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James Irvin: 'I dont see how the fight can get out of the first round' with Houston Alexander

houston alexander james irvin

Props: Calgary Sun

Quoteworthy:

"I don't see how the fight can get out of the first round but I think if it does -- I think at 5,000 feet altitude, that's going to play a big part -- all that muscle he carries, I think he's going to be really tired.... He's got something that can knock me out any second, so I can't go in there being careless. I can't go in there without being methodical about it, and that's the biggest thing is everything we're doing (in training) has method to it. I'm just going to set him up. We've got some traps I'm going to walk him into."

"The Sandman" talks about his upcoming light heavyweight fight with Houston Alexander at UFC Fight Night 13 at the Broomfield Event Center in Bromfield, Colo., on April 13. It'll be real interesting to see how not just Alexander -- but all the competitors -- handle the thin mile-high air come fight night. It's an underrated albeit significant factor especially if bouts go into the later rounds.

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I agree with the little faker…This fight will most likely end in the first round….some one is getting KO’d..

by Stagger-Lee on Mar 21, 2008 10:26 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

man, i kinda like James Irvin, but this is going to be painful to watch.

by wagnerav on Mar 21, 2008 10:27 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

The quicker this fight ends the better. This UFN card is amazing top to bottom. The faster fights end the more fights we get to see!

by john on Mar 21, 2008 10:29 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

""all that muscle he carries, I think he’s going to be really tired""… or STRONG!!!! Houston! watch out for that ankle lock!.. Alexander 1st Round KO, bet the house on it.

by kama kaze on Mar 21, 2008 10:30 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I wonder if something weird will end the fight eatly..Irvin has had something go down to end his fights.

by PhilQNY on Mar 21, 2008 10:35 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I like James Irvin, he always brings the leather, and brings the heat..

I think Irvin will submit Houston Alexander.

by "Mr. NC-17" on Mar 21, 2008 10:39 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

The Sandman" talks about his upcoming light heavyweight fight with Houston Alexander at UFC Fight Night 13 at the Broomfield Event Center in Bromfield, Colo., on April 13.

ISN’T IS APRIL 2nd??????

by ViolentMike on Mar 21, 2008 10:40 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

The quicker this fight ends the better. This UFN card is amazing top to bottom. The faster fights end the more fights we get to see!

Good point…..Agreed 100%

There are some great fights that may not be broadcasted..

by Stagger-Lee on Mar 21, 2008 10:41 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I wonder if something weird will end the fight eatly..Irvin has had something go down to end his fights.

Haha seriously….watch Houston wins because as soon as the bell rings Irvin trips and breaks his ankle. The guy has had some real bad luck as of late.

by Volatol on Mar 21, 2008 10:43 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

After watching Houston’s last fight, it would make sense for Irvin to try and get it to go to the ground. I think Irvin’s only chance of winning is to shoot for a submission. The only problem is, he like to stand and bang. That might not be a good idea for him this fight.

by pete on Mar 21, 2008 10:52 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Isn’t the "Sandman"’s fitness level suspect as well?

I mean, the “Sandman” isn’t exactly a cardio freak either.

by Schiro on Mar 21, 2008 11:05 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I agree with the little faker…This fight will most likely end in the first round….some one is getting KO’d..

That knee was bad. Let me knee you in the face like that and see if you would want to continue! I dont think he was fakin that!!

by WENDELL on Mar 21, 2008 11:28 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Rampage has said that Irvin hits him harder in training than anyone he’s been in the ring/cage with. There almost certainly will be a first round KO, but don’t be so quick to assume that Irvin is the one going to sleep. He isn’t called Sandman for nothing.

by PW on Mar 21, 2008 11:30 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I agree with the little faker…This fight will most likely end in the first round….some one is getting KO’d..

That knee was bad. Let me knee you in the face like that and see if you would want to continue! I dont think he was fakin that!!

yeah it was, but not as bad as Irvin made it out to be…It looked like some mediocre acting, like Luis Cane said…

He could of taken the five minutes at least…It just seemed like he knew he could get a win by DQ, and I didn’t like that….this is just my opinion…dont get all defencive for him…alot of people think he was over acting the actual damage he took…it’s not like he was ko’d..

by Stagger-Lee on Mar 21, 2008 11:38 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I think Irvin could take this by GnP , Submission or strikes.. Either way Irvin wins imho.

by Dayzah on Mar 21, 2008 11:48 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Rampage has said that Irvin hits him harder in training than anyone he’s been in the ring/cage with. There almost certainly will be a first round KO, but don’t be so quick to assume that Irvin is the one going to sleep. He isn’t called Sandman for nothing.

I agree. in a brawl like this is a toss up. As a betting man, I would wager $ on either fighter, if one was a big underdog. I dont know what the odds are, but I dont know how good of odds the underdog will get because I think this is a pretty evenly matched fight.

This fight would be a main event on an EliteXC card!lol I am predicting it right now, As soon as HOuston’s contract expires, Gary Shaw will try to throw a lot of $ at him.

by john on Mar 21, 2008 12:19 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

ISN’T IS APRIL 2nd??????


It sure is, unless someone changed it on us and didn’t tell us untill now. lol

by Toms Bombs on Mar 21, 2008 12:32 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Pretty evenly matched…unless it goes to the ground. Trouble is, you have to get ahold of Houston first to get him down. That could involve taking lots of seriously hard punches to the face. He carries all that muscle for a reason. Irvin’s no slouch, but I’m not sure he has that kind of power.

by SeeRed on Mar 21, 2008 1:02 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Very interesting Read on Alexander about his fight with Tiago. The rest of the article is on Yahoo!Sports:

Alexander met Thiago Silva at UFC 78 in Newark, N.J., and once again a one-sided bout ended in the first round.

This time, though, it was Alexander who was on the receiving end of a brutal beating. His trainer, Mick Doyle, concedes that Alexander could use work on his jiu-jitsu. But he said Alexander wasn’t right mentally that night and suspects it had something to do with the events in the dressing room an hour before he was to go out.

A member of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board walked into the room and told Alexander and Doyle the fight was off because Alexander only has one kidney.

Alexander had donated a kidney to one of his daughters several years earlier, but he’d always passed his pre-fight physicals with no problems. But New Jersey, fearful of a lawsuit should something untoward happen, opted at the last minute to prevent Alexander from fighting.

The reasoning was that with just one kidney, he wouldn’t have a backup if something happened to it. Manager Monte Cox, UFC president Dana White and Doyle were pleading Alexander’s case.

“We have no excuses, because it was a bad night, period,” Doyle said. "But I knew something was wrong. I don’t think Houston dealt with that very well. It’s an hour before the fight, we’ve done everything commission-wise we were supposed to do and here they were, telling us we couldn’t fight.

“As his coach and the guy who knows him best, I knew something wasn’t right. I changed my last words to him. I always have an idea of what I’m going to say, but when I saw his demeanor, I was worried about him. I don’t know if that incident with the commission was the reason for it or not, but he wasn’t the same guy. He wasn’t nearly as aggressive as had been in sparring.”

This is interesting because after UFC 78, some of us where actually discussing his “weird” demeanor on this site. He clearly did not look right prior to the fight.

by john on Mar 21, 2008 1:15 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Very interesting Read on Alexander about his fight with Tiago. The rest of the article is on Yahoo!Sports:

Alexander met Thiago Silva at UFC 78 in Newark, N.J., and once again a one-sided bout ended in the first round.

This time, though, it was Alexander who was on the receiving end of a brutal beating. His trainer, Mick Doyle, concedes that Alexander could use work on his jiu-jitsu. But he said Alexander wasn’t right mentally that night and suspects it had something to do with the events in the dressing room an hour before he was to go out.

A member of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board walked into the room and told Alexander and Doyle the fight was off because Alexander only has one kidney.

Alexander had donated a kidney to one of his daughters several years earlier, but he’d always passed his pre-fight physicals with no problems. But New Jersey, fearful of a lawsuit should something untoward happen, opted at the last minute to prevent Alexander from fighting.

The reasoning was that with just one kidney, he wouldn’t have a backup if something happened to it. Manager Monte Cox, UFC president Dana White and Doyle were pleading Alexander’s case.

“We have no excuses, because it was a bad night, period,” Doyle said. "But I knew something was wrong. I don’t think Houston dealt with that very well. It’s an hour before the fight, we’ve done everything commission-wise we were supposed to do and here they were, telling us we couldn’t fight.

“As his coach and the guy who knows him best, I knew something wasn’t right. I changed my last words to him. I always have an idea of what I’m going to say, but when I saw his demeanor, I was worried about him. I don’t know if that incident with the commission was the reason for it or not, but he wasn’t the same guy. He wasn’t nearly as aggressive as had been in sparring.”

This is interesting because after UFC 78, some of us where actually discussing his “weird” demeanor on this site. He clearly did not look right prior to the fight.

It’s BS and more poor reporting from Kevin Iole. FOP actually contacted the NJ Athletic Commission (Iole didn’t) and representatives there simply asked Alexander to sign a waiver before the bout.

by MMAmania on Mar 21, 2008 1:23 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

It’s BS and more poor reporting from Kevin Iole. FOP actually contacted the NJ Athletic Commission (Iole didn’t) and representatives there simply asked Alexander to sign a waiver before the bout.

Thats Hilarious! Talk about terrible reporting. Thanks for setting me straight mania! You are on top of your game today!

by john on Mar 21, 2008 1:46 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Alexander has come in at 203 before if I remember correctly. I know that guy is ripped to shreds but he hasn’t got the biggest frame; not that it stops him because he’s a powerhouse and tremendously strong but I actually reckon he can make 185, (like Eastman, he got down somehow).

I’m not about do the Rogan thing where as soon as someone loses you suggest they move down but I would love to see him at MW against maybe…oh let me see…someone else to beef up the division…someone from 205…ah yes, the Axe Murderer. Now there’s a fight.

by RobH86 on Mar 21, 2008 2:11 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Houston will probably not ever cut to 185. He is fine at where he is at and is used to fighting heavyweights.

His 203 is rock solid. He weighed in at 202 for the Jardine fight.

He walks around just under 210 these days, he doesn’t really cut anything.

Plus weight cutting I’ve heard can be a bit rough on your kidneys. With him only having one, I doubt he’d cut unless he had to.

by BTay on Mar 21, 2008 3:03 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Houston will be found out soon enough.

People give him the benefit of the doubt with his loss to Thiago. People are giving him at least one excuse.

I’m not. The only excuse Houston has for that loss is “I’m not at the correct level”.

Houston is a banger as is Baroni, as is Kimbo. These type of fighters only last as long as the organisers want them to. As soon as they are not put in against fellow bangers, they’ll lose big time and consistently.

by Automation on Mar 21, 2008 4:17 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

i think irvin will take it, 1st rd tko

by jsoph on Mar 21, 2008 5:13 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Houston by 1st round tko

by markg on Mar 21, 2008 6:31 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Houston Alexander will knock him out cold in the 1st round, possibly faster than the jardine fight

by tmurda on Mar 21, 2008 6:47 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Go Sandman!!!UTC ROcks, Roseville!!!!!!

by DirtbagHtr on Mar 21, 2008 8:29 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Sandman, 1st round KO. not TKO.

by RockSteezy on Mar 22, 2008 2:36 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

yeah it was, but not as bad as Irvin made it out to be…It looked like some mediocre acting, like Luis Cane said…

He could of taken the five minutes at least…It just seemed like he knew he could get a win by DQ, and I didn’t like that….this is just my opinion…dont get all defencive for him…alot of people think he was over acting the actual damage he took…it’s not like he was ko’d..

If you watch it again, the doctor stopped it, and Irvin was HEATED. He didn’t elect to end it…

by RockSteezy on Mar 22, 2008 2:37 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Irvin for the win Arm Bar. That’s my guess. Houston is a great standup fighter for sure, but like everyone else has been saying, one dimensional.

Irvin Has his BJJ/Wrestling to fall back onto and knows how to bang with heavy hands. Rampage even said no one hits him harder, tonight the sandman will put the assassin to sleep

by SamuraiSnap on Apr 2, 2008 3:31 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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