UFC Quick Quote: 'Rocky' Rodriguez wants a return to the UFC; Nogueira rematch
by Jesse Holland on Dec 24, 2010 10:22 AM EST
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"I want to be able to end my career in the UFC. I think a lot of fans want to see a Ricco Rodriguez/Randy Couture, they want to see possibly Frank Mir, there’s still a lot out there they want to see me in top contendership and see if I’m even capable of doing it. Most of all, the Nogueira fight. Because of the fact that I did beat Nogueira in Japan and there were no elbows allowed, and I lost that decision. I think a lot of fans want to see how that fight would end up, especially in a cage and with elbows. It kills me every single day when a person comes up to me and asks me when am I going to be back in the UFC. The reality is the talent has gotten a lot tougher, there’s no more freebies. The one thing I have now is experience and training with some of the top guys I always have traveling around, that’s been my plus. This would be the best end of a Rocky story. Going in there and finishing my career at the top and having a second chance."
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez (via MMA Weekly) wants another shot at UFC stardom after floundering on the local and International circuit since his 2003 departure. "Suave" captured the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) title in 1998 (open weight) and defeated Randy Couture at UFC 39 to win the promotion's vacant heavyweight strap in 2002, but has also had his share of his public battles with obesity and drug abuse, even appearing on the "Celebrity Rehab" reality show with Dr. Drew. After missing weight at November's IFC "Genesis" event, Rodriguez was adamant that it was an isolated incident. Do you believe him? And can he even be competitive in today's UFC landscape if he was given the chance to return?
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wtf guys
Ricco has won 10 in a row, 7 finishes.
7-0 in 2010 alone!
Former UFC champion
Got ROBBED 1st degree against nog
what else d’ya want from the guy
by Kevin Jennison J. Zametov-St Pierre on Dec 24, 2010 11:15 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
come within 20lbs of making weight for starters
Dominance of Georges St. Pierre Is in the Details
http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/14/dominance-of-georges-st-pierre-is-in-the-details/?a_dgi=aolshare_twitter
by D_Smith on Dec 24, 2010 11:35 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I am waiting for all the fake controversy from way back to roar back.
Look people, Nog outboxed him for 10 minutes and he’s still whining.
BIG NOG for Life
One Step closer to Gleison Tibau @ 145
If the round is too close, it's 10-10, NOT flip a coin 10-9 or late takedown FTW.
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Dec 24, 2010 11:51 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm almost as big a fan as you of Nog NNR but he didn't win that fight
Ricco took Nog down repeatedly and dominated on top, despite having the best guard at HW Nog couldn’t do anything off his back and the fight wasn’t on the feet long enough for Nogs boxing to win it. Ricco got robbed in a fight that he was brought in to lose. He may be a screw up who has wasted his talent (the HW Filho) but he did do enough to win that fight in my opinion and I was cheering for Nog.
"There's a few very good judges surrounded by a bunch of incompetent morons, who know nothing about the sport. They need to do something about that, because it's ruining MMA. It's making people think that this sport is corrupt. It has nothing to do with corruption. It's sheer and total incompetence."
Joe Rogan speaking the truth. Sort the judging out now.
by David W-S on Dec 24, 2010 1:19 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
i think dana should give him a shot
but have him fight at heavyweight…hes been winning at LHW but dont even give him the opportunity to miss weight…i think hes still got talent, hell never be champ again but i still think he can fight…idk, ive always been a fan of his so maybe im biased…first ufc i ever watched was him winning the strap
"I don't think Diego Sanchez belongs at 170. He does not look good at 170." - Dana White after Diego's loss to Hathaway
"I love Diego Sanchez at 170." - Dana White after Diego's victory over Paulo Thiago
Gotta love a president that sticks to his guns...
I think he's earned it
It’s been a long winding road, but I think Ricco has paid his dues and worked his way back up to deserve another crack in the Big Leagues. He’s won 10 fights in a little over a year with a 70% finish rate. And he’s gone 16-2 in the last 2 1/2 years. That’s pretty damn good regardless of the level of competition. Nobodies claiming that he should walk in and get a title shot, just that he deserves a chance to test himself against UFC talent again.
I mean the guy has won more fights in the last year than half the UFC HW division have won in their whole individual careers. Surely he’s no less worthy of a chance in the big show than Meathead Mitrione, Joey Beltran, or Antoni Hardonk! I say match him up with Heath Herring.
"Who's da MASTA?!!!"
(Am rewatching the fight as i write this by the way)
RD1 – Nog td pitter patter punches, reversed, pitter patter punches by Ricco for the t as nog sets up weak ass triangle attempts. Ricco Lands 3 solid hard punches other were more clay guida punches and most don’t land as Nog has both his hands tied up and working open and spider guard. Fight is Stood up. Ricco flying knee, catches a solid punch for his effort. Ricco only throwing left hooks as Nog is catching him with jabs, rights and ducking his punches. Ricco catches him up with a good uppercut after a failed TD. Ricco Takedown. Nog Triangle attempt. Rd ends. 10-10 unified rules. (Nog via PRIDE rules for looking for finishes)
RD2. Nog boxing him up. Catching him with combos. checking leg kicks. Ricco lands hard as they crash into a clinch. Breaks up and nog catches. Ricco TD to half, goes back to guard. No gnp goin on but nog sets up akimura into a sweep almost there but reversed back. Ricco got a hard punch inbetween. Nog catches an omoplata. Ricco is out. Nog sets up armbar into omoplata which fails…scramble…return to butterflyguard to close….Bell rings. Rd was Nog. only meaningful thing happened standing and maybe the omoplata. Ricco did almost 0 gnp and was just lnp’ing .
RD 3. Standing nog lands. Ricco TD, Nog working as usual, catches a kimura and sweep…ricco rolls out back to guard. Pitter patter punches from both when Ricco’s hands arent tied up. Got gets the best triangle attempt but still sucks. Ricco lands his best gnp of the rd…two hard rights. They go back to the same. Rd is even 10-10. Absolutely nothing happened aside from that nog triangle attempt.
You can’t tell me he won on unified rules much less PRIDE rules. LNP’ing isnt the crazy gnp that fans seem to remember. Just Ricco’s fat self thinking if you lay on him judges will give it toyou.
BIG NOG for Life
One Step closer to Gleison Tibau @ 145
If the round is too close, it's 10-10, NOT flip a coin 10-9 or late takedown FTW.
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Dec 24, 2010 3:08 PM EST up reply actions
Actually anyone including Nog himself will tell you that Ricco clearly won that fight it wasn’t close and is the perfect example as to why Pride’s judging system was a joke.
"they mad at me, I keep going hard reppin/
cause what's your Rampage to Rashad Evans/"
-Joe Budden (Something To Ride To)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/76866807deabe3c1/
by Nightwhistler on Dec 25, 2010 12:24 AM EST up reply actions
i would remember Nog saying he lost that fight.
But hey cant convince everyone. People will never refer to the fight only to the false-outrage that ensued after. It was a close fight nog was looking for finishes and ricco was satisfied with minimal gnp while layin flat on Nog’s stomach from his guard. Whether people like it or not it was judged under PRIDE rules and that’s that. But as i said above even under unified rules i still would have given it to Nog with the reasoning i listed above in the play by play. If you can tell me that my play by play was off and i am crazy biased then please point to the specific places you disagree.
BIG NOG for Life
One Step closer to Gleison Tibau @ 145
If the round is too close, it's 10-10, NOT flip a coin 10-9 or late takedown FTW.
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Dec 25, 2010 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
he hasnt faced ANYBODY half decent since monson and that was in 2008
"Your fucking out!!"- Kenny Powers
by sittingbull on Dec 24, 2010 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
so what?
they need depth and better rotation in the UFC. they can’t keep giving the same people oppurtunities all the time and match them up against the same people what that does is isolate them from the rest of mma and they all get put on a pedestal by the UFC without competing against the ppl coming up from under which is the thing to do to prove you are in the top.. Ricco is 16-2 since ‘08 and beat Rob Broughton who is now in the UFC and lets be real he beat Randy Couture back in the day and is a much much more successful mma heavyweight, he’s just been held out for way long but it still only 33.
"never as bad as they appear during their lowest points, never as good as they seem during their highest ones. the very best then must be not just talented but resilient, not just hungry but focused. their sport demands it."
if he cant make weight in the smaller shows
who is gonna take him seriously
"Your fucking out!!"- Kenny Powers
excuse me who are you and why do i want to watch you fight?
I do a lot of jacking off, ya know, because I don’t get no women, so these arms are, like, humongously big. See it’s workout, and it’s pleasure.._" Charles Bennett
"He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day and looks like a ***** today." -Tank Abbott.
I wouldnt mind
Seeing him in strikefarce against so e weak competition
sorry
fatties arent welcome in the UFC.
big country being the one exception
by Lester The Pimp on Dec 24, 2010 10:59 AM EST reply actions
That would be a great co-main event
on Ortiz/Shamrock 4!!
by Sammy Noodleman on Dec 24, 2010 10:59 AM EST reply actions
with jose cansenco vs mark coleman co headlining
"Your fucking out!!"- Kenny Powers
by sittingbull on Dec 24, 2010 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
It's hard to take seriously because of his past tense bullshit!
but I agree with this guy, all you can do is move forward and keep winning whether its the ufc or not? but in the ufc I think he can only hang at most with the gatekeepers?
It don't matter where you came from, its where your going!!!
ricco WHO???
Who wants to see a fat, washed up guy who obviously didn’t use the skills god gave him, and to actually use against himself! Not sure abt anyone else, but id rather see Nog vs Brock or vs Dos Santos or jus abt anyone else BUT tubby. He needs to fade into the distance like a cow out to pasture…
by ryukyublack on Dec 24, 2010 12:49 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Give him another shot
The guy has won 7 in a row, seemingly gotten his life back together, and has lost 100 pounds in about a year. The fact that everyone is jumping on his back for missing weight is a bit ridiculous to me. Yes it is very unprofessional to miss weight, however, just 12 months ago the dude was weighing in at over 300 pounds. I think the UFC should sign him to a 2 fight deal, give him a guy like travis browne in his first fight. If we wins then give him pat barry or stefan struve or shit i dont know. Ricco has some wicked BJJ and ground and pound and I would really like to see if he has anything left.
melvin manhoef is one hell of a finger painter.
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