ufc UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann

[D. S. Veteran]

UFC starts now a series of free cards. The next PPV is only on the 21st of April when Bones finally fights Evans. So, free MMA. What's to complain. It's also marks the creation of the Flyweight (125lb) weightclass, with an inaugural tournament to decide the champion.

Here's the card:

Preliminary card

Oli Thompson vs. Shawn Jordan - Oli is just 1,85m but generally makes 265lb no problem. Must have a kid's balloon for a gas tank. Shawn has a win over Lavar Johnson by submission (who hasn't?) so he's at least skilled enough to dodge teeth shattering punches and get things done.

Preliminary card (Fuel TV)

Mackens Semerzier vs. Daniel Pineda - This was supposed to be a rematch against Peralta but he got injured and they drafted Pineda in. None of these guys really stands out but Pineda has the experience advantage.

TJ Waldburger vs. Jake Hecht - Same as above without any special edge. Hecht KO'ed Rich Attonito into oblivion with some elbows to the side of the head but I don't think that's reliable technique against more skilled WW.

Kyle Noke vs. Andrew Craig - Noke is one of those guys: solid fighter, pretty well rounded, doesn't seem to go anywhere. As soon as the competition steps up a notch, a little notch, he wilts. They're giving him a pretty accessible fight, Craig is 6-0 but clearly lacks the in ring experience. Noke has a good chance to win in front of his hometown crowd.

Cole Miller vs. Steven Siler - Siler got in the TUF house by beating Cole's brother, Micah, in a pretty surprising fight. That being said, he's nowhere near Cole Miller's level, especially on the ground. R1 finish probably.

Anthony Perosh vs. Nick Penner - Since returning to LHW, Hippo has racked up 2 wins but let's not get ahead of ourselves, he isn't going anywhere (much like Noke). He's a solid grappler but he's 39 going on 40 and just isn't on the level of the young breed of LHW hanging around. He'll still provide good undercard filler until he retires. Much like Noke, he gets a pretty accessible fight in front of his hometown crowd.

James Te Huna vs. Aaron Rosa - Rosa decided to finally drop from HW after a loss to Joey Beltran. It was pretty much a needed move because he looked like a tub of lard at the weight. He has since picked up a win at LHW against a total unknown but he's still 28 and has plenty of time to improve. He faces a tough test in Te-Huna, who makes no secret about his style: stand and bang. Rosa is used to brawls but still needs to gain an edge to win instead of just trading punches.

Main card

Court McGee vs. Constantinos Philippou - I don't get why people favour McGee in this fight. In his last fight with Dongi Yang, he was getting tagged consistently and could have easily lost had Dongi Yang turned on the heat. Philippou isn't a MW monster but he's pretty damned strong and has killer instinct. If he can land some clean shots on McGee's noggin, he can push hard for a TKO.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall - And here it is, the first fight of the FLW tournament. And this one is the wildcard one. Both guys are pretty damned good. We already know Mighty Mouse from his battle against Cruz and Torres. Ian McCall on the other hand, has been beating top FLW fighters at Tachi Palace for some time now. He's the #1 ranked FLW in the world but that's mainly because the UFC didn't have a FLW class. Either guy can win this.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani - This is the 2nd FLW fight and this one is pretty much a done deal. Benavidez has been a top BW for years now but was clearly undersized. His only losses are to Dominick Cruz. Urushitani has been fighting in Japanese promotions all his career. He never faced a strong wrestler. If he wins this, it's the upset of the year.

Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann - Two of the best strikers in the WW collide and I predict fireworks. Alves has struggled with wrestlers in the past and Kampmann has been robbed in the judges cards. Both are very technical strikers who love to fight. I'd give the edge on power to Alves but Kampmann has the better technique. This should be a very good fight and the winner will probably be in contention pretty soon. Just as soon as Condit gets off his ass and decides to defend his title.

Also don't forget, Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey is on the same night. It's an amazing card that features ALL of the relevant strikers still in Strikeforce (except Melendez). It's still no match for this one. Go Tate!

[dippednbutter]

It is tough but I think Demetrious is the man to beat. The other guy is :coff: tam Benividez. Clearly it seems setup for those two to meet in the final but.... y;all never know. Main event is sweet too.

I'm shooting for Rousey or Tate. Hopefully it lives up to the hype. The women have a harder time establishing themselves, not to me, but thats how the non-fighting mainstream dwells.

[D. S. Veteran]

It is tough but I think Demetrious is the man to beat. The other guy is :coff: tam Benividez. Clearly it seems setup for those two to meet in the final but.... y;all never know. Main event is sweet too.

I'm shooting for Rousey or Tate. Hopefully it lives up to the hype. The women have a harder time establishing themselves, not to me, but thats how the non-fighting mainstream dwells.

It's not a sure thing for that bracket. Ian McCall is a very good flyweight as well and has the skills to win. It all boils down to how well they can implement their gameplans. If it ends up being closely contested on the ground, McCall has a slight edge. Benavidez is the clear favorite to win the tournament, no matter who he fights.

With the 145lb gone and the 135 weightclass being pretty bare, I think Tate vs Rousey is pretty much the last WMMA fight we'll see in a televised card for a very long time, a main event at that.

[D. S. Veteran]

Pretty nice event for a free card. Haven't watched the prelims yet, only the main card.

Court McGee vs. Constantinos Philippou - Philippou did what I expected him to do, beating McGee consistently to the punch and unloading shot after shot. McGee has a nice chin, no doubt, but he doesn't know how to NOT get hit. Commentators say he's well rounded, well yes, but he's average in all departments. He didn't have good enough wrestling to complete a single takedown and lacked stand up skills to put Philippou in any real danger. He has a good chin but you can't win fights on chin alone. It would be almost better for him to have no wrestling at all but improved striking. And to stop getting hit so damned much.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall - What an amazing fight. I was pretty upset when they called the results because I was pretty sure that should have been a draw (10-9, 10-9 and 8-10). Only today did I read the news and found out I was correct after all, the fight was scored a draw but the comission messed up the results. They rematch again in April. If it's a repeat, awesome. Demetrious was his usual self, full of speed and nice striking but McCall certainly made a splash in his UFC debut, showing some amazing grappling against a very tough guy and a clear 10-8 round in the 3rd. Can't hardly wait for another one of these.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani - Benavidez refusal do touch gloves may have been prompted by the fact that he saw this fight as a waste of his time. It was but still, a modicum of fair play would go a long way. Urushitani didn't have anything at all for Benavidez and ended up getting KTFO. Could have also ended in the 1st but the clock saved his hide. Benavidez remains the favorite for the FLW title.

Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann - I must have been drunk in the 1st round because I saw Alves outgrapple Kampmann and dominate from the mount. :| After his first submission victory, was this a new Thiago Alves, a future champion? As it turns out, no. When he had Kampmann wobbled in the 3rd and was pretty close to a 30-27, he decides to go for a takedown instead of just unloading against the fence and gets tapped by a guillotine. Title aspirations are pretty much over for him, he's now 2-4 in his last 6, those 2 wins coming against a UFC newcomer and John Howard who's been cut from the UFC. Kampmann won but he didn't look good in the fight, getting tagged and pushed around by an agressive Alves, much like in the Sanchez fight (which I still think he won). He needs to shore up his technique against that kind of offense or else he won't be able to beat guys like Jake Ellenberger.