Comments on: Saturday splash: No love for Fabricio Werdum

By: Zach Arnold

Zach Arnold — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:38:21 +0000

KW – I’m using SpamKarma 2.3 – and it’s keeping out both spam and good site commenters…

By: kw

kw — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:04:30 +0000

Zach, you might want to try SpamKarma 2.3

By: taramis

taramis — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:02:36 +0000

Gonzaga’s head kick knocking out Cro Cop is the stuff of legend. _45 Huddle_ , you totally called it!

By: 45 Huddle

45 Huddle — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 04:11:13 +0000

Keep this post…. Proof that I picked Gonzaga….

By: The Gaijin

The Gaijin — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 02:26:15 +0000

Thanks FF, I stand corrected on my correction!!

And wow…wow….wow…Napao.

By: Fan Futbol

Fan Futbol — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 20:50:16 +0000

Correction: “I think Ukiro has identified the most likely way Gonzaga *could* win.”

By: Fan Futbol

Fan Futbol — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 20:48:58 +0000

“Everyone has a plan until they get hit.” Actually, although Iron Mike did say it, those words were originally uttered by George Foreman.

If GSP can lose to Matt Serra, Crocop can lose to Napao. But, still, I just don’t see how Napao will get Crocop down…I think Ukiro has identified the most likely way Gonzaga will win.

By: Zack

Zack — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 18:13:41 +0000

“Couture also once nominated Tito Ortiz as the one UFC Light Heavyweight capable of defeating Chuck Liddell.”

He also said Eddie Sanchez was a very tough test for Mirko.

By: Grape Knee High

Grape Knee High — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 17:05:24 +0000

“I remain skeptical that Sakuraba will pass the medicals for California, considering that Armando Garcia has had to deal with issues for boxers dying or suffering bad brain injuries. Sakuraba would certainly fit in a potentially dangerous category.”

I think it would depend on the opponent. Against Royce, I think he’d pass since Royce is hardly a danger to do anything but possibly break a bone or pop a joint. However, I do agree that Sak should have trouble passing medicals against anyone who actually knows how to throw more than the girly punches that Royce throws.

I personally think Royce/Sak 2 would be a big fight, if it actually happens. Sure, they’re both past their prime and, yes, it’s not a premier MMA fight. But I think for old fans MMA fans who got to watch both in their primes, it will be an entertaining fight between two legends of the sport. At least it’s not a horrible mismatch like Royce/Hughes was. However, if this is the match that K-1 is hoping to sell 90,000 seats with, they’ll be sorely mistaken. Someone should start a pool to bet on when K-1 officially moves the event to a (much) smaller venue.

By: Grape Knee High

Grape Knee High — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:46:43 +0000

I have to agree with Ukiro here. Mirko has shown in the past to have insane takedown defense and I have trouble seeing how Gonzaga can possibly take him down. I can’t think of a single fighter who can or has done it reliably in the past (including Fedor, Barnett, Nog, Coleman, Yoshida, etc).

I think the one chance Napao does have is if he can make Mirko gas (unless he can get a miracle Randleman punch in there); the unfortunate part is that Gonzaga himself does not seem to have exceptionally strong cardio. I see this going a similar way to Yoshida/Cro Cop. There will be a few wary tie-ups and clinches. Once they both get tired, it’s leg kick time, low mid or high.

One thing to keep in mind here is that Cro Cop likes running away when he gets in trouble. It’ll be even easier for him to do this in the cage than in the ring because of the size of the cage.

Regarding Werdum/Arlovski…I don’t know how this will go. It all depends on Arlovski’s takedown defense, which I suspect is not that strong. It could go similarly to Werdum/Kharitonov where Arlovski stuffs the takedown attempts and punishes Werdum, or like Werdum/Aleks with a quick takedown and BJJ 101 to a submission. If I had to put money on it, I’d go Werdum, but I don’t know that I’d be very confident of winning.