Michael Bisping faces “hero” Wanderlei Silva in UFC 110
by Bruce Lee on Feb.06, 2010, under Michael Bisping
The outspoken Brit, Michael “The Count” Bisping’s prospects of winning his next UFC match against Brazilian Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 in Sydney leave him with mixed emotions. Silva was always a role model for Bisping when he fought in Pride but even though Silva has come down to the 185 pound weight class for the first time for this fight – even if Bisping wins, there will be those that insist that Silva was past his prime.
Silva is still a very dangerous opponent with some of the best striking in the business. Bisping, also a noted striker has been working on his ground game considerably in preparation for the fight. Even so, Bisping does not seem to be that concerned.
As Bisping explained to Telegraph Sport:
There’s not too much to study with Wanderlei Silva. I have seen enough of him, he was a hero for me when he was fighting in Pride. There are no real surprises in his style, very powerful knees, good Muay Thai, good BJJ, slightly weaker in the wrestling department. I watched DVDs of his fights, but after that I decided to stop.
I’m not interested in his old fights. I don’t watch to watch him KO people, because I don’t want to give him too much respect. Besides, we have a team of coaches who study the opponent and come up with the fight plan and strategy.
I’ll train in the Wolfslair until two weeks before the fight. We have a great group of guys here, and we have brought in some Muay Thai guys and wrestlers from the United States, and we are getting all bases covered. This is a real winnable fight for me.
Bisping, who has been training intensely for the bout insists that running 4 or 5 miles every morning is the key to his success at making weight.
Bisping is one of the fighters whom UFC’s UK president Marshall Zelaznik rates as having the potential to take over the world of MMA in 2010.
Will Bisping, a noted striker be able to overcome the powerful Muy Thai of his former hero Silva?
Tune in to UFC 110, it should be a very interesting event.
Countdown to UFC 109 – Coleman and Couture
by Bruce Lee on Feb.04, 2010, under Previews
UFC 109:Relentless Preview with Matt Serra
by Bruce Lee on Jan.29, 2010, under Events, Previews
UFC 109: Relentless Fight Card
by Bruce Lee on Jan.20, 2010, under Events
The Date: February 06, 2010
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: The Mandalay Bay Events Center
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
FIGHT CARD
Mark Coleman vs. Randy Couture
Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen
Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago
Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller
Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
Justin Buchholz vs. Mac Danzig
Melvin Guillard vs. Ronnys Torres
PRELIMINARY CARD (Un-aired)
Rob Emerson vs. Phillipe Nover
Phil Davis vs. Brian Stann
Tim Hague vs. Chris Tuchscherer
Rolles Gracie vs. Mostapha Al Turk
The Machida Controversy Continues…
by Bruce Lee on Nov.08, 2009, under Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida
MMA FanHouse’s Ray Hui weighs in on the fighter’s reaction to the controversial decision that has divided the MMA as well as the larger Martial Arts communities: (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/10/29/mma.roundtable/index.html)
Ray Hui: I wasn’t as surprised by the fan reaction as much as the fighter reaction. This captivated fighters across the board, compelling them to chime in immediately afterward to publicly voice their displeasure with the decision. I found it fascinating that people considered Machida’s peers were so strongly against the judging that they went out of their way to join the outcry. I’m guessing that they would have hated to be in Shogun’s shoes when the final scores were announced.
And as close as the fight was, I find it curious that most (from what I’ve heard) fighters, fans and media scored it in favor of Rua. Yet, all three judges scored it for Machida. I wonder how much of pro-Rua voters would have changed their minds had it not been for Mike Goldberg’s commentary.
Goldberg is catching flack for bringing up the “you have to beat the champ” adage. I know, MMA is a sport, and as a sport, a victory within the specified rules agreed upon between the competitors should be valid with no exceptions. But, you can refer to this fight or one hypothetically, would it sit well with you if a challenger was to be awarded the belt in a razor-thin decision for a fight you felt could have gone either way or one you scored as a draw?
Speculation on a rematch is already rampant in the MMA community with fighters and fans taking sides. Will Shogun be able to stop “The Dragon’s” invincible Karate Do in their next UFC matchup?
UFC NEWS: Georges St. Pierre – UFC’s rising star?
by Bruce Lee on Nov.07, 2009, under Georges St. Pierre
Here is what Jamie Pennick had to regarding Georges St. Pierre’s impact on the UFC ability to break out into the mainstream. (http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_3766.shtml)
Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre continues to be a breakout face to the mainstream for the sport of mixed martial arts. After securing an endorsement deal with monster sports endorser Gatorade earlier this year, GSP has now added a deal with athletic apparel company Under Armour.
Joining the likes of the NFL’s Ray Lewis and Brandon Jacobs, along with athletes in other major sports, as a face of the massive brand. St. Pierre will be the face of an upcoming underwear line for the company, and is expected to be heavily featured in their ads for the upcoming holiday season.
St. Pierre’s looks and athleticism have put him in this spot to bring a major league sponsor to someone involved with MMA, and this could be a step toward bringing in more high end sports sponsors such as Nike and Adidas.
Penick’s Analysis: GSP’s mainstream star continues to branch out and rise, even as he’s recovering from injury. His return in the late winter/early spring of 2010 will be a major deal, not only to hardcore fans, but to casual fans as well. If his push in this Under Armour campaign is a large one, that could bring in a high number of viewers for his next bout as well. This is a great thing for not only GSP, but the sport as a whole, as he will be seen as a completely legitimate athlete and will be a great ambassador to the mainstream for the sport.
Will the momentum keep up for Georges St. Pierre in the UFC? Only time will tell.
