Why You Should Watch UFC 129

UFC 129 is one of those “are you kidding me” events that come around only 2-3 times a year. If you know anything about mixed martial arts you don’t need to look too far down this fight card to be sold on the significance of the event. GSP puts butts in seats, no doubt about that. However, Zuffa isn’t letting him carry this one alone. From Jose Aldo finally making his UFC debut to Randy Couture competing in what could be his last fight, UFC 129 delivers on paper. But don’t get so enamored with the big names that you lose the forest for the trees. Every single fight on this card will be available to watch by way of facebook, Spike TV, or pay-per-view and the UFC has spared no expense, stacking the entire card for the Toronto fans.

Facebook Prelims

The Facebook card doesn’t sport a lot of names that will get elate the casual fan but free streaming fights are a great way to see tomorrows superstars today. For those of you who like ground

fighting or rarely get a chance to see it Claud Patrick and Daniel Roberts should deliver the goods. There is always a chance that their strengths will cancel each other out and they will stand and bang but I expect back and forth action on the ground in this one. Bantamweights Ivan Menjivar and Charlie Valencia could deliver some of that fire we have been waiting to see from the lighter weights on a consistent basis. Valencia pushes the pace so don’t expect this one to lag at all, each man only being a few wins away from serious contention in a very thin UFC 135 pound division. Those of you who caught The Ultimate Fighter season 12 will recognize Kyle Watson as he meets unbeaten striker John Makdessi. I expect this to be a scrap all the way as Watson is not one to leave it in the cage and Makdessi should look to win on his feet. This division is far too stacked to afford loses at this level. Striker Yves Jabouin will also meet grappler Pablo Garza in a fight that will come right down to who can control where the fight takes place. Jabouin is one of the hottest prospects at featherweight so tune in to see if he can deliver and move closer to his own title shot. Finally, the main event (or at least most significant fight) of this portion of the card has to be Jason MacDonald vs Ryan Jensen. Jason MacDonald was cast aside much too quickly by the UFC after solidifying himself as no more than a gatekeeper in the middle of the division. His lack of wins might have been a problem but MacDonald is almost always good for two things: giving his opponent all they can handle and giving the fans what they came to see. He survived some of the craziest scrambling I have ever seen against submission wizard Damian Maia, demonstrating that he is scared of no fighter. Most pundits have him falling short against middleweight prospect, Jensen. However at 15-7 and coming off a recent lose to a still yet to be proven prospect in Court McGee, I am not about to pen Jensen in as the winner in this fight. MacDonald is a veteran fighter and is likely fighting for his UFC life in his home country. I highly suggest making sure you catch this fight to see if he can pull it off

Spike TV Prelims

Only two fights will be featured on Spike TV but they are two good ones. Ellenberger is a legitimate future contender at welterweight and will look to extend his winning streak to 4. In his way is the surprising Sean Pierson, who won in his UFC debut against moderately touted Matt Riddle. Ellenberger is one of the best prospects at 170 pounds so he is worth some attention. If Pierson can pull off yet another upset he might just be someone to keep an eye on. Nate Diaz will look at to follow the success of his brother Nick and teammate Gilbert Melendez while signposting the success of yet another teammate in Jake Shields. The order is tall though as Rory MacDonald (pictured) is one of thefastest rising stars in the UFC, slowing only to top contender Carlos Condit. MacDonald looked unstoppable in that fight until the final round and will look to regain momentum against the always game, always recognizable Diaz. Don’t be surprised if this fight contends for fight of the night, submission of the night, or even knockout of the night.

Main Show

Vladimir Matyushenko vs Jason Britz

This fight looks like it is strait out of a movie. A stereotypical Russian bruiser vs American farm boy, Matyushenko is a veteran fighter who will test his well rounded skill-set against a hardnosed, grinding wrestler in Jason Britz. Britz is coming off a non-win against MMA legend Little Nog. It was a non-win in that many people consider it one of the worst referee decisions of the year, so much so that Britz’s stock went way up after the lose. This fight wont be pretty, it wont be flashy and it might just go the distance but these are two tough-as-nails fighters. I don’t expect we will see either man competing for a title any time soon but they are going to continue to test anyone they step in the cage with.

Mark Bocek vs Ben Henderson

Mark Boceck and Benson Henderson (pictured) have been two of the most impressive lesser-known prospects at 155 pounds over the last year or so. Bocek is 3-1 since 2009 and his only lose in that time comes to top contender Jim Miller. His most recent win was a submission victory over Dustin Hazelett, impressive because Haze’s submission game is considered some of the most effective and entertaining in MMA. Henderson on the other hand recently lost the WEC lightweight title but his reign demonstrated his athleticism, durability, and speed. He is going to have to muster all of those things in this fight. Many have Henderson as a favorite but Bocek’s ground game is better than anyone the former WEC champ has met to this point. This one might be a coin-flip fight for me but I won’t be surprised if this is an unexpected hiccup for one of the most exciting lightweight prospects from the WEC merger in Benson Henderson.

Randy Couture vs Lyoto Machida

Two former champions square off in what might be the swan song for one of the sports greatest legends and it isn’t even a co-headlining fight? That’s how you know you got a stacked card on your hands. Couture claims this is it, his last fight, meaning he is probably going to put on the performance of a lifetime and shock the world one last time. Lyoto Machida is on one of the highest profile, quickly declining two fight skids I have ever seen. Given the fact that both his loses came to top – tier fighters and one a razor thin decision, I think his loses have been overblown by the majority of fans. If ever there was a time for him to roar back onto the scene, this is it. He is on a high profile event, against a high profile opponent and his match-up couldn’t be more favorable. Randy Couture can make anyone’s night long but he is going to have a lot of trouble getting inside against Machida and when he gets there, I think he is going to be surprised by hat he finds. Ask Tito Ortiz if it’s easy to get Machida down after you grab him. Ortiz was thrown around and shaken off with ease by Machida and his underrated sumo background. Couture is a different beast all together but I don’t expect the results to be much different. The Natural would certainly be offered a title shot if he could pull of an upset in this fight and anyone who knows anything about the sport knows you never count him out, but this is a very tall order for the aging fighter No matter how you cut it, this fight is extremely important. Machida needs a win in the worst way possible and cannot afford to lose to an exiting, aging fighter. All indication are that this is the last fight for one of the most legendary fighters in the sports history. With a win either man writes himself right into the title picture If that isn’t worth tuning in for, you probably don’t have any business watching the sport.

Feather Weight Title Fight - Jose Aldo (Champion) vs Mark Hominick

It has been a long time since a fighter has come to the UFC with as much anticipation as Jose Aldo (pictured). Aldo looked like a world-beater in the WEC and is now counted among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, number three by most accounts. His opponent Mark Hominick might just be the most dangerous stand-up fighter to the champion’s reign in the whole division. This guy’s hands are lightening fast and dangerous to boot. I believe that this fight is going to be nothing but fireworks early on but wont see the third round. Many fans and pundits think that Hominick might be the better striker but I contend Aldo will be able to hold his own if not better Hominick. Aldo is more well-rounded and brings explosive, creative striking to bear in every fight. Assuming that he has fully recovered from his injury. I anticipate this being a great, albeit dangerous, UFC introduction for a great fighter and great champion.

Welterweight Title Fight – Georges St-Pierre (Champion) vs Jake Shields

There might not be more important fighter in the world than Georges St-Pierre. He is as good as they come, marketable and popular. No one outside of Brock Lesnar draws the same kind of crowd does. Many think he is unbeatable and for good reason. On the other hand, Jake Shields has been waiting his whole life for this fight, taking on the best of the best outside the UFC and done nothing but win fights he was expected to lose for the last 6 years. GSP is a different beast all together and if you asked me right after Shield’s last win to bet on this fight, I would have bet every dime I had on the champion. Shields eeked out an unimpressive win over Martin Kampmann, looking more tired than any fighter… ever. If he comes into UFC 129 the same fighter he will get absolutely run over. However, there is something strange in the air with this fight. The UFC has put its chips in the GSP basket, building a record breaking show for him and putting it in Toronto. Jake Shields can shake up the MMA world and ruin the nights of 55,000 fans in attendance. My biggest concern for GSP here would be his complacency on the ground. His tendency to get takedowns and hold fighter down, inflicting minimal damage, could give Jake Shields 25 minutes to find a submission. I am one of the most open critics of Shields but there is no way I would give him 25 minutes to get a submission on any fighter in the world. This fight comes down GSP’s dominance and physical superiority against Shields will to win. Even with his great ground game, Shields is going to have to work harder than he has ever worked to win this fight. Despite the track records of both fighters, I expect this fight to be finished. Either GSP gets a TKO or a Shields pulls off a submission, but I do not believe this fight sees the 25^th minute.

Silva vs. Okami in Rio

It appears as if Yushin Okami might finally get his long awaited, well-deserved title shot. This announcement comes in spite of the previous assumption by many that a GSP/Silva super-fight was inevitable. As a long time critic of said super-fight the most recent revelation regarding the UFC’s return to Brazil was met with mixed emotions from myself. I had oddly come to terms with the inevitable clash of the two top pound for pound fighters. Still against it, I had worked myself up for the fight, somewhat excited almost. My excitement was easily laid to waste. Okami is far from a high-profile fighter but has been fighting his way to a title shot for years and it seems like he has gotten heir more than once. Injuries, speed bump loses, and a lack of popularity made Okami’s road more difficult than most. The fight might seem one sided on paper but Okami is not going to be a walk in the park.

My first instinct when hearing the news of this fight was to presume that Okami would get caught in the first round, making for a short night. However, after further consideration Okami’s success or potential thereof will depend largely on his game plan. Okami’s boxing has been steadily improving but engaging in a striking battle with Silva is not in anyone’s best interest. It is his wrestling that gives Okami the best chance to win the day, a wrestling game that has been dramatically improved since he moved in with Chael Sonnen for a short period after losing to him in 2009. Remember Sonnen? He is that guy that beat Silva up for four minutes and 50 seconds before falling victim to the most dramatic finish in the sports history. Okami will certainly be using the Sonnan blueprints when preparing for this fight but two things stand in his way, both stemming from simply not being as good a wrestler as his new grappling mentor. 1) Taking Silva down has never proven to be the most difficult task in the world, it’s the doing damage that gets you in trouble. Silva’s long arms and legs make sweeps and submissions a constant threat. Okami’s base will have to be solid as a rock to stay on tope. This will be on top of the fact that his attention will also need to remain on his submission defense at all times, just ask the last two wrestlers Silva fought. 2) Silva is a world-beater when it comes to his strikes. They are fast, accurate, and come from all different angles. If you want to take him down you have to pass through his strikes. As I said before, it has been done but Okami is not as experienced as some others who have gotten him down. He is going to need to change levels quickly and keep Silva guessing. This will be the ultimate test for his improved boxing (keeping his hands in proper position throughout the transition and the shoot) and his wrestling (changing levels quickly and securing a takedown while receiving little to no damage).

The more compelling part of this announcement is what it might mean for the biggest fight in the sports history and foreseeable future. Every sports nut at the bar that refers to MMA as “ultimate fighting” or “cage fighting” knows who GSP and Anderson Silva are. They know that they are the two best fighters in the world. And most of them know that there is a chance they could fight. Dana White and the UFC have teased the fight more than once but every time the last roadblock is about to fall they seem to put another one up. This most recent block does not mean the demise of the fight. The one thing to keep in mind when predicting what may or may not happen in the fight world is timing. Silva vs Okami will happen in August. Assume that Silva will get at least 5-7 months off for his fight. GSP fights in April and they may even want him to fight again in September. He would get at least the same amount of time off. If they got GSP to fight in September they could still put together a super fight for the “Super Bowl Weekend” card. If they didn’t ask GSP to fight again at all they could move their “Year End” card to mid January (they have done it before) and put the fight on that card. It is not out of the question that the fight could be booked on just any ol’ event, assuming the location was right. Canada is probably the most likely location, followed by Vegas. One way or another they want to put it somewhere they can maximize profits. To make a long story short, this isn’t the end of the super fight but it is a fairly significant blow to it. One has to wonder if the Jon Jones hype has made Dana White rethink what he may ask Silva to do or weather they have just decided the time isn’t right for GSP to move up and fight The Spider.

Why You Should Watch Strikeforce: Diaz vs Daley

It has been a busy month so far but there was no way I could justify skipping this event and the breakdown thereof for my loyal readership (or lack their of). All the hoopla about Jon Jones winning the light-heavyweight championship and Zuffa buying Strikeforce kicked up enough dust to conceal a very compelling Strikeforce card right around the corner. However, Strikeforce: Diaz vs Daley sports an impressive, potentially exciting main card. Each fight has something to watch and the show as a whole will give us insight into the new order of things, as it is the first Strikeforce event overseen by Zuffa

Zuffa’s First SF Card

Lets get this out of the way. The overarching narrative regarding what goes on behind the curtain will be omnipresent throughout the event, but should only truly manifest itself subtlety and relatively infrequently. Being the first event under the Zuffa banner I don’t expect massive changes to the production value of the card, but fans versed in SF’s aesthetics might pick up on differences. We will get our first look at how Zuffa chooses to staff the event and no doubt we will see more UFC fighters as well as Dana White’s bald mug a time or two in the crowd. Keep the recent sale in mind as you watch the event. Now is the time to see if anyone is tipping his or her hand regarding future plans for the support in North America.

Shinya Aoki (#6 LW) vs Lyle Beerbohm

Shinya Aoki (pictured) is one of the most highly touted lightweights in the world. Through multiple conversations with a friend and fellow MMA fan as well as Aoki’s recent performances I have come to the solidified opinion that he is also one of the most highly overrated. Aoki didn’t do much to prove me wrong when he last stepped into a Strikefroce cage, getting utterly dominated by Gilbert Milendez. He squares off with a fighter with just one lose on his record in Lyle Beerbohm. Don’t get too excited though. Beerbohm’s lose was in his last fight and his win list reads as a who’s who of guys I have never heard of. The amazing thing is, I think he has a legit shot to ruin Aoki’s American MMA career before it ever gets started. Beerbohm has finished mostof his fights and should come in bigger and stronger than his Japanese counterpart. Aoiki is the favorite for a reason though. He is a very talented submission and veteran fighter. Aoki will be looking to lock up a leg or arm quickly but he must avoid being overpowered by a hungry fighter seeking a big break. SF is looking to get Aoki o

ver and its Beerbohm’s job to ruin everyone’s plans.

Keith Jardine vs Gegard Mousasi

The MMA gods have smiled upon Keith Jardine (pictured), offering him a boon in the form of a last minute replacement of Mike Kyle. This puts The Dean of Mean back on a major MMA card for the first time in almost a year. Jardine has strung together two wins but his competition level has dropped off significantly since the days of headlining shows against Rampage Jackson and Chuck Liddell. Mousasi also rides a two-fight win streak into this fight. The only difference is that Mousasi w recently considered a top-five light heavyweight while Jardine was seen as on his way out the door of MMA all together. On paper, Mousasi is a heavy favorite but this is one of those last minute replacements that puts me on the edge of my seat. Jardine is hard to prepare for and I suspect his awkward stand-up will give Mousasi trouble, at least initially. A focused Gegard Mousasi should be able to finish this fight but don’t sleep on this one as Jardine must realize how important this opportunity is and will look to make the most of it.

Gilbert Melendez (#3 LW) vs Tatsuya Kawajiri (#9 LW) – Strikeforce Lightweight Title

Tatsuya Kawajiri is looking to make his name in the United States and Strikeforce is looking to further solidify its champion, Gilbert Melendez (pictured) as a (if not the) top lightweight in the world. Japanese fighters have historically had problems dealing with strong wrestlers. They just don’t value that style of grappling as a culture enough to engrain high level wrestling into the majority of their fighters and they don’t cut weight to the same extent that an experienced wrestler will, rendering them smaller and frequently overpowered. That is not to say that this will be a walk in the park for Melendez. Kawajiri has had a mixed bag of success, beating the likes of Gesias Cavalcante and Josh Thomson but dropping fights to Aoki and Alvarez. This places him neatly between two distinct classes of fighters, both of which I feel are inferior to Melendez at this point. I look for Melendez to push the pace and grind out another impressive win.

Nick Diaz (#6 WW) vs Paul Daley – Strikeforce Welterweight Title

I was very high on Nick Diaz (pictured) until he ran into the fists of Cyborg Santos a few too many times and looked to be in trouble against the very mediocre fighter. If Cyborg Santos is able to catch rock Diaz, Paul Daley has a very good chance of knocking him cold. Daley dropped way off my top-10 list when he sucker-punched Josh Koscheck after dropping a decision but his undeniable talent has moved him back to the fringes and this match-up might be just what he needs to catapult up that list. He has some of the best striking in the weight class and serious knockout power. Diaz on the other hand an elusive fighter with precision strikes and a very dangerous ground game. This fight could come down to whom can impose their will. I have trouble imagining how Diaz is going to get Daley down without putting himself in a lot danger. Diaz does not posses the wrestling skills to shoot in from distance so he will have to engage Daley in the clinch, which means coming well within range. Diaz is one of the most highly respected welterweights outside the UFC but this is his most dangerous fight in quite some time. The namesake of the card promises a significant result one way or another: Daley reestablishes himself as a significant and undeniable welterweight force or Diaz solidifies himself a top 5 position in the weight class and silences at least some of the skeptics.