Published on various sites, November 16th 2010
At risk of perhaps oversaturating their brand, the UFC will put on their fourth major numbered card since October 16th tomorrow when Auburn Hills, Michigan hosts their “Rampage vs. Machida” card at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Despite this, there are some interesting fights on this card, both in the prelims and the mains. Aaron Simpson vs Mark Munoz pits two middleweight wrestlers eager for a shot at the main card against each other. In what has potential to be either a hard-hitting slugfest with good takedowns and ground’n’pound could also end up being a wrestlefest. But that’s the beauty of MMA!
I’d pick Munoz. Losing to the current #1 contender in the UFC middleweight division in Yushin Okami does not equate to ‘not belonging’. In the fight that preceded that, Munoz beat TUF 3 winner Kendall Grove in an entertaining fight, and I believe he’ll do so in this matchup; wearing Simpson out and taking home the win down the stretch or in the final round.
Tyson Griffin looks to rebound from losing to perhaps the greatest (at least second greatest) lightweight in MMA history, via crushing knockout early in round 1, against the recently maligned Nick Lentz. The 3-0 lightweight in UFC may be on a streak, but the manner of his intensely boring “wall’n’stall” victory over Englishman Andre Winner earned him the wrath of the internet. Griffin may be on a two fight slide, but he is proven quality, so look for him to rebound with a win due to outstriking Lentz and either winning a comfortable decision, or scoring a late stoppage in the fight.
Karo Parisyan’s Judo throws are the best (behind a handful of others) best throws in the world. All the other throws, are done by little girls. Look for him to be singing Borat songs again come the end of this fight, as I expect a sterling performance from the Judoka who must be looking to prove that his second chance with the org was deserved. He faces a top fighter in Dennis Hallman, but Karo on form should win in an entertaining grappling match, filled with throws, holds, reversals and sweeps. (Hopefully).
Brian Foster will face Matt Brown, in what should also be a very solid addition to the undercard. In this welterweight war, look for Brown to stay aggressive and prove why he is such a crowd pleaser; doing damage from standing and top control. He has a mixed record, but can beat most of the roster below a certain point where the glass ceiling lies for him. I expect him to win this one, by decision.
Scouser Paul Kelly (that’s from Liverpool, England for all you international readers) will take on TJ O’Brien, and look for him to plug away and pepper the much rangier man on the feet, and damage him if the fight goes to the floor. I expect (and hope to see, being partisan and all) what would essentially look like Diaz vs Zaromskis in reverse…. or even the first 2:20 of round 1 of Diaz vs Zaromskis!
The main card
George Sotiropoulos should continue to show why Shinya Aoki was an absolute lightweight beast even back in 2006, as a 22 year old. He comes up against the capable Joe Lauzon, who is a good submission fighter. The pair are energetic, underrated and should take advantage of their main card slot to stake a serious claim on the lightweight division’s top rankings. Due to Aoki’s exploits over the last few years, the division is volatile and there are constant shifts in the rankings; both these guys can capitalise on that. I pick Sotiropoulos, but it’s a pick’em.
Phil Davies will look to continue his own forwards momentum when he takes on Tim Boetsch. Look for Davies to use his wrestling pedigree to control the fight. The Pennsylvania native is a mixed bag; a thus far perfect 7-0 career has seen two submission wins, three decisions and two TKO’s. The latest submission was an anaconda choke; not the norm for someone typecast as a ‘rassler. There are already murmurs that he could join the Bader’s, Jones’ and Mo Lawal’s in the Light Heavyweight division, part of the 205lbs fraternity of up and coming wrestlers that most fighters wish to avoid at all costs!
Maiquel Falcoa gets a surprise plunge onto the main card with a UFC debut bout against the touted Gerald Harris. While Falcoa has not fought in a major promotion as yet, he does boast a number of very early stoppages, fights out of the famed Chute Boxe Academy, and holds an impressive 25-3 slate made up of fights from a variety of minor Brazilian orgs. “Hurricane” Harris has a decent record himself at 16-2, and is one of the foremost prospects being acclaimned by the UFC. This is a very good matchup, and one that I honestly have no inkling as to which way the result shall sway. Sit back, open a can and enjoy the fireworks – a powerful wrestler with slams and g’n’p against a Brazilian with excellent Muay Thai and the classic thai-boxer/brawler hybrid style that so many Chute Boxe savages have used to great effect, such as Wanderlei, Ninja, Shogun, both Cyborgs, Dida and more. Anderson alonelittle more refined in his application of Chute Boxe Muay Thai! stands out as a
Will the wrestler triumph, or will we see vintage Chute Boxe “wiolence?” We shall see.
BJ Penn meets Matt Hughes in a rubber match. Now, this is where an unusually good UFC card gets a little flat for me. Hughes met Penn twice, after the Hawaiian stepped in both times to replace Hughes’ original opponents, and they shared wins for the UFC welterweight title. This is now after Penn went back to lightweight, won and defended his belt, was proved a false God when the hype machine came crashing down against blown up featherweight Frankie “The Answer” Edgar twice, and now he is back at welterweight? That’s fine, but I’m sick of fighters moving weight classes following losses. Sometimes, they’ve just been worked out, and outworked. Simple.
I don’t know if the welterweight great Hughes will beat Penn again, or if the Hawaiian has too much in the toolbox for a very much post-prime legend, but either way; I just hope that this has no title implications. And I wish it was marketed as such!
Quinton Jackson meets Lyoto Machida in the main event. Now this one, I’m more comfortable with. Both are consensus top 4 ranked, and both are looking to bounce back from losses; to the #1 in Machida’s case, and to the #2 or 3 in Rampage’s. That man is Rashad, and uncomfortably for Page he is a common opponent; given that a year prior to earning a decision win over Jackson, Rashad was removed from his consciousness by Machida when the karateka removed the belt from around Evan’s waist.
MMAths does not always equate to prediction nor fact, but in this case I think it will. Machida was too fast and deadly for Rashad; a man who proved far too elusive in turn for Rampage Jackson. Page is a powerful wrestleboxer; he likes to slam, to takedown and pound, and recently; to lumber forwards throwing bombs, while neglecting to check leg kicks. This could be his downfall; Machida is no Keith Jardine, and a totally different animal than a post-prime Wanderlei Silva altogether. Such a gameplan against him could be disastrous.
Look for Machida to be at his elusive best; to slow Rampage down with leg kicks and hinder the bigger man’s movement, and to pepper him with shots to the head and body with feet, fists and knees. If Jackson secures a clinch, he would be advised to take it to the ground, where he would be no means find Machida an easy foe. But on the feet? I’ve a feeling, unless Rampage Jackson can miraculously land clean and hard on Machida’s chin as Shogun managed to do, then it will be a long and painful night for the Memphis fighter, just as it was for his former teammate and friend Tito Ortiz. He too found Machida too elusive for comfort, and got picked apart because of it. Page has more punching power than the Huntington Beach Bad Boy, but I fear that for him, his fight tomorrow could resemble Tito’s own struggle against The Dragon.
Fletch
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