Picks From The Pride: UFC 133
by The Pride on Jul 22, 2011 9:36 PM EDT
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Are you excited for UFC 133? No? Well I am. I'm going to be there in person and hopefully someone(Rashad) gets brutally knocked out. Sadly I don't see it happening but I'm usually wrong. Oh well, find out who wins after the jump! Oh and you're warned, my grammar sucks. Cry about it.
Contrary to the poster above this, Tito is not back. Ryan Bader was overrated. But still, Tito has and seemingly always will be a tough fight for anyone. There isn't a chance in hell Tito gets finished by Rashad. Tito is tough enough to lose a decision to just about anyone. I don't personally believe the hype around Rashad's striking. He got dropped by Rampage, Thiago Silva, Lyoto Machida, and was easily out struck by Forrest Griffin. I see Rashad using his wrestling and grinding out a decision over the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy". I pray I'm wrong
Rashad via UD
via mmainsane.com
Vitor Belfort vs Yoshiro Akiyama
I can't help but feel bad for Akiyama. He loses to Bisping and gets Vitor? I guess Uncle Dana doesn't care about the Japanese market, because if he keeps feeding Akiyama to top guys he's going to lose one of the few Japanese fighters he has. Unless Akiyama manages to use his judo to grind Vitor out its going to be a short night for him
Vitor by Third Round TKO
via www.yorkblog.com
Dennis Hallman vs Brian Ebersole
This is a tough one. You have experienced vet vs experienced vet. Before I get into who I think will win, I'm going to refer to Ebersole as Arrow. If you don't know why, look at the pic below. Arrow is coming off the destruction of Chris Lytle and is on a 7 fight win steak. Hallman on the other hand, is in the midst of a career revival and has won his last two. I think the defining factor in this fight is the quality of the competition. In my opinion, beating Lytle is much more impressive than beating Ben Saunders or a washed up Karo Parysian.
Arrow via UD
via vigilantemma.files.wordpress.com
Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara
Another tough pick. Again these two are very similar fighters. Sakara is coming off a disappointing loss to Chris Wiedman and Rivera is coming off a (Cough Bullshit Cough) lose to Bisping. I think Sakara is the better of the two in all areas of the game. Rivera's body has some major miles on it and I see him going to sleep early.
Sakara by Second Round TKO
I'm about to piss quite a few Maniacs off. On this site, it is suicide to go against Condit or MacDonald. I am impressed with Rory, but I don't think he's ready for a vet like Pyle. Let's look at Rory's UFC record. Rory submitted Mike Guymon. I like Mike Guymon but I wouldn't take this too seriously as he tapped to a body triangle from back mount. Then he fought Carlos Condit, and lost in a controversial stoppage. After winning the first two rounds he was attacked by a vicious barrage of ground and pound, and the fight was stopped with 7 seconds left. Next he fought Nate Diaz, and rag dolled him easily winning a unanimous decision. However, I'm not too impressed with his smashing of a lightweight. Now on to Mike Pyle. Pyle recently defeated Ricardo Almeida and derailed the hype train of British prospect Jon Hathaway. I see this fight as a grappling clinic with Pyle on top for the entire fight.
Pyle by UD
Matt Hamill vs Alexander Gustafsson
I'm very pissed that Vladimir Matyushenko got hurt. I was looking forward to seeing him fight and win. Hamill on the other hand is going to lose. Gustafsson is coming of two straight rear naked choke victories. His fight against Cyrille Diabate really impressed me, he dropped the muay Thai expert twice before choking him. That takes some serious skill. This fight will not end with a rear naked choke however. Gustafsson is going to finish Hamill with strikes.
Gustafsson by First Round TKO
via www.411mania.com
Chad Mendes has the best chance to beat Jose Aldo. His wrestling is second to none, and his striking has improved by leaps and bounds. Rani Yahya is a BJJ ace, and is coming off one of the biggest wins of his career over Mike Brown. His best chance to beat Mendes is by submission. Here's an interesting fact: Neither Joseph Benavidez, Chad Mendes, nor Urijah Faber have ever been submitted. They all train under Team Alpha Male have very similar games. Mendes is going to grind him out for a decision or pick him apart striking
Mendes via UD
This is an interesting fight, with both fighters coming off of impressive wins. Nick Pace submitted Will Campuzano with a pillar choke, while Ivan knocked out Charlie Valencia with a very impressive elbow. I think experience will be a big factor in this fight. Pace has only had 7 fights while Ivan has had almost 30 and has generally fought better competition. Also Pace failed to make weight for his last fight which makes me suspect he has weak cardio, plus guys that fail to make weight are unimpressive and I dislike them(see Ruedigar, Gabe)
Menjivar by Third Round KO
Johny Hendricks vs Mike Pierce
It wasn't too long ago that Johny Hendricks was the welterweight division's best prospect. Then Rick Story came along and battered Hendricks for a decision. He is fighting fellow prospect Mike Pierce who is on a three fight win streak and has looked impressive since he lost to Jon Fitch in a classic Fitch fight. Hendricks is coming off of a knockout of the night performance against TJ Waldburger. This is a tough fight to call but I have to go with Hendricks by wrestling him to the final bell
Hendricks via UD
How far has Brown fallen? He went for fighting for the belt to fighting someone best known for losing a bullshit decision to Leonard Garcia. Brown is on a two fight lose streak getting out struck by excellent kick boxer Diego Nunes and out grappled by BJJ stud Rani Yahya. Both of these fighters are more skilled than Phan and I see Brown playing it safe for a much needed win.
Brown via UD
via mmahits.com
Rafael Natal vs Costantinos Philippou
I saw Philippou lose to Nick Catone at UFC 128 in person. The story of the fight was Philippou being out wrestled by Catone. Natal's BJJ pedigree is much higher than Catone's and I see the fight going very similarly. The one X-factor in this fight is that in Philippou's last fight he stepped up on short notice, and we can't know how much that affected him. Unless he comes out a completely different fighter than last time he loses. This is, however, the best underdog pick on PG.
Natal by Second Round Submission
via www.tapology.com
What do you think Maniacs? Are these picks spot on or horrible? Let me know and thanks for reading!
And to end on a high note...
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true
but it seems to happen a lot, and Tito could do it. I dont think he will but he could
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
Tito doesnt pack nearly the punch of any of those guys.
Nor does he have the technique. Rashad still has issues with footwork like bader but it’s not as bad and his hands are still of better quality. Wrestling wise, after the hammill fight, i would say rashad can get it done too.
Sometimes, these things happen in MMA
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Jul 24, 2011 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Im not impressed with Rashad's chin
that said i dont think tito will crack it although he could if he tires him out. i think tito’s best chance is to push the pace and smother him against the cage
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
You seriously think Mike Pyle is going to take MacDonald down?
Sig bet says MacDonald wins easily. 30-27.
There’s only one thing I like more than powerbottom, and that’s BloodyElbow.com
already have one with Two Words
and yeah im not that impressed by MacDonald. He will be a contendor in a few years, but until he beats someone good, like Pyle, im not on the hype train. and ppl said the same thing when i picked Pyle over Hathaway
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
Yes, that pick is very suspect. Also, prefacing a controversial pick with a disclaimer that people are going to question you because picking against the guy you pick against is unpopular on this site, doesn’t do a lot to lend credit to the pick. Picking is subjective, but it serves your position better to simply talk about the match up rather than defending your position.
I have been quite impressed with Pyle his last two fights, but macDonald is out of his league. People will be quick to give MacDonald the stand up and Pyle the ground game, but keep in mind Pyle has tapped out 4 times in his career, MacDonald 0. Pyle’s top game is superb, but on his back, which is where he will be if the fight goes to the ground, he will be on the defense, and MacDonald’s top game is quite good.
The only reason i said ppl will question this pick is because almost all of mania are big fans of this kid
Im not sure why macdonald is so hyped. He’s young and skilled but he hasnt beaten top guys like Pyle has. Pyle is going to hit him a couple times then take him down and punch him some more
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
He was ten seconds away from beating Condit
How can you not be impressed?
There’s only one thing I like more than powerbottom, and that’s BloodyElbow.com
he was 10 seconds away from a draw with condit
that third round was a 10-8 the judges said in an interview. Also i feel condit has evolved since then i didnt perform his best that night. Truth be told, i will believe the hype if he beats Pyle, but i dont see it
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
The commentary was bias as fuck in that fight.
The highlight of that was when Condit kicked him right in the face and Rory kicked Condit’s chest and Joe Rogan acted like it was just Rory landing a hit.
I supposed we’ll have to agree to disagree on the matter. I really don’t see Pyle being able to hit him (by this I mean, I do not see Pyle hitting MacDonald more than the inverse), nor do I see him taking MacDonald down. The only place I think Pyle has an advantage is on the ground, and only if he’s on top. Even so, he couldn’t submit Hathaway from that position, which he had for a cumulative time of circa 10 minutes if I recall correctly, and Rory is tougher on his back than Hathaway is. I think this is more a question of whether or not MacDonald can finish him, or end up with a 30-27. Well see….
What exactly has Rory done to garner so much respect?
Who has he beaten? Exactly what has he done? He had a tough fight against condit, beat a now retired mike guymon, and smashed a lightweight. Where does that scream contendor?
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
A lot of people were saying such things about Jon Jones until he fought Shogun. In fact, that argument could be make for anyone until they fight what an individual such as yourself terms “top competition.” If all you go by is who someone has beat then the label of prospect must be irrelevant to you. That is a tricky concept for me to grasp especially in the theatre of sports. I wonder if the Carolina Panthers rolled dice to determine Cam Newton would be the first overall selction in the NFL draft…..Kyrie Irving must have guessed how many jelly beans were in the jar and that’s why the Cavs picked him first…..
Potential is ambiguous, but cannot wholly be ignored. MacDonald is one of the best athletes at welterweight, has no cardio issues to speak of, has a killer instinct (all but his win over Diaz was by stoppage), and is an ox in the division.
Who has he beaten? – Nate Diaz, Clay French, but more importantly is who he will beat….the first name on the latter list is Mike Pyle.
Exactly what has he done? – Become the division’s best prospect before he could legally drink. Been immaculate aside from the hiccup against Condit, which shouldn’t be ignored, but might be excused and chalked up to experience.
Where does that scream contender? – Where does it not? Do you have some reason to believe he has a major weakness to his game others do not see? Or is he simply not a contender because he hasn’t beat a contender?
you have to beat the best to be the best
If he beats Pyle, who i think is one of the most underrated guys in the UFC, i will be extremely impressed. I just dont think he is a top guy yet. In a year or two he will be, but until then im not sure. And im not surprised everyone is counting Pyle out, this will be the third time in a row. Also i hate Rory’s gym, i dont think Tristar improves fighters games and i think that hurts himmore than it helps him.
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
and i think he is well rounded
but he is not exceptional in any area
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
Then just play the waiting game and you will turn that being impressed corner. I like to be impressed and if you are the same way, you have something to look forward to.
I don’t disagree with you about Pyle. I think he has improved a lot over his last several fights and is quite solid. Rory is beyond that though.
And if rory starts losing and going down hill.
All the nut huggers will say they never bought into him and how he sucks and stuff. He has skills but I believe he’s over rated.
An odd addition to the debate....
Is Rory MacDonald good? Answer: His fans are disloyal.
I wasn't the one you were debating with so why should i answer your questions to someone else?
I was simply commenting because I saw a nut hugger.
Alright
heres my closing statement. Rory is good, not great but i think he will be later in his career and he hasnt fought guys the caliber of Mike Pyle.
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
The Pride – At least that one makes sense. Lets discuss this again after the fight :)
Guyverbob – While I thank you for clarifying the cryptic differences in the characters I see on my computer screen, I would like to reaffirm my believe that your contribution is redundant. However, I will concede that you are doing an excellent job on nuthugger watch. You need to make sure that no one on this MMA forum is spouting rediculous pro fighter sentiments anywhere. What would this site come to if people began making claims like “I think Frankie Edgar is a good fighter,” or “Georges St Pierre is the best fighter in the world?” We can’t have this. Keep monitoring and make sure you find all these fans of fighters so that they realize they are “nuthuggers.” Be sure to explain to them your duty is necessary because liking, or think a fighter is good is is equivalent to an irrational man-crush, which is simply must not be tolerated. You are especially needed in cases where a person’s admiration for the fighter is logically outlined and explained.
Thanks again
lol im staying out of this
and i could be wrong about Rory, and he could smash Pyle, but im just not sure yet. The kid does have some huge potential though
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
well i have no problem with sarcasm
we have to test ur theory on Ulf, hes old right?
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
Swing and a miss on the age assumption….unless you’re really young I guess. But, a belief that sarcasm is a weapon accessible only to the elderly would be akin to assuming the capacity (or possibility since you’re unconvinced about Rory) to anticipate a fighter’s future successes is reserved for a cult of blind followers.
Believe Rory will lose. That’s fine. But justifying that belief by saying his fans are nuthuggers doesn’t seem all that ironclad. Isn’t you’re last comment a bit hypocritical since you termed me a nuthugger thinking differently about MacDonald than you did? That’s rhetorical, but feel free to answer. Either way. have a nice night.
Arrow is the man
My buddy is coming with me to the event and Ebersole is his favorite fighter. Cartwheel kick + awesome chest hair= the coolest dude ever
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
also if u didnt see this read his time line
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
i was at that fight and screaming for him
everyone was all over lytle’s nuts but they hushed pretty quick and by the third rnd it was all ebersole in the crowd all of a sudden … lol
I'm my sig's pimp
Pro sig bet record: 1-3-0
i really like Lytle
but after that performance im a big Ebersole fan. I do wonder how much Lytle’s meniscus surgery hurt him, because i have meniscus problems and it can suck
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
We should all join the same "Fight Camp" on mmaPlayground.com
this way we can keep records of who really knows MMA and how to pick fights.
If somebody already started this, let me know
Thiago Silva is a political prisoner!!!
we have a fight camp for the ppl who paid to get in
and im not doing great this season so u probably shouldnt listen to me lol.
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
what's the name of the camp, and how do I join?
Thiago Silva is a political prisoner!!!
by Jared DeMarino on Aug 1, 2011 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Welll the season already started so you cant join now
but in a month or 2 we will have a new season. you could email Jay he will fill you in
"Your death will be my holiday" -Wilfred
hamill tko’d? im not big on that pick. sure he might lose the fight, but i dont see him getting stopped. rampage landed some big shots and couldn’t manage to get the job done, Gustafsson likely either. hamill doesn’t wanna get beat again, he’ll take take one down constantly, mixing in some strikes
"He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day and looks like a ***** today." -Tank Abbott.
Rampage fought with a broken hand
Gustaffson has been looking like a monster lately and his only loss is to Phil Davis, a better wreslter than Hamill who struggled to takedown Alex. Plus Alex now trains with Davis so his TDD has only improved
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
I would excuse your bland writing
if your breakdowns weren’t so inaccurate.
Short night for Akiyama, yet third round (T)KO? Pretty sure making it to the third round would not be a short night.
Hamill gets stopped in the first round?
Story did not ‘batter’ Hendricks.
As far as Pyle goes and all your claims of MacDonald’s nuthuggers… I’m pretty sure you’re on the opposite end of that argument with your clear nuthuggery of Pyle. Who has he beat other than Jon Fitch 86 years ago?
Why do you write these things, claim your writing sucks, ask people to judge your picks, yet argue for hours with someone about Pyle/MacDonald? BTW, Amos14 owned you in that argument. Your anti-MacD-nuthugger syndrome clearly blinded you from seeing that he is, in fact, correct.
Fuck off
Someone piss in your coffee? I dont see how i nuthugged Pyle, i think hes a good vet and he is. I didnt say he was going to be champ. Story did batter Hendricks he ripped him up with some mean body shots. And have you seen Gustaffson’s recent fights? the kid is an animal and has been killing guys. And i dont see how Amos “owned” me we both had points and said we shud talk after the fight. basically, i did this for free, because i wanted to talk about a card im excited to go to. So if u dont like it go fuck yourself
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
It's not even your grammar that sucks.
It’s your piss-poor breakdowns and lack of them. Writing some facts about winning streaks, fighting styles, belt levels and camps does not make for a good read. I could read that crap on Wikipedia. What I can’t read on Wikipedia is how Fighter A will beat Fighter B, what type of gameplan he will execute and why it will work. YOU made public picks, YOU asked for criticism, and YOU joked about your own grammar, and your lack of picking expertise — as to show you weren’t being serious so people would go easy on you.
I know this is all for fun and we are all here for the love of MMA, but your shit was boring, non-insightful (if that’s even a word), and there wasn’t even an ounce of me that thought ‘wait a minute, he may be right’…
I dont ask ppl to go easy on me
if u disagree, fine. Tell me why, and explain it to me. I like to hear ppl’s opinions, that’s why i write these things. And if your going to start commenting on this sight you should probably learn how to use the reply button. Just a hint
"OK, he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put him away, not, did I win this round? Basically, man up and stop complaining" -Jim Miller on judging problems
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