2) control requires resistance
e.g. franklin always tried backing out of the clinch once engaged –> wrong, this allows for great head control and feeds muay thai striking
3) hendo is looking for the clinch (well, his own).. which means he will be moving forward.. moving forward, even if silva catches his own clinch doesnt allow for effective head/body control and will force silva to back up… this feeds hendo’s takedown
now, if hendo can just avoid getting subbed.. hope–for my money’s sake–he doesnt go crazy trying to pass guard, this may get him into trouble with a long and slick bjj black belt.[/quote]
great post nfo. I love the 3 points you made, which are all very true. I actually expect Andrson Silva to not be looking for the clinch in this fight. I think that he will want to stay on the oustside and use his pin point accuracy striking to try and pick apart Hendo from the outside, hoping that he can stun Hendo and then move in for the kill.
I have already placed money on a couple of the fights (Hazelett, Leben, and a couple bucks on Bielkheden). As many of the ‘regulars’ of this site know, Hendo is my favorite fighter. I have still yet to place money on this fight. I have gotten as far as the confirmation screen on betus on a couple of occasions, by I have yet to click “confirm wagers”. I will most likely be placing a small bet on Hendo in the end, because if he does KO Silva, I’d KO myself against a wall for not betting on him. But like many people say “How can you bet against Silva???”
Kongo also seems like a relatively safe bet. My only fear is that he gets taken down and dry humped for the majority of two of the rounds and loses a decision.
[quote comment=”334336″][quote comment=”334325″]Does anyone here feel Silva is too tall and strong for Hendo’s Greco-Roman clich takedowns? I realize he was able to take Rampage down, but it will be harder for Dan to get inside of Silva. Also Anderson will isolate an arm not allowing for proper gable grip.[/quote]
I have no clue at all at who is going to win this fight. This one is as close as they get.[/quote]
this is the most even main event in a long time,,,i cant wait i jus wish that bum leben wasnt on the main card i say take that off and put the kos fight on cause i wanna see him lose and hell take the kongo fight and put on aa last fight in the ufc by the way jake obrien by decision
In my humble opinion, the way to beat The Spider is to train with another Muay Thai specialist. Greco-Roman is great for the clinch but it will not prepare you for MT strikes in the clinch. Most Greco-Roman guys have adapted some rudimentary close range striking techniques or so called “dirty boxing” but trust me, they are not ready for Muay Thai strikes in the clinch that specializes in elbows and knees. I believe that you will see elbows come out this fight from Silva.
Also, on the ground Silva’s BJJ is a great equalizer against a strong ground and pound. It is very difficult to GnP a BJJ expert on the ground to submission.
Silva TKO RnD 3.
Any one looking for One ticket to UFC 82? My friends and I have one extra ticket. We will be there and you would be sitting with us. We’ll let it go for a reasonable price. I will be checking the computer randomly between now and NOON on march 1st. We can meet up in C-bus before the event and exchange straight up in person and NO this is not a scam or a joke. One ticket here is the info on it:
Hey, go here:
http://www.nationwidearena.com/seating/#
click on the boxing wrestling seating chart
my receipt says we are section C 10, Row C. I’m assuming this is the yellow section that says “CL 10″, but I’m not sure.
[quote comment=”334594″][quote comment=”334561″]Dana White on Andre Arlovski’s contract status:
“Andrei is a guy we want (in the UFC),” White said. “I think we’ll get it done.”
Keep your fingers crossed![/quote]
yeah based on what AA has been saying all along, i haven’t ever been worried about him leaving. he genuinely likes being in the UFC and doesn’t seem interested at all in going anywhere else. it sounded like he was content to just wait for dana to make him an offer.[/quote]
I still think Arlovski has to show up for this fight and put on a highlight clinic if he is going to get the kind of contract he has been holding out for.
I don’t think Silva is going to lose from clinching and dirty boxing, plus the only one who is allowed to lean and pray is Randy (because he is a legend). Hendo will eat a lot of nasty elbows if he tries to dirty box (I think he needed more fights with the universal rules before getting two title shots…he would have taken out Rampage if he used elbows).
Mind you I love Hendo, and think he has a great chance to take out Silva, I am just giving Silva the advatage.
WOW THIS THREAD IS STALE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is nobody looking forward to UFC 82 anymore? I know SOMEBODY has to be near a computer, the weigh ins start in like 6 minutes.
WHERE IS EVERYBODY????
[quote comment=”334746″][quote comment=”334607″]on silva/hendo:
why franklin got handed and why hendo has a chance to overcome silva’s clinch..
1) control the head, u control the body
2) control requires resistance
e.g. franklin always tried backing out of the clinch once engaged –> wrong, this allows for great head control and feeds muay thai striking
3) hendo is looking for the clinch (well, his own).. which means he will be moving forward.. moving forward, even if silva catches his own clinch doesnt allow for effective head/body control and will force silva to back up… this feeds hendo’s takedown
now, if hendo can just avoid getting subbed.. hope–for my money’s sake–he doesnt go crazy trying to pass guard, this may get him into trouble with a long and slick bjj black belt.[/quote]
great post nfo. I love the 3 points you made, which are all very true. I actually expect Andrson Silva to not be looking for the clinch in this fight. I think that he will want to stay on the oustside and use his pin point accuracy striking to try and pick apart Hendo from the outside, hoping that he can stun Hendo and then move in for the kill.
I have already placed money on a couple of the fights (Hazelett, Leben, and a couple bucks on Bielkheden). As many of the ‘regulars’ of this site know, Hendo is my favorite fighter. I have still yet to place money on this fight. I have gotten as far as the confirmation screen on betus on a couple of occasions, by I have yet to click “confirm wagers”. I will most likely be placing a small bet on Hendo in the end, because if he does KO Silva, I’d KO myself against a wall for not betting on him. But like many people say “How can you bet against Silva???”
Kongo also seems like a relatively safe bet. My only fear is that he gets taken down and dry humped for the majority of two of the rounds and loses a decision.[/quote]
ViolentMike: I hope u got my e-mail and took a look at the footage I provided for you. There is no doubt in my mind that Kongo will win this fight. I also like Beilkheden, Hazlett and gurgel. As of now, those are my bets.
I am leaning towards Sakara. He has gone through an unfortunate stretch in the UFC simular to what Patrik Cote went through, but look for his to get a win tomorrow night and start enjoying some success in the UFC.
The Okami fight will all come down to weather Okami can G n P Tanner for 15 minutes without being caught in a submission. Like all Japanease fighters, Okami is crafty at escaping submissions. I wont touch this fight but If I had to choose, I would lean towards Okami.
Fitch will win, but I wont bet him at those odds.
Main event, will be exciting enough…no need to wager $ on it because I will be so nervous watching it anyway.
If I had to predict which fight will win fight of the night (not counting the main event) I would say that Cummo vs. Fioravanti will be a very exciting fight!
Arlovski will win, but I wont touch him at those odds, coming off of a long lay-off!
Are these predictions a joke? Cause I’m laughing.
“Cheik Kongo has the best standup in the heavyweight division”
“Tanner’s awkward standup, while distracting to his opponents, leaves openings. Just ask Rich Franklin… Okami via knockout”
“Fitch had all he could handle early on against Roan Carniero at Fight Night 10… Fitch is anything but ordinary”
Kongo is definitely overrated after the Cro Cop fight, that first statement is laughable. Okami getting a standing KO of Tanner? What?! Fitch is overrated- his strength is wrestling, then laying or choking if they give up the back. That’s how he’s going to win if he’s going to win and lemme say this now ’cause it’s something you’re all going to have to soon realize: JON FITCH IS NOT GSP- NOT EVEN CLOSE - STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM LIKE HE’S ON ANOTHER LEVEL.
According to Sherdog:
“Zuffa won the first battle in its ongoing war with Randy Couture (Pictures) yesterday, as Judge Jennifer Togliatti granted the company a preliminary injunction barring Randy Couture (Pictures)’s participation in the International Fight League’s event Friday in Las Vegas.”
IFL team: Extrem Couture had to be re-named Team Tompkins
Everyone seems to have written off Evan Tanner. Yeah, we all no he’s been on a 2 year whiskey bender, but lets no forget that earlier in his career he was a dominant middleweight. I don’t think he’ll finish the fight, but he get the decision. Okami seems to be successful by being bigger and stronger than his opponents i.e McDonald, but I don’t think he’ll be able to out muscle a fighter like Tanner.
Also, Kongo still doesn’t have me sold that he’s a top Heavyweight. Sure Herring is nothing spectscular, but I think he’s well rounded enough to give the parisian some problems. I see him winning this fight in the same manner he lost to O’Brien… Lay and pray.
I just hope that Arlovski gets out of this funk he’s been in. The UFC can’t afford to let another contender go to a different organization. We all rag on the Arlovski that we’ve seen of late, but how soon we forget that he used to be one of the most exciting heavyweights in the world. O’brien has great wrestling skills, but I see Arlovski running through him in the first round.
[quote comment=”334976″]According to Sherdog:
“Zuffa won the first battle in its ongoing war with Randy Couture (Pictures) yesterday, as Judge Jennifer Togliatti granted the company a preliminary injunction barring Randy Couture (Pictures)’s participation in the International Fight League’s event Friday in Las Vegas.”
IFL team: Extrem Couture had to be re-named Team Tompkins[/quote]
Thats such BS, sounds like the judge is the fratietas sisterinlaw or something total BS
I just finished watching Anderson vs Jorge Rivera,
and after watching this fight it has cemented my feeling that Dan will be the ne MW chgampion,
Anderson has Jorge totally on the defensive three times durning the fight and was not able to finish him with his hands, THERE IS NO WAY in hell silva can win by KO striking
I agree that dan will use similar tactics that randy used against gabe
DAN Henderson the New UFC MW champion of the world
[quote comment=”335045″][quote comment=”334976″]According to Sherdog:
“Zuffa won the first battle in its ongoing war with Randy Couture (Pictures) yesterday, as Judge Jennifer Togliatti granted the company a preliminary injunction barring Randy Couture (Pictures)’s participation in the International Fight League’s event Friday in Las Vegas.”
IFL team: Extrem Couture had to be re-named Team Tompkins[/quote]
Thats such BS, sounds like the judge is the fratietas sisterinlaw or something total BS[/quote]
His non-compete clause has not expired as of yet. That was an easy call.
[quote comment=”335051″]I just finished watching Anderson vs Jorge Rivera,
and after watching this fight it has cemented my feeling that Dan will be the ne MW chgampion,
Anderson has Jorge totally on the defensive three times durning the fight and was not able to finish him with his hands, THERE IS NO WAY in hell silva can win by KO striking
I agree that dan will use similar tactics that randy used against gabe
DAN Henderson the New UFC MW champion of the world[/quote]
how long ago was that fight. stop living in the past, anderson is not the same fighter he was, he is so much better. hendo’s gonna gone in there feeling invincible and try and bully silva around. but he’s gonna get knocked out. silva is to technical of a striker. yeah sure hendo can take big punches but he we be able to handle the barrage that silva’s gonna throw.
i think it wont be as close as people think. it will be good been waiting for this one for a very long time.
much respect to both fighters though, this is the epitamy of an MMA dream matchup!
GO HENDO!
Hendo by Split Dec
Kongo by Unanimous Dec
Leben by Armbar
Fitch by Rear Naked Choke
Okami by Unanimous Dec (but i hope Tanner wins)
Arlovski by tko
Hazelett by Arm Triangle
Sanchez by TKO
Cummo by Unanimous Dec
[quote comment=”334924″]I don’t think Silva is going to lose from clinching and dirty boxing, plus the only one who is allowed to lean and pray is Randy (because he is a legend). Hendo will eat a lot of nasty elbows if he tries to dirty box (I think he needed more fights with the universal rules before getting two title shots…he would have taken out Rampage if he used elbows).
Mind you I love Hendo, and think he has a great chance to take out Silva, I am just giving Silva the advatage.[/quote]
Hendo was fighting in the UFC when these guys were still in high school. Hendo knew all about elbows years ago. He was fighting in the UFC when they still had tournaments and he won.
Some people believe that Silva is too tall to allow Dan to get inside and thus use the clinch. BUT… BUT… do any of you gys that are making these remarks really understand exactly how awesome Dan is in the clinch? He knows how to get through the blocking of the arm. Dan is fantastic with Greco, and does anyone really question his submissions? Dan IS stronger, that’s a given. He’s more experienced. And if comes down to heart, well… I don’t think anyone that knows anything about MMA will argue that Dan Henderson probably has the most heart of any MMA fighter.
Look guys, I give tons of credit to Anderson Silva. He is, without a doubt, a very, very good fighter. Sure, his striking is phenomenal. His submissions are pretty good. His wrestling is VERY weak though. And he relies very heavily on the clinch. It’s almost as though he’s becoming heavily dependent on it. Rich Franklin didn’t learn. Lutter was just out matched and never should’ve been there in the first place (he was NEVER a threat). Nate… well, Nate is just plain over-ranked, in my opinion. And Leben: Jeez, you’d have to be blind to see that Chris Leben is one of the most over-ranked fighters in UFC. I mean, really… he’s NOT a very good fighter.
So, in my opinion, Silva hasn’t really faced a REAL BIG challenge (except for Franklin, who was totally off his game).
Guys, you’d better watch this one. If anyone is remotely dumb enough to count Dan Henderson out of this match, then they’re crazy. Dan is a very dangerous fighter, and is probably one of the, if not THE most well-rounded fighter in MMA. Dan is a very, very tough guy. He’s fought some of the best of the best… the elite in MMA… and he’s never been KO’d or TKO’d. I know that this fight wont be any different.
I wont predict a KO or TKO, but I will say that when the smoke clears, Dan Henderson will be the unified middleweight champion.
Anderson silva by tko
Kongo by tko
Sakara
Fitch
Tanner
Arlovski by tko
kos
Diego Sanchez
Cummo
Silva by TKO rd3
Herring decision (lay n pray)
Okami by TKO rd2
Sakara KO rd2
Fitch TKO rd1
Arlovski decision
Fiorvanti KO rd 2
Koscheck decision
Sanchez decision
Gurgel submission rd 1
Okami all day if you are betting $$$
[quote comment=”334737″][quote post=”5153″]MMAmania.com reader “Mahde:” While Chris Leben may have a superior Octogan record (7-3) to Allessio Sakara’s (3-3), Sakara is definitely the more talented fighter. [/quote]
Great job Mahde, but I really thought that this statement stuck out. Sakara the more talented fighter? Does that also mean that you think that he game is more well rounded since you think that he is the “more talented fighter”. If so, you are the first person that I have heard say that.
[quote comment=”334379″]this might sound stupid, but do you guys think henderson is stronger than franklin? i’m very impressed how silva was able to control franklin in the clinch in both fights…i just don’t see how henderson would do good in the clinch against the spider…franklin is one of the strongest 185ers in my opinion[/quote]
Firstly, your’re question does not sound stupid in any way, its a rather good question. I would say that Hendo is stronger for sure. Randy Couture always talks about how strong Hendo is and how he has “guerilla grip” with his hands, and he also likes to say that he has “guerilla strength”. Looks may be decieving, but two time Olympic wrestlers have tons of strength![/quote]
You really are the Violent one! Not that type of guerilla. “Gorilla” grip, as to say as strong as the 2000 lb beast. Livin’ up to the moniker though. I like where you heads at.
Excellent job on the analysis, guys. I know one thing and it’s that I am going to be changing my mind every 5 minutes or so on who will win the main event. Can’t wait!
Oh, and I don’t think there is any possible way Spider can sub Hendo. After watching Dan get out of a million subs against Minotauro, I will never expect him to be submitted. Not saying it can’t happen, but I don’t see it.
Wow, does “Mahde” even know who Dan Henderson is? Sorry, Mania. I couldn’t read any further.
Of all the online predictions and analysis, I always look forward to the mmamania one the most. I love how mania and jesse holland give us online bloggers a chance to break down the fights in detail.