MMA Quick Hits: UFC and MMA News

UFC Welcomes James "Lights Out" Toney
March 4, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

According to FiveOuncesofPain.com, James "Lights Out" Toney has recently signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC. This will definitely add intrigue to presumably the heavyweight division, but will it be more than a side show?

Brock Lesnar entered the UFC known primarily as a professional wrestler. He soon proved critics wrong by capturing the UFC Heavyweight title. Lesnar's background in wrestling was a tremendous help in his mixed martial arts debut and subsequent contests. Can someone with a background primarily in boxing succeed in MMA?

Toney will enter the Octagon with no MMA experience and at 41 years of age. He was named the Ring Magazine and Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year in both 1991 and 2003. James Toney's boxing record is 72 wins, 6 defeats, 3 draws, and 2 no contests.

Don't expect much from Toney. His debut in the UFC will most likely be on a PPV event, and will definitely increase viewership, but any fighter with "stand-up only" skills cannot succeed in MMA. If Toney is pitted against a fighter with wrestling or jiu jitsu skills he will probably meet with defeat. If "Lights Out" faces a striker, primarily a puncher, he will stand a great chance of winning by knockout.

Regardless, Toney's debut, whenever that may be, will be interesting to watch. One thing is for sure, he better start a crash course in takedown defense and scrambling skills. To read the entire article at FiveOuncesofPain.com click here.

UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones Predictions
March 1, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

Another UFC event is right around the corner. As a result, MMA Quick Hits is ready to make it's fight predictions. Since trying our hand at picking outcomes we stand at 4-8 (50%). We can't get much worse so for what it's worth, here we go again.

Clay Guida vs. Shannon Gugerty is an easy fight for us to pick. Gugerty is an excellent submission specialist with long limbs. Clay Guida on the other hand is a cardio machine who doesn't know the meaning of taking a step back or grabbing a quick breather. One of MMA Quick Hit's favorite fighters is The Carpenter, thus we are picking Clay Guida to win this contest.

Alessio Sakara taking on James Irvin is basically a coin toss. Sakara's chin isn't the best, and Irvin's fists are pretty good. To keep it simple - Irvin wins.

Next we have Cheick Kongo and Paul Buentello. Buentello is a veteran striker whose arsenal consists of almost nothing but punches. Kongo is also a striker but with a little more variety to his game. On paper you have to think someone is going to get KO'd in this contest. Kongo is slightly younger, and has the reach advantage. MMA Quick Hits gives the edge to Cheick Kongo.

The co-main event features rising heavyweight star Junior Dos Santos against Gabriel Gonzaga. This will definitely be Dos Santos' toughest test to date. Gonzaga is 3-3 in his last six contests. Dos Santos is simply a machine. Junior is making his way up the heavyweight title contention ladder and we don't think he is going to slip down a rung in this bout. Look for Junior Dos Santos to continue his winning ways.

Finally, MMA Quick Hits' prediciton for the main event of the evening: Jon "Bones" Jones vs. Brandon "The Truth" Vera. Since Vera's contractual holdout from November 2006 to October 2007, he hasn't been the same fighter. Vera has ammassed a record of 3-4 since his October 2007 return to the Octagon. Although his last bout didn't go the way he wanted it to, "Bones" Jones is a stud. He has the complete package. Jon Jones will be too quick and too skilled for Brandon Vera. Vera will be a step up in competition for Jones, but Jones should rise to the ocassion. MMA Quick Hits picks Jon "Bones" Jones to leave the Octagon victorious on March 21, 2010.

The Marketing of The Demolition Man
February 24, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

Alistair Overeem is an entertaining powerhouse of a fighter. Overeem's brutal striking ability is to K-1 and MMA what Mike Tyson's destructive power was to boxing. As good as "The Demolition Man" is, and as great as he can become, his skills simply can't get showcased to the world if his doesn't fight. On a seven fight MMA win streak since November of 2007, Alistair's fan appeal would definitely skyrocket if stayed more active and especially if he competed in the United states. Three bouts in 2009, all of which took place from October to December, just isn't going to hack it when it comes to marketing Overeem's talent.

So when will Overeem step into a ring or cage again? According to Head Kick Legend, Overeem's next fight may be against Fedor Emelianenko. The following is an excerpt from the February 22, 2010 Head Kick Legend article.

"The fight that every fan has been calling for of late has been Alistair Overeem vs. Fedor Emelianenko, be it in the Japanese ring under the DREAM banner, or in the United States under the Strikeforce banner. The initial reports of the April Strikeforce card was it being headlined by Fedor vs. Fabricio Werdum, which has seemingly fallen through. Insiders have mentioned the amount of money involved in booking Emelianenko, including a seemingly uneven "co-promotion" with M-1 Global.

What we know so far about future plans for DREAM and Alistair Overeem is that Tanigawa has mentioned that Alistair Overeem will fight for the vacant DREAM Heavyweight title during the first half of 2010, and Overeem mentioned fighting for FEG in March or so, fulfilling his contract with K-1. FEG is never afraid to put a lot of money on the table when it comes to big fights, with Alistair Overeem the biggest name in heavyweight MMA in Japan right now..."

Whether it is DREAM or Strikeforce lets just hope it's soon. Fans of MMA are missing out on a tremendous MMA talent.

Who would you pay to see?
February 22, 2010 by Lindsey Carnes

We all have our favorite fighters. Some of us like strikers, others enjoy watching the wrestlers, and others want to see practitioners of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. No matter the style we prefer, we can all agree that watching a mixed martial artist that's exciting and aggressive is always a draw. Unless you have a group of friends to chip in on the cost of a pay-per-view or there's a local establishment that shows the bouts, it's not always easy to shell out $45 to $55 to watch an MMA event. With that said, there are a few fighters that I would pay big bucks to see because they're exciting and always come to fight.

First on my list is Brock Lesnar. Frank Mir was able to defeat Lesnar in his UFC debut, but since that night Lesnar has looked unstoppable. Lesnar's size, strength, athleticism, wrestling ability, and always improving striking skills make him a fighter that appeals to the masses. Whether you love him or hate him, Brock Lesnar gives you your money's worth.

Another fighter who's worth the $55 payment to your PPV provider is Georges St. Pierre. St. Pierre is an all-around fighter who showcases outstanding striking, ground, and submission skills. You never know what you're going to see when Georges enters the Octagon, and that's part of the appeal. Spinning back kicks, rapid takedowns, brutal ground and pound... who doesn't love to see this?

The next mixed martial artist that puts "butts in the seats" is Kimbo Slice. Slice entered the world of MMA with a huge following from his streetfights that were plastered all over YouTube. Although his MMA career has not been as successful as his streetfighting stint, Kimbo is still one of the biggest draws in the UFC. Fans watch Slice with anticipation of the vicious knockout.

How can any real fan of MMA not love to watch Fedor Emelianenko compete? Fedor is the heavyweight version of Georges St. Pierre, minus the kicks. Aggressive punches, superior wrestling, and fantastic submission skills make Fedor a true mixed martial artist and a joy to watch. Furthermore, fans tune into Emelianenko's bouts just to see if he can be beat.

Last, but not least, is Anderson "The Spider" Silva. Some people's choice as the best pound-for-pound fighter in teh world, Silva brings viewers to a UFC event for the same reason as Emelianenko; can he be beat? Since suffering his last loss by disqualification over four years ago, Silva has been on a tear. Whether fighting at middleweight or light heavyweight no one has come close to stopping Silva.

There you have it, my list of MMA fighters I would pay to see no matter what the rest of the card was like. Who are your favorites? Who would you pay to see?

UFC 110 Recap & Awards
February 21, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

MMA Quick Hits won't be known as a great predictor of MMA contests. Not counting the "Cro Cop" vs. Rothwell prediction since the fight was scrapped, we finished with a not-so-good 1-3 record.

The only prediction we called was Velasquez over Nogueria. But our prediction didn't call for the devestating knockout by Cain. Velasquez literally steamrolled Minotauro. In the opinion of MMA Quick Hits, Velasquez has to be the next in line for a shot at the heavyweight title. Cain certainly earned the most impressive finish of the night award.

The fighter of the night award goes to George Sotiroupoulos. Sotiroupoulos also put himself in immediate title contention status by dismantling Joe "Daddy" Stevenson. The all-around skills exhibited by Sotiroupoulos were extremely impressive.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping was a very close fight. With the win, Silva's stock rose slightly while Bisping's dropped a tad. The loss certainly didn't hurt Bisping in our eyes. A potential Anderson Silva vs. Wanderlei Silva would be intriguing. If nothing else it would be a good show.

Finally, Ryan Bader climbed the 205 ladder with a KO of "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine. MMA Quick Hits is fan of the always entertaining Jardine but we have to wonder if this fight marked the end of his UFC career. Bader on the other hand is ready for a step up in competition.

MMA's Top Strikers
February 16, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

MMA Quick Hits (www.mmaquickhits.com) loves numbers and stats almost as much as MMA news in quick-hitting fashion. A question our viewers have been asking is: Who is the best MMA striker? Since we aim to please we put together a formula to answer that very question. Taking into account a fighter's ability with his hands, feet, knees, elbows, and to a lesser degree his KO proficiency, the MMA Quick Hits team came up with the Striker Proficiency Ratio. Why waste anymore time? Here it is...

10. 19.79 - Alistair Overeem (Strikeforce)
09. 19.95 - Anthony Johnson (UFC)
08. 20.05 - Thiago Alves (UFC)
07. 20.84 - Mirko Filipovic (UFC)
06. 22.10 - Wanderlei Silva (UFC)
05. 22.13 - Thiago Silva (UFC)
04. 22.57 - Mauricio Rua (UFC)
03. 22.81 - Georges St. Pierre (UFC)
02. 25.72 - Jose Aldo (WEC)
01. 25.92 - Anderson Silva (UFC)

Alistair Overeem tied with Anderson Silva as the highest scorers in the 'Knees Proficiency' part of our formula. Anthony Johnson well-rounded punching and kicking earned him the 9th spot. Thiago "Pitbull" Alves., like "Rumble" Johnson, scored high with hands and feet. Mirko "Cro Cop" led the way in the 'Feet' category. "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva's Muay Thai and frenetic punching earned his the 6th spot in our SPR rankings.

The Top 5 start with the Thiago Silva. Silva's hands and elbows scores vaulted him to this position. Next we have the well-rounded Maurico "Shogun" Rua who is equally well-versed with his hands, feet, and knees. Georges St. Pierre earns the bronze medal of strikers due to his outstanding, well-rounded striking game.

Two men stood tall above the rest. The silver medal of striking is awarded to the WEC's Jose Aldo. Also scored off the charts in all judging criteria. His speed and accuracy with all weapons at his dis- posal is almost machine-like.

Finally, the number one man, and our Gold medal awardee, is Anderson "The Spider" Silva. Receiving the highest overall score in the 'Hands' area of our formula, Silva is simply the best striker MMA has probably ever seen.

We hope you've enjoyed our unique breakdown and ranking of MMA strikers. Please visit MMAQuickHits.com

UFC 110 Predictions
February 13, 2010 by Howard Bryant

Once again MMA Quick Hits will try its hand at picking the winners of the main event portion of the UFC 110 card on February 20th in Syndey, Australia. Our predictions for UFC 109 were subpar at best as we made the correct call on 3 out of 5 bouts. No sport is more difficult to predict than mixed martial arts. Lets see if we can do better this time around.

First we have Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic against Ben Rothwell. Cro Cop has been very disappointing since his days in the Pride Fighting Championships. Rothwell has also struggled, losing two of his last three fights. Bottom line, Cro Cop is just too one- dimensional. Rothwell is the more well-rounded fighter. MMA Quick Hits pick: Ben Second is an interesting matchup between veteran "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine and Ryan "Darth" Bader. Bader is undefeated but not as experienced as Jardine. Jardine is an unorthodox striker, while Bader is a top notch wrestler. In this bout MMA Quick Hits is going with experience and selecting Keith Jardine to be victorious.

Next is Joe "Daddy" Stevenson taking on George Sotiropoulos. Daddy has 46 fights under his belt while Sotiropoulos has only 13. Sotiropoulos has been impressive since his time on The Ultimate Fighter show. He has a crisp striking game and a very good ground game. But, Joe Stevenson is a non-stop fighting machine. Stevenson's ground and pound is top shelf. MMA Quick Hits is picking Joe "Daddy" Stevenson to leave this bout victorious.

The co-main event is Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping. Before getting knocked out by Dan Henderson at UFC 100, Bisping was on a quite impressive run through the middleweight division. Silva has struggled since coming back to the UFC in late 2007, putting together is poor record of 1-3. This is a tough fight to call. Silva's best days appear to be behind him, while Bispings chin is now in question. If "The Axe Murderer" catches "The Count" with a solid shot to the jaw Bisping will wake up a loser. But, Bisping is quick and well-rounded enough to pose problems for Wanderlei. A toss up but MMA Quick Hit's gut is saying Michael Bisping will find a way to win this bout.

Finally, the main event of the evening, Cain Velasquez taking on Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueria. This is the easiest fight of the night to call for MMA Quick Hits. Nogueria is one of the best submission specialists in the sport and has nice boxing skills. A win by Velasquez would catapult him into top heavyweight status, not to mention a probably title shot. Something is telling MMA Quick Hits that Velasquez is destined for greatness. Therefore, look for Cain to upset "Minotauro".

Comments, questions, or any other feedback - enter your comments in the MMA Quick Hits comments section below this article or send an e-mail to info@mmaquickhits.com. All dialogue is welcome. Enjoy the show!

Anderson Silva vs. Randy Couture
February 12, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

With the recent news of Vitor Belfort's shoulder injury and subsequent withdraw from his April UFC 112 title shot against Anderson Silva, fans are concerned and the UFC is scrambling. UFC President Dana White told MMA Fighting on Friday that Anderson Silva will defend his title at the Abu Dhabi event but an opponent has yet to be selected. MMA Quick Hits has an idea we believe the fans and the UFC alike would be quite pleased with.

Anderson Silva vs. Randy Couture in a non-title bout! Anderson has had two successful attempts moving up to light heavyweight; destroying both Forrest Griffin and James Irvin. Randy Couture just defeated Mark Coleman and left the bout as if he wasn't even in a fight.

A matchup between The Spider and The Natural would be quite compelling for fans. The only way it appears anyone is every going to be able to beat Silva is to take him to the ground and control him like Travis Lutter was able to do for a short period of time in their 2007 contest. Who better to grapple with quite possibly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world than Randy Couture.

Other potential matchups for Silva include Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia, Jon Jones, Jake Shields, and Dan Henderson. Unfortunately the possiblities of any of these bouts coming to fruition are slim and none. Sonnen and Maia both suffered lacerations in their bouts this past weekend. Jon Jones, although probably not ready for a title shot anyway, is already booked for a March matchup against Brandon Vera and is coming of a controversial disqualification loss to Matt Hamill.

Grasping at straws even further, the UFC could go outside the organization and try to work out a deal with Strikeforce to bring in Jake Shields or Dan Henderson for a bout with Silva. The UFC works alone, so the likelihood of forming a short-term partnership with any organization is simply not going to happen.

With all possibilities exhausted, it seems that the one match-up that makes sense is Anderson Silva vs. Randy Couture. Will it happen? We'll all have to wait and see.

Super Bowl of MMA
February 9, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

Watching the New Orleans Saints beat up the Indianapolis Colts to win Super Bowl 44, I began to think... Who would I match-up in the Super Bowl of MMA. Who would I choose as the two best combatants from each weight class to fight for the championship? What would the best name be for the championship award? The Lombardi Trophy awarded to the NFL Champion each year is named after one of the NFL's all-time greatest coaches. What MMA legend would warrant having their name on the Championship Trophy of Mixed Martial Arts?

Starting with the Heavyweights, without question the first fighter entered in my Heavyweight Super Bowl would be Fedor Emelianenko. Possibly the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, Fedor is an obvious choice. But who would I put in the cage with him? Looking at current heavyweight dominance, and putting together the most exciting match-up I can think of, my choice to face Emelianenko would have to be Brock Lesnar. Brock's size, power and wrestling ability against Fedor's all-around skills would make a fight any MMA fan would love to see.

Moving down to Light Heavyweights, I think my first selection would be the current UFC Champion Lyoto Machida. Although he didn't look stellar in his last fight against Maurcio Rua, he won that contest and he's still the champ. Picking an opponent for Machida is not so easy. Putting in a lot of thought, I think the most compelling match-up I could create for Machida would be Gegard Mousasi. Mousasi has looked unstoppable as of late, and I think his complete mma game would create a lot of problems for Lyoto.

Next, I'm going to combine two weight classes to put together what I consider to be the biggest mma match-up in the history of the sport. My first fighter to enter the cage for this Ultimate Super Bowl of MMA would be many fan's choice for the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world - Anderson Silva. Every Anderson Silva bout is exciting, but to make this fight the most anticipated of all time, and to crank up the excitement to the max I would pit Silva against my choice for the best all-around fighter in the sport - Georges St. Pierre. To make things equal I would put this match-up together at a catchweight of 177.5 lbs. Hopefully Anderson would agree to this.

To cap off my Super Bowl of MMA I'm going to put together my final bout with two martial artists from the lower weight classes. No one could put together a Super Bowl fight of lightweights without selecting B.J. Penn as one of the combatants. B.J. is always exciting, has outstanding stand-up and world-class ground skills. Selecting an opponent to match up with Penn is not an easy decision. Looking to put together a super match-up, and one fight fans would remember for a long time, I think I would venture down to the featherweight class and select rising star Jose Also to meet Penn in the cage. Regardless of who would win this match-up it would create fireworks for the fans.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my selections for the Super Bowl of MMA. What match-ups would you like to see? I'd love to read any comments you may have. Send all comments to info@mmaquickhits.com. Here's to a wonderful 2010 of MMA action! And as always, if you want to relive MMA action from the past or watch an event you may have missed the first time around visit Select Fights for all your Combat Sports DVD needs!

UFC 109 Predictions: Recap 3-2
February 7, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

Three correct, two wrong, not bad! It's all a guess and subsequent luck anyway.

Serra defeated Trigg as predicted. Serra's hands were too much for Trigg, and as we saw in the Georges St. Pierre I fight, "The Terror" has puching power.

Demian Maia took a Unanimous Decision victory of Dan Miller. As predicted, this bout was close but Maia was slightly more active.

We predicted Mick Swick to defeat Paulo Thiago and we were wrong. Not only did Paulo take the victory but he did so by submitting Swick in the second round. We didn't see that coming.

Nate Marquardt losing to Chael Sonnen is our second mis-pick and really a shock. Sonnen is a fantastic fighter but we thought Marquardt's all-around game would give him the edge. We thought Nate the Great was poised to get another shot at Anderson Silva. Now we will have to wait to see who Sonnen faced... Silva or Belfort?

As predicted, Randy Couture's complete package of skills were too much for Mark Coleman to overcome. The Natural wore The Hammer down and choked him out in the second round. This was probably Mark Coleman's final fight in the UFC. Look for Lyoto Machida's next title defense to be against Randy Couture.

UFC 109 Predictions
February 5, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

The following is my first time actually predicting bout outcomes online. UFC 109: Relentless has many intriguing match-ups. Here are my thoughts on the 5 Main Card fights:

Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg - This is another battle of veteran fighters, just not on the same level as Couture and Coleman. Although both fighters are fairly even in all major skill areas, I think Serra is a tad more skilled with his hands and with his BJJ ability. My pick: Matt Serra!

Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller - Another good, evenly matched bout. Both guys are very good on the mat, with Maia having an edge in submission skills. Miller gets the nod in the hands department. Neither guy wants his second loss in a row. This is a tough call, but my gut is telling me... Demian Maia!

Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago - Two guys that aren't afraid to trade punches. This may be the fight on the night. I'm a fan of aggressive fighters, and as a result I'm going with Mike Swick in this fight.

Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen - The winner is supposed to get the next shot at the Middleweight title. I think Sonnen is an outstanding fighter, but he doesn't have the stand-up ability of Marquardt. Marquardt is a dominant fighter who seems to get better with every fight. I think his all-around skills will be too much for Sonnen. My pick: Nate Marquardt!

THE MAIN EVENT: Randy "The Natural" Couture vs. Mark "The Hammer" Coleman - In a recent article I made my prediction on this fight, so here I go again... Both men are legends. Both men are former champions. In my opinion, Couture is better with his hands and better in the wrestling department. Another very important edge that I give to Randy is stamina. Coleman historically gets tired well before you would expect him to. Unless Coleman catches Couture on the chin with a big, overhand right he's going to have to take "The Natural" down and pound on him for three rounds. I can't see how Coleman will be able to control Couture and keep him down. Therefore I predict Couture taking the victory and probably earning a title shot at Lyoto Machida.

Jake Shields vs. GSP?
February 4, 2010 by Howard Bryant

After reading an article from Five Ounces of Pain's Managing Editor Cory Brady titled 'Jake Shields has sights set on Georges St. Pierre' my first reaction was "you've got to be kidding me!" As I thought about it more I began to see where Shields was coming from.

Georges "Rush" St. Pierre (19-2) is a well-rounded fighter, and most likely the best all-around fighter in the world while Shields is a submission specialist. For Jake Shields (24-4-1) to actually defeat GSP he would have to get him down, control him, and tire him out enough to slap on a submission.

Taking Shield's keys to victory one at at time it is clear what the outcome of this fight would be. One quick note before doing so, I will admit that anything can happen in a mixed martial arts contest; I can still vividly recall Matt Serra knocking St. Pierre around the Octagon.

First, some of the best takedown artists in the sport Matt Hughes and B.J. Penn just to name two) have attempted to take St. Piere to the mat with little or no success. Shields would most likely have the same luck trying to wrestle Georges to the ground and control him.

Second, if Shields was able to get St. Pierre down he would have a very difficult time controlling him and keeping him down. GSP is one of the best wrestlers in MMA. Like Chuck Liddell, you may be able to get St. Pierre down but keeping him there is a whole different issue.

Third, since the armbar submission loss to Matt Hughes in 2004, St. Pierre has not come close to being submitted. Therefore, if Shields were to get George on his back, and if Shields was able to control him, submitting St. Pierre would still be a near impossible task.

As I stated in the opening paragraph, I can see where Shields is coming from. If he were to sign with the UFC, and if he were to earn a shot at St. Pierre, the contest would be a win-win for Shields. If he loses to Georges it wouldn't hurt his career because most fans would expect him to lose. But if Shields were to pull off the monumental upset he would raise his MMA stock to a new level.

COUTURE VS COLEMAN: A BATTLE OF THE AGES
February 1, 2010 by Tom O'Brien

UFC 109: Relentless is headlined by two of the oldest fighters in MMA. On Saturday, February 6, the 46 year old Randy Couture (17-10) will face the 45 year old Mark Coleman 16-9) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This Light Heavyweight match-up definitely provides a good story line, but will the fight provide good entertainment for fans? In my opinion, this is a no-win situation for The Natural. Randy's stand-up skill is better than The Hammer's; Couture's wrestling is better than Coleman's; and Randy's conditioning is superior to Mark's.

But as fans of MMA know - anything can happen. How can Coleman win this contest? The answer - let his hands go! Mark Coleman's game is wrestling/ ground and pound, but in this match-up I think his best bet is to try to keep the fight standing. To take a line from Mel Gibson in 'Signs': "Swing away Mark, swing away!"

Another reason I think Coleman will be best served to unleash an immediate and constant barrage of punches is due to his conditioning issues. As recent as his January 2009 fight against Mauricio Rua, Coleman was winning the bout until he ran out of gas in the third round. Randy Couture on the other hand is known as a stamina machine.

My prediction is Randy "The Natural" Couture emerging from this February 6th bout victorious via a 3 Round unanimous decision. Of course, I also thought there was no way Mark Coleman could defeat Stephan Bonnar.

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