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Thoughts on UFC 8/1 San Diego Sports Arena on Versus show
By Zach Arnold | August 1, 2010
Dark matches
- Middleweights: Rob Kimmons vs. Steve Steinbeiss
- Lightweights: Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira
- Lightweights: Thiago Tavares vs. Willamy Freire
- Middleweights: Brian Stann vs. Mike Massenzio
- Light Heavyweights: James Irvin vs. Igor Pokrajac
- Welterweights: DaMarques Johnson vs. Matt Riddle
- Lightweights: Paul Kelly vs. Jacob Volkmann
Main card
- Lightweights: Tyson Griffin vs. Takanori Gomi
- Welterweights: John Howard vs. Jake Ellenberger
- Middleweights: Mark Munoz vs. Yushin Okami
- Light Heavyweights: Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
—
If you’re wondering who the judge that scored the Yushin Okami/Mark Munoz fight 29-28 in favor of Munoz, it was Cecil Peoples. Even more appalling is this guy’s attitude to everyone. I can’t believe that Frank Mir is trying to defend Peoples on Versus now.
Was that about 8 elbows in 3 seconds by Jon Jones to the head to Vladimir Matyushenko? I concur with Alan Conceicao that a fight against Thiago Silva would be excellent.
I completely am a huge fan of the split-screen commercial format that Versus played around with on tonight’s telecast. Excellent format.
People will rip into Yushin Okami for his ‘boring’ performance, but he fought exactly the right kind of fight. I’m glad that Mark Munoz won’t have to face his buddy Anderson Silva, aren’t you?
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 37 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Is there a main event missing?
Wow, they’re playing with fire by putting Griffin, Okami AND Matyushenko on television. This could lead to a card nearly as unbearable to watch as Strikeforce’s last CBS show. And it’s interesting they put only 3 headline fights on the last Versus special that were guaranteed stoppages but added an extra one to a show that could have all fights going the distance. If they were smart they’d swap the Okami fight with something on the undercard that won’t make fans change the channel.
Griffin might not be a finisher, but his fights are always barn burners. There is no risk in putting him on TV. He’ll probably go to a decision, but the fight won’t be boring.
Okami does have a history of being boring, but that was mostly because he muscled guys around and positionally dominated them. He’s not going to be able to do that to a wrestler the caliber of Mark Munoz. Joe Silva set this fight up to force Yushin to continue to use his boxing, which looked outstanding in his last fight.
The Janitor can also be boring, but if Jon Jones is as good as everyone seems to think he is, the Janitor is going to have trouble imposing his will.
Griffin isn’t going to stand and bang with Gomi. He’s smart enough to know that is suicide since he has arms the length of the average cast member of Pit Boss, so it’s going to be a wrestling clinic for three rounds. I don’t call those barn burners, but I guess if you’re really into top control and elbows it would be entertaining.
He put on wrestling clinics with Frankie Edgar and Clay Guida and those were both in the running for fight of the year. Tyson Griffin is never in a boring fight. That fight will be exciting, regardless of whether it is a stand & Wang affair or a wrestling match.
Tyson Griffin by 2nd rd. TKO(Where we probably see the end of The Fireball kid as a relevant fighter, although he might not be one anymore anyway)
John Howard by Dec.
Yushin Okami by 2nd rd. Sub
Jon Jones by Beatdown 1st rd.
For all his faults at this point in his career, Gomi still has a cinder block skull. I don’t see Griffin beating him via TKO. Decision or submission are far more likely outcomes IMO.
Oh I don’t think it’ll be a clear KO, but I think it’ll just be a steady stream of punches from the top that Gomi will just be too gassed to handle…
Very solid free card.
I live 10 mins from the venue and can’t decide whether to go or not.
If you’ve never been to a UFC before, definitely go. The shows are really something special to see live.
If you’ve been before, and it’s a money issue then that’s up to you. Times are tough for a lot of people.
How much are tickets? Is it sold out? If you can give a scalper $50 for a decent seat (always memorize the spots you want to be on the seating chart before dealing with scalpers) then definitely go for it.
The only big show I ever watched was ~90 minutes away. Completely worth it imo, and that was a WEC show, so I can only imagine what a UFC event is like. The crazy part is walking through a giant crowd, and almost every one of them is a big fan. You catch 500 snippets of MMA-related conversations as you walk to get a beer. It’s a really cool atmosphere.
I’ve been to over 10 UFCs and went to WEC in that same arena.
what does it cost to go?
This is a perfect free TV card. Love it. UFC should do one of these per month and 8 PPV/year.
100% agree. Even if the main event is “boring”, it’ll be interesting to see if Jones can take advantage of V-Mat’s gas tank in later rounds.
Pretty good card.
Shame to see Vlad get beat up for no good reason but I suppose thats a risk of the sport.
Munoz didn’t look too good.
But I’m glad that I know that now.
🙂
Truth be told, Yushin didn’t look all that great beating him up either.
BTW: Who scored the fight for Munoz?
Good to see fireball back on his hobby horse.
I knew doomsday was somewhat one dimensional, but Ellenburger looked real good taking advantage anyway.
He even hung with and probably beat Doomsday at his strength.
I plan to keep an eye on Ellenburger.
Speaking of eye’s good stoppage IMO.
Its not worth losing an eye just to impress Dana.
Herb was being kind of obnoxious during the Doomsday fight IMO.
He kept threatening to stand them up after being on the ground for 10-15 seconds. It seemed like he did it at least 2-3 times in the late second and third.
He’s usually pretty good, my favorite ref.
It seemed out of character.
Thiago’s a good next fight for Jones. I really want a fight with a top 5 guy next. However, looking at the situation, the top guys are all busy (Machida vs Rampage, Evans waiting for Shogun).
I’m thinking he can take on T. Silva and get the winner of Machida vs Rampage for the next title shot. The timing will work out so the second fight will be right around the same time that Evans finally takes on Shogun.
I expect him to destroy T. Silva though. Considering how easily Machida tripped him, I expect Jones to get him down rather easily and rain down his unholy ground and pound. Those long limbs really let him open up his elbows and get power out of them.
I guess Griffin would be a viable guy as well, but he’s still hanging around the top level so I don’t know if they’d want to rush Jones in against him (or even Nogueira, if he gets by Bader). Probably the smartest match up that can be booked given the circumstances right now.
I still think he’d need to beat Griffin or the Nogueira/Bader winner to qualify for a #1 contendership bout (assuming he’d get by Silva), but that’s just my opinion.
He’s already had 6 fights in the UFC. You want him to have 2 more before he’s even gets a #1 contender fight? That’s a slower route to the title than Jon Fitch had, and Jon Fitch was eeking out boring decisions while Jones is destroying people and making it look easy.
Personally I’d have him fight a top 5 guy for a #1 contender fight right now, but they’re all busy.
If you want to put Jones in against Griffin and then have the winner of that vs. the winner of Bader/Little Nog for a #1 contendership, that wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.
Why Tyson looks so sad? Maybe with this win he can get the tittleshot? Or maybe UFC can take him back to WEC? Or another loose and finale UFC can take him out? But, again Tyson looks so SAD.
Gomi win is ok, but is Tyson mistake, he prefer exchange than do what he knows, wrestling.
Okami, great like always.
And Jones is just a monster. Just know, he is one of the fearest LHW on UFC.
Is an Ok UFC event for free on sunday.
And…… wel this mean’s Japan MMA is not over…. ¿right?
Jones does not have any more opponents in LHW. “Longer Kevin Randleman” should not have any weakness. Go to HW division.
Okami does not have any more opponents who want to fight him. He was born to bore everybody.
how does Jones have not more opponents at LHW? Machida and Shogun would be perfect matches for him. So would Bader if he can make it past Nog. Plus you always have Jones there is Anderson wants to come up from MW like he has been.
Shogun/Machida/Anderson will not stand a chance against Jones. Power/Tech/Speed/Heart Jones got it all.
We used to say “If Kevin Randleman was taller and longer, he would not have any weakness”. Now we have 2 “extended Kevin Randleman” in MMA. One is Alister Ovreem. The other is Jon Jones. Alister and Jones are the best MMA fighters today. There’s no doubt to it.
I think bader would be the only guy in your list who might last full 3 rounds with Jones. 30-26. Thanks.
Why is Randleman like Overeem?
“Why is Randleman like Overeem?”
Steroid allegations? They’re black? I have no idea…
Oh man. That Gomi KO was so perfect. Griffin’s total denial of what happened only made it even better.
Griffin may have made the dumbest decision of the year to not just take Gomi down when A) He knows he has babyarms and B) MMA 101 says “to beat a Japanese fighter not named Okami, just outwrestle him.” My only guess was that he was looking for bonus money to fight a fight that dumb.
Peoples needs a lifetime banning. That he’s continued to be given work is proof alone of how awful AC’s are.
Good for Jon Jones. I was really thinking Matyushenko could possibly expose him, but that was pure domination. But I’m still not ready to say he can beat the top-tier at 205 (Evans, Machida, Shogun.) He’d probably beat Rampage and Forrest, but I think that’s where he stalls.
Jones reminds me of young GSP, before he was told that mma would now be fought under amateur wrestling rules and scoring.
I hate the idea of giving him Thiago Silva. If Rashad Evans can get him down whenever he wants how does he stop Jones from getting on top, and beat him into mush. IMO he should take on the winner of Bader/Lil Nog or one of the top 5 IE: Griffin, Jackson, Machida, Rashad, Champ.
All of them are busy for the next few months except Griffin, and I like Griffin too much to throw him to the dogs. Besides, if Forrest is #5, T. Silva is arguably #6 right now. (An aside, I think those two would be a great fight if neither gets Jones next)
Bader/Lil Nog is a step down in competition. Lil Nog looked terrible against Brilz and hasn’t beat a top 10 fighter in forever, and Bader is still very much a prospect. I’d put both of them at about the same level as Hammill or Vera.
The thing is though if Bader wins against Lil Nog they should both be around the same ranking status. Bader’s last three wins would’ve been Eric Schafer, Keith Jardine, and Lil Nog. While Jones’s “wins” would’ve been against Matt Hamill, Brandon Vera, and Vladimir Matyushenko. Right now I believer anything below top 5 is not a far enough step up in competition for Bones, but as you pointed out those guys are all busy. I really don’t wanna see griffin get slaughtered either, but Bones needs a name, and Forrest Griffin fits that mold perfectly.
Also I completely disagree with the assesment that Jones needs to be in there with a “striker” next. I would give Ryan Bader twice the chance fighting Bones that I would Thiago Silva.
Why would you put Thiago Silva above Little Nog or Ryan Bader? I guess Thiago Silva’s victories over Houston Alexander, Keith Jardine, Antonio Mendes and James Irvin makes him a top 6 in there Lightheavyweight division LOL!
Way to many average fighters that he has beaten. Lil Nog or Ryan Bader would not be a step down in competition if you rate Thiago Silva so High.
Made my day thanks! Very funny coment
I don’t know why they would waste Jon Jones’ next fight on Thiago Silva. Stupid. Thiago could actually beat him, and worse, has no name value. Put JJ against Franklin or Forrest or Chuck or Couture or James Toney. He needs to get the rub from beating a famous fighter.
Who is Rich Frankin fighting next? He’d be perfect for Jones.
Do you think he would provide an actual test for him though, besides just giving him a “name” opponent?