UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Arlovski - May 8th

[wandshogun09]

It's not really a good image for the sport I suppose but these are exceptions not the rule. For every Lardarse Roy Nelson or Mark Hunt, you've got fourty Baywatch Urijah Fabers or Sam Stouts. In Nelson's case it's the beard and mullet as well I suppose but really, it's up to him how he looks. Dana gives him shit but Roy's not harming anyone by looking like he does. It doesn't put out a great image for MMA but he's a fighter, he's not obligated to be a PR man. And if he's OK with getting less sponsors because he looks like Jim Royle, who are we to judge? Let the man have his fry ups and a wooly face if he wants.

 

I personally think he could be a better fighter with a longer career if he slimmed down long term instead of just for every other fight. And he'd probably make a bit more coin if he tidied his appearance up and played the game with Dana, but if he's content with how things are that's up to him. Being a fat, hairy bloke who winds Dana up has become his gimmick now, and he's going to stick with it.

 

Worse than Nelson to me was Cody McKenzie. Looks like shit, not in shape, actually fought in the UFC in some kind of Sports Direct cheapo shorts with no sponsors, and on top of that and most importantly, he looks like he doesn't even want to be in the cage half the time. That's the most embarrassing thing IMO. When you have a fighter in the UFC who looks out of his depth and like he has no business at that level. Cody McKenzie (save for the odd fight, like against Yves Edwards), was like that. I felt sorry for him during his fights because he was usually clearly outmatched to the point it didn't even seem fair. Roxanne Modaferri to a lesser extent was like this for me as well. For the most part, Roy shows he can hang in the UFC at least. But when he gasses like he did against Miocic and Mir, it's pretty embarrassing to watch. That's way worse for MMA's image than his weight or beard/hair to me.

[jimufctna24]

For some reason Hunt's body has never bothered me. Nelson complains too much for me to give him a free pass. There is something overbearing and smug about him. I think there is a difference, Hunt is just untoned and rotund, whereas Nelson is obese at times and scruffy. McKenzie suffers from looking like a stereotypical hick (which is not a good look for the sport either)

 

I am all for fighters having identity, but not when it makes the sport look bush league.

 

Again, I get the point that we do not dictate Nelson's grooming habits or diet. But he cannot moan at Dana when sponsors do not want anything to do with him.

[Guy Bifkin]

When I was out in Vegas for UFC 162 and I would talk to Americans and asked them who their favourite fighters were, they fucking loved Nelson!

 

Obviously a small sample of the UFC's audience, but regardless of how he looks, performs or what the sponsors think, the home fans seems to love him.

[jimufctna24]

When I was out in Vegas for UFC 162 and I would talk to Americans and asked them who their favourite fighters were, they fucking loved Nelson!

 

Obviously a small sample of the UFC's audience, but regardless of how he looks, performs or what the sponsors think, the home fans seems to love him.

Yeah, I used to really like him. But over time he has started to grind my gears. There is no charm to his smugness. He is popular, but he is not a drawing card. His TUF season with Carwin did not do well in the ratings.

 

People like to watch him fight if he is on the bill, but they will not pay cash to exclusively see him. Bit like Daniel Bryan

[wandshogun09]

Look who Nog's been training with

 

 

Fucking Arona is still alive! He still looks pretty much exactly the same as well. Like he hasn't aged or put an ounce of fat on in ten years. Nog still looks in top shape.

[Egg Shen]

fuck, Arona looks great!

[David]

I'm not sure if it's becasue I'm a new MMA fan, but to me it distracts from the legitimacy of the sport a little. I'm not trying to say he doesn't work and train hard, nor that he's a bad or unskilled fighter. But visually, when you see a guy on screen that looks like Nelson, it makes you think joke sport used an excuse for people to batter each other. It doesn't make you think disciplined, professional legitimate sport.

You think so? I tend to think the opposite, as in when I see two tattooed, jacked up knuckle draggers in the cage I think it gives more of an impression of "tough guy battle of the week".

 

Especially when they're both usually breathing out their arses by the 2nd minute.

[JNLister]

Only just noticed this coming round this Friday, but the Nogueira-Nelson show is live on ESPN, not the usual BT Sport. Also, it's only scheduled for 2 hour, so it may be worth sticking more padding than usual on your DVR.

[wandshogun09]

That's weird, I wonder why it's on ESPN. It's down for 7-9pm on ESPN live on Friday. Then repeated on BT Sports 2 on Friday night/Saturday morning at 1am-3am. Be weird having live UFC on Friday at 7pm.

 

The two hour thing will be because they're just showing the four main card fights. But yeah, I'd advise anyone recording it to set your Sky+ or whatever for a bit longer, just incase.

[JNLister]

There's live stuff on both BT Sport 1 and 2 at the same time, so I guess either UFC wasn't considered as important, or the show was put together too late.

[Egg Shen]

live 7-9, that's a perfect time for some Friday night fights...and im working late that night, fuck!!

 

what's everyone else looking forward to on the card?

 

Kawajiri/Guida is a given, that has 'Guida classic' written all over it. Wonder how close Kawajiri would be to a 145lb title shot with a win, that would be a nice sell for Japan.

 

* Doomsday Howard's on a bit of a roll, always look forward to his fights.

 

* Jared Rosholt for my money is a sleeper at heavyweight, i think he's gonna be sitting comfortably in the top 10 by the end of the year.

 

* Craig/Camozzi might be an outside bet for FOTN, two crowd pleasing style fighters, should be fireworks.

 

* Then there's the debut of Cage Warriors champ Jim Alers, always nice to see one of the champs move to the big show, they always tend to do well too so im expecting some good shit from him.

[wandshogun09]

I'm trying to hold off on getting too excited about Guida vs Kawajiri. It seems like we always start getting all moist over upcoming Guida fights and, over the last couple of years at least, he seems to disappoint. He hasn't had a really great fight since he fought Bendo in 2011. And before that you're going back to 2009 and his war with Sanchez for his previous great fight.

 

The thing with Clay is, when he's in caveman mode and he really goes for it, there's almost nothing like a Guida fight. His fights with Gilbert Melendez, Tyson Griffin, Roger Huerta, Diego Sanchez and Benson Henderson are among my favourite in MMA ever. But he's so hit and miss. The Gray Maynard fight was fucking abysmal, his fights with Hioki and Nate Diaz weren't awful but they were nowhere near good enough to warrant the raging hardon I got when they were announced. Even the Pettis fight wasn't that great. It was good, but anyone who watched Clay vs Sanchez, Griffin or Huerta would be jizzing over the potential of Guida vs Pettis like we all were. It had FOTY written all over it. Turned out it was just a pretty run of the mill 'good fight'. Nothing special.

 

So while I love Guida vs Kawajiri on paper, I'm trying to stifle my excitement. It certainly has all the ingredients of a great fight and there's no real reason why it shouldn't be. But it depends which Guida turns up.

 

Guida needs another awesome fight. It's been too long and a lot of people have forgotten. Fuck it. The UFC are debuting in Mexico in November for the TUF: Latin America Finale. I say give us Guida vs Sanchez 2 in a five rounder! Why not? I don't care if Guida wins or loses against Kawajiri, or Diego wins or loses against Pearson. Stick a Clay Guida vs Diego Sanchez rematch in Mexico City and I can't see how it doesn't deliver. Diego is too much of a non-stop, aggressive cunt for Guida to piss about doing his poor man's Sugar Ray Leonard bit with. If anyone can bring back Caveman Clay it's Diego Sanchez.

 

[Egg Shen]

i always say it but Guida has great fights when he fights guys he can't take down and hold down, he tends to goto war then. The great fight i believe is always there to be had (save for the Maynard 'experiment') he just needs that guy to drag it out of him, because Guida's core style is to hold someone down and grind em out. Kawajiri is that kind of guy, he's gotta be amongst the strongest guys at 145lb and i don't think anyone's ever outgrappled Kawajiri wrestling wise, i predict craziness.

[wandshogun09]

i always say it but Guida has great fights when he fights guys he can't take down and hold down, he tends to goto war then

 

That's true but we thought that with the Maynard fight as well. Maynard on paper was a guy we thought Guida wouldn't be able to just wrestle, so he'd be forced into a war. Maynard was coming off the two FOTY contenders with Edgar as well. But they both just arsed about for 25 minutes.

 

Guida seems to have changed his whole approach. In the past when he fought a guy he couldn't overwhelm in the wrestling, he'd just go balls-out and fly at them with his fists and hair until they wilted under his pace. Now when he faces someone he can't outwrestle, like Maynard and Mendes, he tries to dance about and stick and move like he's Pernell Whittaker. I think to drag something crazy out of Clay it's going to take someone who comes at him relentlessly, tries to take his head off and who can match his pace. Kawajiri might be good for that but I can see it going a few ways. I hope you're right. I'm a big fan of both so I'd love to see them go out and steal the show.

 

Haha, look at this;

 

UFC Middle East @UFC_ME

Last to have a go at the #AbuDhabiDoodle is @Minotauromma. Stay tuned for the full gallery tomorrow!

 

 

The Abu Dhabi Doodle! Big Nog drawing camels. Warms the heart.

 

Also

 

Dana White @danawhite

Building the stadium in Abu Dhabi for Big Nog vs Big Country this FRIDAY on Fight Pass!!!

 

 

They're doing it again. No doubt it'll be pulled back down again by next week. Must have money to burn.

[Egg Shen]

building another stadium? fucking hell, why dont they just leave the things up?