[mortgrhhh]

That looks so much like a pro wrestling match, meaning it's scripted.

[CathBraunn]

If a fan wants flashy things, they should stick with WWE. Real fights are what is happening in UFC.

However, Pride is a helluva bigger show and IMO the best. I like Pride x 10 vs UFC. But the fact is, average Japanese fan is educated, unlike their western counterparts who want to see stand up war. You notice how they boo in UFC in case of a takedown? Many of them don't know wtf is going on and they can't appreciate it.

But it's the realest form of competitive fighting. That's what happens in a fight. So if they can't appreciate it, they can stfu and buy the next wrestlemania PPV and chunk 10 beers while beating their wives.

UFC is growing, it's going to break even soon. It will never become that mainstream in the US and Europe anyway. Japan is where it's at. I'm not opposed to a show. I'm opposed to enforcing the fights to go to a way that's not the natural darwinist type of evolution. The fact is, if someone doesn't like it, then they don't. But then they don't like mma.

They are now doing the right thing and it's showing in statistics, PPV revenues, and all the things going with it right now. It wasn't like this back in 2001, 2002. It was truly struggling. It was about to die. Now it's on a steady base.

UFC and Pride can never be equal, the reason being Pride is so much richer and keep being, because they got it in Japan. In here, it won't be the same, ever. Did you know that they show Prides in national tv in Japan? THey got so high ratings, that only baseball tops it, being #1 sport in Japan. The same won't happen in here. It'll keep growing in here as well, but it won't reach the same limits but that's just something we have to live with. I don't care as long as the event is steady, they can make a card regularly and keep the WWE away from them, because mma is about fighting.

[Uciaucrx]

His cardio has always been great. He wasn't decisive against Vitor. It was the boring old cut the dude with your elbows. Sure, it's not bad technique since he's able to enforce it to good opponents but still a bit boring.

Ken is SUPERIOR in submissions. He's the man. He also has heavier hands than Tito. The problem is last time, Ken dropped a lot of weight. He's a heavyweight, where as Tito is a light heavyweight, but still walks around 215, so he's a big ass LHW. That said, it took Ken's power and speed when he dropped too much because he wanted to fight Tito so bad. These are not excuses, these are facts of life. He also was recovering from torn ACL, which is a serious injury. So he wasn't able to do execute his gameplan, shoot, take down, submissions. He wasn't even able to get back up really good. You say he couldn't because TIto was dominant, well he didn't even try, and with tored up ACL, I see it task of Zeus. he didn't even try to shoot. He told himself he couldn't shoot or grapple, but he thought he could bang with Tito standing up. Well that was a mistake. I'm the first to tell you, that Tito has better stand up. It's not Ken's domain. But Ken is stronger, he has better submissions, he has heck of a lot more experience, he has KO power in his hands, he's very smart. The only thing that can stop Ken against Tito is Ken. If he doesn't get his cardio great, he might lose it. Tito can go 3 x 5 min easily. He can go 5 x 5 min easily. Ken can go maybe 1 x 5 full and then he might start gassing. Tito beat his ass fair and square though. But he's fully healed up now, he's hungry and he has a great shot at Tito.

And no, mma community does not want a WWE atmospehere. Why? Because we don't want to have a ****ing WWE crowd and hype, and people saying it's not real, or that they start mixing it up with WWE. They want to stay the hell away from that image, and that's why they have played it down a little bit for a year or two now with the entrances.

Besides, it's not up to Tito as far as the fight goes. The first deal was there will be a rematch option for both, no matter who wins the first fight. Tito won, Ken has immidiately reported he wants a rematch. Tito has talked and talked, but he hasn't signed it. That's a fact. So it's not up to him to say or pick who he wants to fight. THat's the job of the UFC. He's not the champ now. He' sjust a regular fighter, who is not even the number one contender.

[HexcewlyRette]

Sure.. WEll you have to understand that I'm a long time MMA fan (saw my first ufc in 1994!1), so I have trained my eye to the max!!!!!! I don't think I'm biased against K-1 fighters, because I quite like it myself. And Hunt too. I was looking forward to see someone beat Silva. Of course he is still dominant in his own weight class but no less of an achievement by Hunt. To his credit, he has worked a lot and it's paying off. I hope he stays in Pride.

But yes, I mean, in Pride as well as all MMA, the damage factor usually counts, meaning that it doesn't matter if he gets few more punches in. Well just like in K-1 so you know the deal. But Hunt also got a yellow card which is automatic point reduction, and it's a big deal, and that's why it was a bit controversial judging. If there was no yellow card, the edge might be enough to judge it to Hunt, because of the few flurries he was able to do, and the fact that he was pushing the stand up. I don't think it was decisive enough to rule it to Hunt after yellow card though.

I think the mistake Silva made was that he thought he could trade with Hunt, which he obivously couldn't do. He should have sticked with take downs and ground fighting. But it's not his style, even though he is a black belt in BJJ. He wants to bang. Didn't pay off this time.

Also what must be known is that Japanese have long time wanted to see Silva lose. He is not hated, but .. he's the guy they wanted to see lose, because of the long rivalry between Silva and Sakuraba, plus the fact that he has kicked Japanese ass for years lkie it was nothing. Pride is partly to be blamed, because they put tomato cans in front of him. But they wanted to see a local guy win Silva, because who ever would win Silva, would become a superstar and a hero. It's a big thing in there and it means a lot.

Hunt wasn't getting his ass kicked. That's for sure. He always looks like he's drunk. Some people mistake that for being dazed. But he really wasn't in trouble standing up. But the yellow card and the fact that it wasn't decisive enough after that, I don't know, I thought it was a tie. But I wouldn't have ruled it to Silva either, so as a .. overall I think tie or Hunt win. So it wasn't TOO far off.

[AdobebePhoto]

I'll leave it to him then, to become the POLY BUTCHER.

[Angelinaaiiiiiiiii]

Originally posted by Pekka
I dream of fighting in Pride! but then again, would the opportunity arise, I would turn it down . I wouldnt' want to get humiliated in front of so many people and live TV. And obviously injured very badly. I'll just stick with the... fan thing. How good a fighter could you see yourself becoming? What are your strengths?

[Nurba]

Do a search on the "flying armbar". Now, thats spectacular mma.

[gSjQEEmq]

Sure.

And unless you show respect to Shamrock, you're nothing. He's a pioneer. He's the reason I picked up shootfighting YEARS ago, after seeing him in UFC2 in rental video. Well he wasn't fighting in it but he was interviewed and they showed an awesome clip of an awesome anklelock.

[bubbachew14]

When are you going to fight in Pride anyway?

[Rounteetepehryn]

you have to see how they do the stomp, then you see why it is defended like Silva goes on defending.

I'll have to agree with you on that I suppose.

Besides, if he would have rolled and it would have been a .. succesful roll, and Hunt would have missed the stomp had he done that, then it would have been a free soccer kick.

When I say roll out I dont mean roll out and lay there, I mean roll out, post an arm, get up on your feet spin around and face the opponent. It can be done in barely a second if you're fast enough.

[GoblinGaga]

BTW Pekka, have you seen the Sapp vs. LeBanner fight? If not, go find it somewhere. The first round is comedy gold.

[TheBestCheapestOEM]

No, Shamrock brings money to the UFC. His fights has gotten the biggest PPVs. Shamrock doesn't get provoked easily, but if someone runs his mouth and is dodging him the same time, that's disrespectful, no two ways about it. The fact is, fighters do not show disrespect to each other that often in MMA, it's extremely rare. Tito does, every time. He used to be able to talk the talk and walk the walk. Now he isn't.

Just look at his last performances. Weak. Win over Vitor wasn't a big deal. He didn't step up. He's thinking too much of a movie career and all that and not enough about fighting anyone they bring in front of him.

you do know the long rivalry between Lions Den and Tito, that's been going on for years? The only thing he should do is to shut up, stop talking and start training against the fight with Ken. UFC doesn't need that smack talk. It didn't happen before. It's not a tradition. YOu see true champs like Randy Couture talking smack? No you don't. What about Chuck? He doesn't talk smack. Furthermore, Ken doesn't talk smack, unless someone starts it first. No one talks smack in there and get away with it. It's not a WWE, it's UFC and mma. No fireworks, just fighting, thanks.

[fhutiussk]

Isn't it unfair to jump on someone who is already down?

[SDorothy28]

As soon as Hunts feet left the ground he lost all control of his body, Silva could have been late on moving and gotten out of the way. Theres no way a man over a foot in the air is going to mysteriously redirect his momentum to land a foot or two away from his original target.

I agree theres very little that can be done to avoid a stomp, but Hunt wasnt stomping he was jumping.

[Nfvzjvcl]

Once Hunt was in the air jumping, it was too late to do anything except to defend and ride it out.

If he was half out of it. If I were him I would have been rolling or crawling like a sunova***** the second big buys feet left the ground.

But in any case, the guy on the ground definitely doesn't want to show his back to the guy on who's on his feet

No need to show his back, he could roll out and get on his feet by the time the guy jumping was just starting to readjust his weight to stand back up. Then he could have done any number of things.

[cjOTw7ov]

Oh the humanity!

[wizardasa]

I hear you. Keep kicking that ass!

[esenesesinas]

One of these days it'll be a punk like Tito and he'll kick your ass. You better start training.

[rujeltaoser]

Damn. I'd hoped we would see you one day on Pride, wearing an Apolyton hoodie when you walk down the ramp.

Anyway, do you know that new reality tv show, Ultimate Fighter? Have you checked it out?

[violetgorman]

Originally posted by Jaakko
Also, Silva (on the ground) wasn't dazed at all, he couldn't roll away because then Hunt would've had free opportunity to pass his "guard" (ie. get out from between Silva's legs and do some nasty hitting or submission holds). I don't see that. The guy on the ground was only on the ground, not like he was having a hold on other other guy's leg(s) with his own.