4tal Kombat: Miami Aftermath, UFC Priview, more... Posted by The Strung One on 02/02/10
There’s never a shortage of things to talk about in the world of mixed martial arts, and this week is no exception here on 4tal Kombat. We’ve got the Strikeforce Miami aftermath to discuss as well as the preview for this Saturday’s UFC 109 pay per view among other happenings.
Strikeforce & more Strikeforce continues to impress me with yet another exciting night of MMA action. If you haven’t seen it, I highly suggest giving it a viewing, but I’ll recap the card.
Bobby Lashley defeated Wes Sims in the first round via TKO after the referee stopped Lashley’s ground and pound. The commentators suggested an early stoppage as Wes Sims complained, but I feel it was the right call. The fighters’ safety is a major concern in MMA and Sims’ was out of shape and out of his league. Lashley improves to 5-0, and I expect a big challenge should be waiting for him next.
Robbie Lawler defeated Melvin Manhoef with an out of nowhere knockout in the first round! Robbie Lawler showed a great display of resiliency as he was getting picked apart by the MMA doppelganger of Mike Tyson, Melvin Manhoef. After watching Manhoef chop away Lawler’s legs with vicious leg kick after vicious leg kick, I thought it was just a matter of time. Shortly after, Manhoef was staring at the ceiling with a blank gaze. Unbelievable.
Herschel Walker defeated Greg Nagy via TKO in the third round. The former football star was successful in his MMA debut, but at his age (47), where does he go from here?
Cyborg Santos defeated Marloes Coenen via TKO in the third round, once again proving that women have a place in mixed martial arts. The ladies go at it just as hard, if not harder than the men do. Hopefully the female division expands and we see more up and coming talent. The champion Santos needs a real challenge.
Nate Diaz dismantled Marius Zaromskis with combinations that put the Lithuanian fighter out, and left Diaz the newly crowned Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. Only problem...where’s his next challenge going to come from? The Welterweight division is thin in Strikeforce. Jay Heiron was victorious in his first two Strikeforce outings, but hasn’t looked good even in victory. Not to mention, he just finished his contract and is now a free agent.
Strikeforce is coming back to CBS in April which is shaping up to be another blockbuster card. Rumoured fights include; King Mo Lawal vs. Gegard Mousasi and Dan Henderson vs. Jake Shields.
UFC 109, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday! This Saturday, UFC 109 comes to you from Las Vegas, Nevada and it looks like another great card, topped off with two active UFC Hall of Famers colliding!
Randy Couture vs. Randy Coleman: For all the haters who claim that these guys are too old to compete at a high calibre level; go tell them that to their faces. Given all the factors this fight could end up being fireworks, but at the same token could prove to be a slow paced chess match. Just never count out Randy Couture. Ever.
Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago: Swick is looking to avenge his teammate Kos’ loss against Thiago, but a major factor heading into this bout is it has title shot ramifications. A solid convincing win here could solidify a shot against the welterweight kingpin. This one really is a coin toss for me to decide.
Damian Maia vs. Dan Miller: This one could be a SOTN candidate as submission artist Maia looks to get back in the win column after a quick knockout loss at the hands of Dan Henderson. Miller isn’t going to let the win come easy, but that’s how I see it going down; Maia getting back on track.
Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen: This fight has Middleweight ramifications written all over it. If Nate the Great wins here, he may finally get to avenge his loss to Anderson Silva. Sonnen is looking to steal that spot away, but I don’t see it happening. Nate Marquardt is a monster, and is going to smash Sonnen.
Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg: This could be the swan song for either one of these fighters. A loss could cement a retirement, and I personally see that man being Trigg. Serra is going to be too much standing, and too much for Trigg on the ground.
Plus the whole undercard is stacked from bottom to top, including TUF champion Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz and most noticeably the return of the most famous fighting family. Rolles Gracie makes his UFC debut. Originally slated to face Mustapha Al-Turk, it was discovered this morning that due to visa issues, cannot make it. Replacing him is 10-3, Joey Beltran.
Bellator Fighting Championship Bellator have secured new television deals that will put the promotion on NBC, Fox Sports Net, and Telemundo, giving them both an English and Spanish-based audience to gain ratings for the upcoming season 2 in April. Check your local listings as the next season will feature featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight tournaments. While securing unknown but very talented fighters to long term contracts, and with network television exposure, Bellator Fighting Championships could be a force to be reckoned with given time.
4-tal Kombat Fighter of the Month (January) ”Smooth” Ben Henderson
He unified the WEC lightweight championship, but unfortunately didn’t shut the mouth of opponent Jamie Varner, but not many can fulfil that godly task. Securing a lighting fast guillotine, Varner quickly tapped out and the rest is history. Smooth is this month’s trophy winner.
