5150 Combat League

Joey Beltran def Houston Alexander – TKO – Rd. 2

Jeff Monson def Scott Barrett – Split Decision

Jeremy Horn def Victor Moreno – Guillotine Choke - Rd. 1

Rich Clementi def Mike Budnik – Rear Naked Choke – Rd. 5

Tim Boestch def Rudy Lindsey – Guillotine Choke – Rd. 2

Free Style Cagefighting – FCF 38

Meisha Tate def Valerie Coolbaugh – Armbar – Rd. 1

David Heath def Jason Freeman – Submission (Head Kick) – Rd. 1

So I went to my old High School to here there Wind Symphony play since i was one of them. Nothing major happening in the MMA world mapped out the days blog…didn’t post it , Office and the Dantes Inferno Demo side tracked me. Anyways I was on twitter when i got home and what do you know i walk away and Bobby Freaking Lashley is announced to have signed with Strikeforce.

UFC  Trims some fat

UFC has cut Denis Kang, and Ultimate Fighter Alum Roli Delgado and Jason Dent.  Yesterday it was also announced that they are working on cutting Houston Alexander after his Ultimate Finale loss to KIMBO Slice.

The joke among Wrestling community online is that once someone is cut from WWE that boom they will be in TNA and become the next TNA Champ. This is due to TNA getting a stigma of feasting off of WWE “castoffs” and not the good ones . If they took the good guys WWE just couldn’t find a use for they wouldn’t have that stigma.

Now why am I talking about Pro Wrestling in my MMA blog? Well obviously there is a new  number 2 ( if you don’t count WEC) in Strikeforce who did recently sign Dan Henderson . I want Strikeforce to do good , one of the ways doing good is signing only the good fighters who seem to have hit a rough streak or might offer something to the promotion. Of the four cut recently the only one I think that can add something to Strikeforce is Houston Alexander .

Denis Kang: There are 2 Kang’s . There is the one that is a bad ass who finished people. Then there is the other that doesn’t go for the kill and pulls a Brandon Vera and wilts like a flower in the sun. Yes that’s harsh but he caught Bisping in the 1st and didn’t finish him . In the second he looked like he checked out . Strikeforce would be good in not picking up this guy , Kang will probably end up in DREAM maybe.

Houston Alexander: We all know why he was brought in . He was brought in to stand and bang with KIMBO and the fight will be over buy the 1st or 2nd. Instead he put on some running shoes and ran from him for the 1st round. If he had got KO’ed by KIMBO he might not be cut , Dana likes entertaining fighters . Houston’s chances in Strikeforce are a lot better than Kang’s. I doubt he would be there champ there but he would serve a purpose. That purpose would be a good decent name and fighter for there up and coming fighters to help pad their records with. It’s not glamorous but it makes since to me.

Strikeforce dose have Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou . For the most part him and Houston are the same except for the fact that Houston can last till the 3rd. Soko did gas in the second of his fight with Mousasi so maybe his tank is improving .  I wouldn’t mind seeing Soko v Houston fight actually these guys would stand and bang. Soko has the bigger hands and power. Houston has the speed though and just a little less power. I would favor Houston in this fight if it were to happen.

Bellator signs some names

Bellator FC has signed Jacob “Tik Tock” McClintock snd NCAA Div Wrestling champion and Olympian Ben Askern (that is McClintock pictured below)

McClintock is apparently a JJ prodigy and started training at 13! he is only 21 . He has fought in Rage in the Cage and Total Combat and is coming off of his first TKO victory . Hopefully he is working on his stand up, you cant just survive on taking them to the ground and subbing them . Roy Nelson his bread in butter is the ground but his striking is good enough to get him buy.Ben I will have to do some more research into him before I pass any judgment on him.Bellator is becoming the place to be for up and coming MMA guys . They are like DREAM in that way. They take fighters hold a tournament and BOOM make their fighters it works .

Bellator is returning for another season on Fox Sports Net and shows on NBC and Telemundo in April 2010.

STRIKEFORCE SIGNS 2 Major-ish namesThey signed Hendo earlier and now have signed Booby Lashley. Now when i first read of Lashley’s signing i Tweeted something along this ” WoW Strikeforce got Lashley now they have there own “Lesnar”.  I’m not a fan of Lashley , his striking is decent and his wrestling is better then most but seems 1 dimensional . He also has the personality of toast. I did not like him when he was in the WWE IMO he had 2 good matches one with Cena at GAB and the other with Benoit on Raw. In TNA he has done even less to wow me. Hopefully he gets out of TNA because it just doesn’t work you can do both but one at a time.

My UFC 107 picks are done and will be posted later tonight/tomorrow since the servers here run on the east coast.

So we’ve come to the end of our three month MMA journey.  Roy Nelson will face Brendan Schaub for the title of “The Ultimate Fighter.”  We’ll also have Kimbo Slice in action, as well as Marcus Jones, Matt Mitrione, James McSweeney and Darrill Schoonover.

The show was three hours long, so there were some non TUF fights, including a disputed decision in the fight between Matt Hamill and Jon Jones.  Jones appeared to have won the fight, but the referee disqualified him for an illegal elbow.

Let’s take a look at our TUF related matches, shall we?

The opener was Marcus Jones against Matt Mitrione.  Mitrione was painted at the villain of the season and rightly so.  The crowd was solidly behind Jones.  Unfortunately for them, Mitrione took advantage of Jones’  in-progress stand up and laid him out with a knockout in the opening seconds of the second round.

Up next was the “catchweight” fight between Kimbo Slice and Houston Alexander.  I would have hated to be Alexander in this one.  Who would want to be the first guy Kimbo Slice beat in the UFC.  Alexander circled Kimbo for the first two minutes of the first round, trying to wear out Kimbo’s iffy knee.  The action picked up in the second round with Kimbo showing a much improved ground game.  Alexander was worn out in the third round, but still managed to put Slice on the mat with a hard leg kick.  To the surprise of everyoen in attendance, the fight went the distance with Kimbo Slice picking up the victory by unanimous decision.  Poor Houston Alexander.

A match from the undercard was shown before the main event.  It was James McSweeney, the British kickboxer, against Darrill “Titties” Schoonover.  Schoonover didn’t look nearly as sharp as he had on the show.  Despite hanging with McSweeney well into the third round, Schoonover took a KO loss after a series of hard strikes from McSweeney put him down.

And then it was on to the main event:  Nelson v. Schaub.

I found myself rooting for Schaub, mainly because I think he’d be a good ambassador for the UFC.  Nelson was the favorite, but he’s on the backside of his career at this point.

Schaub against showed good skills in the Octagon.  He stayed with Nelson and even rocked him a bit early on.  Unfortunatly, he left himself wide open and Nelson laid him out with a big right at 3:25 in the opening round.

Roy Nelson is the Ultimate Fighter for Season 10.

It was announced that Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz will be the coaches for the next season of the show and will face each other in the Octagon again after that. 

In closing, this was my first exposure to this show.  I enjoyed watching the progression of the tournament.  I could have done with a little less of the Rampage/Rashad drama.  Overall, it was time well spent and a good introduction to the workings of the UFC for a newbie like me.

The highly anticipated bout between Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and Houston “The Assassin” Alexander underwhelmed. What was thought to be a short, fireworks filled slugfest turned out to be a 15-minute bout with a couple of sparks. After the final bell sounded, Slice, 35, and Alexander, 37 were exhausted.

While the bout was a disappointment by the standards set in the run up, the victory for Slice shows his progression as a fighter—and more importantly, a mixed martial artist.

Slice burst onto the national scene during a series of back yard fight videos that made their way to the Internet. To put it simply, he was a marketers dream: a fully bearded big guy who could knock people out.

With the popularity of MMA rising right along with Slice’s notoriety, it seemed only a matter of time before brawls in the backyard turned into bouts in the cage. In 2007, Slice made his professional debut, beating former boxer Ray Mercer just 19 seconds into their three round fight. Those who followed Slice on the Internet were ecstatic. MMA purists were livid.

Victories over former UFC fighter Tank Abbott and James Thompson followed; Slice’s stock once again rose to casual and new fans of the sport. Diehard fans remained unconvinced—citing Slice’s lack of competition.

UFC President Dana White was one of those skeptics.

“They’re feeding him fucking bums,” White told Fight News back in 2008.

“The guy wouldn’t win the fucking Ultimate Fighter.”

And just like that, the proverbial gauntlet was thrown down. Slice saw his stock plummet after a 14-second TKO loss to Seth Petruzelli. After some time away from the spotlight, Slice reemerged on the UFC’s hit reality TV show.

Though season winner Roy Nelson booted Slice out of contention with a second round TKO, only a fool would believe that Slice would be watching the finale from the stands instead of mixing it up in the ring.

When the bout with Houston Alexander was confirmed, fans and commentators alike expected Slice to revert to his old ways. The truth of the matter is that Alexander—who gained notoriety in the UFC by knocking out Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara—looked like a man who had never been in a professional fight in his life. The Nebraskan’s attempts to get Slice to engage failed, allowing Slice to get the better of the few exchanges taking place in that 15 minute time span. The victory says less about Alexander—who, more than likely has seen his last bout in the Octagon—and more about Slice’s evolution as a fighter.

“The goal was to come in and fight,” Slice said before adding, “but you’ve gotta be smart about it.

Slice then went on to break down his strategy, his opponent’s strategy, and his reactions to that strategy as though he’s been training and fighting MMA all his life.

“We trained and prepared for his attacks. I wasn’t prepared for the ring riding he did,” Slice said of Alexander’s unwillingness to engage.

Give Slice all the credit in the world for realizing that patience made the difference between having his hand raised and going down in bitter defeat. “If I would’ve run in there foolishly I would’ve gotten knocked out. A few times, I called him out; I had to call him out of his name, like ‘Let’s do this.’ He stuck to his plan so I wasn’t going to be foolish and run up on him.”

What did happen in the fight turned out to be just as much of a sight as the action that didn’t take place. Slice wowed the crowd, by taking down Alexander in the opening round. Two suplexes and a submission attempt later revealed a markedly different Kimbo Slice than the world had previously known—courtesy of training at American Top Team.

“When I took his back, I was going for the choke hold,” Slice revealed. “When I realized I didn’t have it and he turned into me, I went for something else.”

At this point, Kimbo is a hard man not to root for. Though he was arguably given too much, too fast, he fully understands that MMA is a serious sport. As a result, he’s gotten serious about training.

“I was really thinking street for a minute, but I had to bite down hard and fight smart,” Slice said about his thought process during the bout.

In a moment of candor similar to the many fans were treated to during this season of The Ultimate Fighter, Slice went a little deeper. “It’s hard, it’s not an easy thing,” he continued, discussing the transition from the streets to the pros. “I first was a street fighter. There was no training, I just went in there with my instincts, watched the guy’s movements and countered him. At this level, you have to be almost genius type smart because you have to bottle a lot of things all in one.”

One thing Kimbo hasn’t bottled up is his sense of humor. After openly discussing the difficulty in trimming some 20-pounds from his muscular frame, Slice says he was able to put a few pounds back on in a nontraditional way.

“I put some weight on last night. I ordered up room service—twice.”

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to “The Kimbo Slice Show” courtesy of the UFC.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Slice-Bests-Alexander-in-UFC-Debut-21348

In what was a highly anticipated fight, Kimbo Slice and Houston Alexander fought last night on the Ultimate Fighter finale. It was a very lackluster fight with Alexander circling and leg kicking and Kimbo trying to make a fight out of it. Slice showed improvements in his ground game with a devastating slam and some solid ground and pound but couldnt finish Alexander when he had the chance. Both fighters were gassed by middle of rd 2 and the fight finished with both guys knelt over in exhaustion. Kimbo got the Unanimous decision victory but if he wants to be a UFC fighter he’ll need to work on his cardio.

Darren

Thoughts about the TUF 10 Finale in Vegas on Saturday, December 5.

Kimbo Slice’s stock goes down, even in victory

Although the writing has been on the wall for a while, after last night it seems as though we have seen the last of Kimbo Slice as an MMA cash cow.

When Seth Petruzelli knocked him out in Elite XC, it took away a little of the mystique but apparently little of people’s urge to see him fight. That was evidenced by the record-high rating on Ultimate Fighter for his scrap with Roy Nelson, where he was beaten comfortably.

However the remaining nine weeks tried t re-brand him into a lovable underdog, liable to knock anyone out, but who ultimately flat-out refused the opportunity to potentially return. This, combined with the horrible fight against Houston Alexander, has surely turned him into just another poor fighter to emerge from the UFC’s flagship show.

Sure, he is still well-known and capable of getting them ratings on free tv. It’s difficult to imagine many people buying PPVs to see him because it’s now clearer than ever how incapable he is of even having a chance against mid-to-top level heavyweights. The test will be when someone like Dave Meltzer of MMA Payout get a breakdown of the quarter0hour ratings for the show. An increase is likely, but from now it will almost certainly be a case of diminishing returns.

Even the most ardent Slice fan, real name Kevin Ferguson, would have been cringing with the first round of the fight against Alexander where he barely threw a punch and was limply kicked in the leg for five minutes. He followed this up by asking his corner “What do I do?” between rounds. Bizarrely, one judge still gave it to him 10-9, but that’s a separate issue.

Round two saw him become a bit more active and with one suplex, which brought a massive reaction from the crowd, I thought his star power was being salvaged before our eyes.  However he couldn’t finish an inadequate ground fighter in Alexader, even with full mount, and round three was largely dull with a couple of sloppy, ineffective exchanges.

Both men bent over in exhaustion on the final bell, despite a hardly exhilarating contest, and Slice was so gassed he could barely talk in his post-fight interview. I find it hard to believe anyone still has the belief that this man is the same ‘King of the streets’ who once intrigued them so much and now just looks like another poor heavyweight, albeit one with a cool beard.

He’s 4-1 in recognised MMA, approaching 36, and showing little signs of improvement. In fact I think had he gone out and fought like he did against Ray Mercer then he might have stopped him in the first and kept alive some small flame of hope. However a couple of years of training of with some of the supposed best coaches in America have improved him to the point where he now struggles to a decision against opponents who are completely deficient on the ground and, in this case, fighting up from their normal weight.

So Slice is now merely someone who is used a travelling circus act who may get people to live arenas and encourage more to watch on the tv. In reality that’s all he was ever going to be for the UFC but it’s gotten to the point where in that role he’s likely to have little impact. To use a pro wrestling analogy, and there was plenty of that on the show, his main purpose to the UFC now would be to put someone promising in the spotlight by getting a win over him.

He comes across as a likeable person, but he should stick to be a po culture figure rather than straight-out fighter. There will likely be opportunities for him in film and television becuase of his look, name value, national tv exposure and his charisma. Lets hope that is sooner rather than later though because at the moment he is just getting in the way in the Octagon.

TUF 11: The biggest fight nobody wants to see

Also on the TUF 10 finale, Dana White announced the coaches for the next season would be the returning Chuck Liddell and the newly-returned Tito Ortiz.

It’s not a surprise that Liddell wants to return, because that is what he has always said since losing to Shogun, and it makes sense to use him as a coach on Ultimate Fighter. If they’re intent on pumping out new series as often as possible, which it seems they are, then inevitably you’re going to run out of big-name coaches and who is a bigger name that Liddell.

Ortiz is coming off a beating by Forrest Griffin and all sign had indicated a rubber match with the TUF 1 winner. It made sense, and despite the slightly one-sided nature of their last bout, I think the fans wanted to see it.

Now he will take time off, and get a chance to heal his suppose injuries, and return with a third match against Liddell instead, a man who has stopped him with strikes twice. Who needs or even wants to see it again?

Liddell is purely coming back because they do not want anyone else to sign him to fight. Unfortunately, as he is too big to be on the undercard, this means he has to be in high-profile fights despite his declining skillset, chin and cardio levels. In six months or so we will fed the battle of two, over-the-hill fighters against each other in a main spot on a pay-per-view. Oh yeah, also, we already know the result.

Dana White said “this is the fight the fans want to see” but, even with 12 weeks of faked pull-apart brawls on TUF, I think he’ll be surprised by how many actually do and maybe scarily shocked by how few want to pay for it. Maybe they can put him on a card with a Kimbo fight, get a good rating, and then put the trio out to pasture.

Prospect watch: Jones impresses in DQ loss.

Jon Jones may have been disqualified, but he came out of the fight with Matt Hamill a winner. The deaf wrestler left the ring battered, cut, with an apparently broken shoulder and likely a smashed nose. But at least he got the win, eh?

Jones continued to throw unorthodox combinations including flashy spinning-back elbows and kicks and followed it with a dynamic trip to throw a strong wrestler to the ground like he was a British stand-up fighter on his first day of cross-training.

Maybe, if he isn’t too seriously injured, we’ll get a rematch but everyone knows who really won and who the better man is. Yes, he shouldn’t have throw the downward-pointed elbows but it’s an archaic irrelevant rule anyway and doesn’t detract from his status as a top light heavyweight.

I’d like to see him against a good striker who is able to defend takedowns but, unlike a lot of people on this show, mainly I just want to see him again.

Prospect watch: Edgar out-lines credentials.

In the lightweight division, Frank Edgar continued his impressive winning streak with a second-round stoppage of Matt Veach. He was slammed a lot by the physically bigger Veach in the first round but regained his composure, showed how good his boxing has become, then submitted him on the ground.

The same old questions remain about how small he is for the division, and if the UFC would only introduce a 145 class of their own then he would surely move down. But at the moment he understandably wants the bigger paydays in the UFC and who can blame him. Moreso, pound for pound he has as much talent as most in the division and has established his place as top contender. The only man to have beaten him, Gray Maynard, will get a title shot first if he can beat Nate Diaz but it’s clear who has a better chance of beating BJ Penn.

Finally, Nelson wins TUF 10.

I guess this should get a mention – Roy Nelson won the TUF 10 competition. He was by far the best fighter in the group of 16 and won every fight relative ease. The good thing now though is that he is finally in the UFC and I look forward to seeing him fight people more on his talent level. Well done Big Country.

A quick word about Brendan Schaub though, I think he has a lot of potential. He’s clearly very athletic and at 6′ 4” and 240 pounds he is a proper heavyweight. He has good hands and isn’t awful in the ground. If he can improve across the board, while really finding his niche and establishing his best chance of beating people, then he could have somewhat of a future.  So, in some sense, I guess there could be two winners emerging from this series.

Marcus Jones ne connait qu’un seul plan de matchs et ce qui fait de lui un fighter très limité. Une fois qui réussi à faire son unique combinaison : slam-immobilisation-crusifix (qui disons le, a fonctionné à quelques reprise durant la saison de TUF 10) il est dépourvu de ressource. Matrione a su en prendre avantage et sortir vainqueur avec un KO malgré son peu de talent (et très peu de popularité!).

Wow! On peut enfin aimer le personnage de Kimbo et le fighter en tant qu’art martial artiste! Le deuxième round valait la platitude du round 1 et 3. Finalement on a pu voir une vrai évolution avec le style de Kimbo : moins rue, plus arts martiaux. Définitivement une force brute, mais un laque au niveau du cardio. À chaque combat, Kimbo a de la difficulter à faire les entrevues d’après combat tellement il cherche son souffle! Je ne crois toujours pas qu’à 35 ans, Kimbo deviendra une vrai menace pour l’élite de sa division, mais si la UFC lui offre des match-up qui fonctionne bien avec son style comme ils ont fait ce soir avec Houston Alexander, ce sera intéressant de le voir évoluer.

Malgré une fin de combat regrettable (coup de coudes illégals de Jones sur Matt Hamill), Jon Jones est clairement talentueux. Ça fait du bien de voir quelqu’un comme Jon Jones, créatif, talentueux, forme physique exeptionnel au travers de ces gros gras du TUF 10!

Le seul du TUF 10 qui semble avoir un bel avenir devant lui avec la UFC c’est James McSweeney. Il possède l’instinc du requin! Toujours à l’attaque, il semble en vouloir. Plusieurs fighters de cette cuvé TUF 10, ne semble pas l’avoir. Je ne sais pas si c’est la foule qui lui a donné un nouvel envolé, mais Mc Sweeney n’a jamais parru aussi bien que ce soir.

Hummmm…. on vient d’annoncer que les coachs du TUF 11 seront Chuck Liddle et Tito Ortiz. Ça devient assez claire que ce reality show mise sur les cotes d’écoutes avant toute chose. Il me semble que Canada vs Brésil avec Georges St-Pierre et Anderson Silva comme coach, aurait été mille fois plus intéressant que de voir deux old timer se battre ensemble pour une troisième fois.

Pourquoi pour chaque victoire de Roy Nelson, il ne semble pas l’avoir mérité? Le plus talenteux et le plus dominant des deux durant le combat  était Brendan Schaub. Mais Nelson a réussit à sortir le coup qui a fini le tout par KO. La seul chose que je suis prêt à lui accordé est son sens de l’humour! Bravo l’auto-dérision avec son entrée sur “I’m Fat” la reprise de “I’m Bad” de Micheal Jackson par Weird Al Yankovic. Sans oublier la plus grosse farce de toute de Big Country, son énorme bédaine!

Tonight we were treated to the 2-hour regular season finale and four, count ‘em, four fights.  Factor in all the extraneous drama and it was a big night for TUF.

Things start out with much discussion of Matt Mitrione and the “will he or won’t he” nature of his fight status.  Dana White attempts to make alternate plans for his semi-final match, offering it to Kimbo Slice.  Surprisingly, Slice turns it down.  Kimbo played it safe. 

Meanwhile, Scott Junk finds out he’s got two tears in his retina from his fight with Mitrione and may never fight again. This sends Marcus Jones over the edge and he confronts Mitrione at the training facility.  I really thought Jones was going to hurt him.

But enough of the drama.  Let’s get to the fights.

Up first, its a semi-final between James McSweeney and Matt Mitrione.  Mitrione admits that, once again, he’s been playing games with the organization and his opponent.  You can imagine how well this sat with McSweeney who gave Mitrione a serious shove at the weigh-in.

McSweeney looks like the real deal in this fight.  He was what Mitrione could do in his fight with Junk and he largely stayed away from Mitrione’s big punches.  McSweeney got Mitrione on the ground and locked in a guillotine.  Mitrione was more than happy to quick tap out and McSweeney advances to the semi-finals.

The last quarter final fight was the one I was most looking forward to as Marcus Jones takes on Darrill Schoonover.  Jones is a monster and Schoonover has the eyes of a killer.  Schoonover has been the target of taunts from Rampage Jackson all season.  Jones is the only fighter from Team Rampage left in the contest.

The fight doesn’t even go one round.  Jones quickly takes Schoonover to the ground and then pounds on hiim until the ref stops the fight giving Jones the TKO victory.  I thought Schoonover would do more.  I think Jones looks scary as hell.

So, it comes down to your final four:  Roy Nelson, Brendan Schaub, James McSweeney and Marcus Jones.

The final pairings are:

• Roy Nelson v. James McSweeney
• Brendan Schaub v. Marcus Jones

After some more Evans/Jackson shenanigans, including Team Rampage painting Team Rashad’s locker room pink and loading it with stuffed animals, we get to the semi-finals.

Up first are Roy Nelson and James McSweeney.  McSweeney starts out the fight strong, landing some good kicks and keeping Nelson at a safe distance so he can’t be taken to the ground.  Then McSweeney makes a tactical error. He begins to showboat and taunt Nelson.  He even goes so far as to stick his chin out and tell Nelson to hit it.  Nelson obliges, rattling McSweeney and taking him to the ground.  From there, its all Nelson.  He uses the same tactics he used on Kimbo Slice in week three.  He gets on top of McSweeney and pounds him until the ref puts a stop to the fight.  McSweeney is left bloody and Nelson advances to the finals.

The final fight is between the two former football players, Schaub and Jones.  Jones has simply steamrolled his opponents to date and I don’t like Schaub’s chances.  Jones quickly takes Schaub to the ground.  He works his way into a full mount and it looks like Schaub is done.  However, Schaub contines to move, somehow fighting his way out of the mount and back onto his feet.  Then Schaub absolutely tags Jones with a right that drops Jones.  Schaub follows him and executes a ground and pound that results in a ref stoppage and a KO victory for Schaub.

Here’s the Spike TV “Aftermath.”

So, when all is said and done, it will be Roy Nelson and Brendan Shaub facing off tonight on Spike TV for the title of The Ultimate Fighter.  If Schaub can stay off the ground this should be an interesting fight.  Hell, even if Nelson takes him to the ground, Schaub has show the ability to get back to his feet.  Just ask Marcus Jones.

The finals begin tonight at 9pm EST on Spike TV.  Kimbo Slice will be on the card taking on Houston Alexander.  We’ll also see Marcus Jones and Matt Mitrione face off in a grudge match.  He’s the complete card with some predictions.

Story by Anthony Springer

From the moment the promos began to run for the highly anticipated tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, the rumors began to fly. In addition to a pair of coaches who have next to no love for each other in “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans, all eyes were on one particular fighter.

That man was Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson.

Slice became an Internet sensation through a series of backyard fight videos that made their way to the Internet. After building up a rep—matched by a look that gave off a Mike Tyson-esque “I’ll eat your children kind of vibe, the backyard brawler made the transition to MMA.

After a disappointing 14-second TKO loss that triggered the demise of his last promotion, Slice made his way to the big stage courtesy of the UFC’s hit reality show.

In the series most anticipated and most watched bout, Slice tasted defeat courtesy of eventual finalist Roy Nelson in the second round. The loss didn’t stop the Slice-Train and the fighter who just wants to bang will find himself once again the subject of much anticipation this weekend at the TUF finale.

The man staring across the Octagon will be another fighter known for slugging it out—Houston Alexander.

Looking at the track records of Slice and Alexander, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know this one isn’t going to the judges. Slice is more than upfront about his expectations for Saturday’s contest.

“I like to stand up, knock a guy out or get knocked out—that’s what you get with me,” he said.

“The Assassin” also sees this as an opportunity to put on an exciting show for the fans.

“I think they saw two guys with the same type of style, that go-getter type of style,” Alexander said in a brief analysis of the bout. “Joe Silva is a great matchmaker; this is a good fight for both of us.”

Not surprisingly, Slice and Alexander have similar feelings about the way the fight is likely to go. Neither man was willing to discuss many of the “what ifs,” signaling that the time for talking is over.

“I want to knock him out,” Slice said. “He’ll knock me out or I’m going to knock him out. I came here to fight. That’s where my mind is at right now.”

The thought of going to the canvas hasn’t entered either man’s mind, but both insist their ready if the fight hits the mat.

“Wherever it goes, it goes,” Alexander stated when posed with the question of fighting on the ground. “I think both of us will be ready for it.”

Hurry Up and Weight

Slice will face Alexander at a 215-pound catch weight fight. The weight cutting process for MMA has cost many fighters come fight night and how Slice deals with cutting 20 pounds from his muscular frame could be the difference in a win or a loss.

Admittedly, the cut has been anything but heaven for the full bearded fighter.

“I’m going to be straight-up honest with you, man, the last time I was at this weight was in middle school,” Slice said of the process. It’s not good. Not good. I’m moody. You just don’t feel the same, it’s mental, but it’s not a good feeling, to be honest with you. I’m a little anxious.”

Conversely, Alexander feels right at home fighting at 215 pounds.

“I’m at my natural weight so I’m good,” the Nebraska fighter stated.” I’m not going to lose anything.”

While Slice acknowledges the changes in his body, his heart and mind are still as strong as ever.

“I’ve got heart and determination and I’m not scared to get hit.”

Roy Nelson vs. Brendan Schaub

Roy is the favorite.  He is more experienced.  He is probably a better grappler.  However, I think Schaub wins this one.  I think Brendan will will by unanimous decision.

Matt Hamill vs. Jon Jones

Hamill is a solid fighter and very likeable, but Jon Jones by decision

Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander

I have no reason to pick Kimbo.  Houston is a better striker and he is more experienced.  With that said I pick Kimbo by TKO in round 1.

Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach

Edgar vs. Pellegrino was a better match-up.  Veach could shock some here, but I don’t expect it.  Edgar by decision.

Marcus Jones vs. Matt Mitrione

Early takedown and armbar for Marcus Jones.

Darrill Schoonover vs. James McSweeney

Schoonover by Split decision.

Justin Wren vs. Jon Madsen

Wren is a promising talent.  Madsen could be really good too.  Wren by decision.

Brian Stann vs. Rodney Wallace

Stann by TKO is round 2

John Howard vs. Dennis Hallman

Howard picks up the U.D. and spoils the hopes of Hallman vs. Hughes.

Mark Bocek vs. Joe Brammer

Bocek picks up a first round submission

December 5, 2009 by Ares-mma.com staff

Tonight, the tenth edition of The Ultimate Fighter Finale will air on Spike TV. It’s time for predictions. Below are the predictions for the biggest three fights on the card.

Kimbo Slice vs. Houston “The Assassin” Alexander

The finals of the reality show is overshadowed by a fight involving a competitor of TUF 10 who lost in the first round – Kimbo Slice. The UFC found the ideal opponent for Kimbo – Houston Alexander. Kimbo Slice is the most famous (infamous really) street fighter in history. Kimbo demonstrated an outstanding attitude and work ethic in his stint in The Ultimate Fighter house; he also demonstrated his complete lack of ground skills. That is why Houston Alexander is the perfect opponent. Alexander has arguably the worst ground game in the history of the light heavyweight division. The fight between the two this evening may be the best street fight ever – probably not though. Both fighters have demonstrated a relatively weak chin and big punching power. The first fighter to be caught on the chin is likely to kiss the canvas early. Prediction – Houston Alexander will defeat Kimbo Slice by knockout in the first round.

Matt “The Hammer” Hamill vs. Jon “Bones” Jones

Jon Jones may be a future light heavyweight champion. This will be his first test against a fighter who can match his wrestling skills – Matt Hamill, a former NCAA Division III National Champion. Prediction – Jon Jones will defeat Matt Hamill by technical knockout in the third round.

Roy “Big Country” Nelson vs. Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub – for the distinction of Ultimate Fighter Champion and a six-figure UFC contract.

Roy Nelson may be the most seasoned veteran in the history of The Ultimate Fighter. Nelson is a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt and a former IFL heavyweight champion. Nelson also has the worst physique of any top-level mixed martial artist in the world. Schaub has serious atheltic ability; he was once on the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills. Prediction – Roy Nelson will defeat Brendan Schaub by unanimous decision.

The world is ready for Kimbo.  Dana White is ready.  Is Houston Alexander?

Kimbo Slice is making his UFC debut (not counting TUF) tonight at the TUF season finale at the Pearl at the Palms Resort and Casino in the wonderful Las Vegas, NV.

Kimbo will be facing a very difficult opponent in Alexander.  Alexander is a wrestler with very good Muay Thai.  He has huge punching power and likes to end fights quickly.  7 of his victories have ended in the first round and 6 of those have been by either TO or TKO.  Alexander is coming off a win at the AMMA – Adrenaline card.  That win broke his streak of three consecutive losses with one being a knockout by James Irvin eight seconds into the fight.  Before those fights, Alexander had knocked out Keith Jardine in under a minute at UFC 71 and looked like he was on his way to be a contender at the 205lb weight class.  A win against Kimbo might not mean much to the MMA community but will definitely get him moving in the right direction.

Kimbo has been in the MMA spotlight for a couple minutes now.  The Internet Street fighting sensation made the jump to MMA a couple years ago.  He only has a handful of fights but has looked pretty good in them.  Throw out his victory against Ray Mercer (the washed up boxer) and a fluke loss by flamboyant haired Seth Petruzelli; Kimbo has had some solid fights thus far.  In his first pro fight against Bo Cantrull he wasted no time and rushed him to the cage and landed some big right hands until Cantrull fell to his knees and the referee called stoppage.  His second fight was against the legendary Pit Fighter, one of UFC early cornerstone fighters, Tank Abbott.  Same result.  Kimbo knocked him out in the first round.  Kimbo’s third fight was his longest one yet.  This fight against James Thompson went into the third round.  Kimbo defended himself well against the take down and when he was taken to the mat, he didn’t sustain any real damage.  His major flaw in the fight was he got gassed very easily.  He could have finished Thompson in the second round but got winded and Thompson took him down and started elbowing him until the round ended.

This gave Kimbo confidence coming out for the third.  Thompson had his third cousin attached to the side of his head in a very bad cauliflower ear.  That thing was flapping all night long begging to be popped and it only took one good right hook for it to explode.  After that, Kimbo smelled blood and jumped Thompson.  Thompson took 4 straight shots without defending himself and looking dazed so the referee stepped in and called stoppage.  A big victory for Kimbo.  Kimbo’s time on The Ultimate Fighter reality show did display some of his flaws.  He admittedly confessed to not know how to fight a guy with a wrestling background.  His take down defense was sketchy at best, and he wasn’t sure if wanted to take a second fight if the meathead Matt Mitrione couldn’t fight in his semi-final fight.  Kimbo’s knee had been bothering him and he was worried about damaging it any further.  The doctors checked him out and it turned out to only be arthritis.  Remember, he is no spring chicken.

The biggest element of this fight?  I think it is going to be conditioning.  Neither one of these fighters have gone deep into fights.  They can both stand and bang but for how long?  Alexander might try and take Kimbo down with his wrestling.  But Kimbo is a taller fighter and his take down defense has improved slightly.

My advice for Kimbo would be to attack that watermelon of a head Alexander has and don’t stop punching until it breaks. Advice for Alexander?  Kicks and lots of them.

My prediction for the fight?  This is a tough one to call I think.  I don’t think it will go the full 15 minutes.  I could probably bet money on that one.  I am saying Houston Alexander wins.  His Muay Thai is going to cause problems for Kimbo.  Alexander needs to attack that knee with kicks and then take him to the ground.  I know everyone wants a slugfest and I think it will be for a bit, but someone is going to give.  This fight will end via submission.  Maybe.

The most intriguing thing about this fight I think is if Kimbo wins, will Dana White finally give this man some respect?

Welcome to my 13^th week of NFL picks. I went 12-4 with my picks, bringing my total for the season 119-57 (not counting Thursday’s game). Here is a recap of last week (the X stands for the picks I got wrong):

The Jets kept their playoff hopes alive, but Mark Sanchez sprained his right knee and is questionable for Dec. 13 at Tampa Bay. Plus, Matt Ryan (toe, will not play), Eli Manning (foot, will play), Kurt Warner (concussion, doubtful), and Ben Roethlisberger (concussion, probable) are all banged up since Week 5. The offensive line must protect their QBs better. Here are all of my picks for Week 13. The teams that are NOT crossed out are my picks. The s.o. stands for shutout, and the * stand for upset. Both logos will be next to the TV stations:

Now comes the game that is on everyone’s minds.

Game of the Week:

NBC features a Sunday Night battle between the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals. It was supposed to be a battle of old quarterbacks in an offensive fury. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner might not play, which means Matt Leinart will take on a Vikings defense that can shut down anyone. Brett Favre is having an MVP-caliber season, while Adrian Peterson is running up the field “all day” as he says. The Cardinals will provide the Vikings a huge test. They always show up to play. However, the Vikings will be too much at Arizona.

Prediction: Vikings 27-14

We also have a huge fight night in mixed martial arts. Time for the magic man to take over!

Pure Magic:

The Ultimate Fighter will end their 10^th season tomorrow at 9PM EST on Spike TV (check local listings). Four marquee fights will be on display for everyone to see.

1. Marcus “The Darkness” Jones vs. Matt Mitrone (Heavyweight bout)- Jones and Mitrone have had problems stating back to the show. Mitrone was not the easiest guy to get along with, and it didn’t help when he injured one of Jones’ teammates. Jones waited long enough to get his chance against Mitrone, and he won’t disappoint.
   

   Prediction: Jones in 1 via submission (armbar)
   

2. Kimbo Slice vs. Houston “The Assassin” Alexander (catch weight: 215 lbs.)- Kimbo Slice gets his first live opportunity in the UFC. He must beat Alexander or at least show Dana White he can hang with the big boys. Alexander needs the victory to move up in title contention. This will not be the fight of the year, but it will surprise some people.
   

   Prediction: Alexander in 3 via TKO
   

3. Ultimate Fighter Contract: Roy “Big Country” Nelson vs. Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub (Heavyweight bout)- these two men have earned this fight opportunity. Nelson finished his opponents by overpowering them. Schaub upset Marcus Jones to get to the finals. Schaub must NOT take it on the ground. Otherwise, Nelson becomes the next ultimate fighter.
   

   Prediction: Schaub in 3 via unanimous decision
   

4. Matt “The Hammer” Hamill vs. Jon “Bones” Jones (Light-Heavyweight Bout)- our main event of the evening is a light-heavyweight fight between two similar fighters. Both like to throw hands and can wrestle if need to. Hamill has the heavier hands, but Jones is quicker. It depends who gets that last shot in, because this one is too tough to call. Let’s hope this fight does not go into a decision.
   

   Prediction: Jones in 2 via TKO
   

Well, that’s all the time I have for today. If you disagree with anything I say, leave a comment below or email me at spidey23us@yahoo.com. You can also contact me via Facebook. Thanks for reading and good luck with your teams.

Yours Truly,

Sebastian Maldonado

Copyright @ 2007

December 6, 2009 by James Gideon

Last night, The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale aired on Spike TV. In the past, TUF finales have produced exciting fights. Last night was an exception to the rule.

Marcus “Big Baby” Jones vs. Matt Mitrione

Because of his personality and positive attitude, Marcus “Big Baby” Jones has become a fan favorite among The Ultimate Fighter 10 contestants. Jones began his fight with Matt Mitrione well with a takedown, and he was able to maintain positions of control. But – as he was stopped by knockout on TUF 10, he was stopped by knockout last night. Because Jones is a fan favorite, he may get another opportunity in the UFC – likely on a future Spike TV event. With his victory, Mitrione will get another shot in the UFC, but at this point he is not a serious title contender.

Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach

This fight was to keep Frankie Edgar busy against a legitimate opponent, so that Edgar could maintain his status as a serious contender for BJ Penn’s UFC lightweight title. Veach was game, but he was eventually stunned by a strike and Edgar was able to take his back and choke him out. Frankie Edgar stopped Matt Veach by submission and maintained his contender status in the UFC lightweight division.

Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander

A fight that promised to be one of the most exciting stand-up wars in the history of mixed martial arts turned out to be terribly boring. Houston Alexander’s gameplan was apparently to hypnotize Kimbo by circling around him over and over again. The highlight of the fight came in the second round when Kimbo demonstrated his newly acquired ground game. Kimbo was able to take Alexander down and maintain dominate positions on the mat. Although it came against Alexander, who has the worst ground game in the history of the light heavyweight division, Kimbo’s display of jiu-jitsu is a positive. Beside the short spurt of action in the second round, the fight was as boring as it could have been. Kimbo did what he had to do, which was win the fight (by unanimous decision), so we will see Kimbo in the octagon again. As for Houston Alexander – he will likely never set foot in a UFC octagon again.

Jon Jones vs. Matt Hamill

Jon “Bones” Jones controlled every moment of his fight with Matt “The Hammer” Hamill. Jones got the better of the striking exchanges; when the two fighters clinched, Jones was able to take Hamill down with a Greco throw. Jones moved to the mount and began to reign down strikes, and Hamill had no answer. After coming straight down with two or three illegal “12 to 6″ elbows, Steve Mazagatti took a point away from Jones and went on to stop the fight – giving it to Hamill by disqualification after Hamill could not continue due to an injured shoulder. The ridiculous stoppage gives Dana White another reason to say Steve Mazagatti has no business refereeing mixed martial arts fights. A point should have been taken away; Matt Hamill should have been given 5 minutes to recover; and once Hamill could not continue due to an injured shoulder, the fight should have been given to “Bones” by way of technical knockout. Jon “Bones” Jones handled the situation perfectly by accepting the loss and saying he’ll learn from it. Jones was able to control one of the best wrestlers in the light heavyweight division last night. The UFC should leave this fight in the past (no rematch), and allow Jon Jones to move on to bigger and better things – a fight against a serious contender in the light heavyweight division.

Roy “Big Country” Nelson vs. Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub

Schaub came to fight, but “Big Country” was able to take the fight to the mat and control the action in the first round. Schaub was able to get back to his feet, which is no easy task when Big Country has his enormous belly holding you down. Once on his feet though, Roy Nelson was able to land a right hand that put Schaub’s lights out. Schaub’s performance was solid enough to warrant another opportunity in the octagon, although he is far from being a serious contender. Roy “Big Country” Nelson earned the distinction of Ultimate Fighter 10 champion and a six-figure UFC contract. Because Roy Nelson is a more seasoned fighter than previous Ultimate Fighters, he will likely not be handed any easy fights.

“ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!” Exclaimed Diego Sanchez once in a parody of Gladiator. I was entertained. Despite my roommate getting emo on me because I co-opted the TV over him watching Angels and Demons on OnDemand, I enjoyed my night very much (Jesus Christ, asshole, you have it for 24 hours and you woke up at 2PM. You’ll get to watch your shit, quit crying). One of the strangest DQ’s ever, Kimbo Slice working his ground game, balance and throws, and capped off by Roy Nelson getting only the second KO win of his career by taking out someone with better striking than him.

I missed the Edgar/Veach fight, but heard it was solid, and judging by the fact that it got fight of the night, it, too seems like one I’m gonna have to find on Core or elsewhere. I’m sad that Marcus appears to have a glass chin and probably has no future in this sport. He may do very well in grappling, should he learn to utilize his weight better, but he’s been KO’d twice that we’ve seen and apparently a few times elsewhere. Sorry, Darkness, you were my favorite on the show and it was fun watching you, but I just don’t think you’re gonna be able to hang when people like Mitrione are turning off your lights.

Also, props to Nelson for overall best entrance AND finish combined in one match. The entrance was awesome and I marked out completely for it. The ending was highlight reel quality and you hardly ever see that in the same fight. Kudos.