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UFC 77

By Zach Arnold | October 20, 2007

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All thoughts, spoilers, reviews, etc. goes here. Feel free to post thoughts about the show in the comments section.

Event results: MMA Weekly | Sherdog | MMA Junkie | UFC Mania | Yahoo Sports | Steve Cofield | F4W Online | Observer | The Canadian Press | The Sweet Science | CBS Sports | Dayton Daily News | Houston Chronicle | Long Beach Press-Telegram | Gregg Doyel

Second round of links: Cincinnati Enquirer | CE II | CE III | Dann Stupp | Washington Post | NBC Sports | Hamilton Journal-News | MMA HQ

Audio review: Fightlinker

Alex Marvez at Fox Sports says that Rich Franklin is considering a retirement from MMA. Marvez also says that Randy Couture has a press conference scheduled for Thursday in Las Vegas.

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

69 Responses to “UFC 77”

  1. Ivan Trembow says:

    well, he previously said that it was “stupid” for Dan Henderson to be fighting at 205 after he beat Wanderlei Silva, and just tonight in an interview with Kevin Iole he said that he wants to head-butt Dan Henderson every time he talks to him because he still wants to fight at 205.

  2. ilostmydog says:

    Do you whave a written list of all the things Dana has done to make you angry or do you just remember them off by heart?

  3. Michaelthebox says:

    Seriously Trembow, shut up. The UFC is getting all sorts of competition from other promotions who treat MMA as a spectacle, and you get on the UFC’s case for possibly not wanting to resign one of the dullest fighters in the sport? Get a clue.

  4. Ivan Trembow says:

    I get on anyone’s case who treats MMA in a way that makes it seem more like pro wrestling than a legitimate sport. EliteXC signing Kimbo and potentially using footage of his illegal street fights to promote him is a recent example of something that is disgraceful that I complained about at the time. I wasn’t aware that I’m not allowed to have opinions, I’ll try to keep that in mind in the future. 🙂

  5. I just read some “mainstream press”, some calling this UFC disappointing and the main event as being disastrous for the UFC. Some journalists thought Silva’s performance was detrimental to the company. Hell maybe they’re right. Many fans went home disappointed.

    I call the main event, simply one of the greatest displays of martial arts fighting ever displayed. Anderson Silva may not speak english, but his fighting prowess certainly speaks for itself. That fight will go down as one of the greatest performances in UFC history.

  6. Zach Arnold says:

    I get on anyone’s case who treats MMA in a way that makes it seem more like pro wrestling than a legitimate sport.

    I don’t know how you tolerate me, then.

  7. lynchman says:

    Ivan,

    I have heard from a few different folks that K-1 is going to make Okami a large offer. My guess is that Okami has already turned down a deal from the UFC.

  8. jim allcorn says:

    You know, it never ceases to piss me off when the press and/or promoters lament the fact that a fighter doesn’t speak english. So the fuck what?!!

    I mean seriously, these individuals are paid to fight not to speak.

    Roberto Duran became a legend without speaking english. So did Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad & many, many others. So, if they can do that in boxing then Silva & others can certainly do so in MMA.

    If promoted right.

    So, Dana & the boys have to quit their worrying about these fighters not being able to “work the mike”. Once again, the UFC has to decide whether they want to run their business like a legitimate sport or like pro wrestling.

    And I say that without being a pro wrestling hater by any means. It’s always been a sort of guilty pleasure of mine & I enjoy the spectacle of a good work as much as some of “sports entertainments” biggest fans do. But, when the UFC ( or any other MMA organization in this hemisphere for that matter ) finds more value in an individual’s personality or “crossover appeal” than they do in what the fighter does in the cage, THEN I have a problem with it.

  9. mose says:

    Blocker, Lesnar ‘made his millions’ but doesn’t still have them. The court case with the WWF/WWE showed that he was near broke. He most definitely needs the payday.

  10. lol, never mind, the UFC went from talking about Okami vs. MacDonald as a potential #1 contender’s fight to now apparently considering the possibility of not even attempting to re-sign Okami (according to the Fox Sports article). I’m sure the NBA would like to do the same with the San Antonio Spurs. I guess that’s the difference between pro-wrestling-style promotion and real-sports-style promotion.

    Yeah, The LA Lakers would never try to get rid of Kobi Bryant. Damn, that guy’s so good. Everyone wants him on their team.

    ===

    I’m kind of surprised that Lesnar didn’t go to HEROs or the new Japanese MMA promotion. He’s fought in Japan as a wrestler before, and he would carry that wrestling value into Japan. They also seem to like to sign guys who are short on career more than UFC typically does. UFC pretty much plays it down the middle, with the exception of guys who were UFC developed. Or at least, they did until the last year or so when they started poaching pride guys.

  11. I’m with Jim on the language barrier.

    I think fans respond well to the demeanor and body language and excitement that a fighter projects, and Silva’s on the right side of that street.

    He got a lot of hate in Ohio because he was fighting a home town guy and former champ, but despite Franklin’s statements there at the end, I wasn’t hearing much in the way of boos after that fight (there presumably must have been some group over there yelling).

  12. Blocker says:

    Lesnar definately has money, what came out in the court case was overstating to make WWE look bad(or worse if thats possible). He owns property and invests heavily. He was getting well renumerated by New Japan as well as K-1, his track record though is to say he isn’t getting paid enough, he is well aware of his marquee value. Which will make his dealings with Dana White interesting, Lesnar is notoriously difficult to deal with as far as cash and contract but is also brutally honest if things are happening he does not like.

    I think the UFC is the best possible place for Lesnar and I am not surprised that he did not sign with a Japanese promotion. He HATES travel, thats why he left WWE and was only wrestling in Japan to sidetrack his WWE contract that had forbidden him signing with another pro wrestling promotion stateside for a ridiculous time limit, hence the court case, he had to make himself look poor to convince a judge that WWE was limiting his work opportunities. Now he can stay at home for most of the year,and fight competitively and get paid instead of travelling most of the year and wrestling every other night…its win/win for Brock Lesnar.

    Any idea who they might match him up with first up? I’m thinking a Brad Imes or a Ben Rothwell type.

  13. ilostmydog says:

    http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/3353408/

    Translation by miscmisc @ kakutougi.info

    Okami’s comment:

    “You probably saw both the good and bad aspects of my game in this fight, but I think I could push the pace more in stand up, which is a positive. MacDonald was physically big and mentally strong. Great fighter. I think with this win I earned a shot for the title. I fought many different fighters and had good results, but that doesn’t mean I can beat Anderson Silva. I can only learn how good I am when I actually fight him. Also, they gave me a nickname ‘Thunder’, and finally I feel like I’m a UFC fighter who belongs here. I’ve had six fights so far and gained a lot of experience. I want to go as far as I can in the UFC.”

  14. The Gaijin says:

    “Jeremy is correct. Lesnar is a ten times bigger draw then Fedor will ever be in the United States.”

    The same Brock Lesnar that drew monster PPV buys and a massive gate while co-headlining for Dynamite!! in CA??

  15. ilostmydog says:

    Meh. UFC brand recognition and market penetration will result in Lesnar being more of a draw there than at the horribly mismanaged gong show that was Dynamite USA.

    Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it though. 🙁

  16. The Gaijin says:

    Yeah, but following that logic Fedor would be on equal footing as a drawing fighter b/c it would be all based on the fact that the UFC has brand recognition and market penetration.

    The only difference would be that Fedor is actually a proven entity as an elite fighter (who has exciting fights) and the other is a former pro wrestler with a 1-0 record against an ultimate tomato can. Granted Lesnar speaks english, but as far as I recall Lesnar was never a good guy on the mike in pro wrestling or anything like that anyhow.

  17. Blocker says:

    Yea, but Lesnar can do a shooting star press off the top rope landing on his skull

  18. ilostmydog says:

    @ The Gaijin:

    I’d argue that a large majority of those buying PPVs in America would have no idea that Fedor is a proven entity as an elite fighter. Brock still has more face recognition to the average casual fan in America than Fedor. Although the penis tattooed on his chest may be a little off-putting to some. :p

  19. The Gaijin says:

    ^Good point…I’ll definitely give you that.

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