The Ultimate Fighter 17: 'Team Jones vs Team Sonnen'

[Guest]

All wwe talents off this week between mania and the euro tours kicking off .

[wandshogun09]

Miesha Tate was whinging like fuck at the press conference. Claiming an early stoppage, illegal knees, no trace of being gracious in defeat. I understand she's gutted but she was making every excuse in the book and didn't once give Zingano any credit. I know there's no rule saying she should but christ what a sore loser she came across as. Cat Zingano, on the other hand, came off as maybe the most likeable, down to earth fucker in MMA.

 

Rousey/Tate 2 would have been great, but as for challengers for Ronda, I think Zingano poses a bigger threat. Another thing which won't hurt promotion, I didn't realise until Ronda mentioned it but this will be only the second UFC title fight between two undefeated fighters. First was Rashad vs Machida.

 

While I'm on the subject of Miesha, has she had work done? Never mind 'Cupcake' she should be called 'DD-Cup-cake' now. Maybe my eyes playing tricks but if it's true, surely not the best idea for an MMA fighter to get tit implants. One well placed kick and they could go pop.

[lambyUK]

She's definitely had her breasts done, but so has Zingano.

[METAL ON METAL]

Speaking of Tate being an unlikable bitch, anyone else notice her at the end of the first round? She was on top of Zingano and the buzzer went and instead of just standing up, she pushed her hand down (with pressure) on purpose on Cat's face to push herself up. Thats why Cat went after her after the buzzer and the ref pulled her away.

 

Shes such a bitch, albeit a hot one, but this coupled along with many other things shes done (including the whole 'You can coast now' Caraway moment) just makes me want to see her lose decisively every time she fights.

[lambyUK]

Speaking of Tate being an unlikable bitch, anyone else notice her at the end of the first round? She was on top of Zingano and the buzzer went and instead of just standing up, she pushed her hand down (with pressure) on purpose on Cat's face to push herself up. Thats why Cat went after her after the buzzer and the ref pulled her away.

 

Shes such a bitch, albeit a hot one, but this coupled along with many other things shes done (including the whole 'You can coast now' Caraway moment) just makes me want to see her lose decisively every time she fights.

 

I agree, but she looks like a filthy shag!

 

Well done on today's game MOM Btw, I was jumping up in joy. I called my Dad (who's a Sunderland fan..Mum's family is from Liverpool hence why I'm a pool fan) at half time and he was a nervous wreck and couldn't bare watching it!

[wandshogun09]

I noticed something like that MOM but I missed how it started so didn't comment. What was that about?

 

I'm a fan of Tate's fights regardless, she's becoming consistently involved in one brilliant fight after another. Never really noticed her personality too much before, just thought she came off a bit twattish at the press conference. She does have a bit of a bitchy vibe to her but that could be good for her career, better than being void of any personality and dull.

 

But yeah, Zingano made a fan of me in the build up, the fight itself and post-fight. She's not particularly charismatic but there's a likeability to her that makes her easy to root for.

[METAL ON METAL]

Speaking of Tate being an unlikable bitch, anyone else notice her at the end of the first round? She was on top of Zingano and the buzzer went and instead of just standing up, she pushed her hand down (with pressure) on purpose on Cat's face to push herself up. Thats why Cat went after her after the buzzer and the ref pulled her away.

 

Shes such a bitch, albeit a hot one, but this coupled along with many other things shes done (including the whole 'You can coast now' Caraway moment) just makes me want to see her lose decisively every time she fights.

 

I agree, but she looks like a filthy shag!

 

Well done on today's game MOM Btw, I was jumping up in joy. I called my Dad (who's a Sunderland fan..Mum's family is from Liverpool hence why I'm a pool fan) at half time and he was a nervous wreck and couldn't bare watching it!

 

Haha cheers! Yeah I was very much the same, I didn't know if I was dreaming by the end!

 

And agreed about the filthy shag, that snarling face she pulls...

[wandshogun09]

She always looks like she has a just smelt a fart expression on her face to me. It's the nose.

 

Wouldn't say no though obviously, well actually I would, I'm too crap at lying so my girlfriend would find out and I'd have Joey Greco and his crew tracking my movements daily.

[jimufctna24]

Jones looked fed up during the interview with Chael and Anik.

 

Even when Chael tried to make a bit of truce about "saving wrestling" Jones ignored it. Chael was in full hype mood and Jones looked like he did not want to be there, like he was embarrassed by it all. Chael also did not trash talk and even described himself as "the silver medal" and said " I am not sure I am going to win" or something to that effect.

 

It was like Chael and Jones both know the result of the fight in 2 weeks and Jones is a bit heistent to sell the fight. You could read it like Jones may be underestimating Chael, but I doubt Greg Jackson would let him. I think Chael knows this is his last mega payday, by that I mean his last titleshot and the last time he can use the "Chael P Sonnen" character to the full effect. I expect after Jones beats him in 2 weeks we get more of the Chael we saw on TUF and see on UFC Tonight. A more toned down version, and closer to the real life man who shit his pants when he heard Brock Lesnar was near him and could have been aware of his trash talk against him. No more outlandish claims or troll jobs.

 

Its been a fun ride, but it had to end some time.

 

Edit: I think Tate is fit also.

[lambyUK]

I'm not sure what segment you were watching Jim, but that's certainly not how i nor the ufc perceived it.

 

That was Jones in 100% fight mode. He was giving Sonnen the silent treatment. He never gives his opponents anything come fight time and he was doing the same thing here.

 

He actually looked more serious than I can remember in any other previous fight.

 

Additionally Sonnen looks fucking ripped too and in the best condition I've seen in years.

 

Quick edit, the silver medal was in reference to his position where he left in the middleweight division and not where he expects to be after 159.

 

I think you've seen something that actually wasn't there.

 

The vid for anyone interested..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgxWW2-PcNQ...be_gdata_player

[jimufctna24]

You may have a point Lamby, I read somewhere else someone mentioned it was more Jones being intense rather than disinterested. Depends on how you read Jones. I was not that into his feud with Rashad so I may have missed how he treated him for example.

 

Sonnen did indeed look ripped, but Jones towered over him height wise. I understood the "Silver Medal" reference as he has said it before in serious moments, he is just not usually that self-deprecating when in hype mode, he is usually all "best Middleweight ever" He did follow that up with the Rocky and Marquee line which was pure genius.

 

I still think Chael will tone it down after this fight though.

 

Enjoy your trip by the way.

[Egg Shen]

yeh, Jim you've looked into it a little too much there. That's how Jones acts around fight time, he's someone who tries to take all emotion out of it, he's done that against everyone he's faced and against Sonnen you gotta think that Jones is gonna be even more distant because you can't be giving Chael bait.

 

As for the show...

 

* Faber/Jorgensen definitly suffered from a little Wrestlemania syndrome, 2 excellent fights beforehand probably left them a little burnt out going in but it was really good fight, Faber again proved that outside of the title holders he's the best fighter in the division. If he's granted another shot you just know MMA fans are gonna sigh, but if he keeps finishing the top guys how can you deny him the shot?

 

* It's the easiest way to look at it, but you have to think Urijah Hall came in believing his own hype. Kelvin certainly didn't believe the hype and wasn't intimidated by Hall as the others on the show were...Hall needed to come out and earn that respect from Kelvin, he didn't and he allowed Kelvin to gain confidence early and it was hard to come back from that. I thought it was unanimously a 29-28 decision for Kelv, not sure what other round the one judge gave Urijah though. One hell of an underdog story though.

 

The UFC have to be a little disappointed, Urijah Hall's star quality is still there but to come off the show as the winner would have magnified it. I expect Urijah to get matched up favourably going forward.

 

* The women deliver again! Tate/Zingano was fucking tremendous. Zingano was 2 rounds in the hole going into 3 and she came out like a woman possessed in round 3. It really was a fight where the person who could get that top position was winning the fight, it was so important and they battled for it. I thought the KO was justified too, 4 hard kneeds and an elbow, whilst Meisha was dropped for a half arsed takedown she looked spent to me. The argument for the illegal knee is all well and good in hindsight but when it happens in upward movement it's a very hard thing for a referee to call, i got real problem with hit.

 

 

The bitter shit afterwards comes off as sour grapes but Meisha just lot out on a massive opportunity, can't blame her... on the flipside though Cat Zingano seems like the nicest chick in the world, ive never seen anyone happier and seem genuinely more appreciative of her position afterwards, fantastic.

 

* Now, i didn't have a problem with the illegal knee in the women's fight, i did have a problem with the elbows in the Browne/Gonzaga fight.

 

 

Whilst the original elbow was on the side of the head and it buckled Gonzaga, the 2nd was debatable, the next 4 were hard and clearly to the back of the head. You can argue all day that Gonzaga might have been out after the first elbow, he still got hit with 4 or 5 illegal shots. No contest for me...and they gave Browne the KO of the night!?! even when Clint Hester landed this...

 

bullshit!

[jimufctna24]

Point well taken about the Jones/Sonnen thing.

 

It was indeed Hall believing his own hype.

 

Uriah has so much more upside than Kelvin, but it was all how he chose to fight why he lost. He left his chin up whilst moving back which would have left him knocked out cold if he would have fought a power puncher at 185lbs. He also backed up on the cage trying to be Anderson Silva which allowed Kelvin to take control. It was control that won Kelvin the fight, Uriah did more damage but Kelvin was on the offense more grappling wise.

 

The talent level between them is quite wide, Uriah has serious potential and is a unpolished diamond. In the right hands he could be a serious contender, but he needs to get his fight I.Q right first and stop trying to be so flashy. I think he could have jabbed his way to a clear win if he would have tried on Saturday night.

[Dead Mike]

Now all's said & done I enjoyed this series more than most of the series in recent memory. 'The Smashes' was possibly more fun but the standard of fighters in there was too weak. The standard of the fights overall in this season was good & despite struggling with a tired format we had a strong final 4 contenders.

 

Thought it was a great card overall. Bubba looked better than he did in any of his fights on the series & a nice submission finish should earn him a decent next fight. I don't believe he's going to be a contender any time soon but off the back of this season I can see him propping up a couple of Fuel cards.

 

Agree with Ebb on Browne/Gonzaga. I thought a couple of those elbows were definitely illegal but the ref was on top of it & there was a surprising lack of disagreement from Gonzaga's camp (unless anything's come out since?). I think the UFC/Browne got a lucky escape with that one. Browne vs Carwin next please.

 

Tate/Zingano was great fun. Neither looked that technically excellent imo & it resulted in a good old fashioned scrap. Chuffed for Zingano, even more so after reading about Tate's post fight bullshit.

 

Kelvin/Uriah was another upset I pleased with. There's been a lot of criticism towards Rogan & Goldberg on here of late & for me, Anik & K-Flo were the absolute pits during this fight. I don't know if they've got WWE-esque earpieces in with people telling them what to say but their worshipping of Hall was nauseating. If you only had audio you could've thought he won the first round when he was soundly beaten. I had it 29/28 to Kelvin & again, I was chuffed with the underdog win. Uriah's got all the physical tools but, as others have mentioned, seemed to believe his own hype and got exposed. Be interesting to see how he reacts to the loss & who they give him next? It's difficult with TUF competitors as there's always the chance of big fish/small pond syndrome. You can't tell if you've got the next Michael Bisping or the next Jonathon Brookins.

 

Enjoyed Faber/Jorgensen. Faber looked great again & keeps working his way back up the ranks. Again, interested in who he gets next?

As for the Jones/Sonnen interview

[lambyUK]

Yeah they are moving to Fox Sports 1, but that's not because it wasn't a success on FX. This is FOX's brand new sports channel and FX is really not a sports station and was always a temporary home.

 

Unlike Fuel, Fox Sports 1 is going to widely available and is simply an always planned move.