UFC 84 - Ill Will
Alrighty then… this is my very first post or blog about mma ever! My name is David Barnet and I live in Reno NV. I am an avid mma fan, UFC, EliteXC or any other organziation. I will be attending Ill Will in Las Vegas this coming saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. This will be my third live event the second in Las Vegas, I attended UFC 71 and 74.
Anyways this card is something so special, stacked from top to bottom. The main event is a light weight title match set for five rounds, pitting the current champion B.J. Penn versus Sean Sherk. There are two light heavy weight fights that have some major signifance as well. Keith Jardine will square off against Wanderlei Silva and Tito Ortiz will make his last appearance in the UFC octagon against the undefeated Lyoto Machida. These are the three main bouts of the night and I will give you my picks on who will win and why.
Lets start with Penn vs. Sherk. Over the months there has been bad blood brewing between these two. The former champ Sherk last fought at UFC 73 where he defeated Hermes Franca to retain his title. Once the drug tests were submitted and analyzed Sherk tested positive for Nandrolone Metabolite. He was suspended and stripped of his Light weight title. The vacancy was a huge opportunity for Penn, who just dropped back to the light weight division to avenge the Jens Pulver loss that happened many years ago. A match was made for the vacant title where Penn defeated Joe Stevenson thus becoming the new light weight champ.
As the current champ, Penn was very dissapointed in Sherk for testing positive for steroids and a seemed to take it very personally that someone would have to cheat his way to victory. Sherk would also go on about how he is still the champ which fuels the fire a little more for this fight.
If I was the betting man and I am, I would bet my money on Penn to retain the belt. Penn who is a world renowned brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, has outstanding striking skills, out of this world balance and one of the best resumes in all of mma. He’s fought the best around and has many victiories over the likes of Matt Hughes, Matt Serra and Takanori Gomi, who many believe is the top rated light weight in the world. Taking people down, wrestling, and cardio are the strengths of Sherks’. Penn is a fairly big light weight so it will be no easy task to take him down and out wrestle him. This fight will take place on the ground where both the fighters will feel most comfortable.
Sherk wants to take Penn down and ground and pound him into submission. I just don’t see that happening, Penn has a very strong chin and is very dangerous on the ground whether it be on his back or not. Too many possible ways for Penn to submit Sherk! Thats the way i see this fight going, Penn will either TKO Sherk from the mount or he will slip in a nasty submission move and force the former champ to submit. Sean Sherk is a great wrestler and a warrior, but just won’t have enough in his skill set to finish Penn. Lay and Pray is his only shot! But I don’t see Penn letting it go to the judges. Prediction: Third round submission or TKO either way Penn is walking out DA CHAMP!
Next fight: Jardine versus Silva…
Post by: nvhighroller21