This Saturday is the UFC’s first show in Japan since December of 2000. It will be taking place in the Saitama Super Arena, the legendary arena which used to host the old PRIDE shows and is even featured in the disgustingly awesome UFC Undisputed 3 video game. I’m not paid to advertise but the game is so nasty I feel I need to give it some props somehow. While most UFC shows run about three hours, this show is going to run about four, meaning for us east coast dwellers it won’t be done until around two in the morning. A great deal of coffee will be consumed to stay alert to enjoy what should be a pretty awesome card, highlighted by a main even that promises to blow doors down. As was once a regular occurrence here before work and school prevented as many updates, there are predictions for what hopefully will be a great show.
Anthony Pettis (14-2) vs. Joe Lauzon (21-6): Lauzon is coming off a win over Melvin Guillard which was supposed to be Guillard’s step into the big time but instead he threw a good punch and started celebrating, only for Lauzon to choke him out 47 seconds into the fight. Pettis defeated Ben Henderson and gave us one of the all-time great MMA highlights to become WEC Lightweight Champion before the UFC merger, but he lost to Clay Guida then won a split decision over Jeremy Stephens so a bout between champions with Frankie Edgar never came to fruition. As is the case with most lightweight fights, it should be very exciting. Lauzon has nasty submissions and has only been to decision once in his career, but I think that changes on Saturday. Pettis has good submissions also so I don’t think he’ll get caught in something, and he has a pretty clear stand-up advantage that I think he’ll exploit. I think Pettis by decision.
Hatsu Hioki (25-4-2) vs. Bart Palaszewski (36-14): Hioki is currently ranked as one of the top featherweights in the world but he is in for a challenge with Palaszewski. Hioki does have great submissions but he is coming off a less than stellar split decision victory while Palaszekski is coming off a big time knockout win over Tyson Griffin. Palaszewski has more wins by submission than Hioki (12 to 9) and considerably more by knockout (17 to 4). Even though Hioki will most likely be pumped up fighting in front of his home crowd, I think Palaszewski wins by second round TKO.
Yushin Okami (26-6) vs. Tim Boetsch (14-4): The last time the world saw Yushin Okami, Anderson Silva was demoralizing him in front of a rabid crowd in Rio. Okami has only lost by TKO twice in his career, in that fight with Silva and all the way back in 2003. I don’t think Boetsch knocking him out is worth considering. I think this fight will be pretty straight forward with Okami feeding off the energy from the Japanese crowd and using his wrestling to keep Boetsch down for most of the fight. I think Okami wins a decision.
Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-4-2) vs. Jake Shields (26-6-1): Sexyama and Shields have both been very unimpressive in the UFC. Shields was undefeated for six years entering the UFC and first won a nonsense decision over Martin Kampmann and then had one of the worst fights ever with Georges St-Pierre, losing a boring decision. Then Jake Ellenberger cleaned him out inside of a minute. Akiyama won a very close split decision over Alan Belcher at UFC 100 and has gone on to lose the three fights he’s had since then. Whoever loses most likely is going to have a difficult time staying in the UFC. The fact Shields may have the advantage on the feet says how rough this fight is going to be. Akiyama has also had serious cardio problems every time I’ve seen him so I expect Shields to just outlast him. While Akiyama wins Fight of the Night a lot, he doesn't win a lot. I expect this fight to be boring and Shields will win by decision.
Mark Hunt (7-7) vs. Cheick Kongo (17-6): Hunt is 37 and known for his impressive run in PRIDE, beating Mirko Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva. After a good stretch in PRIDE, Hunt went on a six fight losing streak though he has won his last two. Kongo has heavy hands and good kickboxing. Hunt is also a kickboxer and has only been knocked out once in MMA competition with the rest of his losses coming by way of submission. Luckily Hunt won’t have to worry about submissions here but Kongo has never been knocked out and is going to have a pretty big reach and height advantage over Hunt and that is most likely going to seal Hunt’s fate. Kongo wins by first round knockout.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-9) vs. Ryan Bader (13-2): Bader was working his way towards the top of the light heavyweight division until he faced Jon Jones and got choked out, then faced Tito Ortiz and got choked out. He knocked out Jason Brilz in just over a minute at 139 and is looking to become a contender again. It has been over three years since Rampage knocked anybody out and nobody is really sure just how serious he is about fighting still. It is safe to assume Rampage is going to be pumped about his return to Japan since he was an animal in PRIDE and constantly talks about how those were the best days of his career and how much he loves Japan. People think Bader’s wrestling will help him, but you can’t take Rampage down very easily and people forget Rampage does have good wrestling. The fight isn’t going to the ground, and after we saw Bader get rocked by Tito Ortiz do you really think an inspired Rampage fighting in the place he’s been begging to fight in for ages won’t put him down? Rampage wins by second round knockout.
UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (14-1-1) vs. Ben Henderson (15-2): Every time I see either of these two it always winds up being one of the craziest fights. Henderson’s fight with Anthony Pettis for the WEC Lightweight title was brilliant and his last fight with Clay Guida was an epic that left me tired out just from watching it. Edgar of course won back-to-back fights over BJ Penn, not even losing a single round in their second fight. He then went on to have two of the greatest fights of all time in his second and third bouts with Gray Maynard. I’ve seen every Lightweight Championship fight Frankie Edgar has had and I’ve learned one thing from them: Frankie Edgar can never be counted out. Henderson is a complete fighter and an amazing grappler with wicked submissions, but I can’t see him finishing Edgar. Maybe he gets him with a submission in the championship rounds, but I think it is far more likely that fight goes to decision.
I have a hard time believing that Henderson can finish Edgar if BJ Penn didn’t finish Edgar in two fights and Edgar was fine after the mauling he took at the hands of Gray Maynard in the first round of their last two fights. Also Frankie Edgar never finishes fights aside from laying out Maynard a few months ago so I’m feeling pretty good about this being a decision. Edgar has good wrestling but he most likely will try to keep the fight standing since he is faster and for some reason people can’t figure out his boxing game, and you also don’t want Henderson grappling with you since he’ll do work. Edgar is a small lightweight so Ben Smooth will have a size advantage and Henderson, like Edgar, has tremendous cardio and is going to keep coming for all five rounds. I don’t like this type of speculation before the fight even happens, but this could very well be one of the best fights we will ever see. It should be exciting and a non-stop battle for five rounds. in which Edgar wins a close decision.
So that's what it is. It should be a great show and I'm more pumped for this than I have been for any UFC show in a long time.
Showing posts with label rampage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rampage. Show all posts
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thursday, September 22, 2011
UFC 135 Predictions
Hard to believe that it’s time for another UFC ppv, as it seems like the very exciting UFC 134 just happened. On the surface, UFC 135 does not appear to be on that level. It is a top heavy card, with a really strong main event of wunderkind Jon Jones making his first light heavyweight title defense against veteran and fan favorite Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and a co-main event of Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck that could be really dull or potentially interesting. The rest of the card is hit or miss, since it is short on name fighters and has two heavyweight fights on the main card. That could be disastrous, but at least there is a lightweight fight that could be really good.
Ben Rothwell vs. Mark Hunt: Both men in this heavyweight tilt are veterans, with Rothwell fighting for the first time since winning a decision over Gilbert Yvel in 2010 and Hunt fighting for the first time since blasting Chris Tuscherer out of the UFC earlier this year. Hunt looked pretty good in that fight, weighing close to 100 lbs less than he did in his PRIDE days, when he was an exciting knockout artist susceptible to submisisons. I’ve never been particularly impressed by Rothwell, dude just looks like a schlub. Coming off a long layoff can’t be good for Rothwell, but he has a lot of wins by submission and Hunt is not exactly a world beater. His win over Tuscherer was his first in nearly five years. I’m going to cheer for Hunt to throw down a KO, but it is going to be Rothwell by second round submission.
Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi: This lightweight scrap is my pick for fight of the night. It’s kind of neat, since five years ago Gomi fought Nick Diaz at PRIDE 33 and lost in one of the most exciting battles of all time. Both fighters here have struggled as of late, which I like to blame on the fact that they have both been pitted against wrestlers, which neither of these men are. I expect a fast paced brawl. I’m not sold on Nate Diaz, he is like a less skilled version of Nick. I also don’t know if Gomi is still any good. He was exciting in PRIDE, but has struggled since that organization folded. I do think he has better striking than Nate and if he doesn’t get involved in any grappling exchanges, I think it will be Gomi by decision.
Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton: This heavyweight match pits one guy who I’ve seen knock out Stefan Struve and get dominated by Cheick Kongo (Browne) against someone I’ve never heard of. Browne seems to be someone that the UFC thinks has potential, since he has been up against midlevel competition like Struve and Kongo. I’m just going to guess and say Browne by second round TKO.
Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck: This was originally supposed to be Hughes vs. Diego Sanchez, but Sanchez pulled out last week with an injury and Koscheck stepped up on two weeks notice to take the fight. I think that Hughes had a better shot of winning when it was Sanchez, even if Kos is stepping up on short notice after recovering from an eye injury. I can’t stand Koscheck; he’s obnoxious and cheats, but I respect that he is willing to take on anyone at any time and that shows a certain respect for fans and the sport that is commendable. Sanchez is a small welterweight, Kos is a large one. Kos also has more power than Sanchez and is arguably as good a wrestler as Hughes. Koscheck should also be closer to his prime than Hughes, who has fought roughly a million fights in his career. What makes this fight interesting is the claim that Koscheck has made for years that Hughes has avoided fighting him like the plague. I think in this battle of two wrestlers, most of it will be on the feet. That’s how these things always end up. In this case, Hughes has woeful standup and while Kos’ is overrated, he is still better at it than Hughes. Kos can also take a punch better than Matt, so let’s say Koscheck by second round knockout.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson: Jon Jones will be looking to be the first fighter since Machida in 2009 to successfully defend the light heavyweight belt while Rampage looks to become only the second two-time champ in the division’s history. For Jackson, this is in all likelihood his last shot at UFC gold. He’s been around a while and with a burgeoning movie career and newer, more dynamic fighters coming up his chances of getting to the top again are slim. For Jones, this is the chance to solidify himself as the best 205er in the world and not just someone who pummeled a crippled Shogun to win the belt. While I would tilt the odds heavily towards Jones in this fight, I wouldn’t count Rampage out. Jones will have a significant reach, size, and speed advantage over the lumbering Jackson. I would say Rampage has better boxing and footwork, as well as arguably more power in his strikes. Jones, while dynamic, doesn’t really set his feet and blast people. Quinton has some of the best boxing in MMA and can crush someone with his hooks or uppercuts. Jones has great trips, throws, and takedowns but Rampage will easily have the best takedown defense of anyone Jones has faced. What favors Jones is that Rampage is too one dimensional. He doesn’t go for takedowns or the slams that were a trademark of his PRIDE days. He is content to stuff takedowns and box. He is going to have to be more active if he wants to win and fight in a fashion similar to his fight with Machida last year. I think that something else working in his favor is that Jones is the most arrogant fighter not named Anderson Silva and unlike Jones, Silva has earned that right to be arrogant. There is a chance he is overlooking Rampage or gets too cocky and gets sloppy. The best way for Jones to win would be to take either the Forrest Griffin or Rashad Evans route by keeping distance and utilizing leg kicks or by grinding away in the clinch as opposed to getting into any firefights with Jackson. I’ll be cheering for Rampage, but I think that realistically he has about a 25% chance of winning this fight. I think that Machida is the best stylistically to beat Jones and will be the first one to do it, but that won’t stop me from rooting for Jackson. I do think that Jones grinds out a decision or possibly 4th round TKO.
As always, feel free to share your predictions in the comment section or on my facebook page.
Ben Rothwell vs. Mark Hunt: Both men in this heavyweight tilt are veterans, with Rothwell fighting for the first time since winning a decision over Gilbert Yvel in 2010 and Hunt fighting for the first time since blasting Chris Tuscherer out of the UFC earlier this year. Hunt looked pretty good in that fight, weighing close to 100 lbs less than he did in his PRIDE days, when he was an exciting knockout artist susceptible to submisisons. I’ve never been particularly impressed by Rothwell, dude just looks like a schlub. Coming off a long layoff can’t be good for Rothwell, but he has a lot of wins by submission and Hunt is not exactly a world beater. His win over Tuscherer was his first in nearly five years. I’m going to cheer for Hunt to throw down a KO, but it is going to be Rothwell by second round submission.
Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi: This lightweight scrap is my pick for fight of the night. It’s kind of neat, since five years ago Gomi fought Nick Diaz at PRIDE 33 and lost in one of the most exciting battles of all time. Both fighters here have struggled as of late, which I like to blame on the fact that they have both been pitted against wrestlers, which neither of these men are. I expect a fast paced brawl. I’m not sold on Nate Diaz, he is like a less skilled version of Nick. I also don’t know if Gomi is still any good. He was exciting in PRIDE, but has struggled since that organization folded. I do think he has better striking than Nate and if he doesn’t get involved in any grappling exchanges, I think it will be Gomi by decision.
Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton: This heavyweight match pits one guy who I’ve seen knock out Stefan Struve and get dominated by Cheick Kongo (Browne) against someone I’ve never heard of. Browne seems to be someone that the UFC thinks has potential, since he has been up against midlevel competition like Struve and Kongo. I’m just going to guess and say Browne by second round TKO.
Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck: This was originally supposed to be Hughes vs. Diego Sanchez, but Sanchez pulled out last week with an injury and Koscheck stepped up on two weeks notice to take the fight. I think that Hughes had a better shot of winning when it was Sanchez, even if Kos is stepping up on short notice after recovering from an eye injury. I can’t stand Koscheck; he’s obnoxious and cheats, but I respect that he is willing to take on anyone at any time and that shows a certain respect for fans and the sport that is commendable. Sanchez is a small welterweight, Kos is a large one. Kos also has more power than Sanchez and is arguably as good a wrestler as Hughes. Koscheck should also be closer to his prime than Hughes, who has fought roughly a million fights in his career. What makes this fight interesting is the claim that Koscheck has made for years that Hughes has avoided fighting him like the plague. I think in this battle of two wrestlers, most of it will be on the feet. That’s how these things always end up. In this case, Hughes has woeful standup and while Kos’ is overrated, he is still better at it than Hughes. Kos can also take a punch better than Matt, so let’s say Koscheck by second round knockout.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson: Jon Jones will be looking to be the first fighter since Machida in 2009 to successfully defend the light heavyweight belt while Rampage looks to become only the second two-time champ in the division’s history. For Jackson, this is in all likelihood his last shot at UFC gold. He’s been around a while and with a burgeoning movie career and newer, more dynamic fighters coming up his chances of getting to the top again are slim. For Jones, this is the chance to solidify himself as the best 205er in the world and not just someone who pummeled a crippled Shogun to win the belt. While I would tilt the odds heavily towards Jones in this fight, I wouldn’t count Rampage out. Jones will have a significant reach, size, and speed advantage over the lumbering Jackson. I would say Rampage has better boxing and footwork, as well as arguably more power in his strikes. Jones, while dynamic, doesn’t really set his feet and blast people. Quinton has some of the best boxing in MMA and can crush someone with his hooks or uppercuts. Jones has great trips, throws, and takedowns but Rampage will easily have the best takedown defense of anyone Jones has faced. What favors Jones is that Rampage is too one dimensional. He doesn’t go for takedowns or the slams that were a trademark of his PRIDE days. He is content to stuff takedowns and box. He is going to have to be more active if he wants to win and fight in a fashion similar to his fight with Machida last year. I think that something else working in his favor is that Jones is the most arrogant fighter not named Anderson Silva and unlike Jones, Silva has earned that right to be arrogant. There is a chance he is overlooking Rampage or gets too cocky and gets sloppy. The best way for Jones to win would be to take either the Forrest Griffin or Rashad Evans route by keeping distance and utilizing leg kicks or by grinding away in the clinch as opposed to getting into any firefights with Jackson. I’ll be cheering for Rampage, but I think that realistically he has about a 25% chance of winning this fight. I think that Machida is the best stylistically to beat Jones and will be the first one to do it, but that won’t stop me from rooting for Jackson. I do think that Jones grinds out a decision or possibly 4th round TKO.
As always, feel free to share your predictions in the comment section or on my facebook page.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Will those of us who pick Rampage regret it?
“Do you really want to be on the wrong side of history?”
That was a question my brother once posed when we were discussing how silly it was people were going to vote for John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008. Obama was clearly going to win and with his priorities on the economy over the war he seemed like a more logical choice than McCain, but some people seemed to think McCain was the one. Of course this isn’t a political blog, but the question still holds a lot of weight in everything from politics to sports.
This Saturday is UFC 135 and features one of the most intriguing and exciting main events the Ultimate Fighting Championship will probably ever have. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones defends his title against Quentin “Rampage” Jackson. Rampage is looking to become only the second man to be a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and Bones Jones is looking to continue his quest to become the greatest talent mixed martial arts has ever seen. Predictions for the show will undoubtedly come later in the week, but I’ll state right now I both think and hope Rampage Jackson will lay out Jones to regain his belt. It is with that prediction I step back and think of Jimmy’s question: Do you really want to be on the wrong side of history?
I think of that question and I think of Michael Jordan. MJ is the undisputed greatest athlete in the history of any sport ever. Six championships in eight years, which could have easily been eight straight or even nine straight had he not retired, make him the leader of one of the NBA’s all time great dynasties. I think of how the Bulls made the 1991 NBA Finals and critics said Jordan was too selfish to win a title, but then he went out and the Bulls effectively ended Magic Johnson and the Lakers to become champs. I think of the 1992 NBA Finals in which people said Clyde Drexler was on Jordan’s level and the Portland Trailblazers could stop the Bulls from repeating as champions. I think of how in Game 1 Jordan scores 36 first half points and simply shrugs, cementing his place as the best in the world and Drexler’s inferiority. They won the title that year too, and again next year against a tough Phoenix Suns team people thought could give the Bulls a run for their money.
I think of the last two championships the Chicago Bulls won, in 1997 and 1998, and how there were people who really thought the Utah Jazz could beat them. In ’97 Jordan put on one of the two greatest performances in the history of the NBA when he scored 38 points in Game 5 despite being sick as hell and eventually propelled Chicago to a Game 6 championship win. Of course in 1998 age and injures slowed the Bulls big time, but they had one weapon no other team had: Michael fucking Jordan. In Game 6 Jordan puts on the other one of the two greatest performances in NBA history as the Bulls win title number six. Now I’m sure somebody is wondering why I just gave this longwinded explanation of the Bulls title wins. I’ll get to that.
Now we have Jon Jones. He is an incredible athletic specimen. He’s in great shape; he’s got great speed and great strength. His wrestling is good and his striking has proven to be vicious. If you’ve ever seen him fight then you’ve heard commentators Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg hype Jones up as the guy who very likely may go down as the greatest fighter ever. He has looked like a juggernaut in his first 14 fights, with his only loss coming after an illegal elbow during the midst of demolishing Matt Hamill. Jones has 8 wins by way of knockout and 3 by submission. Everybody he has faced has been beaten and beaten badly. And he is very young, so as he gets older and moves closer to his prime he’s only getting better. It is because of this that I start to wonder if I’m making the right pick.
But there is a chance I’m not wrong. When you look at the list of people Jones has beaten, it isn’t particularly impressive. His big standout win is the one over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the championship, but once you get past the surface the win isn’t that impressive. Shogun’s legs were badly hobbled going into the fight and he looked to be in piss poor shape. He had no stamina and no lower half of his leg and clearly had no chance. Of course I went against history and picked Shogun to win because he was amazing back in the day, but that’s not the case anymore. I was in denial at the time and thought he could slow down Jones’ meteoric rise to the top. Whoops.
Shogun’s injuries proved to be too much for him to overcome and he shouldn’t have even been in the octagon fighting. Jones completely overwhelmed him en route to becoming champion. A win over a legend like Shogun Rua makes your legacy, but when you realize Rua was in no condition to even fight it weakens the moment. Jones fought sloppy in that fight and Rua took his back on several occasions, Rua was so small and weak he couldn’t capitalize. That right there serves as my hope that I’m not betting against history by picking Rampage Jackson this Saturday.
If Jones gets inside, tries one of those spinning elbows, and Rampage ends up taking his back he won’t just hold Jones there like Shogun did. Rampage is well known for once having devastating slams, and with the title on the line in such a big moment, I doubt he’d forget about using them. Rampage also has devastating boxing, with an uppercut that could stop a train. Jones has never been hit so we have no idea what his chin is like. If Rampage belts him in the jaw, Jones could very likely be taking a nap. But that’s when I stop and think.
What about those people who said Jordan was too selfish to win in ’91? What about the people who said Drexler could take Jordan off his throne in ’92? What about people who thought Charles Barkley and the Suns could stop the Bulls from getting the historic “three-peat” in 1993? The 1996 Bulls were the greatest team ever so there was no real doubt, but what about the people in ’97 and ’98 who thought John Stockton, Karl Malone, and their coach Jerry Sloan were destined to finally become NBA Champions? Imagine how foolish all of those doubters must have felt by the end of June in 1998. They must have felt like the biggest assholes ever since here they were constantly betting against a guy who ended up being the greatest basketball player of all time.
For the second straight fight now, I’m betting against the fighter who could potentially go down as the best. But Jones has yet to beat a real fighter in prime condition so who knows if the hype is deserved. Of course if Rampage loses a lot of people will say it is because he’s past his prime, but he’s still near the top of the division so should Jones win he’s still proven himself. And if Jones wins I once again have to sit here with egg on my face and claim to know and understand the sport but for some reason keep picking wrong when it comes to the new golden boy. With the potential happiness I’ll feel if I see Rampage Jackson land a few big punches, howl, and become the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, I will take the chance.
That was a question my brother once posed when we were discussing how silly it was people were going to vote for John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008. Obama was clearly going to win and with his priorities on the economy over the war he seemed like a more logical choice than McCain, but some people seemed to think McCain was the one. Of course this isn’t a political blog, but the question still holds a lot of weight in everything from politics to sports.
This Saturday is UFC 135 and features one of the most intriguing and exciting main events the Ultimate Fighting Championship will probably ever have. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones defends his title against Quentin “Rampage” Jackson. Rampage is looking to become only the second man to be a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and Bones Jones is looking to continue his quest to become the greatest talent mixed martial arts has ever seen. Predictions for the show will undoubtedly come later in the week, but I’ll state right now I both think and hope Rampage Jackson will lay out Jones to regain his belt. It is with that prediction I step back and think of Jimmy’s question: Do you really want to be on the wrong side of history?
I think of that question and I think of Michael Jordan. MJ is the undisputed greatest athlete in the history of any sport ever. Six championships in eight years, which could have easily been eight straight or even nine straight had he not retired, make him the leader of one of the NBA’s all time great dynasties. I think of how the Bulls made the 1991 NBA Finals and critics said Jordan was too selfish to win a title, but then he went out and the Bulls effectively ended Magic Johnson and the Lakers to become champs. I think of the 1992 NBA Finals in which people said Clyde Drexler was on Jordan’s level and the Portland Trailblazers could stop the Bulls from repeating as champions. I think of how in Game 1 Jordan scores 36 first half points and simply shrugs, cementing his place as the best in the world and Drexler’s inferiority. They won the title that year too, and again next year against a tough Phoenix Suns team people thought could give the Bulls a run for their money.
I think of the last two championships the Chicago Bulls won, in 1997 and 1998, and how there were people who really thought the Utah Jazz could beat them. In ’97 Jordan put on one of the two greatest performances in the history of the NBA when he scored 38 points in Game 5 despite being sick as hell and eventually propelled Chicago to a Game 6 championship win. Of course in 1998 age and injures slowed the Bulls big time, but they had one weapon no other team had: Michael fucking Jordan. In Game 6 Jordan puts on the other one of the two greatest performances in NBA history as the Bulls win title number six. Now I’m sure somebody is wondering why I just gave this longwinded explanation of the Bulls title wins. I’ll get to that.
Now we have Jon Jones. He is an incredible athletic specimen. He’s in great shape; he’s got great speed and great strength. His wrestling is good and his striking has proven to be vicious. If you’ve ever seen him fight then you’ve heard commentators Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg hype Jones up as the guy who very likely may go down as the greatest fighter ever. He has looked like a juggernaut in his first 14 fights, with his only loss coming after an illegal elbow during the midst of demolishing Matt Hamill. Jones has 8 wins by way of knockout and 3 by submission. Everybody he has faced has been beaten and beaten badly. And he is very young, so as he gets older and moves closer to his prime he’s only getting better. It is because of this that I start to wonder if I’m making the right pick.
But there is a chance I’m not wrong. When you look at the list of people Jones has beaten, it isn’t particularly impressive. His big standout win is the one over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the championship, but once you get past the surface the win isn’t that impressive. Shogun’s legs were badly hobbled going into the fight and he looked to be in piss poor shape. He had no stamina and no lower half of his leg and clearly had no chance. Of course I went against history and picked Shogun to win because he was amazing back in the day, but that’s not the case anymore. I was in denial at the time and thought he could slow down Jones’ meteoric rise to the top. Whoops.
Shogun’s injuries proved to be too much for him to overcome and he shouldn’t have even been in the octagon fighting. Jones completely overwhelmed him en route to becoming champion. A win over a legend like Shogun Rua makes your legacy, but when you realize Rua was in no condition to even fight it weakens the moment. Jones fought sloppy in that fight and Rua took his back on several occasions, Rua was so small and weak he couldn’t capitalize. That right there serves as my hope that I’m not betting against history by picking Rampage Jackson this Saturday.
If Jones gets inside, tries one of those spinning elbows, and Rampage ends up taking his back he won’t just hold Jones there like Shogun did. Rampage is well known for once having devastating slams, and with the title on the line in such a big moment, I doubt he’d forget about using them. Rampage also has devastating boxing, with an uppercut that could stop a train. Jones has never been hit so we have no idea what his chin is like. If Rampage belts him in the jaw, Jones could very likely be taking a nap. But that’s when I stop and think.
What about those people who said Jordan was too selfish to win in ’91? What about the people who said Drexler could take Jordan off his throne in ’92? What about people who thought Charles Barkley and the Suns could stop the Bulls from getting the historic “three-peat” in 1993? The 1996 Bulls were the greatest team ever so there was no real doubt, but what about the people in ’97 and ’98 who thought John Stockton, Karl Malone, and their coach Jerry Sloan were destined to finally become NBA Champions? Imagine how foolish all of those doubters must have felt by the end of June in 1998. They must have felt like the biggest assholes ever since here they were constantly betting against a guy who ended up being the greatest basketball player of all time.
For the second straight fight now, I’m betting against the fighter who could potentially go down as the best. But Jones has yet to beat a real fighter in prime condition so who knows if the hype is deserved. Of course if Rampage loses a lot of people will say it is because he’s past his prime, but he’s still near the top of the division so should Jones win he’s still proven himself. And if Jones wins I once again have to sit here with egg on my face and claim to know and understand the sport but for some reason keep picking wrong when it comes to the new golden boy. With the potential happiness I’ll feel if I see Rampage Jackson land a few big punches, howl, and become the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, I will take the chance.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
One Final Rampage
At UFC 135 this Saturday, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson gets what will likely be his last shot at reclaiming the UFC Light Heavyweight Title when he faces the future of the division in Jon Jones. Coming into this as a heavy underdog, Rampage is going to have to pull off the performance of a lifetime to win. It would have to be a performance no one can really be sure he is capable of.
Since his beginnings in PRIDE, Rampage has always been near the top of the 205 lb. division. He entered the sport with solid wrestling and vicious slams and evolved his striking until he became one of the best strikers in all of MMA. If you watch him strike, his footwork and head movement are excellent by MMA standards and he can throw his hooks and uppercuts with great power and force. While Rampage has always had the tools to be a great fighter, he doesn’t always manage to put them together consistently. Two things have held Rampage back throughout his career: a lack of focus and an increasingly unevolved gameplan in his fights.
Rampage can be a bit of a goofball, to the point of inhibiting his effectiveness as a fighter. You can go on youtube and see an enormous amounts of clips of him doing stuff like humping a reporter’s leg, motorboating in a reporter’s cleavage, or just go off on random obscenity laced jokes about his opponents. It seems like some of this takes away from his training and preparation for fights. Look at the Rashad Evans fight - if Rampage hadn’t ballooned to 250+ pounds before that fight and had taken it more seriously, he wouldn’t have gassed out early and could have finished the fight in the third round. His loss to Forrest Griffin is another example. He took Forrest lightly and showed up for the fight out of shape. He ended up losing a decision, even though he landed the more powerful blows, because Forrest outworked him. In PRIDE, he went through a slump where he won an unimpressive decision over Ninja Rua and then followed it up by being on the receiving end of a mauling from Shogun Rua. When Rampage focuses, he does much better.
Both of his wins over Chuck Liddell show this. When they faced off in the 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix, Rampage pounded the Iceman with relentless takedowns and ground and pound, as well as boxing. He ended up winning the fight by TKO when Liddell’s corner threw in the towel to prevent any more damage. Their rematch in the UFC also showed what happens when he takes a fight seriously. He locked into Liddell’s timing and blasted him with a hook that began the end of Chuck’s career. His UFC 92 rematch with Wanderlei Silva was a fight where Rampage had something to prove. He was able to make up for the two prior brutal losses to Silva by crushing him with a hook in the first round that absolutely pasted the Axe Murderer.
While those two knockout wins showcase his striking prowess, too often Rampage has been content to go into fights looking merely to box. In the Griffin fight he was standing still, looking to land knockout blows and ended up paying the price by eating a ton of leg kicks and ended up on his back a few times. In the Evans fight, he was looking to brawl and ended up pinned against the cage for the bulk of the night. Even in wins against Jardine and Hamill, he was far too content to shrug off takedown attempts and stand and box. Even while boxing he isn’t very active; he just looks to throw and not really push any pace. As he has gotten older and slower, he has become far too easy to plan for and against. Leg kicks and a fast pace, as well as some clinch work and keeping your hands up to block the hands are really all that is needed to win against Rampage on most nights.
When Rampage is active, moves around, and mixes it up he fairs much better. His win over Dan Henderson was a classic example. He wasn’t going to be able to KO Hendo (its just never been done), so he was forced to mix it up. He was able to reverse off his back, shoot for and land takedowns, and fight in the clinch. It was one of the more well rounded showings in his entire career, and definitely his most all around effort in the UFC. His November win against Machida, while questionable, still showed a better Rampage than the one that lost to Evans. He moved more, played the aggressor, and didn’t just stand around. He also went for takedowns and even put in an attempt at a slam. If that Rampage shows up every time, he easily wins the bulk of his fights. He’s just too strong and talented to lose lackluster decisions that come from him being plodding.
PRIDE-era Rampage was never called out for being one dimensional or inactive. Over there, he was using a wide range of throws and merciless ground and pound to overwhelm people. If he was trapped in a bad situation, he was willing to just use brute force to escape. Evidence of that can be seen when he slammed Ricardo Arona with the force of a car crash. To succeed against Jon Jones, he is going to have to tap into his arsenal and take advantage of both his experience and raw strength.
By all accounts, Rampage is taking this fight very seriously, much more so than he has since the Silva fight. If that is the case, Jones could be in trouble. He’s young, extremely gifted, but brash. Rampage is easily the toughest challenge of his young career. Even an unmotivated Jackson is extremely difficult to finish; in fact, both of his losses in the UFC were by decision and he hasn’t been finished since that aforementioned drubbing from Shogun Rua in 2005. His boxing is more powerful and technically sound than Jones’ and when combined with some intensity from Jackson, that could make for a long night. However, Jones runs out of a better, more varied camp (Greg Jackson’s as opposed to the one-dimensional Wolfslair) and has constantly improved with every fight while Rampage has seemed to stagnate over the past few years. Either way, this Saturday will show whether Jones really is deserving of the fawning he has received from MMA fans the past few years by beating one of the toughest men in the sport or if Rampage has enough left in him to do what legends like Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz have never done: reclaim the UFC Light Heavyweight Title.
Since his beginnings in PRIDE, Rampage has always been near the top of the 205 lb. division. He entered the sport with solid wrestling and vicious slams and evolved his striking until he became one of the best strikers in all of MMA. If you watch him strike, his footwork and head movement are excellent by MMA standards and he can throw his hooks and uppercuts with great power and force. While Rampage has always had the tools to be a great fighter, he doesn’t always manage to put them together consistently. Two things have held Rampage back throughout his career: a lack of focus and an increasingly unevolved gameplan in his fights.
Rampage can be a bit of a goofball, to the point of inhibiting his effectiveness as a fighter. You can go on youtube and see an enormous amounts of clips of him doing stuff like humping a reporter’s leg, motorboating in a reporter’s cleavage, or just go off on random obscenity laced jokes about his opponents. It seems like some of this takes away from his training and preparation for fights. Look at the Rashad Evans fight - if Rampage hadn’t ballooned to 250+ pounds before that fight and had taken it more seriously, he wouldn’t have gassed out early and could have finished the fight in the third round. His loss to Forrest Griffin is another example. He took Forrest lightly and showed up for the fight out of shape. He ended up losing a decision, even though he landed the more powerful blows, because Forrest outworked him. In PRIDE, he went through a slump where he won an unimpressive decision over Ninja Rua and then followed it up by being on the receiving end of a mauling from Shogun Rua. When Rampage focuses, he does much better.
Both of his wins over Chuck Liddell show this. When they faced off in the 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix, Rampage pounded the Iceman with relentless takedowns and ground and pound, as well as boxing. He ended up winning the fight by TKO when Liddell’s corner threw in the towel to prevent any more damage. Their rematch in the UFC also showed what happens when he takes a fight seriously. He locked into Liddell’s timing and blasted him with a hook that began the end of Chuck’s career. His UFC 92 rematch with Wanderlei Silva was a fight where Rampage had something to prove. He was able to make up for the two prior brutal losses to Silva by crushing him with a hook in the first round that absolutely pasted the Axe Murderer.
While those two knockout wins showcase his striking prowess, too often Rampage has been content to go into fights looking merely to box. In the Griffin fight he was standing still, looking to land knockout blows and ended up paying the price by eating a ton of leg kicks and ended up on his back a few times. In the Evans fight, he was looking to brawl and ended up pinned against the cage for the bulk of the night. Even in wins against Jardine and Hamill, he was far too content to shrug off takedown attempts and stand and box. Even while boxing he isn’t very active; he just looks to throw and not really push any pace. As he has gotten older and slower, he has become far too easy to plan for and against. Leg kicks and a fast pace, as well as some clinch work and keeping your hands up to block the hands are really all that is needed to win against Rampage on most nights.
When Rampage is active, moves around, and mixes it up he fairs much better. His win over Dan Henderson was a classic example. He wasn’t going to be able to KO Hendo (its just never been done), so he was forced to mix it up. He was able to reverse off his back, shoot for and land takedowns, and fight in the clinch. It was one of the more well rounded showings in his entire career, and definitely his most all around effort in the UFC. His November win against Machida, while questionable, still showed a better Rampage than the one that lost to Evans. He moved more, played the aggressor, and didn’t just stand around. He also went for takedowns and even put in an attempt at a slam. If that Rampage shows up every time, he easily wins the bulk of his fights. He’s just too strong and talented to lose lackluster decisions that come from him being plodding.
PRIDE-era Rampage was never called out for being one dimensional or inactive. Over there, he was using a wide range of throws and merciless ground and pound to overwhelm people. If he was trapped in a bad situation, he was willing to just use brute force to escape. Evidence of that can be seen when he slammed Ricardo Arona with the force of a car crash. To succeed against Jon Jones, he is going to have to tap into his arsenal and take advantage of both his experience and raw strength.
By all accounts, Rampage is taking this fight very seriously, much more so than he has since the Silva fight. If that is the case, Jones could be in trouble. He’s young, extremely gifted, but brash. Rampage is easily the toughest challenge of his young career. Even an unmotivated Jackson is extremely difficult to finish; in fact, both of his losses in the UFC were by decision and he hasn’t been finished since that aforementioned drubbing from Shogun Rua in 2005. His boxing is more powerful and technically sound than Jones’ and when combined with some intensity from Jackson, that could make for a long night. However, Jones runs out of a better, more varied camp (Greg Jackson’s as opposed to the one-dimensional Wolfslair) and has constantly improved with every fight while Rampage has seemed to stagnate over the past few years. Either way, this Saturday will show whether Jones really is deserving of the fawning he has received from MMA fans the past few years by beating one of the toughest men in the sport or if Rampage has enough left in him to do what legends like Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz have never done: reclaim the UFC Light Heavyweight Title.
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