It was the biggest show since the last Brock Lesnar fight, but on this night, there would be a new champion. Cain Velasquez conquered Lesnar in an exciting main event that helped out what was just an OK card at that point with the exception of Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago. Sanchez breathed life into the card after two pretty pedestrian fights to start off the night. Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann nearly killed it dead again before the main event.

Here’s what we thought of UFC 121:

Duan
Thumbs Up
Best Fight: Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar
Worst Fight: Martin Kampmann vs. Jake Shields

I actually loved this show with the one notable exception. I haven’t done this in a while, but I’m going to run down the full card.

What is wrong with Gonzaga? This is a guy who has the talent to beat (or at very least compete with) the top guys in the division and he’s been reduced to an opponent for TUF competitors. I don’t know whether it’s a crises of confidence or if his punch resistance has just been eroded to such an extent that he can’t perform at this level. He just isn’t the same fighter anymore. He needs to take some time away, get his head right, and decide if he still has what it takes to compete because with all respect to Schaub, he will get decimated by any of the upper echelon heavyweights.

I have a tendency to overestimate how washed up Ortiz is. Every time he fights I expect him to get destroyed, and while he’s not winning anything, he has been competitive against mostly good quality competition. This is not a case like Liddell where he’s getting knocked out every fight. Ortiz still has enough left that you could argue in favour of him fighting on. Personally, I just don’t see him beating anyone that will really add value to his legacy. His record is as good as it’s going to get, and with his future secure, it’s the right time for him to get out.

Matt Hamill has found his level. He’s probably always going to fall a little short against divisions best, but he will be a handful for anybody else.

I expected Diego to win. I believe people overrate Thiago. I was still impressed with the manner in which he dominated. He looked like the Diego of old, and that’s definitely a good thing for the welterweight division at the moment.

Shields didn’t impress anyone with that performance. He did nothing in three rounds and all the damaging blows came from Kampmann. He proved he can take a guy down, make some transitions, and then do nothing with it. If that fight had of went to a fourth round he would have been stopped. The only reason he got let off the hook this time is because Kampmann was overly cautious about conceding the take down and thus was more hesitant than usual. I reckon Jake is set for a rough time in UFC.

The main event was a fantastic spectacle. Two absolute monsters just going at it. I fully expected Velasquez to come out on top, but I had always felt he lacked that star making ingredient. I was wrong. He won me over both with his performance and how he conducted himself pre and post fight. Congrats to the new champ.

The fact of the matter is Brock is going to struggle against anyone who can provide resistance to his takedowns. Ultimately, Lesnar is the fighter he is now. That is what has made him a success in MMA. I don’t think there is a lot that can be changed about him.

I had said previously that I don’t think Brock will ever beat Shane Carwin if they fight again. He is never going to beat Velasquez either. That doesn’t mean he’s not a great fighter. He is. 99% of guys out there won’t be able to deal with what he brings to the table. It just so happens that two of UFC’s top tier heavyweights have the solution to the puzzle. That leaves him in an awkward position. Where does he go from here? Will he be content to knock off contenders until a new opening presents itself?

Alan
Thumbs Up based on the epic feeling main event and the great Diego fight
Best Fight: Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago
Worst Fight: Martin Kampmann vs. Jake Shields
Continue Reading »

UFC 120 was one of the worst cards they’ve ever put together for the numbered UFC shows, but was a decent line-up for a free Spike TV card.

As you’ll see, there were two cards presented with this show being different in the US version and the international version. The international version saw James Wilks against Claude Patrick, while the US folks didn’t see that fight. The UFC made a quick switch on the US version of the show to put on Cyrille Diabaté vs. Alexander Gustafsson, which according to everyone, was the better fight.

Here’s what we thought about UFC 120:

Duan
Thumbs Leaning Down
Best Fight: Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy
Worst Fight: Travis Browne vs. Cheick Kongo

The first half of this card wasn’t exactly a barrel of fun. I don’t think there’s anyone on earth who possibly could of cared about Patrick vs. Wilks, and I have seen enough Cheick Kongo fights to last me several life times. Pyle/Hathaway wasn’t terrifically interesting either. I was disappointed in Hathaway. He’s a guy who I thought could cause a bit of a stir at welterweight, but he was well beaten by essentially a lower midcard guy. Now he’s just added to the huge pile of solid 170 fighters, who can’t take that next step up.

The good news is that the big fights delivered. Condit looked great in stopping Hardy. Then the fans got sent home happy with a good, if not spectacular, performance by Bisping. He showed that he still has more left in him than I thought, and I’m now genuinely interested in his climb back towards the top of the middleweight division.

Alan
Thumbs In The Middle
Best Fight: Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy (had that edge of the seat “someone’s getting KO’d” feel right from the start)
Worst Fight: None (of what I saw)
Continue Reading »

Team Koscheck comes off as a bunch of pricks, teasing Michael Johnson, and then when he said he beat their guy, they kicked him out of their locker room.

Dave Camarillo says that it’s good to win, but it’s just as stressful in having control because it becomes a must-win to keep control.

Johnson thought their wall drumming celebration after the fight was immature and uncalled for, considering it was their only win thus far.

Koscheck went back to the house to talk more trash with his team and it got on Johnson’s nerves big time.

Team Koscheck chooses Marc Stevens to fight Cody McKenzie, who is the guy who likes to mess with Koscheck. He touched Koscheck on the chin at the stare down.

McKenzie calls himself unorthodox and he doesn’t have the normal MMA pedigree.

Koscheck tells Cody that he’d love to train with him. Cody says he’s in. Koscheck says that he has balls or that he’s stupid.

Dana says this is Koscheck’s first pick against GSP’s sixth pick.

Cody McKenzie vs. Marc Stevens

Cody turned down the hand touch to start the fight. He must mean business.

This was the greatest fight of all-time. Stevens came in, shot the takedown and got put in a guillotine and went to sleep.

Winner: Cody McKenzie by way of 1st round submission

You have to think Stevens is a possible wild card guy, even after getting worked.

GSP says that he doesn’t want his team to bang on the wall.
Continue Reading »

This is the first WWE PPV I have passed on in a pretty long time, so the results are via F4W/Wrestling Observer.

Daniel Bryan beat Dolph Ziggler with the LeBell lock.

Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre had to face the mystery team of John Cena and David Otunga. Cena made Rhodes tap with the STFU. They are the new tag team champions.

Ted DiBiase Jr. pinned Goldust with a DDT.

Layla pinned Natalya after Michelle McCool kicked Natalya.

Kane beat Undertaker in a Buried Alive match with help from Nexus.

Team Smackdown won their second Bragging Rights trophy in a row as Edge and Rey Mysterio were the last men standing in the elimination match.

Wade Barrett beat Randy Orton by DQ after Cena “attacked” Barrett with the FU. Barrett said he would fire Cena if he didn’t win the match, so Cena got him the DQ win.

For the second year, the WWE releases a Pay Per View to sell a video game as Bragging Rights 2010 hits tonight.

In actuality, tonight’s card has potential. It’s too bad it’s the night after UFC 121.

We’ve got The Undertaker fresh from challenging Brock Lesnar to challenging his brother Kane for the World Heavyweight Championship match… in which you need to be buried alive to lose… more on that later.

The main event match between RAW and Smackdown superstars have the two teams fighting over a miniature Stanley Cup… and nothing else.

And then WWE Champion Randy Orton defends against Wade Barrett, who has John Cena in his corner. And if Cena doesn’t do what Barrett tells him to do, he’s out of NXT. Oh, and fired as well. Don’t ask me, ask the mystery RAW GM.

Let’s run down the show, which consists entirely of Smackdown vs. RAW matches so we can determine whom the better pre-booked brand is!

1. Goldust (with Aksana) (representing RAW) vs. Ted DiBiase (with Maryse) (representing RAW) — Okay, so I lied. The first match, is between two Raw superstars, with Goldust… wait a minute. Goldust? Facing off against Ted DiBiase? Million Dollar Belt in the picture? Is it 1991 all over again?

WHO SHOULD WIN: Ted DiBiase. No matter how good Goldust has been looking lately, especially with his fiancee Aksana at his side, didn’t that happen 11 years ago with Marlena and a cigar? Sure, it was nifty that Goldust stole the Million Dollar Belt as he enjoys his gold, but if they’re looking to do something with DiBiase, he needs to move on. I can see the WWE losing interest in Goldust in about two weeks.

WHO WILL WIN: I’m a big Goldust fan. I’m glad that Dustin Rhodes is looking great, moving fast, and has a charismatic blonde at his side. And the crowd is reacting well to him. But… doesn’t it feel like a skipping record? Ergo, DiBiase should and will win.

2. US Champion Daniel Bryan (representing RAW) vs. Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler (representing Smackdown) — Okay, here’s an idea. Instead of promoting this match a week before the Pay Per View, how about we build it up for a few months, and then have this match to UNITE the two titles? I know, dumb idea. But still, when typing in the names above, I accidentally wrote “Intercontinental Champion Daniel Bryan).

WHO SHOULD WIN: Daniel Bryan. The guy has a much brighter future as Dolph Ziggler, even though Ziggler is tall and blonde. He still needs big wins.

WHO WILL WIN: Dolph Ziggler. Why? He’s got a storyline behind him. Not only will Vickie Guerrero try to get him to lose, having NXT rookie Kaitlyn save him and giving him the win. Also, last time we saw Dolph he was tapping madly to the LeBell Lock before running away. Ergo, he needs to get whatever heat he may have back.

Continue Reading »