- It was an epic show, and with the attendance figures just above 11,000, it’s the biggest non-UFC event in New Jersey’s history. Cage Fury Fighting Championship 5, which featured Kimbo Slice vs. Ray Mercer and had an attendance of 7,300, ranks number two.
- The Internet and WiFi connection was awful. After attending some IFL events there and having had zero problems with getting online then, I have strong reason to believe Strikeforce was “jamming” us.
- K-Rod was robbed – as usual. The dude just cannot get a decision in the Garden State, no matter what.
- Igor Gracie looked smooth, Sam Oropeza continues to show promise, and John Cholish looked like a complete beast.
- The crowd loved Gina Carano. They also loved Andrei Arlovski. But damn, it approached outright “worship” when it came to Fedor.
- The crowd was also very knowledgeable when it came to action on the ground. There weren’t a lot of catcalls and booing from the usual malcontent demographic.
- Gian Villante may have gone down, but damn did he go down swinging.
- Same for Andrei Arlovski, although watching him fight now is like watching a fond friend walk into the lions’ cage at the zoo wearing a suit made out of Steak-Ums. You just know he’s going to get eaten, and though it’ll be fascinating, it still hurts to watch.
- Fedor took a serious beating and the stoppage was merited. And when the Russian stated that he was going to retire, there were chants of “Thank you, Fedor!” in the arena.
- At the post-fight presser, Scott Coker was having none of that retirement talk. None. And he was deadly serious about Fedor possibly coming back into the tournament as an alternate. Screw that. Fedor should only come in after Shane Del Rosario, Chad Griggs and Valentijn Overeem have been used up.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Silva" Postscript
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Liveblog: Strikeforce Part 5
Ready for a KO? Then hold onto your hats, 'cause here come Sergei Kharitonov and Andrei Arlovski, ready to die for you. Things go as you'd imagine: the two heavyweights slug it out, and though the ex-UFC champ has got some strong movement, Kharitonov just walks him down and blasts him. Arlovski ends up in a crumpled heap, unconscious at 2:49 of Round 1. Last bout and it's the one everyone's been waiting for, with the Last Emperor squaring off against Bigfoot. At Fedor's entrance, the crowd goes wild. The opening round sees the Russian throw a serious amount of leather at the Brazilian - and the Brazilian give it back in kind. The advantage goes to Fedor by virtue of the damage he delivers when on top. Round 2, however, is a complete reversal of fortune, as Bigfoot immediately gets his foe down and beats on him mercilessly. Fedor survives, but his eye is a swollen mess, and the doctors waive off the bout before the third round can begin. And that all, folks.
Liveblog: Strikeforce Part 4
Chad Griggs and Gian Villante make their way to the cage, and of course the local star gets a nice, loud pop from the crowd. Yikes, these two engage in a complete slugfest, each rocking the other with a wealth of punches, kicks and knees. Griggs ends up getting the better of it, though, and sends Villante to the canvas for the TKO win at 2:49 of Round 1. Shane Del Rosario and Lavar Johnson are up, and they too engage in a pretty decent scrap. It's pretty even on the feet - both men rocking the other - but the tide shifts dramatically when Del Rosario takes Johnson down and gets on top. First punches from the mount, then a smooth transition into an armbar, and Johnson taps at 4:31 of Round 1.
Liveblog: Strikeforce Part 3
Last prelim bout and it's John Cholish vs. Marc Stevens. Cholish comes out like a runaway freight train in Round 1, tossing Stevens around, kicking him in the face, and pounding on him on the ground. Stevens has even less success in the second round, absorbing more kicks and falling to a sweet rolling kneebar at 3:57 of the frame. Main card time, and the first pairing is Valentijn Overeem taking on Ray Sefo. I interviewed Overeem back when he was facing Aaron Brink in the WFA (circa 2002 or so), and he was more into doing pro wrestling than mixed martial arts. Let's see if he's since changed his mind. And... it looks like he gives a crap. Although he stands with Sefo and trades a bit, it doesn't take long for the Dutchman to realize his fortune will be found on the mat. So he takes the K-1 vet down and slips on a neck crank from side-control. Sefo taps at 1:37 of Round 1.
Liveblog: Strikeforce Part 2
Don Carlo-Clauss and Sam Oropeza enter the cage for their prelim match-up. Oropeza brings a rock-solid submission game and deadly head-kicks to the table, while Carlo-Clauss brings an excessive amount of hair on his head and chin - which translates into a first round of Oropeza repeatedly throwing high-kicks and eventually catching Carlo-Clauss with one. The ensuing storm of strikes on the ground has Carlo-Clauss verbally submitting at 4:10 of Round 1. Now it's time for Igor Gracie and John Salgado to do their thang. The opening round has Gracie affixing himself to Salgado's back like a barnacle, and Salgado gamely avoiding the rear naked choke for the duration. Gracie eases into the driver's seat once more in Round 2, this time staying in top and methodically working his way into a head/arm choke. Salgado goes to sleep at 3:04 of the second round.
Liveblog: Strikeforce Part 1
MMA Journalist is here at the IZOD Center in New Jersey for Strikeforce's "Fedor vs. Silva" extravaganza, which will feature two bouts from the eagerly-anticipated heavyweight tournament. Right now the first preliminary fight is underway, with Pellegrino MMA rep Kevin Roddy mixing it up with Jay McLean. Round 1 is just about all stand-up, each feeling the other out with single kicks and punches, and each scoring a takedown. McLean takes it up a notch in the second round, though, catching K-Rod with a flurry that briefly has the taller, lankier fighter on Queer Street. Roddy, resilient as ever, survives, and comes out in Round 3 to take McLean down and tie him in knots. Time expires with McLean on top but inches away from falling prey to an armbar. The split decision goes to McLean when time runs out - a robbery if there ever was one. Next up: Anthony Leone vs. Josh LaBerge. LaBerge spends the first part of Round 1 blasting his opponent in the chops and getting him nice and bloody. Leone finally gets him down in the latter half of the frame and pounds on him. But the damage is done, and the in between rounds the doctor takes one look at Leone's mug and says "no mas".
Friday, February 11, 2011
The Strikeforce Preview You Won't See Anywhere Else
Strikeforce, heavyweight tournament, opening round at the IZOD Center, Fedor, madness! But while everyone and their mother is pontificating and gesticulating about Saturday night’s main card, there’s a lot to love about the undercard, which won’t be broadcast on Showtime but will get some air on HDNet. So who the hell is taking part in this opening act? Hey, bro, MMA Journalist has got you covered.
- Kevin Roddy vs. Jason McLean – A few years ago, Kurt Pellegrino-trained Kevin Roddy was one of the top five lightweights in the Northeast (at a time when the division included Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller and Deividas Taurosevicius), and with his concise jiu-jitsu and dangerous guard, it wasn’t hard to see why. Unfortunately, when fighters started to realize that the key to defeating him was to get on top and not make any mistakes, Roddy began amassing losses – usually by way of a decision, and sometimes by the narrowest of margins. The bottom line, though, is Roddy’s dangerous as hell, and opponent Jason McLean, a tough wrestler, will have to work hard to not leave his arm or neck exposed lest K-Rod take them home with him.
- Anthony Leone vs. Josh LaBerge – Josh LaBerge may be some New England badass, but he’s going to have his hands full with Anthony Leone, who’s been pounding on and submitted dudes in everything from the UCL to Raging Wolf in Upstate New York to sanctioned shows in New Jersey and Massachusetts. Last year Leone fought in both the WEC and Bellator and tasted defeat for the first time, but the kid is no less of a banger. Watch for him to out-scramble LaBerge and drop bombs from above.
- Sam Oropeza vs. Don Carlo-Clauss – Don Carlo-Clauss is another wrestler-type, but as a Fight Factory exponent, Sam Oropeza gets beat on regularly by one of the best wrestler-turned-mixed martial artists in the world (Eddie Alvarez), so don’t expect Oropeza to wither. Instead, you can count on either his precision striking or his deadly submissions to shine through.
- Igor Gracie vs. John Salgado – Igor Gracie’s got top-notch jiu-jitsu (duh) in his favor, but he’s susceptible to being out-hustled, and when John Salgado is in shape and prepared, he’s the master of the hustle (and maybe “The Hustle” as well, but I leave whenever disco music is played). You can count on Gracie to do his best to get it to the ground so he can work his wizardry, and you can count on Salgado to do his best to sprawl-and-brawl.
- John Cholish vs. Marc Stevens – Now this bad boy of a matchup could easily headline any regional Northeast card. On one side, you have the area’s current lightweight darling in John Cholish, who sports killer Muay Thai and ace jiu-jitsu (courtesy of Renzo Gracie). On the other side, you have Marc Stevens, who may have fell short on the last season of TUF, but for years has used his wrestling and grappling game to make his mark on the local scene. Though Stevens has the edge in experience, the Cholish Train is going to be a hard thing to derail right now. This one’s definitely a toss-up.
Get Well Soon James Meals
New Jersey-based fighter James Meals suffered an injury at his day job yesterday, and the extent of the injury is such that his career in the cage may be in jeopardy. With over 25 fights to his name, Meals established himself as a guy willing to take on just about anyone - and consequently, ended up with losses to the likes of Jason Black, Ron Jhun, Dan Lauzon, Rich Clementi and Jason Ireland. But a recent move to the AMA Fight Club saw the ardent kickboxer transform himself into a well-rounded striker/grappler hybrid, and the results were dramatic. At UCC 2 last year, Meals went the distance with wrestler Jason McLean, giving McLean fits both on the feet and on the ground, and at CFFC last weekend Meals dispatched young buck Trevor Suter with a D'Arce choke from the bottom. It would be a shame if the career of the "Mad Dog" were to end because of an injury, but if it were to end, it would most certainly be on a high note. Either way, MMA Journalist wishes Meals a speedy recovery.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Liveblog: Strikeforce Presser in NYC
As the preceding pics indicate, MMA Journalist is kicking it journo style at the Strikeforce press conference, which is being held at Chelsea Piers on the Hudson River. Present are all eight of the heavyweight tournament competitors (plus some of the alternates), and the most interesting thing about seeing them all gathered together is the degree of comraderie and joking around they share. Andrei Arlovski is downright morose, Sergei Kharinotov is stoic, and Brett Rogers sports a permanent mean-mug, but for Fabricio Werdum, Fedor, Josh Barnett, Bigfoot and Alistair Overeem, it's the Giggle Hour. Scott Coker seems stoked to have orchestrated this tournament, and he predicts an epic 13,000-person spectator turnout. Other interesting tidbits include: M-1 Global will be broadcasting their events on Showtime; Barnett likes shallow press questions about as much as you and I like torture; and local star Chris Weidman was offered a fight on Saturday night, but couldn't take it because he injured his ribs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)