Hmm, its interesting that Aoki didn't wear his trademark tights for his fight with Kawajiri. Do you think he was trying to send a message to all the people saying hes nothing without them?
He's been saying for a long time that he wants to fight in America, so the lack of tights may be him deciding he's finally got an avenue to fight in the states so he'd better get used to fighting without the rainbow tights.
Why does he want to do that? Does he not want to get kicked in the face when he goes for a leg bar? Does he want an audience that tolerates him being a nasty little shit? Does he realize that his entire division is filled with wrestlers, wrestlers that box, and boxers that wrestle?
I'm not sure why a lot of these Japanese guys are coming over here; I get that there's more money and fame but really that's only if you win and it doesn't always seem like they're set up to.
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sportzboytjwsqueeeeeezzeeeesome more tax breaks outRegistered Userregular
Hmm, its interesting that Aoki didn't wear his trademark tights for his fight with Kawajiri. Do you think he was trying to send a message to all the people saying hes nothing without them?
He's been saying for a long time that he wants to fight in America, so the lack of tights may be him deciding he's finally got an avenue to fight in the states so he'd better get used to fighting without the rainbow tights.
Why does he want to do that? Does he not want to get kicked in the face when he goes for a leg bar? Does he want an audience that tolerates him being a nasty little shit? Does he realize that his entire division is filled with wrestlers, wrestlers that box, and boxers that wrestle?
Maybe he wants the challenge of fighting the bestest?
sportzboytjw on
Walkerdog on MTGO
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
Hmm, its interesting that Aoki didn't wear his trademark tights for his fight with Kawajiri. Do you think he was trying to send a message to all the people saying hes nothing without them?
He's been saying for a long time that he wants to fight in America, so the lack of tights may be him deciding he's finally got an avenue to fight in the states so he'd better get used to fighting without the rainbow tights.
Why does he want to do that? Does he not want to get kicked in the face when he goes for a leg bar? Does he want an audience that tolerates him being a nasty little shit? Does he realize that his entire division is filled with wrestlers, wrestlers that box, and boxers that wrestle?
Kawajiri is a boxer/wrestler too. So is Eddie Alvarez, whom Aoki also beat.
It just comes down to whether Aoki can get a hold of a guy or not. If he can, there's trouble (or you can just knee him in the head if you're Sakurai - and in Japan). If not, he gets Melendez'd.
“We are ready to fight against anyone, but everyone agrees that the most interesting fight right now is the rematch against Fabricio Werdum. We have one fight left on our contract, so if Strikeforce want to extend it, they should listen to our opinion,” Finkelstein said.
“We are ready to fight against anyone, but everyone agrees that the most interesting fight right now is the rematch against Fabricio Werdum. We have one fight left on our contract, so if Strikeforce want to extend it, they should listen to our opinion,” Finkelstein said.
“We are ready to fight against anyone, but everyone agrees that the most interesting fight right now is the rematch against Fabricio Werdum. We have one fight left on our contract, so if Strikeforce want to extend it, they should listen to our opinion,” Finkelstein said.
GOD I'M FOAMING AT THE MOUTH RIGHT NOW.
BUT EVERYONE AGREES THAT IT IS THE MOST INTERESTING
3rd fight night in a row for Pearson, kid has done well so far so I hope he ends up on another main card soon if he wins at 22.
UFC 120 card is looking like this so far:
Bisping v Akiyama (headliner......) Hardy v Condit (should be headliner) Hathaway v DHK
Kongo v Browne
Gustafsson v Diabate
Pretty weak for big names but a solid free card on Spike with at least 2 potentially great fights (bolded).
Then on the prelims they will have the new signings, Broughton (think Roy Nelson from the UK only not as good), Blackledge (coached for Page on TUF) and Paul Sass. Hopefully Blackledge will hand McSweeny his last UFC loss and he will be cut, Tom has a BJJ black belt and some sick KO's. Sass is the one to look out for in the next few years:
Sounds like that Paul Sass guy may have an attitude problem. 8-)
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Liquid GhostDO YOU HEAR THE VOICES, TOO?!Registered Userregular
edited July 2010
Tom Blackledge! Fuck yeah. He was(still is?) a training partner for Rampage. During a 2009 fight against Enoc Solves, Blackledge knocked the dude out in about seven seconds with a beautiful high kick that would have made Peter Aerts proud. I want to see what he can do from here.
Tom Blackledge! Fuck yeah. He was(still is?) a training partner for Rampage. During a 2009 fight against Enoc Solves, Blackledge knocked the dude out in about seven seconds with a beautiful high kick that would have made Peter Aerts proud. I want to see what he can do from here.
Yeah, his 10-6 record does not sing "future champ" or anything but he has improved a lot and that KO was Cro Cop standard.
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Liquid GhostDO YOU HEAR THE VOICES, TOO?!Registered Userregular
edited July 2010
I've always thought of him as a guy with a pretty good amount of potential, though I think all but one of his fights have ended in the first round. Tengiz apparently came back from the future to destroy him, because he kicked Blackledge's ass two times in a row. He's got some peaks and valleys going on with the win/loss streaks, but I'm still looking forward to seeing what he can do as time marches on.
I was bored at work this morning so I put together the win-loss records of all the guys that were on the first season of TUF. Their records start from the TUF 1 finale and move forward from that. I just wanted to visualize how each guy had done since the UFC had them on the reality show and see who the actual winners are 5 1/2 years later. Not really much to discuss here, but I just thought I'd throw it up for fun.
Middleweights (from semi-finals on)
Diego Sanchez: 10-4, Ultimate Fighter 1 winner, former King of the Cage Welterweight Champion
Josh Koscheck: 13-4, will fight GSP after TUF 12 for the UFC Welterweight Title
Kenny Florian: 11-3, fought for the UFC Lightweight title twice in his career, once against Sean Sherk and once against BJ Penn
Chris Leben: 11-5...originally eliminated in Episode 6 by Koscheck, brought back in Episode 8 to replace Quarry after his ankle injury
Lodune Sincaid: 7-9, former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion...eliminated in Episode 3 by Southworth
Alex Karalexis: 6-5...eliminated in Episode 4 by Sanchez
Nate Quarry: 7-3, fought for the UFC Middleweight Title against Rich Franklin...injured ankle in Episode 5 and was forced out of the tournament
Bobby Southworth: 3-3, 1 NC, former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion....eliminated in Episode 7 by Bonnar
Josh Rafferty: 4-2...eliminated in Episode 8 by Sanchez
Alex Schoenauer: 8-9...eliminated in Episode 9 by Griffin
The only Light Heavyweight that has really done well for himself after the show is Griffin. He was the Light Heavyweight champion at one point and generally puts on pretty entertaining matches. I honestly don't think he'll ever be the champ again, but he will always be a pretty solid gatekeeper just because of his toughness. He's definitely done the most with (arguably) the least amount of skills in the stacked Light Heavyweight division.
Swick did pretty well once he moved down to Welterweight, but he's never been in a title match, much less won a title. He has a good record, but he seems to falter every time he takes a big step up on competition. He's currently riding a two fight losing streak, so I'm not really sure where he goes from here. I'm assuming he won't get a new fight until closer to the end of the year so he can work on some of the holes in his game.
Bonnar's record speaks for itself and Hoger doesn't even fight in any major promotion at this point. No need to expound upon either of them, really.
The Middleweights have done much better for themselves as a whole. All the guys who made it to the semis are still relevant and still fighting in the UFC (though Sanchez, even though he won the original TUF, is at the bottom of the totem pole compared to the other 3).
In my opinion, Florian has done the best since the show ended, having been in two different Lightweight title bouts. Even though he lost both shots, he's consistently proven that he belongs in at least the Top 5 when talking about world Lightweight rankings. I think he's going to beat Gray Maynard and then finally capture the UFC Lightweight title, whether it be against Edgar or Penn.
Koscheck would be next, having shown himself not only to be a great wrestler but an above average striker who can put guys away if they leave themselves open. He'll get his first shot at the gold against GSP after TUF 12, a fight which might just turn into a grappling match if both guys decide to take shots at each other for 5 rounds. Koscheck has a better chance at winning than GSP's last few opponents just because of his strong wrestling base and powerful hands. We'll see if GSP can dominate him like he has so many other fighters.
Leben has been up and down in his UFC career, but his stock has taken a huge upturn in the past month after beating both Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama inside of 2 weeks. He seems to have matured since his stint on TUF and is poised to start a run up the Middleweight rankings if he can keep his momentum into his next fight. Even after almost 30 fights in his pro career, he still only has one KO loss on his record (against Anderson Silva) and continues to prove his tenacity every time the cage door closes. I wish him the best.
Sanchez is in a bit of a rut. He was dropping Welterweights left and right until he lost to Koscheck and Fitch back to back. He stayed at Welterweight for a couple more matches and then dropped to Lightweight. After decision'ing Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida, he was given a Lightweight title shot, partially due to his popularity and partially due to there being no other contenders at the time. BJ Penn utterly dominated him in their title fight and Sanchez moved unsuccessfully back up to Welterweight against John Hathaway. Where he goes from here is unknown, but he needs to move back down to Lightweight. One loss against the best Lightweight in the history of MMA is not a reason to leave the division. He definitely needs to grab a win in his next fight, though, no matter what weight division he's in. The UFC doesn't really like fighters who get 3 losses in a row.
ChillyWilly on
PAFC Top 10 Finisher in Seasons 1 and 3. 2nd in Seasons 4 and 5. Final 4 in Season 6.
3 losses in a row or not, Sanchez is a popular fighter and the winner of the original series. I would find it difficult to believe that Dana would give him the cut. But crazier things have happened. I agree though, he needs to go back to lightweight. Especially since BJ has been proven to not be unbeatable.
Forrest Griffin has been and probably always will be my favorite fighter. Incredibly humble, fun to watch, and a great competitor. I won't say he'll never hold the belt again. He was dominating Rashad pretty easily until he made a mistake in the 3rd round. He did beat Shogun in his career already as well. And of course he has that loss to Silva, but who doesn't lose to Silva? I think he can make a really good run back at the title.
Leben is another favorite of mine. Much like Griffin he is fun to watch and gets in there to fight and nothing but. He's not humble by any means, but that's just him. He's much less of an asshole since being on the show. And his fight against Sexyama was one of the best fights I've seen in a while. They both fought very well and very hard. If Leben keeps this up, he can have a shot at the title and I look forward to it.
I've always loved Florian, like most people, and I think he'll be champion at some point. He's just too hard of a competitor to not.
Koschek I can't stand, but he's a great fighter. No denying that. A big giant walking douchebag, but great fighter. GSP is in for a tough match, but I think he can handle it. I don't think he'll dominate like he's used to, but he should get the win.
Also funny to see that outside the semi-finalists, only Nate Quarry has had success. Albeit mild success, he had it. So this more or less proves the show does give you the best fighters in the end.
But Hoger and Bonnar... well yeah. I don't know what to say about them.
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Metal JaredMulligan WizardRhode IslandRegistered Userregular
edited July 2010
I really like Bonnar and I was glad to see him get the win in his last fight. Dana has said he will never cut him but that would have been put to the test if he lost again in his last fight. If nothing else his nickname will always make me like him. I don't think there is a time where I won't want to see a fighter who's nickname is the American Psycho fight in the cage.
I've heard interviews with Koscheck and I'm not sure if he just plays the part of a giant douche or really is one. I'm sure he is a giant douche actually but you need that in the fight game. You need people the crowd doesn't like, especially if it gives a fighter a chance at redemption later in their career. Going from a bad guy to a good guy is a powerful story in sports and if Koscheck could ever change his attitude he could become really popular.
I really like Bonnar and I was glad to see him get the win in his last fight. Dana has said he will never cut him but that would have been put to the test if he lost again in his last fight. If nothing else his nickname will always make me like him. I don't think there is a time where I won't want to see a fighter who's nickname is the American Psycho fight in the cage.
I've heard interviews with Koscheck and I'm not sure if he just plays the part of a giant douche or really is one. I'm sure he is a giant douche actually but you need that in the fight game. You need people the crowd doesn't like, especially if it gives a fighter a chance at redemption later in their career. Going from a bad guy to a good guy is a powerful story in sports and if Koscheck could ever change his attitude he could become really popular.
I like Bonnar as well and I really wanted him to win that fight and I'm glad he did. He fights with a lot of heart. Very likable guy. Even if he loses every fight from here on out, I'll still pull for him.
Oh, and shit just got real between Sonnen and Silva.
Next Fight Night's shaping up to be decent, they just confirmed some fights:
Demian Maia vs. Alan Belcher
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
Cole Miller vs. Ross Pearson
Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau
Nice match-ups. I'm a big fan of Maia but Belcher is an excellent fighter and very well rounded. Maia is supremely dangerous on the ground though, Belcher would do well to work is takedown and submission defense.
3 losses in a row or not, Sanchez is a popular fighter and the winner of the original series. I would find it difficult to believe that Dana would give him the cut. But crazier things have happened. I agree though, he needs to go back to lightweight. Especially since BJ has been proven to not be unbeatable.
Forrest Griffin has been and probably always will be my favorite fighter. Incredibly humble, fun to watch, and a great competitor. I won't say he'll never hold the belt again. He was dominating Rashad pretty easily until he made a mistake in the 3rd round. He did beat Shogun in his career already as well. And of course he has that loss to Silva, but who doesn't lose to Silva? I think he can make a really good run back at the title.
Leben is another favorite of mine. Much like Griffin he is fun to watch and gets in there to fight and nothing but. He's not humble by any means, but that's just him. He's much less of an asshole since being on the show. And his fight against Sexyama was one of the best fights I've seen in a while. They both fought very well and very hard. If Leben keeps this up, he can have a shot at the title and I look forward to it.
I've always loved Florian, like most people, and I think he'll be champion at some point. He's just too hard of a competitor to not.
Koschek I can't stand, but he's a great fighter. No denying that. A big giant walking douchebag, but great fighter. GSP is in for a tough match, but I think he can handle it. I don't think he'll dominate like he's used to, but he should get the win.
Also funny to see that outside the semi-finalists, only Nate Quarry has had success. Albeit mild success, he had it. So this more or less proves the show does give you the best fighters in the end.
But Hoger and Bonnar... well yeah. I don't know what to say about them.
You're probably right about Diego. Mac Danzig has gone 2-4 since winning TUF 6 (including a 3 loss streak) and he's still employed by the UFC. He's nowhere near as popular as Sanchez.
I don't really judge Rashad by his past performances too much. You can tell that he's gone back to using his wrestling a lot more this year and I think he would overwhelm Forrest if they fought again. And I certainly don't use Forrest's win against Shogun as an indication of anything. The Shogun in that fight is not the Shogun that beat Machida.
I honestly think they should do TUF on an "every other year" kind of basis. They need to wait and let fighters grow for a little while instead of getting new guys two or three times a year like they've been doing. The talent pools that they're dipping into at this point really aren't as great as they used to be. The show is on too much for my liking. I know this will never happen because the show has good ratings, but it would make more sense from an actual fighting standpoint.
ChillyWilly on
PAFC Top 10 Finisher in Seasons 1 and 3. 2nd in Seasons 4 and 5. Final 4 in Season 6.
maybe they can do a gym competition one season and a public one the next
where the gym competition would be like say ATT vs AKA or whatever
that would be interesting
help build up rivalries not only in between fighters but also camps
though dana probably isnt such a huge fan or the camp mentality these days what with fighters refusing to fight each other and stuff
I totally agree, I can't even get excited about TUF at this point. I hate to say it but they need to lengthen the seasons back out to get some more house drama going; I like the emphasis on fighting but you don't get a chance to give a shit about any of these guys, the seasons just fly by and I'm more and more meh about the whole thing.
It's been said before, by myself and others: the next TUF should feature a weight class below LW. You get highly entertaining fights by guys who don't gas every 8 seconds, and Zuffa has a chance to explode the WEC brand the way TUF 1 did for the UFC.
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Metal JaredMulligan WizardRhode IslandRegistered Userregular
edited July 2010
I don't mind TUF the way it is they just need to stick to one weight class at a time. Go down the list: One season Heavyweight, then another and another. Go down the line. So it would take about what 2 and a half years to get to all the weight classes? That sounds perfect. You get a new influx of talent at a particular weight class every few years (Give or take a few that move up or down a weight class) that would go along well with fighters getting cut, retiring etc.
TUF really is one of the prime sources of talent for the UFC. Just look at Chilly's post there are still alot of fighters in the UFC from 5 years ago from TUF season 1. If they stick to one weight class it will be a nice way of creating 'home grown' talent.
It also promises two free cards a year (The Finales) and interest for two more PPV (I bet Koz/GSP will be huge because of the show). It seems to me that it's a great way to add talent, and interest in the UFC. They just need to stay with one weight class at a time.
I just wish they would lengthen the production time of the shows, so the coaches had some real time to work with and train the fighters, as well as work on conditioning and strength.
Maybe it's just the way the show is presented, but it seems like the training is really downplayed and they are fighting with a very short turn-around between bouts.
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Metal JaredMulligan WizardRhode IslandRegistered Userregular
I just wish they would lengthen the production time of the shows, so the coaches had some real time to work with and train the fighters, as well as work on conditioning and strength.
Maybe it's just the way the show is presented, but it seems like the training is really downplayed and they are fighting with a very short turn-around between bouts.
They do have a very short turn around (I think they said McCray fought 5 times in 5 weeks or something crazy) but I'm pretty sure they train for 8-12 hours a day at least 5 days a week. It's not a 3 month fight camp but I'm sure they do PLENTY of work in that month plus.
I just wish they would lengthen the production time of the shows, so the coaches had some real time to work with and train the fighters, as well as work on conditioning and strength.
Maybe it's just the way the show is presented, but it seems like the training is really downplayed and they are fighting with a very short turn-around between bouts.
They do have a very short turn around (I think they said McCray fought 5 times in 5 weeks or something crazy) but I'm pretty sure they train for 8-12 hours a day at least 5 days a week. It's not a 3 month fight camp but I'm sure they do PLENTY of work in that month plus.
There's only so much- including muscle memory- that you can absorb in one day. Even doing strength or conditioning- at some point you're actually making yourself worse off with additional training without proper rest and nutrition.
I think it would behoove the show and the competitors to have a longer production time-line. It would produce better fights and more well-rounded competitors.
I don't mind TUF the way it is they just need to stick to one weight class at a time. Go down the list: One season Heavyweight, then another and another. Go down the line. So it would take about what 2 and a half years to get to all the weight classes? That sounds perfect. You get a new influx of talent at a particular weight class every few years (Give or take a few that move up or down a weight class) that would go along well with fighters getting cut, retiring etc.
TUF really is one of the prime sources of talent for the UFC. Just look at Chilly's post there are still alot of fighters in the UFC from 5 years ago from TUF season 1. If they stick to one weight class it will be a nice way of creating 'home grown' talent.
It also promises two free cards a year (The Finales) and interest for two more PPV (I bet Koz/GSP will be huge because of the show). It seems to me that it's a great way to add talent, and interest in the UFC. They just need to stay with one weight class at a time.
Actually, I like the one weight class each season idea.
Posts
Why does he want to do that? Does he not want to get kicked in the face when he goes for a leg bar? Does he want an audience that tolerates him being a nasty little shit? Does he realize that his entire division is filled with wrestlers, wrestlers that box, and boxers that wrestle?
Maybe he wants the challenge of fighting the bestest?
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
Kawajiri is a boxer/wrestler too. So is Eddie Alvarez, whom Aoki also beat.
It just comes down to whether Aoki can get a hold of a guy or not. If he can, there's trouble (or you can just knee him in the head if you're Sakurai - and in Japan). If not, he gets Melendez'd.
I felt like Lytle deserved the nod last time they fought.
???
You've been in Vegas since May?
I took a picture of Mosley's opponent:
B:L, sir, you have reached a new level of disappointment.
GOD I'M FOAMING AT THE MOUTH RIGHT NOW.
I really like all four of those fights. Awesome.
Steam: Chagrin LoL: Bonhomie
BUT EVERYONE AGREES THAT IT IS THE MOST INTERESTING
UFC 120 card is looking like this so far:
Bisping v Akiyama (headliner......)
Hardy v Condit (should be headliner)
Hathaway v DHK
Kongo v Browne
Gustafsson v Diabate
Pretty weak for big names but a solid free card on Spike with at least 2 potentially great fights (bolded).
Then on the prelims they will have the new signings, Broughton (think Roy Nelson from the UK only not as good), Blackledge (coached for Page on TUF) and Paul Sass. Hopefully Blackledge will hand McSweeny his last UFC loss and he will be cut, Tom has a BJJ black belt and some sick KO's. Sass is the one to look out for in the next few years:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Sass
Sounds like that Paul Sass guy may have an attitude problem. 8-)
Yeah, his 10-6 record does not sing "future champ" or anything but he has improved a lot and that KO was Cro Cop standard.
Middleweights (from semi-finals on)
Diego Sanchez: 10-4, Ultimate Fighter 1 winner, former King of the Cage Welterweight Champion
Josh Koscheck: 13-4, will fight GSP after TUF 12 for the UFC Welterweight Title
Kenny Florian: 11-3, fought for the UFC Lightweight title twice in his career, once against Sean Sherk and once against BJ Penn
Chris Leben: 11-5...originally eliminated in Episode 6 by Koscheck, brought back in Episode 8 to replace Quarry after his ankle injury
Light Heavyweights (from semi-finals on)
Forrest Griffin: 8-4, Ultimate Fighter 1 winner, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Mike Swick: 9-3
Stephan Bonnar: 6-6
Sam Hoger: 4-4
Others
Jason Thacker: 0-1...sent home in episode 2
Chris Sanford: 1-1...sent home in episode 2
Lodune Sincaid: 7-9, former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion...eliminated in Episode 3 by Southworth
Alex Karalexis: 6-5...eliminated in Episode 4 by Sanchez
Nate Quarry: 7-3, fought for the UFC Middleweight Title against Rich Franklin...injured ankle in Episode 5 and was forced out of the tournament
Bobby Southworth: 3-3, 1 NC, former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion....eliminated in Episode 7 by Bonnar
Josh Rafferty: 4-2...eliminated in Episode 8 by Sanchez
Alex Schoenauer: 8-9...eliminated in Episode 9 by Griffin
The only Light Heavyweight that has really done well for himself after the show is Griffin. He was the Light Heavyweight champion at one point and generally puts on pretty entertaining matches. I honestly don't think he'll ever be the champ again, but he will always be a pretty solid gatekeeper just because of his toughness. He's definitely done the most with (arguably) the least amount of skills in the stacked Light Heavyweight division.
Swick did pretty well once he moved down to Welterweight, but he's never been in a title match, much less won a title. He has a good record, but he seems to falter every time he takes a big step up on competition. He's currently riding a two fight losing streak, so I'm not really sure where he goes from here. I'm assuming he won't get a new fight until closer to the end of the year so he can work on some of the holes in his game.
Bonnar's record speaks for itself and Hoger doesn't even fight in any major promotion at this point. No need to expound upon either of them, really.
The Middleweights have done much better for themselves as a whole. All the guys who made it to the semis are still relevant and still fighting in the UFC (though Sanchez, even though he won the original TUF, is at the bottom of the totem pole compared to the other 3).
In my opinion, Florian has done the best since the show ended, having been in two different Lightweight title bouts. Even though he lost both shots, he's consistently proven that he belongs in at least the Top 5 when talking about world Lightweight rankings. I think he's going to beat Gray Maynard and then finally capture the UFC Lightweight title, whether it be against Edgar or Penn.
Koscheck would be next, having shown himself not only to be a great wrestler but an above average striker who can put guys away if they leave themselves open. He'll get his first shot at the gold against GSP after TUF 12, a fight which might just turn into a grappling match if both guys decide to take shots at each other for 5 rounds. Koscheck has a better chance at winning than GSP's last few opponents just because of his strong wrestling base and powerful hands. We'll see if GSP can dominate him like he has so many other fighters.
Leben has been up and down in his UFC career, but his stock has taken a huge upturn in the past month after beating both Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama inside of 2 weeks. He seems to have matured since his stint on TUF and is poised to start a run up the Middleweight rankings if he can keep his momentum into his next fight. Even after almost 30 fights in his pro career, he still only has one KO loss on his record (against Anderson Silva) and continues to prove his tenacity every time the cage door closes. I wish him the best.
Sanchez is in a bit of a rut. He was dropping Welterweights left and right until he lost to Koscheck and Fitch back to back. He stayed at Welterweight for a couple more matches and then dropped to Lightweight. After decision'ing Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida, he was given a Lightweight title shot, partially due to his popularity and partially due to there being no other contenders at the time. BJ Penn utterly dominated him in their title fight and Sanchez moved unsuccessfully back up to Welterweight against John Hathaway. Where he goes from here is unknown, but he needs to move back down to Lightweight. One loss against the best Lightweight in the history of MMA is not a reason to leave the division. He definitely needs to grab a win in his next fight, though, no matter what weight division he's in. The UFC doesn't really like fighters who get 3 losses in a row.
Forrest Griffin has been and probably always will be my favorite fighter. Incredibly humble, fun to watch, and a great competitor. I won't say he'll never hold the belt again. He was dominating Rashad pretty easily until he made a mistake in the 3rd round. He did beat Shogun in his career already as well. And of course he has that loss to Silva, but who doesn't lose to Silva? I think he can make a really good run back at the title.
Leben is another favorite of mine. Much like Griffin he is fun to watch and gets in there to fight and nothing but. He's not humble by any means, but that's just him. He's much less of an asshole since being on the show. And his fight against Sexyama was one of the best fights I've seen in a while. They both fought very well and very hard. If Leben keeps this up, he can have a shot at the title and I look forward to it.
I've always loved Florian, like most people, and I think he'll be champion at some point. He's just too hard of a competitor to not.
Koschek I can't stand, but he's a great fighter. No denying that. A big giant walking douchebag, but great fighter. GSP is in for a tough match, but I think he can handle it. I don't think he'll dominate like he's used to, but he should get the win.
Also funny to see that outside the semi-finalists, only Nate Quarry has had success. Albeit mild success, he had it. So this more or less proves the show does give you the best fighters in the end.
But Hoger and Bonnar... well yeah. I don't know what to say about them.
I've heard interviews with Koscheck and I'm not sure if he just plays the part of a giant douche or really is one. I'm sure he is a giant douche actually but you need that in the fight game. You need people the crowd doesn't like, especially if it gives a fighter a chance at redemption later in their career. Going from a bad guy to a good guy is a powerful story in sports and if Koscheck could ever change his attitude he could become really popular.
EDIT:
This just in from the official UFC Twitter:
PSN: SoulCrusherJared
luckily i'm not alone in this
Steam
I like Bonnar as well and I really wanted him to win that fight and I'm glad he did. He fights with a lot of heart. Very likable guy. Even if he loses every fight from here on out, I'll still pull for him.
Oh, and shit just got real between Sonnen and Silva.
Steam
Nice match-ups. I'm a big fan of Maia but Belcher is an excellent fighter and very well rounded. Maia is supremely dangerous on the ground though, Belcher would do well to work is takedown and submission defense.
You're probably right about Diego. Mac Danzig has gone 2-4 since winning TUF 6 (including a 3 loss streak) and he's still employed by the UFC. He's nowhere near as popular as Sanchez.
I don't really judge Rashad by his past performances too much. You can tell that he's gone back to using his wrestling a lot more this year and I think he would overwhelm Forrest if they fought again. And I certainly don't use Forrest's win against Shogun as an indication of anything. The Shogun in that fight is not the Shogun that beat Machida.
I honestly think they should do TUF on an "every other year" kind of basis. They need to wait and let fighters grow for a little while instead of getting new guys two or three times a year like they've been doing. The talent pools that they're dipping into at this point really aren't as great as they used to be. The show is on too much for my liking. I know this will never happen because the show has good ratings, but it would make more sense from an actual fighting standpoint.
where the gym competition would be like say ATT vs AKA or whatever
that would be interesting
help build up rivalries not only in between fighters but also camps
though dana probably isnt such a huge fan or the camp mentality these days what with fighters refusing to fight each other and stuff
TUF really is one of the prime sources of talent for the UFC. Just look at Chilly's post there are still alot of fighters in the UFC from 5 years ago from TUF season 1. If they stick to one weight class it will be a nice way of creating 'home grown' talent.
It also promises two free cards a year (The Finales) and interest for two more PPV (I bet Koz/GSP will be huge because of the show). It seems to me that it's a great way to add talent, and interest in the UFC. They just need to stay with one weight class at a time.
PSN: SoulCrusherJared
Maybe it's just the way the show is presented, but it seems like the training is really downplayed and they are fighting with a very short turn-around between bouts.
They do have a very short turn around (I think they said McCray fought 5 times in 5 weeks or something crazy) but I'm pretty sure they train for 8-12 hours a day at least 5 days a week. It's not a 3 month fight camp but I'm sure they do PLENTY of work in that month plus.
PSN: SoulCrusherJared
There's only so much- including muscle memory- that you can absorb in one day. Even doing strength or conditioning- at some point you're actually making yourself worse off with additional training without proper rest and nutrition.
I think it would behoove the show and the competitors to have a longer production time-line. It would produce better fights and more well-rounded competitors.
Actually, I like the one weight class each season idea.
You're a smart man Metal Jared.