Why isn’t Alan Belcher on your list of fighters who stand a chance against Silva?

The article was good for your first. Thanks for sharing the experience.

I think it would be a good idea to let an average joe write up their experiences after each event. Perhaps a new person each time, but only once per UFC event.

Nice write up, I agree, this card had potential to be great, but failed.

I think it would be a good idea to let an average joe write up their experiences after each event. Perhaps a new person each time, but only once per UFC event.

I think we will entertain the idea. It’s just difficult to find folks willing to do it. Not to mention Drew helped us out with results from inside the arena during the fights. Again, difficult to find reliable people willing to do that. Thanks again Drew for everything. Nice job all around.

haha wait until GSP fights in montreal…
my goodness.
while i can’t wait as i’ll be there myself, i don’t blame any welterweight for not wanting to fight in that atmosphere.
20 thousand drunk french canadians?
haha anyone who’s been to a canadiens game knows what i’m talking about.

Good Job on the article. Even though I’m an Anderson Silva fan..I respect everyones point of view. Just a personal note I have called every main event since UFC 64 right..just wanted to pat my on back. =P

I am so glad all the Vera nuthuggers got taken down a peg. With an opponent record of 3-11, this guy should not have the rep he talks of. And before the whiners start yapping about a broken hand, he has 2 knees, 2 elbows, 2 feet and another good hand.

“Travis Lutter – Now, you probably just threw all my credibility out the window….”

Hell, I threw your credibility out the window the moment I saw your blind fanboyism for Franklin. It’s insulting to him and Silva that you think he just screwed up and got caught in the clinch again. You take away from Silva’s talent as a fighter by saying the loss was because of Franklin’s mistakes and not Silva’s skill. And you belittle Franklin by saying he isn’t intelligent enough to follow a new game plan. Why are people so reluctant to call Silva what he is: the best fighter in the world, period. This is a guy who has the same kind of natural ability as a GSP, the mental toughness and class of Couture, hands nearly as heavy as Liddell’s but more accurate, and the best chin in the UFC. I’ll give you some props for this report, but it’s evident from reading it that this might have been the first UFC event you’ve seen at all let alone attended. I can’t even talk about your list of contenders, man. People need to quiet down about Lutter, really, what did he do that impressed everyone so much? So he took Silva down, well, so has Marquardt and Franklin now, but it sure did them a hell of a lot of good. Same with Lutter, he got the mount momentarily where he unloaded his crappy punched right into Silva’s grill and Silva took them, waited, and baited Lutter into getting to comfortable. After that he swept him, got caught in another takedown, and from there proceeded to triangle the shit out of Lutter and try to smash the top of his head like a melon with elbows. In what universe does that rank as a good showing? And don’t give us any crap about Lutter’s weight cutting, Silva had two torn up knees and triangled Lutter’s face off anyway, no excuses, no whining.

People need to just accept that when New Year 2010 rolls around Silva is still gonna be wearing that belt, along with the scalps of every other fighter they put in front of him. It could be Filho, Kang, McFedries, anyone, doesn’t matter. The only man with a chance is Henderson, and if he has success at 205, which he will, he will not come down and fight Silva.

Maybe at least I would’ve gave you some credibility if you’d put Hendo on your list in place of effing Kampmann. But then, you were likely still delirious from the severe beating of your boy Rich, who is the one guy in his camp who accurately acknowledges the skill and dominance of the man who beat him Saturday night.

Relax Hardcase. It’s an opinion. No need to go ape shit or take shots at someone who is sharing his unique perspective. Plus. Hendo has said repeatedly he wants to stay at 205. As of right now, he’s a light heavyweight.

I am so glad all the Vera nuthuggers got taken down a peg. With an opponent record of 3-11, this guy should not have the rep he talks of. And before the whiners start yapping about a broken hand, he has 2 knees, 2 elbows, 2 feet and another good hand.

“Don’t believe the hype, just believe what you see.” haha.

GREAT JOB DREW!!! I very much enjoyed your perspective on actually being there!

I disagree. Anderson Silva will choke out The Incredible Hulk.

Nice work!

maybe next time write about the event and not your personal thoughts.. i’d rather hear more info about inside the arena than who you think could beat silva.

if rich franklin could not beat anderson how do you think all those other guys can

Did people not hear? The fight in Montreal was canceled due to the fact that was supposed to be on HBO.

can i remind people that i made 1125 on TIMMY, AND THATS DA TRUTH HAHAHAHAH.

yeah nc-17, i agree with u, however i think that okami should be included, in fact with his wins and close fight against franklin, he will probably be the next person to fight Silva.

i posted b4 on the topic and really it is the only logical choice to have okami fight silva and they will probably hype it like:

Anderson Silva has proven to the world that he is the best fighter in the middleweight divison by dominating the top contenders. however there is one man who stands out. Japanese Ground and Pounder Yushin Okami has proven his strength and skill with wins over mike swick, kalib starnes, alan belcher, jason macdonald and… ANDERSON SILVA

Fists will fly on February 3rd at the MgM Grand Garden Arena, when Anderson “SPIDER” Silva attempts to remove the last man to defeat him in his goal of TOTAL domination of the middleweight division, when he faces Yushin Okami.

UFC 81 REASSERTION i would pay for that what do you all think?

Fists will fly on February 3rd at the MgM Grand Garden Arena, when Anderson “SPIDER” Silva attempts to remove the last man to defeat him in his goal of TOTAL domination of the middleweight division, when he faces Yushin Okami.

UFC 81 REASSERTION i would pay for that what do you all think?[/quote]

The last guy to really beat Silva was Ryo Chonan..with the fyling heel hook..Okami won..because Silva up kicked him in the head from the guard..and just because Okami was on his knees..it was considered an illegal blow..which blows cuz Okami didn’t deserve to win.

Cool write up.

Thales Leites – Martin Kampmann – Drew McFedries –
I think these three guys represents very interesting match-ups for Anderson Silva. While Drew McFredries is known for his heavy hands, he’s not known for his all around MMA skills.
Since, Kampmann owns victories over McFedries and Leites, he should probably be first or face Okami to decide who will face Anderson.

Travis Lutter
First, I think it would be very insulting to the rest of the 185lbs fighters in the division if he gets a rematch. And as far as their contest is concerned, if he was dominating the 1st round then he should have been able to finish him. Remember, he did not get caught with a punch, he was submitted. He’s a veteran professional fighter with 13 fights to his name. All of the excuses for Travis Lutter don’t really cut it. Honestly, I would like to see what would happen in a possible rematch.

Matt Hughes
He’s still entertaining the thought of going to 185 to dethrone Anderson Silva. That would be very interesting because you know Matt will try to quickly take the match to the floor.

You don’t lose any credibility at all. Your opinions are just as valid as any body else. There are way too many MMA online MMA self-styled experts that takes themselves way too seriously.

LETS SEE SILVA BEAT DAN HENDERSON LETS SEE HIM TRY TO HOLD HENDERSON BEHIND THE HEAD LETS SEE HIM TRY TO KNOCK HENDERSON OUT.IF THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HENDERSON INSTEAD OF FRANKLIN HE WOULD KO SILVA BETWEEN THE FIRST OR SECOND ROUND

I’ve got to go with Hardcase. Drew, it’s one thing to be an unabashed ‘homer’ when you sportswrite; it’s quite another to let your biases distort sense and reason to the point of a major credibility loss.

Rich Franklin knows what you won’t (can’t) admit: Silva’s at the top of the heap because he’s the very best. Franklin’s a solid #2 and would still be a hands-down favorite against any of the challengers you named. And in each of those potential bouts, you imagined your man successfully showing his best skills against Silva’s worst; what are the chances that’s going to happen? Don’t you get how supremely professional, committed and focussed Silva is?

You might not like that someone from another country comes into your beloved little city and makes mincemeat of your boys…or that no one else from the continent is likely to slow him down much either…but there’s a certain integrity in just telling it like it is. We can all admire your lamenting your favorites’ losses while still giving credit where it’s due. Unless you just don’t get it, in which case the chance of your being read again by any objective MMA purist is as slim as Silva’s waist.

I give you credit for giving the gig a shot. Sure would have been nice, though, to hear a hometown writer put personal disappointment and favoritism aside and own up to the cruel, hard truth without looking for excuses or longshot strategies for bringing down this classy, elegant role model of a champion.

Bob L.

Good report Mr NC 17, but I am going to have to strongly disagree with you about your list of people to beat Anderson Silva. Honestly, I think it is rediculous that you think those guys even have a chance (no offense). Lutter got worked by Anderson. So Lutter mounted him, he got reversed within seconds. I dont know which fight you watched but Lutter did not dominate, maybe he was slightly ahead on judges scorecards due to lack of very much action, but he never had Silva hurt. Silva is too much for anyone in the division right now. No one can stop him (of course everyone has a punchers chance, but not a good chance). Bring in Hendo, Filho, and Kang. Those are the people who have the best chance. And honestly I see Anderson working those guys too. Best chance of Anderson getting beat is Henderson. That fight would be around 50/50 in my book.

I personally think that the only two fighters that have a legit chance to dethrown Silva are GSP and Hendo. Either matchup would be amazing in my book. no current UFC MH has a chance.

Dont think Hughes would stand a chance against him nor will he even fight him,…. he has his work cut out for him anyway. Gotta get by GSP first, if he gets by Serra. Plus if you have been watching TUF he is out shortly anyway to be a FT farmboy again.

NC17 – good write up for your first one, as I personally thougth it was interesting.

Side Note: I want Silva to go back to his old walkout music, as it is the most suiting: “Time for some action”.

I’ve got to go with Hardcase. Drew, it’s one thing to be an unabashed ‘homer’ when you sportswrite; it’s quite another to let your biases distort sense and reason to the point of a major credibility loss.

Rich Franklin knows what you won’t (can’t) admit: Silva’s at the top of the heap because he’s the very best. Franklin’s a solid #2 and would still be a hands-down favorite against any of the challengers you named. And in each of those potential bouts, you imagined your man successfully showing his best skills against Silva’s worst; what are the chances that’s going to happen? Don’t you get how supremely professional, committed and focussed Silva is?

You might not like that someone from another country comes into your beloved little city and makes mincemeat of your boys…or that no one else from the continent is likely to slow him down much either…but there’s a certain integrity in just telling it like it is. We can all admire your lamenting your favorites’ losses while still giving credit where it’s due. Unless you just don’t get it, in which case the chance of your being read again by any objective MMA purist is as slim as Silva’s waist.

I give you credit for giving the gig a shot. Sure would have been nice, though, to hear a hometown writer put personal disappointment and favoritism aside and own up to the cruel, hard truth without looking for excuses or longshot strategies for bringing down this classy, elegant role model of a champion.

Bob L.

Reminder: He’s a FAN. That’s the entire point of this. He doesn’t and shouldn’t be objective. It’s his perspective. Argue the points he lays out if anything — not his approach to the piece or writing style.

People care which walkout music a fighter picks? Aren’t we getting a little away from the meat of the issues here?

huh i find it amusign that the people “bashing” his article are Silva fans. i bet he wouldn’t be getting the same complaints if he had been a fan of Silva like the rest of you.

NC, nice article. i enjoyed it. i liked hearing your own personal anecdotes about the card. it gives a personal feel and a good idea of what to expect if i decide to shell out the money to attend an event.

I think it’s clearly evident that Hendo is unsure as to whether or not he can beat Silva. Why would Hendo jump at the opportunity to unify the 205 title & not the 185 title? Think about it………..

Now, let’s all remember the Kampmann vs McFedries fight and how Kampann took Drew down because of Drew’s power shots. Anderson is clearly a MUCH better striker than Drew so it stands to reason that if Kampann has trouble standing with Drew then he’ll DEFINATELY have trouble trading with Silva. And it’s foolish to gauge Martin’s ground game by measuring it against an opponent (McFedries) with minimal skills.

Drew is not tecnically sound enough to last as long as he would need in order to land the one lucky punch to beat Silva.

Lutter shouldnt even be mentioned in any of these debates. Lutter had trouble cutting weight while Silva wasnt completely healed from knee-surgery. I’ve had knee-surgery myself (Silva) & I’ve also gone a day (foolishly) without eating or drinking liquids (Lutter) so I can say 1st hand that Silva was at the bigger disadvantage. Let’s also not forget that Lutter had over 24hours after the weigh-in to eat & re-hydrate so this further negates anyone’s claim that he wasnt at or close to full strength come fight night. Remember, weigh-ins are early evening on Friday & the fights arent until Saturday night.

Totally agree with Lutter owning that first round. I would like to see a rematch. Maybe Rich can be the gatekeeper for Silva. I don’t think Silva’s style will defend well against anyone that can ground fight. (Im not Silva hatin), Lutter seemed to take him down at will.

re “Reminder: He’s a FAN. That’s the entire point of this. He doesn’t and shouldn’t be objective. It’s his perspective. Argue the points he lays out if anything — not his approach to the piece or writing style.”

Objectivity is how we learn. If the point of this is to read biased, unchallengable reports from someone who’s only credential is that he/she be a fan, I’ll just ask the regulars at the local sports bar what they think and spare myself hearing it all over again here. We had a chance to see, hear, feel, smell and CONCLUDE—from the perspective of someone in the actual arena—what was really going on. I heard the same excuses I’d have heard if I’d been in any Cincinnati tavern.

Explain how this is valuable.

Bob if you dont’ like it, go elsewhere.

Hey guys, c’mon…can’t we have a little lively debate here? (Besides, I’ve got nowhere to go.)

Very well written Nc-17. I just think Rich Franklin’s legacy is now tarnished, and may be impossible to recover it to the way it was courtesy of Anderson Silva. Just give Okami a shot next, I mean who else is there really? Can someone go save Evan Tanner from his sinking boat?

“Travis Lutter – Now, you probably just threw all my credibility out the window….”

Hell, I threw your credibility out the window the moment I saw your blind fanboyism for Franklin. It’s insulting to him and Silva that you think he just screwed up and got caught in the clinch again. You take away from Silva’s talent as a fighter by saying the loss was because of Franklin’s mistakes and not Silva’s skill. And you belittle Franklin by saying he isn’t intelligent enough to follow a new game plan. Why are people so reluctant to call Silva what he is: the best fighter in the world, period. This is a guy who has the same kind of natural ability as a GSP, the mental toughness and class of Couture, hands nearly as heavy as Liddell’s but more accurate, and the best chin in the UFC. I’ll give you some props for this report, but it’s evident from reading it that this might have been the first UFC event you’ve seen at all let alone attended. I can’t even talk about your list of contenders, man. People need to quiet down about Lutter, really, what did he do that impressed everyone so much? So he took Silva down, well, so has Marquardt and Franklin now, but it sure did them a hell of a lot of good. Same with Lutter, he got the mount momentarily where he unloaded his crappy punched right into Silva’s grill and Silva took them, waited, and baited Lutter into getting to comfortable. After that he swept him, got caught in another takedown, and from there proceeded to triangle the shit out of Lutter and try to smash the top of his head like a melon with elbows. In what universe does that rank as a good showing? And don’t give us any crap about Lutter’s weight cutting, Silva had two torn up knees and triangled Lutter’s face off anyway, no excuses, no whining.

People need to just accept that when New Year 2010 rolls around Silva is still gonna be wearing that belt, along with the scalps of every other fighter they put in front of him. It could be Filho, Kang, McFedries, anyone, doesn’t matter. The only man with a chance is Henderson, and if he has success at 205, which he will, he will not come down and fight Silva.

Maybe at least I would’ve gave you some credibility if you’d put Hendo on your list in place of effing Kampmann. But then, you were likely still delirious from the severe beating of your boy Rich, who is the one guy in his camp who accurately acknowledges the skill and dominance of the man who beat him Saturday night.

I agree although I like Franklin more than Silva, I was worried he was gonna get his ass kicked again and sure enough all I was yelling at the Bar was “GET OUT OF THE CLINCH” ppl were looking at me weird but, hell there not hardcore fans like I am, I thought Franklin was doing pretty good outside with Silva he was actually winning in my opinion but, as soon as I saw Silva got the first clinch I knew it was the beginning of the end, Silva is just superior in the clinch, Ive seen many fights and im sure you all have too, the fights where you yell at the fighter to throw a knee, well with Silva he beats you too it the split second youre about to say knee he already threw it thats how good he is and thats why he beats Franklin.
The only way I see Silva losing is a one punch knock out by a crazy slugger whom will more than likely not be able to land it, or somebody like Matt Hughes or who will take him down and be pinned on to him and then just ground n pound like hell

great article

LETS SEE SILVA BEAT DAN HENDERSON LETS SEE HIM TRY TO HOLD HENDERSON BEHIND THE HEAD LETS SEE HIM TRY TO KNOCK HENDERSON OUT.IF THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HENDERSON INSTEAD OF FRANKLIN HE WOULD KO SILVA BETWEEN THE FIRST OR SECOND ROUND

I really dont know who would win but I do know that it would be down right impossible for a boring fight to take place cuz there is really no boring aspect to the styles of both hendo or silva..

Hey guys, c’mon…can’t we have a little lively debate here? (Besides, I’ve got nowhere to go.)

Seems reasonable, but how bout keep the bashing of the way the article to a min and debat the meat of the write up… Why don’t you toss out your thoughts on who will defeat Anderson Silva, and how it happens.

I have to agree that I want to see the Hendo vs Silva unification match at 185…
I think Anderson Silva takes out Hendo with the same skill and precision as he has already shown.

i’d almost be willing to bet money on the fact that dana doesn’t want okami to fight silva simply because his style is “boring.” plus… he doesn’t speak english. it’s hard to hype that sort of fighter. anderson silva doesn’t need to speak english because i personally think he could hit chuck norris with one of his knees and take chuck beard clean off!!

I’ve got to go with Hardcase. Drew, it’s one thing to be an unabashed ‘homer’ when you sportswrite; it’s quite another to let your biases distort sense and reason to the point of a major credibility loss.

Rich Franklin knows what you won’t (can’t) admit: Silva’s at the top of the heap because he’s the very best. Franklin’s a solid #2 and would still be a hands-down favorite against any of the challengers you named. And in each of those potential bouts, you imagined your man successfully showing his best skills against Silva’s worst; what are the chances that’s going to happen? Don’t you get how supremely professional, committed and focussed Silva is?

You might not like that someone from another country comes into your beloved little city and makes mincemeat of your boys…or that no one else from the continent is likely to slow him down much either…but there’s a certain integrity in just telling it like it is. We can all admire your lamenting your favorites’ losses while still giving credit where it’s due. Unless you just don’t get it, in which case the chance of your being read again by any objective MMA purist is as slim as Silva’s waist.

I give you credit for giving the gig a shot. Sure would have been nice, though, to hear a hometown writer put personal disappointment and favoritism aside and own up to the cruel, hard truth without looking for excuses or longshot strategies for bringing down this classy, elegant role model of a champion.

Bob L.

I would like to see in all honesty where I bashed Anderson Silva? I said, no offense, I do believe there are match-ups out there that he can lose. He demolished Rich once again, Rich made a mistake again and played into Anderson’s strengths. I still think Rich went way far away from his game plan and that is what allowed Anderson Silva to attack his spots. Rich got sloppy, Anderson capitalized.

“Don’t you get how supremely professional, committed and focussed Silva is?” So I guess you are saying all of the other fighters are not that too? Rich Franklin was telling to crowd to cheer for Anderson Silva, I never even uttered anything about Anderson Silva not being any of those things, he is a great fighter, and I enjoy watching him fight, justo n that given night, I cheered for Rich.

ANDERSON SILVA MAULED RICH FRANKLIN AGAIN. There, Anderson last time I looked, knockedo out Rich again, fair and square. Correct?

Okay, now with people saying that Travis Lutter can not beat Anderson Silva… If Travis Lutter would of been smart, came in at weight, Travis Lutter provides the biggest threat in that division. Lutter is probably bigger than any Middleweight in the UFC. Lutter got submitted by Elbows to the head and not the Traingle Choke. Lutter gased, he gased horribly, and he missed out on one of the best oppourtinites in a lifetime. ButI think if Lutter can regain his train of thought, get back on the winning streak, comes back healthy and at weight, he could defeat Anderson Silva. Watch that fight, If Lutter was not so completely gased he could of defeated Anderson Silva.

Nate Marquardt never impressed me. Who did he honestly defeat in the UFC to get that title shot? Dean Lister and Ivan Salvarry? HE did not fight one top 5 fighter to get to that belt. Marquardt has never really impressed me, Anderson demolished him like he did Rich, but is Marquardt the best UFC has to offer?

Thales Leites and Martin Kampmann has the best shots to defeat Anderson Silva. Thales can take down Anderson and possibly submit him, but yet Thales could not submit Pete Sell, and Anderson is alot better on the ground than Sell. Martin Kampmann is the (other than Lutter) the best option to defeat Anderson Silva. Kampmann is a kick boxer, but he has fantastic submission skills. I think Kampmann vs. Silva would be an incredible fight, and I dont think either of these guys would get knocked out. I see this being a decision war.

I have read saying “I wished I could of heard more about what happened on the inside.” I pretty much said that the crowd atmosphere was electric. People standing up and cheering for Rich, Jorge and Brandon. What else do you want me to say? We booed when Tim came out? There are alot of screens the UFC has? I don’t know what else you really want me to say? It as crowded and it was awful trying to get out of Cincinnati after the event? How Anderson Silva fans danced to the demise of Rich Franklin? What else is there to say?

With that being said, the better fighter obviously won that night. Will Rich ever be able to conduct a gameplan to defeat Anderson Silva? I don’t think so. As much as that hurts me to say, I don’t see Rich defeating Anderson ever, after UFC 77.

Very well written Nc-17. I just think Rich Franklin’s legacy is now tarnished, and may be impossible to recover it to the way it was courtesy of Anderson Silva. Just give Okami a shot next, I mean who else is there really? Can someone go save Evan Tanner from his sinking boat?

I completely agree, I think that Rich’s legacy has been tarnished. I think it kind of shows that Rich is a B level fighter. I had high hopes for Rich and I thought he would of came in against Anderson like he did against Yushin Okami, I don’t know why he did, I think the excitment made him do bad decisions.

Evan Tanner could not beat him. He had extreme amounts of trouble with Rich Franklin, Anderson Silva has proven to be 2x better than Rich Franklin.

I would love to see David Louiseau find his winning ways again and fight like how he did 2 years agao. That would be a great match-up for Anderson.

re “Reminder: He’s a FAN. That’s the entire point of this. He doesn’t and shouldn’t be objective. It’s his perspective. Argue the points he lays out if anything — not his approach to the piece or writing style.”

Objectivity is how we learn. If the point of this is to read biased, unchallengable reports from someone who’s only credential is that he/she be a fan, I’ll just ask the regulars at the local sports bar what they think and spare myself hearing it all over again here. We had a chance to see, hear, feel, smell and CONCLUDE—from the perspective of someone in the actual arena—what was really going on. I heard the same excuses I’d have heard if I’d been in any Cincinnati tavern.

Explain how this is valuable.

Do you really awnt to know what it smelt like in that Arena. It smelt like Beer.

I tried to make this write-up short sweet and to the point, its hard when you do not want to make it a bible read. I honestly think you all would love what happened the first day, I had to put that off to the side, because that ended up being 10 pages typed non-double spaced on word processor. I mean honestly, if you want that, you can get it. I honestly think Day 1 was a shit load easier than Day 2. I mean you all watched the fights, what else is there really to say? I went through the undercard, I told you how the crowd reacted, Black/Grice match was the hottest undercard, the fans booed Okami, and cheered for Maia. We booed Burkman, I made that statement too.

Now, let’s all remember the Kampmann vs McFedries fight and how Kampann took Drew down because of Drew’s power shots. Anderson is clearly a MUCH better striker than Drew so it stands to reason that if Kampann has trouble standing with Drew then he’ll DEFINATELY have trouble trading with Silva. And it’s foolish to gauge Martin’s ground game by measuring it against an opponent (McFedries) with minimal skills.

Drew is not tecnically sound enough to last as long as he would need in order to land the one lucky punch to beat Silva.

Lutter shouldnt even be mentioned in any of these debates. Lutter had trouble cutting weight while Silva wasnt completely healed from knee-surgery. I’ve had knee-surgery myself (Silva) & I’ve also gone a day (foolishly) without eating or drinking liquids (Lutter) so I can say 1st hand that Silva was at the bigger disadvantage. Let’s also not forget that Lutter had over 24hours after the weigh-in to eat & re-hydrate so this further negates anyone’s claim that he wasnt at or close to full strength come fight night. Remember, weigh-ins are early evening on Friday & the fights arent until Saturday night.

You do know out of 12 wins that Martin Kampmann has, 8 of them are via submission. He has good striking abilities as well. He got outstruck by Drew McFedries? It could of been a bad fight for Martin (sure looked like it before the take down) but it happens. McFedries vs. Silva would be a nice match, and I think McFedries was still young into his UFC career, and he can learn from ground mistakes.

Lutter had to cut I believe 20 pounds in a day, you do know that takes a toll on your body for a week at least right? Lutter built his own grave, his stupidity caused him to lose that fight, or at least make it an interesting fight. But I believe if Lutter came in with his head on his shoulders and came in with the proper cardio, and if he made weight he would of won that fight via submission.

i think mcfedries is too one dimensional and would get exposed like chris leban did…i’d like to see thales beat someone like okami, lutter or marquardt before he got a shot at silva, lutter i think would beat thales at his own game, okami would test his strength and marquardt is just a well rounded guy that is a tough match up for anyone, i think thales would have a hard time with all those guys so i’d imagine silva would handle him as well…lutter is a tough dude and a very good fighter, but silva already beat him once and at his own game, the weight and cardio excuses are not good ones, the truth is silva was just better…as for kampman, i really like him, he’s proven he can beat strikers like mcfedries and jj guys like thales, and he’s proven he has a crazy hard chin, he’s an interesting match up, but silva is just better than him at every aspect of the game, he’s proven he can beat strikers and jj guys too, like franklin and lutter, he’s shown he not only can take punishment, but avoid it like no one else and dish it out like no one else, while i think kampmann is a very good fighter, i don’t think he’s the answer to anderson silva…of course i’d love to see dan henderson take a shot at him or maybe gsp, but i think if there is a guy in the ufc right now who can possibly beat silva, he’s going to have to come from another weight class, i think rich and marquardt are the best there are at 185 besides silva and in my opinion if those guys couldn’t do it then there isn’t really anyone else right now in the mw division who can…nice write up though mr. nc-17, i used to live in louisville and go to cincy all the time for sporting events, its a great sports town, i can imagine that place was off the hook saturday night…

Great write-up. Their really is nothing like experiencing it live. I went to two events over the summer and thoroughly enjoyed them, hell I even enjoyed 72 immensely, my first UFC.

I know exactly what you mean when you speak of the electric atmosphere, it was like that when Rampage came out at 75.

As for Anderson Silva, unless there is a freak upset the only guys who could beat him are Henderson, Lindland or maybe Filho. I really think he’d give most of the 205ers and heavyweights fits.

Hey, was UFC 77 held back in the 1980’s?? haha ZINGER!!!

Hey, was UFC 77 held back in the 1980’s?? haha ZINGER!!!

Was that a hair joke =/

Crap, Mania, Did I send you that KenFlo picture? I need to get that to you, that is priceless.

Hey, was UFC 77 held back in the 1980’s?? haha ZINGER!!!

Yeah he gives Clay Guida a run for his money in the ol’ mop department.

Sorry if this has been said already but Silva came into the Lutter fight with knee surgery on both knees 10 weeks before the fight. I Believe Silva’s ground game is solid enough for any BJJ black belt. His upkicks are very dangerous. By the way, I took a look at the Silva/Franklin 2 fight and it looks like Silva got him with an upkick between the 3:05-3:03 mark.

Here’s the Link about Silva’s bad knees for the Lutter fight.
http://mmamania.com/2007/02/04/ufc-67-anderson-silva-on-two-bad-knees/

Was that a hair joke =/

Crap, Mania, Did I send you that KenFlo picture? I need to get that to you, that is priceless.

HAHA – yes, just ribbin’ ya. I had head-banging when I was your age too though, so I can’t talk. I’m a musician though, so I had an excuse (click on my name above).

You don’t get to see it because of the camera angle but Franklin’s head turns to the right when it happens. On second look, it looks like 3:07-3:06 mark.

I think we will entertain the idea. It’s just difficult to find folks willing to do it. Not to mention Drew helped us out with results from inside the arena during the fights. Again, difficult to find reliable people willing to do that. Thanks again Drew for everything. Nice job all around.

I agree. GREAT JOB Mr. NC 17. I wish I could have had the opportunity to read it earlier…

NC,

That was some good stuff. I think I will ban all future PPV and try to watch a fight live. It is depressing to sit with a bunch of people after watching some terrible fights and have nothing to do but bitch and ask if anyone wants a beer. To be honest, this PPV wasnt worth a hangover.

Best,
TOP

Seems reasonable, but how bout keep the bashing of the way the article to a min and debat the meat of the write up… Why don’t you toss out your thoughts on who will defeat Anderson Silva, and how it happens.

No writing-bashing intended—only bias. For a first effort, it was a good report…good enough that, I’ll bet, the writer himself appreciates hearing of possible ways he might have an even better impact if he takes on such a task again.

In terms of who might beat Anderson Silva: no one. This guy isn’t a one-hit wonder or one-trick pony; he’s versatile and has supreme skill, athleticism, reflexes, dedication, training and intensity. My guess is he’ll become known as one of the best ever and I plan to enjoy every moment of it, despite the inevitable boredom that will come from seeing him dominate for years to come. I’d love to see a viable opponent on the horizon and hope I’m wrong in thinking there simply is none.

One other thing – the only energy we had in the room after the PPV was when someone asked who farted. Guess what?; it was the cat. Might as well have been Dana White.

Nicely done NC-17. I enjoyed reading it – thanx. Did Sherk happen to say anything about his upcoming hearing to you?

Hey, was UFC 77 held back in the 1980’s?? haha ZINGER!!!

LOL, now that was low.

I do think that having a fan from the site do a write up about attending the event live is a fantastic idea. I would have been more than happy to do it for UFC 78, but since the card sucks soooooo badly, and the fact that I’ve already attended an event live (if I never have, I would still be attending 78 for sure), I will not be going. Who from this site is still going? I remember like 50 people saying that they were going to go, but then I remember 420 people complaining about the card saying that they were planning on going, but now they are not.

I would like to see in all honesty where I bashed Anderson Silva? I said, no offense, I do believe there are match-ups out there that he can lose. He demolished Rich once again, Rich made a mistake again and played into Anderson’s strengths. I still think Rich went way far away from his game plan and that is what allowed Anderson Silva to attack his spots. Rich got sloppy, Anderson capitalized.

“Don’t you get how supremely professional, committed and focussed Silva is?” So I guess you are saying all of the other fighters are not that too? Rich Franklin was telling to crowd to cheer for Anderson Silva, I never even uttered anything about Anderson Silva not being any of those things, he is a great fighter, and I enjoy watching him fight, justo n that given night, I cheered for Rich.

ANDERSON SILVA MAULED RICH FRANKLIN AGAIN. There, Anderson last time I looked, knockedo out Rich again, fair and square. Correct?

Okay, now with people saying that Travis Lutter can not beat Anderson Silva… If Travis Lutter would of been smart, came in at weight, Travis Lutter provides the biggest threat in that division. Lutter is probably bigger than any Middleweight in the UFC. Lutter got submitted by Elbows to the head and not the Traingle Choke. Lutter gased, he gased horribly, and he missed out on one of the best oppourtinites in a lifetime. ButI think if Lutter can regain his train of thought, get back on the winning streak, comes back healthy and at weight, he could defeat Anderson Silva. Watch that fight, If Lutter was not so completely gased he could of defeated Anderson Silva.

Nate Marquardt never impressed me. Who did he honestly defeat in the UFC to get that title shot? Dean Lister and Ivan Salvarry? HE did not fight one top 5 fighter to get to that belt. Marquardt has never really impressed me, Anderson demolished him like he did Rich, but is Marquardt the best UFC has to offer?

Thales Leites and Martin Kampmann has the best shots to defeat Anderson Silva. Thales can take down Anderson and possibly submit him, but yet Thales could not submit Pete Sell, and Anderson is alot better on the ground than Sell. Martin Kampmann is the (other than Lutter) the best option to defeat Anderson Silva. Kampmann is a kick boxer, but he has fantastic submission skills. I think Kampmann vs. Silva would be an incredible fight, and I dont think either of these guys would get knocked out. I see this being a decision war.

I have read saying “I wished I could of heard more about what happened on the inside.” I pretty much said that the crowd atmosphere was electric. People standing up and cheering for Rich, Jorge and Brandon. What else do you want me to say? We booed when Tim came out? There are alot of screens the UFC has? I don’t know what else you really want me to say? It as crowded and it was awful trying to get out of Cincinnati after the event? How Anderson Silva fans danced to the demise of Rich Franklin? What else is there to say?

With that being said, the better fighter obviously won that night. Will Rich ever be able to conduct a gameplan to defeat Anderson Silva? I don’t think so. As much as that hurts me to say, I don’t see Rich defeating Anderson ever, after UFC 77.

Yes, Mr. Nc-17, that is more of what I’d like to have heard. Those of us restricted to our home-entertainment centers or sports-bar screens can’t imagine the intensity of the things you just noted, so thanks for pointing them out this time around. And thanks for at last using the kind of strong language that’s more in keeping with the precise way in which Silva manhandled Franklin. You say, “…I don’t see Rich defeating Anderson ever…”: I can feel the sadness in your voice and I sympathize; I, too, was hoping for him…I think he’s a class act, an exceptional athlete and almost as good as they get. Problem is, Silva…

Don’t take any of this personally, Mr. NC-17. You’re never going to please all of us (nor should you try)…but I think it’s important to resist opinions based on what we’d like to see happen rather than what is inevitable.

good ass article man, mad entertaining.can’t wait til I get to see an event not by ppv

Good article dude. When they finally do come to Canada, I’m your man Mania.

Nicely done NC-17. I enjoyed reading it – thanx. Did Sherk happen to say anything about his upcoming hearing to you?

he said in 2 weeks it will be all good. He is training heavily and is ready for BJ Penn. He says he is in better shape than ever! Sherk is a true class act guy. KenFlo bar none is the nicest guy ever.

Actually I read the Clay Guida comment, and I actually ran into him. I must say, his hair has nothing on mine, but if I grew out the beard and so did he, we would be mistaken from the guys off the Giecko commerical.

Nice Article.

I think the person who gives Anderson Silva trouble, is the person who fights him like a maniac (no not Tim Sylvia). If you fight that dude technically, sorry, he’s got technique they havn’t translated yet. The person closest to that style in that weight is Robbie Lawler. He’s got the best shot out of all the available options, and it’s not a good shot, or really even an option.

For all you guys saying Lutter had a shot, mount is not that big of a deal to a BJJ black belt. It’s a big freaken deal to those who don’t know BJJ, but probably not to the guys from Black House.

Matt Hughes? I don’t want Matt Hughes last fight in the UFC to end with a broken nose.

To surmize, drop weight or pack it on, because the UFC belt at 185 is taken.

great article NC-17, awesome pics. looks like you had a blast

Relax Hardcase. It’s an opinion. No need to go ape shit or take shots at someone who is sharing his unique perspective. Plus. Hendo has said repeatedly he wants to stay at 205. As of right now, he’s a light heavyweight.

Sure, Hendo is saying he wants to stay at 205. Mania, don’t you think the UFC would be willing to compensate Hendo nicely to take a crack at Silva? I wouldn’t be suprised if the UFC makes a nice offer to get him to drop to 185. Why not, he’d get another title shot immediately, another “unification” bout and there’s not much for Hendo to lose since he would be the underdog. Besides, Hendo is getting old, he should be thinking about preparing himself for retirement.

If that doesn’t happen, there isn’t anyone who could last a round against Silva, much less beat him. Hendo is the only guy who could at least make Silva work a little. Why bother throwing Okami in there against Silva? Frankly(pun inteded), I don’t think anyone else at 185 is at Franklin’s level either. If I were the UFC I would sell the Hendo vs. Silva fight, like they did Hendo vs. Jackson fight. There’s more money there then Silva vs. Okami.

But, that’s just my humble opinion.

NC-17,

Anyone who handles (constructive) criticism the way you are is going to do just fine.

I’ve heard rumors about the gruesomely low fee paid Franklin for the fight. Can you shed any light?

Very Nice Job NC-17… I don’t agree with your 185lb picks for a chance to beat Silva but it is very well thought out and takes a good direction to the possibility of the types of opponents that can beat Silva. I don’t believe anyone can accomplish this on their feet, unless they get lucky.

My 3 Picks in order (only 1 guy I can see beating Silva):

1. Hendo, he can take a punch and has quick strong hands…. his wrestling takedown abilities at 185 are overwhelming, even from the clinch. If anyone will beat Silva it’s on the ground and it’s this guy.

2. GSP, He’d still make a good size 185lb, he’s smart enough to change his game plan in the fight if something doesn’t go well… he has “great wrestling takedowns” working on it with the Canadian Olympic team. GSP does not have what it takes to take Silva’s punches, he’s just smart enough to consistently try to take it to the ground and stay there at opportune times… Silva naturally being faster and bigger between the two, would win.

3. Lindlind, much like Hendo just not as good in the other areas, but has overwhelming takedown abilities… I’d say Silva will beat him though as it will go to standup several times and Silva will take full advantage at that point.

NC-17,

Anyone who handles (constructive) criticism the way you are is going to do just fine.

I’ve heard rumors about the gruesomely low fee paid Franklin for the fight. Can you shed any light?

No idea and Thanks Bob.

“Don’t believe the hype, just believe what you see.” haha.

Nice. He seems like a cool dude but in all honesty, when he was talking about going through everyone in heavy weight to win the title, and then called out Liddell in his UFC debut to say he’s dropping weight to take that title too, it made me kind of glad to see him lose.

Sylvia said something to the effect of: you have to get some accomplishments before you can talk like that. Well said, Tim.

NC, Well done. Hated to see Rich go down, too. Silva’s a freakin’ nightmare! Unless Hendo comes down Silva’s writing his own ticket for as long as he wants. I’m not even sure Hendo can save the day. Long live Brazil!!

Reminder: He’s a FAN. That’s the entire point of this. He doesn’t and shouldn’t be objective. It’s his perspective. Argue the points he lays out if anything — not his approach to the piece or writing style.

All you guys need to just CHILL. This is what UFCMANIA.COM is all about, MMA fans stating views and opinions on what they see and believe. I have different views on many fighters and many of you may disagree. This is a public forum. Mr. NC-17 shouldn’t be bashed on his views. I would love to help out UFC MANIA on updates and pics if the UFC ever came to HAWAII. I would clearly have a biased love for BJ PENN and Kendall Grove because they are hometown fighters. I’m happy for Mr. NC-17 because as a fan, we don’t get much MMA shows in HONOLULU except for ICON SPORT and the one ELITE XC show they had last month. I hope the UFC comes to Honolulu, Hawaii next year like Dana White said and I will gladly help out UFC Mania.

“Travis Lutter – Now, you probably just threw all my credibility out the window….”

Hell, I threw your credibility out the window the moment I saw your blind fanboyism for Franklin. It’s insulting to him and Silva that you think he just screwed up and got caught in the clinch again. You take away from Silva’s talent as a fighter by saying the loss was because of Franklin’s mistakes and not Silva’s skill. And you belittle Franklin by saying he isn’t intelligent enough to follow a new game plan. Why are people so reluctant to call Silva what he is: the best fighter in the world, period. This is a guy who has the same kind of natural ability as a GSP, the mental toughness and class of Couture, hands nearly as heavy as Liddell’s but more accurate, and the best chin in the UFC. I’ll give you some props for this report, but it’s evident from reading it that this might have been the first UFC event you’ve seen at all let alone attended. I can’t even talk about your list of contenders, man. People need to quiet down about Lutter, really, what did he do that impressed everyone so much? So he took Silva down, well, so has Marquardt and Franklin now, but it sure did them a hell of a lot of good. Same with Lutter, he got the mount momentarily where he unloaded his crappy punched right into Silva’s grill and Silva took them, waited, and baited Lutter into getting to comfortable. After that he swept him, got caught in another takedown, and from there proceeded to triangle the shit out of Lutter and try to smash the top of his head like a melon with elbows. In what universe does that rank as a good showing? And don’t give us any crap about Lutter’s weight cutting, Silva had two torn up knees and triangled Lutter’s face off anyway, no excuses, no whining.

People need to just accept that when New Year 2010 rolls around Silva is still gonna be wearing that belt, along with the scalps of every other fighter they put in front of him. It could be Filho, Kang, McFedries, anyone, doesn’t matter. The only man with a chance is Henderson, and if he has success at 205, which he will, he will not come down and fight Silva.

Maybe at least I would’ve gave you some credibility if you’d put Hendo on your list in place of effing Kampmann. But then, you were likely still delirious from the severe beating of your boy Rich, who is the one guy in his camp who accurately acknowledges the skill and dominance of the man who beat him Saturday night.

Damn, now I know why you named yourself “Hardcase”, but seriously, we all know Silva is the BEST’ but as fans we like to speculate who should go to the gallows next… we don’t want to see just another destruction, we want to see a fight… and there’s really no one in the UFC as a bonified 185 lb’r as a good next opponent, all the opponents I think can stand a chance is either in another fighting organization, or weight class.

Having been at both Columbus and Cincinnati, the roar for Franklin wasn’t what the roar for Couture was. Hell, it was a tie with Matt Hamill in Columbus. That being said, I’ve never felt a place shake like Columbus for any sport.

No idea and Thanks Bob.

You know NC-17 there’s really no one out there that would pose a challenge to Silva at this point, the 185lb weight class has always been somewhat lack luster for excellent fighters. However, I certainly respect the fact that you’re willing to mention available fighters that could possibly win.
Now you mentioned Travis Lutter… I’ve always thought a grappler like him would have the best chance… Lutter however isnt the guy, unless he gets his head on straight, because I don’t think he’s got the champions mentality.

Reminder: He’s a FAN. That’s the entire point of this. He doesn’t and shouldn’t be objective. It’s his perspective. Argue the points he lays out if anything — not his approach to the piece or writing style.

This is what Drew said: “He got caught in the clinch repeated times and he left his face wide open. I don’t know if the crowd noise rushed Rich to make poor decisions because he wanted to win for his town, or what.”

“Not to take anything away from Anderson Silva, but in all honesty, I think he still can be defeated by a couple of names that the UFC has to offer in the middleweight division. He might be able to defeat Rich Franklin over and over, but here after watching Anderson Silva fight, I have come up with a list of fighters who can defeat Anderson Silva.”

Chuck Norris
The Incredible Hulk
The Country of China.

-I think Drew gave Silva his dues and says Silva would probably beat rich over and over. Drew is just saying what the f**k was Franklin thinking in that clinch?…. I’ll tell you Drew, it’s Franklin’s Training Camp, very little offensive wrestling takedowns… it’s not a very smart camp, and he’s got Jorge, the Chihuahua in his corner as the main guy! Jorge himself is not adept at changing the game plan in the middle of the fight! How the hell can he corner Rich? Franklin needs to take a page from GSP and devote some serious time to wrestling in his takedown offense, upper body, doubles, trips and singles to doubles etc..

Franklin has been able to get away with this for a long time because he dominated everyones standing up, well he met a better standup fighter and Rich didn’t prepare himself the 1st fight… really really dumb by the 2nd time. He should have devote a tremendous amount of time to wrestling takedowns. Yes standup is Franlin’s bread & butter, but look what GSP did when he was losing the standup war with BJ Penn..huh?… see what I mean?… Franklin better work on takedowns and will see tremndous improvement in 6 mos time, in 2yrs he’ll add another dimension to his game. However, I don’t think it’s possible to improve his ability to take a punch.

Good Job on the article. Even though I’m an Anderson Silva fan..I respect everyones point of view. Just a personal note I have called every main event since UFC 64 right..just wanted to pat my on back. =P

You called the Serra/GSP upset at UFC69??
..If you did “WOW”,you should bet proline…
I am usually right on the main events, but i never saw that one coming.
“you get a pat on the back from me too”

This guy declared war on Drew. http://www.scrubsports.com/RITC3.html?1193102443683

Drew,

I checked out the link above. First of all, your hair is your business. And anyone who resorts to the base level of cheap name-calling of that link’s author has way too many self-esteem issues to get into here. Suffice it to say, he’s going to be unhappy for the rest of his life and probably wouldn’t want it any other way.

Who said writing wasn’t a contact sport?

This guy declared war on Drew. http://www.scrubsports.com/RITC3.html?1193102443683

Man, what is with all of that hate for NC-17’s comments? There is plenty of room for everyone to have their opinion.

Does some of this make you wonder about the overall refinement of your basic MMA fan? In what other sport do the champions seem so much more evolved than their fans?

This guy declared war on Drew. http://www.scrubsports.com/RITC3.html?1193102443683

I checked out the link. That guy is a total blowhard. I’m annoyed by idiots who think their opinion is somehow more inspired then everyone else’s.

This guy declared war on Drew. http://www.scrubsports.com/RITC3.html?1193102443683

Ha! That’s comedy. Sounds like Drew fucked his chick. What a loser. Nice work, Mr. NC-17.

Drew, did you fuck his chick? Be honest.

“While I was standing in line waiting to get into the UFC weigh-ins, I saw this clown wearing his Mayhem Miller t-shirt and instantly began calling him out.”

LMAO… THIS GUY IS A TOOL!!! I read the article and there’s no where to respond… he’s simply a hater and a HUGE get on the winner’s bandwagon nuthugger… I suspect another convert from WWE SMACKDOWN… we all know that styles makes fights and eventually everyone I mean everyone gets beat… I’m all for speculation and discussion and I have to admit I do luv’ the haters… they’re fun to bash because they ask for it!

“While I was standing in line waiting to get into the UFC weigh-ins, I saw this clown wearing his Mayhem Miller t-shirt and instantly began calling him out.”

LMAO… THIS GUY IS A TOOL!!! I read the article and there’s no where to respond… he’s simply a hater and a HUGE get on the winner’s bandwagon nuthugger… I suspect another convert from WWE SMACKDOWN… we all know that styles makes fights and eventually everyone I mean everyone gets beat… I’m all for speculation and discussion and I have to admit I do luv’ the haters… they’re fun to bash because they ask for it!

Actually, there is a place to respond. The link is to an article that’s part of a site. I checked it out and you can either email the site or to the Wildfire dude who wrote the article.

What is that queers email address? I clicked ‘Contact Us’ and like 50 internet explorer windows popped up.

Drew, when this kid called you out in line, I REALLY wich you would have stepped to him. I would have loved to have read his article explaining how he called out a Mayhem Monkey and got bitch slapped like a little girl and choked out.

What is that queers email address? I clicked ‘Contact Us’ and like 50 internet explorer windows popped up.

Drew, when this kid called you out in line, I REALLY wich you would have stepped to him. I would have loved to have read his article explaining how he called out a Mayhem Monkey and got bitch slapped like a little girl and choked out.

I think it is funny how somebody made a blog just to call me out. Talk about somebody not having a life.

“I threw your credibility out the window when I saw you waiting in line.”

hahahahaha!! I guess I don’t look like an MMA fan!

Drew, did you fuck his chick? Be honest.

You do know it is headcase who actually wrote this correct? Look at this comment, to the article, I blasted him in an email back, so it works out.

He asid he called me out, please, I would of Shonie Carter back fist him if I heard him call me out.

I love the “get a haircut” comments people make. What I have long hair!? People don’t approve of my long hair!? Gasp! What surprise.

Yes, I did Fuck his chick as well, she left him for me, she did not need a choad dick in here life, she needed a big 6’4 cock all up in here.

Plus “NC-17” does it all the time and all good.

I don’t know if something happened to the page or what, but there’s a spot on the main page at scrubsports.com that you can click and then I used that “contact us” part. I should have the email address somewhere, hold on. . .
admin@scrubsports.com

I’m assuming that emailing the site to call his ass out will eventually get to him.

“While I was standing in line waiting to get into the UFC weigh-ins, I saw this clown wearing his Mayhem Miller t-shirt and instantly began calling him out.”

LMAO… THIS GUY IS A TOOL!!! I read the article and there’s no where to respond… he’s simply a hater and a HUGE get on the winner’s bandwagon nuthugger… I suspect another convert from WWE SMACKDOWN… we all know that styles makes fights and eventually everyone I mean everyone gets beat… I’m all for speculation and discussion and I have to admit I do luv’ the haters… they’re fun to bash because they ask for it!

I am sure you did not call him out at the weigh ins because had that been the case you would not have had to worry about him. It would have been the guy next to him you would have all over you before ya shut your mouth. That guy would be me! You wanna be a tough guy and run your mouth when all he ws doing was writing something he was asked to write? Yopu are classless and I hope one day you call me out while in line!

Wildfire struck back again. http://www.scrubsports.com/RITC4.html?1193541029676

Damn, Drew, you need to put this SOB in his place. That’s some bullshit he’s talking; I think I need to kick this guy’s ass after you do.