UFC 80 is almost here and it is time for prefight picks!
BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson (Light Weight Title Fight)
Who we want win: BJ Penn
Who we think will win: BJ Penn
BJ Penn’s time has come in the light weight division. It has been five years since his last title shot at this weight and he has been busy. In his last four fights in the UFC he has been crowned Welter weight champion beating Matt Hughes, went the distance with Georges St. Pierre in a controversial decision loss, had a dominant showing in his rematch against Matt Hughes until he separated a rib and lost in the 3rd round and in his last fight redeemed a nagging loss against Jens Pulver. Where as Joe Stevenson has been dominant in his last fights but all against forgettable names. Joe Stevenson’s strengths are listed as “good takedowns and submissions”. If Matt Hughes struggled taking a healthy BJ Penn to the ground Joe Stevenson won’t be able to do it, and Stevenson’s “good submissions” are irrelevant seeing how BJ Penn is the first American-born winner of the World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament. With that said, BJ Penn is the next Light Weight Champion.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabricio Werdum
Who we want win: Gabriel Gonzaga
Who we think will win: Gabriel Gonzaga
This fight can be determined by looking at their performances at UFC 70. Gabriel Gonzaga dismantled one of the most dominant, agressive fighters in MMA (Mirko Cro Cop). If you missed it UFC 70 results. Where as Fabricio Werdum lost a decision to Andrei Arlovski in one of his most lackluster performances. If Werdum can’t beat a passive Arlovski how the hell is he going to beat the beast in Gonzaga? Simple answer to that rhetorical question, he’s not.
Jess Liaudin vs. Marcus Davis
Who we want win: Marcus Davis
Who we think will win: Marcus Davis
Marcus Davis has been on tear. He has won the fight/submission/knock out of the night in almost all of his last fights. He has a decent history building in the UFC and he is facing a relative new comer. I see Marcus Davis coming out on top and will finish the fight.
Jorge Rivera vs. Kendall Grove
Who we want win: Can’t Decide
Who we think will win: Kendall Grove
If Jorge Rivera loses this fight his career in the UFC is in jeopardy. His horribly disappointing 14 sec knock out to Terry Martin had to be a major morale killer, but Kendall Grove is coming off of a very tough knock out loss as well. Both of these fighters are going to come back very focused but I really see Kendall Grove winning. Jorge Rivera is a good fighter but he can’t seem to turn the corner in the UFC where as Kendall Grove is a very unique, difficult fighter and I don’t think that Rivera is going to handle him. Unless Jorge Rivera takes advantage of his puncher’s chance, I see Kendall Grove submitting him.
Mirko Cro Cop, who suffered a horrible KO loss to Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70, is ready to fight. He is going to face Cheick Congo of France. This is going to be a great fight since both of these fighters are kick boxers that love to strike.
A great thing about Mirko Cro Cop is his humility. He is a very confident fighter, and initially said he didn’t need to train in an octagon, but since his loss to Gonzaga he has installed a cage and is training with it. That change in training shows that he can admit when he is wrong and is willing to change to make up for his past mistakes. Gabriel Gonzaga soundly beat Cro Cop but the next time they face off against each other Mirko will be a different fighter.
The fact that Mirko Cro Cop is going to be a new fighter poses a large problem for Cheick Congo. In MMA, Cro Cop doesn’t lose back to back. In 2005 Cro Cop lost a decision to Fedor Emelianenko but won his next fight against Josh Barnett. Those are two enormously talented fighters in back to back fights, most fighters would have taken a “get back on your feet fight”, but Cro Cop came out against one of the best and won. Cheick Congo isn’t one of the best MMA fighters in the UFC but he is a very good kick boxer. So this will be a very good come back fight and a defining challenge for Cro Cop. In addition, the internet rumor mill churned up that Cro Cop is apparently asking for a rematch against Noguiera. That would be an amazing fight and is a testament to Cro Cop’s will as a fighter to fight the best and be the best.
Cro Cop’s upcoming fight is going to be huge and if you are fight fan you better start getting pumped now because I think a Frenchman is going to be on the receiving end of a left high kick to the face. Watch for Cro Cop in September at UFC 75 on Spike TV; it’s going to be free!
Here is a clip of Cro Cop against Nogueira. Great fight, I really hope to see a rematch!
UFC 70 won’t be remembered by name rather as that “one UFC where Cro Cop got his head kicked off by that one guy.” To me this was shocking and really disappointing. I am a huge Mirko Cro Cop fan and was really excited to see him come into the UFC so he could destroy Tim Sylvia. At UFC 68, the UFC that followed Cro Cop’s debut, Couture pounded Sylvia so my dream still came true of Sylvia being dethroned but Cro Cop wasn’t going to be the one to do it. I was still excited because Cro Cop vs. Couture is an interesting match up. There was never a doubt in my mind that Cro Cop would get a title shot and as quickly as possible. After he stalked down Eddie Sanchez at UFC 67 I figured he would have one more fight and then the title shot, it was all worked out in my mind, but then entered Gabriel Gonzaga’s dream shattering right foot.
The whole fight started off badly for Cro Cop. Gonzaga came out ready to fight and pounced on Cro Cop. Gonzaga pushed the pace and set the tone of the fight. In a swarming fury he managed to take Cro Cop down and started pummeling him slowly but surely. At this point I wasn’t worried about Cro Cop losing. He is very experienced and has fought the best. He can take a beating and push through it and still win the fight decisively. When Cro Cop finally was able to get up from the ground and out from underneath Gonzaga I felt like the fight was going to turn in Cro Cop’s favor. He had a fire lit under his ass and he was going to unload on Gonzaga.
The first round was closing out and the tension was starting release from my shoulders as I got ready for round 2 mentally thinking about what Cro Cop was going to need to differently when out of no where Gonzaga unleashes a vicious high kick to the side of Mirko Cro Cop’s head that dropped him like a rag doll. It was a major “WTF?” moment for me, very similar to the Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin fight. Mirko just laid there with his leg torqued while Gonzaga pranced in celebration.
Gonzaga really proved to people that he is legit. He had soundly beat one of the best fighters in the world and with a move out of Cro Cop’s highlight reel. Looking at the replays it is very clear what happened. Much like Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre, Gonzaga began his kick like a lower kick, but then went high to catch his opponent. You can see in Mirko’s body posture that he was looking to block a kick to his mid section.
There was a very scary moment though in this fight. When Cro Cop was knocked out his body went limp and he collapsed on his right leg. The very leg that he plants on often to throw his enormous high kicks. His ankle was horribly contorted and his knee looked tweaked as well. At the event Joe Rogan pointed out that Cro Cop could potentially have a very serious injury. But over at Cro Cop’s site they said that “His ankle is getting better and Mirko will be back in full training in a few weeks.” That is a really good sign and apparently he has four fights left on his contract and he says that he “will do them all.” I can’t wait for his return.
Gonzaga is going to be Couture’s first title defense, which is going to be an awesome fight. It will be interesting to see how Couture deals with Gonzaga, and to see if Gonzaga can keep Randy from imposing his will.
