A Stranger in a Strange Land

UFC 135 Preview and Predictions!

I’ll be doing my “official” blog reboot with a more introspective entry, but for now, it’s fight night!! I’m going to get right into it as the event is already started and I’m watching the Prelims on Spike. 

Mark Hunt vs. Ben Rothwell

In the first fight of the night there better be reinforced panels used for the cage, because man there’s gonna be a lot of beef in the ring. Both guys weighted in at the limit yesterday at weigh-ins of 265 and both will probably come in more than that at the fight. I think that’s going to play a huge difference in this fight as traditionally Mark Hunt has always come in the bigger stronger man, especially against opponents in his PRIDE days. Not tonight. Rothwell, while not as dangerous a striker as the K-1 champion Mark Hunt with his granite hands and his iron jaw, is a much better grappler than Hunt. Rothwell, who is also the bigger man should be able to neutralize most of Hunts attack with superior grappling and the much longer reach. This fight could easily go 10 seconds, but I think it’s going to be a Rothwell grinding win, and end sometime in the 3rd round. 

Result - Rothwell 3rd Round TKO

Nate Diaz vs Takenori Gomi

I really like this matchup, it has the potential to be Fight of the Night. I think Diaz has the advantage in two particular aspects which will guide him to victory, ground grappling, and the length and reach advantage of his strikes. Gomi has iron hands, and is very capable of stopping Diaz with his strikes, however, we’ve seen Gomi in his last few fights have trouble with strikers who can keep him out of his comfort zone striking and can neutralize his very good ground and pound. I don’t see that much changing, because Diaz is excellent at fighting off his back, and will be able to in my opinion keep Gomi on the outside so he cannot land the hooks and body blows that made him so dangerous in his PRIDE days. Either way, expect fireworks as two of the most aggressive and fearless lightweights step in for this one.

Result - Diaz 2nd Round Submission

Travis Browne vs Rob Broughton

A underrated matchup between two up and comers in the heavyweight division. Travis Browne has been on a roll lately finishing 4 of his last 5 fights all in the UFC by knockout. Rob Broughton, who just made his UFC debut in his last fight looked excellent winning, and will bring almost twice the experience of Browne into this fight. Browne’s athleticism and punching power cannot be underestimated however, and in the battle of strikers I have to give the edge to Browne. Broughton needs to take Browne out of his comfort zone on the feet if he wants to have any shot at pulling the upset over the Hawaiian. That being said, I think it’s going to be a slobberknocker and Browne is going to come up on top.

Result - Browne 3rd Round KO

Josh Koscheck vs Matt Hughes

I wish I could pick Matt Hughes in this one, as I really dislike Josh Koscheck, but unfortunately the thinking man in me overrides the gambler. Koscheck is better on paper in everything at this point in both men’s careers, Wrestling, Striking and Kos has the advantage in the power realm as he has been known to one punch KO people. Hughes on the other hand has looked good in some of his fights and terrible in some of them, inconsistancy especially against BJ Penn has cost him. I think Hughes, while one of the greatest of all time, has lost a step, has lost the hunger that made him the champion, and it’s going to be hard to overcome a stronger, faster younger man in Koscheck. 

Result - Josh Koscheck by Decision

Jon Jones vs Rampage Jackson

I am torn in this fight as I really like both fighters. Most experts have Jones to win in a walk almost against the former PRIDE and UFC champion, but I don’t have it quite so one sided. I think Rampage brings a lot of interesting things to this fight, while in the lead up to this fight, I cannot shake the feeling that Jones might be pegged by Rampage correctly as a champion who only got the belt because of the surgery on both knees and elbow and subsequent rust of Shogun Rua. Rampage looked in INCREDIBLE shape at the weigh-ins yesterday, and he has looked relaxed and ready all week, while Jones has looked tense in most situations or almost had a fake calm projecting off of him. I think Jones is the better all around fighter, and has the clear advantage on the ground, but striking is a lot closer than again, people would give Rampage credit for. Rampage is going to test Jones chin, and I would be shocked that if some point in the fight, Jones doesn’t feel that power, in a way he has never felt before. It’s going to be interesting to see how the young champion deals with that kind of striking, something he simply has never faced before. I am picking Jones to win, but if I were a betting man, at the odds vegas is giving right now, 5 to 1, I would definitely bet on Rampage, as I think those are way way off. I could definitely see the upset, but I’m gonna go with the safe pick. Either way, great match, and should be very exciting.

Result - Jon Jones 4th Round Ground and Pound TKO

Be back tomorrow with something less jockish. Thanks for reading!

24

September

4 notes

#UFC #MMA #Fighting #Jon Jones #Rampage Jackson

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

- Japanese Proverb

18

August

"When the accumulation of wealth is no longer of high social importance, there will be great changes in the code of morals. We shall be able to rid ourselves of many of the pseudo-moral principles which have hag-ridden us for two hundred years, by which we have exalted some of the most distasteful of human qualities into the position of the highest virtues. We shall be able to afford to dare to assess the money-motive at its true value. The love of money as a possession — as distinguished from the love of money as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life — will be recognised for what it is, a somewhat disgusting morbidity, one of those semi-criminal, semi-pathological propensities which one hands over with a shudder to the specialists in mental disease … But beware! The time for all this is not yet. For at least another hundred years we must pretend to ourselves and to everyone that fair is foul and foul is fair; for foul is useful and fair is not. Avarice and usury and precaution must be our gods for a little longer still."

- John Maynard Keynes, Economist - 1930

05

August

"You could take the view that our exploration of the universe has made us somehow insignificant, one tiny planet, around one common enough star amongst hundreds of billions. That idea scares a lot of people, and for good reason. But I don’t take that view, because we’ve discovered that it takes the rarest combination of chance and the laws of nature that produces a planet, that can support a civilization, that most magnificent structure that allows us to explore and understand the universe. Thats why for me, our civilization is “the wonder” of the solar system. If you were looking at the Earth from outside our solar system, that much would be obvious."

- Professor Brian Cox, Host of “Wonders of the Universe”

22

July

"Like everyone else, you want to learn the way to win, but never to accept how to lose. To accept defeat - to learn to die - is to be liberated from it. So when tomorrow comes, you must free your ambitious mind and learn the art of dying."

- Bruce Lee

21

July

animationfixation:

Chocolate, Mac, Men.

(Source: )

21

July

194 notes

This photo was reblogged from and originally by .

UFC 128 Bones Jones vs Shogun

Oh my goodness, I am quite excited about this fight night, easily one of the strongest cards I can remember. I see it being a HUGE night for the young guys in the UFC culminating in a big win for Jon Jones. Let me get right into it as the event is starting RIGHT NOW!

Kurt Pellegrino vs Gleison Tibau - Tibau Decision Win I think Gleison is way too strong for Pellegrino, and is quite good on the ground, neutralizing Pellegrinos strongest suit BJJ. Gleison grinds out a win over a strong Batman Pellegrino

Ricardo Almeida vs Mike Pyle - Mike Pyle 2nd Round TKO, Almeida isn’t strong enough in the stand up to hang with a guy that just stopped John Hathaway, Pyle keeps it rolling by dispatching Almeida with strikes.

Edson Barboza vs Anthony Njokuani - Edson Barboza 1st Round KO - Barboza is an animal, one of the best up and comers in the weight class. I see him chopping Njokuani down and crushing him with some savage Muay Thai

Eliot Marshall vs Luiz Cane - Eliot Marshall 2nd Round Submission - Luiz Cane is going down, Eliot Marshall is coming up. I don’t see any of that changing, as I see Marshall closing distance and out grappling Cane for the win.

Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus - Jim Miller 3rd Round TKO - I just see this being a slugfest, it could easily turn into a strong grappling match if Miller decides to make it so, but I doubt it. Could be fight of the night.

Brendan Schaub vs. Mirko Crocop Filipovic - Brendan Schaub KO 2nd Round - Also a contender for fight of the night, as I see these two just going at it toe to toe. If Schaub is smart he’ll take the fight to the ground and get the win with the path of least resistance, but I doubt it’ll get that far. It’s a coin toss between these two, Schaub has KO power in his hands, Crocop the knockout kicks….

Nate Marquardt vs Dan Miller - Dan Miller Decision Win - I think this is going to be a great fight as well with Dan Miller pulling out the decision win. I think Miller is hungry, he’s looked great in his last 3 fights, and I think he’ll take a close win here against Nate the Great.

Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland - Urijah Faber 2nd Round Submission - Looking forward to this one too, it’s going to be a 100 mile an hour fight. Faber’s probably going to look to take this to the ground where he’s a much better wresltler and grappler than Wineland who is quite dangerous on his feet. Wineland has KO power, and Urijah probably won’t want much of it.

Jon Jones vs Shogun Rua - Jon Jones 3rd Round TKO - I think this fight is so evenly matched it comes down to stylistic matchups and the flow of the fight. I doubt that Jones will be rattled by the stage, and I don’t see experience coming into play as much as some would have me believe. I expect Jones to come out striking and using his range against Shoguns world class muay thai. He’ll look for an opening to take the fight to the ground and control Shogun. Shogun has always shown weakness against strong ground fighters, not that he’s especially weak, but he doesn’t attack from the ground, mostly relying on sweeps. Jones will see those coming a mile away, and I think Rua will be best served by trying to keep the fight standing and unleash on Jones. The longer the fight goes on, the better it’s gonna be for Rua, and it could easily come down to chopping Jones down to size. Rua’s going to be aiming directly for Jones thin legs, and try and keep his explosivity down to a minimum. I like Jones for his wrestling and his creativity. I’m betting there’s gonna be a new champion tonight. 

19

March

So true, and I too am appalled by that fact. Nothing but love for Jon though.

19

March

"The trouble with radicals is that they only read radical literature, and the trouble with conservatives is that they don’t read at all."

- Thomas Nixon Carver

18

March

"Mike, let me tell you something. The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it. The way the sun goes down when you’re tired, comes up when you want to be on the move. That’s real magic. The way a leaf grows. The song of the birds. The way the desert looks at night, with the moon embracing it. Oh, my boy, that’s… that’s circus enough for anyone. Every time you watch a rainbow and feel wonder in your heart. Every time you pick up a handful of dust, and see not the dust, but a mystery, a marvel, there in your hand. Every time you stop and think, “I’m alive, and being alive is fantastic!” Every time such a thing happens, you’re part of the Circus of Dr. Lao."

- Dr. Lao in The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao

06

March