UFC 97: Redemption
 

i've said before that i think the UFC puts out too many PPVs and this happens to be one that i would not normally pay money to see. but it seems like all the PPVs that seem weak turn out to be quite good, and sometimes the stronger cards make for less exciting PPVs. so i think i will check this one out.

the problem that i have with this PPV is that it seems like a series of "squash matches" (one sided matches) especially the two main events. and the Liddell v. Rua thing could have easilly been rolled into another PPV like UFC 100. just sayin'.


http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...rson_silva.jpg Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...les_leites.jpg

to me, it kinda comes off like Anderson Silva vs. his next victim. for anyone who thinks that MMA doesnt have "dominant champions" and feel that that's important (for whatever reason - T-shirt sales, maybe), guess again. Thales Leites has as good of a chance as anybody to defeat Silva, i guess - but just looking at when, how, and who Silva has beaten, and when, how, and who has beaten Leites - i just dont think it's gonna happen.


http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...ck_liddell.jpg Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...uricio_rua.jpg

i dont want to call anybody "washed-up." and i'm not calling for anyone's retirement. all i'm saying is that, in my ameteur opinion
*i don't see Chuck Liddell as ever being a contender for the Light Heavyweight Title.
*at this point, i dont see a win over Rua as an indication that one is worthy of title contention.
*so sorry to offend any "Shogun" Rua fans, but he has not looked good in the UFC...at all. i'm not sayin' that he doesnt have injuries that have limitted his ability to train. all i'm sayin' is that he cannot hang with the best 205 pounders in the UFC.

this will probably be a dominant victory for Liddell.


http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content..._soszynski.jpg Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...rian_stann.jpg

i am looking for Brian Stann to outclass Soszynski in all areas winning a dominant victory.


http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...eick_kongo.jpg Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...ni_hardonk.jpg

this could be a good heavyweight fight. i'm looking for Kongo to get the win, though.


http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content.../luiz_cane.jpg Luiz Cane vs. Steve Cantwell http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...e_cantwell.jpg

Cantwell is gonna be a force in the 205 lb division. probably going to get a 1st or 2nd round victory over Cane.




there are more matches on the preliminary card than on the main card. two that i want to see in particular:

http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content..._macdonald.jpg Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...ate_quarry.jpg

this could be an awesome fight. both great fighters. MacDonald will be looking for a victory after his recent loss to Wilson Gouveia. if i had to bet, i would go with MacDonald. this is the type of fight that i would pay to see. they better show this fight.


http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content.../ed_herman.jpg Ed Herman vs. David Loiseau http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content...id_loiseau.jpg

Loiseau was once a top contender at 185 lbs in the UFC. he kinda fell off after losing his title match against Rich Franklin. and Ed Herman was over-rated on UFC season (3, i think) but has improved a lot and put together some impressive victories. Loiseau is solid, with nasty knees and elbows, but Herman has been improving since Loiseau left the UFC and is now pretty well rounded and has shown good composure. hard to call because dispite Hermans improvements, Loiseau was one of those very athletic fighters. i hope they air this one.

Herman...by decision, i guess.

Oh is that on tonight?

no, dude. it's next Saturday. the 18th.

oh yeah well I'm not looking forward to it

I'm not hyped for it but it should be a good show. Hopefully Liddell SMASHES Shogun.

Hope the Crow wins his fight... though he is extremely inconsistant and one dimensional... it really bothers me sometimes watching him fight. But he's classy, and has the potential to knock dudes the fuck out.

David Loiseau is the man with those Elbows..

Silva
Liddel
Soszynski
Kongo
Cantwell
Quarry
Loiseau

If chuck liddel can learn how to be both aggressive and safe, then he will get back into the title picture, but if he still does nothing to better himself, he will continue to be a highlight reel

Good to see Chuck doing something different in the Countdown show

Lietes is gonna have to fight a perfect fight, and hope Silva acts like he does in the Cote fight. Not gonna happen.

Do not underestimate Leites' jujitsu skills. If this goes to the floor, Silva could be in some real trouble. More than a few people I've spoken to about this show are tipping him for the upset. Personally I see him getting KO'd but a submission win wouldn't surprise me at all now.

For Lietes, getting Silva to the ground is the perfect fight. Thats where his shot is

lol Thales Leites. What a horrid fight.

What a fucking shitty show. I'm glad I recorded it so I could fast forward through the nearly the whole main event. Anderson Silva's name value took a big hit tonight. Fucking pathetic. It's actually at the point where I don't give a fuck if he ever fights again and this was a guy a year ago I couldn't wait to see fight. The only good thing coming out of this fight is that you can see Anderson Silva is totally beatable now. Anyone who is willing to come out in the first round with all guns blazing stands a great shot since he won't even throw a punch until past the 3rd minute. If I were Bisping or Henderson, I'd be dying to fight him as soon as possible.

Liddell is finished. He can't take a punch anymore and it's that simple. I'd favour most 205lbs fighters over him now. Rua didn't look anything special still either.

Shitty show. Never want to see anything of it again. Never been so pissed off after watching a UFC card. I want to forget about this immediately.

Did Lietes know you have to fight to win?

I blame mostly Thales Leites for that fight, he just lay on the ground.

And the only bad fight was the main event really.

It seemed like Chuck knew this was his last fight, said he couldn't perform. Said he had a great camp too. Unless they put him against Randy again for the hell of it, I think he's done.

Yea I think more of the blame should be on Leites if anything..Silva was in a tough spot , unfortunatley for us the fans, he chose the safe way out. For sure his next opponent will be a stryker.

Wanderlei Silva/Chuck Liddell II loser leaves town.

I think one of the best fights of the night was the undercard Stout/Wiman fight tbh.

Stout/Wiman was a war.

Yeah I just watched the press conference and the reporters were dogging Anderson, and Chuck basically told them to fuck right off, because every time Anderson would start striking, Leites would fall to his back. Takes 2 to tango.

Yeah, Stout/Wiman was the only decent part for me...staying up late for Liddell and then even later for Anderson was a big mistake.

Seriously the worst PPV I have seen since I started watching.

Sucks to see Chuck go out that way but I gotta say "Thank you" to the man. Been a hell of a ride following the Ice Man.

Wow that was shit. Agree Stout/Wiman was the best of the night.

Ok, I was at a bar and saw most of this show.

Cantwell/Cane - More like Cantfightwell, amirite? Guy seemed way too nervous and couldn't get much going. Fight was boring as shit.

Congo/Hardonk - rofl my brother was like "he's gonna knee him in the Hardonk" the whole fight. Pretty good fight, but I was not surprised at all. Hardonk's got BJJ, but he never really makes use of it and once Congo stifled his kicks, 'donk was fucked.

Soszynski/Stann - Fuckin' good fight. I really like Soszynski and he didn't disappoint.

Liddell/Rua - Had Rua taking this one. Liddell's been predictable as shit lately and yeah, that many knockouts in so little time is just gonna make your chin weaker and weaker. Better that he's retired before getting seriously injured. As for Rua, dude's been plagued by injuries and came back to fight too early from rehabbing. That's why he looked bad before. He still wasn't up to snuff this time round, but he's definitely looking better.

Silva/Leites - Fuck Thales Leites. You know you have to hit the other guy to win, right? God, how many times was he gonna lay down and hope Silva would follow. It's pretty ridiculously sad when the other guy can punch you in the knee without fear of catching a kick to the face several times. But the fault is partially (fractionally? :?: ) Silva's too. I know he likes to feel out his opponents before getting down to business, but tonight was nuts. Took him forever to attack. To his credit he did try to fight Leites standing, but pussy ass Leites wasn't having it.

Oh shit, Stout/Wiman - that could have gone either way and I actually favoured Wiman to take it, but the dude is sloppy and undisciplined. Dude will be a monster is he can get composed and sharpen up his ground work a little. Also, Sam Stout does not have hands of stone.

Sam Stout vs. Ronnie Garvin: Winner gets to keep the "Hands of Stone" nickname.

Krystoff learned the Kimura from Bad News Brown, of all people.

The "Knee to the Hardonk" saying I came up with as soon as I saw the fight was announced. And, there were a couple of questionable knees from Kongo in the fight. Of course, questionable knees are a Kongo trademark, as is brutal ground 'n pound.

It makes me lmao when Kongo knees people in the balls cuz the refs don't do shit about it. Makes him awesome.