***spoilers*** UFC News and Discussion Thread

[Jonny D]

Yup, Bravo tomorrow at 10pm.

[ACCBiggz]

Pay-per-view bouts:

Randy Couture - Smart money on Chuck, hopeful pick on Couture.

Brandon Vera

Frank Mir

Mike Van Arsdale - Babalu is gonna win, call this a hopeful.

Nick Diaz

Preliminary bouts:

Elvis Sinosic

Paul Buentello

Branden Lee Hinkle

Mike Whitehead - I wanna take Keith, but Whitehead is MFS.

My predictions, I'm skipping this PPV, gonna get USA/Canada though.

[IIRiceII]

Predictions

Pay-per-view bouts:

Randy Couture - Liddell is the man right now, but I don't think Randy will get caught again.

Justin Eilers - I'm really hoping Justin pulls this out, he needs to look good in this fight.

Marcio Cruz - I'm going out on a limb and am looking for Cruz to take this one. I am pulling for Mir but nobody really knows how good his leg is, plus more likely then not this fight is going to end up on the ground and Cruz Ju Jitsu is nasty.

Renato "Babalu" Sobral - I am almost as excited about this one as I am the Liddell/Couture 3. This should be a good bout. I expect Babalu to pick up the win and then hopefully get the title shot he deserves.

Nick Diaz - To be honest, I hope Diaz gets crushed, but just something about it has me thinking he is going to take it. Riggs looked kind of gaunt at the weigh in. I think Diaz will be the fresher fighter.

Preliminary bouts:

Elvis Sinosic - If Elvis can get it to the ground he is in very good shape, looking for him to take it.

Paul Buentello - This will no doubt be a slugfest at least at first, I think Paul has the more technical stand up. plus as you saw in his fight with Kevin Jordan, Buentello is no slouch on the ground either.

Jeff Monson - I think Jeff is the better fighter of the two. I know his ground game is better. Hinkle trains with Hammer House so his defense should be pretty good, but I still look for the Snowman to take it.

Keith Jardine - Jardine had an easier time making weight, I think he'll come out really agressive and overwhelm Mike.

[Enter Blue Guy]

Yeah, I'm not gonna buy the show. I won't be home for it tonight, but I'll catch it for sure via other "perfectly legal ways".

It looks pretty good, though, despite the main event being the only real star power on the show. Riggs/Diaz could easily be FOTN, Vera/Eilers could very well be a slugfest, it should be interesting to see Mir back, and everybody wants to see Chuck and Randy go at it. Man, it's a shame Aldana vs. Buentello isn't on the PPV card because that's one fight that has more potential to be an all out slugfest more than any other fight on the card. But yeah, I agree with Biggz, UFC 58 already has money PPV written of over it and if I had to buy only one of the two, I'd save my cash for next month. That's not knocking this card at all, it has potential for some unexpected gems on it.

Predictions...

Randy vs. Chuck: Honestly, I don't know. Too close to call for me. Smart money says Chuck wins in similar fashion from last fight, but common sense tells me that Couture is smart enough to tweak whatever problems he had in the second fight, gotten in the best shape of his life, and has laid out a great game plan. I don't think Randy is going to be as eager to stand with Chuck again because last time he got caught in a trap and was KTFO inside one round. For Randy to win this he's gotta take Chucky down, put up against the fence and try to pound him into the ground. That is if he can take Chuck down and contain him there, which is a task in itself. However, I know for a fact Chuck has been training like never before and he knows Randy won't play with fire again this fight, he's most likely been prepared for whatever Couture could possibly throw at him. I'll take Chucky by KO in the first few rounds.

Eilers vs. Vera: I think Eilers should take this. I think he has enough fire power to get himself a mean KO. I expect this to be a stand up slugfest, and I believe Eilers will come out the winner. Though he does injure himself quite easily... Eilers by KO in the 2nd round.

Mir vs. Pe de Pano: I saw the weigh-in videos... Frank Mir looks like he hit the gym and hard. He used to be a tad on the flabby side, but now he looks like a monster. Not ripped or cut or anything like that, but he's defined his frame very much and man, he looks like a beast. He's conditioning is still in question, however. Cruz is a BJJ ace, but still a rookie in MMA competition. Mir's stand up should be improved and for the first time he's not the better submission fighter in the bout. I dunno if Mir will take it to the ground or show off his stand up. I'll take Mir either way in the 1st.

Babalu vs. MVA: Should be a long, drawn out fight. Babalu is the better fighter, better stand up, better submissions. But Van Arsdale is a hell of a wrestler, he out wrestled Couture for two rounds at UFC 54. I say the fight this fight stays as a relative stalemate on the ground for the majority, with bits of action scattered through-out the fight. Babalu by judges decision. Babalu should earn himself the #1 contender spot with this win too.

Diaz vs. Riggs: Like almost every Nick Diaz fight, bad blood was pumping before the bell even rang. However, it was Riggs jawing Diaz at the weigh-in with Diaz keeping his mouth pretty much shut. Nothing less would be expected from two of the more... uh, "confident" fighters in the UFC. Diaz proves difficult test for any fighter, much like most welterweight fighters in the UFC he doesn't know how to quit. He's slick on the ground and sharp standing up, very cool and confident as well. Riggs is a powerhouse who once fought at 300 lbs, dropping down slowly to 170. Riggs is a powerhouse with heavy, wild hands, and a mean ground n' pound game. Should be a very, very interesting fight, very exciting too. The thing about Riggs is that if you don't bring it to him, he'll make it his fight, but I think Diaz is a little too slick and smart for that. Should be competitive, but I think Nick's more refined striking and badass submissions game he takes this. Diaz by submission in the 3rd round. Also, it should noted that with a Riggs' loss, he might be out of the UFC for awhile since that would put him in a 3 fight losing streak. Nick Diaz to a lesser extent, but I think he'll stay either way so they can put together Diaz/Diego II sometime down the road.

I'm burnt out... Maybe prelim predictions later.

EDIT: Yes, I spent almost as much time editing this as I did typing it up. Give me a break, I've been up for like 30 minutes and got like 3 hours of sleep last night. Bah.

Edited February 4, 2006 by Enter Blue Guy 27

[ACCBiggz]

**Spoilers**

1 - Keith Jardine d. Mike Whitehead by Decision (Unanimous)

2 - Jeff Monson d. Branden Lee Hinkle by KO (Unconscious from Choke) in round 1 at 4:35

3 - Paul Buentello d. Gilbert Aldana by TKO (Strikes) in round 2 at 2:27

4 - Alessio Sakara d. Elvis Sinosic by Decision (Unanimous)

5 - Joe Riggs d. Nick Diaz by Decision (Unanimous) - Sherdog score - 29-28 Diaz.....Official score - (29-28) (30-27) (29-28) Joe Riggs

Edited February 5, 2006 by ACCBiggz

[naiwf]

Glad to see I got EVERYTHING I wanted out of the ME

[Xero Gravity]

I've kept my eye on things over the last few months, but this was the first UFC show I've ever sat down and watched, and I can honestly say I loved every minute of it. I was kinda hoping to see the main event go at least a round more, and not be won thanks to Randy slipping...but Liddell pouncing as soon as he hit the floor made up for it. Seeing as I enjoyed it so much, I'm going to have to make sure to keep watching from now on.

[Godfatha]

I can say this, this was one of the bloodiest UFC cards in awhile. Maybe not in terms of sheer volume of blood lost, but every single fight had a lot of blood lost by one opponent. I'm still surprised they let Mir fight even though he said he couldn't see out of his left eye.

[LL!]

The show was AMAZING. The electricity throughout the building was intense and all the bouts were up par with some of the best I've ever seen in terms of endurance. Most of my predictions were met. The Elvis/Alessio match was so brutal, but very formulated in its deliverance. It was always 4/5 punches to Elvis and a takedown. I saw Elvis in the lobby after the show was over and his face was completely swelled up with a huge ice pack placed on his forehead. He didn't even change to regular clothes. It was a brutal sight. The Main Event was NUTS! The crowd was basically split in half for Randy and Chuck. Me and the guy next to me wearing a kickass kilt were going for Chuck while the guy's friend was going for Randy. We partied like it was 1999 after Chuck won and laughed at his fat friend.

Overall, it was just so good. After the show I got to get some pictures in with Nate Quarry, Josh Barnett, and Brandon Vera. Almost got a shot with Dana White, but his bitch of a secretary dragged him upstairs for some kind of meeting. Also, Joe Rogan sounds even more like a chick on a live mic and you could smell the STD's in the air everytime Paris Hilton stood up.

[Godfatha]

The split chants were nice but for some reason, and I know this will sound totally lame, I was hoping for a "Let's go Randy" and "Let's go Chuck" dueling chant that they have in wrestling. Guess I've become accustomed to it via wrestling that this is what I assume all chants are like when the crowd is split.

[tristy]

After their entertaining battle that opened the show Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC Welterweight contenders Joe "Diesel" Riggs and Nick Diaz came to blows at a local Las Vegas hospital after their fight.

Details are still sketchy, but a number of sources have confirmed the incident. Apparently, the two had some words as they have been all weekend leading up to the fight, which culiminated with Diaz throwing a punch at Riggs. The punch was described as a sucker-punch. Riggs immediately fought back before being seperated by others close by.

Joe Riggs was asked if he wanted to press charges, but declined.

[Troy Maskell]

To be perfectly honest due to my recent apathy with the MMA scene and especially the UFC in general I had honestly forgotten this show was even on.

I need something to excite me again in the MMA world. Hopefully UFC has a better year than last year.

[ACCBiggz]

Hopefully UFC has a better year than last year.

[Enter Blue Guy]

So Randy is officially retired. The guy had one classy career to say the least, which went two years longer than anybody expected after pretty much reinventing himself at 205.

And Nick Diaz is punk. Somebody needs to knock the shit out of him, I mean seriously beat his ass.

And lastly, I really hope the UFC makes a strong run to sign Quinton Jackson after his Pride contract runs out. We need Jackson/Liddell II.

[naiwf]

Is Quinton Jackson still Quinton Jackson or has he refound his Rampage persona? If he's not Rampage then UFC has no need to sign him because he's shot.

EDIT:

Loss Wanderlei Silva KO PRIDE 28-High Octane 10/31/2004 2 3:26

I saw that fight and Silva fucked him up pretty badly.

Win Murilo Rua Decision (Split) PRIDE 29-Fists Of Fire 2/20/2005 3 5:00

The fix was in on this one as Jackson was dominated for the entire fight and was handed a decision by the judges. The crowd booed this one, and they're usually too "sophisticated" to do that.

Loss Mauricio Rua KO (Strikes) PRIDE-Total Elimination 2005 4/23/2005 1 4:47

This was the Christ like Quinton who got his ass kicked again.

Win Hirotaka Yokoi TKO (Punches and Stomps) PRIDE 30-Fully Loaded 10/23/2005 1 4:05

Didn't see this so I can't comment on it. But the three fights preceding this one made Quinton look like an Evander Holyfield who went from top contender to someone who was barely world class anymore.

Edited February 6, 2006 by naiwf27

[Enter Blue Guy]

There was a fight before Jackson/Silva II, against Arona, Quinton didn't look so hot there either. IMO it was Ricardo Arona's fight up until Jackson powerbombed Arona and it looked like he got headbutted by Quinton as he got slammed to that mat and KO'd. Really, Quinton Jackson hasn't looked like "Rampage" since he got his ass beat by Silva the first time, and that's not just because he found God and then dropped his foul mouthed, bad motherfucker persona. There are times when fighters get KTFO badly for the first time in their career (like the two times Silva kneed him to death) and it ends up messing with a fighters mentality. Also, I think Jackson just needs a change of atmosphere. I'm sure Quinton knows he's been slumping big time, that's probably messing him up too. I think he needs a fresh start somewhere else right now. He looked good against Hirotaka Yokoi, but Yokoi is hardly anything more than a disposable Japanese can. UFC could use another big name fighter in the LHW division. Badly. Especially now that Randy is gone. The price tag will be pretty big, but God knows it's better than being just the "Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell" show again.

Right now 205 is just Liddell, Ortiz, Babalu, and Forrest Griffin. Quinton maybe slumping, but getting him would be a good way of injecting some beef into that line up. It's better than Vitor Belfort randomly showing up again, a guy who's showings of late make Jackson's slump look like a freakin' hot streak. That's coming from a big Belfort fan. Plus, an eventual Liddell/Jackson rematch would make a HUGE main event.

Seriously, I think there is something left in Jackson, he just needs to find it. The best way to find it is starting over somewhere else.

Also, just pointing out that the Pride spectators aren't below booing at all. They boo poor decisions when they see them and if a fighter blatanly tries to avoid something (IE Cro Cop running away from Mark Hunt).

Edited February 6, 2006 by Enter Blue Guy 27

[naiwf]

I think Arona was winning that fight too, but at least Rampage looked like he could still go at the time. That powerbomb, headbutt or not, is something I don't think he's still capable of doing these days. Quinton without raw power and a savage mentality is a club level fighter that wouldn't look out of place on TUF.

The two beatdowns he took from Silva definitely took a lot of years off of his fighting career and I wouldn't want to see UFC bring him in if there's a good chance he's going to lose to a 'C' level opponent as they try to bring him along before building to a title shot/# 1 contender type deal.

[Enter Blue Guy]

IIRC, his contract with Pride is up after the next event. The word is either Pride won't resign him or he'll take a pay cut. Apparently one reason Quinton isn't too keen on signing a UFC contract, besides the lower salary, is that they want to throw him in with Chuck right away while Quinton says he needs a warm up fight first. I seriously think it's worth the risk, they need to fatten up that 205 division since it is their big marque division. If Quinton gets a few warm up fights and wins them, they have another a much needed big name. It's much MUCH better then having Belfort come back out nowhere or Ken Shamrock fighting for the title. And if Quinton does bomb in the UFC, the clause in the contracts allow the company to let a fighter go if he loses one or two fights (not sure, I can't remember)... At least that's what Frank Trigg said. Frank, IIRC, signed a new 3 fight deal either before his loss to Hughes or GSP and they let him go right after UFC 54.

Edited February 6, 2006 by Enter Blue Guy 27

[Troy Maskell]

Hopefully UFC has a better year than last year.

Hope they have a better year?

Outside of the best year for MMA? MMA and UFC has gotten so much more coverage from television and media from just 12 months ago. TUF, Ultimate Fight Nights, Liddell/Couture II really all started the big spike in MMA viewing.

[LL!]

2 shows and you think it's been horrible? 2 shows doesn't mean MMA is having a bad year in the ring.