UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit



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Maybe George St. Pierre’s body really has been breaking down in the prime of his life following a career filled with fighting UFC legends, up and comers and those tough, technical madmen in between. Maybe.

But lately, his conspicuous crown seems inconspicuously heavy; five years as ruler of the welterweight division can do it to the best of them. He has twice pulled out of scheduled main event fights against two of the most dangerous fighters he has faced since his rematch with Matt Serra, the only man to stop him with punches in MMA’s biggest upset.

As good and as tough as Matt Hughes, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, BJ Penn and Sean Sherk were, none of them, except for the smaller Penn, are all around technique fighters like Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit and MMA true to the bone, bad boy Nick Diaz. Diaz and Condit don’t rely on the stand up game to win. They also don’t rely on the ground game as their go to. They are ambidextrous in their winning ways. They have proven to beat the bombers on their feet and the grapplers on the ground.

George St. Pierre or, as the MMA world calls him, GSP, could retire tomorrow and he will be a shoe in for the UFC’s Hall of Fame (though even without a UFC HOF, he’s an MMA Hall of Famer for sure). But in another realm of combat sports, GSP may find his legacy tainted. For just as Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s careers have been impressive, and for all they have accomplished, their careers will still seem unfulfilled if they never meet. GSP’s career may seem the same way as Diaz and Condit have been fighting at the contender level for the last five years in different organizations internationally.

GSP’s last time in the octagon was almost a year ago and it was a less than stellar showing against top contender Jake Shields. GSP, while winning comfortably on points, sounded less like a king defending his rule and more like a protector of a throne. Shields has since been knocked out in one round by Jake Ellenberger, who, in turn, lost a close decision to Condit in 2009. GSP’s best hope is for a truly magnificent fight which will produce a truly magnificent contender that MMA fans will pay to see.

And that brings us back to Diaz and Condit; two honey badgers fighting for the same prize. They both fight with unbridled fury unusual for fighters with such technically superior skills and conditioning. They both go for the knockout every time the fight is on the feet and they always go for submissions when the fight is on the ground. These fighters always give fans a top-quality production on every level and give fans their money’s worth.

Diaz fights with an aggression that is only matched by his prefight antics. He genuinely dislikes the
business of fighting but he gives all fighters the business. Diaz brings five thousand volts of pain that is given even more intensity by the crowds that ignite his style with their roars. Diaz lets his emotions ooze from his pores and he translates those emotions into crisp punches and a never-say-die attitude.

Condit is not to be outdone. He carries the professionalism befitting a fighter who respects the sideshow that goes with promoting a fight. But he also fights like a Mack truck with no brakes trying to avoid a cliff. For every kick, punch, and slam he receives he intends on shaking it off and giving it just as good as he got it; just like Diaz.

The pick here is that Condit will make it past the finish line via a close decision. He is less war-torn than Diaz and does not allow his emotions to betray the fight’s strategy.

Of course, GSP will be watching. And waiting.

R.I.P. Angelo Dundee (1921-2012)



Angelo Dundee passed away on February 1, 2012 at the age of 90. He trained everyone from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali to Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman 2.0 and was involved in the sport he loved until his dying day. RIP to a boxing legend.





$1 Million Dollar Prize for Glory World Series fight events 2012

It's too bad they don't have events like this in the States, New York City specifically.

Vitali Klitschko vs. Derek Chisora

In the video below, Chisora, scheduled to face Vitali on February 18 in Germany, made two unconventional statements in boxing. First, he said he goes both ways sexually when Vitali asked him if he wanted to kiss him. Then, toward the end of the interview, he flat out accused Vitali of "juicing" to stay in shape.

While Vitali has never been a bombastic character, it will be intereting to see if either fighter throws punches with some Cain in them. We shall see.

UFC 141: The Brock vs The Reem

"More than a quarter of a ton collide this Friday."

"The biggest and the best will go head on this Friday night, etc."

The comparisons and analogies to the size of the following behemoths, Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, will be endless and cliche. As the poster suggest, these guys are the biggest of the bunch in terms of skill, size, and experience. But will it be explosive and tactical or an explosive dud?

As evidenced by Cain Velasquez quick defeat at (literally) the hands of Junior Dos Santos, one can't help but be reminded of another colossal matchup that failed to live up to the hype. This time on the boxing arena: Lennox Lewis vs. Michael Grant.

Grant was an undefeated start up while Lewis was the reigning heavyweight king who was supposed to be taken to the brink. Instead, Lewis used his experience and power to knockout his opponent in the 2nd round. Grant never recovered and never competed at such a high level again.

This one should be different as there are two main styles which are needed, though both have a puncher's chance. Sort of.

Overeem has proven himself in the stand up game; first in PRIDE and then in K-1. Brock has power but unlike The Reem, he does not have that one punch kayo power. If he did, Heath Herring never would have made it out the first round. Lesnar is a powerful man who will hurt you then Hulk smash you into utter defeat.

The Reem has the skills needed to counter Brock's brockness. He has grown like the Incredible Hulk. Gone is the lanky ko artist and now a big brawler who throws big fighters around like rag dolls has re-emerged. He tossed crude Brett Rogers around and dumped Fabricio Wewrdum whenever he felt like it. And these are no small men either.

The guess here is that Lesnar's long layoff, along with Overeem's recent success at heavyweight, will allow The Reem to control The Brock and finish the fight on the feet ... but he must tuck his chin in and avoid being kept down.

This one should be exciting ... for as long as it lasts.

Andre Wards(s) off Carl Froch

Ward beats Froch in 12

Andre Ward, the last U.S. Olympic gold medalist controlled Carl "The Cobra" Froch to become the super middleweight champion by all accounts. While some will say that Lucian Bute is the man, Ward has taken the rougher path to the title and Bute has not.

Ward set the pace in the first round when he boxed, brawled, mauled and bullied Froch on all four sides of the ring. The pattern set by Ward would continue for the remainder of the fight. Though Froch was clearly outboxed, he never stopped trying to win and finished the last two rounds as the aggressor.

UFC 140: Funny Money Only POTW

Funny Money Only Picks of the Week:

Jon "Bones" Jones vs Lyoto Machida
Can the Karate Kid aka Ryu, rattle Jones' bones? The smart pick here is that Jones wins by either referee stoppage or vicious elbows debilitating Machida. Unless Jones goes in too confident, look for a late stoppage win for Jones. Machida is a live underdog in this one.

Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Mir has been one of the hottest/coldest fighter in MMA even before his motorcycle accident. He should win through attrition, via unanimous decision. That's if he trained right and maintains his focus.

Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Tito took a painful stoppage loss last time out against a rejuvenated Rashad Evans. Look for Lil Nog to eek out a decision.