Headlines: January 2nd 2008

Happy New Year!!!!!



It was a great year for MMA wasn't it? Popularity has been soaring, there have been lots of great matches and a bunch of upsets to keep fans on our toes. Although it does not look like we will be getting a Fedor vs Randy match I have faith that 2008 will be just as good if not better.



UFC 79 Nemesis: Aftermath



What a great PPV, and I only caught the last 2 matches live which would have been worth it on their own. Chuck is back. Totally redeeming himself by beating his arch nemesis Wanderlei Silva in a bout that lived up to the hype, well unless you are a Wanderlei Silva fan than I guess you may have been pretty disappointed.



So where do these guys go from here...



Chuck: The Chuck that we saw at Nemesis looked like he could beat anybody. He definitely deserves to be back in the mix although a title shot should be at least 2 more impressive wins away. I think Dana and the UFC boys will match him up with Thiago Silva to see who deserves that top 5 spot.



Wanderlei Silva: I know Pride fanboys will disagree with me, but I don't see this guy becoming a major player in this division. It is too deep for him, especially if that match is indicative of how Wanderlei fights. His chin was rock solid as advertised, and you can tell he has knock out power, but he was throwing so wild and his technique was horrible. He never had Chuck in trouble.

I heard rumours that he will be dropping down to middleweight. That would be a really smart move for him and the UFC. It gives a boost to the UFCs most lacking division, (which doesn't seem that lacking these days with, Bisping, Henderson added, plus TUF 7 middleweights on there way, and rumours of Hughes moving up and Silva dropping down). McFedries vs. Silva would be a war I wouldn't mind seeing.

GSP vs. Matt Hughes

CLear and utter domination by GSP. This match seems like a passing of torch to me from the past dominating champion to the future dominating champion.

GSP: What's next for GSP is pretty obvious. Getting that title back from Serra, hopefully in April on his home turf in Montreal. That's assuming that Serra's back cooperates. If not, then look for Jon Fitch to get his much deserved title shot at GSP's interim title.

Matt Hughes: Hughes' next move is not as clear. He has mentioned retiring soon but that's not happening now. I think he really wants to fight Serra which is the only match at Welterweight that makes sense for him at this point in his career. There are rumours that he will move up to Middleweight which would be amazing. I personally don't see this happening, because he will basicaly have to start over and work his way up. I don't think he wants to do that.

*Sarcasm Alert* FEDOR Wins!!!!

Woo Fedor beat a 7 foot giant with 0 MMA skills. He sure has proven that he is the number 1 fighter in the world. *End Sarcasm*

Two things really bug me about this fight.

1. That Fedor demanded that there should be no knees used. How fair is that??? Fedor could use all the tools of MMA that he has learned over the years but Hong Man Choi, was handicapped? What kind of real champion does that? Oh I know, one that is being protected so that M1 won't screw up their investment if he lost.
2. Even after this hand fed opponent, people still consider Fedor to be pound for pound the best in the world. That statement is an insult to the fighters that have not only been facing top competition more consistenly and recently, but have been destroying that competition. Anderson Silva, GSP, Rampage and Randy Couture, are all better Pound for Pound than Fedor. That is reality.

Tito Ortiz on Apprentice This week

Who wants to take bets on when he goes out? I'm saying he's probably 3rd gone. Jenna has messed up his business sense.

Let’s see what we have in common shall we? I definitely want to hear what you guys hate and love the most about this wonderful sport of ours. Let’s start out with Love… (oooh how cute).

Top 5 Things I Love About MMA

5. Arm Triangle Chokeholds

This is the coolest submission move in my opinion. What I like about it so much is that dudes don’t see it coming until it’s too late. Remember that one that Kampmann pulled on Drew Mcfredies or the one that got Babalu banned from the UFC? It’s a beautiful and smooth submission when it’s pulled off correctly. There’s a real sweet arm triangle in the link.

4. Dana White

I don’t understand how people can hate this guy. He’s only the main reason why MMA is at the astronomical levels it’s at today. Plus he’s such a straight forward, no BS type of guy. He says exactly how he feels every time he is in front of a mic. Unlike other cookie cutter commissioners of other sports leagues who try to give the boring politically correct answers, Dana is going to be brutally honest. How can you not appreciate that?

3. Unpredictability

I would have bet my house that GSP would have beaten Matt Serra. Good thing there were no takers. I love that you never know how a match is going to go. Anything can happen at any time. It’s probably the most unpredictable sport out there. Great to bet on.

2. A Stand Up War

There’s nothing like watching two guys throwing haymakers at each other giving everything they got. The suspense in knowing that a knockout can happen at anytime is so exciting to watch. It really shows how tough a guy is when they are willing to stand up and throw. Bonnar vs Griffin is a great example.

1. Anderson Silva

This guy has it all. The talent, the skills, the charisma, the ability to finish fights and utterly destroy everybody. What more can you ask for in a fighter? Well… maybe that he could speak english… but that’s besides the point. Every match this man has had in the UFC has been a work of art. His pin point accurate striking, active ground work, and destructive clinch is too much for anybody to handle in the middleweight division. The guy is pound for pound the best fighter on the planet… period. I can’t wait to see that fight with Dan Henderson. That will be a classic.

What’s your top 5?