Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted March 23, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted March 23, 2019 (edited) On Saturday 11th May, the UFC is back on PPV and back in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil with this lot.Ā PPV MAIN CARDRose Namajunas vs Jessica AndradeĀ - Strawweight Title Jared Cannonier vs Anderson Silva Jose Aldo vs Alexander Volkanovski Thiago Alves vs Laureano StaropoliĀ Bethe Correia vs Irene AldanaĀ Ā ESPNĀ PRELIMSAntĆ“nio RogĆ©rio Nogueira vs Ryan SpannĀ Kurt Holobaugh vs Thiago Moises Sergio Moraes vs Warlley AlvesĀ BJ Penn vs Clay Guida Ā FIGHT PASS PRELIMSLuana Carolina vs Priscila CachoeiraĀ Raoni Barcelos vs Carlos HuachinĀ Talita Bernardo vs Viviane Araujo Ā As always, Iāve gone off MMAJunkieās bout order there. Iām guessing itāll be shuffled about and maybe a couple of fights will still be added yet. Iāll update it if it changes.Ā Good card, I think. Yeah, itās not a blockbuster but thereās plenty to like about this one and I pretty much always dig the Brazil shows anyway. Usually always a greatĀ atmosphere. The crowd for thisĀ show should be especially electric with Andrade challenging for the title plus legendary names like Aldo, Silva and Nogueira on there. There was originally talk of Amanda Nunes vs Holly Holm headlining this show but I donāt know what happened to that.Ā Ā Rose Namajunas vs Jessica Andrade tops the bill. This was confirmed ages ago. Itās been in the works for some time now. By the time this fight happens, itāll have been over a year since we saw Thug Rose in action. Iāve seen fans speculatingĀ that she took time out because she was shaken up after that McGregor bus debacle in Brooklyn last April. But sheās actually been out with severe back issues. Hopefully thatās all sorted now and she can kick on with her career.Ā Roseās story hasnāt been told all that much but sheās had a hell of a life already for a 26 year old woman. Her family left Lithuania andĀ escaped the Soviet Union to come to America, she was sexually abused as a kid and her Dad had schizophrenia and died when she was just 16 years old. Sheās been through a lot and, knowing that,Ā it kind of makes you understand why she comes across so cold and unfazed a lot of the time.Ā When she first got on my radar she was just Pat Barryās girlfriend to me. But I caught a few highlights and saw one of her Invicta fights and was impressed. Sheās got an extensive Taekwondo background and also has a really strong submission game. Her first fight against Tecia Torres at Invicta 6 in 2013 is what really made me a fan though. They were bothĀ only 2-0 going in, and they had an awesome fight. Rose lost on points but it was clear she had a ton of potential. She then got on TUF in 2014, was mega impressive in her fights on the show but came up short in the Finale against Carla Esparza. Sheās had a great run since then.Ā SheĀ avengedĀ her lossĀ toĀ TorresĀ andĀ submittedĀ Angela Hill, Paige VanZant andĀ Michelle Waterson.Ā In late 2017 she got herĀ big chance. She was granted a title shotĀ againstĀ PolandāsĀ strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 in Madison Square Garden. Huge. But pretty much everyone saw Rose as the latest sacrificial lamb. Jedrzejczyk was undefeated at 14-0 and had been dominating and butchering all challengers. She had basically run out of contenders to smash up so Rose getting the shot just felt like a case of keeping Joanna busy until the next challenger emerged.Ā But Rose went out there and shocked the world. She caught Joanna with a flush left hook rightĀ on the chin and put her away in the first round.Ā "It feels like a movie right now. This belt don't mean nothing, man. Just be a good person. That's it. This is extra. This is awesome. But let's just give each other hugs and be nice, man. I mean, I know we fight but this is entertainment. Afterwards, it's nothing. I feel like a normal person, man, I'm just regular. Ain't nothing special here." - Rose NamajunasĀ As big a fan of Joanna as I am, this was such a feel-goodĀ moment that I couldnāt help but be happy for Rose.Ā Their rematch 6 months later at UFC 223 in Brooklyn was much different and much more competitive. But in the end the outcome was the same. Rose retained the belt by unanimous decision, going 2-0 over Jedrzejczyk and solidifying herself as the real undisputed baddestĀ 115lb woman on the planet.Ā Like I said though, sheās been out ever since then with a bad back injury. Who knows how that, or the lay-off,Ā will effect her. Talk about crap timing.Ā In the meantime, theĀ strawweight division rolled on and one woman really stood out for me.Ā Jessica Andrade was a pretty solid bantamweight, with wins over Raquel Pennington and Rosi Sexton. But,Ā although she was built like a little tank,Ā at just 5ā2ā it wasnāt the ideal weight class for her as her opponents often had the height and reach on her. In 2016 she dropped to 115 and never looked back. Sometimes when a fighter changes weight class it justĀ feels like a bit of a desperate attempt to make something happen. With other fighters, it instantly clicks and you realise that they shouldāve been at thatĀ weight all along. JessicaĀ Andrade definitely falls into the second category. She immediately looked like a legitimate force at strawweight and was finally in with women who didnāt tower over her. She quickly went from being a decent 135er to a beast 115er.Ā In her first 3 fights as a strawweight, Andrade TKOād Jessica Penne, submitted Joanne Calderwood and decisioned Angela Hill in a barnburner. She looked so impressive that inĀ May 2017 she got a title shot against Joanna Jedrzejczyk. She lost a 5 round decision but didnāt disgrace herself by any means and it felt like a loss sheād learn and improve from.Ā The comeback began. In September 2017, Andrade traveled to Japan to take on fellow BrazilianĀ Claudia Gadelha, who was previously considered the number two strawweight in the world. Gadelha had taken Jedrzejczyk the distance twice in close fights andĀ was known for her strong grappling and physical strength.Ā Andrade threw her about like a beach ball. It was a great fight that got FOTN but when itĀ was all over it was clear that Andrade had surpassed Gadelha as the top Brazilian strawweight. It was exactly the kind of performance and statement Andrade needed toĀ make to get herself back in that title conversation.Ā From there she beat Tecia Torres by decision in February 2018. And that set up another big fight in the co-main event of UFC 228 in September against anotherĀ former title contender Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Kowalkiewicz had also gone 5 rounds with Jedrzejczyk andĀ also had a win over Rose Namajunas herself. So this was 2 of the top 115lbers facing off with a probable title shot up for grabs.Ā And Andrade ironed her out in aĀ round.Ā Itās very rare that you see a strawweight who packs a one shot KO punch like that. Andrade is a little wrecking ball. Iāve called her the female John Lineker before and she really is that kind of attacking, aggressive savage. Shades of Wanderlei Silva in her style as well, so you can see why I love her.Ā Namajunas vs Andrade promo; Iām really excited for this fight. Wonāt get the buyrate wankers stiff but itās a fantastic fight style-wise. You canāt go wrong. Not sure how itās going to play out. Could Roseās lay-off be a factor? Can Andrade pull it off this time in her second crack at the gold on home soil? Can Rose keep Andrade at bay enough to make her game work? Or does Andrade ultimately overwhelm her with her power and physicality? A great, great fight this is.Ā Ā Jared Cannonier vs Anderson SilvaĀ is a funny one. Not a fight Iād have chosen but Iāll roll with it.Ā Anderson has also been talking retirement on and off. In December he was quoted saying he wants 3 more fights and heās done. Heās had one of those already, losing to Israel Adesanya in a fun fight in February. So this is a fairly quick turnaround for Anderson. And I think itās obviously because he wants to fight in Rio. It could well be the last time he fights in Brazil. Heāll be 44 by the time he steps into the cage in May. And while he didnāt embarrass himself against Adesanya, itās clear heās at the end of his career now. Cannonier is a good fighter but like I said, heĀ wouldnāt have been my choice to use up what will surely be one of Andersonās final fights. Nothing against Cannonier. He earned a big fight when he scored the upset KO over David Branch at MSG in November. But it feels like a bit of a waste as one ofĀ Andersonās last fights. If Anderson wins here, I guess heāll do his farewell fight later in the year. If he loses though, I can see him retiring in the cage post-fight. I just hope itās a good fight either way. The Adesanya thing felt like a positive despite him losing, theĀ last thing Anderson needs now is a snoozer.Ā Ā Jose Aldo vs Alexander Volkanovski is currently slated for this card. I say ācurrentlyā because I just read that Aldo has been in hospital with a bacterial infection this week. Andre Pederneiras is saying Aldo will be good to go so hopefully it wonāt put this fight in jeopardy. Aldo was on about finishing up his contract and retiring later this year. I think he has 2 fights left so this and one more and that might be it. Heās looked great in his last couple of fights. He rebounded from the Max Holloway losses by stopping Jeremy Stephens and Renato Moicano. He seems really fired up to go out on a high. Volkanovski is no joke though. Heās 19-1 and on a 16 fight win streak, strong as fuck, aggressive, not afraid of trading punches with anyone, can take a dig, can grapple, sets a high pace. Heās really, really good. He finished Chad Mendes in his last fight in December in a proper fun scrap. So heās earned a big fight like this. A win over Aldo here would put him right in line for a shot at the gold.Ā Fair play to Aldo for taking this fight. Most legendary fighters finishing their career would be looking purely for big name money fights on the way out. Aldo has mentioned names like AnthonyĀ Pettis, Donald Cerrone and DustinĀ Poirier but in the end he seems down to fight absolutelyĀ anyone. Moicano in his last fight, now Volkanovski. Heās taking on the young, in form new breed guys. Heās only 32 years old himself. Itās a misconceptionĀ that Aldo is old and washed up. He never was. But if he really is retiring after this next couple of fights, itād be cool and refreshing to see him end it on some wins. I like Volkanovski, but Iām pulling for Aldoās farewell tour to keep rolling here. Ā Thiago Alves vs Laureano StaropoliĀ could well steal the show. You pretty much know what youāre getting from Alves. Heās lost a few steps since the heyday about a decade ago but heāll still push forward and try to kick your legs off and punch a hole in your face. He had a tremendous fight against Max Griffin on the Fortaleza show in February. One of my lowkey favourite fights so far this year. Just a back and forth war with neither giving an inch. Alves got the judges nod on a close split decision. Heās had a bunch of losses in recent years and,Ā at 35 and banged up,Ā it's clear heās never getting back to title contention but heās still great to watch when heās on. Heās in with Argentinian Laureano Staropoli. 26 years old, 8-1 with 7 finishes. Seems like the type of scrapper who Alves will be able to have a good ruck with. Ā AntĆ“nio RogĆ©rio Nogueira vs Ryan Spann is another case of the old Brazilian vs the young up and comer. Seems to be the theme of this show. I love the Nogueira brothers but Little Nog should probably go the way of his brother soon and hang the gloves up. Heās 42 now and while he hasnāt taken quite the damage in his career that Big Nog did, heās not far behind really. Heās had a load of injuries and lay-offs over the years. Not to mention some bad knockouts like the Rumble and Sokoudjou ones, the war with Shogun in Pride etc. Heās got some miles on him. It was great to see him stop Sam Alvey in his last fight but I hope he doesnāt carry on too long now. He really looks like a relic in there these days. Like when Hacksaw Jim DugganĀ came back to WWE in 2006 or whenever it was. Just weird seeing him still there now. And Spann looks decent. 27 years old, 15-5 record, think he trains with Curtis Blaydes. AndĀ heās a big old boy at 6ā5ā. Most of his wins are by submission though, so hopefully heāll play the grappling game and thatāll play to Nogās strengths. WeāllĀ see.Ā Ā Bethe Correia vs Irene Aldana is a nothing fight but could be alright. It was meant to happen at UFC 227 back in August but Correia got injured. She hasnāt fought since Holly Holm kicked her head in nearly 2 years ago. Mostly remembered for getting KOād by Ronda Rousey in what turned out to be Rondaās last MMA victory. Aldana is Mexican, 30 years old, 9-4 record. Sheās OK, nothing amazing. I did love her wild fight with Leslie Smith in her UFC debut a couple of years ago though. If you havenāt seen it and fancy watching a brawl, you can do worse than throwing Leslie Smith vs Irene Aldana on.Ā Ā BJ Penn vs Clay GuidaĀ is a fight lifted from 2008, isnāt it?Ā If this wouldāve happened at any timeĀ between 2007 and 2009 it couldāve been so much fun. Yeah, BJ was in his prime then and no doubt wouldāve steamrolled Clay in the end. But as squash matches go, it wouldāve been about as entertaining as they get. Clay was a total lunatic of a wildman back then. Having FOTY candidates for fun against the likes of Tyson Griffin, Roger Huerta and Diego Sanchez. Proper nutcase. He wouldāve been buzzsawed by Penn back then but itād have been greatĀ however long it lasted. In 2019 though...not so much. BJ is just shot to bits now. Heās got nothing left. Itās actually worrying that he keeps being booked to fight. Heās lost 6 in a row, 8 of his last 10 and hasnāt won a fight since 2010. He got submitted in less than 3 minutes by Ryan Hall in December. Itās been over for years. Clay is 37 years old himself now, 2-3 in his last 5 and hasnāt won in 2 years. But he still feels like a massive favouriteĀ here. Which says everything about just how done BJ Penn is. Ā Wu āTangāĀ Yanan vs Luana Carolina, I donāt know enough about Yanan and nothing about Carolina to really comment on this much. Yeah, Wu Yananās nicknameĀ isnāt āTangā but Iāll keep calling her it because it should be. She could be promising actually. 10-2 record and still just 22 years old. Submitted Lauren Mueller in a round on the Shanghai show in November. Luana Carolina is making her UFC debut here. Sheās Brazilian, 25 years old withĀ 5-1 record and was on Danaās Contender Series last year.Ā Ā Said Nurmagomedov vs Raoni Barcelos is ***WANDāS ONE TO WATCH***Ā here. I really like what Iāve seen so far of Said Nurmagomedov. I originally read that he was Khabibās cousin but apparently theyāre not actually related. Heās one to keep an eye on though. Even before his debut when he first signed with the UFC, I saw Frankie Edgar raving about how good he was. Heās from Dagestan,Ā 26 years old with a 13-1 record. Much more of a striker than his namesake Khabib, although he can do a bit ofĀ everything. Stopped Ricardo Ramos (whoād looked promising himself previously)Ā in his last fight in February with a nasty spinning body kick. Barcelos is Brazilian, also 13-1 but a few years older than Nurmagomedov. Heās on a 6 fight win streak and is 2-0 in the UFC so far with a submission over Chris Gutierrez and a highlight reel KO over Kurt Holobaugh that was probablyĀ one of the best finishing sequences of 2018.Ā Love this fight. I hope it gets bumped up the card a bit because it should be televised, it deserves better than Fight Pass.Ā Ā So thatās that.Ā Edited May 11, 2019 by wandshogun09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 Lil Nog is a fighter who I have sadly overlooked over the years. He was always in someone else's shadow. His brother came along first and always had the higher profile. He played a supporting role in what was arguably the best fight in Pride's history, but it was Shogun who ultimately won the fight and took the starring role. He also competed in a stacked division. He was a top fighter in the mid-2000s, but so were Arona, Shogun, Wanderlei, Liddell and Couture. It's a shame because he did prove himself to be on a similar level to those fighters. He never got tripped up in Pride by gatekeepers (Overeem, Nakamura, etc). He scored wins over a faded, but not shot, version of Sakuraba. Most notably, he subbed Hendo in 2005. After that fight, Hendo went on to become the world's best at 185lbs for a brief period. His run in America has been okay. He's mostly only lost to top contenders and rarely been tripped up by gatekeepers. There is no shame in losing to Bader, Davis and Rumble Johnson. He was also in his late 30s when a few of those losses occurred. I can't say I have much interest in watching him fight these days. But I probably should have appreciated Rogério a little more over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted March 24, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted March 24, 2019 Little Nog was great but youāre right. He was always the bridesmaid. Big Nog was the one who was always in the main events in Pride, had the backstory of being run over by a truck as a kid, pulled off those heroic comebacks against Sapp and Cro Cop and so on. He was always in his brotherās shadow. And even moreso with them being twins. I mean, they had the same face! Everything RogĆ©rio did would naturally be compared to Rodrigoās accomplishments.Ā He was quality in his own right though. I always thought he had better hands than Big Nog. He repped Brazil and hadĀ some success and won medals as an amateur. IĀ think he trained a bit with the Cuban Boxing team as well if Iām not mistaken. Like you say wins over Sakuraba, Hendo and Overeem were highlights of his Pride run. Even that classic with Shogun, itās arguable that he shouldāve got the decision that night. Even as a massive Shogun bummer I wouldnāt have complained if they scored that to Nog. It was that close.Ā Iāve posted this before but Iāll post it again. This Little Nog highlight is the bollocks and really shows you what he could do when he was at his best; I rememberĀ being so chuffed when the UFC finally signed him in 2009. I was sure when Pride died that theyād bring him in with his brother but I guess the Sokoudjou KO put paid to that. YouādĀ see him cornering his brother for his UFC fights and hear about these fights he was winning in Brazil or Affliction and thereād be no mention of the UFC picking him up. Then all of a sudden heās in the Octagon, finallyĀ making his debut, knocking the shit out of Luiz Cane (proper āwhere is he now?ā name there but CaneĀ was looking like a top prospect for a bit). Sadly, with hindsight that was kind of the peak for Little Nog. He had and won a cracking fight with Jason Brilz but got backlash (unfairly) because most people seemed to think Brilz got robbed. Him battering Tito was lovely actually. Itās been mostly aĀ rough old stintĀ though.Ā But he was really good in his day.Ā People whoāve only seen him in the UFC havenāt seenĀ the best stuff.Ā He deserves more love. I think heāll always be under appreciated.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted April 5, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted April 5, 2019 Was updatingĀ the opening post and noticed MMAJunkie now has the BJ Penn vs Clay Guida fight down as the first fight on the card. As in the very first prelim. The curtain jerker. Maybe itāll be changed but fuck me, if it stays like that what a fall from grace. That fight wouldāve headlined a Fight Night years ago, and even been in a prominent position on a PPV. If it stays in that spot then itās goingĀ to be weird as fuck watching Penn vs Guida fight in front of a load of empty seats.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted April 5, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted April 5, 2019 yeh thats nuts, Penn should really be sitting in that position where his name alone allows to him to headline shows in certain markets, his performances have been that poor though that's relegated to opening shows, its sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted May 7, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 7, 2019 its 237 fight week! im going balls deep in this one, ive slacked the last few weeks, my MMA podcast/interview listening has waned and i aint happy about it...im taking all of it in, i need the buzz back. Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted May 7, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted May 7, 2019 Yeah, while not the mostĀ stacked card ever, I actuallyĀ really like this. I love the main event. Really think thatās goingĀ to either be a quick finish orĀ a cracking fight. And we probably donāt have many Anderson Silva or Jose Aldo fights left so Iām going to enjoy them while I can. Aldo vs Volkanovski is a real potential barnburner thatās snuck up on us actually.Ā Gutted though, just read that my āone to watchā Said Nurmagomedov vs Raoni Barcelos is off. Nurmagomedov is out. Carlos HuachinĀ is the replacement. Heās 10-3-1 with all his wins being finishes.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted May 7, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 7, 2019 Is Penn going for the "most shot fighter ever to fight at the top level" record? Just hang them up, man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted May 7, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 7, 2019 has to be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted May 9, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted May 9, 2019 On 5/7/2019 at 4:22 PM, Carbomb said: Is Penn going for the "most shot fighter ever to fight at the top level" record? Just hang them up, man. Just leaving this here... Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members WeeAl Posted May 9, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 9, 2019 Today I heard that Penn is going for a UFC record in this fight. Most consecutive losses in UFC history. When Guida beats the carcass of BJ Penn on Saturday night, it'll be 7 losses on the bounce in the organisation for BJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted May 9, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted May 9, 2019 Yeah,Ā he needs toĀ sack fighting off. He shouldāve retired years ago. Well, he did...stayed retired I mean. Mad to think that when Frankie Edgar fucked him up in their depressing third fight in 2014, itĀ felt like heād carried on way too long then. Here we are 5 years later and itās getting sadder and sadder.Ā If that story about him being abusiveĀ to his wife is true, and Iām not doubting it, then he needs to focus on getting himself help and being there for his family. Fuck fighting. What good is chasing thatĀ āwinā if you lose your family in the process?Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted May 9, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 9, 2019 Same side said that the only reason BJ continues to fight is because it's the only way he can stay sober. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Penn was always a bit out there. It used to be part of his charm.Ā But these days he's more delusional than ever and hisĀ charm hasĀ evaporated entirely. I amĀ surprised that Dana continues to book him. Would it really matter to the UFC if Penn jumped to One FC or Bellator? Also,Ā given Penn's personal issuesĀ and Dana's criticism of Golden Boy forĀ booking Liddell, it all makes for a terrible public relations exercise. Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted May 9, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted May 9, 2019 @Egg ShenĀ Yeah I saw that but, if thatās true,Ā what an absolutelyĀ mental plan. Swapping one problem forĀ another,Ā stayingĀ sober by getting whackedĀ in the head repeatedly? NotĀ an addict anymore but youāreĀ brain damaged to fuck. Good plan.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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