UFC 76

[ChadTower]

Anyone else watch this?  Am I the only one who came away thinking the main event was fixed for Liddell but he effed it up?  I don't care how tired a guy is, you don't stand in front of a power puncher with your hands below your waist, which is what Jardine was doing.  It was like he was told to keep himself open to be knocked out but not to actually lay down... and Liddell forgot to actually knock him out.

[shardian]

I quit caring about UFC a LONG time ago. Quit watching after the Ultimate Ultimate I believe.
It would not surprise me one bit if the main events are fixed now.

[Samstag]

Anyone else watch this?  Am I the only one who came away thinking the main event was fixed for Liddell but he effed it up?  I don't care how tired a guy is, you don't stand in front of a power puncher with your hands below your waist, which is what Jardine was doing.  It was like he was told to keep himself open to be knocked out but not to actually lay down... and Liddell forgot to actually knock him out.

He was given what was supposed to be an easy fight, but it wasn't fixed.  Jardine was asking for the big right hand because he was working the left leg.  When he could get Chuck to take a big swing, he blocked and kicked the leg while there was a lot of weight on it.  Try throwing a hard punch when you can barely put weight on your plant foot, especially knowing it's about to hurt even worse.

Brilliant game plan, but it's still amazing that it worked.  He sure took some hard knocks for it.

[ChadTower]

Which could make sense except that Jardine kept leaving his left hand below his waist.... for no reason, leaving himself completely open to Chuck's weapon of choice, the overhand right.  No fighter, even if he thought he could get way with it, would do that.

Liddell losing destroys interest in the Silva-Liddell fight they've been trying to put up for years... there was millions upon millions riding on Chuck winning. 

[abrannan]

Liddell losing destroys interest in the Silva-Liddell fight they've been trying to put up for years... there was millions upon millions riding on Chuck winning. 

Yeah, but given how well the Pride fighters have been faring in the UFC, I wouldn't be surprised if Silva waits it out a bit before trying to move over. 

[ChadTower]

Silva doesn't have that option, I think.  The UFC owns the Pride fighters' deals.

[lordtodd75]

They announced just before the main event that chuck is fighting wanderlei in december. Although chuck's loss may have changed things a bit. jardine was baiting chuck by lowering his hands, so he could get his round kicks in. Also chuck was way more hesitant then usual coming off of the rampage knockout. I guess these 2 things combined could make it look like the fight was a little "weird". Dropping your hands to initiate attack so you can counter with a leg kick is pretty common though.

[ChadTower]

Not all the way below your waist.  That's not baiting, it's idiocy.  His left hand was down by his junk.

BTW, they have announced Liddell/Silva about 4 times now with different dates over the years.  Didn't happen then either.

[lordtodd75]

your right about that, I wouldn't drop my hands all the way down. Who is to say that jardine wasn't a little more confident after the way the first 2 rounds went. Guess fatigue could have played a role as well. Either way, those suggestions seem far more likely then jardine throwing the fight and liddell not knocking him out. I think those round kicks to the leg and ribs probably hurt liddell pretty bad, that coupled with the knockout he was coming off of would be enough for anyone to have trouble throwing punches.

As far as I can remember they never announced any kind of date for the liddell silva fight, it was always in negotiations.

[ChadTower]

I would swear that when Silva made his first appearance they gave it an event number (maybe not an actual date).  Could be wrong.

I didn't see Liddell even throwing that right hand.  That's why I think it may have been fixed.  There is the possibility that Liddell was afraid to get kicked again but I just don't see a guy like Liddell, who knows one swing can end the fight, being swayed like that.

[Jouster]

I agree that Chuck was a little gun shy...let's also not forget that he got knocked down again early...I'm sure that didn't help his confidence.

Jardine's kicks had to hurting Chuck, they were puttin' a hurtin' on me watching it...I kept flinching.  Did you see how red and raw Chuck's ribs were?  I don't see the fight being rigged...none of them.  Surprises happen...in all sports.  Half the time these guys go into a fight with an injury anyway...but they fight.

How bout the two Griffin fights?  Those were both pretty good I thought.

Jouster

[ChadTower]

He was knocked down right about the fight's haflway point, wasn't he?  It was a couple minutes into round two.

He definitely was pounding Liddell's ribs... I found it odd that Chuck never once so much as winced despite the fact that his ribs were clearly that battered.

Two Griffin fights?  Griffin-Hua was good but Hua really didn't show very well.  What other one are you talking about?

[Jouster]

The other one was Tyson Griffin vs Thiago Tavares...lightweight.  Griffon kept givin up his back...then he would stand up and slam Thiago on his head.

Jouster

[ChadTower]

Oh yeah, that one.   Pretty good fight.  When moving around in a fight Alves looks so much like Fez from That 70s Show I have trouble taking him seriously.

[lordtodd75]

The 2 griffin fights were great, it was awesome to see forrest win being such an underdog in that fight. Those pride guys are not showing well in the UFC. Must be hard not being able to head stomp and kick a downed opponent in the face. So far rampage is the only one that faired well and his first fight with Marvin Eastmen was pretty bad, he won but he definitely didn't dominate Eastmen like he should have. The true test will be to see how Fedor does. emelianenko vs. couture?

[Jouster]

Damn...if that happened...I'd feel sorry for Randy.  I'm really happy to see him win and defend the title...but Fedor is a monster.

Jouster

[ChadTower]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Lesnar vs Couture first to set up a future Lesnar vs Fedor.  If the UFC has one hope to withstand Fedor it may be Lesnar... if Lesnar can get his weight down under the UFC's limit.  Lesnar is that big and strong, has an elite grappling background, and is one mean SOB on top of that.

[shardian]

I've only seen one Fedor fight, but that was enough to know I wold NEVER, EVER ---fudgesicle--- with that guy. The other guy actually landed a huge punch that most believe knocked Fedor out. The dude, recovered immediately, and even caught himself before falling down. It looked odd, but in replay you could see his eyes glass over, then light back up mid fall. He then proceeded to pwn the other guy.

I have never seen anyone else recover from a devastating punch like that.

[ChadTower]

Of course, it should be noted that Hua was "the world's best light heavyweight" and was pwn3d by the third or fourth ranked LH in UFC... and Cro Cop was "one of the world's most dangerous strikers" and got knocked the eff out by a guy that was later beaten handily by Couture.

I won't be surprised if Wanderei Silva comes in and gets similarly pwn3d...  Fedor, on the other hand, I don't think he will.  They have definitely learned their lesson on "feeding midcard guys" to the top Pride fighters as warmups for main events.

[lordtodd75]

Fedor is a monster, but if there is one thing I learned watching MMA over the years it is this, don't ever count Randy Couture out. People did when he fought Vitor Belfor and Randy won. People did it when he fought liddell the first time, Randy won again. People did it when he fought sylvia and Randy made the heavy weight champion of the world look bad as he claimed the heavyweight belt. Fedor is a monster, but Randy is THE most strategic fighter I have ever seen and he has a gift of being able to take fighters out of there game and win fights, that on paper, he should never have won. Fedor vs. Couture, I say Couture by decision.

[ChadTower]

I don't know anyone that thought Sylvia could beat Couture.  That fight may as well have been a WWE title match... everyone knew Couture was going to win and everyone knew it was because Sylvia was a boring ass decision-win fighter.

[lordtodd75]

You should read some of the forums just before the sylvia vs. couture fight or talk to some of my friends. I thought couture would win but it seemed like noone else did. Hell even rogan and goldberg were counting him out before the fight. It just didn't look good for randy on paper. a fourty something coming out of retirement to fight a 20 something behemoth, power puncher. You have to remember sylvia wasnt always lazy.

[ChadTower]

It's not that Sylvia was lazy, it was that he wasn't fighting to win.  He was fighting to not lose and had done so for at least two fights.  That's what Couture saw... if you could get inside his striking range without getting knocked out he was there to be taken. 

I haven't seen a decent MMA forum yet.  I've poked around a few but they tend to be jam packed with semiliterate guys pretending to be fighters themselves.  The signal to noise ratio is way too high to be worth it.

[lordtodd75]

I don't know anyone that thought Sylvia could beat Couture.

Maybe I should start hanging out with you and your friends. 

[northerngames]

yeah there getting more and more like wrestling now.

when it first started their was no weight catagory's and the only rules were no using teeth or eye poking but everything else was a go.

that is why alot of the origanals that were great stopped doing it becuase the rule's they made went against alot of there specialty moves and went against what they were taught when that opertunity is there for the taking.

[shardian]

yeah there getting more and more like wrestling now.

when it first started their was no weight catagory's and the only rules were no using teeth or eye poking but everything else was a go.

that is why alot of the origanals that were great stopped doing it becuase the rule's they made went against alot of there specialty moves and went against what they were taught when that opertunity is there for the taking.

Nothing will beat Keith Hackney's two memorable bouts. For those of you not knowing, He made a guy tap out by pummeling him in the nuts, and also broke his hand using it as a club against the 6'8 600 lb Emanuel Yarborough.
I still wonder if nut guys crew met Keith outside after the show...they should have.
I need to watch the first ten or so again some day, just for fun.

[ChadTower]

I hated the UFC at first... just way too unsafe, guys were getting permanently injured on a regular basis.  Not cool.  It's a million times better now and is actually far safer than boxing and football.

[shardian]

I hated the UFC at first... just way too unsafe, guys were getting permanently injured on a regular basis.  Not cool.  It's a million times better now and is actually far safer than boxing and football.

Now I will say I am NOT a big fan of the arm bar. Royce Gracie pretty much broke the arm of everyone he fought.

[ChadTower]

That was mostly because guys weren't educated in submissions and didn't tap until it broke.  Fighters now are a lot more aware that once you're locked in there is very little chance to escape before you are injured... so there's no shame in tapping rather than sitting out for 3 months.  Guys rarely get their arm broken anymore and when they do it's their own fault.

[shardian]

Current UFC fighters also owe all of their skills to the original UFC system. That system of pitting every style of fighting and various sizes of competitors against each other allowed the evolution of a dominant style of fighting to come about. Now everyone fights nearly the same.

I just feel the fights were much more exciting back then. Due to the contrasting styles, size issues, etc. Who would have thought that when Dan Severn was pounding Joyce Gracies head in with knees that it was just a ruse to slip an arm bar? How about when as soon as Big John Started the fight, Pat Smith sprinted across the ring and planted a foot in the other dude's chest and sent him flying into the fence, then put him in a guillotine choke. Remember when Ken Shamrock was pissed that everyone doubted his submission skills, so he said he would not throw a strike against Dan Severn and win... and he did? That was ---smurfing--- awesome. Every fighter now is identical. That is BORING.

[ChadTower]

I can see that... I disliked it because guys were getting carted out of rings strapped to boards.  That's not cool.

[shardian]

I can see that... I disliked it because guys were getting carted out of rings strapped to boards.  That's not cool.

How many exactly? I only remember one guy who was in bad shape. He got his orbital bone crushed by a few Pat Smith elbows. Even he didn't get carted out. The only time I remember a cart being used was this fat bastard Hawaiian that got knocked out and he hit the mat HARD when going down. Even then, it was just a precautionary thing.

[ChadTower]

Can't remember specifically for UFC alone.  I was referring to "no holds barred" ring fighting in the US in general around that time.  The UFC wasn't the only one, it was just the only one on TV.

[northerngames]

yeah the first 10 were the best still and that is what true MMA is about and they kinda defeat that now.

in the first UFC one guy came out wearing a boxing glove lol.

tank abott knocked some retarted I am sure

there was anotehr were a 6ft 2 like 180lb guy was fighting a 500+ sumo and the little guy knocked the sumo's teeth through the fence with a kick.

there is still other MMA company's around that use the origanal rules still but I dont think they aloow it becuase the origanal way was to gory for TV so now they fight outside the US.

I say throw oleg tuktorov at ol chuckie liddel and see what happens.

[hypernova]

Everybody's hugging!

[Samstag]

Everybody's hugging!

[CCM]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Lesnar vs Couture first to set up a future Lesnar vs Fedor.  If the UFC has one hope to withstand Fedor it may be Lesnar... if Lesnar can get his weight down under the UFC's limit.  Lesnar is that big and strong, has an elite grappling background, and is one mean SOB on top of that.

I hope you're kidding here.  I NEVER want to to see Lesnar in the UFC, he is a loud-mouthed ---meecrob--- who has 1 mma fight in his career and thinks he already deserves a title shot.

If he does sign with the UFC there is no way in hell his first fight will be for the title.

[ChadTower]

Lesnar is something very, very few MMA fighters will ever be - an instant huge buyrate bump.  He's also a very credible challenger.  You'll see him get one tuneup fight and it won't take long at all before he gets his title shot.

[CCM]

Liddell losing destroys interest in the Silva-Liddell fight they've been trying to put up for years... there was millions upon millions riding on Chuck winning. 

I'd still love to see that fight, but I'm pretty sure the fight was contingent on Liddell winning.  Silva has actually lost his last 2 fights as well, to Henderson and Cro Cop.

[ChadTower]

Which is just made worse since Cro Cop showed so poorly in the UFC.