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This is base salary only, no deductions or bonuses are factored in and neither is money earned from sponsors.
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A good number of the fighters were suspended as a result of some big KO's and submissions.
Thomas will need to have an MRI of his right knee and receive clearance from an orthopedic doctor; otherwise, his suspension will run until March 18, 2008.
4 with no contact until Oct. 20.
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A good night for the UFC all things considered.
The hold from the end of Fight Night to throughout TUF is a good sign. No idea of quarter hour breakdowns though.
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My coin got revenge on me huge in this round, I had a substancial lead headed in to this round but my coin humbled me and pretty much everyone else as well.
We had 3 contests, Scott, Art and myself. Scott and Art defeated their coins in pick-to-pick combat while I was humbled by mine.
UFC ‘Fight Night 11’:
Casey: 3-6 (33.3%) Vs. Coin: 8-1 (88.9%)
Art: 5-4 (55.6%) Vs. Coin: 4-5 (44.4%)
Scott: 6-3 (66.7%) Vs. Coin: 4-5 (44.4%)
Overall:
Casey: 32-22 (59.3%), Coin: 32-22 (59.3%)
Euan: 27-18 (60.0%), Coin 22-23 (48.9%)
Mark: 29-16 (64.4%), Coin: 21-24 (46.7%)
Art: 16-11 (59.3%), Coin 14-13 (51.9%)
Scott: 14-11 (56.0%), Coin: 14-11 (56.0%)
Individual Contest Logs:
Casey: (3-1-2) Vs. Coin (1-3-2)
Art: (2-1-0) Vs. Coin (1-2-0)
Euan: (3-1-1) Vs. Coin (1-3-1)
Mark: (4-1-0) Vs. Coin (1-4-0)
Scott: (1-2-0) Vs. Coin (2-1-0)
Overall: People (13-6-3) Vs. Coins (6-13-3)
Click on Hooligans Vs. Coins for complete recaps of everything so far.
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Welcome to our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 11, the televised card (which is subject to change) is as follows:
-- Kenny Florian Vs. Din Thomas
-- Chris Leben Vs. Terry Martin
-- Junior Assuncao Vs. Nate Diaz
-- Pete Sell Vs. Nate Quarry
Be sure to refresh your web browser for up-to-the-minute coverage. Our coverage begins at 9PM EST.
Don't forget The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs Team Serra premieres at 11PM EST on Spike TV.
Fight #1: Pete Sell Vs. Nate Quarry
-- Round 1: Exchange of punches and kicks starts off the match, Sell gets a nice right punch in, has Quarry clinched against the cage. Sell in control for the timebeing getting in some knees before the ref brings them back to the middle of the cage, Quarry gets some shots in and it's pretty even thus far. More punches exchanged, Quarry lands some knee strikes, Sell bleeding from his left eye, Quarry with a bloody nose and clinched against the cage. Quarry goes for a flying knee and almost slips, Sell getting more punches in. round concludes with Sell taking control. I'd give the round to Sell.
-- Round 2: Quarry coming in with low leg kicks after an exchange of punches, Sell knocks Quarry to the mat but he gets right back up, almost looked like a KO. Sell's landing some nice rights, Quarry's not done yes though, both men on the ground and Sell sets up a guillotine, both men back up. Sell with a superman punch and more rights thrown, Sell throws in a low kick, so does Quarry. Quarry follows up with more low kicks. Again I'd give it to Sell.
-- Round 3: Quarry comes in right away with low kicks, more aggressive but Sell answers back with punches but Quarry KO's him for this win, damn!
Fight #2: Junior Assuncao Vs. Nate Diaz
-- Round 1: Assuncao comes in with two kicks, gets clinched to the cage by Diaz, Diaz with a kimuta lock and takes Assuncao down. Assuncao has Diaz's back on the mat, both men back up with Diaz against the cage. Back on the mat, Diaz again with a Kimura with Assuncao on top, Assuncao rolls Diaz for a choke but both men back up, excellent grappling thus far. Assuncao with a knee, Diaz rocks him punches and takes Assuncao to the ground holding him in a guillotine and Assuncao taps out, Diaz gets the win. Very cool ground game with nice reversals and countering.
-- Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin are on stand-by via remote to be interviewed about Saturday's UFC 76 event. Liddell looks like a deer in the headlights. Liddell doesn't underestimate his opponent Keith Jardine, he's open to fighting anyone to get a title shot against Quinton Jackson.
Griffin goes against Mauricio Shogun Rua, Griffin says Rua is kind of good and that he's willing to fight the top fighters and that fighting Rua will put him further as a top fighter.
Fight #3: Chris Leben Vs. Terry Martin:
Round 1: Leben with inside leg licks, punches traded and fight goes to the ground, Martin in Leben's guard, both men back back on their feet. Punches traded, Martin attempts a takedown, Leben clinched against the cage, Martin takes Leben down and loses a point for grabbing the fence. Back on their feet, punches and knees exchanged, Martin traps Leben against the cage again. Leben stomps Martin's right foot, round ends.
Round 2: Leben laying in knees and traps Martin against the fence following up with more foot stomps, has Martin in a guillotine, Leben fights from the clinch. Punches exchanged, Martin looks tired, Leben throws some nice punches, nice body blow from Martin. Knees exchanged and Martin breaks from the clinch, Martin takes Leben down in Leben's guard. Leben strikes Martin from below, Leben with a triangle, Leben needs to bring his left leg more into the choke. Round ends, Leben gets this one in my opinion.
Round 3: Martin comes in with strikes and an uppercut and clinches Leben against the cage, Leben with a knee, Martin tries a takedown without any luck. Martin lands some nice punches, both men tired at thids point. Leben with a kick and gets taken down, both men back up landing a left hook. Martin with a knee to Leben, tired strikes exchanged. Martin with a takedown, both men back up, Martin with a huge right, Leben knocks Martin out with an awesome left hook!
-- A trailer for TUF season 6 airs, I cannot wait~!!! The foosball table getting dumped in the pool cracked me up!
Fight #4: Kenny Florian Vs. Din Thomas
Round 1: Florian with a low kick, Thomas returns one as well and follows up with some punches, Florian with a low kick to Thomas below the belt. Thomas takes Florian to the ground, back on the ground. Florian takes down Thomas and punching the shit out of Thomas and hooks him in with a rear naked choke for the win.
Thank you for joining us tonight for live coverage, we'll be back this weekend for coverage of UFC 76, Cage Rage 23 and Chikara.
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Time is running out. Wednesday night is 'Fight Night 11. You can make your picks and read those of others by here plus, don't forget to toss those coins.
Also, Art will have live coverage of Fight Night 11 here on the site.
Then, stay tuned for the Ultimate Fighter season 6 premier and there'll be a reaction piece to it from someone on the site shortly following, maybe myself, maybe Art will write something, maybe we'll write something together. Plus, Euan will be along with a thursday recap of TUF.
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Dark Bouts:
Televised Bouts:
Everyone made weight.
You can read my preview of the show: Here
You can see the staff's picks and make your own: here
Ric Gillespie's "Ric's Quick Picks" but shouldn't it be Ric's Qwic Pics or Ric's Quic Pics? But, whatever it is, you can read his here
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I’m back for the first of 4 big MMA Previews this week. I’ve got this show, plus the IFL Finals, UFC 76 and Cage Rage 23. So expect some MMA goodness this week. I’ve also brought back my favorite whipping coin the 1979 United States quarter which I’ve yet to lose to in the 5 previous pick contests.
Welterweight Bout (Dark):
Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves: 23, 5'8, 170, 16-4-0
Vs.
Kuniyoshi Hironaka: 30, 5'10, 170, 11-3-0
Alves is making his return to the UFC for the first time since UFC 66 where he stopped Tony DeSouza in the second round. He’s been off serving a drug suspension since then but looks to improve on his 4-2 UFC record. His UFC victories have come against Ansar Chalangov, Derrick Noble, WEC Welterweight John Alessio and Desouza. His losses were to Spencer Fisher in Alves’ UFC debut and to Jon Fitch. Fitch is a common opponent for both Alves and Hironaka and they both were defeated Alves by TKO and Hironaka by decision.
Hironaka is making his third appearance in the Octagon, losing to Fitch in his debut at UFC 64 in October 2006 but rebounding to defeat Forrest Petz at Fight Night 9 in April of this year. In the Fitch fight, Hironaka took quite the beating but Fitch was unable to finish him.
This would ordinarily be a tough fight for me to call. Both guys are going to prefer a standup game but if one shows a clear edge the other will look to take it to the ground. Hard to pick the better slugger which is why this is tough. However, the decision became easy once I got a look at Hironaka’s Q&A with UFC.com Thoughts on upcoming opponent, Thiago Alves? Thiago-san is very aggressive and fast so I am planning to out-do all that he possesses and showcase what Japanese fighters are all about. He will be in for an MMA clinic in Las Vegas and I hope he likes it.
That’s a 5 star answer if I’ve ever heard it. I’ll take Kuniyoshi Hironaka by decision and I hope this fight makes air so Art has to type Kuniyoshi Hironaka a few times.
Winner: Kuniyoshi Hironaka
Coin Picks: Thiago Alves
Lightweight Bout (Dark):
Cole "Magrino" Miller: 23, 6'1, 155, 12-2-0
Vs.
Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia: 27, 5'10, 155, 14-2-0
Cole Miller was a lightweight on season 5 of the Ultimate Fighter and we’ve got a whole theme of former TUF cast members fighting on this show. Miller was eliminated from TUF by Joe Lauzon after defeating Monsta Lobsta Alan Berube in his first fight. On the TUF 5 Finale, Miller took on Andy Wang winning by TKO in 1:10 of Round 1.
Garcia has 2 fights under his UFC belt. He’s suffered a decision loss to Roger Huerta in a slugfest at UFC 69. The fight was one of the better of the whole year and to reward Garcia, UFC decided to feed him Monsta Lobsta Alan Berube on the TUF 5 Finale. It was a feeding alright as Garcia put an owning on Berube winning by submission at 4:22 in the first round. So both men submitted Berube in the first round, only Garcia’s happened in a fight that wasn’t an exhibition. However, that makes them both heroes in my eyes because Berube annoyed me to know end.
Garcia showed a willingness to stand and trade with Huerta back in April. Both of these men prefer to go the submission route which tells me that this fight will eventually end up on the ground. Another tough fight for me to call because I like both guys. I am going to go with Garcia based on the flimsy premise that he’s a bad boy. A prediction I’m more confident in is that this will be another fun fight while it lasts.
Winner: Leonard Garcia
Coin Picks: Cole Miller
Welterweight Bout (Dark):
Edilberto Crocota: 24, 6'0, 170, 10-1-1
Vs.
"The Silent Assassin" Luke Cummo: 27, 6'0, 170, 8-4-0
Ah, Luke. Crazy wackly Luke Cummo. Luke was one of the few personalities showcased on Season 2 of TUF and since then has gone 2-2 in the UFC. He lost to Joe Stevenson at the TUF 2 Finale in a really fun fight. He bounced back with a win over Jason Von Flue at Fight Night 4 before losing to Jonathan Goulet at Fight Night 5. In his last bout at UFC 69, Cummo defeated Josh Haynes by TKO in the second round. Luke seems to have a pattern of win one lose one which is good news for Crocota in theory. Reason 1 of many why you should love Luke? Thoughts on upcoming opponent, Edilberto Crocota? He looks scary. I'd better train my ass off.
As for Crocota at UFC 70 he made his Octagon debut and was on the losing end to England’s Paul Taylor. That was the first loss in Crocota’s MMA career. If I’m Luke, I’m scared that this man trains boxing with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva. Hell, I’m not Luke and I’m still scared.
Luke is just one of those guys who it is hard to pick against because he’s such a scrapper. He hung tough with Joe Stevenson at a time when nobody gave him a hope in hell of doing so. Still I’m going to take Crocota in a mild upset just to be different. He’d better win if he wants to be brought back going 0-2 in your first 2 UFC bouts is a tough thing to recover from.
Winner: Edilberto Crocota
Coin Picks: Luke Cummo
Lightweight Bout (Dark):
"Mighty”"Joe Veres: 29, 5'6, 155, 5-1-0
Vs.
Gray "The Bully" Maynard: 28, 5'8, 155, 3-0-1
This is Veres’ debut in the UFC. According to his profile, Veres did some High School and college wrestling and decided against Olympic training. He’s been fighting since 2002. He lists his strengths as wrestling, power and striking. His favorite technique is belief in himself which I didn’t know was a technique. I must say thought that I don’t usually dig nicknames, but Mighty Joe Veres seems to work.
Gray Maynard was another cast member on season 5 of the Ultimate fighter. He made it all the way to the semis on that show before falling to eventual winner Nate Diaz. Maynard is a great wrestler who trains with Randy Couture which seems to benefit people for some hard to explain reason. Maynard is coming off of a no contest with Rob Emerson at the TUF 5 Finale where the NSAC ruled that both he and Emerson had been knocked out on a big Maynard slam.
I’m picking Gray Maynard because of familiarity and his strong wrestling background. Veres could surprise me but that’s the choice for this one.
Winner: Gray Maynard
Coin Picks: Gray Maynard
Welterweight Bout (Dark):
"The Road Warrior" Jonathan Goulet: 28, 6'0, 170, 19-8-1
Vs.
Dustin Hazelett: 21, 6'1, 170, 11-3-0
This was originally supposed to be Goulet Vs. Mike Swick in the latter’s first fight at Welterweight. However, Swick pulled out due to injury and is replaced by Hazelett. It sucks to be Dustin Hazelett. He takes a fight on short notice, he’s known for having entertaining fights in the Octagon and yet when he is named the replacement the fight is dropped to dark status.
Goulet is making his return to the UFC after more than a year away. He stands at 2-2 in the Octagon, defeating Jay Hieron and Luke Cummo with losses to Duane Ludwig in 11 seconds and Josh Koscheck. Goulet fights a lot in the TKO promotion in his home-country of Canada.
Goulet has a brutally honest assessment of his opponent, I’ll give him that. What are your thoughts on your opponent, Dustin Hazelett? I don't even know him but I don't care. Maybe he's good, maybe not; I don't know what it's going to happen during that fight, but what I want to do is to push the pace and punish him because I need the win.
Allow me to introduce Mr. Goulet to his opponent Dustin Hazelett. Hazelett started off with a loss to Tony DeSouza in his UFC debut at Shamrock-Ortiz III, the final chapter. He has rebounded with wins over Diego Saraiva and Stevie Lynch this year.
Goulet likes to stand, Hazelett looks for submissions. I’m going to go with Goulet in this fight due to preparation time, though if Hazelett comes in with a chip on his shoulder for being demoted to dark fight status, that could be trouble. Goulet by second round KO.
Winner: Jonathan Goulet
Coin Picks: Jonathan Goulet
Middleweight Bout:
Nate "The Rock" Quarry: 35, 6'0, 185, 14-2-0
Vs.
Pete "Drago" Sell: 24, 5'11, 185, 7-4-0
Quarry was a participant on season 1 of the Ultimate Fighter but had to withdraw from the competition due to an injury. He ran off a string of 3 successive victories in the UFC at the TUF 1 Finale over Ludune Sincaid, at UFC 53 over Shonie Carter and at Fight Night 1 over his fight night 11 opponent Pete Sell. This earned him a shot at Rich Franklin’s Middleweight title at UFC 56 on 11/19/05 in which Franklin fustigated him in 2:34 of Round 1. Quarry was absent from the UFC for quite awhile and is back almost 2 years later. It was injuries that set Quarry back and kept him out for so long.
Sell was a cast member on TUF Season 4 ‘The Comeback’. He debuted at UFC 51 defeating Phil Baroni by third round submission. The loss to Quarry followed in August of ’05. On the TUF 4 Finale he lost to Scott Smith in one of the craziest finishes you’re ever going to see when he wounded Smith with a shot charged in for the kill and was knocked out. His last fight was a UFC 69 loss to Thales Leites.
Hopefully, this fight lasts longer than the first time these met when Quarry finished him in 42 seconds. I think this is it for Sell in the UFC unless he wins which means I think this is it for Sell in the UFC. Quarry is really talented and it will be good to see him back.
Winner: Nate Quarry
Coin Picks: Nate Quarry
Lightweight Bout:
Junior Assuncao: 25, 5'9, 155, 6-2-0
Vs.
Nate Diaz: 22, 6'0, 155, 6-2-0
Diaz is the younger brother of Nick Diaz who was victorious on Saturday’s EXC show from Hawaii. Diaz was also the winner of season 5 of TUF defeating Manny Gamburyan in the finals back in June. Nate is also a much less hate inspiring fighter than older brother Nick.
Assuncao made his UFC debut at UfC 64 losing to Kurt Pellegrino via submission. At UFC 70 back in April of this year, he submitted David Lee in the second round. I’m sure even though nobody would admit it that Assuncao is an opponent to allow Diaz to showcase his stuff. Unfortunately, it may not end up going that way.
Both guys are jiu-jitsu practitioners but both also have no problem standing and trading. I’ve got a funny feeling we could see an upset but I’ll take Diaz by second rund submission. I just think he’s the better fighter.
Winner: Nate Diaz
Coin Picks: Nate Diaz
Middleweight Bout:
Terry Martin: 26, 5'9, 185, 18-2-0
Vs.
Chris "The Crippler" Leben: 27, 5'11, 185, 15-4-0
Terry Martin is a prime example of what a switch in weight class can do for a guy. Martin started off his UFC career with back-to-back losses to James Irvin and Jason Lambert at 205. He dropped to Middleweight and fustigated Jorge Rivera at UFC 67 winning in 14 seconds. He followed that up with a TKO of Ivan Salaverry at UFC 71 in May.
Leben is another cast member from the Ultimate Fighter’s first season. He started off 5-0 in the UFC with wins over Jason Thacker, Patrick Cote, Edwin Dewees, Jorge Rivera and Luigi Fioravanti. Then it happened, Leben faced Anderson Silva in his UFC debut and was flattened in 0:49 in June of last year. He rebounded with a victory over Jorge Santiago in August. He has since lost back to back fights to Jason MacDonald at UFC 66 and then Kalib Starnes at UFC 71. So Leben really needs a win here.
There’s no question as to what this is going to be. Leben likes to stand and Martin has very heavy hands. Don’t expect a battle of ground work and Jiu-jitsu or wrestling and submissions. So when both guys like to bang and are going to bang, who wins? I’m predicting Martin, his KO power is outstanding and Leben hasn’t been the same since being on the bad side of an Anderson Silva beating.
Winner: Terry Martin
Coin Picks: Chris Leben
Lightweight Bout:
Din "DinYero" Thomas: 30, 5'9, 155, 23-7-0
Vs.
Kenny "KenFlo" Florian: 30, 5'10, 155, 9-3-0
Florian was the Welterweight runner-up on the Ultimate Fighter season 1 losing to Diego Sanchez in the finals. Hatred of Florian’s nickname aside, this man has really improved since the 5 round beating he took from Sean Sherk at UFC 64 to crown a lightweight champion. He’s finished Dokonjonosuke Mishima at Fight Night 9 in April and then Alvin Robinson back in July at UFC 73. Florian is a late replacement in this match for Spencer Fisher. As much as I was looking forward to that, I want to see this one even more.
Din Thomas was on TUF 4 and has a 5-2 UFC record. He’s lost to BJ Penn and Kaol Uno but does hold a victory over current Welterweight champ Matt Serra via majority decision.
I mentioned in the last fight that it would be contested on the feet. Well, this one is likely headed to the ground to be a battle of grappling and submissions. They’re not going to be afraid to stand for awhile but I think it will hit the ground sooner rather than later. So the question is who’s better? It is a close one but I believe that while Florian is a very tough opponent and a win in this fight wouldn’t shock me, Thomas is in the next class above. This could be a key determining fight in the race to possibly crown a new Lightweight champion should Sean Sherk’s appeal be denied. I’m going to take Thomas but I never do this, so this should tell you how close I think it can be, I’ll take Thomas by split decision.
Winner: Din Thomas
Coin Picks: Kenny Florian
I hope you’ve enjoyed this preview. Art Shimko will have live coverage of the SpikeTV portion of this event starting at 9:00 PM ET. If you wish to see the rest of the staff’s predictions, Click Here
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In my previous post dealing with Hooligans Vs. Coins month, I mentioned 4 big events this week to round out the month.
Wednesday: 09/19
Thursday: 09/20
Saturday: 09/22
Saturday: 09/22
Lots of MMA goodness this week. So get those picks in and flip those coins.
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UFC confirms that Dustin Hazelett has been tabbed to replace Mike Swick against Jonathan Goulet at Fight Night 11 on 09/19.
The card...
This is the event that will lead in to the premier of the Ultimate Fighter 6.
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Mike Swick who was scheduled to take on Jonathan Goulet in a Welterweight contest has injured his ribs in training and has had to pull out of his scheduled 09/19 fight.
The Card as it stands...
The first 3 are scheduled for air on SpikeTV before the premier of The Ultimate Fighter 6. The Swick-Goulet bout was also scheduled to air before Swick's injury. Internet rumors have Dustin Hazelett being offered the fight.
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Welcome to the first ever Combat-Hooligans.com guide to what’s on. This column is going to break down the major MMA and Wrestling shows this month (sorry boxing fans, but I’m still learning about your sport so I don’t feel qualified to list the bigger boxing events here in comparison to these others) and I’ll prioritize them for you from must watch to must skip. We’ve got 6 major shows this month in the U.S. and two more overseas. I’m not including things such as the IFL Championships, which aren’t being broadcast until well after their conclusion.
So, from best to worst, you’re watch guide for the month.
The UFC is holding 3 cards in the month of September, but this is the one of the three that packs the most interest for me. First, you have Chuck Liddell and how he’ll respond to his loss to Quinton ‘Rampage Jackson back at UFC 71 and he’s taking on Keith Jardine who was upset by Houston Alexander on that same show. It is an intriguing main event to be sure.
You also get the UFC debut of one of, if not the best, 205-pound fighters in the world in Mauricio Rua as he takes on a much-improved Forrest Griffin. You also get a key matchup in the Welterweight division as Diego Sanchez looks to bounce back from his first ever loss against a man looking to climb in to the top 3 of the division in Jon Fitch. Plus, in a lightweight bout, Thiago Tavares takes on Tyson Griffin and Griffin doesn’t have boring fights.
If you can only buy one show this month, make it this one. If you can only watch one show this month under penalty of divorce, make it this one.
I recommend this show over some of the other shows you can see for free because of its familiarity. Chris Leben, Nathan Diaz, Kenny Florian, Din Thomas and Mike Swick…those are all names of guys who are known by the UFC audience because of the Ultimate Fighter. I think the main event between Din Thomas and Kenny Florian could be a very interesting fight excitement wise, but may be important if Sean Sherk is stripped of his Lightweight title. The winner of this would join Joe Stevenson and BJ Penn as guys who could be in the mix to take that belt. Plus, this show leads in to the premier of the Ultimate Fighter 6 and that’s not too shabby.
You probably expected UFC to take the top 3 spots but that’s ok, the punishment for your being wrong is merely death. Anyway, I rank this ahead of UFC 75 for a couple of reasons. The televised portion of this card is going to air live in the United States, which is always a plus, and it features the lighter weight classes. I think the most compelling match on this show is Beebe Vs. Yahya for the Bantamweight Championship. The one drawback for the casual fan is familiarity. Unless you watch the sport a lot you’re probably not going to know about Crunkilton and McCullough before it airs but that can also be advantageous because it makes for some unpredictability. I might’ve ranked this show higher if not for the injury that took Jens Pulver out of his bout with Cub Swanson.
Yes, you get Dan Henderson Vs. Quinton Jackson in what could ultimately be the only unification match between Pride and UFC champions. However, there are several drawbacks to this show that made me drop it to 4th on the list and truthfully I almost put it at #5.
The first drawback is that this is a tape-delayed event. So, not only do you have to go the whole evening without being spoiled but it also allows SpikeTV to insert more commercials than they would in a Fight Night show or other live event.
Plus, outside of the top match there’s not a lot to look forward to seeing. Mirko Cro Cop Vs. Cheick Kongo is a battle of strikers and could be interesting but if neither is eager to engage it could be very boring as well. Michael Bisping Vs. Matt Hamill is interesting to those who remember the Ultimate Fighter 3 and why we didn’t see that matchup sooner but Bisping’s appeal will be for the live audience more than the PPV audience. The other guaranteed televised bout is Houston Alexander Vs. Alessio Sakara and while I love Alexander and want to see if he can follow up on his performance against Jardine, there are better fights this month. But, I can’t dismiss this show completely because of the title fight and the fact you don’t have to pay for it. If this had been a PPV I might feel differently.
I’m personally looking forward to this show more than UFC 75. There is a curiosity factor around this show. If you’ve not ever seen Gina Carano or Women’s MMA then this is a show to check out. I’m curious to see the return of Nick Diaz and I believe the Main Event between Murilo Rua and Robbie Lawler for the EXC Middleweight title is a very interesting matchup between 2 quality fighters. You can also see one of the best Welterweights not under UFC contract in Jake Shields.
So if I like this show so much, why rank it below UFC 75? Remember, this is my guide for what I think the casual fans will want to see, not necessarily myself. Since that is the case, familiarity is a factor. Robbie Lawler’s time in UFC came before the boom, Diaz is definitely a known name but outside of that there isn’t much for someone who doesn’t know these people to get excited about. However, if you have the chance, watch this show because EXC has not put on a boring show yet and I don’t see it starting to with this one.
I’d love to recommend this higher but I simply can’t do so for people in the U.S. In the states you’d have to watch this over ProElite.com and the familiarity factor is lower for this show than for any of the ones listed above it. If you’ve got time while waiting for UFC 76 then check out the stream (I’m assuming it will be available but don’t know for sure) and if you don’t then come to combat-hooligans.com as Euan will have a report up shortly after the show ends.
It is tough for me to recommend this show without knowing the card. I also find it tough to recommend because WWE shows have the potential to be good but most are never $40 good if that makes sense. Add to that the fact you can wait a month, buy the DVD of the event for $14 and have a permanent copy with extra features and it is a tough sell. However, it isn’t as tough a sell as…
I can’t recommend this show because of the TNA Boycott. Even if there were no boycott I wouldn’t recommend this show because of how awful last month’s show ended up being. Add to that it is on opening day of football season and that Pacman Jones is advertised to wrestle but won’t be doing so, oh and don’t forget the horrible booking, and even at the $29.95 mark I’m telling you to skip it.
I will say that usually TNA PPV events do feature good wrestling matches but the booking and general direction of the company far outweighs any of that. If you’re a fan of Kurt Angle though, he is scheduled to wrestle 3 matches on this show.
I hope you have enjoyed this month’s guide to what’s on. You’re welcome to leave your own list in the comments section and stay tuned for this columns return to examine October in about a month.
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That's the word given in today's update at wrestlingobserver.com. Florian would be stepping in for Spencer Fisher who is one of a few MFS Fighters in Iowa who has contracted Staff Infection, Drew McFedries and Tim Sylvia also have it.
It would also add another TUF Alumn to a show that was built as a showcase of them.
The card...
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That's the word according to a MySpace.com bulleton that came from his account. Hey everybody. I just want all of you to know that I am out of my fight in September with Din due to a staph infection in my knee.
I used the ? in the heading of the post because when it comes to things posted on MySpace, it is always good to ? them.
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Luke Cummo is the one responsible for this getting out there, so you'd think that he would know.
Fight Night 11 will air on SpikeTV Wednesday Night September 19 from 9:00 to 11:00 PM ET right before the premier of the Ultimate Fighter 6 which features a cast of 16 welterweights.
Crocota is coming off a loss to Paul Tayler at UFC 70 back in April and probably needs a win to be invited back to the UFC. Luke Cummo defeated Josh Haynes at UFC 69, also in April and is a little more secure in his future.
The card as it stands:
This card isn't loaded with stars, but I like watching a number of these guys fight, namely Thomas, Fisher and Swick. Martin and Leben could also be entertaining.
Stumble it!
