STRIKEFORCE: Lawler vs Shields Preview

June 6, 2009 in St.Lous, Missouri at Scottrade Center


Robbie Lawlers vs Jake Shields

Robbie Lawler (16-4) is one of the best strikers in the middleweight division. Currently ranked #4 on Sherdogs Middleweight Rankings, Lawler is on a 5 fight win streak where he has finished each of his opponents with strikes.

For Lawler to win he must avoid Shields' take downs and finish the fight before his opponent can be successful in dragging him to the mat.

Jake Shields (22-4-1) is the last welterweight champion of EliteXC. He is currently riding a 11 win streak, finishing his last fights by submission.

For Shields to win he has to get the match on the ground. He has quick transitions which will let him get superior position in seconds so that he can finish the fight. He has to avoid staying in a stand up battle for long and really needs to time his take downs just right.

Prediction: Lawler by TKO
This is a hardcore grappler vs striker match up that could go either way depending on where the fight takes place. The edge goes to Lawler as his takedown defense should be able to buy him enough time to finish Shields who is willing to exchange on the feet.


Andrei Arlovski vs Brett Rogers

Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-6) looked great in his WAMMA Heavyweight Championship fight againist Fedor Emelianenko. He was winning the first round with brilliant striking until he made a fatal mistake and was finished by Emelianenko.

For Arlovski to win he just to avoid Rogers powerful strikes. Arlovski has great movement and brilliant boxing abilities. He should be able to dodge the heavy hands of Rogers while countering with some great strikes. If Rogers gets close Arlovski can easily clinch and use his Sambo skills to take him down.

Brett “The Grim” Rogers (9-0) is a powerful up and coming star. He has finished all his opponents with strikes but now he has a daunting challenge as he is fighting one of the top 10 heavyweights in the world.

For Rogers to win he just has to land one good punch on the chin of Arlovski. It may be a daunting task but if he can close the gap and avoid any clinch battles with Arlovski he can get that highleet reel knock out.

Prediction: Arlovski by KO
Arlovski boxing game is top notch. As long as Arlovski doesn't get cocky and decided to go for a flying knee or some suicidal finishing move he should be able to finish Rogers.


Nick Diaz vs Scott Smith

Nick “Bad Boy” Diaz (19-7) comes off a dominate win against MMA legend Frank Shamrock this passed April. He is a UFC veteran and has fought in many organizations around the globe.

For Diaz to win he has to make no costly mistakes. All the advantages belong to Diaz as he is a better striker and grappler than Smith. His boxing is technically sound but to make sure that Smith doesn't get lucky with one of those "hands of steel" he should try to get the match on the mat where he can definitely win against Smith either by submission or ground and pound.

Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (16-5) is a powerful brawler that seems to lack any grace. He was nearly finished in his last fight against Benji Radach but with some luck he was able to pull of some powerful strikes in the 3rd to knock out Radach.

For Smith to win he'll need improved movement to avoid the strikes of Diaz. He also has to avoid all take down attempts as he will be in a huge disadvantage on the mat. His best chance is to keep it standing and get close so he can force Diaz into a brawl and not a boxing match.

Prediction: Nick Diaz by TKO
Diaz is going to win this one on the ground. There is no doubt that he will either be successful with a take down or that one of his strikes will put Smith to the mat.


Phil Baroni vs Joe Riggs

Phil “New York Bad Ass” Baroni (13-10) is a former amateur boxer and kickboxer. He is currently riding a 3 fight win streak.

For Baroni to win he has to use his striking skills to score on the cards. He also has to avoid mat battles, which shouldn't be too hard considering Riggs isn't the grappling type.

Joe “Diesel” Riggs (29-10) is a former WEC Middleweight Champion and contender for the UFC Welterweight title. His last match was in November 2008 where he defeated Luke Stewart by TKO in the 2nd round.

For Riggs to win he has to avoid gassing and take advanatage of any opportunity for a ground and pound.

Prediction: Riggs by TKO
I'll be honest I just want to see Phil Baroni get his ass kicked after I saw this picture of him;



Now tell me that guy doesn't deserve to get punched in the face a couple of times.


Kevin Randleman vs Mike Whitehead

Kevin “Monster” Randleman (17-12)

For Randleman to win

Mike Whitehead (23-7)

For Whitehead to win

Prediction:

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This is going to be a great event. An oppurtunity

UFC 98: Evans vs Machida in Review

Holy fucking shit UFC 98 had to be one of the best events UFC has thrown in awhile. There were some great battles and powerful hits through out the night.

My picks were pretty shitty though. I was only right on 2 of my 5 picks.

Anyways this is how the night went.

Sean Sherk vs Frank Edgar - Edgar by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Sherk got worked this match. Instead of making this a grappling competition he decided to make it a boxing match where he got dominated. Edgar was able to use his reach brilliantly to counter all the looping hands of Sherk while avoiding taking any hits. One of the biggest flaws of Sherk's game plan was not threatening any takedowns. This let Edgar keep his feet planted to improve his striking with no fear of being taken to the mat.

This victory has put Edgar a win or 2 away from title contention for the lightweight belt.

Dan Miller vs Chael Sonnen - Sonnen by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

This was a pretty one sided battle. Sonnen just repeatedly took down Miller and pounded him from the guard. Miller went for a few submissions from the bottom including 2 guillotines that left him gassed. Miller must have had a shitty training camp for this battle since he didn't even attempt to sweep from the guard or do anything really. This was the end of Millers 10 win fight streak and it was a dominate end to it.


Drew McFedries vs Xavier Foupa-Pokam - McFedries by TKO at 0:37 of Round 1

Talk about a quick fight. Fans were barely able to take a sip from their beers before McFedries started landing strikes on Foupa-Pokam. Within seconds of the opening round McFedries landed this huge leaning right hook that hit Foupa-Pokam square on the chin. From that moment Foupa-Pokam was wobbly and unable to defend himself as McFedries continued to land powerful right punches that kept his opponent from being able to fight back. This definitely would have won Knock Out of the Night honors if it weren't for the Evans vs Machida bout.

Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra - Hughes by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

This match should have happened a while time ago but still it was very entertaining fight to watch. This one definitely earned Fight of the Night honors.

It was a close battle in which Serra dominated the stand up while Hughes dominated the ground. Unfortunately the match up was mostly on the ground. Serra was successful in the 1st and 3rd round with strikes, especially in the first stunning Hughes with some brutal hits after an inadvertent head butt. However this match was all about Hughes amazing take downs as he was successful in getting Serra to the mat in all 4 of his attempts.

Rashad Evans vs Lyoto Machida - Machida by KO at 3:57 of Round 2


Animated Gif courtesy of MMATKO

Wow this is one of the most brutal knock outs to ever occur in the octagon. Those hits by Machida had Evans out on his feet. Evans may have appeared to be fighting back but there is little doubt that he was done after the first hit. When he was pressed against the cage it was game over as Machida landed two right hooks to Evans chin before stepping back and landing a short left that made Evans crumble to the ground.

Machida has often been criticized for being too defensive of fighter since he always backs away from his opponents, striking and running. However this match shows that Machida is even more dangerous when he presses forward. Machida earned the light heavyweight belt and Knock Out of the Night honors.

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This event has definitely changed the atmosphere of the UFC.

The Lightweight division rankings were rocked when Sherk was dominated by Edgar.

Will the welterweight division see a return of Matt Hughes?

And to quote Joe Rogan, "The era of Machida has begun." Who will be able to end the era and take the belt from the karate master, Lyoto Machida?

UFC 98: Evans vs Machida Preview

UFC 98 has definitely had some setbacks. Houston Alexander, Yushin Okami, James Irvin, and Josh Koscheck were all scheduled to fight in this event but all pulled out due to injury.

The biggest injury was suffered by Frank Mir as his title unification bout with Brock Lesner was originally set to be the main event of this evening.

Instead of the heavyweight championship battle we will have a battle of the undefeated between Lyoto "the dragon" Machida and Rashad "sugar" Evans for the Light Heavyweight belt. Which is a pretty damn good replacement.

Lets get to this and describe the match ups and who will come out on top.


Rashad Evans vs Lyoto Machida

Rashad Evans (13 - 0 - 1) has had an amazing run in the UFC going undefeated on a path straight to the belt. While many fans and critics said his knock out win against Liddel was luck he quickly proved his abilities when he was able to finish Griffin for the title.

For Evans to win he is going to have to use his speed to try and get the pressure on Machida. This is going to be difficult considering Machida's ability to dart around the cage. His best bet is to use his speed during clinch moments with Machida to land short hooks, uppercuts, or elbows. Evans should also try and get the match to the ground which will be difficult but if he can do it then he will be able to land powerful strikes that could end Machida.

Lyoto Machida (14 - 0) is a ghost in the cage. He has the supernatural ability to avoid taking any damage from opponents while he picks them apart. This man is so good at avoiding damage while dealing it he has yet to lose a single round in the UFC.

For Machida to win he just has to do what he does. His fighting style will keep him from avoiding big risks and if he can guard takedowns like he did in his match againist Ortiz, Evans will have a hard time of winning rounds.

Prediction: Lyoto Machida by Unanimous Decision
Expect the first 2 rounds to be slow as both fighters will feel each other out. Machida will do what he does best in avoiding damage while landing hits here and there. The biggest factor will be cardio, neither fighters has gone the distance in a 5 round war, and in the later rounds fatigue could lead into either fighter getting KO. However Machida is a ghost, Evans will have a hard time touching him.


Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra

Matt Hughes (42 - 7) is the American country boy that everyone loved but soon hated after his two ventures coaching on TUF. He hasn't fought June 2008 where he was knocked out by Thiago Alves.

For Hughes to win he will have to avoid Serra's powerful strikes. Hughes is a heavy favorite the only real concern is how his age has hurt his game? Will his takedowns be as quick as they once were?

Matt Serra (9 - 5) once defeated Georges St-Pierre to claim the welterweight title but lost it in his first defense which was a rematch with Pierre. That was the last fight he fought which was also a year ago in April 2008.

For Serra to win he is going to need excellent sprawl to avoid the takedowns. His Jiu Jitsu skills better be top notch in case the match does go to ground to prevent Hughes from transitioning positions. Serra should avoid going for submissions unless he is in a dominant position and should focus to keep the match standing and on getting a strong hit that will finish Hughes.

Prediction: Matt Hughes by Decision
Matt Hughes is the better fighter. He may not be as explosive as he once was but his wrestling techniques and stand up ability will surely win him the points. He is sure to get numerous take downs through out the three rounds which will win him the fight.


Drew McFedries vs Xavier Foupa-Pokam

Drew McFedries (7 - 5) is the reason that Thales Leites got a title shot against Anderson Silva. For some odd reason the UFC saw Leites submission victory over McFedries as an indicator that he could be competition against Silva. Never mind the fact that McFedries always seems to lost ground battles.

For McFedries to win he will have to close the range between him and Pokam and use his powerful strikes to score points or even a KO. He definitely has the power in his hands to do so but it will be a difficult task against a skillful kick boxer like Pokam.

Xavier Foupa-Pokam (20 - 9) is replacing James Irvin in this match up. He has had only one previous match in the UFC, a decision loss to Dennis Kang at UFC 97.

For Foupa-Pokam to win he will have to use his superior kickboxing ability to strike from a distance negating McFedries boxing. If and when the opportunity presents itself Pokam should definitely take this match to the ground where McFedies has shown no ability to defend himself.

Prediction: Pokam by TKO
Pokam definitely has both ground and striking advantages. The biggest question is his turn around times between fights. Having fought 5 weeks prior to UFC 98 it is hard to say whether he has sufficient time for a training camp. Still he has all the ability to win this match and should be considered the favorite.


Dan Miller Vs. Chael Sonnen

Dan Miller (11 - 1)(1 NC) is on a 3 win streak in the UFC and in a 9 win steak in his MMA career. His sole loss was in a split decision to Mike Massenzio in 2006.

For Miller to win he has to avoid taking big hits from Sonnen. Miller has an excellent submission game which are Sonnen's weakness. Miller will definitely be able to take advantage of any ground battles.

Chael Sonnen (21 - 10 - 1) is replacing Yushin Okami in this match up. He is a former WEC Middleweight Championship contender but in his premiere match in the UFC he was submitted by Deiman Maia.

For Sonnen to win he must avoid being sloppy on the ground. If he is able to secure a top position on the ground he must take great care in keeping his arms from hanging as bait for submission. If he can grab and hold on to top control he can secure the win.

Prediction: Miller by Submission
This is definitely going to be a ground battle. Sonnen is the better wrestler but Miller has a better submission game which will definitely come into play. Miller is apt at working from his back so it should be easy for him to secure a submission win.


Sean Sherk vs Frank Edgar

Sean Sherk (33 - 12 - 1) is the former UFC Lightweight Champion who was stripped of the title after testing positive for banned substances.

For Sherk to win he has to use his strong takedowns to take Edgar to the mat. He can use his ground and pound to seal the match. His stand up is pretty good but he lacks knock out power and his small stature might make it hard to box with Edgar.

Frank Edgar (9 - 1) is a well rounded fighter who has earned fight of the night honors in wars within the cage againist Hermes Franca and Tyson Griffin, both of which he defeated.

For Edgar to win he has to avoid the takedowns. This is going to be a challenge since Sherk has one of the best shoots in MMA. However if he can keep it standing he might be able to use his reach to score on the judges' cards.

Prediction: Sean Sherk by TKO
Sherk is a top contender. He wants this win bad and won't let anything stop him from getting a title shot. He has everything he needs to win with his wrestling ability and should take it.

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Even with all the injuries this event is definitely going to be a good one. Both main events are sure to be good battles and it is going to be fun to see who will walk out this night still undefeated and with the light heavy belt.

Funny Shit; Jackson shows girl some GnP

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has to be one of the most entertaining fighters in and out of the ring. His fights, interviews, and police chases are legendary.

Check this video out, Jackson show's an Asian reporter some grappling techniques...



Man I think it is pretty obvious that Jackson suffers from a little yellow fever. I can't blame him I got that disease too.

Amazing Submission! Toby Imada's Triangle of Jorge Masvidal

This is an insane triangle.


I'm not sure what to call it; an Inverse Standing Triangle?