UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Arlovski - May 8th

[wandshogun09]

Yeah that's a decent replacement, to be fair. I like the battle of the cowboys.

[TildeGuy~!]

Lineker has pulled out with an illness

[wandshogun09]

Oh fuck off. Surely it's not something to do with the weight cut now? He's already moved up to 135. He'll end up as the world's smallest heavyweight at this rate. The Danny DeVito of MMA.

[Egg Shen]

Some big hits this card

[David]

Oh fuck off. Surely it's not something to do with the weight cut now? He's already moved up to 135. He'll end up as the world's smallest heavyweight at this rate. The Danny DeVito of MMA.

 

[wandshogun09]

Here's what's left of tonight's card...

 

 

FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD

Donald Cerrone vs Alex Oliveira

Roan Carneiro vs Derek Brunson

Cody Garbrandt vs Augusto Mendes

Dennis Bermudez vs Tatsuya Kawajiri

Joe Riggs vs Chris Camozzi

James Krause vs Shane Campbell

 

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS

Alex Garcia vs Sean Strickland

Daniel Sarafian vs Oluwale Bamgbose

Trevor Smith vs Leonardo Augusto Guimaraes

Jonavin Webb vs Nathan Coy

 

FIGHT PASS PRELIMS

Marion Reneau vs Ashlee Evans-Smith

Lauren Murphy vs Kelly Faszholz

Anthony Hamilton vs Shamil Abdurakhimov

Still not a bad looking show, but it's taken a big hit losing Cerrone vs Means and Garbrandt vs Lineker. They've done the best they can with the replacements and I like the Cerrone vs Oliveira fight and the Cowboy vs Cowboy thing. But Lineker pulling out is what's really hurt this card for me. Garbrandt vs Lineker was the most interesting fight on this card to me. Hopefully they'll get it re-booked on an upcoming card.

 

I hate Sunday UFCs. Hopefully because this one doesn't look the best on paper that'll mean no-one will be on about it at work tomorrow and it'll be easier avoid spoilers.

[Egg Shen]

Yeh im still liking that main card. Anyone know what time this starts?

[TildeGuy~!]

Yeh im still liking that main card. Anyone know what time this starts?

Fight Pass Prelims - 10:30pm

Prelims - 12am

Main Card - 2am

[Philjax]

I can't remember a time when a UFC show has gone up against a WWE PPV. I guess it doesn't matter in the current climate of the network and PPV being an afterthought and the UFC card being quite missable but still interesting to see the numbers.

They could at least put a womens bout on the tv prelims.

[Egg Shen]

standard night of fights really, but some prospects advance nicely.

 

I was quite disappointed when Cerrone dragged the fight to the floor in the main event cause it was shaping up nicely on the feet, his triangle is deadly though. Not quite sure where he goes from here? he's still a viable contender at 155 but im not sure if the UFC will use him more as an attraction type fighter and have him fight big names in either division. Kind of what Rich Franklin used to do back in the day. Cerrone's attitude towards fighting fits that bill perfectly

 

Brunson & Garbrandt both looked good in their respective fights, Garbrandt has break-out star written all over him (lets hope they re-do the Lineker fight) and Brunson is the sleeper at 185, he's flying under the radar but he's dangerous. Chris Camozzi also looking great, he destroyed Joe Riggs' arms.

[lambyUK]

Forgetting about my man Dennis Bermudez Ebb! 

 

I thought it was a very good performance by him, and if he starts becoming a bit more tactical (as he was last night), then he certainly has potential for a run to a title shot in him.

 

He has all the tools to get there.

[Egg Shen]

He looked good, Kawajiri is not the kind of guy you can take chances against cause he will shut you down. I always fancied Bermudez to outlast him down the stretch though

[wandshogun09]

OK then. After two years, the UFC finally returns to England with this bad boy at the O2 in London.

 

 

FIGHT PASS MAIN CARD

Anderson Silva vs Michael Bisping

Gegard Mousasi vs Thales Leites

Tom Breese vs Keita Nakamura

Brad Pickett vs Francisco Rivera

 

FIGHT PASS PRELIMS

Makwan Amirkhani vs Mike Wilkinson

Davey Grant vs Marlon Vera

Scott Askham vs Chris Dempsey

Yaotzin Meza vs Arnold Allen

Brad Scott vs Krzysztof Jotko

Norman Parke vs Rustam Khabilov

Daniel Omielanczuk vs Jarjis Danho

Teemu Packalen vs Thibault Gouti

Martin Svensson vs David Teymur

 

No BT Sport. No Pick TV on delay. This one is exclusive to Fight Pass. Or illegal streaming sites.

 

I really like this card. The European UFC shows usually turn out pretty good and, on paper, this one looks stronger than usual for a Euro UFC. Obviously the main event is way bigger than we've been used to in recent times. Silva vs Bisping would've been a PPV main event a couple of years ago, and they could still headline a Big FOX card with it in 2016 if they wanted to.

 

 

Anderson Silva vs Michael Bisping then. This one's seemed to be on the horizon since Bisping dropped to middleweight all the way back in 2008. It's been a long time coming. The problem was always that Anderson was the champion but every time Bisping would get close to a title shot he'd fall at the final hurdle and lose those crucial contender fights. So the big Silva vs Bisping clash kind of seemed destined to never happen.

 

It wasn't even going to happen now, actually. You might recall this show was originally going to be headlined by Bisping vs Gegard Mousasi. Then over Christmas, the UFC surprised everyone with a change of direction and announced Silva vs Bisping.

 

 

Anderson's in a very weird place in his career. For so long he was looked at as the greatest MMA fighter of all-time. A true martial artist. A legend. There were comparisons to Bruce Lee, his documentary was even named 'Like Water' after an old Bruce Lee quote. He was universally respected as a proper MMA icon. He lost two fights on the bounce to Chris Weidman in 2013 (the second fight saw him suffer a horrific broken leg) which took away a lot of his aura, but he was still considered one of the best ever. His comeback story after the broken leg was inspiring to see and he beat Nick Diaz on his return to the cage.

 

Then it all went tits up. It came out after the Diaz fight that he'd failed his drug test. He was fined and suspended but, worse than that, his whole career and legacy has been called into question now due to the stench of PEDs that has attached itself to him. He then went and made matters worse at his hearing in front of the athletic commission when he, instead of holding his hands up, concocted a hilariously silly story/excuse that he'd been taking Viagra and that must've altered the results of his test. I don't know if he was trying to save face or embarrass himself more.

 

 

Bisping has been one of the most vocal anti-PED figures in MMA. Bisping's hatred for PEDs is only strengthened by the fact that a lot of the fighters who hold wins over him have since been linked to PEDs in some way. From Chael Sonnen to Wanderlei Silva to Dan Henderson. You can understand Bisping's gripes when you look at it like that. Had he won any of those fights, he'd probably have got that elusive title shot years ago.

 

Bisping and Anderson ran into each other recently and had some words...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&persist_app=1&v=mUHDkWUOdug

 

Can't make much sense of that, just Bisping's weak Viagra material and Anderson's Mickey Mouse voice. But there it is anyway, for those who didn't see it.

 

Bisping made his feelings on Anderson's recent issues pretty clear in a recent media scrum;

 

"Listen, Anderson's a great fighter. He's achieved many, many things but the fact of the matter is he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in his last fight. Apparently that was the first time he's been tested. That's what he said. His words, not mine. A cynic would be led to believe that he was using his whole career.

 

So, you know, shame on him. How he calls himself a martial artist and then takes performance enhancing drugs is beyond me, it really is.

 

At the end of the day, this is a bucket list fight for me. It's a fight that I always wanted. A fight I lobbied for for a long time. Of course, it's bittersweet. He's no longer the champion, but still, it's a nice name to have on my resume. You know, I can tell the kids I fought Anderson Silva."

He's also pushing hard for a title shot if he beats Anderson;

 

"If I win it will validate a lifetime of hard work. And it will put me in a good position to contend for the belt. That's what I've always wanted. It's a desire that burns within me very strongly. When I beat Anderson I've won four out of my last five. I've been a perennial contender for ten years in the UFC, this is my eleventh year with the company. The only guy to beat me in my last five fights is the champion. When I beat Anderson, I should get my damn title shot.

 

I've never been a world champion. And it pisses me off. I'll say this now and I don't mind saying it - sat there at the desk doing UFC Tonight last week, I've got Dominick Cruz on this side and I've got Daniel Cormier on this side. I want one of those goddamn belts! I know I'm good enough, I deserve one, and all these people have cheated me out of it. As long as I'm here and I'm able to compete I will continue to put on great fights and continue my quest for that title."

Sadly for Bisping, I can't see him lasting three rounds with Anderson. And I'm fully aware that Anderson isn't what he was pre-Weidman. I just think that, as good as Bisping is, Anderson is simply better than Bisping at the things Bisping is good at. On Bisping's best day and Anderson's worst, maybe Bisping goes the distance but still loses on points. On Anderson's best day (which admittedly has passed), he wipes the floor with Bisping, something like the Forrest Griffin performance. What I think we'll get here is something in between those two scenarios, with Bisping putting forth a valiant effort but ultimately getting dropped in the second or third.

 

Silva vs Bisping promo;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&persist_app=1&v=j5xKxcToq2s

 

Rest of the card ain't bad either, especially the main card.

 

 

Mousasi vs Leites is a good fight. Actually, it's the type of fight the UFC would usually give us as a main event over here. These are two guys who are solid in all areas. Mousasi is from a striking background but his ground game is pretty tight these days. Leites is a really strong grappler but has come on a lot in the striking over the last few years. Should make a for a fun one wherever the fight takes place. They're also both coming off tough losses. Mousasi was on the shit end of a highlight reel KO by Uriah Hall. Leites lost a razor close decision to Bisping on the Glasgow card in the summer. So they're both coming in motivated to get back on track.

 

 

Breese vs Nakamura mightn't stand out at first glance. But if you haven't been already, you need to be taking notice of Tom Breese. It's early days but so far he's looked all kinds of fucking badass. He's a British fighter, only 24 years old, undefeated at 9-0, all finishes (6 subs, 3 KO/TKOs). He's 2-0 in the UFC and smashed UKFF favourite Cathal Pendred (in his backyard of Dublin, no less) into retirement in his last fight. He trains at Tristar under Firas Zahabi, one of the best coaches in the game. And he's a Brummie! Finally, a UFC fighter from Birmingham who's worth getting excited about.

 

He's up against Keita Nakamura. A veteran of 40 fights and he's been pretty much everywhere. Couple of stints in the UFC, DREAM, Sengoku, Shooto. He's been around the block. He's only had six losses and he's currently riding a five fight winning streak. So this is a good test for Breese against a crafty vet.

 

 

Pickett vs Rivera is one of those fights that just seems like a can't miss. The perfect show opener. This is a rare case of the MMA 'injury bug' actually making a card better. The original matchup was Pickett vs Henry Briones. A cold fight no-one was clamouring for. Briones pulled out and they threw Rivera into the mix and this suddenly looks fucking brilliant.

 

Pickett said himself after his loss to Thomas Almeida at UFC 189, that he doesn't have many fights left in him. In fact, he even hinted back then that this London show could be his last fight. If it is, why not go out with a bang against a guy like Rivera who is cut from the same cloth? Can't wait for this one.

 

Prelims are pretty standard for a UFC European show. Nothing leaps out really but most of it will likely be good.

 

If anything stands out though, it's Amirkhani vs Wilkinson...

 

 

At a time when there's more fighters in and out of the door than ever and it's hard to stand out from the pack, Makwan Amirkhani has managed to shine as one of the newcomers worth going out of your way to tune in for.

 

He's Kurdish-Finnish with a 12-2 MMA record and is 27 years old. Nothing remarkable there. But there's something about the way he carries himself and the way he fights that makes him such a fun fighter to watch. He made his UFC debut on the big Sweden stadium show last January, and he knocked out Andy Ogle by flying knee in eight seconds! Then he cut a promo post-fight then stole the show at the press conference. Could you ask for a better UFC debut? He followed that up with a first round submission in his next fight then cut another emotional post-fight interview where he found his mother in the crowd and stuff.

 

He's training with SBG in Ireland now as well, which is interesting as both John Kavanagh and Conor McGregor have been vocal about how tight-knit SBG is and that they don't just let anyone join the team.

 

 

 

They must see something in Amirkhani.

 

His opponent Mike Wilkinson isn't impressed by Amirkhani or his SBG training...

 

"He's been training in a gym for four weeks, you can't pop over for such a short period of time and expect to develop as a fighter. His game hasn't developed jack shit. All he's probably developed is speaking Irish."

 

"You don't want people like that, fighters from your own weight division, showing up to train with you. It doesn't make sense. Makwan is only doing that because he doesn't have confidence in his own ability. He should train where he's from. I'm from Manchester, so I train in Manchester."

 

"Listen, the only reason he went to SBG was to get a bit of glory off the back of Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor doesn't want people like him in his gym. I'll bet you any amount of money Conor has not followed him back on Twitter or anything like that."

"I bet Conor hasn't followed him back on Twitter."

 

Catty.

 

I hope Amirkhani wins. One because I like him but mostly because Wilkinson seems like a right meathead prick. I'd fucking love to see Amirkhani beat his personal best record and knock Wilkinson out in under eight seconds.

 

What else?

 

Davey Grant is back. Finally. He made it to the finals of the Rousey vs Tate season of TUF, lost, then never fought again. He's been out since late 2013, for fuck's sake. I liked him a lot on TUF. Seemed like a ridiculously nice bloke. Like almost too normal and nice for MMA. Hope he comes back with a bang.

 

Parke vs Khabilov interest me only because I can't stomach Parke and I want to see Khabilov wreck him. I think he will as well.

 

Right then. UFC London.

 

[jimufctna24]

I think Bisping might last the distance. Even at his peak, Anderson had times of staying in cruise control. That said, I see a clear Anderson victory. I can't even picture Bisping winning a round unless he gets an opportune takedown. 

 

I assumed the undercard was weak. However, looking at it on paper, it actually looks pretty good. That's unfortunate, as I plan to watch this card after Quigg vs Frampton, and was hoping to skip most of it to get an early night. No such luck. 

[METAL ON METAL]

Cracking write up as ever, Wand. Got me way more excited for this card than I was before.

 

Good to see Davey Grant back, really nice guy and a local lad to boot.