UFC on Versus Jones vs. Matyushenko

This weekend the UFC and the Versus channel join forces once again to bring a stacked card of MMA action. In the main event we have Jon "Bones" Jones vs Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko. Jones is coming off a strong performance against Brandon Vera were he blasted Vera with a devastating elbow that caused three facial fractures. Vladimir is also coming of a win were he was able to win a split decision against Eliot Marshall. Both these fighters last fights were part of the first ever UFC on Versus fight card in Broomfield Colorado . Valdimir is coming into this fight with lots of MMA experiance. He was the first and only IFL light heavy weight champion. He also has fought in Affliction were he lost to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via TKO. He did get a win at Call to Arms 1 defeating Jason Lambert via unanimous decision. The Janitor has a great wrestling background and comes with power punching in the right hand. The Janitor has a lot more experience than Jones but that has not stopped Jones from being the next big thing. The way I see this fight going is Vladimir trying to take big shots at Jones while trying to move in to get the take down. Now if he decides to do that there is a problem. When Vladimir throws his punches he kind of leaves himself open for a counter blow. Jones is very capable of sneaking in a quit shot that will rock the Janitor's closet. Vladimir does have top shelf Olympic caliber wrestling so if he can get his arms on Jones it could make a long night for the young gun. With that being said Jones does take his opponents down with great Judo reversals and he typically ends up on top were he rains down devastating elbows and punches to end his opponents night. So this fight can go any way but the technical superiority and quickness of Jones I think will be to much for the Janitor. I see Jones winning in the 2nd round by TKO. In the Co-Main Event you have the Filipino Wrecking Machine Mark Munoz against always dangerous Yushin Okami. I am looking forward to this fight. It will be interesting to see if Okami can stop Munoz from taking over this fight. Okami is no joke and he will be looking to finish the fight. On this night we also get a chance to see if the Fire Ball Kid Takanori Gomi can bounce back from his loss to Kenny Florian and get back to winning as he faces the always exciting Tyson Griffin. This card is packed with great fights and match-ups so don't forget to tune in.
Below our my fight picks for UFC on Versus 2:

Main Event:
Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
Winner: Jon Jones via TKO in the 2nd

Co-Main Event:
Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami
Winner: Mark Munoz via Unanimous Decision

John Howard vs Jake Ellenberger
Winner: John Howard via TKO in the 3rd

Tyson Griffin vs Takanori Gomi
Winner: Tyson Griffin via Unanimous Decision

Paul Kelly vs Jacob Volkmann
Winner: Paul Kelly via TKO in the 1st

DaMarques Johnson vs Matthew Riddle
Winner: Matthew Riddle via Split Decision

James Irvin vs Igor Pokrajac
Winner: Igor Pokrajac via TKO in the 3rd

UFC 116 Aftermath

So now that the dust has settled we can now take a look at what's in store for the heavy weight division. Brock Lesner battled for his life prior to this fight with Shane Carwin, as he suffered from mononucleosis and was not able to fight on the scheduled UFC106 fight card. He took his time to heal his body and started to train for Carwin. Throughout the weeks leading up to the fight Brock was very confident that he would be the superior athlete. Shane Carwin was also confident that Brock would not be able to withstand the punching power that he brings to the table. I was very excited for this fight with high hopes of a spectacular finish by either of the competitors. I was not disappointed. The first round was a nail biter as Carwin looked to finish the fight in the first round. Carwin rained down a barrage of punches and elbows hoping for a stoppage by Josh Rosenthal. Rosenthal kept a close eye on Brock making sure that he was still defending himself and was not about to go out. Lesner kept moving and seemed to be okay underneath all of Carwin's damage. Brock did a great job weathering the storm and making it to the second. It has been said by Carwin that at the end of the first round his body had seized up on him and he could not feel his legs going into the second round(Fan page blog post http://bit.ly/c8fvdC) . It was in this round that Lesner was able to secure a take-down and get on top of Carwin and work towards a finish. It looked like to me that Carwin was doing fine and defending the submission attempt very well. As Lesner was able to change position he locked in the triangle choke and got the win. I'm not going to lie, i was rooting for Carwin being from Colorado and all. Brock took a different route with this win and seemed humbled by his recent experiance and his MMA career. He did not show any disrespect nor any other harsh WWE flashbacks. I have a new found respect for the man. He fought like a true champion that was not going to be denied his day nor his belt. Carwin is also a highly respected fighter and always shows class in the cage. Now that this fight is over we now need to look at the rest of the UFC heavy weight division and whats in store for the fans and the contenders.
It has been said by Dana White that Cain Velasquez will be getting the next title shot against Brock Lesner. Now this is very intriguing to me as both fighters have a wrestling background. Now during the lead up to the Carwin fight, Lesner stated that his Division 1 wrestling was superior to Carwin's Division 2, well Cain wrestled for Arizona State where he earned All-American honors. So now we ask the question, can Cain out wrestle Brock and take his title away from him? Cain has racked up some impressive wins since coming to the UFC from the likes of Jake O'Brian, Check Kongo, Ben Rothwell and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He uses his top shelf wrestling and tremendous tenacity to out work his opponents. His last 2 fights have ended by TKO and KO so he has power to take fighters out. When him and Brock step into the cage it will be very interesting to see of Cain can take out the Freak of nature Brock Lesner.
The UFC Heavy Weight Divison is stacked with possible contenders and big fights. Shane Carwin may have lost to Brock but we cannot count him out of the title contention in the future. We also have big puncher Junior Dos Santos who has been smashing through all his opponents, and is scheduled to meet Roy Nelson next month. The winner of this fight most likely will be getting a title shot against the winner of Brock and Cain. Do not forget about Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub, a crafty veteran and a young gun waiting in the wings for their chance. The UFC Heavy Weight Division is definitely one to watch this summer and leading into the fall. I am very excited.
Now we look forward to August where we have some great up coming events and awesome fights. August 1st we have UFC on Versus 2 with Jon "Bones" Jones vs "The Janitor" Vladimir Matyushenko. This card has some great fights on it and I look forward to seeing John "DoomsDay" Howard fight again. Then on August 7th we shall see if Chael Sonnen can walk the walk as he goes up against Anderson "The Spider" Silva for the Middle Weight Title. Nearing the end of the month we get to be treated again to a Light Weight battle of champions as Frankie "The Answer" Edgar defends his title against the "Prodigy" BJ Penn. This will be the chance for Edgar to silence the critics and become the true champion. BJ on the other hand gets the opportunity to get his title back. So as you can see August is the most awesome month of UFC action with 2 titles going on the line, so sit tight and get ready for action packed throw downs!

UFC 114 Recap & Thoughts

Last night at UFC 114 two bitter rivals stepped into the octagon to settle their differences and to gain bragging rights. The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas was packed full of MMA fans waiting for these two athletes to step into the cage and take care of business. Rashad Evans was the first to make his way down to the cage. He was welcomed by boo's as he made his way to the cage. Evans did his patent entrance into the cage with that spider like crawl into the cage with lots of energy and focus. He stood in his corner with a face of determination and calmness. Then it was Jackson's turn to make his way to the cage. The crowd exploded in cheers for the Memphis born fighter as he made his way down the aisle. Jackson made his way towards the cage with the snarl look on his face and that famous howl to the sky. As Jackson made his way into the cage he stared down his opponent with a look of bad intentions and anger. Both athletes looked calm, focused and determined to be the better man in this night. Herb Dean brought both fighters to the center of the octagon to give the final instructions. Both fighters not giving an inch in the stare down. No touching of gloves for these to rivals. They both backed up as Herb Dean was making his last check with the judges. The order to fight was given.
1st round: When the fight started Jackson right away made his way towards Evans. Jackson looked very determined to close the gap between him and Evans very quickly. Evans was bouncing around, changing levels making those quick in and out movements that we've come accustomed to seeing from him. At about the 4:45 minute mark Evans caught Jackson with a right hand to the cheek that staggered Jackson and made him stumble to the cage. The crowd jumped up to see if this was going to be the end. Evans quickly rushed towards Jackson, pinning him up against the cage. Their they stood battling it out for position. Evans started to go after Jackson's legs with hammer fists and knees. At the 2:51 mark Herb Dean separated them as no fighter was making progress to gain a dominant position. The fighters then gain their composure and once again start to measure their distance. Around the 2:17 mark Evans lands a great take-down and works to better his position and he delivers strikes to Jackson's head and face. Eventually Rampage works himself up to his feet, taking shots to the face as he tries. The crowd starts to boo the fighters as they both jock for position in the clinch. At this point it looks like Evans game plan is to wear Jackson out by keeping him pressed up against the cage and to lean on him. Wear the bigger fighter out. This is also the time we start to question Jackson's weight cut. With only :28 seconds left Herb Dean separates the fighters again to the delight of the fans and roars fell the arena. The round ends with a good exchange between both fighters. Round looks like it will go to Evans. Between rounds Evans corner reminds him that Jackson is still dangerous.
2nd Round: The second round starts with both fighter in the middle of the cage. The crowd begins to chant for Rampage. Jackson moving in closer to Evans looking to land one of his bombs. Evans starts to move in and out with level changing quickness. Both fighters looking to exchange blows, when Evans rushes Jackson and puts his back right up against the cage again. Evans once again starts to punish Jackson's legs with knees and hammer strikes. As they get separated Evans works right back to the clinch and attempts his take-downs. Most of round 2 is worked in the clinch and Jackson defending the take-down. Round 2 also belongs to Evans. During the break Jackson's corner tells him that he needs a KO to win. With Evans taking the first 2 rounds this is defiantly what its going to take to win. Evans corner reminds him that even if Jackson is tired he is still dangerous.
Round 3: The 3rd round starts with both fighters in the center of the octagon. Evans making quick movements, keeping his level low. Both fighters are trying to figure out their range as they slap hands trying to gauge the distance. At about the 3:53 mark Jackson catches Evans with a right hand staggering the former champion sending him to his back. The crowd exploded and every one in the MGM Grand Arena was up on their feet. Jackson started to rain down punches as Evans was trying to defend. When I was watching, it seemed like a lot of the punches Jackson was throwing were not finding their mark. Jackson was on top with half guard trying to keep Evans down. Evans eventually made it to his feet, but looked hurt. The fighters separated and Evans looked like there was not much left. Now its about this time in the fight were things went weird. Evans was obviously hurt and his legs were not all there, yet Jackson did not press to finish. There was about a minute or two were Evans looked like he was still dizzy. During this time Jackson did not press or attack the vulnerable Evans. Evans was able to recover and get the bounce back in this legs. About the 1:49 minute mark Evans landed another take-down and followed up with some damaging punches to Jackson's dome. As Evans was bringing down the fist, Jackson worked his way to his feet. It would not be long after getting to his feet that Jackson would end up back to the ground due to a wonderful take-down by Evans. Jackson would make it back to his feet again. Both fighters worked the clinch up until they separated and finished the round with a brief exchange at the end. The 3rd round also belonged to Evans. Everyone in the MGM Grand know who the winner was going to be and so did I. Rashad Evans hand was raised in victory.
Was this the ending that everyone wanted? Who's to say, but I had a pretty good idea that this is how it was going to go. I knew that Evans would stick to his game plan and work the take-downs and avoid to much exchanges. Evans worked his skills and was the better man on this night. It was Evans speed that I think was really a problem for Jackson. I was surprised that Jackson let Evans press him up against the cage for so long. I was thinking that Jackson would of been okay with taking a few to work his clinch game. It seemed that Evans quick in and out movement kept Jackson guessing. This now leaves us thinking, whats next for Rampage? Is there a possible rematch in the making for these two? I would like to see one. Overall it was a good fight. Both fighters had their chances to finish the other fighter. I take my hat off to both of these athletes. This now sets up a confrontation between Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans. Now that will be a fun fight to break down. .
Here is the way the rest of the nights fights went:
Rashad Evans defeats Rampage Jackson via Unanimous Decision
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeats Jason Brilz via Split Decision
This one was very close. A little controversy on this one.
Michael Bisping defeats Dan Miller via Unanimous Decision
Was not very impressed with Bisping's performance in this one. He landed a lot of shots on Miller's face but could not take him out. I was expecting a more agressive Bisping.
John Hathaway defeats Diego Sanchez via Unanimous Decision
I was very surprised by this outcome. Diego really needs to work on his stand-up.
Mike Russow defeats Todd Duffee via TKO (Strikes) Round 3
The most incredale finish in UFC history.
Dong Hyun Kim def. Amir Sadollah via unanimous decision
Efrain Escudero def. Dan Lauzon via unanimous decision
Melvin Guillard def. Waylon Lowe via TKO (strikes) - R1 | 3:28.
Aaron Riley def. Joe Brammer via unanimous decision
Cyrille Diabate def. Luiz Cane via TKO (punches) - R1 | 2:13
Ryan Jensen def. Jesse Forbes via submission (guillotine choke) - R1 | 1:06

Introduction "Guest Blogger" MMA

I have been given a great opportunity to work with James King III & Justin Davis on this blog to bring you the world of MMA. I am a hard working father of 3 boys who are all active in sports and academics. I have a wonderful fiance who puts up with my hours of following the sport I so love. I have been watching and keeping up with MMA since 1994. Around a year ago I signed up for my twitter account and found a whole world of people who are as in love with MMA as I am. It was the catalyst to my blogging and listening to MMA sports radio, in turn it has given me the opportunity to network about the sport with other fans and fighters. I have watched the Sport of MMA grow from its infancy in the early 90s into the huge phenomenon it has become today. I remember when Senator John McCain called it "Human Cock Fighting" and tried to bring the sport of MMA down. He made many attempts to strike a blow to the UFC and the brutal combat fighting sport of MMA but I personally believe he helped it. In 1996-97 the UFC made huge changes to its rules of fighting to make it safer for the fighters and to help its image. They did away with hair pulling, groin strikes, headbutts and kicking an opponent while he was down and a few others. The UFC also jumped on board with this new Reality craze sweeping the country and launched "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 1 on Spike TV, with its coaches, Chuck Liddell & Randy Couture. It debuted on January 17, 2005. It was loaded with 8 light heavy weights & 8 middle weights. This essential partnership between Spike TV and the UFC is what brought MMA to the world. It was genius to put this show on a channel like Spike. It gave the UFC the opportunity to showcase new talent and great fights, all for free. The first season finale was broad-casted Live for free on April 9, 2005 on Spike TV. It was able to punch a 1.9 overall rating which was impressive. On this night the public was exposed to the world of MMA and what it was all about. In the finale fight of the evening you had Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar. It is in this 3 round war that I think people got an idea what kind of sport MMA truly is. This fight had such an impact people were talking about it way after it happened. Griffin & Bonnar became celebrities, and so did the coaches. From that moment MMA had a new platform to showcase the sport and the ability to give the fans fights for free and a show of their own.
I will be blogging about all the major organizations from UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, Bellator, Dream and local MMA organizations. This sport is my passion and my life. I hope that you all enjoy, and feedback is welcome. Follow me on twitter (@Chingon3).