MVN - Most Valuable Network

Previewing UFC 86: Forrest Griffin vs. Rampage Jackson

Forrest Griffin and Rampage Jackson are set to face off on Saturday night for the UFC Light-heavyweight title, but there is one thing that stands out about this match-up: unlike most fights lately, there isn’t very much trash talk going on between the two men. This fight doesn’t need it. Griffin and Jackson are two of the most popular fighters in the UFC and two of the most straight-forward fighters you will find. Unlike most fighters, Griffin is willing to concede is faults and where he is still lacking as a fighter. Jackson is pure entertainment and may cut the best interviews in all of MMA.

The Backstory

Forrest Griffin first gained national exposure when he won the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter. His fight in the final against Stephan Bonnar cemented not only the show but the UFC as a new force on the American sports’ scene. Since that time, Griffin has improved his game as much as any fighter in the sport. Griffin has gone 6-2 in the UFC, including a win over the widely-considered number one light-heavyweight fighter in the world, Mauricio Rua.

Rampage Jackson is coming off of back-to-back championship wins over two of the best fighters ever. He won the UFC Light-heavyweight title from Chuck Liddell last May, and he followed that up by beating Dan Henderson in September for the PRIDE Middleweight title. Jackson is wildly popular and his interviews in PRIDE are some of the funniest things you’ll ever see anywhere.

The Fighters

As I said earlier, there is no fighter that has improved as much in the last few years as Forrest Griffin. He has improved his all-around game so much that he is comfortable either standing with his opponent or taking the fight to the ground. Griffin doesn’t possess great knockout power, but it is an area that he is getting better with. He has good jiu-jitsu and should be able to find room on the ground to work against Jackson. Forrest’s biggest attributes are his heart and his ability to take a great deal of punishment and still bounce back. That will definitely be tested against Jackson.

Rampage is as strong and powerful of a light-heavyweight as any in the world. He has tremendous power in his hands, is a great wrestler and loves to use various slams on his opponents. Jackson has the advantage over Griffin in almost every measurable fighting category and will come into the match as a big favorite.

The Fight

With each fighter having a very good to great all-around game, this should make for a very entertaining fight. Jackson will be throwing bombs from the start and Griffin will need to pick his spots had have great movement to avoid an early KO. Rampage may get frustrated if he can’t knock out Forrest and then try and take the fight to the ground. Griffin’s takedown defense will be vital. Jackson should eventually get Forrest off his feet and if he can get past Griffin’s guard, Jackson could end the fight with his striking while Griffin is on his back. Should Griffin be able to withstand the punishment, he could start to work his ground game and possibly work in a submission or two. Conditioning might come into play. Jackson can easily go five rounds as he did in his fight with Henderson, so Griffin may struggle in the later rounds if his conditioning isn’t up to par.

The Result

I expect this to be a great fight. Styles make fights and the styles in this fight could make it one of the best fights of the year. Although he has the power to, I don’t think Rampage will KO Griffin. I think the amount of punishment that Griffin can take borders on ridiculous, so I don’t see that as the outcome. The longer the fight goes, the more I think it favors Jackson and I could see Jackson winning a decision. As of this writing, Jackson is a huge favorite not only in Vegas but on this site. 88% of the people that voted in the poll think that Rampage will beat Griffin. I have a feeling that Griffin has the heart to stick with Rampage and somehow pull out a submission victory. Look for Griffin to win in the third or fourth round with a submission to become the UFC’s new Light-heavyweight Champion.

Thiago Alves vs. Diego Sanchez at UFC 89

Thiago Alves and Diego Sanchez are set to face off at UFC 89 on October 18th in England. The fight could serve as a number one contender fight and the winner could face the winner of the Georges St-Pierre-Jon Fitch fight.

Alves is coming off the biggest win in his career, a second round TKO victory over Matt Hughes at UFC 85. Before that, Alves became the first fighter to ever knock out Karo Parisyan. He is proving himself to be one of the best strikers in the welterweight division.

Sanchez just fought in June and won against Luigi Fioravanti. Sanchez showed an improved stand-up game to go along with his great ground skills. He is still fighting his way back from back-to-back losses against Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch last year.

This should be a very entertaining fight with two of the most talented and well-rounded fighters in the welterweight division. Although Diego has improved his striking immensely since starting in the UFC, I don’t know if it will be enough to beat Alves. The “Pitbull” seems destined to make it to the top of the division no matter who the UFC puts in his way. I’ll be cheering for Sanchez, but I think Alves will walk away with the victory and continue on to his title shot.

The fight that should have been made for UFC 88

UFC 88 is set to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 6th. and so far it’s shaping up to be a great night of fights. There are several big names on the card and the show will have a main event of Chuck Liddell taking on Rashad Evans. There is one fight that isn’t on the card but should be. Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin are both on the card but should be squaring off against each other.

Rich Franklin is moving up to light-heavyweight to face Matt Hamill although Franklin may still be the best middleweight in the world other than Anderson Silva. Franklin has fought at light-heavyweight in the past and, at least on the surface, it seems like a smart move for him. He has several new fights ahead of him that would be great for him and MMA fans. However, I think staying at middleweight would be best for his career. There are still many good fights for him at 185, and anything is possible if Silva would lose the belt.

Dan Henderson is making his second fight at middleweight and will face Rousimar Palhares, who submitted Ivan Salaverry at UFC 84. Henderson is coming off back-to-back losses, although both were against current champions, Rampage Jackson and Anderson Silva. Henderson was actually winning the fight against Silva before being submitted in the second round. Henderson is the type of fighter that could eventually knock Silva off his throne. If Henderson picks up a dominant win over Palhares, it might be enough for a re-match with Silva. Although a match with Franklin to determine a true number one contender would be an outstanding fight.

A Franklin-Henderson match up would be a classic bout between the striker and the grappler, although both men possess all-around games that could take the fight almost anywhere. Dana White and Joe Silva need to give serious thought on making this fight. It’s a fight that could main event any pay-per-view and both fighters would have something to fight for. I think this fight will take place eventually, but it should be taking place this September.

Fedor is a Fraud - Part Two

After the response and all the love I got from people, I couldn’t possibly stay away and not have some sort of response to all of you Fedor lovers out there. To those that emailed me and stated their displeasure and corrected my error, I thank you. To those that are so childish over an internet article about an MMA fighter, well, get over it.

Just because I got on Fedor about his lack of stiff competition the last three and a half years, doesn’t mean I don’t want him to beat Tim Sylvia or see him succeed. Someone with his credentials can only be a positive for the sport, even if his recent resume isn’t that impressive. I want Fedor to win. I think Fedor winning and being dominant is only positive for the sport. I am just sick of seeing him fight against inferior competition. No, it’s not all Fedor’s fault. Much of the blame goes to Dana White for not signing him but there is blame to put on Fedor. There is no doubt that the UFC is the premiere MMA organization in the world. If Fedor had signed with the UFC for perhaps less than the open market had set for him, he still could have made all that money back. Fedor featured on pay-per-view under the UFC banner would bring him to a lot more fans that will him fighting under the Affliction banner.

As far of you that said that Randy Couture proclaimed Fedor as the number one fighter in the world therefore I should, I have one question for you. What is Couture going to say? Of course he’s going to hype up Fedor. Couture is looking to cash in on a Couture-Emelianenko Super Fight on pay-per-view. Couture bashing Fedor or putting down his skills only hurts Couture’s pockets in the long-term.

And for those of you calling for me to be around when Fedor destroys Sylvia, I will be. I’ve admitted on here when I’ve been wrong in the past and I’ll do it in the future. I have no problem at all swallowing my pride and admitting my mistakes. But if Sylvia beats Fedor, how many of you will be around saying I was right?

There are no MMA fighters that I don’t like or have respect for. I’ve seen up close the time, effort and sacrifice it takes to be a MMA fighter. I want nothing more for the mainstream in this country and around the world to see that as well. I think Fedor is and will continue to be a great ambassador for the sport. I hope he does beat Sylvia and goes on to face Josh Barnett and beat him as well. That way there will be no question with anyone, me included, that Fedor Emelianenko is the greatest fighter in the world.

Joe Daddy on the comeback trail

Joe Stevenson had the opportunity of a lifetime when he faced BJ Penn at UFC 80 for the vacant UFC Lightweight title in January. He promptly got beaten by Penn in less than two rounds. It wasn’t that Stevenson got beat, but he got absolutely manhandled and was a bloody mess by the end of the fight. Penn’s elbows cut up Stevenson and he tapped out to Penn’s rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round.

One of the best things about MMA is that you can have a horrible night but you’re able to come back again to prove yourself to the world and work your way back up the ladder. Joe Daddy gets the chance to work his way up that ladder again this Saturday when he faces Gleison Tibau at UFC 86.

Stevenson burst on the scene in 2005, when he won Season Two of The Ultimate Fighter. Stevenson followed that up with a disappointing decision loss to Josh Neer. After that fight, Stevenson made the decision to drop down to lightweight and went on a hot streak. Victories over Yves Edwards, Mishima, Melvin Guillard and Kurt Pellegrino helped Joe Daddy get in line for a title shot.

Since his loss to Penn, Stevenson has been able to step back a bit and gain some perspective on live and fighting. He opened a gym in his home town and became a ‘daddy’ for the fourth time with the birth of his son, Maximus. It’s been a busy six months for Stevenson since the Penn fight, but you can bet he’ll come back a better fighter from the loss.

The lightweight division has quickly become one of the most competitive weight classes in the UFC. Stevenson is definitely in the upper echelon of that division and will prove as much with a win over Tibau this Saturday. Look for a fight with either Sean Sherk or the loser of the Kenny Florian-Roger Huerta fight to possibly get Stevenson another title shot.