NoCalMike

ANyone looking to see the Moosin card tonight, I have a stream working pretty good right now....cross your fingers it lasts long enough for the Main Event, still a handful of fights left...Yves Edwards fight about to start... http://snapples.forumotion.com/ch3-h4.htm If that stream dies I got a couple more tricks up my sleeve.

Right and Anderson Silva's ground game is also very underrated due to the fact that his opponents are basically WHOOPED before there is ever time for the match to go to the ground. The reason I sugged Silva move up immediately is because he has made it clear he is not going to be a fighter that fights late into his twilight years. If he is serious about wanting to take on the best in the LHW division, then I think he should attempt to do it while he is still in his prime. Also, people need to realize, the greatest athletes YEARN to challenge themselves. That is why BJ Penn is not satissfied at being above and beyond the rest of the pack at 155. He may not ever be considered the best at 170, but as long as he can tool everyone at 155 he knows that better challenges await him somewhere else. Same with GSP, which is why he could be a fight or two away from moving up. Same with Anderson Silva. LHW division is still the one division where it is way to early to put one fighter above the rest of the pack. People jumped the gun with Machida, and we saw that he barely edged out Shogun in his 1st title defense, and arguably some would say Shogun won the fight.

The time is now for Anderson Silva to just vacate the middle-weight belt and move to Light Heavyweight. He has already proven he can hang at LHW, and right now the Middleweight division is suffering from the same problem as Welterweight and Lightweight, which is that the champion of said divisions are basically in a league of their own, and anytime someone is named #1 contender, it is simply because a "#1 contender" is needed in order to hype the next title fight in said divisions. This way Anderson Silva actually gets some competative competition, and it allows for his shadow to vanish from a division that desperately needs other fighters to grow and mature and for some other fighters to come out on top.

It's not that Strikeforce is going to overtake UFC, but you have to look at the difference in business models. Best example is the latest with Dan Henderson. Everyone knows the UFC probably offered him the most "money" but they also demanded that Henderson sign away every single right he would ever have to sponsorships, including lifetime video game rights etc etc. With Strikeforce, he will get his contract salary, and also be allowed to get his own sponsorships, and promote himself on his website etc etc etc. People often fail to realize t hat sponsorships can and usually do pay a fighter a hell of a lot more then what they make for winning fights. Also, the UFC is coming up on a rough patch until about March/April/May. Their three big fights that they had planned, Rashad/Rampage, Brock/Carwin, and Belfort/Silva are all on the shelf right now due to injuries and other circumstances, so instead of cancelling PPV shows, Dana White is scrambling to his marketing team to sell the public an inferior product on PPV shows. There is no way Rashad Evans vs. Paulo Thiago is a PPV Main Event......Couture vs. Mark Coleman? Seriously? Are you kidding me? I am not saying these fights don't belong on a PPV Card, but not as the Main Events...not even close. And as far as Dana White goes, his hypocritical arse is getting what he deserves. Three years ago when Fedor finished Coleman for the second time, you know what Dana's response was? "Who cares, Mark Coleman is an over the hill (tomato) can at this point" Well that is nice, but now Dana White has Coleman booked for a PPV Main Event. This is the type of business and promoting that people need to see past. Watch any countdown show and they have you believing every single fight is "what the fans have been waiting for" or "FINALLY this fight is happening" Yeah Right.

Kimbo is invincible standing up? You wanna tell that to Seth Petrazelli(sp?)

What makes Fedor different from every other HW fighter out there today is his speed. The punch he knocked Rogers down with wasn't a counter-punch, he just simply beat Rogers too the punch because he was smart enough to know Rogers was going to rely on his huge reach advantage to throw jobs, and unless you are SNAPPING that jab, it leaves you open. Rogers is legit though and I have been saying it since Rogers debut in Elite XC, he is just simply not experienced enough to hang with a guy like Fedor, and neither is the UFC heavyweight roster for the most part. I thinK Rogers is just as good as most of the HW prospects in the UFC, he could probably get in there and bang with guys like Congo, Mir, Carwin, & Cain. That kind of size alone will allow it, but Fedor is known for slaying dragons. And watch for Dana White's damage control tonight or tomorrow, but the truth is you can't take White's words seriously when he is talking about a non-UFC fighter. Remember how he trashed Kimbo up and down, side to side, day and night? Yet, the minute Kimbo signs with UFC all he manages to see in him is potential and suddenly he is getting fights on the TUF finale against an established fighter like Houston Alexander rather then someone else from the house trying to make a name for themselves. It is all about business, and Dana knows deep down the truth about Fedor, but until Fedor signs on the UFC's dotted line he will continue to make a fool out of himself regarding Fedor.

Dana White was just on my local sports radio.....he was actually pretty calm by Dana White standards. Said that this isn't the first time a fighter thinks movies will be his second career says he likes Rampage but he makes horrible decisions

Matt Hamill hates getting hit also though. The second you make contact with his face he doubles-over and turns into a scared fighter. As far as Jackson goes, good for him. Until MMA fighters are paid better, they will and should continue to look at other ways of making revenue. Look at this from the fighter's perspective instead of the promoter's perspective.

Chris "lights out" Lytle AKA My career is stuck in neutral? I could do without another bland sloppy drunk-boxing, haymaker throwing replicant, but hey I guess they need these guys to fill out Fight Night cards.

Thats good news for now, we'll try and see if Zuffa tries to use specially selected footage, they say they won't but we'll see once it airs. If they are indeed showing Fedor destroy folks, then my guess is probably right that Dana knows he can probably snag Fedor once his 3-fight contract with MI/Strikforce is done.

Maybe their first fight, but the second Faber v. Brown looked like Faber really could have taken the win if not for breaking his right hand in the first round and dislocating his left thumb in the second.

Well you gotta remember, in fighting GSP, BJ Penn was moving up to take on a bigger and stronger fighter in GSP. When BJ had to fight off GSP from taking him down, I am sure it exhausted him a lot more then when Ken-Flo tried the same thing. It seemed apparent that Florian watched the GSP fight, saw how GSP just tired BJ Penn out for a round and a half making BJ defend the takedown, however it is different when you are not fighting at your natural weight.

Dana insulting Strikeforce & Scott Coker is Dana being Dana. Fedor didn't sign with UFC, so you except Dana to be on his douch-iest behavior we've seen in awhile. Less people may watch Showtime then Spike, but what about CBS? Plenty of people watch CBS.

Yeah I like Florian, I think he's a cool dude and all, I attended his Q&A after the WEC weigh-ins at Faber/Brown II..... With that said, something tells me that too many people are having too short a memory when it comes to Penn. Getting manhandled at 170, by a Top 3 pfp fighter, doesn't mean that Penn still isn't the best fighter at his true fighting weight which is 155. It seems with all the growing fanbase that people get this attitude that the minute a fighter loses one fight, they will never win again. BJ is a beast at 155. BJ by RNC Rnd 3.

Strikeforce is making a move to position themselves a true player in the MMA world. Thank god it is run by a promoter who has been in the promoting game since 1987. Unlike Elite XC which was run by Gary Shaw who was obviously in it to make a quick buck.

Oh and speaking of "won't go down with one shot" anyone remember when Randlemann dropped Fedor on the back of his neck and head with the suplex? That would have put out most fighters. Fedor pops right back like nothing..... Hahaha....just sayin'

For those that say Brock Lesnar won't go down with one shot, that may be true, but where did Mir and Couture have the most success against Brock? On their feet. If you rewatch the Brock/Couture match, it looked like Randy got the better of the exchanges in the first round, backing Brock up a few times with punches, and he definately did more work in the clinch when he had Lesnar up against the cage. Mir, probably less so, I'd call it a wash on their feet, but Mir has never been known for his striking it's just that everyone assumed he could strike now, because of his fight with Nog, who has made a career out of getting punched and insane amount of times and waiting for the right moment to submit his opponent. I agree with the sherdog article. All these people who claim that UFC has all the best heavyweights are simply drinking the Dana White/UFC kool-aid. All three of their top contenders Brock/Carwin/Cain are still very early in their careers. All three could turn out to be superstars or maybe the right trainer could find a flaw in their game and expose them like so many "elite fighters" before them. We simply don't know yet, and rushing to make a Fedor/Lesnar match right now might be the wrong thing. It's obvious that Dana White knows having the match right now is good for business because there is always the chance Fedor loses outside of the UFC, and that Brock loses one of his next fights on his current contract. Either scenario takes away the luster of the fight. In two years if Fedor still hasn't lost, and Brock is 6-1, just imagine the business that fight will do. All these people who didn't know Fedor, or very much about him, or doubt him will definately be looking for footage on him now, and it will make everyone more knowledgable.

I agree that UFC is the NFL of MMA. Never disputed that, but being the "NFL" doesn't necessarily mean they have every elite fighter out there under their tent. And it doesn't mean Fedor can't make a fine living outside of the UFC. Dana White's quote that was posted in this thread sums up my feelings on him. He is acting like a spoiled baby. First Fedor is "overrated" then as soon as he has the chance to sign him he CLAIMS he threw all sorts of money at him, and then when Fedor decides to go elsewhere, suddenly he's a joke. It is possible there was much more to the contract then Dana and the Fertitas would lead on to the public. As far as Sylvia & Arlovsky being "UFC rejects" I would like a definition of what makes a former UFC fighter a UFC reject. Is it someone who has held a title belt, because both have in their respective devision while under UFC. Also, Dana White was quoted saying not resigning Arlovsky was his biggest regret, of course he would never admit it now after getitng walloped by Fedor and Brett Rogers. Does this mean Nick Diaz is a UFC reject as well? What about Josh Barnett? As far as Fedor v. Brock. Fedor has technique on his feet that no current UFC heavyweight possess. Fedor creates angles, he doesn't just stand in front of his opponent or come straight forward like Mir & Herring did. He also isnt as slow & plodding as Couture now is. Where as Brock's advantage over everyone is his huge size difference, a fighter like Fedor would use that to his own advantage being much faster, faster hands. Now, Fedor is still human, if Brock took him down, got on top in a dominant position, the fight is probably over. It's a good fight to see eventually, but if you think about it, why wouldn't it benefit all parties for Brock to win maybe three more fights, clean out his division and by that time Fedor will probably be a true free agent, with no ties to any other company. As far as "How Brock is winning" Hell, there have been tons of fighters to come through the door and pull off a few wins, be on top of the world, and then all it takes is for the right trainer to find a flaw in their game and their done. I remember Houston Alexander came in and KO'd Jardine, got on a nice streak, folks were talking title fight, and then he got KTFO by Thiago Silva. Not that I think Brock will go the way of Alexander, but my point is, people who want to annoint Brock the second coming are too heavily buying into the UFC business model rather then how this sport really works.

Shogun stuggled early in the UFC, but if I remember correctly, he did blow out his knee against Forrest, and was coming off a nearly 2 year layoff from that injury when he fought Coleman. His "struggles" against Coleman really looked more like conditioning then skill. My point of short-sighted thinking in MMA, was said because I feel with all the new fans of the sport and all the casual fans who think all of MMA is UFC, tend to look at a 2 or 3 fight win streak as the gold standard. Now, possibly in the LHW division, yes where there are so many elite fighters, but in the HW division? I was asking to put things in perspective, Fedor has a 24 fight win streak. Are there a couple of bums in there from time to time? Sure, but there are also a list of guys who were top fighters when they fought Fedor. Another reason I think some Pride guys might have struggled in the cage is because to be perfectly blunt, they were past their prime by the time they got to the UFC. Wandy/Nog definately. I still would have preferred Fedor to sign with the UFC, however business is business and I don't think him not signing had anything to do with fear, or legacy, or stuff like that. I also, would say that Strikeforce IS a real promotion. It isn't Elite XC v.2 which was ran by that idiot Gary Shaw. Strikeforce is legit, but like any company going up against the #1 company in town, it will take some time to compete on the same level.

Well, good on stikeforce. It is pretty much guaranteed they didn't offer as much $$$ as UFC did, but then again regarding money/contracts/negotiations you can never be quite sure what is coming out of Dana's mouth is the truth.

Ok, what exactly is Brock doing right now? He is 3-1, wining two fights in a row. How is that spectacular in any way? I am not trying to bash Brock here, but I am trying to put things in perspective relative to short-term thinking compared to a career that is legendary. Tim Sylvia & Andre Arlovsky, some are calling "UFC rejects" I mean come on, they are treating this entire situation like it is prowrestling and someone just went from WWE to WCW. Sylvia and Arlovsky were UFC heavyweight Champions, they traded the belt between each other. They were the cream of the crop for a little bit. Fedor destroyed both of them. As far as the "Fedor needs to prove himself in the cage" argument. Come on man, that is just like saying any UFC champ is not legit until they get into the ring to defend their belt. The UFC right now definately is the NFL of MMA. I am not disputing that, and the casual fans will always see it like that. However I feel it is the sports media's job to let the fans know that just because the UFC has the best production value, doesn't mean they always necessairly have the best fights and/or fighters in every single weight division at any given time. As far as UFC's heavyweight division, take away Brock and I see a division with a few good up and coming prospects, mixed with a couple of guys past their primes. Certainly a mixed bag, no better or worse then the competition waiting for Fedor elsewhere. Would I prefer Fedor be in the UFC right now? Yes, but do I feel it effects his legacy if he doesn't go? No. I am willing to be right now that if Brock Lesnar loses his next fight, a lot of people will careless whether Fedor joins UFC or not. UFC is on a public campaign to promote Brock Lesnar as the #1 heavyweight in the world, and Fedor as a b!tch for not signing with the UFC. It is hard to believe anything coming from Dana White's mouth is the truth or at least completely true. This is a business and just because the fans are dissapointed that Fedor did not sign with UFC, doesn't mean it was the wrong decision for Fedor not to sign at this time. Personally, I'd be more interested to see what happens when his M-1 contract runs out....

Fedor in UFC would be nice, but the truth is Fedor could retire right now and he is still arguably the best heavyweight ever in MMA, and one of the best fighters period. Lets be honest, the only reason some people think he needs to go to UFC to "prove his legacy" is because Brock Lesnar at 3-1 has captured the attention of millions of casual fans who believe UFC is MMA, instead of realizing it is just one piece of the MMA picture. Whether Brock could beat Fedor in 2009/2010 is IRRELEVENT to Fedor's legacy. The fact is Fedor in his prime, when UFC had no stars in their heavyweight division, was taking on all-comers in the heavyweight division. He beat everyone thrown at him and then when Affliction started up, Fedor treated two former UFC Heavyweight champs like they are beginners in the sport. You can say whatever excuses you want, but they were both legit UFC heavyweight champs and they were disposed of quite easily. UFC's fanbase is growing very rapidly, but people need to slow down a bit and study MMA itself from over the past 15-20 years and not just what the UFC wants you to see and think about fighters and who is the greatest or worst or deserving. UFC's popularity is a good thing for the sport, don't get me wrong, but I am tired of having to deal with people who want to shoot their mouth off about how much they know when they really only have ever watched UFC, especially the ones who only started watching when TUF started.

The problem I have with Brock is that is not Brock himself, more the rules about the heavyweight division, IMO, there should be a SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT division for guys over 250lb(if not less then that). When someone with the mass and weight of Brock is on top of you, what exactly are you going to do against a guy that has 50 pounds on you? It's not like Mir was mandhandled on the ground because he doesn't have skills, it's because Brock is just that much bigger then him. It's kind of funny because when Penn moved up to fight GSP, the natural weight disadvantage for Penn was very obvious against GSP, yet because Mir & Lesnar are heavyweights, everyone ignores just how much bigger and stronger Brock is than Mir, and most other guys in the division. I don't think Dana White is any rush to create a super heavyweight division because it would probably severely limit how much Brock could be showcased on PPV, and when the numbers come in I bet this was the highest buyrate ever for UFC, and no way is White or the Fertitas going to pass up on these types of paydays as much as possible. Finally, It's not like when Brock gets hit he is walking through punches, that second knee that Mir hit on Brock did kind of faze Brock for a few seconds but when both guys fell the momentum landed Brock on top and Mir's small window to captialize was shut immediately. Like I said, I am not anti-Brock(not really a big fan or believer either, yet), but I do think something needs to be done in order to even out the weight division for these huge new hulking monters.

I like the current UFC ring girls over another generic bleach blonde with fake boobs. Not that I mind looking at Holly Madison or anything, but I just think UFC's current ring girls are a nice change to what the typical look is.

Both, but Randy was definately strong-armed into taking that fight on short notice and without a warmup before it. Couture left the UFC with the desire to fight Fedor and that probably would have been his last fight, however once that fight didn't materialize and he sent feelers back to the UFC, Dana White pretty much demanded that Couture take on Brock right away. Couture reluctantly took the fight. If you rewatch the fight, Randy actually was matching Brock's strength for awhile, he just got caught with a big punch, and once BRock gets on top of you it is nearly impossible to do anything after that, I was pretty impressed though that a 40-something year old Couture could match Lesner in the clinch. If only UFC could sign FEDOR!!!