UFC 75

[TheRealDave]

UFC 75

Date: Sept. 8, 2007

Location: London, England

Venue: O2 Arena

Broadcast: TBA

PRIDE champion Dan Henderson vs. UFC champion Quinton Jackson

Mirko ?Cro Cop? Filipovic vs. Cheick Kongo

Michael Bisping vs. Amar Suloev

Alessio Sakara vs. TBA

Jess Liaudin vs. TBA

Dennis Siver vs. TBA

**Evan Tanner is also rumored to return on this card as well.

Nice to see cro cop and bisping fighting again. Should be a good event!

[Rappy Veteran]

Yeah good to see Cro Cop back he needs to be back...get back on the road for the world title because this ppv is a month after the Gonzaga vs Randy fight so it could set up the next opponent unless Dana has set up Fedor for the winner...

[Zoom7000]

That is looking like a very strong card! Almost tempted to go and watch it at the Dome! But not too happy at the potential ?250 price tag for decent seats!:pp

I'll watch on Setanta instead!

I wonder if CroCop can bounce back and be as deadly as he was before that Gonzaga slip up! I'd love to see Randy vs CroCop, but, if Dana White can get Fedor for Randy, that'll be superb! Provided Randy gets past Gonzaga.

[Rappy Veteran]

I wonder if CroCop can bounce back and be as deadly as he was before that Gonzaga slip up! I'd love to see Randy vs CroCop, but, if Dana White can get Fedor for Randy, that'll be superb! Provided Randy gets past Gonzaga.

Yeah I want to see Mirko bounce back...I had high hopes for him in UFC until he got owned by Gonzaga but I still think he can cut it and easily walk through Kongo...

[Zoom7000]

Yeah I want to see Mirko bounce back...I had high hopes for him in UFC until he got owned by Gonzaga but I still think he can cut it and easily walk through Kongo...

You're probably right there, but MMA is just too unpredictable. Having said that though, he did look kinda out of sorts against Gonzaga. Maybe it was just a bad day at the office.

[Rappy Veteran]

You're probably right there, but MMA is just too unpredictable. Having said that though, he did look kinda out of sorts against Gonzaga. Maybe it was just a bad day at the office.

Yeah I mean we all expected Jackson and Chuck to fight it out toe to toe and it lasted a round...thats what cool about the UFC you can't bet on any result...I think its gonna be Fedor for whoever wins between Gonzaga and Randy...

[LRoling]

To be honest, MMA has been pretty predictable in the last couple of events. I really believed Jackson had the upper hand against Liddell. I will say he didn't show why though, because he had such a quick KO. I think if the fight continued, Chuck would have been on his ass getting pounded just like the PRIDE fight.

The only MAJOR upset was CroCop. Parisyan beat Burkman, as he should have. I was never impressed by Jardine, but Alexander did upset him. But as far as huge upsets, we've had one in the last few months. If you count Jackson upsetting Liddell, which I never thought of it as that, then you can say maybe 2 in a MAJOR bout.

Mirko is most likely going to dominate Kongo. Kongo's ground attack was horrible and he didn't pounch on Silva when he had a chance in his last fight. Being tall will be a disadvantage against CroCop. More places to be kicked and if Mirko has been training in the Octagon as he said he would be and grasping the concepts of elbowing and an elbow defense, he will probably dominate Kongo. Most of Mirko's game is standup, but if you watch his old fights, he is very fleet footed. He likes to throw a couple of bombs and dance outside of you. And then when you least expect it, start dropping kicks to your head. He didn't play that style at all against Gonzaga, and he was beat. I think we will see the old CroCop.

Henderson/Jackson will be interesting... I would say Henderson, but I think Jackson is going to be a bit more prepared this time. He is finally a champion and will be determined to stay there. Henderson got a lucky KO against Wanderlei, as both fighters basically went for the KO anyways for the MW belt. Henderson is a very good shooting takedown guy. He likes to throw a punch or two and shoot the legs. Jackson, being a Muay Thai guy, should have a decent takedown defense, and may catch him with a knee. It'll be interesting. It's going to be like Liddell, either a quick KO by either, or we could see a 2nd round fight.

Bisping needs to fight somebody noteworthy. I'm kind of tired of him getting this special treatment. Rua please. Take him off his high horse.

I've read as of late that Fedor has been talking with Bodog as well. This isn't good for UFC. He fought Matt Lindland under a Bodog agreement for the one fight. Fedor is asking for smaller contracts for some of the Red Devil fighting guys according to some sources from the UFC. He wants some of his comrades in the UFC with him. I say why not? They are probably amazing athletes as well. Might as well fuel the divisions with some more talent. That way we can lock in Fedor for his domination of the HW division that I am much anticipating.

I really just wanna to tell Dana to give him whatever the **** he wants, and let's get this show on the road.

[Zoom7000]

You forgot Matt Serra vs. GSP. That was a huge upset IMO. Potential for another huge upset if Serra beats Hughes.

I agree with you about Bisping. He does seem to be given the "easy" treatment. I suppose they are doing it so they can milk the hometown boy to the British crowds.

I think Jackson needs to beat Henderson to prove himself as a champion, he already held a victory against Liddell, but not many people have much thought as to whether he can dominate the UFC at 205. Also, if he does win the Pride belt, is he gonna be flying between USA and Japan to defend the different belts?

Dana should definately give Fedor what he wants. I mean, even the commentators are bringing up his name every now and again, and the fans definately want to see him in the Octagon.

[LRoling]

Ahh yes, I did forget about Serra. I will say this about Serra. When you look at his boring fight record and stats. He has really never been knocked out, and being a ju-jitsu fighter as he claims, that gives him an advantage whether anyone likes it or not. He has a LOT of decision fights, so he could technically be beaten till the 3rd round and pull off a submission, which is a very good thing to have. He beat GSP in a style he rarely uses, but Hughes may have a tough time since Serra will want Hughes to try to get on the ground with him so he can try to submit him.

Bisping has been publicized as a UFC poster boy for entry into the British market, so I see why they are giving him these fights, but I think Ortiz or Evans may get him down the line soon.

Here's a thought. When Liddell/Jackson fought, I loved how the UFC interviewed fans and most of them were rooting for Liddell, but they had a clueless mind about Jackson. No real determined thoughts about his style or fighting, or where he'd been or what'd he done. It seemed that my American fans had no idea about Jackson. I think this is typical of most MMA fight fans in the U.S., they care enough to watch UFC, but when these PRIDE guys show up, they have no idea what to expect. Only the fans that really get online, check out the fights, check out the conversations really have an idea.

I think the case with Fedor will be shocking to U.S. UFC fans. The majority will have no idea who he is when he steps into the ring against Couture, unless they hype it unbelievably, which I expect. It's going to be much like Fedor's first few fights where the commentators were simply speechless to the power of Fedor. They couldn't comprehend someone being that dominate against PRIDE veterans. I know Rogan won't be surprised because I think he has a grasp of seeing some of the domination Fedor has displayed. I think it will be a wake up call to the HW division though.

[Rappy Veteran]

I was reading about Fedor the other day on Wikipedia he only has one loss and that came in the first few fights he fought thats just immense imo...he sounds and by looking at videos looks to be the beast I heard he is...if Randy or even Gonzaga gets him he could literally destroy them!!!

[Googintosh]

LRoling, I don't think PRIDE ever got that much exposure here in North America (aside from PPVs), so I'm not really surprised the casual fan is clueless about it. The UFC is pretty much the only MMA organization that gets mainstream exposure so casual fans think it is the be-all-and-end-all of MMA. Joe Rogan being a fanboy and constantly touting the UFC fighters as the best in the world doesn't help either.

The casual North American fan equates a ripped physique with strength and skill, so I'm pretty sure they'll underestimate Fedor at first, assuming he does come to the UFC.

All the athletes know about Fedor and his impressive accomplishments. I think the wake up call would be if the UFC signed the notable remainders of PRIDES top heavyweights -- Josh Barnett, Kharitonov, Mark Hunt, Aleksander Emelianenko... that would make the UFC HW division REALLY interesting. In fact it's a wake up for just about every division because PRIDE has elite athletes in each division.

I was reading about Fedor the other day on Wikipedia he only has one loss and that came in the first few fights he fought thats just immense imo...he sounds and by looking at videos looks to be the beast I heard he is...if Randy or even Gonzaga gets him he could literally destroy them!!!

And that one loss is tainted. It was stopped due to a cut and they gave the victory to his opponent. Fedor's quite a bleeder with his paper skin.

[LRoling]

Yeah, I agree, I realize PRIDE never got the exposure in NA. I'm not too surprised about the casual fan not having a clue, but I think it will be interesting when the PRIDE fighters really hit the UFC. I will say that I have read Dana stating the UFC fighters are the best, and I think it's an overall motto for the UFC guys to think. I know fighters like Liddell who have seen PRIDE competition will not underestimate the power of the PRIDE fighting community. I think it will be a huge shift in the guard as fans begin to see the PRIDE guys dominate the upper ranks. I've been stating for quite some time that PRIDE will dominate in the UFC and it's becoming apparent.

And I will definitely love to hear my friends say "Wow, Fedor looks kind of out of shape, he's done man!", and then watch Fedor mount and submit someone in the span of 35 seconds. I think Josh Barnett may be one of the only guys I think that could possibly give him a run.

I've heard about Aleksander possibly trying to come over with Fedor as part of the deal. There is a number of problems, the main one being Aleksander won't be able to get a visa apparently. He has two felonies or something of that nature.

Fedor's loss was definitely tainted. It really isn't considered a loss to many commentators since it was in a tournament, the cut stopped the fight, and in normal circumstances, would have causes a no-decision, but in the tournament format, there must be a win and loss, so Fedor had to take the loss. What is interesting is if he would have won, he would have fought... Randy Couture.

A really great fight to watch is Fedor vs. Mark Hunt. Or vs. CroCop.

The Mark Hunt fight was unbelievable because Fedor got caught multiple times, recovered, and eventually submitted Hunt. It finally showed Fedor's outstanding recovery abilities.

[Rappy Veteran]

The Mark Hunt fight was unbelievable because Fedor got caught multiple times, recovered, and eventually submitted Hunt. It finally showed Fedor's outstanding recovery abilities.

Was that when he used the armbar to submit him?...

I am thinking maybe they will push Bisping against the winner of Ortiz/Evans...

[LRoling]

I believe he armbar'd him, yes. Some of the fights, Fedor really tricks opponents. It's quite spectacular. He will literally pound someone so hard, they have to raise their arms to push Fedor back, and then he snaps that armbar in a matter of a second. I read where Matt Lindland was still dumbfounded, even after watching tape of his fight against Fedor, as to how he submitted him. He said something along the lines that it was a new way he'd never seen. Fedor said on his official website that he's been doing it that way for years, so apparently he has some sambo submissions that people haven't been seeing. Definitely a great advantage.

I am HOPING Bisping will fight someone worth a damn. I think the winner of Ortiz/Evans would be a nice test, but he's only had what? 2 UFC fights? Maybe the loser of the fight, then a contender.

[Rappy Veteran]

I am HOPING Bisping will fight someone worth a damn. I think the winner of Ortiz/Evans would be a nice test, but he's only had what? 2 UFC fights? Maybe the loser of the fight, then a contender.

There really isnt that many fighters who are British on the UFC circuit so I probably think thats why Bisping is so thought of when it comes to UK PPV's...Could you imagine if they stuck Rampage in there with him...I mean they won't for a long time but it would be to funny!!!

Some Sad News...

The injury that forced 22-year-old UFC heavyweight Jake O?Brien (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) to pull out of Saturday?s UFC 72 fight with Tom Murphy is serious ? and the possibility that it?s career-ending hasn?t been ruled out, according to his agent, Ken Pavia.

Pavia spoke with UFCjunkie.com (www.ufcjunkie.com) earlier today. (Check out our initial report.)

O?Brien is suffering from ?stingers,? a painful nerve injury that originates in the spine. The sports injury usually appears in athletes from contact and combat sports, such as football, wrestling and mixed-martial arts. According to Pavia, O?Brien has battled the injury since his Division 1 wrestling days at Purdue University.

?He started getting stingers in college, and they became a lot more frequent during preparation (for UFC 72),? says Pavia. ?[They?re] causing numbness and temporary paralysis in his arms.

?It?s a pretty serious injury, and he?s getting treatment for it. I guess there?s always the possibility it?s career-ending, but we?re not sure. He?s getting intensive treatment five days a week.?

O?Brien is perhaps best known for his upset of Heath Herring earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 8. The three-time high school state champion controlled the televised bout, scoring a decisive unanimous-decision victory over the PRIDE Fighting Championships veteran.

Hoping to continue his undefeated streak, O?Brien pushed the UFC to include him on the UFC 72 fight card. The event takes place in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Saturday.

?He really wanted to fight in Northern Ireland,? said Pavia. ?He wanted to push through it.?

Unfortunately, the injury became too severe, and O?Brien was forced to pull out of the event.

Pavia also confirmed that Justin McCully agreed to take the fight in O?Brien?s place, but he wasn?t granted early release from his medical suspension. McCully, who won his UFC debut against Antoni Hardonk, hyper-extended his elbow in the April fight. He?s been under suspension ever since.

?He was ready to power through it,? says Pavia. ?He?s fought with injuries his whole life and was ready to go, but we couldn?t get the medical suspension reduced in time.?

With Saturday?s pay-per-view event just six days away, no replacement has been named. Murphy (a cast member from The Ultimate Fighter 2), who?s already waited 16 months for his second UFC fight, may now have to wait a little longer.

[caster316]

If you guys like making predictions you might consider joining MMAPlayground where you can pick the results of each UFC to score points. each year is set up like a season in which the person with the most points wins a cash prize...

But even if you don't win, it still makes fights that you might not be that interested in a bit more exciting. my record so far is (27 wins, 17 losses) ranking me at 1414 of 5917 with a total of 235 points. Also if you join let me know the user name you choose so I can send you an invite to join the team "Neowin.net" fight camp.

[LRoling]

UFCJunkie.com is the best resource. We have a few groups of guys who do their predictions through Bodog as far as betting on fights. We usually only bet $20 and see who fares the best. I ranked #1 on the last UFC event since Jackson took Liddell, and I was easily convinced he would win.

[caster316]

UFCJunkie.com is the best resource. We have a few groups of guys who do their predictions through Bodog as far as betting on fights. We usually only bet $20 and see who fares the best. I ranked #1 on the last UFC event since Jackson took Liddell, and I was easily convinced he would win.

MMAPlayground is just for fantasy betting and making predictions for points and fun no actual money is used although like I said the person with the best cumulative picks at the end of the year does win a cash prize.

[Matrix XII]

Wow, I can't believe Cro Cop is fighting again so soon, that's great though, I love watching him fight

[Rappy Veteran]

Wow, I can't believe Cro Cop is fighting again so soon, that's great though, I love watching him fight

Yeah he has got to get back in the title picture...I want him to be champion one day but as we said if Fedor joins then everyone is doomed :laugh:

[caster316]

OT: (didn't want to start another thread for the UFN)

Spoiler for UFN 10

Great bunch of fights, two fast KO's...

At 0:13

At 0:33

Main event was a war...

Edited June 13, 2007 by caster316

[Rappy Veteran]

Christ!!!

That was :|

[Zoom7000]

Damn! That 2nd knockout was 2 punches too many! Referee should have stopped it after the first punch! Did you see how his head bounced off the mat :pinch:

[LRoling]

I wanted all of the fights to be like Tavarez/Fitch or Stout/Fisher. Some of them just ended too quickly, but overall, it was a pretty good UFN.

And also, about CroCop. I had an interesting discussion regarding him on UFCJunkie with a few people. Since he is only on a 4 fight contract, and has went on record on many sites stating he will probably retire after the contract and join the Croatian Secret Police again. Will he get a title shot? That was the question. I figured that they were going to have to get huge revenue to pay Mirko's big payouts, so they'd have to have some huge name fights. So, what contenders will he get and should he have a title shot? I want to see a title shot, but a lot of people are thoroughly convinced he won't get one now because of the things he said.

And also, I read that it is rumored Fedor is close to closing a deal with Bodog, but it'll be non-exclusive, so UFC could potentially get him to fight, but it probably won't be for a belt. Bodog literally has all the perks he wants as well. They fight a lot of their events in Russia, Red Devil team has a huge amount of talent already in Bodog, Bodog will probably take Fedor's friends along with him into Bodog, and he can fight non-exclusive and in his motherland.

UFC needs to step up to the plate.

[Rappy Veteran]

I wanted all of the fights to be like Tavarez/Fitch or Stout/Fisher. Some of them just ended too quickly, but overall, it was a pretty good UFN.

And also, about CroCop. I had an interesting discussion regarding him on UFCJunkie with a few people. Since he is only on a 4 fight contract, and has went on record on many sites stating he will probably retire after the contract and join the Croatian Secret Police again. Will he get a title shot? That was the question. I figured that they were going to have to get huge revenue to pay Mirko's big payouts, so they'd have to have some huge name fights. So, what contenders will he get and should he have a title shot? I want to see a title shot, but a lot of people are thoroughly convinced he won't get one now because of the things he said.

And also, I read that it is rumored Fedor is close to closing a deal with Bodog, but it'll be non-exclusive, so UFC could potentially get him to fight, but it probably won't be for a belt. Bodog literally has all the perks he wants as well. They fight a lot of their events in Russia, Red Devil team has a huge amount of talent already in Bodog, Bodog will probably take Fedor's friends along with him into Bodog, and he can fight non-exclusive and in his motherland.

UFC needs to step up to the plate.

I heard that Crocop rumour as well...I really hope he stays around because he a great fighter.

As for Fedor...he is the the hottest property I think in MMA because of his record in Pride so if Bodog got the deal that would be a coo for them.