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Fox Sports: "Zach Arnold's Fight Opinion site is one of the best spots on the Web for thought-provoking MMA pieces."

« | Home | »

The launch of the new book ‘The MMA Encyclopedia’

By Zach Arnold | November 2, 2010

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All the ordering information on the book is here. Clicky clicky.

How much will Urijah Faber’s popularity grow now that he’s in UFC instead of WEC? Esther Lin has more details on Faber’s upcoming fight next week against Takeya Mizugaki.

The worst-kept secret in the world — UFC will continue using it’s bigger cage for main cards and for Spike TV/B-level shows they will use the smaller cage. I give props to long-time friend Zack (no, I don’t talk to myself) for pointing out this issue a year or so ago.

Jon Fitch gets a rude awakening with Jake Ellenberger fight offer. Kenny Florian and Evan Dunham will reportedly fight on January 22nd. On that same 1/22 card, we’ll get Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague.

Heath Herring stuck in contract limbo with the UFC.

Are you buying or selling the idea that a winner of a Pedro Rizzo vs. Tim Sylvia fight will get a bid into the UFC? Strikeforce, perhaps, but UFC?

Gracie Magazine says the UFC is looking to have an event in Brazil shortly.

ULT MMA has the back story on the latest mess Donald Cerrone has gotten himself involved in.

Ryan Couture has a staph infection. Ouch. Please get well soon.

Another mixed review of the EA Sports MMA video game.

Sengoku plans big 12/30 MMA event

The day before the traditional big New Year’s Eve show by K-1 in Japan, Sengoku has their eyes set for a show at Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo. The show will be called “Sengoku: Soul of Fight” and there will be martial arts exhibitions starting at 11 AM. The actual MMA portion of the event will have 8 ~ 10 fights including Marlon Sandro vs. Hatsu Hioki for the Featherweight title, finals of their Welterweight GP, and the Bantamweight tournament semi-finals.

Satoru Sayama’s wacky new fighting concept

Satoru Sayama has ran a few shows under the Seikendo banner in the past and this time around, he ran a show on Friday at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo called “Budo Seikendo” which used a double-level octagonal-shaped mat (photo here). Check out his introduction here.

The idea behind the format is to give it a more “Bushido-style” and Sumo-style raw fighting feel. Check out how the fighters dressed to fight in the Octagonal-style dohyo. The rules are: up to three rounds (R1 & R2 three minutes each, R3 two minutes), knock your opponent out of the inside mat twice and you win, or you can win by KO/submission/stoppage.

A new Seikendo dojo will be established in Tokyo next Spring.

Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Sengoku, UFC, WEC, Zach Arnold | 69 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

69 Responses to “The launch of the new book ‘The MMA Encyclopedia’”

  1. Johny says:

    The Cofield story on Fitch couldn’t be more biased. Its Fitch’s fault he’s being treated poorly? Please.

  2. 45 Huddle says:

    I’m a big Jon Fitch fan, but the guy has to stop playing games with the UFC. Either say you are willing to fight the winner of GSP/Koscheck or not. He even said in a recent interview that if Kosheck wins he wouldn’t want to go to MW right away until he sees Koscheck defend a few times. Picking off potential contenders with no willingness to fight for the title is a sure fire way to get put into MMA purgatory….

    What’s the need for a MMA Encyclopedia when we have a fight finder, wikipedia, and a bunch of archived websites? Books are a thing of the past. At least reference books are. Put the content online, get money trough advertising and continue to update the content as new information presents itself….

    • Steve4192 says:

      “What’s the need for a MMA Encyclopedia when we have a fight finder, wikipedia, and a bunch of archived websites? Books are a thing of the past.”

      As long as human beings continue to poop, there will always be a need for books. At 340 pages, the MMA Encyclopedia should get me through about six months of morning constitutionals.

  3. Johny says:

    “the guy has to stop playing games with the UFC.”

    What games? Fightings not a game. fighting is fighting. Fitch earned a title shot, and wants a non-title bout with GSP if GSP loses, or to face GSP if GSP wins.

    What’s so hard to understand about that?

    • 45 Huddle says:

      That is pretty easy to understand. Still doesn’t change the fact that he is playing games.

      If he seriously wanted a title shot, it wouldn’t matter who the champion is. When asked after his win over Thiago Alves if he would fight Josh Koscheck, he refused to answer the question. If he wanted to fight for the title, he would have at least answered truthfully at the time.

      A good answer would have been: “If GSP wins, I want to fight for the title. If Koscheck wins, I will move up to Middleweight and not try to just knock off contenders for a champion I have no care to fight.”

      Why would anybody want to see him fight GSP when if he wins he won’t fight Koscheck? Get his #ss out of Welterweight if he’s not willing to fight the champion.

  4. robthom says:

    “… for Spike TV/B-level shows they will use the smaller cage.”

    Interesting.

    Something about smaller cages forcing more action or something?
    I suppose “x-arm” would be the ultimate culmination of that.

    “Heath Herring stuck in contract limbo with the UFC.”

    Why would I care about this?
    I suppose its not fair to do that.
    They should just set him free so that I can not watch him where ever he chooses.

    “…UFC is looking to have an event in Brazil shortly.”

    Doomed to fail like attempting Japan.
    They already have their own version.

    ““Budo Seikendo” which used a double-level octagonal-shaped mat…”

    Lord and baby Jesus kill me now.

    • 45 Huddle says:

      Herring is free, but he is just in a period that the UFC can match his offer if they want.

      He was offered a few fights (he admitted so in the article) and turned them down.

      It’s pretty obvious that Brock Lesnar knocked the fight out of him and now he is just looking for attention.

  5. Just to toot my own horn:

    http://www.fightopinion.com/2010/10/23/ufc-121-anaheim/#comments

    -Shields by decision. Kampmann can defend well enough to not get submitted and I think we might see the lay and pray of Shields return here. Interesting subtext from this fight will be Shields getting a title shot instead of Fitch in spite of both not providing “entertaining” competition. Still, Kampmann is good enough standing and in his submissions that he’s a very live dog and I’m excited to see this.

    Shields wasn’t signed so that the UFC can throw him on the backburner or because they think no one has heard of him that watches MMA. Dana White has come out and said that he thinks that Shields has earned a shot, and lawd almighty, you bet he has. He beat Kampmann (however close it was) and that comes on the heels of Lawler, Henderson, Miller, Daley, Thompson, Pyle, Verissimo, etc etc etc. The guy is the best option in the promotion to go to.

    Meanwhile, Fitch: How completely predictable that Fitch doesn’t get a rematch or another eliminator bout. Ho-hum and boohoo. A fight with Ellenberger will be the mirror image of the Pierce fight. Instead of Fitch fading late and giving away a round to his opponent, Ellenberger will probably come out fast and win the first, only to fade 2 minutes into the 2nd (like he always does) and lose 29-28 across all three cards.

    It doesn’t bother me one iota if Fitch has to wait another 9-10 months for a title fight due to the decrees of Dana and Joe Silva. He’s not the best option. If Koscheck pulls off the big upset, he isn’t even a option.

  6. 45 Huddle says:

    Semmy Schilt got DQ’d from the K-1 tournament for having an injury attended to between rounds.

    • Wow. If Overeem doesn’t win this year he never will. The three best heavyweight kickboxers in the world are all out of the tournament for bizarre reasons. Its basically between him and Ghita IMO.

      • edub says:

        Gotta say Saki looks damn good right now too. I wouldn’t count him out. Sponge is also a sleeper. I’m rooting for Ghita though.

        45 or anyone: Is Gerges taking Schilt’s spot?

    • Bryan says:

      Wait wasn’t it because the injury was attended by his cornerman and not by the doctors at ringside, per K-1 rules?

    • Dave says:

      Bad rumor started through mis-translation of a Dutch article on Sherdog.

      Semmy isn’t DQ’d, Gerges gets a reserve bout to keep everyone happy.

      • edub says:

        Ah. Love the internet.

      • The Gaijin says:

        Which is a pretty stupid rumour because based on my understanding of the rules (and as someone at I believe HKL also pointed out), they aren’t really entitled to DQ him now or during the fight. He would have received a caution, warning or a point deduction.

        http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/what/rules.html

        “Article 22: Protector
        The use of protectors made of rubber, plastic, or other material is not allowed for any reason including the protection of an injury. However, when the official physician or the referee and judges allow the usage of protectors depending on the injuries, the following applies;

        5. Only the official physician is authorized to tape the injured area, once the mach starts.

        Caution, warning or point reduction may be given if a fighter does not follow the instruction of the judges.”

        Also, Article 26.2 “Treatment of Injured Fighters” might apply in this situation, but it I don’t see any penalization linked to this particular sub-article. And article 21 “Use of Tapes and Bandages” only provides for a caution, warning or point deduction as well.

  7. Jonathan says:

    Does that stuff from Japan look eerily similar to that movie that Dream Stage Entertainment made a few year back that had Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson and Sakuraba Kazushi in it.

    That “ring” is the love child of the UFC Octagon and the YAMMA Pit.

    • Tiger Mask always hated Vale Tudo style rules and whatnot – still, interesting to see him return with some weird revision. Looks like Ashihara Karate competition meets K-1 Sumo to me.

  8. bluerosekiller says:

    45 huddle,

    “Books are a thing of the past”?

    Seriously?!!

    Obviously, you have a right to your own opinion my friend, but that statement is just a bit “out there” don’t you think?

    Sure, you’re spot on in a lot of respects with regards to information & data etc.. I mean, look no further than myself. As a lifelong rabid fight fan, I used to keep THE RING RECORD BOOKs & later, Fightfax’s BOXING RECORD BOOKs on hand at all times. But, I haven’t cracked one open in years now.

    However, I don’t know about you, but one can’t be online at all times. And I personally probably spend a LOT more time online than I should ( just ask my wife ), but there’s still a fair amount of time that I just want to kick back with a good book in hand.

    Unfortunately, I’m not quite the voracious reader that I was a decade or so ago ( at least of bound printed matter ), but I still make time for it. And, not just for fiction.

    So, I believe there’s still plenty of room for a book like the one in discussion here on the bookshelves.

    Peace.

    Jim

    • Books *are* dying. Reading isn’t.

      Once everyone has a tablet-style computer of some sort (maybe not an iPad, but a similar device) people will just bring their library of books and graphic novels with them wherever they go.

    • 45 Huddle says:

      Wikipedia has replaced the Encyclopedia. Dictionary.com has replaced the paper version. Sports fans use to buy books to research their players or for fantasy leagues. It’s all done online now.

      People still love to consume content. They just do it online instead and expect to be able to search for the information instead of lookin through a book.

  9. mr. roadblock says:

    I’ve said for months that UFC should just release Fitch. No one wants to see him fight GSP again. Let him go to Strikeforce and ruin the only interesting division they have.

    • Last night I had insomnia so I put on a Jon Fitch fight.

      I was unconscious before Big John McCarthy yelled “Let’s get it on!’

    • david m says:

      Actually I think GSP-Fitch 1 was a great fight and I assume their second fight would be awesome too. I think Fitch vs Shields would be good too; when Fitch can’t LnP his way to victory, he is actually a compelling guy to watch, paradoxically. Against GSP he got absolutely assaulted, but showed a great deal of heart and moxie. Against Shields he would be the better striker and the worse grappler; who knows how that fight would go..I would also like to see Fitch vs Koscheck.

  10. David M says:

    Florian vs Dunham should be really good; I don’t think Kenny can win that, but I also thought it would be physically impossible for someone to think Sherk beat Dunham, and yet 2 of 3 judges in fact thought that.

    In re: Fitch, I don’t really blame Dana for keeping him away from the belt; he is the only guy I’ve ever seen who makes the audience groan for the entire duration of his fights. I would like to see him at 185 actually; I have no idea how well he would do but it would probably be more compelling that his fights at 170.

  11. Nepal says:

    I like your idea, get rid of Fitch, make him the new boring Strikeforce champ after he easily 50-45’s Diaz.

    Sadly it’s not practical tho, the internet warriors would eat Dana up for shitcanning a top fighter… no matter how decision oriented he is.

  12. bluerosekiller says:

    ComicBookGrrl,
    Not you too.
    ESPECIALLY with a monicker like yours!
    You’re REALLY in that much of a hurry to let go of paper & ink products?
    Even comics?!!

    I collect too & I cannot imagine giving up on my “physical” comics in favor of those existing in the electronic ether somewhere…
    I realize that the future is the future & that what you & 45 huddle are saying is, for the most part, inevitable. But, at 49, I’m just too set in my ways to ever go completely electronic. I just can’t imagine doing so.
    ESPECIALLY with regards to fiction.
    I don’t “do” fiction online.
    Besides, I’m a bibliophile at heart.
    I can’t imagine living without the tactile sensation of a book in hand or even the smell of books.

    Peace.

    Jim

    • Jonathan says:

      Jim…JIM! Run INTO the light…not away from it. It’s not too late, it’s never too late. Join us. download a program called Comic Book Reader and find out how to download comic torrents and you’ll never have to pay for a comic book ever again!

  13. The Gaijin says:

    Hmm…apparently Brock Lesnar has asked for his next fight to be against Roy Nelson rather than Mir III. I’ll say that I’m 110% more interested in seeing this fight than I am Mir-Lesnar III, but we’ll see if they’re willing to give up the potential business they could do in favour of Big Country vs. Brock.

    I think they could still market the fight pretty well anyways – I would kill to see Nelson on a countdown show training in his basement while Lesnar has his private mercenaries in his compound.

    • edub says:

      You gotta wonder if Brock will change around his camp at all for his next fight. Do like Koscheck did after the Fickett fight, and train nothing but stand up for 6 months.

      I like the fight. Let this fight happen, and have Mir fight someone like Mike Russow. If they both win than I’m cool with a third fight. If it doesn’t happen than who cares if it woulda sold well.

      • bluerosekiller says:

        Wow, given Big Country’s one shot fight ending power, I’m surprised that Lesner & his brain trust would go there after being KTFO like he just was.
        Are they making a huge mistake in their quest to prove something?
        I think so.
        I believe Nelson has the potential to end Lesner’s MMA career or at least SERIOUSLY derail it.

        • 45 Huddle says:

          And I thought Nelson was the PERFECT opponent for Lesnar to come back against. High ranking enough. Not a huge threat but a win over him still means something.

  14. david m says:

    If Roy Nelson beats Brock, the latter would have to retire, just from embarrassment in comparing their physiques/relative athleticism.

    • bluerosekiller says:

      Not to be too cliche, but if physiques proved one’s fighting prowess, then every champ would be a bodybuilder.

      • David M says:

        Most bodybuilders aren’t athletic freaks of nature with incredible speed; they are just roided up monsters. Lesnar has absolute top-end athleticism in any way you measure it; the difference in physiques is just the icing on the cake. Roy is obviously a much more skilled fighter and can actually bang; I wouldn’t be shocked if he beats Brawk.

  15. BTW, why is Brock calling out a fat gatekeeper and getting cheered for it? Shouldn’t he be angling for a rematch with the champ or trying to fight the top contender?

    • Isaiah says:

      After the kind of loss he had, he wouldn’t be a credible challenger in a rematch with Cain. JDS is getting the next title shot so he’s not available. Carwin’s going to be out a while, looks like. Nelson is the next best fighter in the UFC. So I think Brock does deserve some credit for trying to get that fight, though it would have been nice if Nelson got to build himself up with a win over Mir or Kongo first.

      • He could at least make a better public face. “I want the guy who got in a slugfest with Ben Rothwell and lost” is ostensibly what he is saying.

        (also, as much as I love Roy Nelson, dude is not the 5th best heavyweight in the UFC. His big wins are Shitty Schilt, Schaub, Scherner, and Jaoude. Lots of mediocrity starting with Sch and one old Brazilian wrestler.)

        • Isaiah says:

          Who is the fifth-best UFC HW if it’s not Roy? Seriously, the roster is pretty thin. Mir is the next biggest name, but he’s not a better fighter than Nelson, and I can’t even think of another candidate.

        • I’d rank Mir above him. My gut instinct is to rank him above Rothwell, but then I think back to Rothwell’s most recent losses – Cain Velasquez is hardly a bad loss right now, is it? How about Arlovski? you can argue that Nelson has grown as a fighter since that first meeting, but how? Horizontally?

    • The Gaijin says:

      Because most of the acolytes have already moved past their fanatical hero worship of him as the unstoppable force and now are onto Cain.

      Others recognize that he’s a fighter with tons of raw skill and athletic ability but a ton of holes in his game that need to be fixed. I have say one thing, if someone like EXC or Showtime had him, they would have been putting him against only mid-tier fighters at best to protect him, which funny enough, probably would have allowed him to round out his game much better and develop better in the long run.

      I think it would be terrible management on the UFC’s part to put him against a top 5 guy after his last two fights and even worse management by his own team to agree to that fight. I mean, is him not taking a fight with Mir better or worse?

      • Mir is the indisputably better competitor with far better wins. Yeah, its a 3rd fight we probably don’t need, but it means much more than Nelson, who is not top ten or top 15.

        • The Gaijin says:

          Agreed Mir is the better opponent rankings-wise, etc. But I think we’re all pretty aware that monsters like Lesnar and Carwin are going to be his kryptonite and there’s little mystery (though no guarantee) in the outcome. Given the fact that Mir looked like total garbage against a freaking shell of a fighter in Cro Cop, I’m not sure what this would do for Lesnar (other than provide him another scalp of a highly ranked fighter that imo was so highly ranked because he beat Lesnar in the first place).

        • Is there really mystery in the outcome of Nelson/Lesnar? Nelson has a good chin but isn’t as strong as Lesnar, as big as Lesnar, as decorated a wrestler as Lesnar – He basically has nothing for Lesnar unless Lesnar freaks out against him, panics, and then gasses in 5 minutes.

        • The Gaijin says:

          Isn’t it clear? Brock Lesnar is a bully and a front runner…he only wants to bulldoze the fat kid to get all his baddest man on the planet cred back.

          I still can’t believe people had the urge to call a guy who makes Bob Sapp look like George Chuvalo (re. composure when getting hit) the “baddest man on the planet”.

        • Isaiah says:

          OK, so you do think Mir is better. Even so, you’d have to admit that the margin is very small, and Brock’s already smashed Mir, and nothing has happened since to make anyone expect a different outcome. Mir got destroyed yet again by Carwin and looked horrible against CroCop.

        • Nelson might beat Cro-Cop too – who might not at this point is the better question with him – but Mir is still the higher ranked fighter. Still the better fighting in pretty much every respect. Nelson has never beaten anyone at Mir’s level. Hell, is there honestly a good reason to rank him ahead of Ben Rothwell or Kongo?

        • Isaiah says:

          Oh, sure. Mir is the higher-ranked fighter, for what that’s worth. But is he better? He’s a better “technical boxer,” but I think Nelson KOs him standing, and Nelson’s BJJ game is more versatile and more effective against a lot of opponents. Nelson has better stamina, a better chin, and is a much smarter fighter.

          I mean, let me back off a second–I don’t think Nelson is a world-beater, but there are three really good HWs in the UFC, plus another very dangerous guy, and then there isn’t much after it. Nelson and Mir are probably the best of what’s left, with Roy slightly ahead for my money, and for Brock to pursue Nelson isn’t something we should be praising exactly, but it shows that he knows what’s going on in the division (Cain is clearly above him and JDS is tied up, Carwin is injured) and he wants the best realistic competition he can get.

        • I don’t see Nelson’s game as being more versatile at all. Nelson has no bottom game whatsoever. He’s a top control grappler who’s real base is wrestling before BJJ. His submission victories are indicative of that style too – hammerlock, RNC (probably after mounting and beating a guy into turning over), arm triangle. I think he’s even said that he’s more comfortable in side control than mount – how many guys looking to finish with subs that aren’t kimuras say that?

          Brock should be demanding the best available competition. I see people arguing that Noguiera (who should be ranked ahead of Nelson) and Carwin are hurt, but Lesnar himself is on a 6 month suspension and probably won’t be sparring for a couple of months until his cuts heal. Besides, if Cain Velasquez tweaks a knee in camp, Lesnar/JDS would be a great PPV headliner as a #1 contender fight. Its not like the UFC Heavyweight Title doesn’t have a history of misfortune revolving around its champs: Mir’s bike crash, Sylvia popping for roids, Randleman falling down, Couture trying to cut free from his contract, Lesnar getting a tummyache, etc.

        • Isaiah says:

          Mir’s ground game is basically: “wait for a sub opportunity and then viciously seize it.” It works occasionally, but not against someone who knows what to expect. So Nelson’s game isn’t versatile when compared to, say, Werdum, but it is more versatile than Mir’s. I think our disagreement is much more on Mir than it is on Nelson. I just don’t see Mir as any kind of top fighter. He might be “ranked” higher, but I think Nelson beats him 7 times out of 10.

          And that gets to the other disagreement. IMO, Brock IS demanding the best available competition. If the meaning of “available” changes at some point, sure, it would be nice if Brock demanded that. But for now, sad as it may be, Roy is the best competition available to Brock.

        • Mir’s career arch is a pain in the ass to compare to Nelson because Nelson has been consistently fighting the same level of opposition and been consistent in his approach whereas Mir fights elite guys, novices, scrubs, and occasionally middle of the road fighters and the approach ends up being wildly different more often than not.

          When we say that he’s asking for the best opposition, it comes with the caveat that he’s asking for the best opposition through a series of obstructions that may be less of an issue then MMA commenters are possibly aware of. Right now, Noguiera is supposed to be back in camp by the beginning of next month, as a point of example. Is Lesnar going to be ready to start a camp before that?

          I’ll repeat what I’ve said before and elsewhere – Bounceback fights are fine. Calling guys out for bounceback fights; weak sauce.

  16. bluerosekiller says:

    Not to be argumentative, but are we talking about the same Lesner that was gassed roughly half way through the first round of his last fight?

    But, to be fair, he did come back in the second round against Carwin. But, then again, Cain pushed the pace in an entirely different way than Carwin did. And, he outgrappled Lesner as well as outstruck him which obviously taxed him a lot more than laying on his back getting hit by Carwin did.

  17. klown says:

    Roy Nelson is not the 5th best heavyweight in the UFC. The most impressive fight of his entire career involves getting his ass kicked by Junior dos Santos. He’s also lost to Rothwell, Monson and Arlovski, and his best career wins are Struve and Shaub.

    I think a great opponent would have been Cheick Kongo.

    Lesnar-Mir isn’t off the table but I’m glad it’s not coming up next. It’s not a very exciting rematch considering their most recent respective showing, and it feels like UC 100 was only yesterday.

    If Lesnar and Mir win their next fights, I think the mood would swing in favor of doing the fight and it would now have the added legitimacy of being a serious #1 contender fight.

    • edub says:

      He lost to Rothwell about 3 1/2 years ago, and Rothwell hasn\’t looked good since. He was screwed against Monson, and Arlovski KOd him at pretty much the height of his career. Since then he won TUF by KOing a guy who looks like is somewhat of a decent prospect, and smashed Schilts brother in his next fight. He was just beat by the #1 contender in the UFC.

      Cheick Kongo beat Cro Cop about 3 1/2 years ago and has gone 4-3-1 since with his only wins coming against Buentello, Hardonk, Al-Turk, and Evenson. His Takedown defense is garbage, he\’s terrible off his back, and he throws more groin strikes than Keith Hackney. Why would Kongo be a better opponent?

      This is the UFC\’s top 6 HWs as of right now IMO:
      1. Cain
      2. Brock
      3. Carwin
      4. Dos Santos
      5. Mir
      6. Nelson

      The first three are tied up with a fight or surgery, and a Mir trilogy doesn\’t really appetize anybody right away. Nelson is the logical next choice.

      • edub says:

        Well I take that back, this is what the roster should have looked like:
        1. Cain
        2. Brock
        3. Carwin
        4. Dos Santos
        5. Mir
        6. Big Nog
        7. Nelson

        So maybe a Big Nog fight would be good, but Nelson is definately a solid choice too.

        • klown says:

          Kongo is the right balance between being tough and being beatable as an opponent for Lesnar right now. His last couple of fights haven’t been impressive, but his only recent losses are to the two fighters with wins over the ex-champ: Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez.

          Lesnar has since evened the score with Mir and of course the 3rd scap is inevitable, but he was dominated by Cain, while Kongo was devastated by Mir, but let’s recall how Kongo rocked Velasquez in that fight and took the current champ to the only decision of his career. I believe that was Cain’s most dangerous fight to date in terms of coming close to losing.

          This fight gives Lesnar the opportunity to beat an opponent who can be taken down and controlled or submitted. On the other hand, Brock gets faced with the challenge of fighting a dangerous strike and having to survive the stand-up without flinching like he has in his last 2 fights. That’s why I think it would have been an apt fight.

        • edub says:

          Maybe I’m not giving Kongo enough credit, but after his last two or three fights he just doesnt look like the same dangerous guy who dropped cain. I think Lesnar would smash right thru him.

      • Kongo’s wins match or beat Nelson’s best. Nelson is basically riding on the win over Struve. Same Struve that got bodied up in 20 seconds by JDS. Same Struve that nearly got bodied up in the first by Buentello and barely hung on to win a decision. Meanwhile, Nelson basically has no signature win over anyone who was ever top ten at any point.

        • edub says:

          I know Schaub wasn’t ranked high at all at the time, but doesn’t Nelson get some points for Smashing a guy who now looks like a pretty decent prospect?

        • I think he deserves to be ranked above him still because Schaub has yet to beat anyone as good as Nelson (IMO). But you can’t go giving Nelson too many points for a win he had before someone went on a roll. Honestly, Nelson should be fighting Schaub next, not Brock Lesnar. One of those fights is a lot more competitive than the other.

  18. bluerosekiller says:

    Um, you DID see Kongo’s last fight, right?

    Did you see anything during that contest that indicates that he’d be an intriguing opponent for Lesner?
    Sure, he’d have a remote puncher’s chance for MAYBE the first 10 seconds of each round, but other than that it’d just be a repeat of Brock’s Herring bout. W decision 3.

    Don’t get me wrong Alan, you’re actually spot on with your hypothetical matchmaking.
    If this were boxing that we were discussing.
    Were they boxers, Lesner – Kongo would be a perfect co-main event on HBO Championship Boxing or a main event on BAD.
    But, this is the UFC & Dana & co. supposedly don’t do these types of rebuilding “special featured attraction” matches. It’s all sink or swim.
    So, IMO Nelson is the best option.
    Make it happen next while keeping the Mir rubber match in their back pockets.
    That way, should Lesner manage to beat Big Country, the powers that be can make Mir III yet another title elimination fight with the winner getting the next available title shot. While on the other hand, Mir III is STILL a PPV quality main event attraction even if BOTH Lesner & Mir lose in the interim.
    And, again, I think that Nelson is a very dangerous match up for Lesner.
    And who knows who Mir faces next?
    He’s one of my fav fighters on the UFC roster, but his chin & ability to absorb punishment from his back is notoriously unreliable. So, honestly, he could lose to a lot of potential opponents.

    That’s my take on the sitch.

  19. I’ve seen as much of Nelson as anyone here, favored him to win TUF 10 going away and think he’s a better fighter than often given credit for. Well, until now. Now he’s being made out to be a serious heavyweight contender in the UFC. and the pulverizing he got from JDS should have been the newsflash that he was not to those not already aware.

    Kongo’s superior standup game is something that he’s better at than Lesnar. Nelson is a good fighter, but he isn’t better at anything than Brock Lesnar.

    • Isaiah says:

      If you’re talking about me, I don’t see him as a serious contender in the UFC. I just also don’t see Mir as a serious contender. Or anyone else other than JDS, Carwin or Brock.

      • edub says:

        This is something that I whole-heartedly agree with. I think JDS, Cain, Carwin, and Brock (at the moment anyway) are on an entirely different level than the rest of the divsion. Nelson could very well be top 5 (I personally have him at 7 now considering Big Nog), but that doesnt mean I feel he’d be a threat to any of the big names.

        Alan: Kongo definately has stand up on Brock, but so do Antoni Haronk and Pat Barry. What good is a fight against a guy with below average takedown defense, and a terrible bottom game gonna do for brock? Nelson might actually be able to stuff a few takedowns…

      • Kongo offers size also – something Pat Barry doesn’t. Kongo also has a win over Hardonk. Ultimately you’re asking me who I think is the better pick between two guys who I don’t think can stop Lesnar’s takedown. If that’s the case, I want the guy who has the better chance of winning on his feet. That’s Kongo.

    • klown says:

      Some people need to re-watch Velasquez vs Kongo.

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