Bleacher Report - Articles by Flyin' Hawaiian

UFC Fantasy Pool Results (V. 8)

Flyin' Hawaiian — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:13:31 -0400

Anthony Ascue will be away from his computer for a few days, and has asked me to take over the Fantasy Pool until he returns. Here are the current results for the UFC 2009 Fantasy pool, as well as the results from UFC 104.

*Remember when/if you make a trade with someone, neither of the fighters' points carry over to the new team. Meaning if one fighter was up 20 points, as soon as he lands in the new team, said fighter will have his points reset to zero.*

UFC 104 RESULTS

Lyoto Machida def. Mauricio Rua via UD
Cain Velasquez def. Ben Rothwell via TKO
Gleison Tibau def. Josh Neer via UD
Joe Stevenson def. Spencer Fisher via TKO
Anthony Johnson def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via TKO
Ryan Bader def. Eric Schafer via UD
Patrick Barry def. Antoni Hardonk via TKO
Chael Sonnen def. Yushin Okami via UD
Jorge Rivera def. Rob Kimmons via TKO
Kyle Kingsbury def. Razak Al-Hassan via SD
Stefan Struve def. Chase Gormley via SUB

FANTASY POOL TEAM LEADERS

TOP THREE TEAMS

1) MIKE D (54)
2) JESSY MORRIS (53)
3) MIKE LEANZA (52)

BOTTOM THREE TEAMS

1) UNCLE-JOE S (-44)
2) MARCO YANITELLI (-43)
3) NATE LAWSON (-34)

OVERALL TEAM BY TEAM FANTASY POOL RESULTS

ANTHONY ASCUE = 28pts (13+15)
-Demian Maia (0)
-Tyson Griffin (15)
-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (0)
-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (0)
-Thiago Silva (0)

MARK HOPPS = 24pts (9+15)
-Paul Daley (15)
-Dan Hardy (0)
-Kenny Florian (0)
-Terry Etim (0)
-Ross Pearson (0)

LUNATIC FRIDGE = 47pts
-Brock Lesnar (0)
-Anderson Silva (0)
-Brandon Vera (0)
-Houston Alexander (0)
-Denis Kang (0)

MARCO YANITELLI = -43pts (-43+13-13)
-Thiago Alves (0)
-Ryan Bader (13)
-Keith Jardine (0)
-Maurico "Shogun" Rua (-13)
-Cole Miller (0)

FLYIN’ HAWAIIAN = 20pts (5+15)
-Cain Velasquez (15)
-Junior Dos Santos (17)
-Randy Couture (0)
-Mark Munoz (0)
-Dan Henderson (0)

SHARAPOVA’S BIKE SADDLE = 46pts (33+13)
-Lyoto Machida (13)
-Jon Jones (0)
-Yoshihiro Akiyama (0)
-Marcus Davis (0)
-Joe Lauzon (0)

GG U = -11pts
-Georges St-Pierre (0)
-Phillipe Nover (0)
-BJ Penn (0)
-Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (0)
-Brock Larson (0)

MIKE LEANZA = 52pts (39+13)
-Jon Fitch (0)
-Josh Koscheck (15)
-Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (17)
-Luiz Cane (0)
-Chael Sonnen (13)

KEITH K = -9pts
-Shane Carwin (0)
-Cheick Kongo (0)
-Wanderlei Silva (0)
-Nate Diaz (0)
-Ricardo Almeida (0)

MITCH CICCARELLI = 36pts (53-17)
-Diego Sanchez (0)
-Nate Marquardt (0)
-Andre Winner (0)
-Gray Maynard (0)
-Carlos Condit (0)
******************************
Rich Franklin (-17): RELEASED

MIKE D = 54pts (24+30)
-Frankie Edgar (0)
-Mike Swick (0)
-Joe Stevenson (15)
-Jorge Rivera (15)
-Sam Stout (0)
******************************
Martin Kampmann (-15): RELEASED

UNCLE-JOE S = -44pts
-Frank Mir (0)
-Krzysztof Soszynski (0)
-Clay Guida (0)
-Forrest Griffin (0)
-John Howard (0)

BOB FLETCHER = 28pts (-2+30)
-Pat Barry (15)
-Johny Hendricks (0)
-Tito Ortiz (0)
-Todd Duffee (0)
-Anthony Johnson (15)
******************************
Gabriel Gonzaga (0): RELEASED

JESSY MORRIS = 53pts (41+12)
-Efrain Escudero (15)
-Tim Hague (0)
-John Hathaway (0)
-Kyle Kingsbury (12)
-Chris Lytle (0)
******************************
Dong Hyun Kim (0): RELEASED

NATE LAWSON = -34pts (-19-15)
-Antoni Hardonk (-15)
-Matt Hughes (0)
-Kyle Bradley (0)
-James Irvin (0)
-Amir Sadollah (0)

MMA SURVIVAL = -15pts (-2-13)
-Chris Leben (0)
-Jim Miller (15)
-Yushin Okami (-13)
-Steve Cantwell (0)
-Rousimar Palhares (0)

JASON ALLEN = 23pts (38-15)
-Ed Herman (0)
-Spencer Fisher (-15)
-Nate Quarry (0)
-Kurt Pellegrino (0)
-Jeremy Stephens (0)

KEN FOSS = -28pts (-33+5)
-George Sotiropoulos (0)
-Vitor Belfort (17)
-Rashad Evans (0)
-Shannon Gugerty (0)
-Edgar Garcia (0)
******************************
Jason Brilz (-12)

JAMIE MORENO = -29pts (-14-15)
-Ben Rothwell (-15)
-Wilson Gouveia (0)
-Aaron Riley (0)
-Roger Huerta (0)
-Frank Trigg (-15)
******************************
Johny Hendricks (0): RELEASED

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

*NEW* BOB FLETCHER swapped Gabriel Gonzaga for Johny Hendricks
(transactions suspended until Nov. 1)

*NEW* MITCH CICCARELLI swapped Rich Franklin for Andre Winner
(transactions suspended until Nov. 1)

*NEW* MIKE D swapped Martin Kampmann for Jorge Rivera
(transactions suspended until Nov. 1)

*NEW* KEN FOSS swapped Jason Brilz for Rashad Evans
(transactions suspended until Nov. 1)

*NEW* JAMIE MORENO swapped Johny Hendricks for Ben Rothwell
(transactions suspended until Oct. 1)

*NEW* JESSY MORRIS swapped Dong Hyun Kim for Kyle Kinsbury
(transactions suspended until Oct. 1)

Please continue to next page to see a full list of fighters unavailable for selection.

The following fighters are currently on a roster, and are therefore UNAVAILABLE to be picked up through waivers.

A

Akiyama, Yoshihiro
Alexander, Houston
Almeida, Ricardo

Alves, Thiago

Bader, Ryan
Barry, Pat
Belfort, Vitor

Bradley, Kyle

Cane, Luiz
Cantwell, Steve
Carwin, Shane
Condit, Carlos
Couture, Randy

Daley, Paul
Davis, Marcus
Diaz, Nate

Dos Santos, Junior
Duffee, Todd

Edgar, Frankie
Escudero, Efrain
Etim, Terry
Evans, Rashad

Filipovic, Mirko
Fisher, Spencer
Fitch, Jon
Florian, Kenny

Garcia, Edgar
Gouveia, Wilson
Griffin, Forrest
Griffin, Tyson
Gugerty, Shannon

Guida, Clay

H

Hague, Tim
Hardonk, Antoni
Hardy, Dan
Hathaway, John
Henderson, Dan
Hendricks, Johny
Herman, Ed
Howard, John
Huerta, Roger
Hughes, Matt

Irvin, James

Jackson, Quinton
Jardine, Keith
Johnson, Anthony

Jones, Jon

Kang, Denis
Kinsbury, Kyle
Kongo, Cheick

Koscheck, Josh

Larson, Brock
Lauzon, Joe
Leben, Chris
Lesnar, Brock

Lytle, Chris

Machida, Lyoto
Maia, Demian
Marquardt, Nate
Maynard, Gray
Miller, Cole
Miller, Jim

Mir, Frank
Munoz, Mark

Nogueira, Antonio Rogerio
Nogueira, Antonio Rodrigo

Nover, Phillipe

Okami, Yushin
Ortiz, Tito

Palhares, Rousimar
Pearson, Ross
Pellegrino, Kurt
Penn, BJ

Q

Quarry, Nate

Riley, Aaron
Rivera, Jorge
Rothwell, Ben

Rua, Mauricio

Sadollah, Amir
Sanchez, Diego
Silva, Anderson
Silva, Thiago
Silva, Wanderlei
Sonnen, Chael
Soszynski, Krzysztof
Sotiropolous, George
Stout, Sam
St-Pierre, Georges
Stephens, Jeremy
Stevenson, Joe

Swick, Mike

Trigg, Frank

Velasquez, Cain

Vera, Brandon

W

Winner, Andre

Y

Z

UFC 101 From A Fan's Perspective

Flyin' Hawaiian — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:04:38 -0400

Back in May, our good friend King J created a slideshow documenting his trip to the Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton fight. Because I was so inspired by his work of art, I decided to follow suit and create one of my own. I actually had a rather impressive slideshow planned for you guys, complete with some great photos and even better footage. But as I mentioned to some of you, I managed to lose my camera somewhere in downtown Philly after the fights in a drunken, alcoholic haze. Luckily, I was able to track down a fellow fan seated in my section by the name of Kevin Wright , who kindly allowed me to use a few of his photos. The friend I was traveling with also took some of his own. Thanks to those two, my slideshow was somewhat salvaged. I apologize in advance for the mediocrity of what you're about to see. However, I still felt that it was important to share what was, all things considered, the greatest night of my life. Enjoy.

Begin Slideshow

Ten Reasons Why You Think Kenny Florian Will Be Victorious

Flyin' Hawaiian — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:19:27 -0400

Since the aftermath of UFC 94, rooting against BJ Penn has become more American than Little League and stealing cable. Seemingly every MMA thread, regardless of the original topic, turns into a BJ Penn hate fest. I have many theories as to why that is, but that's a different story for a different day.

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that most people, not all, are picking Kenny Florian to beat BJ purely out of spite. The reasons they come up with as to why Kenny is the superior fighter are, for the most part, utterly ridiculous and/or completely untrue.

Though I found it an arduous task to narrow it down to just ten, here are the ten most ridiculous (yet very popular) reasons as to why people think Kenny is the next champ at 155, and my responses to each one.

These are in no particular order.

10. "Kenny's last fight was in November, and BJ's was in January. That means Kenny had two extra months to prepare for this fight."

Please. Kenny started his training camp in late May, as did BJ. They've spent an equal amount of time preparing for this fight. Unless you're nursing an injury, an extended layoff is not beneficial at all.

9. "BJ got destroyed by GSP. He's washed up and needs to retire."

Since when did losing to GSP mean you were washed up? I guess Thiago Alves needs to retire too.

8. "Kenny is gonna win because BJ is a cry baby."

This is by far the most popular reason and doesn't really warrant a response.

7. "BJ's cardio is terrible."

It amazes me how many fans don't know the difference between a cut BJ at 155 and a bloated BJ at 170. Which fights did BJ's cardio cause problems? Matt Hughes and both fights with GSP.

Other than maybe UFC 39, when was the last time BJ gassed at 155? Oh yeah, never.

6. "Kenny beat Joe Stevenson in one round, and it took BJ two rounds."

Yeah, but when Stevenson fought BJ, he ended up like this:

5. "Kenny is gonna win because he trained with GSP."

Unless GSP showed Kenny how to pack on 20 pounds of sheer muscle and become a world class wrestler, it isn't gonna make a difference. If anything, GSP kicked Kenny's ass to the point where Kenny thought to himself: "BJ lasted 20 minutes with this guy? I'm screwed."

4. "In an interview, GSP picked Kenny to win."

You mean the same guy who picked Patrick Cote to beat Anderson Silva? The same guy who picked Keith Jardine to beat Wanderlei Silva? The same guy who picked Rashad Evans to beat Lyoto Machida?

Are you telling me that the guy BJ belittled for months and accused of cheating is picking him to lose? Get outta here.

3. "BJ is surrounded by 'yes men' and low quality training partners."

For this camp, BJ's regular training partners included Leo Vieria, Hermes Franca, Yves Edwards, Nate and Nick Diaz, Antoni Hardonk and Vitor Belfort. He also brought in Gegard Mousasi and Fedor for a few days.

2. "BJ is unmotivated for this fight."

Not only is this statement 100 percent speculation, but there is glaring evidence to the contrary. And remember what happened the last time BJ lost a welterweight title fight? Very bad things for the rest of the lightweight division.

1. "Kenny flat out trained harder than BJ for this fight."

Really?

Did you fly back and forth between Boston and Costa Mesa to observe both training camps? Have Rudy Valentino and Mark DellaGrotte given you detailed descriptions of the training that went on during these camps?

Didn't think so.

So in reality, you don't have any idea who worked harder than who, now do you?

If anyone truly believes Kenny is gonna win this fight, that's fine. But come on, let's hear some legitimate reasons. Believe it or not, I have yet to hear one.

Sorry Kenny, but your chances are slim to none, and it looks like slim just left town.

A Little Humor For The MMA Fan's Soul

Flyin' Hawaiian — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:02:23 -0400

The month of April has seen its fair share of crazy headlines, both inside and outside of the sports world. Here are a just few of the current events that have made the news over the past few weeks, and my lame attempts at humor that follow. Enjoy.

At the UFC 97 post-fight press conference, Dana White announced that the event grossed over 4.9 million dollars.

In related news, UFC 97 also grossed over 4.9 million people. *Ba-dum Ching!*

At the same press conference, Dana expressed his disappointment in the Anderson Silva/Thales Leites fight. He urged Silva to never do anything half-assed ever again.

To which Silva replied: "I can't do anything half-assed? I made plans with a stripper with only one butt cheek later on. There goes the rest of my night." *Ba-dum Ching!*

Ed Soares defended Silva's performance at UFC 97, claiming that Silva had never faced such a one-dimensional fighter before in his career.

As you might expect, this caused Travis Lutter and his camp burst out laughing. *Ba-dum Ching!*

Last week, a Russian martial arts expert was charged with murder after beating his victim to death with his bare hands. According to police, the man was upset that the victim had infected his wife with head lice.

Hoping to get a similar reaction from Anderson Silva, Dana offered Demian Maia a title shot if he agreed to infect Silva's wife with tapeworms. *Ba-dum Ching!*

Earlier this month, a London man was sentenced to 9 years in prison after being caught urinating in other people's wine.

He probably thought Lyoto Machida and Luke Cummo were in town. *Ba-dum Ching!*

The Iowa Supreme Court recently voted in favor of Gay marriage, which will become legal on April 27th, 2009.

In a strange coincidence, Diego Sanchez announced that he will begin training full-time in Bettendorf, IA with Team Miletich on April 27th, 2009. *Ba-dum Ching!*

Montreal fans booed loudly during the Star Spangled Banner Monday night, when the Canadiens hosted the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their playoff series at the Bell Centre. Afterwards, Canadiens head coach, Bob Gainey, scolded the fans for their behavior.

Apparently the fans were still outraged from Saturday night, and had mistaken the song for the Brazilian National Anthem. *Ba-dum Ching!*

For the third consecutive season, Anderson Varejão of the Cleveland Cavaliers led the NBA in offensive fouls drawn. In doing so, he officially claimed the "Flopper of the Year" title.

When notified, Thales Leites said: "Damn, that's the second title I've lost to a Brazilian guy named 'Anderson.'" *Ba-dum Ching!*

Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos failed to make weight for her Strikeforce debut earlier this month, blaming "female problems" for her inability to cut the final five founds.

Thales Leites came to Cyborg's defense, telling reporters: "Believe me, menstrual cramps are a bitch." *Ba-dum Ching!*

Well, in the words of Porky Pig, "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!" I hope you enjoyed reading, and if any of these jokes offended you...my bad.

"See, I write jokes for a living, man. I sit in my hotel room at night, think of something funny, and then go get a pen and write it down. But if the pen's too far away, I have to convince myself that whatever I thought of, wasn't funny."

-Mitch Hedberg

Redemption? Why Anderson Silva Is To Blame for Lackluster Performance

Flyin' Hawaiian — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:46:13 -0400

Re·deem (ri-ˈdēm) verb

1. To make up for; make amends for; offset some fault, shortcoming, etc.

Re·demp·tion (ri-demp-shuhn) noun

1. An act of redeeming or the state of being redeemed.

The main event of last night's UFC 97: Redemption was a complete joke.

In fact, the title of this article is being very, very generous to both Anderson Silva and Thales Leites. To say that their performances were "lackluster" would be a huge understatement. It would be like calling the Titanic a "minor boating accident."

I was so ticked off last night that once the card went off the air, I immediately logged onto Bleacher Report to voice my disappointment. To quote the movie Step Brothers, I felt like I was "on Planet Bullshit in the galaxy of This Sucks Camel D*ck."

I was that mad.

It seems as though most, if not all, of the fans out there share my disapproval. However, their negativity seems to be directed more toward Leites than Silva. While I can understand this completely, since Leites fought like a total p*ssy, I can't help but be even more disgusted with Silva.

Granted, Leites was constantly dropping to the mat like some sort of narcoleptic moron, but I'm convinced that Silva could have finished the fight on several occasions. He simply chose not to. Some argue that Silva was trying to engage the entire time the fight was standing, but I beg to differ.

To help support my opinion, please direct your attention to the following images as I attempt to analyze the bizarre repertoire of stand-up techniques that Silva displayed last night.

1. Ahhh yes, the dreaded "Tiger Claw Thigh Strike." As we all know, this technique is one of the most feared strikes in the Muay Thai handbook. In fact, Muay Thai fighters often formulate their entire gameplan around this devastating maneuver. Notice Silva's pinpoint accuracy. You are witnessing a true martial artist in action.

2. Here, Silva is demonstrating a technique known as the "Rabona." This kick originated in the widely popular sport of soccer, and has been made famous by Silva's fellow countryman, Ronaldinho. Look at how well Silva adapts this technique to MMA, as he uses it to spin his opponent around 360 degrees. Simply amazing.

3. This technique is called the "Chicken Man Side Kick." It is very similar to the "Tiger Claw Thigh Strike," but as you notice, Silva is striking with his heel as opposed to a closed fist. This lower-body strike is often accompanied by a loud "Hiyaa!" and is responsible for roughly 32 percent of all knockouts in MMA. Based on those statistics, it is no wonder Silva chose to utilize it as often as he did.

4. Last but not least, we have the "Shake and Bake Quadruple Shimmy." It is very common in the Brazilian Samba Dance, as well as with people suffering from Tourette's Syndrome. Here, Silva uses it to distract his opponent before unleashing one of the five or six punches he threw all night.

In all seriousness, Silva did not look like a man who was trying to defeat his opponent. The only "engaging" he did was engaging in jackassery, and in no way was this fight "Redemption" of any kind. I really don't know what else to say other than...

Silva, you SUCK, ya Jackass.

Thank you to mma-core.com for providing the images.

No thank you to Anderson Silva and Thales Leites for stealing $44.95 from my checking account and 25 minutes from my life.

"The saddest thing in life is wasted talent."

-A Bronx Tale

10 MMA Fighters To Always Root Against

Flyin' Hawaiian — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:38:58 -0400

Unless you've been living under a rock for most of 2009, you're probably aware that BJ Penn isn't, shall I say, "Mr. Popularity" among MMA fans. Words such as "sore loser," "cry baby," and "f*** you" have been lobbed at BJ with alarming consistency over the past several weeks. Depending on who you ask, this criticism is either highly warranted, or highly unwarranted. As a huge BJ Penn fan, I can admit that he has displayed some questionable sportsmanship in the past. But sportsmanship, if you think about it, is similar to Einstein's theory of uniform motion, or to the redneck couple who live down the road. It's all relative. That being said, I have compiled a list of fighters who bring bad sportsmanship (and bad citizenship, for that matter) to a whole new level. Relative to these royal douchebags, BJ comes out smelling like a rose, even on his worst day. Here are 10 guys who you should always root against under any and all circumstances. Your favorite fighter should be whoever happens to be fighting these guys. Enjoy.

Begin Slideshow

A Rule of Thumb For Stopping Fights

Flyin' Hawaiian — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:51:44 -0400

As most of you know by now, UFC 96 was a terrific, albeit controversial card. This controversy was the result of perhaps the earliest stoppage in UFC History (Aaron Riley vs. Shane Nelson), as well as the latest (Matt Brown vs. Pete Sell). I am not gonna go into great detail about each fight, as I'm sure you are all aware of what took place.

The day after UFC 95, I came across an article on CagePotato.com regarding early and late stoppages. It was originally written in defense of Marc Goddard's decision to halt the Josh Koscheck/Paulo Thiago bout, which was the most controversial stoppage of the year until last Saturday. The article basically gives referees, fighters, and fans a general rule as to whether or not a fight was stopped too early.

I am not sure how many of you have read the article, so I am going to share a segment of it here as I think it pertains to this particular situation. Personally, I hate it when Bleacher Report writers copy/paste articles they find on other sites, so keep in mind that the following was written 100% by the great MMA writers at CagePotato.com.

From CagePotato.com

Here's how you know your fight was stopped too early: You can immediately look into the ref's face as he moves in to stop the bout and say, "What the fuck is your problem?" If you can do that, preferably without slurring or attempting to rise and then falling back down, then you have a legitimate gripe. I like to call this the "What the fuck is your problem?" rule.

If you can’t say "What the fuck is your problem?" (other acceptable variations include: "What the fuck are you doing?", "That’s fucking bullshit!", and "Mazzagatti, you asshole!") immediately after the stoppage, then the ref had reason enough to stop the fight.

That’s not to say that the fighter in question couldn’t have continued or even come back and won the fight. Maybe he could have. Some guys have good enough training that their bodies can continue to fight on auto-pilot even if their brains can’t muster a "What the fuck is your problem?" response. Some guys can’t. The referee’s job in this scenario is to look at the hurt fighter and make a decision.

Because Aaron Riley/Shane Nelson was the only fight that wasn't aired, I haven't had the chance to see it yet. But from what I've heard, Riley immediately looked referree Rick Fike in the eyes and said, "What the fuck is your problem?" On the flip side, Pete Sell was on queer street the instant he was dropped at the 16-second mark. In fact, Yves Lavigne appeared to stop the fight before having a last second change of heart. Once the fight was back on, Brown attacked Sell, and brought a total ass-kicking with him. After that, we pretty much knew Sell was in for a rough night.

By no means am I qualified to referee a mixed martial arts fight, and I understand that refereeing is an extremely difficult job. But these guys are trained in what they do, and are responsible for decisions that will effect fighters' purses, jobs, and ultimately their safety. I think we can all agree that Rick Fike and Yves Lavigne did a poor job Saturday night.

Despite how humorous and tongue-in-cheek the "What the fuck is your problem?" rule may seem, I believe that it is a good rule. In fact, I believe it that if Fike and Lavigne had had this rule in mind going into UFC 96, Aaron Riley could very well be $10,000 richer, and Pete Sell would not have ended up in the hospital. Unfortnately, we will never know. Let's hope the referees can learn from this, and avoid such careless mistakes in the future.

UFC 94: Answering Critics and Predicting History

Flyin' Hawaiian — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:42:52 -0500

A couple months ago, I wrote an article entitled "Breaking Down Georges St Pierre vs BJ Penn II," where I attempted to give an objective analysis of their upcoming fight based on primary, secondary, and tertiary research (probably the best article I've ever written, so give it a read).

Because I was trying to be as objective as a BJ Penn nuthugger can possibly be, I simply laid out all the facts and never made any predictions. Now that UFC 94 is just days away, prediction time has come.

To begin with, I've been spending an awful lot of time on B/R lately. I've also spent a considerable amount of time perusing sites like MMAJunkie.com and Sherdog.com. It has become apparent to me that GSP is winning the popularity contest with BJ by a landslide.

Some of the comments I've read criticizing BJ have been somewhat humorous, while others have been downright stupid. I would just like to take this opportunity to share a few of my favorites, and give my two cents about each of them.

"BJ is 1-2 as a welterweight. How does he think he can beat a guy like GSP?"

I don't know how many times I've heard the "BJ is 1-2 as a welterweight" argument. The fact is, BJ is 2-2 as a welterweight, with victories over Matt Hughes and Duane Ludwig. He's also 4-2 as a welterweight/middleweight.

BJ's only two losses were against arguably the two best welterweights of all time, in Hughes and St. Pierre. No matter how you look at it, neither one of those losses had anything to do with his ability.

One was a close decision loss, which easily could have gone his way. The other was a fight he was not just winning, but dominating, until the infamous rib injury. Whenever I hear someone say "Hughes kicked BJ's ass," I know I'm dealing with an amateur MMA fan.

Overall, BJ and Hughes have spent a total of 18 minutes and 53 seconds inside the octagon together. Of those 18 minutes and 53 seconds, Hughes did little of anything that even resembled fighting.

Okay, so he won the third round of their rematch at UFC 63. Keep in mind, BJ had a broken rib cage and a torn oblique. No wonder GSP was "not impressed" with Hughes' performance.

BJ could just as easily be 4-0 as a welterweight. If you think I'm lying, I don't know what to tell you. Go back and watch the tapes.

"GSP is gonna win because he has better training partners."

Didn't your mom tell you not to believe everything you see on TV? Yes, I'll admit that GSP has a great training camp with his buddies up north, as well as Team Jackson. However, if you think BJ is training solely with Jason Parillo and Adam DiSabato, then you're kidding yourself.

Ever wonder how Gray Maynard got involved in MMA? If you said it was because of The Ultimate Fighter, you'd be wrong.

After Maynard graduated from Michigan State University in 2003, he began training for a spot on the 2004 US Olympic wrestling team. One day, he got a call from a guy who represented BJ Penn, asking if he'd fly out to Hawaii to help BJ get ready for a fight. Maynard agreed, and the rest was history.

A similar thing happened with Josh Koscheck. You might have heard of him.

Don't believe everything you see on UFC Primetime. Yes, BJ spends most of his time training with his brother Reagan, Rudy Valentino, Jason Parillo and Adam DiSabato. However, I know for a fact that he has professional boxers and world-class wrestlers out there helping him get ready as well.

"On UFC Primetime, it showed Penn taking a vacation. It also showed clips of him running, and it looked like he was running in slow motion."

I honestly thought people were joking with these comments. I've said it a million times and I'll say it again. BJ trains six hours a day, five days a week. Of course he's gonna take some time off! It's reality TV, my friends. It's this crazy tool called "editing." They can make any situation look as good or bad as they please.

As far as the running goes, yes BJ was running quite slowly. Again, I'll explain this training method for those who don't know.

I ran track in college for two years before "retiring" with a serious hamstring injury. The absolute best way to strengthen your bones and overall skeletal system is to run very, very lightly. If you don't believe me, research it.

When you see the footage of BJ jogging, it isn't a cardio workout. Get serious. All fighters go for easy runs to either warm or cool their muscles, and as a bone strengthening exercise.

BJ has professional strength and conditioning coaches. He doesn't need guys on message boards telling him that his training regimen is insufficient. They have everything under control.

Prediction:

While GSP clearly has the physical tools to beat BJ on Saturday, I think he lacks the intangibles. Intangibles are one of the most overlooked aspects of fighting, and are just as important as speed, strength, and technique.

I once heard someone say that BJ can spend a year in the gym and still not have GSP's cardio. I say that GSP can spend the rest of his life in the gym and not have BJ's killer instinct.

This one will be a battle for the ages. In the end, I think BJ will be able to dig down deeper than GSP, and come out on top.

Up until now, I truly believe we've only seen the Clark Kent side of BJ Penn. On Jan. 31, we're going to see Superman.

For an in-depth look at some fascinating UFC statistics, click here.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: Crunching The Numbers (Updated)

Flyin' Hawaiian — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:53:06 -0500

Unlike anything else in this world, mixed martial arts is something that is capable of absorbing me completely. As an avid fan, I spend a great deal of time immersed in the sport, whether it be training, watching, discussing, or simply thinking.

Quite often I find myself lying awake at night pondering a wide variety of subjects, ranging from fight predictions and outcomes, to Arianny Celeste, to Dana White's UFC video blog. In one way or another, I am intrigued by nearly every aspect of the sport.

Just a few days ago, I began thinking from a more statistical point of view. I started asking questions like: "How often do fights end in triangle choke? How about TKO? How many title fights actually go all five rounds?" These were questions that needed answers, despite their triviality.

That being said, over the past 72 hours I have collected data from every UFC Pay-Per-View event since UFC 31, and analyzed the statistics. I chose UFC 31 as a starting point due to it's historical significance. This event, held on May 4, 2001, was the first PPV put on 100 percent by Zuffa, and was the first time the UFC introduced the five weight-class system. UFC 31 also marked the MMA debut of a certain 22-year-old Hawaiian prodigy I happen to be a fan of.

Before I begin, I would just like to clarify a few things:

1. This data is for UFC PPV events only (UFC 31 to UFC 92), and does not include UFC Fight Nights or Ultimate Fighter Finales.

2. Title fights include title defenses, title unifications, interim title fights, and fights for vacant belts.

3. Decisions include unanimous, split, and majority.

4. Knockouts include KO's, KTFO's and TKO's (referee stoppage, injury, etc).

5. Over the years, there have been a handful of catchweight fights due to fighters not making weight. Instead of creating a catchweight category, I've included these fights in their intended weight divisions. The 175-lb catchweight fight between Matt Hughes and Royce Gracie at UFC 60 was considered a welterweight fight.

Overall Breakdown:

Since UFC 31, there have been a total of 546 fights inside the octagon. Of these, 225 have ended by knockout, 138 by submission, 141 by unanimous decision, 31 by split decision, three by majority decision, and three by disqualification. There have also been three draws and two no-contests.

Lightweights:

There have been 107 lightweight fights since the Zuffa era began. The lightweights have gone the distance 47 percent of the time, which is the most of any division by far. 27 percent of fights have ended by submission, and 25 percent by knockout.

Welterweights:

Welterweight is the busiest division in the UFC with 120 total fights. The welterweights also seem to be the most well-rounded, with 39 knockouts, 34 submissions, and 36 unanimous decisions.

Middleweights:

The middleweights have fought 108 times. The totals for knockouts (40) and submissions (39) are nearly identical. Only 29 percent of the fights have gone to a decision, which is a steady decrease from their lightweight (47 percent) and welterweight (38 percent) counterparts.

Light Heavyweights:

This is the least busy division in the UFC, with a total of 103 fights. Over half the fights have ended by knockout (51 percent), but only 15 percent by submission. Two of the three DQ's in UFC history have come in this division.

Heavyweights:

The heavyweights are tied with the middleweights with 108 fights. A staggering 80 percent of these fights have been finished (61 percent by knockout, 19 percent by submission). We have seen heavyweight fights end seven different ways: knockout, submission, unanimous decision, split decision, majority decision, disqualification, and draw.

Title Fights:

There have been 69 title fights in UFC history. Of these 69 fights, 52 percent have ended by knockout. Overall, there have been 18 title fights in the heavyweight division, 16 in each the light heavyweight and welterweight divisions, 12 in the middleweight division, and only 7 in the lightweight division.

Did You Know?

None of the fights at UFC 40 went the distance, making it the only event without a single decision.

Benji Radach vs. Steve Berger at UFC 37 resulted in the UFC's first ever No Contest.

Frank Mir has the only wins via toehold (UFC 41 vs. Tank Abbot) and kneebar (UFC 81 vs. Brock Lesnar) in UFC history.

Only two middleweight fights have ended via split decision (Thales Leites vs. Nate Marquardt at UFC 85 and Patrick Cote vs. Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86).

Only 16 light heavyweight fights have ever ended via submission. In comparison, Jeremy Horn alone has 16 submission victories since UFC 31—though not all have come inside the octagon.

In 2002 and 2004, no heavyweight fight went the distance.

The most effective submission has been the rear naked choke with 40 victories. The armbar and guillotine follow with 24 and 23 victories, respectively.

The only draws in UFC history were BJ Penn vs. Caol Uno at UFC 41, Ian Freeman vs. Vernon White at UFC 43, and Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans at UFC 73.

BJ Penn vs. Caol Uno was also the only draw in title fight history.

Between UFC 45 and UFC 57, no title fight went the distance (the longest streak in UFC history).

In title fights, the defending champion has been victorious 64% of the time.

BJ Penn vs. Jens Pulver at UFC 35 resulted in the only majority decision in lightweight history. It was also the only majority decision in title fight history.

No title fight has ever been decided by split decision.

Joe Riggs (UFC 56) and Travis Lutter (UFC 67) are the only fighters to miss weight before a title fight. In Riggs' defense, he was a late replacement for Karo Parisyan.

Josh Barnett, Tim Sylvia, and Sean Sherk are the only champions to be stripped of their titles due to steroid use.

Tony DeSouza has the only successful Peruvian Necktie in UFC history. This does not include the Ultimate Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin event, when C.B. Dolloway used the hold to submit Jesse Taylor.

There have been more submissions due to strikes (12) than submissions due to triangle choke (10).

With the exception of UFC 31 (Carlos Newton vs. Pat Militich), Matt Hughes and/or Georges St. Pierre have been involved in every welterweight title fight.

BJ Penn has defeated every other man who has ever held the lightweight title.

53 of the 63 PPV events have included at least one title fight. UFC 37.5, UFC 47, UFC 60, UFC 70, UFC 72, UFC 76, UFC 78, UFC 85, UFC 88, and UFC 89 have not included title fights.

That concludes my statistical breakdown of the Zuffa era. It'll be interesting to see how 2009 plays out, and if the results are consistent with this data. Considering the unpredictability of MMA, I'm sure it won't be. Every time I think I have this sport figured out, I am always proved wrong. That's what makes MMA great.

If you have any questions or would like a copy of this data, leave me a post. Thanks for reading.

2008 End Of The Year Awards

Flyin' Hawaiian — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:18:53 -0500

2008 was a great year for the UFC, and for MMA in general. We saw brutal knockouts, slick submissions, major upsets, title defenses, new champions, and everything in between.

With apologies to Mike Leanza and anyone else who might have written a similar article, here are my year-end awards. Due to my UFC bias, only UFC fighters are eligible for these awards. And the winners are...

Knockout of the Year

Winner: Rashad Evans (UFC 88 - Sept. 6)

Evans "iced" Chuck Liddell with an overhand right in the second round, earning a shot at the Light Heavyweight belt in the process. Up until that point, Evans had been flying under the radar since winning the second season of The Ultimate Fighter. With one punch, he let people know he's for real.

Honorable Mention: Wanderlei Silva over Keith Jardine (UFC 84), Josh Koscheck over Yokiyushi Yoshida (UFC: Fight for the Troops), Quinton Jackson over Wanderlei Silva (UFC 92)

Non-UFC Winner: Seth Petruzelli (EliteXC: Heat - 10/4/08)

It just took 14 seconds for the unknown Petruzelli to debunk the Kimbo Slice myth. Technically, this was a TKO since Slice never lost consciouness, but I'm giving the award to Petruzelli anyway.

Submission of the Year

Winner: Dustin Hazelett (TUF 7 Finale - June 21)

Hazelett submitted Josh Burkman with one of the most spectacular flying armbars in the history of the sport. If you don't know what I'm talking about, click here and fast forward to the 30 second mark. They don't teach this in BJJ 101.

Honorable Mention: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira over Tim Sylvia (UFC 81), Nate Diaz over Kurt Pellegrino (UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon), Demian Maia over Ed Herman (UFC 83)

Non-UFC Winner: Shinya Aoki (DREAM 4 - June 15)

Aoki pulled off the first mounted gogoplata in MMA history while submitting Katsuhiko Nagata at DREAM 4. This was two years after he became the first fighter in history to pull off a gogoplata from rubber guard. Must be the pants.

Upset of the Year

Winner: Forrest Griffin (UFC 86 - July 5)

Despite a win over Shogun Rua in his previous bout, Griffin was a heavy underdog going into his UFC 86 clash with Quinton Jackson. In perhaps the most controversial Unanimous Decision the UFC has ever seen, Griffin came away with the win. To this day, Jackson is convinced he was robbed, a sentiment shared by many.

Honorable Mention: Gray Maynard over Frankie Edgar (UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon), Junior Dos Santos over Fabricio Werdum (UFC 90), Frank Mir over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (UFC 92)

Non-UFC Winner: Sergei Golyaev (Sengoku 6 - Nov. 1)

Golyaev went into his fight against Takanori Gomi as a +1000 underdog. For those of you unfamiliar with betting odds, a +1000 underdog is given less than a .091% chance of winning. Golyaev beat the odds and fought his way to a split decision victory over the Japanese superstar.

Biggest Disappointment

Loser: Karo Parisyan

It wasn't too long ago that Parisyan looked like he could be the next 170-pound champion. The past year has been a tough one for Karo, as he was knocked silly by Thiago Alves, and pulled out of his UFC 88 fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Clearly another fighter whose talent deserves to be put to better use.

Dishonorable Mention: Chris Leben, Melvin Guillard, Kalib Starnes

Non-UFC Loser: ProElite

I would elaborate, but there's no need to beat a dead horse.

Newcomer of the Year (UFC Only)

Winner: Demian Maia

Maia made his official octagon debut at the end of 2007, but still qualifies as a newcomer. Since entering the UFC, Maia has gone 4-0 with four submission victories. While he isn't in their league (yet) as an overall mixed martial artist, Maia has displayed ground skills that rival those of Penn, Aoki, and Nogueira.

Honorable Mention: Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin

Breakthrough Fighter of the Year

Winner: Thiago Alves

Before 2008, Alves was a solid fighter with a nice winning streak. After stoppage victories over Karo Parisyan and Matt Hughes, and a decision over Josh Koscheck, Alves now finds himself the No. 1 contender in the welterweight division.

Honorable Mention: Kenny Florian, Mike Swick, Rashad Evans

Non-UFC Winner: Miguel Torres (WEC)

Torres captured the WEC Bantamweight title early in 2008, and successfully defended it twice throughout the year. Once known to only hardcore MMA fans, Torres is quickly becoming a household name.

Most Dominant Performance in a Championship Fight

Winner: Georges St. Pierre (UFC 83 - April 19)

GSP came into his rematch against Matt Serra hungry, focused, and more motivated than ever. On top of that, he was fighting in front of his hometown fans. It was clear from the beginning that Serra had no chance, as St. Pierre punished him from bell to bell. By the end of the night, the welterweight title was back around St. Pierre's waist.

Honorable Mention: BJ Penn over Joe Stevenson (UFC 80), BJ Penn over Sean Sherk (UFC 84), Frank Mir over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (UFC 92)

Non-UFC Winner: Fedor Emelianenko (Affliction: Banned - July 19)

Emelianenko claimed the first ever WAMMA Heavyweight championship with his 36-second victory over Tim Sylvia. The win silenced the Fedor haters (at least for awhile) and reassured Fedor fans that he's still a cyborg.

Post-Fight Interview of the Year

Winner: Frank Mir (UFC 92 - Dec. 27)

In one of the most poignant speeches we've ever heard inside the octagon, an emotional Mir spoke of his near-fatal motorcycle accident, and let others know they can overcome adversity, just as he did. He also thanked his family and friends for their support over the years. Whether you love or hate Frank Mir, he deserves all the respect in the world.

Honorable Mention: BJ Penn - "Sean Sherk, you're dead!" (UFC 80), Nate Quarry - Rocky IV speech (UFC 83)

Non-UFC Winner: Gina Carano (EliteXC: Heat - Oct. 4)

Carano wins by default.

Comeback Fighter of the Year

Winner: Quinton Jackson

After losing the belt to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86, Jackson literally went on a rampage that landed him in hot water. To add to his already volatile state of mind, Jackson was offered a fight with Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92, a man who had brutally knocked him out twice in the past.

Despite his numerous mental hurdles, Jackson came away victorious against Silva in arguably the most important fight of his career. Strong consideration for Frank Mir, but Rampage gets the nod.

Honorable Mention: Frank Mir, BJ Penn, Rich Franklin

Non-UFC Winner: Joachim Hansen (DREAM)

Hansen was defeated by Eddie Alvarez in the second round of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix tournament. Alvarez suffered an injury, however, which enabled Hansen to advance. He made the most of his opportunity, defeating tournament favorite Shinya Aoki in the finals to became the first DREAM Lightweight champion.

Fight of the Year

Winner: Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson (UFC 86 - July 5)

This was a close, five-round battle for one of MMA's most coveted titles. From beginning to end, both fighters had each other on the brink of defeat, but neither man would be finished.

In the end, Griffin earned the decision victory to become the first Ultimate Fighter winner to see championship gold. The outcome was highly controversial, but luckily these two fighters seem to be destined to meet again.

Honorable Mention: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia (UFC 81), Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch (UFC 87), Chris Lytle vs. Paul Taylor (UFC 89)

Non-UFC Winner: Yoshiro Maeda vs. Miguel Torres (WEC 34 – June 1)

This was the best fight of 2008, regardless of organization. Torres and Maeda showed us a little bit of everything – kicks, punches, knees, elbows, chokes, arm locks, leg locks, omoplatas, gogoplatas, and just about every other technique imaginable. After three rounds, the fight was stopped due to Maeda’s badly swollen eye, though it’s hard to call anyone a loser in a fight like this.

Fighter of the Year

Winner: Georges St. Pierre

St. Pierre had a very eventful 2008, despite only fighting on two occasions. As mentioned earlier, he had the biggest win of his career at UFC 83, as well as his first successful title defense.

Thiago Alves nearly took the top spot, but his win over Matt Hughes isn't nearly as impressive when you consider his inability to make weight, or even come close. St. Pierre's upcoming fight with BJ Penn will either make or break his chance of repeating as Fighter of the Year in 2009.

Honorable Mention: Thiago Alves, Anderson Silva, BJ Penn

Non-UFC Winner: Shinya Aoki

Aoki fought a ridiculous seven times in 2008, going 5-1-1. Though he was defeated by Joachim Hansen, Aoki had more high profile wins than any other fighter this year. Decisions over Caol Uno and JZ Calvancante, and a quick submission over Eddie Alvarez look great on his resume. Miguel Torres in another worthy pick for Fighter of the Year, but I have to go with Aoki.

Those are my picks for the best and worst of 2008. Here's to a great 2009!

So You Wanna Be a Fighter?

Flyin' Hawaiian — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:53:30 -0500

I was sitting around the TV one rainy afternoon last May with a group of friends - watching an NBA playoff game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards - when we began discussing our favorite athletes. With the majority of us being native to New England, names like Paul Pierce, Tom Brady and David Ortiz were mentioned several times. Naturally, I announced that my favorite athlete was BJ Penn. I received a few confused looks before explaining that BJ Penn is a jiu-jitsu world champion, as well as the lightweight champion of the UFC.

One of my friends, not a knowledgable MMA fan himself, shouted out: “You know who my favorite UFC fighter is? Kimbo Slice.” Because he was actually being serious, I almost smacked him. But instead, I calmly explained that Kimbo Slice was not in the UFC, nor would he ever be. I made it perfectly clear that MMA and the UFC were not the same thing, and that the UFC is simply the biggest organization within the sport of MMA.

Now this kid also happened to be a co-worker of mine for the majority of the summer, and spent a considerable about of time in my apartment, where he was further exposed to the sport. He spent countless hours watching my UFC and TUF dvds, and even asked me to show him a few moves. While I am by no means a qualified instructor, I have studied martial arts for a significant amount of time, and have medaled in several karate and jiu-jitsu tournaments. I showed him a few basic submissions just to humor him.

This went on for awhile, and over time, his personality started to change. Normally a quiet and mild-mannered kid, he began having occasional outbursts where he’d start shadow boxing like a jackass and saying how he badly wanted to knock someone out. I’d usually just tell him to lay off the dvds and leave him alone. This continued throughout the summer months, and MMA became the only thing he ever talked about. He even made up a story about how he got into a fight with a much bigger opponent at a party, and won using the techniques he had seen on TV. He told the story to anyone who would listen (I later found out that the “fight” was actually a friendly wrestling match against his friend, which ended once his friend was too tired to continue). At one point, he declared that his goal was to be in the UFC within a few years, even suggesting that he could defeat some of the fighters he had seen. My co-workers and I would just laugh, though he was starting to get on everyone’s nerves – mine in particular.

Martial arts are something I take seriously, and this kid was making a mockery of the sport. Day in and day out, I explained to him that the odds of fighting in the UFC are slim to none, unless you’re a jiu-jitsu or muay thai prodigy, or an all-american wrestler. He didn’t wanna hear it. One day, I decided to show him exactly what I was talking about. I challenged him to a grappling match, to which he happily obliged. Right away I tied him up with double underhooks, and noticed that he was breathing aggressively and grunting (two things that have no place in a grappling match). I pulled guard and swept him with a scissor sweep. I now had him mounted and grapevined. He rolled over and gave me his back, and I immediately sunk in a rear naked choke. I let him up, and explained to him that even though I had just submitted him in a matter of seconds, I would get absolutely destroyed by any professional mixed martial artist. He seemed very curious, so I enlightened him on the logistics of jiu-jitsu, and how it may look basic on TV, but in reality, takes decades to master. For the first time, I seemed to get through to him.

To be 100% clear, I’m not trying to deter any aspiring fighters out there, as I’m sure most of you are aware of what it takes to become a professional mixed martial artist. And I'm not trying to promote my jiu-jitsu skills, which are nothing special. However, I know that there are an abundance of people out there, like my friend, who need a reality check. So to those people, I would like to offer a little insight, and refute a few of the outlandish statements I've heard over the past few months.

Myth #1: "I bet I can knock out so-and-so with one punch."

No, you can't. If you think you can KO any of the fighters you’ve seen on TV, you’re a moron. Just in case you forgot, these guys fight for a living. They’re trained to punch, kick, knee and elbow guys who know how to counter their every move. Do you think you’d even be able to hit a world class fighter, let alone hard enough to knock him out? Even more importantly, would you be able to avoid being hit? Fat chance. I dare you to go in there with him and start throwing wild punches like you would in a street fight. It would be game over very quickly.

Myth #2: "I bet I can choke out so-and-so."

No, you can't do that either. If you think you can submit any of the fighters you’ve seen on TV, you’re an even bigger moron. There are thousands of jiu-jitsu techniques, and similar to striking, these techniques have multiple counters and escapes. You don't know any of them, because you personally have never trained. Watching it on TV is not training. Believe it or not, there are BJJ white belts out there who could snap your arm in two seconds. Imagine what a brown or black belt could do to you.

Myth #3: "I am going to fight in the UFC."

There are tens, maybe even hundreds of thousands of amateur and professional fighers in the United States alone. Worldwide, that number is exponentially greater. The UFC has a roster of 180 fighters, which averages out to 36 in each weight class. For the most part, these are the absolute best fighters the world has to offer. The outlook isn't good.

If that didn’t put things into perspective, maybe this will. I’ve had the opportunity to train with Paul Georgieff, who was a member of Team Hughes on the Ultimate Fighter Season 6. Paul is a brown belt in BJJ. He has placed in nearly every grappling competition he has entered, and is one of the best grapplers I’ve ever seen. Before TUF, he had a professional MMA record of 5-1, with most of his wins coming via first round stoppage. In his only fight in the TUF competition, Paul was knocked out in the first round by Troy “Rude Boy” Mandaloniz. At the TUF finale, he was submitted in the first round by Jonathan Goulet. Keep in mind, Goulet was once knocked out in 11 seconds by Duane Ludwig, knocked out by Mike Swick in 33 seconds, and choked out by Dustin Hazelett in just over a minute.

So to the people out there who've seen the UFC on TV and think you have what it takes to compete with those guys, hopefully this article has opened your eyes. Like my friend, you guys need a wakeup call. If after reading this, you still think you can beat up a professional fighter, stop talking and go prove it. Let me know how it turns out.

UFC 92 Looms Nearer: The Ultimate 2008 Predictions

Flyin' Hawaiian — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:37:57 -0500

With UFC 92 less than 24 hours away, here are my last minute predictions. Better late than never.

Brad Blackburn vs. Ryo Chonin

Blackburn is unfamiliar to almost everyone who has never watched the IFL, and Chonin's claim to fame is the heelhook heard 'round the world. Not many people know this, but Chonin is also a comedian.

I actually expect this to be the best undercard fight, and see Chonin winning a unanimous decision. It's time for Chonin to stop living off of Anderson Silva's name, and to make one for himself.

Ryo Chonan def. Brad Blackburn via Unanimous Decision

Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy

I don't know much about Reese Andy, other than that he just lost to Brandon Vera, and has a win over Krzysztof Soszynski, the prankster from TUF 8.

Hamill holds a dominant, yet unofficial win over Michael Bisping, beat the dog crap out of Tim Boetsch, and held his own against Rich Franklin. He'll be very hungry coming into this fight, and I'm picking him to win via second round TKO.

Matt Hamill def. Reese Andy via Second-Round TKO

Antoni Hardonk vs. Mike Wessell

Hardonk has the best leg kicks in the business, which should produce good results against a fellow striker in Wessell. Frank Mir showed us how to beat Hardonk, but Wessell is no Frank Mir.

Antoni Hardonk def. Mike Wessell via First-Round TKO.

Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister

Okami last fought at UFC 82, where he defeated the late Evan Tanner via KO. Lister is coming off a somewhat surprising win over Jeremy Horn at the TUF 7 Finale. Though he has never been finished, Lister seems to be involved in a lot of boring fights.

I'm convinced that this fight will be a snooze fest, with Okami getting the better of it.

Yushin Okami def. Dean Lister via Unanimous Decision.

Cheick Congo vs. Mustafa Al-Turk

Congo is in the upper echelon of UFC heavyweights, and as Heath Herring pointed out, might have the best physique in MMA. Al-Turk is the former Cage Rage heavyweight champion, and will be making his UFC debut. Congo comes from a better camp, has more experience, and has beaten Mirko Cro Cop. Based on that alone, I'm giving him the edge.

Cheick Congo def. Mustafa Al-Turk via Second-Round TKO

Mike Massenzio vs. C.B. Dolloway

Massenzio submitted Drew McFedries at UFC Fight Night 15, and is 11-2 overall. Dolloway was the TUF 7 runner-up, and submitted fellow castmate Jesse Taylor at UFC: Silva vs. Irvin.

This is actually the second meeting between the two, the first being a collegiate wrestling match back in 2003. Although Dolloway came away victorious, MMA is a different sport, and I see a different outcome. Dolloway hasn't shown great submission defense thus far in his career, and I think Massenzio will capitalize.

Mike Massenzio def. C.B. Dolloway via Second-Round Submission

Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva

For my in-depth analysis of this fight, click here.

Quinton Jackson def. Wanderlei Silva via Second Round KO

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir

Both Nogueira and Mir have world class jiu-jitsu (61 percent of Nogueira's wins have come via submission, 64 percent for Mir). As we've seen in the past, when two fighters are evenly matched on the ground, it often becomes a stand-up fight. I expect this will be the case, and I give Nogueira the advantage.

Sometimes I wonder how much Nogueira has left, but I think he'll have just enough to put Mir away late in the fight.

Antonio Nogueira def. Frank Mir via Fifth-Round TKO

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans

This will be the first time two former TUF winners are meeting in a title fight. Both Griffin and Evans have flown under the radar for most of their careers, and earned their spots in this fight with impressive wins over Quinton Jackson and Chuck Liddell, respectively.

I normally have Forrest as the underdog, but I don't see him having much trouble with Evans. Coming from Greg Jackson's camp, Evans will undoubtedly have a smart gameplan, but I don't see him winning. I expect this fight to go the distance, with Forrest taking 4 of the 5 rounds.

Forrest Griffin def. Rashad Evans via Unanimous Decision

Why Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Will Reign Supreme

Flyin' Hawaiian — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:45:15 -0500

As everyone knows by now, Wanderlei Silva is 2-0 in his career against Rampage Jackson, with both of his wins coming in devastating fashion. The image of Jackson lying motionless between the ring ropes with blood dripping from his face is still fresh in many people's minds.

So fresh, in fact, that many are picking Silva to go 3-0 based on that alone. However, I am not one of those people. Here are a few reasons why I feel that the first two fights were misleading, and why I expect Rampage to get back on the winning track at UFC 92.

1. Tournament Style

The first fight between these two happened at PRIDE Final Conflict in November 2003. This event was a four-man tournament featuring Rampage, Silva, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Chuck Liddell. In the semifinals, Silva won an easy decision over Yoshida, and Rampage stopped Liddell in an absolute war.

Back in 2003, Liddell and Silva were the two most feared fighters on the planet. Fighting both men within the same year would be too much to ask of nearly anyone. What Rampage did bordered on the ridiculous. He fought them back-to-back on the same night.

Due to the nature of tournaments, you never know who your next opponent will be. Because of this, I doubt Rampage spent a lot of time preparing to fight Silva, and likely had either little or no game plan.

Silva was also Rampage's second fight of the night. Had he not been exhausted from fighting Liddell, the outcome could have been much different. Granted, Silva had fought earlier that night as well, which brings me to my next point...

2. UFC vs. Pride

Pride's format, a 10-minute opening round followed by a five-minute closing round, clearly favored the better conditioned fighter. The fact that Rampage was knocked out at 6:28 of Round One is rather interesting.

What would have happened if the opening round was five minutes long, like in the UFC? How much did fighting an extra 1:28 factor into his loss? The same questions can be asked about their second fight at PRIDE 28.

Silva was more conditioned and better suited for Pride's format, but was he necessarily the better fighter?

3. The New Rampage Jackson

Rampage has gone 7-2 since PRIDE 28. In the process, he has captured, defended, and lost the UFC light-heavyweight championship. He has made several positive changes in his life recently, and as Brian pointed out in his article, should be better than ever come UFC 92.

4. The Old Wanderlei Silva

In this case, the "Old" Wanderlei Silva refers to the man who went unbeaten in 20 consecutive fights between 2000 and 2004. Silva has gone 5-5 since PRIDE 28, and his aura of invincibility seems to be dwindling. His quick knockout of Keith Jardine at UFC 84 made a believer out of some, but did little to change my mind.

5. The Mental Game

Despite what anyone says, I don't believe that Silva is in Rampage's head. Their last meeting was several years ago, and since then, both fighters have been moving in different directions.

If anything, the two losses have helped Rampage prepare. His win over Dan Henderson (who had KO'd Silva in his previous fight) and Silva's loss to Liddell have been the boost of confidence he needs.

6. Strange But True

In fights held between Christmas and New Year's, Rampage is 1-0. Silva is 1-2, with his only win being a controversial split decision over Ricardo Arona.

In fights held in Las Vegas, Rampage is 2-1. Silva is 1-2.

In fights held in the United States, Rampage is 14-1. Silva is 2-2.

In fights inside the octagon, Rampage is 3-1. Silva is 2-3.

My Prediction

I am picking Rampage to win this fight for all of the above reasons. From a technical standpoint, a three five-minute round fight is to his advantage. I believe he has more tools than ever before, and has more going for him than Silva does.

On top of that, he's hungry, wants revenge, and wants the title back around his waist. I expect to see Rampage howling at the moon at the conclusion of this fight.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer Silva" via Second Round KO.

Note: UFC 92 will be held Saturday, December 27th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Breaking Down Georges St. Pierre vs BJ Penn II

Flyin' Hawaiian — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:33:46 -0500

With UFC 91 in the books, I figured it's never too early to preview the next date on my calendar that really gets my blood pumping.

No, I don't mean Thanksgiving. I don't mean Hanukah, Christmas or New Years either. I'm not even talking about the ridiculously stacked UFC 92 card on December 27th.

I, of course, am referring to UFC 94. More specifically, the BJ Penn vs. Georges St. Pierre superfight.

This is a "superfight" in every sense of the word. In fact, this is the biggest fight in MMA history. Whether you're a casual MMA fan, a GSP fanatic, a BJ nuthugger, or somewhere in between, you couldn't ask for a better matchup.

Dana White said it best: "This is the kind of stuff that will make one of these guys a legend." A legend, and likely the consensus pound for pound king of MMA. These are labels that both men want so desperately.

Granted, those are some bold statements—but in no way are they overstatements. It is virtually impossible to overstate the magnitude or the significance of this fight. Not only are these the two finest mixed martial artists in the UFC today, but they are both champions.

This will mark the first time that two current UFC champions are squaring off. This is Tupac vs. Biggie, folks. Nas vs. Jay-Z. Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant. One icon vs. another icon.

We on Bleacher Report have been debating this fight for months. However, most of the comments I've read absolutely wreak of bias. I am guilty as any, and will admit to writing my share of these comments. That being said, this article is 100% objective. In no way will I attempt to sway your opinion one way or another.An MMAWeekly.com writer by the name of Rami Genauer wrote a great article leading up to UFC 79, which broke down the rubber match between GSP and Matt Hughes. You can find it here. My analysis will sample from Genauer's article.

Primary Research

"When comparing fighters, the best evidence we have is primary research: How have these fighters done against each other in the past?"

The original Penn vs. St. Pierre fight happened way back at UFC 58. As everyone knows by now, GSP won a controversial split decision.

The opening round was all BJ, as he literally used GSP's head as a punching bag. To GSP's credit, he received a nasty—albeit unintentional—eye poke early on. This limited his ability to see, and thus, his ability to strike.

Afterwards, GSP claimed that he saw two BJ Penn's and didn't know which one was real. In the post-fight interview, he explained that he took a swing at one, missed, and then was punched by the other one. He compared it to fighting two guys at once.

St. Pierre made a comeback in the final two rounds, and appeared to be the much fresher fighter. He scored a pair of takedowns in each round, but couldn't capitalize, and was stuck in BJ's guard whenever the fight went to the ground.

The last takedown enabled GSP to implement a brief ground and pound, before nearly being caught in a gogoplata. In the end, two judges felt that St. Pierre had done enough to get the decision.

UFC scoring is based on the following criteria: Effective striking & grappling, aggression, and octagon control. The winner of each round is given ten points, and the loser is given nine or less. Some fans felt that GSP's takedowns displayed effective grappling and octagon control, while others were convinced that Penn's dominant stand-up gave him the edge in effective striking and aggression.

Based on looks alone, BJ won the fight hands down. He looked nearly flawless, whereas GSP looked as if he had just flown through a car windshield. However, fights aren't judged by looks, and based on the 10-point scoring system, GSP was the rightful winner. If the fight had been scored according to Pride rules (fights are scored as a whole instead of by round), perhaps the outcome would have been different. Edge: St. Pierre

Secondary Research

"Beyond the fights between the two fighters, the next best evidence we have is secondary research: How have these fighters done against common opponents?"

Both Penn and St. Pierre have battled Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, and Sean Sherk.

GSP defeated Sean Sherk by second round TKO at UFC 56. He physically overwhelmed the much smaller Sherk, and was able to get the relatively easy stoppage. BJ's victory came in the lightweight title fight at UFC 84. After picking Sherk apart for most of three rounds, BJ unleashed a vicious flying knee that put Sherk away as the round ended. Edge: Even

Similar to the fights with Sherk, BJ fought Matt Serra at lightweight, while GSP fought him twice at welterweight. BJ earned a unanimous decision victory over Serra at UFC 39 in a rather uneventful bout.

GSP lost to Serra at UFC 69 via first round TKO, and then avenged the loss at UFC 83. The latter was a special moment for St. Pierre, winning the belt in front of his hometown fans. Unfortunately in this case, it wasn't enough to cancel out his previous loss.
Edge: Penn

Matt Hughes is the only man who has fought Penn and St. Pierre multiple times. BJ submitted Hughes in the first round at UFC 46 for the welterweight title. This was BJ's first fight at 170, and it snapped Hughes' 12-fight winning streak.

In the rematch at UFC 63, BJ looked to be well on his way to another easy victory over the champion, nearly ending the fight at the end of the second round. However, BJ suffered a rib/oblique injury during the round, leading to an eventual stoppage loss. For more on the injury, check out this link.

Hughes defeated GSP by armbar at UFC 50. In the rematch at UFC 65, GSP stopped Hughes in the second round after rocking him with a head kick. St. Pierre was a better, more confident fighter the second time around. Joe Rogan even noted that he looked like "a cold-eyed killer." The two had their rubber match at UFC 79, and GSP was again victorious, this time with an armbar of his own.

Here's the question: Does a first round victory, followed by a somewhat unlucky loss put BJ over the top? Or do GSP's consecutive wins, despite his loss, give him the edge?

The fact is, both times BJ fought Hughes, Hughes was in his prime and coming off of multiple title defenses. And both times, BJ either won or had Hughes on the brink of defeat. It's also important to remember that BJ took the second fight on just a few weeks' notice.

GSP's win at UFC 65 was a decisive victory, and undoubtedly one of the highlights of his career. However, by the time UFC 79 came around, most would agree that Hughes was over the hill. The only other time GSP fought Hughes in his heyday was at UFC 50, and he was submitted in the first round.

In his biography, "Made In America," Hughes admits to being afraid of BJ. The book even says that Hughes literally prayed several times during their UFC 63 bout, despite his victory. This was almost too close to call, but in the end, you have to give credit where it's due. Edge: Penn

Tertiary Research

"The last piece of evidence is the trickiest. Here, we look at fights against different opponents."

BJ has fought 11 of his 18 fights at lightweight, and holds notable wins over Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Jens Pulver, Takanori Gomi, and Joe Stevenson. GSP has spent his entire career at welterweight, and has key wins over Karo Parisyan, Frank Trigg, Jason Miller, Josh Koscheck, and Jon Fitch.

Because we're talking about two different divisions, comparing the quality of wins becomes very difficult. It's almost like comparing apples to oranges. However, GSP fights on a more regular basis and has a better record. Fitch and Koscheck are also top-five welterweights in their own right. Edge: St. Pierre

Well, there you have it. I am not making any predictions as of right now, but I will do so as we get closer to fight time. I just wanted to give you an in depth look at this fight, and help get people excited (as if that's really needed). I think most of you know who I'm picking, but I'll elaborate more on that later. Feel free to comment and debate all you want. Play nice.

My Picks For UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote

Flyin' Hawaiian — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:56:59 -0400

I'm extra excited about this card because it features two of my favorite fighters in Anderson Silva and Diego Sanchez. I'm only giving my predictions for the main card and a couple preliminary fights, because I don't care about the other fights at all. So as Mike Goldberg likes to say, "here we go..."

Gray Maynard vs. Rich Clementi

This is an interesting matchup in my opinion. Maynard is coming off a win over Frankie Edgar, where he used his considerable size and strength advantage to keep Edgar at bay.

He was never in danger of being finished, because as we all know, Edgar can't finish a fight. Clementi is a different story, with double-digit victories via KO/TKO as well as submission. I look for this fight to go a lot like Maynard's fight against Nate Diaz on TUF Five. Maynard will punish Clementi early, but get caught late.

Rich Clementi def. Gray Maynard via 3rd round submission

Hermes Franca vs. Marcus Aurelio

I wish this was televised because it should be an entertaining fight. Franca is a jiu-jitsu whiz who always takes the fight to the ground. However, given Aurelio's equally impressive jiu-jitsu game, it'll be interesting to see what happens.

At any rate, I expect this fight to resemble a BJJ match with both men attempting and escaping submission after submission. I'm picking Aurelio to win, based solely on the fact that he has a win over Gomi. That's somewhat irrelevant, but, hey.

Marcus Aurelio def. Hermes Franca via unanimous decision

Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin

I somehow hope that these two morons knock each other out, since I can't stand either fighter. That's highly unlikely, however, since neither of these guys can box. Anyway, Sherk is looking to get back on the winning track after an embarassing loss to BJ Penn at UFC 84.

Griffin is coming off a win over the aforementioned Marcus Aurelio at UFC 86. Both these guys are lay and pray artists, and this fight should come down to whoever can take the other guy down, and lay on him the longest. I'm picking Sherk to pull out the victory, delaying Griffin's hope for a title shot.

Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via split decision

Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior Dos Santos

This is Junior Dos Santos' first fight with the UFC, and it seems to me that he was handpicked as an easy win for Werdum until the Mir/Nogueira/Lesnar/Couture tournament is settled. Unless Santos debuts a la Houston Alexander, I don't see him beating a fighter the caliber of Werdum.

Fabricio Werdum def. Junior Dos Santos via 1st round TKO

Thales Leites vs. Goran Reljic

I've watched every Thales Leites fight since he's been with the UFC, and despite his 13-1 record (4-1 UFC), he's just not a guy who impresses me. The only legitimate win he has is over Nate Marquardt at UFC 85, but Marquardt more or less beat himself that night.

Reljic is coming down to 185 from 205 after defeating Wilson Gouveia at UFC 84, and has finished 7 of his last 8 opponents. I think it's unlikely he'll finish Leites, but I expect him to win convincingly.

Goran Reljic def. Thales Leites via unanimous decision

Diego Sanchez vs. Thiago Alves

This has "Fight of the Year" written all over it. Diego showed improved standup in his win over Luigi Fioravanti, but I doubt he'll stand with Alves, as Alves is arguably the best striker in the UFC not named Silva. Alves is also a BJJ black belt, but the fact that he was submitted by Spencer Fisher, and that he has no submission victories makes me question his grappling skills.

I may be a little biased, but I believe that Diego is the second best welterweight in the world behind GSP. Alves' TKO of Karo Parisyan at UFN 13 doesn't impress me so much. Not only was it was a questionable stoppage, but Denver's altitude seemed to have a weird effect on everyone who fought that night.

I'm even less impressed by Alves' most recent victory over Matt Hughes. Hughes is on the downside of his career, and Alves weighed in at 174. I believe we'll see vintage Diego Sanchez at UFC 90. It should be a fast, back and forth battle, but I expect Diego to come out on top and move that much closer to a shot at GSP/Penn.

Diego Sanchez def. Thiago Alves via split decision

Anderson Silva vs. Patick Cote

Cote has made some interesting comments leading up to this fight, saying that it'll take 10 punches from Silva to knock him out, whereas he can knock Silva out with just one. I believe James Irvin also said something to that effect, and we know how that turned out.

Anyway, I'm not even giving Cote a puncher's chance in this one. Yes, he's on a five fight winning streak, but Silva is a different fighter than anyone Cote has seen thus far. That pretty much goes without saying. I don't expect this fight to go more than a few minutes, but the ending should be spectacular.

Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via 1st round KO

Well, those are my predictions for UFC 90. Agree or disagree, any comments are welcome.