Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Predictions for UFC Fight Night 19: "Nate Diaz vs. Easy Submission Win To Salvage His Career"
UFC Fight Night 19 is nearly upon us, and the show - titled "Nate Diaz vs. Easy Submission Win To Salvage His Career" - will feature TUF 5 winner Diaz against Melvin Guillard, a veritable grappling dummy that loves to throw big punches and do mountains of cocaine. The SpikeTV-broadcast event will serve as a lead-in for the eagerly anticipated TUF 10 debut episode, and if UFC Fight Night 19's card is of any indication, the network's executives really don't give a crap who is fighting on their channel, only that someone is. So... predictions!
- In the Nate Quarry vs. Tim Credeur bout, the two elder statesmen will fight. Or maybe sit around and talk about the good old days while calling the younger fighters on the card whippersnappers. Then they'll leave to catch the early bird special at the buffet, and go to bed around 7pm.
- Carlos Condit will defeat Jake Ellenberger. Afterwards, he'll go home, root around in his closet, pull out the WEC championship belt he threw there in shame after his last UFC bout, dust it off, and put it back in its display case on the wall in his living room.
- Gray Maynard is going to dry-hump Roger Huerta so vigorously, Huerta is going to show up at Xtreme Couture in nine months with a baby in his arms and say to Maynard, "Gray, you're a daddy. Let's make this work for his sake."
- It really doesn't matter who wins between Diaz and Guillard. What does matter is the ungodly amounts of weed and blow that will be found at their afterparty.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Why Can't This Man Get A Pro Fight?
Maybe it's because he's a veteran of New York's underground fight scene, or maybe it's because he's considered a vale tudo badass, but James Funaro, a 175-pound warrior with a 7-3 record, is having a hard time securing his first pro fight. And that's insane. Funaro - a product of Vamos BJJ and BoxFit - is a finisher, capable of ending things on the ground or on the feet, and when he has to he can wage war until the final bell. What more could you want from someone who always seems to have a decent-sized cheering section rooting him on? Thus far Funaro has had zero luck getting through to local matchmakers. As ROC promoter Lou Neglia banned those who continue to fight in underground events from competing in his organization, Funaro hasn't fought since January (when the rule came down) lest he sink his pro career before it even starts. Meanwhile, an opponent he defeated in an unsanctioned show has fought twice now in Atlantic City, and Funaro's goal of getting paid to do what he loves remains unrealized. Why can't this man get a fight?
ROC 26 Postscript
- Ricardo Romero needs a step up in competition, as he is no longer being tested by those he faces. Seriously, it's like a man fighting a boy.
- Victor O'Donnell vs. Costa Phillippou was super-close and could've gone either way. I hope this isn't the last we see of O'Donnell.
- Props to Rob Wince for stepping in and facing Gian Villante. Big props to Wince for his willingness to throw down.
- Chris Schlesinger's still got it.
- Kudos to the New Jersey amateur circuit for making Liam Kerrigan into a monster for his first pro fight.
- Louis Gaudinot is a beast. Also impressive was Jackson Galka, who, despite losing, showed some sharp Muay Thai.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Long Island Underground Fight Show Postscript
Great show, very action-packed and the main event - which saw two very talented fighters throw down - delivered. Congrats to Rashad Clarke of the Brooklyn Fight Factory for his win via TKO, a ref stoppage due to cut against a quality opponent. Both men will be back.
Liveblog: Long Island Underground Show
MMA Journalist has journeyed out to Long Island for an underground show tonight, a show which has asked to remain as anonymous as possible. Consequently, details will remain sparse, suffice to say that there are ten MMA bouts on the card and the skill-level promises to be somewhat high based on the camps where these fighters are hailing from. About a hundred spectators have showed up, and the man on the microphone has informed us that a portion of the proceeds are going to a cancer charity. That's about all I can say. So... Booyah.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Liveblog: ROC 26 Part 7
The ROC lightweight belt is at stake now with champ Chris Liguori of Team Ricardo Almeida defending his title against Team Combat's Dwayne Shelton. Liguori opens by taking Shelton down and trying to improve position, and Shelton slows him down with a kimura. Scramble, scramble, scramble and one of the judges cries out in dismay at the prospect of having to score this round. In the second round Liguori masterfully escapes two close armbar attempts to edge ahead with his ground and pound, and though in the final round Shelton comes out ahead in the scrambles, it's not enough to sway the judges. Liguori keeps his belt with the unanimous decision. Last bout of the evening and it's Advanced Martial Art's Ricardo Romero against Motor City Boxing's Richie Lictawa for the USKBA heavyweight title. Round 1 is all Romero, as he takes Lictawa down and feeds him a barrage of leather artillery from the mount. Miraculously, Lictawa makes it to Round 2, but he still cannot stop Romero from taking him down, and the Advanced Martial Arts fighter nearly rips off his arm with a kimura at 2:14 of the second round. That's all she wrote.
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