MMA Quick Hits: News and Notes

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 Shield 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.

Pound-for-Pound Rankings
* based on all-around skills
01. Georges St. Pierre (UFC) Simply the best all- around skill set in the game.
02. Anderson Silva (UFC) Without doubt the best stand-up game of any MMA fighter.
03. Fedor Emelianenko (Strikeforce) His record speaks for itself.
04. B.J. Penn (UFC) Rounds out the Top 4, then there's a drop off.
05. Jose Aldo (WEC) Super fast hands, feet, elbows, knees, etc.
06. Rashad Evans (UFC) Awesome wrestling and improved stand-up.
07. Quinton Jackson (UFC) Stand-up has really improved to equal ground-and-pound ability.
08. Lyoto Machida (UFC) Awesome skills but waiting to see more of ground game.
09. Gegard Mousasi (Strikeforce) Better ground than hands but hands aren't too bad.
10. Mauricio Rua (UFC) Slipped a bit as of late but has all the tools.