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.

[shardian]

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.

He needs to work his way up. We still have no clue how well he can take hits. The Korean he fought was a cupcake fighter.

[CCM]

He needs to work his way up. We still have no clue how well he can take hits. The Korean he fought was a cupcake fighter.

Exactly, and the Korean guy he fought was a late replacement.  Just because he was a great wrestler in college and was good in the WWE  , doesn't mean he is a legitimate contender to the UFC title.  He has proven NOTHING in the MMA world.

[ChadTower]

He needs to work his way up. We still have no clue how well he can take hits. The Korean he fought was a cupcake fighter.

A pro wrestler takes more abuse than an MMA fighter.  Not usually from each other, but from being dumped on one's head from every conceivable angle 15 times a match.  He's already proven he can take abuse and keep moving forward.

The MMA world isn't always purely about ladders.  It's about drawing money on PPV.  He'll get a very, very fast track up the chain.  The only thing I can think of that may stop that is if he either loses or they decide to pop a single buyrate with him and then make an example out of him to quiet other bigheaded "outsiders".

[ChadTower]

Liddell-Silva is on... though, at this point, not nearly as many people care as would have a year ago.

[clanggedin]

This is still a great fight since they both are coming off of back to back losses. Unfortunately Pride fighters haven't done so hot in the Octagon except for Rampage. Noguiera has won his two fights but they weren't as exciting as his fights in Pride.

I am a huge fan of Vanderlei, but if he isn't training in an octagon, then he's going to be in trouble. I'm actually kinda worried for him.

Lesner is going to be a force in the UFC... The guy he fought in Japan was a Olympic Judo champion and his punched have been said to be similar to Fedor's. He also has to lose weight to fight, so he's a BIG heavyweight. I never watched him in the WWE, but if he is training like he said he is in the UFC press conference yesterday, then he could be the UFC heavyweight champ in a year. His first fight is on Feb 2 08'. It will be interesting to see who they match him up with. They'll probably have him fight Herringn or someone strong, but not a top 10 fighter.

[ChadTower]

This is still a great fight since they both are coming off of back to back losses.

I think it's a worse fight because they are both coming off two losses.  Silva lost to Henderson, which is fine, but he also lost to Cro Cop who has been embarrasingly exposed in the UFC.  You get a 37 year old striker who has looked terrible in both of his previous fights in Liddell... Liddell looks done.

Lesner is going to be a force in the UFC... The guy he fought in Japan was a Olympic Judo champion and his punched have been said to be similar to Fedor's.

The Korean guy Lesnar fought was a pushover that had no chance.  Lesnar himself says as much.  That guy was chosen to lose.  Lesnar will be a major force but beating the Korean guy didn't prove much more than that Lesnar was serious about MMA.

[CCM]

I'm definitely looking forward to  Liddell vs. Silva.  I think the fact that they are both coming off 2 losses will make them train and fight all the harder.   You have to figure that whoever losses won't be anywhere near the title hunt for a long time.

In Lesnar's own words Min Soo Kim was a tuna can.  Kim was a last minute replacement for Hong Man Choi, who is 7'2" and 400 pounds.  I don't know anything about Choi, but it would have been a much more interesting fight just based on his size.

[clanggedin]

I know that Lesner said he Min Soon Kim was a Tuna can, but he has ALOT of wrestling experience and had an awesome record when he was in the NCAA. Plus he's a BIG heavyweight.. I'm not a Lesner nuthugger, but I do believe he will bring some excitment to the boring heavyweight class now that Couture has left.

I don't think I have ever seen Silva in a boring fight. He's always fun to watch... Unfortunately I can name a few fights that Liddell has had that have been a borefest. Hopefully Silva will keep the fight moving.

They should have Forrest or Houstin, (if Houstin wins his next fight), fight the winner of this match, they are both ldoing very good right now.

[CCM]

I agree about Lesnar.  He is a phenomenal wrestler, and if he has descent stand-up and jiu-jitsu I think he can go far in the heavyweight division.  The heavyweight division in the UFC is kinda weak right now, so I can see him dominating.

I was worried about his arrogance, from some of the interviews I've read with him he seems to think he deserves a title shot right away,  but I listened to the conference call last Thursday and I was pleasantly surprised with his attitude.  I'm definitely looking forward to his first fight.

I think Liddell-Silva will be a great fight, they both NEED the win, so hopefully that will drive the action.

I'd love to see Forrest fight the winner of Liddell-Silva, I think he's really improved since his loss to Jardine.

[ChadTower]

I was worried about his arrogance, from some of the interviews I've read with him he seems to think he deserves a title shot right away,  but I listened to the conference call last Thursday and I was pleasantly surprised with his attitude.  I'm definitely looking forward to his first fight.

You have to remember he was also a pro wrestler... put a mic in front of him and half the time he cuts a wrestling promo out of habit.  You don't get elite amateur wrestlers with poor work ethics.  It simply doesn't happen, so in terms of how serious he is and how much training he will do, guaranteed if he has the right people working with him he'll be balls to the wall about it.

If you were Brock Lesnar, wouldn't you be a little arrogant?  I sure would be.   

[ChadTower]

The UFC started a fantasy game... I just created a league.  If anyone wants in, PM me your email, and I'll shoot out an invitation.  I don't see a way yet to get a url that I can post.

[CCM]

UFC announced Lesnar vs Frank Mir on Feb 2nd.   

[ChadTower]

Oooh.  That's certainly no pushover first fight.  Mir was once considered one of the top prospects in the world.

[CCM]

Yea Mir had a pretty serious motorcycle accident that put him on the shelf for a few years.  His first few fights back were a bit of a joke, he was overweight and a shell of his former self. 

In his last fight he looked great, he's back in shape and seems to be fighting at a high-level again, this is definitely going to be an interesting first fight for Lesnar.

[ChadTower]

I can't remember the UFC's heavyweight upper limit... I know Lesnar was well over it but also carrying higher bodyfat than he used to carry.  If he comes in at say 260 with single digit bodyfat I'm not sure anyone is going to be able to handle his pure strength and agility without knocking him out cold.  And that's going to be damn hard to do to a guy who walked right into an NFL training camp and took every hit they dished out.

[CCM]

I'm pretty sure the UFC upper limit is 265.

[ChadTower]

Damn... now consider that in a guy that moves like Couture with an NCAA championship background.  If he gets control on the ground no one is going to be able to buck or sweep him.

[CCM]

Mir is going to need to keep the fight standing up.  I would think that if Lesnar has a weakness it would be his stand-up.    With his wrestling background he should be a force on the ground.

And that's going to be damn hard to do to a guy who walked right into an NFL training camp and took every hit they dished out.

No doubt Lesnar is tough, but taking a hit in an NFL training camp with full pads is a little different than taking a 5oz glove to the bare head.  No one really knows what Lesnar's chin is like...

[ChadTower]

No doubt Lesnar is tough, but taking a hit in an NFL training camp with full pads is a little different than taking a 5oz glove to the bare head.  No one really knows what Lesnar's chin is like...

I disagree.  The head is exposed, sure, but the guy is standing and throwing a punch.  Now take a 300lb elite athlete, have him run 8 yards like a pulling guard, and put a full force helmet to helmet shot on another guy also running at full speed.  A trained puncher can knock you out, certainly, but kinesiologists describe NFL collisions as equivalent to midgrade car accidents in terms of impact.

One shot is clean and precise... the other is a car accident.  I'm not sure which is worse but either easily proves a guy can take serious shots. 

That isn't even accounting for what happens in a pro wrestling match in terms of head impact to the mat.  The guy used to come down on his own head regularly in very ugly ways.  Take a look at his botched moonsault at Wrestlemania, and the fact that he got up, as proof that his chin is for real.

[CCM]

So any professional football player can walk in to the octagon and take any hits a heavyweight fighter can dish out?  A punch, a knee, an elbow?

Teddy Bruschi is going to walk into the octagon and not get knocked out by Fedor, Frank Mir, Tim Sylvia, etc..??

I really don't think being tough and taking hits in the NFL or WWE translates to an automatic iron-jaw in MMA. 

All I'm saying is that no one has ever seen Lesnar take a clean shot to the jaw.  He may very well have a head like a cinder-block, but it hasn't been proven yet.

[ChadTower]

So any professional football player can walk in to the octagon and take any hits a heavyweight fighter can dish out?  A punch, a knee, an elbow?

No professional fighter can take any hits a heavyweight fighter can dish out, either.  Be fair.  What I'm saying is that a pro football player, if taught proper defense, can take the same level of hits the fighters can, if they are taught how to defend them and limit the number of them.

I really don't think being tough and taking hits in the NFL or WWE translates to an automatic iron-jaw in MMA. 

I didn't say that.  I said it proves he can take a hit.  I didn't say it makes him impossible to knock out.  No one is impossible to knock out.

All I'm saying is that no one has ever seen Lesnar take a clean shot to the jaw.  He may very well have a head like a cinder-block, but it hasn't been proven yet.

It has been shown.  Take a look at that botched moonsault at Wrestlemania.  He landed face first from about 11 feet.  He got up.  No fighter is going to hit him with that type of impact.  Now, if someone were there to hit him with a second and third shot, yes he'd be knocked out, but there isn't a person on the planet that can say otherwise.  There are many other examples but that one is probably easy to find on youtube.

[CCM]

I didn't say that.  I said it proves he can take a hit.  I didn't say it makes him impossible to knock out.  No one is impossible to knock out.

That is my point exactly...  no one is impossible to knock out... that is what I am saying.  I don't care where Lesnar cam from, WWE, NCAA, NFL, Mars... wherever, he can still be knocked out. 

I'm very curious to see this fight and see Lesnar's jaw get tested.  He definitely has the size, strength, and wrestling background to dominate MMA.  I think with 1 fight under his belt (against a rag-doll) we just need to wait and see what he can take.

We've all seen enough crazy stuff in MMA.  People you think will dominate sometimes don't.  A few months ago I would have told you that no one in the heavyweight division in the UFC could beat Cro Cop and that he would be the heavyweight champ by now, I was dead wrong there. 

[ChadTower]

That is my point exactly...  no one is impossible to knock out... that is what I am saying.  I don't care where Lesnar cam from, WWE, NCAA, NFL, Mars... wherever, he can still be knocked out. 

I haven't said he can't be knocked out.  The key isn't can he take a hit, as I believe he has proven that many times... the key is can he defend himself enough so that he isn't taking many.  That's where the nonMMA athletes always fail.  It's not that they can't take hits... it's that they can't take 10 of them.

We've all seen enough crazy stuff in MMA.  People you think will dominate sometimes don't.  A few months ago I would have told you that no one in the heavyweight division in the UFC could beat Cro Cop and that he would be the heavyweight champ by now, I was dead wrong there. 

Cro Cop was always overrated.  He had a giant rep, sure, but with the level of training guys are getting now, all he showed was that his striking was ahead of the curve... but certainly not superior to it.  He knew he'd never be able to deal with a world class jiu jitsu guy and hasn't been nearly the same here because of his fear of getting taken down.  When he stopped coming forward like a Terminator his effectiveness dwindled.

[CCM]

ok, ok.. I'm not going to go back and forth with you all day.  I realize you are a WWE/Lesnar fan-boy.  All I'm saying is that I am going to wait for Lesnar to prove it in the octagon. 

Some people seem like they have all the tools necessary to dominate in MMA and for some reason they don't.  I'm not going to over-hype Lesnar based on his non-mma background.   He needs to prove himself, which he hasn't done yet. 

There is a very good possibility that within a year he could be undefeated in the UFC and hold the heavyweight title.

I think Frank Mir is a great fighter and will be a great first opponent for Lesnar.  A decisive win against Mir will go a long way in proving to people (including me) that Lesnar is for real.

[ChadTower]

ok, ok.. I'm not going to go back and forth with you all day.  I realize you are a WWE/Lesnar fan-boy.  All I'm saying is that I am going to wait for Lesnar to prove it in the octagon. 

Having an opinion different than yours doesn't make one a fanboy.  Lighten up.

[CCM]

Our opinions aren't that different.  Have you read my posts?  I'm giving props to Lesnar, I think he can be a great fighter, I just want to SEE him be that great fighter before I crown him.

You seem to think that he IS that great MMA fighter already, that's where our difference in opinion lies.

He's a huge strong guy with a monster wrestling background, with a grand total of 1 mma fight...  All I'm saying is lets just wait and see.

Don't get so touchy just because I call you a fan-boy...

[ChadTower]

You seem to think that he IS that great MMA fighter already, that's where our difference in opinion lies.

I haven't said that either... I say "his chin is proven" and you seem to read "lesnar will dominate and can't be knocked out".  You're putting way more into my words than I am. 

Calling someone a fanboy on a web forum is an insult.  We both know that.  It's a double insult to pretend it isn't after the fact.  Still, no worries, can't wait for this fight.

[CCM]

I can't wait for the fight either, that we can agree on...

We can agree to disagree about his chin being proven....

[clanggedin]

We refer to "fanboys" in the MMA world as "nuthuggers" or "jockriders".

Lesner has a chance of losing this one. If Mir looks as good as he did before the accident he could hand Lesner his first loss. Lately it been alot harder to pick who is going to win the fights. So this fight could go either way.

I just really want to see if Lesner is the fighter all of the rumors going around say he is.

[ChadTower]

Definitely.  Those rumors about Lesnar are strong... the rumors about Mir are not all that great, either, so it's possible they see a "big name test" for Lesnar that he is likely to win.  There is a lot of money in Lesnar having at least some success and I'll be surprised if they don't ensure that happens.  Something tells me this isn't much different than enticing Ken Shamrock out of retirement so Ortiz has a big name to slap around and get back onto the title chase.