The UFC Blog

To many this was the most anticipated fight of the night.  The former champ taking on Dana White, oh wait I mean Lyoto Machida.  This saga reminds me of the WWE Vince Mcmahon versus Stone Cold lol!  Anyways it was a typical Machida fight where he was on the defensive and out pointed Tito for the Unanimous Decesion.  Sadly the most entertaining part of the fight was the ref Yves Lavigne slipping and falling on his ass.  Which got a huge reaction from the sold out arena.

Tito tried to press the action and attempted a few takedown attempts but Machida was far too elusive for the former champ.  Nearing the end of round one a Tito takedown was reversed and Machida was able to land some punches as time ended.

Round two was much of the same as a frustrated Tito was unable to catch Machida.  Machida was able to land some kicks and punches to win round two.

Round 3 was entertaining at the end where machida landed a nice knee to Tito’s stomach knocking him down.  Tito quickly recovered and pulled guard.  He surprised everyone by nearly finishing the fight with a beautiful triangle choke, but switched it to a armbar where Machida was able to escape as the fight ended.

As Machida was giving his post fight interview, Tito got on top of the cage and recieved a huge applause from the crowd.  He was able to take some time to thank the fans and the Ferrtitas (UFC Owners) for the support and such.  He also left it open for a return to the UFC to the surprise to the fans but again recieved a huge reaction.

I later found out that Tito was banned from the post fight press conference from either Dana White or somebody that works for him.  He was able to gain access from the plea of the press themselves and was the main attraction of the conference.  Here’s a link to the Post-Fight Press Conference:

http://videos.mmaweekly.com/view_player.php?id=2550

I could go all day with my opinions on the Tito/Dana feud, it might be resolved with a sitdown that Dana said would probably happen.  Tito said before the fight that Lorenzo Ferrita offered him a new contract though.  Tito wants more money not just for himself but for all fighters, just look at the fighter paydays:

B.J. Penn ($250,000) def. Sean Sherk ($35,000)
Wanderlei Silva ($150,000) def. Keith Jardine ($10,000)
Goran Reljic ($6,000) def. Wilson Gouveia ($18,000)
Lyoto Machida ($100,000) def. Tito Ortiz ($210,000)
Thiago Silva ($50,000) def. Antonio Mendes ($4,000)
Rousimar Palhares ($10,000) def. Ivan Salaverry ($20,000)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou ($80,000) def. Kazuhiro Nakamura ($20,00O)
Rich Clementi ($40,000) def. Terry Etim ($10,000)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida ($12,000) def. Jon Koppenhaver ($8,000)
Dong Hyun Kim ($40,000) def. Jason Tan ($3000)
Shane Carwin ($12,000) def. Christian Wellisch ($10,000)

Jardine who was knocked out so bad that he was rushed to the hospital made 10 G’s.  There is a big problem with that.  This is the guy who just beat Liddell and he only makes that???  All these fighters put their lives on the line for as little as 3 grand, I could make that in a half hour of blackjack LOL.

Tito speaks his mind and he is right on this subject.  Just ask Tim Sylvia, Randy Couture and Andre Arlovski, three former champs gone from the UFC.  Who is the real star who puts peoples butts in the seats, the fighters or Dana White?  Time to start paying up or all the stars will be gone!  Enough about his what do ya’ll think.  Night Night  My next fight I will be attending will be the Affliction Banned card in Anaheim California should be a huge card featuring, Fedor, Sylvia, Josh Barnett and Andre Arlovski, 4 former heavy weight champs! Cya there!

What a fight - the whole 36 seconds of pure action.  Well at least on Wanderlei’s behalf LOL.  The Wand of the Pride days is back and looks like the future UFC champ!  The reckless onslaught of punches that we’ve seen in the past was on show at Ill Will.  I knew this was the way he needed to come out if he wanted to win (ala the Houston Alexander fight).  Just pure powerful strikes to da dome.

He knocked Jardine with a nice combo and rained down punches on the near motionless Jardine.  The celebs in attendance were in pure shock, Shaq, David Spade, The Rock and even Michael Jackson were in pure shock of the brutality of Silva.  Well maybe not MJ since we couldn’t see his face LOL.  Jardine was taken to the hospital and was laying in the cage motionless for about 5 minutes, so many of us were concerned for his health.  An interview with Greg Jackson his trained stated that he was ok though, so that is good news!

I was able to get a quick word in with Silva after the press conference and asked if a rematch with Chuck was next and he said Yes!  But we will see!  Rampage take notice somebody is back and it ain’t the Terminator it’s The Axe Murderer!

All right, I am back from Vegas and what a night of fights!  The main event showed a classic striking battle by two of the best light weights in the world.

Penn, the odds-on favorite and huge crowd fave, simply dominated from the opening bell.  Sherk who was constantly booed from the weigh-ins to the end of the match was simply out classed.  Sherk who relies on his wrestling take downs was unable to take down the extraordinary flexible Penn.  His balance is out of this world, he was impossible to takedown the whole night.

Randy Couture (world class wrestler and has a 70 pound weight advantage over BJ) has even stated for him that its a huge task to outwrestle Penn.  So we knew going in that Sean Sherk would have his hands full and he did.  The fight was a pure kick boxing match that went 3 rounds, ending with a flying knee landing flush on Sherk’s head.  The round was nearing the end and looked like he might be saved by the bell.  I think he knew he was finished and told the ref and BJ that he was done.

BJ goes on to retain the belt and looks to fight the winner of the Florian/Huerta fight.  Another possibility might be a rematch with GSP for the welterweight title, if he retains the belt from Jon Fitch at UFC 87.  He asked the crowd if we wanted to see that rematch and it was an obivous YES!!!

Sherk who was uncertain about his future would love to fight at UFC 87 since it will be in his own backyard in Minnesota.  Anyways I would love to see a Penn/GSP rematch with a well conditioned BJ dominating this fight and proving to the world he might just be as good as he thinks.  Pound for pound best fighter in the world?  Time will tell, we might have to ask a certain Russian named Fedor on who thinks is the best! LOL

I just got back from Vegas today and was very impressed with the stellar fights this weekend.  We had great seats with a perfect view of the cage.  Here are the results:

Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch
Winner: Shane Carwin via knockout in round one

Terry Etim vs. Rich Clementi
Winner: Rich Clementi via unanimous decision

Dong Hyun Kim vs. Jason Tan
Winner: Dong Hyun Kim via technical knockout (strikes) in round three

Jon Koppenhaver vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Winner: Yoshiyuki Yoshida via submission (anaconda choke) in round one

Goran Reljic vs. Wilson Gouveia
Winner: Goran Reljic via TKO (Strikes) Round 2

Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry
Winner: Rousimar Palhares via submission (armbar) in round one

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Winner: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via technical knockout (strikes) in round one

Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes
Winner: Thiago Silva via Submission (Strikes) Round 1

Tito Ortiz vs. Lyoto Machida
Winner: Lyoto Machida via Unanimous Decision

Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine
Winner: Wanderlei Silva via TKO (Strikes) Round 1

Main Event:
B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk
Winner: B.J. Penn via TKO Round 3 - Penn retains lightweight title!

Bodybuilding.com will be ringside covering the fight from the start to the finish.  Check back for updates!

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The UFC Weighins took place earlier today and what an event. There were loads of people. I couldn’t even guess how many people but I’d say close to 2,500-3,000 people made their way to the free event at the MGM. The fighters signed autographs and posed for pictures before the event began around 4:15.

One of the earlier matchups started things off when one guy headbutted the other while posing for photos. I can’t recall his name but he wasn’t on the main card. That kicked off the excitement of the afternoon.

Tito Ortiz lived up to his name as the “bad boy” when he came out and stripped down to show the crowd his shirt. That got the crowd going nuts. As you can see from the photo why this was.

The main event with Penn Vs Sherk had the crowd in a roar. I felt bad for Sherk, I like the guy, his work ethic and think he was screwed in the substance controversy. The crowd booed him and yelled things like “cheater”. The dude got no respect but he should he is a bad ass. Penn stripped down and faced off with Sherk to end the event.

It is going to be an amazing fight tomorrow. Check back for fight photos and a report.

I arrived at the MGM a bit ago for the UFC fight. I am off to grab a bite to eat and then head to the weigh-ins. I am STOKED for this fight. I’m a big Shawn Sherk fan and while most people aren’t giving him much of a chance, I like him in an upset. We’ll see how much bad blood their is in a bit at the weigh-ins. Should be fun. I’ll report back after the weigh-ins on any news. Look for photos from it to go up this evening.

Bigg Will and I are covering the event tomorrow night so stay tuned for photos and blogging here on bodybuilding.com. This is going to be one star studded event.

The MGM is the main hotel for the event and where the fight will be held. I’ve never stayed here, it’s nice. Fast internet connection (should be at $13.99 a day) and more upscale then many hotels. Clean room and a nice bed. I am set. Aight I’m off - stay tuned.

ILL WILL!

Alright, the fight of the night for me.  I am a huge Tito Ortiz fan so I think he is gonna punish Lyoto Machida.  Machida is 12-0, brazilan kung fu fighter with BJJ skills.  He has notable wins over BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and most recently Sokoudjou.  Within the UFC he is known as a very techincal fighter which means boring to most people.  He finally finished a fighter in his last fight against Sokoudjou.  In the UFC you just can’t win but you must win in exciting fashion to move up the ranks.  I was very surprised that he won his last fight and he gained a lot of credit for the victory within the UFC.  Thus he is granted this fight with the Huntington Beach Bad Boy Tito Ortiz.

The former LHW champ is 15-5-1 and a legend in this sport.  Whether you love him or hate him he has done wonders for the growth of mma.  He is a very controversial fighter who brings excitement and entertainment to all his fights, win, lose or draw.  When one thinks of the UFC you think of Chuck, Randy and Tito.  Anyways let me get off his nuts lol.

The fight seems secondary to the feud between Tito and his former manager now UFC president Dana White.  Tito says this will be his last fight within the UFC as long as Dana White is in charge.  Dana believes that Tito is more interested in other endeavors and is not the fighter that he once was, and therefore he doesn’t need to be paid as much as the other top fighters.  "Dana White, when he was my manager, he was the one fighting with the owners at the time to get me more money," Ortiz said. "I’m just doing the things he was doing for me."  Tito believes all fighters not just him need to be paid more for sacrificing their lives day in and day out, we buy ppvs to watch the fighters not Dana White right????  I’m sure Randy Couture agrees with Tito on this one.  So everyone has a side on this one, I am on Tito’s of course.  LOL.

Anyways Tito has a lot of motivation going into this fight quotes like this would motivate anyone right?  "He’s one of the most dishonest human beings I’ve ever met," White said. "I put up with him when he was a good fighter. He’s not anymore. He’s done. I’m no longer in the Tito Ortiz business."  A little bit more respect for the most watched fighter in UFC history, perhaps?!?!  Check the numbers the TUF 3 was the most watched in Spike TV history, Ortiz versus Shamrock and Ortiz versus Liddell were the most bought PPV, Ortiz versus Shamrock 3 was the most watched fight night in Spike’s history as well.

He has had more fights in the octagon (21) and was the longest reigning champ in history 2000-2003.  So will there be a new contract in line for Tito after a victory at 84?  This is what Tito wants: "I’m looking for something where I can be a promoter (as part of a contract with a new company)."  Dana had a quick reply: "There’s not going to be any bidding war," White said. "Gary Shaw (promoter at Elite XC) should offer him $30 a fight because we’re not going to match it."  Dana has even stated that he would love for Tito to lose, he has never wanted any fighter to win or lose in prior fights.  "I want to see Machida win. But if Tito knocks Machida out, I’m still out of the Tito Ortiz business."  It’s too bad that a legend is forced out of the company he helped grow.

Oh yeah he is fighting Machida lol not Dana White.  Is Tito the same fighter from years past?  He dominated Rashad Evans in his last fight, if it wasn’t for a few fence grabs Tito would’ve gotten the decision.  Tito is way too big for Machida.  I think he will get into Machidas guard and take him down at will and overpower him with bows to the head.  Machida has never faced a fighter like Tito and if Tito comes a 100% like he says he will he only has a punchers chance!  With all the sideshow going on with Dana and Tito, we forget that a win would propel Machida further up the latter.  This fight is huge for him, many casual fans have no clue about him.  The big time pressure is on him for the first in the UFC and we shall see how he reacts to it.  Tito has been there and done that, so there is no pressure.  Win or lose Tito will still have star power and still attract many fans to his fights, where ever that may be.

What does the future hold for Tito?  "There’s a rematch with Randy Couture, a rematch with Frank Shamrock, and maybe (heavyweights) Kimbo Slice or Fedor Emelianenko," he said. "Yes, they are (except Shamrock) heavyweights, but we can fight at a catch weight. Babalu (Renato Sobral) is another one. I have three or four years left."  EliteXC has Kimbo and Shamrock,  Afflicton has a promotion starting up with Fedor and maybe Randy.  He has endless opportunites and if a company wants to make money, SIGN HIM!!!!

So who will have the last laugh Dana or Tito?  Will we see the old Tito??  Will Tito have mic time after his win over Machida??  These questions will all be answered come saturday on PPV, order it!  So I will be putting my money on Tito, Wanderlei, and Penn.  Hope I win!

I like most people didn’t care for Tito because of some his post fight antics in the past, but after watching TUF 3 he won me over as a fan.  He is truly a genuine person, I was lucky enough to be playing blackjack at the Grand Sierra Resort here in Reno, and Tito came up and played with me at the table I was playing at.  I lost some money but was able to chat with him for about 3 hours or so, so that was really cool.  Oh, his girlfriend also said I was hot the next night so that was a plus too!  Let the Punishment begin May 24th Vegas - cya there!

The Axe Murderer versus The Dean of Mean, it’s not the 4th of July but on May 24th there will be some major fireworks during this fight.  This fight pits an icon versus an up and comer.  Wanderlei Silva is easy one of the best LHW ever in MMA, only his second fight in the UFC some fans still don’t know how good of a fighter he truly is.  He’s coming off 3 straight losses (Cro Crop, Henderson and Liddell) 3 of the best fighters in the world as well.  This is the man who brutally knocked out the current champ (Rampage Jackson) not once but twice.  His last fight was against the Iceman, a 3 round epic battle, that came to a decision in favor of Chuck.

Wand is a BJJ black belt but hasn’t submitted a fighter in 8 years.  You still have to respect his ground game though, but watch out for his strikes.  He loves to get up in yo face and pummel his oponents with devastating knees and elbows within his muay thai clinch.  If you think Anderson Silva has a great clinch check out Wand’s.  He’s gonna have to get in Jardine’s guard with that clinch if he wants to out strike the Dean of Mean.  After his loss to Liddell, he has re-dedicated himself to his training.  The former Chute-Boxe fighter now calls Xtreme Couture his home gym.  He trains with the best, Couture, Griffin among others.  This training should truly help him during this fight.

Jardine is riding high since his decision victory over Chuck Liddell at UFC 79, where everyone was counting him out.  He out striked and out kicked the feared striker himself in Liddell.  He nearly knocked him out in the second round but eventually got the decison.  The TUF alum is a great fighter who fights out of the famed Greg Jackson camp in New Mexico, where other great fighters train (GSP, Rashad Evans, Marquardt).  So you know he will be prepared and in great condition with a gameplan set for Silva.  Jardine has great kickboxing skill, nice wrestling but BJJ wise he hasn’t been tested or had to use it, so I am skepitcal on that.  Most fighters would be scared of fighting such a legend (Wanderlei) in the sport but we know that won’t be a factor since he already fought and beat Liddell.  If Jardine sticks with a similar gameplan from his last fight he should come out the victor.

Most would say this fight would be a first round knockout for either fighter.  I am going to predict that this fight goes all 3 rounds.  I would love to see the old Wand take it to Jardine like he used to do in the Pride days.  I think Jardine will use his reach to his advantage and his jab to keep Wand at bay.  Jardine learned his lesson from Houston Alexander at UFC 71 where he was in his clinch and knocked out within seconds.  Wand has similar power to Houston and should come out with the same approach and tactics.

For some reason Silva is the favorite, coming off 3 losses i don’t see how that can be.  Jardine just beat 1 legend and is hungry for a title shot that he should’ve already gotten against Rampage.  Wanderlei is one hell of a fighter, he runs with his nose plugged and breathes out of a snorkel, who does that??  He’s hungry, he needs a win badly, I don’t think Dana White will keep him around with 4 straight losses.  This fight is a toss up, but I like Wanderlei via split decision.  Based on he needs the win more than Jardine and I believe he is more hungry for the victory.

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…

I’ve made my flight arrangements and received word from the UFC press that I am credentialed for this fight. I’m stoked to be covering this event, there will be a number of story lines written next weekend. One of my favorite UFC fighters is Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk. I became a fan after seeing his training on the  SPIKE TV show. This guy is an animal and trains like no other. He’s got a tough battle on his hands with one of the best in BJJ, BJ Penn. Certainly worthy of the headline event. Don’t forget this is slated to be Tito Ortiz’s last fight. Add that to his girlfriend Jenna Jameson ringside, in Las Vegas, and you’ve got reality tv happening right before your eyes.

I’ll be covering the weigh-in on Friday afternoon so look for photos from that later on Friday. I’m looking forward to making the trip with Will dawg as we had a good time covering the UFN fight in Broomfield, Colorado last month.

Cheers!

UFC 84: Ill Will is coming up next Saturday.  With the name of ‘Ill Will’, I of course, have to be there…

I will be there ringside along with Isaac Hinds covering the contest.  

Be sure to check out Larry Pepe’s preview of the upcoming fight at:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ufc84_main_page.htm

See you all there!

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