EHK for MMA

[Oorag]

Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida - Rashad's got knockout power, but I don't think he's going to solve Machida's stand-up riddle and I don't think he's going to be able take Machida down.

Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra - As much as I'll be rooting for Serra, Hughes will take Serra down at will, and Serra's MMA bottom game isn't great.

Dan Miller vs. Chael Sonnen - Going with Miller on record alone.

Drew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam - I've never been impressed by Drew. Xavier lost a one-sided dark match. The only reason this is on the main card is because they're strikers. I'd rather see some of the other fights. I'll go with Xavier simply because he only lost to Kang, who is pretty good when he's not terrible.

Sean Sherk vs. Frankie Edgar - Edgar got overpowered by Maynard, and Sherk will do the same.

Phillipe Nover vs. Kyle Bradley - Let's see Nover justify some of that TUF buzz he squandered.

Chris Wilson vs. Brock Larson - Larson needs to break out. Let's hope he wins in convincing fashion and gets some air time.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Brandon Wolff - Still have faith in Yoshida, but Wolff didn't show anything against Saunders.

Andre Gusmao vs. Krzysztof Soszynski - Haven't seen Gusmao fight, but he's a capoerista without much experience. Soszynski is one a bit of a roll. By the way, Soszynski's new nickname should be "Control C."

[benderschweiz]

I've changed my mind and am picking Rashad by TKO in the 4th. Matt Hughes will lay on Serra for 15 minutes and Edgar will outbox Sherk for a decision as well. Sherk has boxed with BJ and Tyson his last couple fights and I think he'll try for fight of the night with Edgar, but don't see it turning out as well for him as with TG.

[Ken Stone]

Remember back in the day when Matt Hughes, Rich Franklin, and Chuck Liddell seemed invincible? It occurred to me recently that Anderson Silva will suffer that same fate. It's hard to imagine but think about it. One of these days some up and comer is going to put Silva to the mat. He will then try to fight his way back into title contention and get beat again, and then again. That will be that. GSP and Machida will suffer the same fate. It makes me a little sad to think about it.

[Analu]

Edgar will outbox Sherk for a decision as well.

Maybe I'm missing something but I'm puzzled as to what makes you think Edgar will outbox Sherk? When has Edgar outboxed anyone?

Remember back in the day when Matt Hughes, Rich Franklin, and Chuck Liddell seemed invincible? It occurred to me recently that Anderson Silva will suffer that same fate. It's hard to imagine but think about it. One of these days some up and comer is going to put Silva to the mat. He will then try to fight his way back into title contention and get beat again, and then again. That will be that. GSP and Machida will suffer the same fate. It makes me a little sad to think about it.

I doubt Anderson will stick around long enough for this to happen to him. He could very likely run out his contract and retire undefeated in the UFC. Machida takes the least damage of any fighter in MMA. Think I heard somewhere that the UFC chugged thru out some fight statistics, and it found that Machida got hit once every two rounds. Once every TWO ROUNDS! It's mindboggling.

GSP might be the only guy there that I'd agree on. Once he starts getting a little older and loses some of that explosiveness, and the new wave of talent comes in to raise the bar even higher, that could happen. Hell, it might even be happening to BJ right now. His mind seems everywhere else but focused on Florian, and I'm worried that that fight with GSP just completely broke him. Would be a shame to see that happen, as there are still some great fights for him at LW outside of Florian: Diego, Maynard, maybe even Faber if he wants to make the jump. But he just seems out of it.

Watched the UFC countdown show earlier, and that one mitt drill that Machida was doing looked insane, where he was zigzagging between the line of pylons while hitting the mitts with his brother. Everything about that dude is just so unique. Think he's either going to outpoint Evans for the title, or he's gonna get caught at some point in the five rounds. Obviously hoping for the former.

Gonna go with Machida, Serra, Miller, Sherk and my local boy pick, Wolff.

[Asjegar]

Rashad vs. Machida

Machida. I simply can't think of a way for Rashad to win this, plus I'm of the mind that he's overrated.

Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra

This is the only one where my opinion is really varying, seeing as Serra did pretty well against Penn. Still, though, he'll get outpowered via not having a good enough guard to submit Hughes and lose a decision.

Drew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam

Professor X isn't as much of a one dimension one trick pony, so...

Sherk will manhandle Edgar Maynard style, Miller will likely submit Sonnen, Yoshida will beat Wolff...Larson over Wilson (although I admittingly do have somewhat of a problem picking him seeing as Wilson didn't do half bad against Fitch)

[benderschweiz]

Maybe I'm missing something but I'm puzzled as to what makes you think Edgar will outbox Sherk? When has Edgar outboxed anyone?

There's another similar one on Serra's vblog. Sherk could probably lay and pray most of the fight, but I think he knows he'll have fight of the night money wrapped up if he stands with Edgar. No way does Edgar outwrestle Sherk, so I have a hunch he's been putting most of his time into his hands...

[Ser Sean]

Evans v Machida

This could be one of the best or one of the worst fights ever (probably the later) but I don't see Evans winning unless he lands a very lucky haymaker.

I see it going the distance with Machida a clear winner over a very frustrated Evans.

Hughes v Serra

Hughes to be too strong for Serra and bully him around the cage before taking him down early in the 2nd and finishing him with G&P.

McFedries v Foupa-Pokam

I've been cage side for a Prof X fight and he looked awful (against Murilo Rua). So, I can't see anything other than a 1st round knockout for McFedries.

Miller v Sonnen

Tough fight but Miller to win via decision

Sherk v Edgar

Sherk throws edgar round like a rag doll and wins via TKO in the 2nd

Larson v Pyle

Toughest one to call for me. I'd imagine it will be a submission but it could go either way. I'll plump for Larson in the 1st.

There be the main fights but I also see wins for Hague, Nover, Soszynski, Yoshida and Roop.

[childe roland]

only pickin three of the fights tonight

sherk over edgar

hughes over serra

machida over evans.

as long as lyoto wins i'll be happy for no real reason i cannot stand rashad.

[Ser Sean]

as long as lyoto wins i'll be happy for no real reason i cannot stand rashad.

Word

[lessthanluke]

I haven't watched any UFC for a while. May order this.

[Asjegar]

Barry better go Techno Viking on Hague.

[Space Bandito]

A Thousand Words :box:

[Horus Ex Machina]

Can we just rename this thread "KARATE IS BACK"!

Listen, it's the TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS OF THE UFC, Team Black House, Lyoto "the Dragon" Machida, and Anderson "the Spider" Silva.

I have been anticipating this fight far, far more than the Chuck v. Wandy fight, simply bc this would be a technical masterpiece, not sloppy punchers. And it didn't disappoint. After awhile, you get the feeling that the early booers suddenly "got it", they turned the corner and began to understand what was happening in the cage. I loved when they chanted Machida's name. I'm a fan of both of these fighters, and I expected what we got, the two fastest LHW's in the UFC trying to pick their spots while getting the other to engage first. What I didn't expect, though I figured that Machida would win, was for Lyoto to be clearly so much faster than even Rashad. He was like a blur. This was the Machida that destroyed Rich Franklin.

Now for the P4P. The Big 3 is now the Big 4, because whether you agree that he's in that discussion yet, after he destroys Forest, picks apart Rampage, and rolls through Shogun, he will have passed Anderson, GSP, and yes Fedor as the top P4P fighter. Bank on it.

Plus, aside from the fact that he told us that all of our dreams are impossible, his English is coming along nicely.

Karate is back.

[Philly Homer]

I have hated Evans for so long. I hate everything about him, his attitude, his constant moving around, his shitty arrogance, his constant staying away, his awful dancing around straight out of Soul Train. To see him get beat at his own game was so satisfying that I can't adequately put it into words.

Then I heard Machida speak, and I thought I was listening to the Iron Sheik all over again. I would still take him over Evans in a second.

[GSP]

Lol Horus! I made my buddies rewind the pvr to hear Machida tell us our dreams were impossible.

Machida. Holy shit. Nothing more to say. I agree that he should be in any serious pound for pound best discussion at this point. Can't wait to see him and Rampage lock horns. I don't know who else at light heavy brings anything he hasn't dealt with with ease. It'd be nice is SOMEBODY could hold the lhw belt for a while since the day Chuck got knocked off the throne.

[benderschweiz]

Looks like Machida will carry the belt until Jon Jones is ready to take it from him. He's an awful match-up for Rampage and no one else in the division is elite. No way did I think he'd be that much faster than Rashad.

Frankie Edgar would rule the WEC if he dropped. Don't think he can handle Penn, Maynard, Florian, or Sanchez, but he'd batter Faber and Brown.

[EHK for Darwin]

Well, couldn't get to a sports bar tonight, so I had to catch the fight here.

[Horus Ex Machina]

Well, couldn't get to a sports bar tonight, so I had to catch the fight here.

LOL, this.

BTW EHK, being a boxing/MMA fan like myself, you would have appreciated this fight alot. This was the type of fight that you should pack up in a dvd and sent to Larry Merchant, let him watch it, and see if he can honestly call MMA fighters unskilled again. There have been many others, for sure, but this more than most.

I still have goosebumps. :leaving:

I love this world because all my dreams are impossible. :wideeyed:

Oh, and btw, while the less that I speak about Public Enemy #1 the better, he finally won again. Maybe they'll get Mark Coleman or some other past-his-prime legend to "drop-trou" for him again so that his nuthuggers can think that he's "oh so good" again.

Fuck Matt Hughes.

[Analu]

There's another similar one on Serra's vblog. Sherk could probably lay and pray most of the fight, but I think he knows he'll have fight of the night money wrapped up if he stands with Edgar. No way does Edgar outwrestle Sherk, so I have a hunch he's been putting most of his time into his hands...

Heh. I was going to say that it's pretty easy to look good hitting the mitts with closeup shots and editing, but after tonight.... never mind. You were right.

Can we just rename this thread "KARATE IS BACK"!

Sounds good, Horus. Will add that into the title now.

Wow, Machida went above and beyond my wildest expectations. Actually think I predicted every single fight wrong leading up to the main event, which had me feeling pretty sheepish, but that's MMA for ya.

That was just a beautiful sight to behold. Especially dug the slow-mo replay, when you could see him parrying Evans jab, countering with the straight left that put him on his ass while dodging Evans counter right. Just beautiful.

Too drunk to say anything else, except that I love Machida.

[Horus Ex Machina]

Too drunk to say anything else, except that I love Machida.

Wow, you're still drunk? Sometimes I forget that most people don't work on Sundays. :tantrum: How I love compressed work schedules. I actually do because I get alot of days off yet still work full time.

BTW, thanks for the rename.

Check out Machida's impression of a Kung Fu movie star.

And here's an alternative camera angle from the fight.