« UFC 107 (12/12 Memphis at FedEx Forum) | Home | Looking ahead to 2010 »
Bouts on UFC’s Australia debut card
By Zach Arnold | December 15, 2009
Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. 16,500 tickets claimed sold.
- Heavyweights (up to 265 pounds): Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
- Middleweights (185 pounds): Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping
- Lightweights (155 pounds): Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos
- Light Heavyweights (205 pounds): Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader
- Heavyweights (up to 265 pounds): “Teak-tough” Ben Rothwell vs. Mirko Cro Cop
- Light Heavyweights (205 pounds): Elvis Sinosic vs. Chris Haseman
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 27 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Teak-tough?
Wanderlei bandwagoning aside, I am actually looking forward to this card. Although I could live without Haseman-Sinosic and I’m not really sure how excited I am for Jardine-Bader. If memory serves me correctly, I think given the pattern of Jardine’s UFC tenure he’s due to take out Bader and stunt his rise up the LHW ranks.
Should be a great show. Having an electric crowd will only add to it all.
The Pride guys seem to put asses in seats.
I think anyone would put asses in the seats at the premiere show for the UFC, but it couldn’t hurt to have guys that were already huge mma stars over in that area of the world.
Really looking forward to this card. Typically I prefer a title main event for a PPV, but Nogueira/Velasquez is a fight that I think will be really really good.
I’m skipping purchasing UFC 108. I don’t see any way that is worthy of $45. I’m on the rope about UFC 109 due to the crappy main event but solid undercard. UFC 110 is a definite buy.
Jardine/Bader is okay fluff.
I think people like jardine well enough and Bader is about his level. Well around his midpoint average at least. 🙂
And obviously Sinosic has to be on there for obvious reasons. Hopefully they gave him a good shlub for the Aussies enjoyment.
Thats actually a decent looking card even though I think its way too early to throw Cain at Nog.
I like Cain – Nog, it’s pretty close to a “title” fight (if you will) the way the division is sitting right now.
And frankly I like the meme of old star and wily vet in the twilight of his career taking on the new “hw stud” and rising star. We’ll see if Nog pulls a few tricks out of his bag on the young guy or if the new blood/new era of heavyweight is just too much for him.
@robthom – yeah I’ve got nothing against Jardine-Bader (or Elvis-Haseman), it’s right about where Bader needs to be fighting and Jardine is a great litmus test. I just can’t get myself super excited for the fight for one reason or another.
Elvis-Haseman is what it is…and I don’t see either of them having anything to do with the UFC after this fight anyways.
Awesome looking event.
Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping should be a great slugfest. Looking forward to this one!
Rothwell is a bloated punching bag. If CroCop can’t do some serious damage to this guy, it’s time for him to retire. Even if he wins, CroCop should go out on a good note and hang up his gloves…his heart just isn’t in it anymore.
If Nogueira is 100% I can’t wait to see him vs. Velasquez, but like CroCop, he might be on his final few fights. Velasquez is finally getting an opponent with a ground game (!), so this should be interesting.
George Sotiropoulos is stepping up in competition in a big way vs. Stevenson…I think that, and the added pressure of a hometown crowd, will result in a brutal g’n’p loss.
If Keith Jardine suffers yet another brutal KO loss, he might be a vegetable. I can see Bader struggling on his feet, but if he grounds Jardine I think he’ll KO him while he’s flat on his back.
Who is Chris Haseman?
is mirko “eyepoker” cropcop still fighting ?
If CroCop is the ‘eye poker’, what does that make Josh Koscehck? The ‘eye annihilator’?
Chuck Liddell is obviously the undisputed King…I think it would take a special athlete to take the Eye Poke Title away from him.
@ Gaijin,
Nog/Cain is definitely an interesting fight. I just think that I would have played those cards a little differently.
I would have let Nog closer to the title faster and held Cain back a little longer.
I dont really think Nog is on his last legs.
Sure he’s eaten some punches, but he’s not that old. And aside from his awful showing against Mir due to the staph, and his adjustment period to the cage against herring I think that he has looked pretty good.
I’d bet on Nog against Mir in a rematch, and also against Lesnar.
But I cant really say if one of the new guys might be the next thing yet.
So even if Cain takes a beating, at least he’ll pop that cherry and we’ll get a better idea of where he fits into the scheme of things.
Ultimo;
Chris Haseman is an Australian fighter who has been fighting since 1996, and he never fought in either UFC or PRIDE, but he had a very long tenure in RINGS.
The Haseman/Sinosic fight is actually a rematch from 1997. Haseman won the first time around, and he will win the second time around. My opinion on this fight still stands. It makes me puke a little in my mouth. It’s a solid card otherwise.
Nogueira isn’t getting a title shot because Ed Soares has been playing games with the UFC. He tries to have way too much input on who his champions find “worthy” of fighting. With both Machida & Silva already champions, Nogueira is going to have the long path back to a title shot.
As for Big Nog…. He is shot. Just compare him to his brother. The speed and reflexes differences are vastly different. This is because Big Nog has a lot of wear and tear on his body, while Little Nog does not.
I was under the impression this was going to be a Spike TV card. They’re really charging 50 bucks for Nogueira vs. Velasquez, following the pu-pu platter that is UFC 108 and 109?
Brace yourselves for another Crocop fake retirement
If they can con people into buying Evans vs. T. Silva, they can surely con people into paying for this one.
The Evans vs. T. Silva for $45-$55 is a total joke. Obviously they can’t cancel the card or move it to Spike for various reasons (e.g. looks bad, ppv distributors would be pissed, Spike doesn’t want to dip into their budget already), but hopefully the fans give them a message loud and clear that they won’t pay for cards like these. That’s how they’ll get the word loud and clear to not try to get people to pay for anything that slaps the UFC name tag on it.
Haseman lost a decision to Tanner at UFC38 in London.
The UFC is obviously making the match because they’re local, they have a profile and both guys have always stepped up in the past.
“Haseman lost a decision to Tanner at UFC38 in London.”
Ah, I forgot about that. Thanks for pointing that out. That was Haseman’s one and only UFC bout.
Funny thing is, even though Lil Nog has a lot less wear and tear on his body, he still looks old as hell (just like twin brother Big Nog). That old man look must be genetic.
Apparently Lil Nog v Vera is off for 109. The undercard for that show is awesome though, so I’ll probably still watch it. I hope they substitute Jon Jones for lil Nog so that we never have to see Brandon “The Excuses” Vera fight again.
“Nogueira isn’t getting a title shot because Ed Soares has been playing games with the UFC.”
You don’t know a thing about the relationship with Soares and Zuffa. Go back into your cave.
“That old man look must be genetic.”
I’m pretty sure thats the deal. They’re 2 homely looking peas in a pod.
I used to be a huge fan of Brandon Vera’s, but my frustration with him has just about reached it’s limits.
Yeah, he certainly did get ripped off against Couture in the UK a few weeks ago, but IMO he pretty much allowed it to happen by not taking the two or three opportunities he had to put Randy away. His tentativeness & indecision cost him the fight.
Jon Jones?
Vera’s advanced skills in stand up & BJJ SHOULD favor him when coupled with his edge in experience, But I don’t expect them to come fight night. I expect Jones hunger, aggression & athleticism to prevail. Probably resulting in tHe end of Vera’s run in the UFC.
I just hope the hullaballo over that elbow doesn’t cause Jones to overcompensate and become gun shy.
That would be a loss.
He needs to retain his style but just learn how to keep it from jumping the fence so to speak.