NoCalMike Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 To me the whole situation sounds kind of suspect, and with Zuffa's reputation it is hard to take anything at face value. I find it highly convenient they had the Condit/GSP promo video ready to go at that press conference, if the decision to boot Diaz from the match was only made an hour prior like Dana claimed. Also, Dana sounded like he was ready to cut Diaz, and even referenced it during the press conference, then within 12 hours puts him in the CO-MAIN EVENT? Maybe Dana felt like he got a lot of backlash for throwing Diaz into a title fight despite not fighting for UFC at the time, maybe he felt Diaz needed to build up his name a little, create more of an aura. Nick Diaz is known to MMA fans, but for UFC-exclusive fans, I am not sure how big a name he was. If anyone from Strikeforce has built up an argument for an immediate title shot, I would say it is Gilbert Melendez 1st, Diaz 2nd, Winner of the HW Tournery 3rd.......(Oops, totally forgot about Hendo there) I am not ready to say for sure there is more to this situation, that we will probably never know, but it all sounds pretty sketchy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 To me the whole situation sounds kind of suspect, and with Zuffa's reputation it is hard to take anything at face value.I find it highly convenient they had the Condit/GSP promo video ready to go at that press conference, if the decision to boot Diaz from the match was only made an hour prior like Dana claimed. Also, Dana sounded like he was ready to cut Diaz, and even referenced it during the press conference, then within 12 hours puts him in the CO-MAIN EVENT? Maybe Dana felt like he got a lot of backlash for throwing Diaz into a title fight despite not fighting for UFC at the time, maybe he felt Diaz needed to build up his name a little, create more of an aura. Nick Diaz is known to MMA fans, but for UFC-exclusive fans, I am not sure how big a name he was. If anyone from Strikeforce has built up an argument for an immediate title shot, I would say it is Gilbert Melendez 1st, Diaz 2nd, Winner of the HW Tournery 3rd.......(Oops, totally forgot about Hendo there) I am not ready to say for sure there is more to this situation, that we will probably never know, but it all sounds pretty sketchy. I don't think there is any conspiracy at all. It would not take that long to make a 30 second video like they did to announce that Condit was now fighting GSP. I could probably do that within an hour and I have not worked with any editing software in five years. Besides, Dana said that after he did not show up that morning, that he had a feeling that he was not going to show at all. Sure, he might not have made the final decision until an hour before the presser, but they could have put contingency plans in place possibly even as early as after he did not show up in Toronto. As for Diaz not being known well enough to be in the main event, I go back to the fact that Carlos Condit replaced him. It is not like Penn replaced him; I am pretty confident that the casual fan knows more about Nick Diaz than they do about Carlos Condit. Don't get me wrong, I think Condit deserves it, but Diaz is more of a name than Condit is. And as for Dana sounding like he was ready to cut Diaz at the press conference, I am not so sure of that. I know that some of his quotes said something to that effect, but in watching the presser, his tone to me did not really say that, he was not as adamant as he has been in similar situations (Karo, Marquardt), when you had no doubt that they were not going to have jobs anymore. To me, this was that he was baffled by the entire situation, thinking through his options and trying to figure stuff out. Melendez would deserve an immediate title shot, IMO, but he is still in Strikeforce. Also the LW division in the UFC is pretty stacked at the top, so at least you can argue that there might be more deserving guys than Gilbert, whenever he does come over. On paper, Diaz is the best WW that GSP has not fought yet, and I don't think there is much of an argument to that. I am not a Dana nut-hugger, but I don't really think there is a conspiracy at work here. If they essentially wanted to demote Diaz for no real reason, I don't see Nick as the kind of guy to just say "yes, boss." He would have a profane, gibberish-laden youtube video up within five minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
styx491 Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 This situation to me is Nick being Nick and screwing up the press conference, then actually talking to Dana and the UFC guys and maybe apologizing. This sounds like a demotion on good faith that he will change his ways. Obviously winner of Penn/Diaz gets GSP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillUnknown Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Lost in all the news this week, the Strikeforce Card tomorrow is pretty damn good even without the Reem: MAIN CARD (Showtime)Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov (heavyweight grand prix semifinal) Daniel Cormier vs. Antonio Silva (heavyweight grand prix semifinal) Champ Ronaldo Souza vs. Luke Rockhold (for middleweight title) Roger Gracie vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal Maximo Blanco vs. Pat Healy PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet) Mike Kyle vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Yoel Romero Jordan Mein vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos Alexis Davis vs. Amanda Nunes Chris Mierzwiak vs. Dominique Steele I'm glad HDNet is carrying the undercard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoCalMike Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Have it DVR'd..INSIDE MMA was live from weigh-ins today......I taped it. I wasn't suggesting an all out conspiracy surrounding the Diaz situation, just that with Zuffa there is usually more to the situation. With that said, I am sure jon Fitch is crying somewhere pounding the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d0ublestr0ker0ll Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 I am sure jon Fitch is crying somewhere pounding the wall. Do you mean taking down a wall and laying on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoCalMike Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Do you mean taking down a wall and laying on it? Hahaha. THAT. Sooooo THAT. I was watching Inside MMA today, and as far as conspiracy theories go, now that I have been thinking about it, the Overeem situation seems even more suspect than the Diaz one. Overeem is scheduled to fight in Semi-Finals, pulls out to an injury in his pinky toe....which is already an odd injury to pull out of a fight for. And he claims he just wanted to have the fight pushed back a little bit so he could get the same amount of training time. Strikeforce says no, Overeem pulled from Tourney. Overeem immediately CUT from Strikeforce, which makes even less sense to cut one of the biggest names/draws due to this. Overeem signed by UFC and immediately signed to Blockbuster fight against a returning Brock Lesnar, in a #1 contenders match. Almost like Zuffa wanted to make sure Overeem was signed in UFC before the chance he took any high profile losses in Strikeforce. Just interesting how these strikeforce fighters are transitioning over in odd ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillUnknown Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 (edited) http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/9/10/2416105/report-vitor-belfort-vs-cung-le-planned-for-ufc-139-in-san-jose Well this one came out of nowhere. Vitor Belfort announced on his website tonight that he'll return to the Octagon in November at UFC 139 in San Jose, California against former Strikeforce star, Cung Le, on Le's home turf:After Belfort’s last explosive win in UFC 133 against Yoshihiro Akiyama, UFC is quickly putting him back in the ring and this time against martial arts master Cung Le for UFC 139 on November 19th in San Jose, California. Le has been angling to get on the San Jose card, as he has proven to be one of the biggest draws in that area for Strikeforce in the past, but it hadn't yet been confirmed that the dynamic san shou fighter had signed with the UFC. Now that he is apparently an official member of the UFC's mid[leweight division, he'll certainly have his work cut out for him against another explosive striker in Belfort, even with the hometown advantage. Edited September 10, 2011 by StillUnknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d0ublestr0ker0ll Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 (edited) Vitor must have something against Asians, sheesh! He was caught with a unique kick, albeit from Anderson Silva, but that's pretty much all I see Cung bringing to this fight. A "kickers" chance. Throw a few up there, see if they connect, then prepare to get launched in to space by Vitor's haymakers. Edited September 10, 2011 by d0ublestr0ker0ll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillUnknown Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Vitor must have something against Asians, sheesh! He was caught with a unique kick, Albeit from Anderson Silva, but that's pretty much all I see Cung bringing to this fight. A "kickers" chance. Throw a few up there, see if they connect, then prepare to get launched in to space by Vitor's haymakers. Cung Le needs to petition the commission to allow him to wear some form of protection for the back of his head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d0ublestr0ker0ll Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 (edited) Cung Le needs to petition the commission to allow him to wear some form of protection for the back of his head. They should let him wear full hockey goalie gear altogether! Edited September 10, 2011 by d0ublestr0ker0ll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoCalMike Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Cung Le's pace is much too slow for Belfort, who can come out of the gate throwing punches in bunches. Cung Le is more of a slower, methodical striker that likes to trade with his opponent and hope his shot is stronger than his opponents shot. Cung Le's is a great kickboxer, but honestly, just an average mixed martial artist. At least the fight will feature lots of fireworks though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick86L Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 MAIN CARD (Showtime)Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov (heavyweight grand prix semifinal) Daniel Cormier vs. Antonio Silva (heavyweight grand prix semifinal) Champ Ronaldo Souza vs. Luke Rockhold (for middleweight title) Roger Gracie vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal Maximo Blanco vs. Pat Healy PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet) Mike Kyle vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Yoel Romero Jordan Mein vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos Alexis Davis vs. Amanda Nunes Chris Mierzwiak vs. Dominique Steele War Sergei KTFO of Barnett tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillUnknown Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 (edited) Cung Le's pace is much too slow for Belfort, who can come out of the gate throwing punches in bunches. Cung Le is more of a slower, methodical striker that likes to trade with his opponent and hope his shot is stronger than his opponents shot. Cung Le's is a great kickboxer, but honestly, just an average mixed martial artist. At least the fight will feature lots of fireworks though. Something tells me they want a Anderson Silva vs. Vitor II for their 100k stadium gig the next time they go to Brazill. War Sergei KTFO of Barnett tonight. I'm rooting for Segei, but I can't get the image of Monson putting him that north south choke in relative short order a while back. I dont think Josh will stand with him for long. Edited September 10, 2011 by StillUnknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 I'm rooting for Segei, but I can't get the image of Monson putting him that north south choke in relative short order a while back. I dont think Josh will stand with him for long. I was thinking the same thing. I am pulling for Sergei, but he better keep it standing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 I can't wait for this card tonight. I think the fight I'm most interested in right now is Roger Gracie/King Mo. Roger is probably the 2nd best BJJ guy in the world right now behind Marcelo Garcia and I want to see how he fares against a good wrestler like Mo. Roger's standup isn't bad, he's very lanky and has good reach which helps. He's already fought a couple of wrestlers in Trevor Prangley and Kevin Randleman but Mo is definitely going to be his biggest test. ---------- Post added September-10th-2011 at 12:22 PM ---------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuels Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 I can't wait for this card tonight. I think the fight I'm most interested in right now is Roger Gracie/King Mo. Roger is probably the 2nd best BJJ guy in the world right now behind Marcelo Garcia and I want to see how he fares against a good wrestler like Mo. Roger's standup isn't bad, he's very lanky and has good reach which helps. He's already fought a couple of wrestlers in Trevor Prangley and Kevin Randleman but Mo is definitely going to be his biggest test. ---------- Post added September-10th-2011 at 12:22 PM ---------- LOL, I almost spit out my tea. I bet stuff like that eats Nick up and honestly I can't see him beating BJ in a 3 round fight so he won't be in the title hunt anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillUnknown Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Strikeforce Quick Picks: Pat Healy vs. Maximo Blanco: Love Blanco's aggressiveness. Hopefully he remembers the unified rules and does not go into soccer kick mode. Blanco by (T)KO, Round 2 Roger Gracie vs. King Mo: Mo would be stupid to play the ground game with Gracie. I like Mo's striking a bit more, and think he'll use it to catch Gracie with something big. King Mo by (T)KO, Round 2 Jacare vs. Luke Rockhold: Big step up in competition for Rockhold. Jacare is clearly superior on the ground, but I probably give him the edge standing as well. Jacare by Submission, Round 3 Bigfoot Silva vs. Daniel Cormier: Cormier uses his speed to deliver strikes and get out before Bigfoot can respond. I see Cormier winning the exchanges and getting a takedown or two to secure the rounds. Cormier by Unanimous Decision Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitinov: I dont see Barnett standing with Sergei for long, Barnett will take him down repeatedly. One of those times will lead to Barnett catching Sergei in some submission. Barnett by Submission, Round 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d0ublestr0ker0ll Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 (edited) Strikeforce quickies: Gracie, triangle choke, rd 2 Jacare, armbar, rd 1 Bigfoot, TKO, rd 2 Barnett's gameplan is apparent, but if he gets dinged and misses a takedown, I can definitely see Kharitonov finishing. Sergei, TKO, rd 2 All finishes baby, let me be right! Edited September 10, 2011 by d0ublestr0ker0ll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick86L Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 sop://broker.sopcast.com:3912/24267 prelims on mma-tv sopcast if u don't have hdnet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Thanks man... Quick picks: Blanco by KO Round 1 Roger by RNC Round 2 Jacare by Armbar Round 3 Bigfoot by UD Barnett by Kimura Round 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebowski Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Mo by decision Jacare by decision Bigfoot by TKO -Cromier is an interesting 32 year old prospect. I don;t think he is near Silva's calss right now though. He is going to get dwarfed in the cage. Cromier should really be focused on losing some weight and fighting at 205. He'll get outclassed here. Barnett by Sub -Barnett is my boy. Always been a big fan. He'll dectate were this fight takes place and end up tapping Sergei. I'll go with heel hook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick86L Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 (edited) looks like mma-tv went offline try this. http://justin.tv/biggieballs01 Edited September 11, 2011 by Patrick86L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillUnknown Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Mo by decisionJacare by decision Bigfoot by TKO -Cromier is an interesting 32 year old prospect. I don;t think he is near Silva's calss right now though. He is going to get dwarfed in the cage. Cromier should really be focused on losing some weight and fighting at 205. He'll get outclassed here. Barnett by Sub -Barnett is my boy. Always been a big fan. He'll dectate were this fight takes place and end up tapping Sergei. I'll go with heel hook. I don't think he's going to 205. Cormier wrecked his kidneys trying to cut weight for the olympics, I think he said in an interview, it would be very difficult for him to get to 205 now. ---------- Post added September-10th-2011 at 10:50 PM ---------- I was afraid that might happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d0ublestr0ker0ll Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Any streams for the main card? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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