Bleacher Report - Articles by Uncle-Joe S

What To Expect From UFC 103

Uncle-Joe S — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:55:14 -0400

Expect Mike Goldberg to plug TUF:10 and Kimbo at least five hundred times.

Expect the crowd to go crazy when Belfort is introduced.

Expect Belfort to Finish Franklin.

Expect it to be a controversial stoppage.

Expect Cro-Cop and Dos Santos to have a long boring fight.

Expect Kampmann to underestimate Paul Daley.

Expect Daley to finish him.

Expect Koscheck to finish Trigg.

Expect Trigg to retire.

Expect Tyson Griffin and Hermes Franca to beat the living crap out of each other.

Expect Griffin to win a close decision.

Expect Efrain Escudero to beat Cole Miller by a controversial decision.

Expect Cole Miller to walk away without shaking Escudero's hand.

Expect twice as many views of the free fights on Spike, as PPV buys.

Expect me to not be as accurate as the last time I did one of these articles.

Expect a great card, and enjoy the fights.

The "Weighting" Game; A Look At Weight-Jumping in the UFC

Uncle-Joe S — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:13:46 -0400

In the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, fighters are categorized by one thing. Not, their records, fighting styles, or camps they come out of, but by weight.

Weight-classes range from 125-pound Flyweights, to 265-pound Heavyweights. Since the inception of weight classes, many fighters bulk up or cut down to make their respective weight, but they generally fought in the same class every time, until recently.

Many fighters have been "weight-jumping" as of late, fighting in multiple weight classes, and while there are different reasons for different fighters, each jump sparks new questions for the sport.

This new trend of weight-jumping seems to be most popular in MMA's lead promotion, the UFC. With their 205-pound Light Heavyweight division being the most dynamic in the sport, it's no wonder that most weight-jumping involves this class.

We've seen fighters like Brandon Vera, and Jake O'Brien come down from the Heavyweight division, and others like former Middleweight champion Rich Franklin and Matt Hamill coming up from the 185 pound Middleweight division, to try to find success at a new weight.

Other fighters like current Middleweight champion Anderson Silva seem to be weight-jumping for other reasons.

Having beaten all the competition at 185 pounds, Anderson Silva jumped up to 205 pounds to take on James Irvin in July 2008. Silva was successful in his jump, beating Irvin at just over one minute in the first round.

After a successful title defense against Thales Leites in April, Silva now plans to jump back to the 205-pound division to take on former Light Heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 in August.

The Lightweight division has also seen some weight-jumping as of recent with Lightweight champion BJ Penn jumping up to 170 Lbs. to face Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

After being stopped at the end of the fourth round by St. Pierre, Penn will now jump back to Lightweight to defend his title against No. 1 contender Kenny Florian alongside Silva and Griffin on the August card.

Diego Sanchez has also jumped down from Welterweight to prove himself as a top contender at 155 pounds.

But how is all of this affecting the organization? After Silva's first jump to 205 Lbs. he then dropped back to Middleweight, to take on then-No. 1 contender, Patrick Cote.

A knee injury to Cote in the third round, gave Silva the victory, but much controversy was sparked due to a lack-luster performance by Silva in the first two rounds.

While Silva made weight, and even finished the last two rounds in his locker room with his training partner, the question is raised as to whether or not his need to drop 20 pounds had an effect on the way he fought.

No official reason was given as to why Silva fought the way he did, but the effects that cutting weight can have on the body, may have been what kept Silva from being the exciting, dynamic striker he's known to be.

Weight jumping has also been used to create "super fights," in which fights that would not have been possible, due to weight class differences, can be made a reality.

UFC 99 saw Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva fighting at a catch-weight of 195 Lbs. which is not an official weight class in the UFC.

The decided weight caught the two fighters in the midst of a jump, Franklin going up from 185 to 205 Lbs. and Wanderlei moving down between the same weights.

Another "superfight" was between Georges St. Pierre, and BJ Penn, both title holders at their respective weight class. The fight, at 170 pounds, put the GSP's Welterweight title up for contention, meanwhile leaving Penn's Lightweight belt locked until he dropped back to 155 pounds.

Top contender Kenny Florian gained his status with a submission win over Joe Stevenson back in November 2008, but due to Penn's "superfight" in January 2009, Florian will have to wait till August to get his title shot.

While Florian has never expressed any dislike to the situation, the main supporters of the UFC, the fans, may see things differently.

Some may not have agreed with holding off on a possibly exciting Lightweight title bout, for a grudge match "superfight" which failed to live up to its hype.

With 2009 in full swing, we are sure to see much more of this new trend, along with important legal battles, contract disputes, and new fighters.

It's not certain whether weight jumping will harm or help the sport in the long run, but in the meantime, all we can do is sit back, enjoy the fights, and play the "weighting" game.

What To Expect from UFC 99

Uncle-Joe S — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:12:20 -0400

Since Sean is AWOL on this one, I figured I'd try to fill in for him.

Expect Franklin and Silva to beat the crap out of each other.

Expect Golderg to forget what weight they're fighting at.

Expect tons of plugs for both UFC 100 and TUF finale.

Expect Dan Hardy to win a decision over Marcus Davis.

Expect Davis to be pissed and not shake Hardy's hand—or hug him.

Expect Goldberg to mention that "there's no love loss between these two guys".

Expect Mirko Cro Cop to look slow and old in his fight, but still knock out Al-Turk.

Expect Mostapha Al-Turk to lose his contract after losing to Cro Cop.

Expect Joe Rogan to reference Dale Hartt's last fight, after he wins.

Expect the fight between Denis Stojnic and Stefan Struve to be awfully boring.

Expect Cain Velasquez to stop Cheick Kongo.

Expect to still not know what to think of the Heavyweight division after that happens.

Expect that even if Kongo wins, you still won't really know what to make of the Heavyweight divison.

Expect Swick and Saunders to have an extremely fast paced first round.

Expect Saunders to come out slow in the second round.

Expect Rolando Delgado to get layed out, and not be standing by the time they give the official decision.

Expect many of these things to not happen.

Expect everyone to beg for Sean to return after reading this.

Enjoy UFC 99!

Ultimate 2008; Ultimately Satisfying

Uncle-Joe S — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 01:34:09 -0500

As usual, I was not lucky enough to watch the fights live.

I got pretty close though, I was at a friend's apartment, and one of the people who was there said he would put down money for the PPV. I immediately took out twenty dollars in hope that others would follow, but the people who payed rent decided they didn't really want to watch it.

So, when I woke up this morning, the first thing I did, was check myvideofight.com, and holy balls, is all I could say.

The first fight I watched was Griffin Vs. Evans. Aside from the fact that it was a title bout, I wasn't entirely too excited about this one. I loved watching Evans knock out Liddell, and I very much liked Girffin taking the title from Jackson, but these two aren't in my top ten of guys I like to watch, so there wasn't much there for me.

The thing that set this match off for me, was the discussions I'd been having about it with a guy I know. I mentioned to him that I was picking Evans to win, and he countered with something along the line of "What are you talking about? You can't stop Griffin, It'll go the distance, with Griffin holding on."

So not only did I get the pick right, but I also called third round TKO, in the second minute. That's 43 bonus points for my fantasy picks, and a whole bucket full of bragging rights.

Then I watched the Silva vs Jackson fight, and again, holy balls. After Jackson getting knocked out so badly both times in Pride, I figured that he would to to escape the clinch, and that it would be a slug-fest ending with a Sliva win by split decision.

Jackson winning by knock out, via a hook, tells me one thing: This guy is not what MMA is all about. He beats Liddell with a right hook, Silva with a left hook, but can't seem to get it done in a full on fight. I liked Rampage in Pride but I'd be fine not seeing him in the Octagon ever again. He and Silva should go at it a fourth time back in Japan.

How does one BJJ black belt beat another BJJ black Belt? He out boxes him.

Mir vs. Nougueira was what this card was all about for me. I'm a big fan of BJJ, and Frank Mir is one of my top five favorite fighters. The only thing that could have made this fight better, was having it end the way I predicted. I know Mir knocked out Sims, but he's not known as a striker, so to see him come out and land punch after punch, and kick after kick, was no where in my foresight.

The fight did end up on the ground for a minute, but it was a foot race. Mir was putting together some awesome combos, and with great accuracy too.

Nog landed about five total strikes, and maybe only attempted one or two more. Minotauro just didn't seem to have it together from the opening bell. With this loss, I hope Nogueira retires with his legacy, and doesn't try a not-likely comeback.

Mir, however, is going to steam-roll over current heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and reclaim the belt.

I've always liked Mir's subtle "I'm here" or "I'm back" post win celebrations, but watching him call out Lesnar for his belt, was awesome. Anyone who knows what the heavyweight division of the UFC is all about, is already breaking down this match in their head. Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar2 in July 2009.

The only other fights available for me to watch were Dollaway Vs. Massenzio, and Kongo vs. Al Turk. Both fights, while not star studded, where quite exciting anyway. Dollaway gets a nice first round TKO to boost his ego before probably fading into a brutal loss, and then a smaller promotion.

Kongo also did a nice job in his match. A knee to the balls stopped the fight for a minute, and Kongo came back and showed that he knew male anatomy as well, before knocking Al Turk to the ground, and relentlessly trying to turn his head into oatmeal. Kongo probably beat the UFC logo off of the knuckles on his glove. After tonight, Kongo should fight Gabriel Gonzaga, and the winner of that fight should face the winner of Mir vs. Lesnar two.

All in all, it was a good card, I got many correct picks with the exception of Silva-Jackson, and Evensen-Barry. I had Yushin Okami by unanimous decision, and Hardonk by second round TKO. Dana White and Joe Silva did one hell of a job putting this card together, an absoultely great way to end the year.

*Update*

I just had the pleasure of watching the Evensen-Barry fight, and again, balls all around. It looked sort of like a Tae Kwon Do match at some point, lots of beautiful high kicks. The ground work also had potentialmto turn interesting, but if you payed attention to the slow motion replay, you're almost glad that it ended standing up. I'm sure Evensen, Corey Hill, and Patrick Cote are in bed having drinks watching football today.

The Worst of the NFL 2008

Uncle-Joe S — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:51:06 -0500

The NFL has been up and down this season. The ups include the Tennessee Titans going undefeated for much of the season, great fourth quarter comebacks, and exciting overtime wins. The downs however are a much different story. Win less teams, injuries on and off the field, blown calls, and bad coaches. The list is endless, but here's my list of the top five worst happenings in the 2008 NFL season.

Begin Slideshow

Dale Hartt Gets Victory and Respect at UFC: Fight For The Troops

Uncle-Joe S — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:48:22 -0500

Standing at 5'8", weighing in at 156 Lbs. and holding a record of 5-1, Dale Hartt stepped into the Octagon on December 10th, looking for his first UFC victory. His opponent; 2-1 6'4" Corey Hill. Hartt left the Octagon with the win, and maybe a little bit more.

The fight started off with Hartt's very first strike, an inside leg-kick, landing to Hill's groin. Hill shrugged the hit off, the two touched gloves for a second time, and the fight continued. The first round was somewhat uneventful, ending up on the ground, with little movement, and the crowed booing.

The fight changed drastically just 10 seconds into the second round, when Hill threw a low outside leg kick. Hart checked the kick, and on contact, Hill's leg snapped, and swung around like rubber tire. Hill fell down on the leg, and Hartt, without knowing what happened, went to try to finish the fight. After much yelling from Joe Rogan, Referee Donny Jesup Stopped the fight.

Hartt got up, with a look of dissapointment in his eyes, but it wasn't till he turned back to look at his opponent, that he realized what had happened. Hartt's eyes got wide, as he walked over to Hill, but Jesup pushed him aside.

At the official announcement, Dale Hartt's hand was raised, but his head was hung. Hartt showed that he truly did not want to win, in the fashion which he did. "I wanted to beat him with every bit of my heart, but I don't want to see him like this" said Hartt as he spoke to Rogan after the fight.

Along with respect to his opponent, Hartt gave thanks to Marcus Davis, and Extreme Courture, as well as showing his love for the UFC, saying it was the biggest day of his life. Hartt gains his first UFC victory, and possibly the respect of every individual who watched the fight.

Congratulations, Dale Hartt, the UFC could use more people like you.

For those that missed the fight, it can be seen for a short time at www.UFC.com, or at http://www.myvideofight.com/video/ufc/ufn-16-dale-hartt-vs-corey-hill/index.html

*Update*

Corey Hill underwent surgery to repair his leg, and will be out of commission for 12 to 18 months.

The Fedor Fad; How Long Will It Take To Forget The Last Emperor?

Uncle-Joe S — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:37:19 -0500

Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko; 6'0" 235 Lbs. 32 years old, 29-1-1 (NC), Pride Heavyweight Champion, Affliction Heavyweight Champion, wins in Bodog Fight. A resume of a legend, arguably the best ever in the sport of MMA.

At one point, if you mentioned MMA, it went hand in hand with the UFC, which went hand in hand with Chuck Liddell. Now, Mention MMA and you're most likely to hear the name Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor is big, strong, exciting to watch, and he wins fights, knock outs, submissions, the guy has it all. Who doesn't love Fedor Emelianenko?

On Janruary 24th, Fedor is scheduled to go up against Affliction's top heavyweight contender, Andrei Arlovski for the WAMMA Heavyweight title. Fedor is by far favored to win the fight, after destroying Tim Sylvia-who has wins and losses against Arlovski-in thirty six seconds, people may expect this fight to end quickly as well. The big question though is this, what happens in Fedor loses?

Tito Ortiz used to win fights, he started losing, and people starting to forget about him. Chuck Liddell used to dominate the Light Heavyweight division of the UFC, he got knocked out by Rashad Evans, and people started to question his abilities. Randy Couture is one of the greatest fighters the MMA world has ever seen, seemingly unbeatable, even when he lost. Now surrounded by controversy after a loss to Brock Lesnar.

If Fedor beats Arlovski, all is well. He's done his job, kept the title, and pleased the fans that want to see him win. If he losses however, how long will it take before people start to question his strength, his style, his heart, his name? In the world of MMA, it's win, or be cast aside, but could we really cast aside Fedor Emelianenko?

Emelianenko and Arlovski are both great fighters, both with nice Sambo backgrounds, titles on their resumes, delightful foreign accents. No matter the outcome of the fight, it should be very exciting. However, Fedor may need have to win over Arlovski, if he wants to win-over his fans, because if he loses...well, let's just hope it doesn't come to that.

Fighting Hurts: Dave O'Donnell One-Ups Dana White

Uncle-Joe S — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:43:41 -0500

In an effort to make the UFC more mainstream, UFC resident, Dana White started his own reality show, The Ultimate Fighter. The show featured 16 amateur fighters, competing for a six figure UFC contract.

The first season was a huge success, gaining the UFC the much needed exposure that White was looking for. However, nearing the end of it's eighth season, TUF has become more about the fighter's antics than their fighting.

Dave O'Donnell, the "Dana White" of the UK's Cage Rage, has made his own reality show, similar to TUF. Fighting Hurts takes 16 amateur fighters and pits them against each other for a one year, Cage Rage contract. The big difference between Fighting Hurts and TUF is that O'Donnell's show actually focuses on fighting and training.

The first episode was great, to say the least. Since O'Donnell didn't have a full outline for the show, he had fighters from many different weight classes come in and show what they had.

One by one, with a standing BOB bag to their left and a grappling dummy on the floor to their left, each fighter stood in front of O'Donnell, Cage rage referee Grant Waterman, and top Heavyweight Neil Grove.

The fighters were told to show their skills standing up and on the ground, and well as show their ferocity, and prove why they should get picked. The pilot was more comedy than anything, but I for one could not stop laughing.

The rest of the season was packed with all the training the fighters had to go through. With training in Karate, Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai, as well as some boot camp training in episode three, the fighters were shown working hard and doing what it takes to become a fighter.

The fights however, didn't start 'til episode four. The 16 fighters were cut down to eight by the judges votes, all the fighters would give their picks of who they wanted to be voted off, and the judges would make the final pick.

Once there were just the eight fighters left, they were matched up for elimination bouts. Those eight became four, and were then matched up for the semifinals.

The show then focused a bit on the backgrounds of the remaining fighters, telling their stories, and showing where they came from. The last four became two, and the finalist then fought in a live event to crown the first Fighting Hurts champion.

Now, I'll admit that I'm a little bit biased, seeing as how I love British people. I had a British roommate in Israel, and it was awesome, so getting to see a bunch of crazy British fighters was great.

Regardless of that, the show is still top notch. It payed full attention to what it takes to be a fighter, and left out all the pranks, crying, drunk stunts...the list goes on as many of you know.

I hope the numbers were big enough for O'Donnell to make another season of the show, and maybe one day it will make it's way over to the U.S., so that the fans here can see a show worth watching.

Spider's Legacy Comes to a Close: A Thought On Anderson Silva's Remaning Fights

Uncle-Joe S — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:17:07 -0500

There has been a lot of talk about who Anderson Silva should fight against in his last five fights as a UFC athlete. Some people say it should be against top contenders, some say it should be for titles, I'm going to go another route and pick which fights I think would be the best match-ups.

With only five remaning fights in his career, I feel the opponents need to be picked strategically. If Silva takes the Light Heavyweight belt to soon, it will slow down the weight class, assuming no one can take the belt back from him. Also, while holding the belt at both 185 Lbs. and 205 Lbs. is exciting, and a great accomplishment, it may bring both divisions to a halt.

The first step Silva should take is to relinquish his belt at 185 Lbs. This will not only let him focus on taking over the 205 Lbs division, but it will also open up doors for the rest of the Middleweights. Once Silva has his weight steady as a Light Heavyweight, his fights should go like this...(right about now you should all be seeing that TV effect when a character thinks of something, just imagine it).

1) Houston Alexander
Please don't yell at me yet, let me explain my pick, and then yell at me. While Alexander has lost his last three fights in the Octagon, and many of you probably think he doesn't "deserve" a shot at Silva, he is still a good fighter. He is explosive, powerful, and has good hands. I wouldn't pick him to win, but it would be a good fight.

At his current state skill-wise, Alexander may not be as exciting as I think, but I don't think he's been sitting around watching TV and stuffing his face with cupcakes since his last loss. With a few months of "counter-Silva" training, he should be able to stand up with Silva for at least a round or two.

2) Lyoto Machida
I know that Silva and Machida are friends and all, but this fight has to happen. Machida is an animal in the octagon, a calm, composed animal, but an animal none the less. Machida is undefeated, and his fighting style shows why. He is very hard to predict, and has the heart of a warrior. I don't believe that anyone can go their whole career without losing a fight, and who better to lose to than the Spider?

I can't predict an outcome for this fight just yet, but I can't at all see it being boring. Both fighters will make it exciting standing up, and I can imagine some crazy submission escapes and counters if the fight goes to the ground. The fight is long overdue, and will also set up my last pick (can you guess what it is? No? Then you're not paying attention, focus).

3) Forrest Griffin
By making this pick, I'm assuming Griffin loses the title to Rashad Evans. Forrest is a good striker, and as of now is a big face in the Light Heavyweight division. While I don't think the fight itself will be so incredibly exciting, I do believe the two names will draw a crowd, and money is king in the UFC.

Again I pick Silva to win, but I don't think he will dominate. Griffin can take a punch, and oddly enough thinks there are jokes written on the ends of people's fists, so he shouldn't go down to easily. I could see this fight going the distance.

4) Rashad Evans
With two fights left, a title shot seems in order. Again, I'm assuming Evans beat Griffin for the title. Evans has power and accuracy, and is also on fire. With a knockout win over Chuck Liddell, and an assumed win over Griffin, Evans is going to have a full head of steam coming into his first title defense, none the less against Anderson Silva.

I'm taking Silva to win this fight, partially because I think he'll be able to do it, and partially because it sets up my last pick. Regardless, it's going to be a good fight, with a lot of heavy hands. I have no doubt these guys will go toe to toe, quite possibly pleasing the selfish American fans.

(That was for you Mr. Lupoli. It bugs me when fans start booing after three seconds of a fight going to the ground, I'm surprised they aren't booing between rounds.)

5) Lyoto Machida (again)
I've wanted to see Machida have a title shot for a while now, and I think Silva Vs. Machida II is the perfect way for the Spider to end his career (I really hope he retires, he needs to take his legacy and let it be). Win or lose, it will once again be an exciting fight.

If Silva loses, so be it, he loses the title to a friend, and leaves the UFC with memories of dominating countless opponents. If Silva wins, he goes out on a great note, a victory to end with, and no empty feelings. He should then give back the belt, and I'm sure Dana White will figure out what to do from there.

Now I know that my picks are a little bit far fetched, but I trust myself. Anderson Silva is a legend in everyone's mind, and will forever be one of the most famous fighters to ever step foot in the Octagon. I do believe he will be the next person inducted into the UFC hall of fame.

Please let me know what you think of my picks, I'm sure there are going to be people who dissagree with me, and I urge you to speak up and say why, thank you.

Lesnar Vs. Couture: The Rookie Of The Year Faces The Veteran Of The Decade

Uncle-Joe S — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:36:49 -0500

On November 15th, at UFC 91, Randy Couture will face Brock Lesnar in what is being called "the biggest fight in UFC history".

The 6'2" 220-pound Randy Couture will step into the Octagon this Saturday night for his twenty-fifth fight in the UFC.

At forty-five years old, the question on everyone's mind is, "can he do it"? Aside from his age, Couture has not fought in over a year, leading people to believe that he may be rusty for his upcoming fight.

Time though, has proved to be no problem in the past, as he retired after his loss to Chuck Liddell, only to return over a year later and take the title from Tim Sylvia.

Former WWE, and NCAA heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar comes off a unanimous decision win over Heath Herring at UFC 87. He started off as the underdog when his fight against Couture was announced, but has slowly climbed to be the favorite to win.

While he is an outstanding wrestler, and his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills are rumored to have been getting much better, there is no doubt that his favoritism is coming from his size. Brock Lesnar is "bigger than most men combined" and at 6'3" 265 pounds, there's no denying that.

Lesnar has the size advantage of the two, but Couture might just have home court advantage come Saturday—that court being the Octagon.

As the veteran, Randy Couture is one of the most famous fighters in the UFC, and quite possible the whole sport. A knockout, or tap-out is a definite sign of a win, but in a close fight, the decision may go the way of the more seasoned fighter.

For Couture to put away this fight, he will need to out strike Lesnar. Couture has submission skills, but being realistic, have you ever tried to put a rear naked choke on a garage? Lesnar can get a win by using his wrestling skills to take Couture to the mat, then use his size to stay on top and finish with some ground and pound.

Prediction: Couture by split decision

MMA-ARP: An Age Old Question

Uncle-Joe S — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:12:59 -0400

With Randy Couture heading towards his 50s, people are wondering when he's going to hang up to gloves for good. He's "retired" twice already, and yet he keeps getting back up to fight. His first fight back, after his first time out, Couture proved that he was still very much in the game. The question now is, when will he be out?

Matt Hughes is now 35 years old, a very accomplished fighter, and yet is ready to step back into the Octagon for another fight. He's had the ecstasy of victory and the agony of defeat, but does the agony have to do with his age?

In his losses to GSP and Alves, he just seemed to be a little too slow to get the job done. He's in better shape than the average 35 year old, but is that just too old to fight?

Ken Shamrock is 44 years old, very dominant in his career, but got injured before his last fight even started and had to bow out. "It seems like his face would break apart if he washed it" says Jon Anik. If that's the case, he'll need a lot of Vaseline for his fight with Frank.

Many people see fighting as something that is hard to do at any age. Being a professional athlete is much different than holding a nine-to-five job. How long can these fighters really go? There is no shortage of young talent in MMA, so why do the veteran fighters stay in the game so long?

If you ask a fighter why they fight, they'll tell you it's because they love to do it. No one gets stuck in the MMA world because they were laid off of their last job. I once had a teacher who came back from retirement because he loved teaching so much.

Randy Couture seems to have done the same. Can everyone be a Randy Couture though? Can Matt Hughes start winning fights again? Can Ken Shamrock at least make it to his fights again?

Time seems to be running out for a lot of the sports veterans. Maybe it's time they hung up the gloves for good and found a new way to be apart of MMA.

Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote: Can "The Predator" End Silva's Streak?

Uncle-Joe S — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:21:56 -0400

On a seven-fight win streak, Anderson Silva is widely the favorite against Patrick Cote for their fight on Oct. 25 at UFC 90. With two TKOs against former UFC middleweight champion, Rich Franklin, and a first-round knockout over James Irvin at 205 pounds, Silva seems to be unbeatable in the Octagon.

After Silva's submission win over Travis Lutter, he proved that his ground skills were just as good as his stand-up. Also, with his fast hands getting him the knockout over Irvin, anything higher than an inside leg-kick from Cote could be the end of the fight.

Nicknamed "The Predator," Cote comes into the fight after four wins, one by an impressive TKO over Kendall Grove. Cote's boxing skills may be his best weapon when he steps into the Octagon this Saturday night.

His biggest advantage could be Silva's need to drop 20 pounds after his rise to light heavyweight for his last fight. The added weight proved to be no problem for Silva at the time, but having to cut back to middleweight may take a toll on Silva's stamina.

With two of Cote's wins being by decision, he's proven that he can go for three rounds. Silva, on the other hand, hasn't been out of the second round in seven fights.

If Silva manages to make weight, Cote will need to out-box him early on with a pair of very heavy hands. If Silva weighs in at anything more than 185 pounds, Cote should throw lots of low inside leg kicks and wait to finish in the second or third round. Look for Silva to throw body kicks and knees from the clinch.

Prediction: Silva by TKO in Round Two.