"Banilla Ice Says…"

Live from Toronto, Ontario, Canada…  It’s time for another “Banilla Ice Says…”  with Banilla Ice.  Tonight’s guests are….

Ummmm…

Well…

Ummmmmmmmm…

Tonight’s guests are…

No one?!

That’s right folks.

Nobody.

DAMN, If I only had a couple minutes to interview her

You see, after having a brief “twittersation” (that’s a conversation of 140 characters or less) with the “Big Boss,” I’ve come to the realization that as far as I’m concerned, not one fighter/ring girl/MMA affiliate has offered/accepted to do an interview with any of the UnfilteredMMA.com staff.  Why am I ranting about such things?  Well let me explain, you see this all started when I saw the “Big Boss” ask Arianny Celeste about doing an interview over Twitter.  I mean, the irony of the situation is the fact that I’ve always wanted to ask Arianny that myself for two reasons; 1. For the obvious, UnfilteredMMA.com and 2. She happens to pop in Toronto every now and then at which I wanted to interview her for a local Filipino newspaper considering her having some Filipino background and being Filipino myself, thought it’d be great to interview a relevant Filipino celebrity and let’a face it, who/what is a better topic than Arianny Celeste to conduct an interview with.  Now, at the time, there has been no response from Arianny or a rep but let me tell you, I’ve responded to about a billion tweets from Ms. Celeste, Dana White, Joe Lauzon, Kenny Florian, Joe Rogan, Papa Joe, Bubba Ray, Billy Bo Bob and have never, ever received even one retweet/reply back.  And THIS is only from people within MMA.  When it comes to anyone else, I’ve received retweets, replies, had “twittersations” with numerous celebrities and athletes like Hulk Hogan (YES! The Real American brother…), Chris Bosh from the Toronto Raptors, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, John Mayer, Kim Kardashian, Malice from The Clipse, Dog The Bounty Hunter, and a bunch of other people but MMA folk, ummm, yeah, none.  Zero.  Nadda.  Wala (for my fellow FOBs reading).

Now, I’ve wondered why this may be.  Is it that maybe we as in MMA bloggers/site operators/etc. don’t necessarily cater to some of these people’s egos or seem relevant?  I mean I’ve tried the sucking up part but that gets me absolutely nowhere and to be honest I wish someone was boosting my self-esteem rather than me having to do it to someone who gets ass-kissed 24/7.  I mean how many times can Arianny hear that she’s the “prettiest woman walking God’s green earth or receive “Muahs” from alleged straight men flooding her Twitpics.  Or how many times can Dana White receive Tweets from desperate wanna-be know-it-alls telling him how great a guy and job he’s doing when I’m sure he knows it by the revenue he’s pulling in.  As journalists, the best way to deliver a story is straight from the horses mouth.  So seeing that as UnfilteredMMA.com is in its 2nd year of operation and pulling in more web traffic each day, why is it that none of the staff can get some sort of “Online” interview exclusive?!  Why can’t we catch a break?

So this is my pleading case to any Fighter, veteran, amateur, doesn’t matter.  Ring Girl or wannabe ring girl, heck even Popcorn girl at the concession stand.  Or to any big wig, Coker, “D.W.” as Kimbo likes to call you, heck even you too Hong Man Choi…  look to us at UnfilteredMMA.com.  Deep down here at UnfilteredMMA we’re all fans at heart that love the sport.  We want to represent it right by giving the readers an unbiased look at the business and the sport.  Our journalism speaks for itself by the traffic and continued following we receive.  All we need is a favor, a seal of approval sort to speak.  I mean, we’re all good guys.  I myself like long walks on the beach, picnics and movies…  but at the end of the day, MMA is something I love just as much as you guys do.  So to all the people of the MMA world…  my inbox welcomes and awaits you.

Any thoughts or comments?  You can always follow me through my Twitter page at http://www.twitter.com/BanillaIce.  Also, feel free to email me with anything MMA related at b.manarin@hotmail.com.

Until I get my interview…  It’s Banilla Ice telling you to “Be Cool…”

PEACE.

NOTE: As pointed to me after posting, a few people including the “Big Boss” pointed out the podcasts we have (Great job Miss MMA). I personally don’t enjoy podcasts as I’ve done one myself and thought I sounded like a serial rapist interviewing the Jabbawockeez (I will not provide a link…) so I should of clarified more so print interviews much like a magazine…  Ok, I’m done now.

Popularity: 18% [?]

It’s been a long time…  I shouldn’t of left you.  Without a dope blog to read to.  Welcome one and all to another installment of “Banilla Ice Says…” featuring yours truly, Banilla Ice.  To think it’s almost been a month since I’ve last posted is crazy and it seems not only has the UFC been busy but “Combat Sports” in general have been the talk of the town.  I’ve been busy with things in my own life but I’m going to try and break down the last month of action.  By the way, I didn’t get to watch the Strikeforce card so I cannot unfortunately recap it but from what I heard it wasn’t as amazing as it should of been considering they were building future stars for their company.

Nate Diaz takes a swipe at Melvin Guillard

So UFC Fight Night.  I only got to watch the last 2 fights which happened to be the fights I wanted to watch anyhow.  I’ll start off with the main event which was Nate Diaz and Melvin Guillard.  I actually predicted Diaz to submit Melvin in the first round but was surprised by Guillard’s knockdown on Diaz.  Diaz survived the initial storm and obviously got to the second round where he took advantage of Guillard’s lack of patience and straying from the game plan.  Diaz is obviously a better ground fighter and why he would he attempt a take down boggled my mind.  Diaz sunk in a guillotine and Melvin had no wear to go.  Melvin like his bitter enemy Rich Clementi are both gate-keepers in my eyes in the Lightweight division and it’s unfortunate that Melvin hasn’t improved to be a more all-around fighter.

Gray Maynard versus Roger Huerta from what I saw was a great fight.  The first round was a great back and forth stand-up battle.  Roger looked to hurt Gray with a right hand in a flurry of punches and had Gray retreating for the second half of the first round.  Gray in the second round was timing Roger a lot better.  Although, Roger kept coming forward Maynard was able to time a couple counters including a left lead jab which actually dropped Roger as well as a counter right straight which wobbled Huerta.  At that point I had it one round a piece to each fighter.  The third round was the decisive factor as Gray had taken down Roger and locked him in a terrible looking kimura.  That kimura was sunk in so deep I as most people I talked couldn’t believe Roger didn’t tap out or had his arm broken.  It was a great fight which saw how good Gray really is.  What made Gray winning even more for the UFC was that it left Huerta leaving with a loss drops his “stock” should he wish to return.  Considering he was being built at one point to be the Lightweight champion, Huerta fought well but lacks the ability to change and adapt to opponents during the fight which he showed in the Maynard fight and especially with the loss to Kenny Florian.  I do wish Huerta luck in his acting endeavours as he’s a great person in and out of octagon.  I’ve met Gray personally at a friend’s sneaker boutique here in Toronto (Gray’s a secret sneaker fiend) and he was extremely pleasant and really cordial.  me and my boys see you in that Supreme “Tyson” tee, lol.

Obviously after Fight Night was Season 10 of TUF which featured Team Rampage Vs. Team Rashad.  I think alot of people saw the first episode’s first 9 minute preview so I don’t really need to say anything about that.  Kimbo comes out, calls Dana “D.W.” which had me reminisicing of the kid’s show Arthur and to be honest, up to this point the fights have been anything but good.  Abe didn’t even bother listening to Rampage in that first fight and I’m actually glad he lost.  In last weeks fight, Wes lost to Rashad’s first pick McSweeney in a boring fight.  Wes gassed out after the first round and it was pretty much done.  I know everyone is excited for this weeks Kimbo/Nelson match-up and after the swirling rumors of Kimbo’s early exit, many people are now seeing why he may of lost considering he lost to the IFL’s last Heavyweight Champion.

Vitor Belfort drops Rich Franklin with a left hook

As for UFC 103, I honestly went back and forth between the PPV and the Mayweather/Juan Manuel Marquez PPV.  I can honestly say that overall, 103 wasn’t too bad a PPV considering I wasn’t sure how Belfort would be received by American fans after a 5 year absence and with all the hype between “Money” and “Pee Pee Man” I thought the boxing match would steam roll over the mediocre on paper UFC 103 (which it did).  Anyhow, just to recap a few of the bouts I thought Belfort looked extremely good against Franklin.  A lot of people like to think Franklin is an againg star in the company but I don’t see it that way.  Franklin is good to beat most of the Middleweight contenders and maybe 90% of the Light Heavyweight division.  I think it’s more so that fighters ARE getting better and maybe he needs a change of scenery to find himself again.  Belfort is looking better than I’ve remembered and considering he’s getting the next title shot against Anderson Silva at UFC 108, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the UFC brass is setting themselves up for a big disapointment in letting Belfort get a title shot so fast.  His rise to the top could quikcly be buried with one shot from Silva. 

Also, Junior Dos Santos proved he may be one of the next elite Heavyweights by out blasting Mirko “Cro Cop” and forcing him to verbally submit.  “Cro Cop” looks like his best days are over as a recent interview conducted post-fight had him stating that maybe he doesn’t have it in him anymore.  He spoke about thinking about fishing during the actual bout with Dos Santos and questioned whether or not he should of hung his gloves up after his 2006 Pride Open Weight Tournament victory.  He’s looking like a can’t pull the trigger Oscar De La Hoya in his last fight against Manny Pacquiao.  The fact he only attempted 6 head kicks shows a different and apprehensive mind-set in the former Croatian Sensation.

Tyson Griffin showed he’s still one of the best Lightweights in the world by burying an over-weight and out of shape Hermes Franca.  Griffin put on a striking exhibition and showed why his one loss to Sean Sherk isn’t necessarily a bad thing as he looked better than ever against Franca.  Martin Kampmann must be hitting himself in the head after stayig on his feet with last minute replacement Paul Daley.  Daley who is known as a fierce striker sent Kampmann into La La land with a thunderous knockout which had Kampmann out on his feet.  Kampmann should of taken the fight to the ground where he could of possibly submitted him but took the chance to stand up and fight and got knocked out sending his chances of a title shot down the drain.  It should of been a relatively easy fight but turned into a nightmare.  Josh Koscheck looked amazing in his K.O. performance against Frank Trigg.  Trigg is another fighter like “Cro Cop” who just hasn’t improved enough all-around to stand a chance against the best of the Welterweight division.  I do like Trigg though and hope he can find a camp that will help him get better on his feet but at that 37, he may be at the end of the line in his MMA career. 

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson lands a jab on Dan Henderson

Now the BIG news that everyone seems to know about is the recent “retiring” of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.  I’m not sure how I feel about this as I, like many other reporters think this is a spur of the moment type deal with Jackson speaking with frustration and emotion first than with his head on straight.  I like that Jackson is an emotional guy.  Sometimes when a person speaks without using their head, you get to see how passionate a person is about what they do and with Quinton, you can see how much he loves his family.  To me, his decision was based solely on the fact he’ll be getting paid for his family.  I actually think with Jackson getting the B.A. Baracus role, he’d have given MMA and especially the UFC even more media and mainstream exposure as there’s still people who don’t know or care about MMA but KNOW about Mr. T and “The A-Team.”  Jackson is a good family man and I’m all for him taking the role.  Like what others including Rashad Evans believe is that this is all a mis-understanding between Dana and Jackson.  If they can only sit down together and talk things straight, maybe we can come to a resolution.  I do agree that it was bad timing considering the UFC 107 main event was to be the TUF 10 coaches showdown but Dana has to see the business side in which that the fight still could of been pushed back and with Rampage being in the movie and should it do well, Rampage could bring in a bigger more mainstream audience to watch him fight.  I do believe in the end, everything will work themselves out to the benefit of both sides and we’ll be seeing Rampage in the octagon sooner rather than later.    

Anyhow, that’s the month in recap for me.   It’s been a while guys so bare with the recap as I’m trying to catch up as well.  Any thoughts or comments, please feel free to email me at b.manarin@hotmail.com.  You can always follow me on twitter as well at http://www.twitter.com/BanillaIce.

Until next time Unfiltered MMA, I’ll be back!

Popularity: 12% [?]

Well guys, it’s that time once again…  what time you ask?  Well of course it’s time for more words of wisdom from yours truly, Banilla Ice in this new edition of “Banilla Ice Says…”

Anyhow, I found myself looking at some past MMA DVD’s and I stumbled across a bunch of Pride fights I downloaded onto a VCD and I just began to watch as if it were 2003 all over again!

The one thing that stands out about Pride to me, is how brutal the matches were.  The knockouts in Pride were things of beauty.  For some strange reason, I can clearly remember more devastating knockouts in Pride than I can in UFC’s recent memory.  Mind you, that statement doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any great K.O.’s recently (Evans’ overhand right on Liddell comes to mind) but Pride K.O.’s come to my mind so easily it’s slightly strange that I can remember them more so than others (maybe it’s because I was younger).  Anyhow, for those who may not of been privledged enough to see, remember or know, I present to you (in no particular order) some of my favorite Pride FC knockouts.  Also, try looking up some of these fights on youtube, my explanations can only take you so far but seeing them may help you see why these are such great knockouts.

1. Anderson Silva Vs. Carlos Newton
It’s weird seeing Anderson with a goatee but he’s still wearing his short yellow and black tights.  Anyhow, the match itself is great.  I forget how good Carlos was on the ground as he had Anderson down for a minute and change and I actually think it was stood-up prematurely however, had it not been stood up, we may of never seen one of the best flying knees ever in MMA.  Carlos shoots in but as he does, catches a beautiful flying knee straight into the kisser and is out cold in a sitting position that the ref doesn’t catch.  Anderson jumps in with 4 unnecessary punches until finally the ref pulls him off.

2. Kevin Randleman Vs. Mirko Cro Cop
Mirko was one of the top 3 favorites (the others being Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) in the Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2004.  His first round match was against Kevin Randleman at Total Elimination 2004 in where  everyone assumed this would be yet another fantastic K.O. for the Croatian Sensation but instead Randleman pressed the action, bullying Mirko against the ropes, feinting like a boxer to expose Mirko and then flooring him in the middle of the ring with a great left hook.  Some vicious ground and pound from there and it was lights out for Mirko Cro Cop who was left motionless for a minute or so on the canvas.

Mirko "Cro Cop" goes in for the kill versus Igor Vovchenchyn

3. Mirko Cro Cop Vs. Igor Vovchenchyn
If you’ve never seen Cro Cop land his trademark left turning kick, this is probably his cleanest K.O. using it.  Igor was in trouble from the beginning as Cro Cop dominated the stand up from the get-go.  Igor tried for a high turning kick of his own which amused most of the commentators and probably surprised Cro Cop himself but was obviously blocked.  The thing about Mirko’s left high kick is the speed he throws it.  The speed equals the amount of power and when he hit Igor flush, you could see Igor’s eyes roll back.  Igor got hit on the right side of the face, was out on his feet and went down like a sack of bricks.  Mirko managed to sneak a left hook in before the ref lounged for the stoppage.

4. Gilbert Yvel Vs. Gary Goodridge
Gilbert Yvel to those who don’t know is a world class kickboxer who came from K-1 into Pride.  Gary Goodridge at the time was a proven heavyweight veteran from the UFC.  In a methodical fight, surprisingly all it took was one well placed left high turning kick from Yvel and down went Goodridge like a sack of bricks.  Right after the knockout you see Gary’s wife running into the ring to check on him as Gary was knocked out cold like he was frozen in time on the mat.

5. Wanderlei Silva Vs. Quinton Jackson I
This was definitely one of the most entertaining Pride fights I’ve ever watched.  The first couple of minutes were back and forth on the ground, Wanderlei trying a few submission attempts and “Rampage” getting out of each one and attempting some ground and pound.  The fights eventually gets back on it’s feet and this is where the action starts!  Quinton rushes in for a takedown and they start swinging at each other, Wandy clinches and hits Jackson with a knee.  Jackson shrugs it off, goes for another takedown, gets caught in the clinch again and catches another knee.  Wandy barely misses a soccer kick but recovers and Muay Thai clinches again and knees Jackson.  Knee after knee after knee, Jackson can’t get out of the clinch.  After about 10 knees, Jackson who’s pretty much out but relying on instinct smiles at Wanderlei who smiles back and two more knees against the ropes and Jackson goes down right at the same moment as his corner throws in the towel.

6. Wanderlei Silva Vs. Yuki Kondo
I used to find it hilarious that most of Wandy’s opponents would want to try and beat him standing when that was when Wanderlei was at his most effective.  Anyhow, Yuki Kondo was no different but he landed a couple of clean shots that actually did no damage but had Wanderlei backing up.   Just when Yuki thought he had Wanderlei, he telegraphs a right hook by eating a counter right himself and he’s suddenly forced to retreat and when I mean retreat, I mean Oscar De La Hoya/Felix Trinidad retreat as in literally running away.  Silva did eventually catch him with a right hook which floors him but then the K.O. comes, not by way of hand but by 2 vicious and I mean VICIOUS, foot stomps which leave Yuki’s eyes rolling into the back of his head and motionless for 4 minutes on the ground.

Wanderlei Silva's haymaker K.O.'s Kazushi Sakuraba

7. Wanderlei Silva Vs. Kazushi Sakuraba III
Sakuraba was coming into this fight with most people thinking it’d be his swan song.  Many feel due to lingering injuries and after all the wars he went through over the years, if he lost it would be it.  The match was back and forth for the first 3 minutes with Wandy and Sakuraba getting in close and swinging away at each other with short hooks and knees.  Anyhow, the match eventually slowed and Wandy became more methodical picking spots to be aggressive.  The end came as Sakuraba throws out a lazy lead left shin kick which Wanderlei checks it and he counters by lunging forward with a left straight followed by a devastating right haymaker which knocks Sakuraba into a new time zone.  Wanderlei raises his hand in victory and all I can remember is “Rampage” who was doing commentary saying “It’s just like in the video game!”

8. Chuck Liddell Vs. Guy Metzger
WHAT?!  “The Iceman” on a PRIDE list?!  Yeah, that’s right, Chuck’s had a couple fights in Pride and while he was never as dominant as he was in the Octagon he has a mini-reel of his own.  In this fight against Lion’s Den member Metzger, Chuck was in complete control.  Chcuk was beating Metzger to the punch and dominated him in the stand up, clinch and for a small time on the ground.  Near the end of the 1st round, Metzger catches Chuck with a overhand right haymaker that sends Chuck to the floor.  Chuck eventually does recover and makes it out of the round.  Right when the 2nd round starts, Chuck comes out aggressive.  Chuck backs Guy into the ropes and starts wailing away and when Chuck punches in flurries, something is bound to land.  A right straight drops Guy Metzger into La-La land and he crumples onto the canvas much like in the same way Mirko crumpled when he was K.O.’d by Gabriel Gonzaga with his right leg tucked in behind his body…ouch.

9. Quinton Jackson Vs. Igor Vovchenchyn
One of “Rampage’s” early matches.  Was a grappling bout, with  a lot of ground and pound and ground dominance by Quinton.  At one point, Quinton picks up Igor in an extremely high-angled vertical position and slams him hard to the canvas on his left side and we see Igor in extreme pain.  After the slam, “Rampage” is still on top alternating btween head and body ground and pound.  Suddenly Rampage throws a hard right hook to the body in side mount and Igor winces in extreme pain and can’t continue.  Igor looks totally out of breath as the match is stopped and what makes it special to me is that it’s one of the only body punch K.O.’s in MMA I can clearly remember.

10. Quinton Jackson Vs. Ricardo Arona
If you guys have yet to see this Powerbomb K.O. you guys must not watch MMA in general at all.  Prior to the spectacular knockout, Quinton was badly cut while caught in Arona’s guard due to Arona using heel kicks from the position.  Quinton froze for a moment and Arona complained to the ref that Jackson was out albeit he wasn’t.  From there the rest is history, Arona slaps on a deep triangle choke which looks to put Quinton in deep trouble, after 2 minutes locked in it, Quinton picks up Arona and VIOLENTLY powerbombs him to the mat, knocking all breath out of his body and leaving him a mess on the canvas.

Well, that was just some of my favorite K.O.’s from the Pride Era.  Mind you these K.O.’s don’t reflect my favorite Pride fights although there may be one or two included from this list.  I do have a few more knockouts I wanted to include but then this blog would turn into a novel and I think you folks might already have had enough of me writing so much. 

Any thoughts or comments?  Want to add to my list with your favorite knockout(s)?  Leave a comment and tell me your own “food for thought.”

Remember you can always follow me through my Twitter page at http://www.twitter.com/BanillaIce.  Also, feel free to email me with anything MMA related at b.manarin@hotmail.com.

Well so long from yours truly…  stay classy Unfiltered MMA readers!

Popularity: 100% [?]

Step right up, step right up… come one, come all and welcome to the third edition of “Banilla Ice Says…” featuring none other than Banilla Ice.

Well it’s been an interesting day or so in MMA news so without further a due, onto my random thoughts for the day…

Dustin Hazelett Vs. Karo Parisyan has been set for UFC 106.  This will definitely be a step up for Dustin Hazelett who has notable submission victories over Johnathan Goulet, Josh Burkman and most recently Tamdan McCrory.  Karo is a seasoned veteran of the UFC and is definitely a stepping stone in the right direction if Hazelett is to come out victorious and try his hand at the upper echelon of the Welterweight divison.  For Karo this his own step forward in futher cementing his way back in title contention.  Both have losses to some of the better competitors in the division with Hazelett having lost to Koscheck and Karo to GSP, Thiago Alves and Diego Sanchez.  Also worth noting is Karo’s most recent loss to Dong Hyun Kim albeit controversial split decision.  What interests me not only in the fight is what the outcome will be for each competitor.  If Karo lost, would 3 consecutive losses equal a terminated contract?  Same thing for Hazelett, should he lose, would that mean he would get cut due to the potential WEC/UFC merger rumors?!  One things for sure, we’ll definitely be in for a great grappling contest and a possible Fight of the Night candidate…

Mark "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" Munoz

Mark Munoz has recently re-shaped and been re-tooling his game plan for his upcoming UFC 102 fight against Nick Catone.  After taking his first MMA loss to Matt Hamil, Munoz has dropped to the Middleweight Division and has to be looked at an immediate threat should he come out victorious.  A Division I 2001 Champion from Oklahoma State, training out of Mike “Joker” Guymon’s gym in Southern California but NOW also at Black House which houses some of the best fighters in the world including The Nogueira brothers, Junior Dos Santos and of course UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, Munoz is sure to of picked up a few things that will help him in his upcoming match and his future.  Although Munoz admits that he may be fighting for a job, things may only be looking up for him and his UFC career with a win.

I missed a match in my most recent UFC 102 picks, with the Chris Leben Vs. Jake Rosholt flying right past over my head.  Although Leben has a chin made of marble and can take a beating, Leben’s takdown defense leaves something to be desired.  Jake Rosholt is a superb wrestler and it would seem to me that he may be able to control the fight on the ground.  I suspect this fight to be eerily similar to the Terry Martin/Chris Leben fight only with Rosholt not gassing unlike Martin and keeping it more on the ground to get the unanimous decision win.  I respect Leben even with all his recent short comings and hope he can get his act together as he’s a MMA fighter remniscent of Arturo Gatti.  A guy with good skills who takes a licking, never backs down unless stopped but is for some reason short of being an elite fighter.

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto

The DREAM 11 card is shaping up to be great with fights like Joachim Hansen Vs. Shinya Aoki for the Lightweight Title, Jason “Mayhem” Miller Vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza for the Middleweight Title, Gegard Moussasi Vs. Rameau Thierry Soukoudjou and with the possible addition of Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto Vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri, the DREAM card only gets bigger and better.  “Kid” Yamamoto is one of my favorite fighters in the world, and although I have no excuses for him losing to Joe Warren in his most recent outing, Norifumi is definitely one of the best and most entertaining fighters not State side.  In Kawajiri he gets a former PRIDE and Shooto Welterweight Champion who’s only loss to elite fighters such as Eddie Alvarez, Gilbert Melendez, Takanori Gomi yet has big wins over Yves Edwards and the current DREAM Lightweight Champ Joachim Hansen (albeit by DQ).  It’ll be interesting to see who’s grappling is better as Yamamoto comes from a well-decorated wrestling family as his father wrestled in the ‘72 Olympic Games and Norifumi himself wrestling in the U.S. during high school and capturing 3 State Championships for Marcos de Niza High School in Arizona.  Kawajiri is known for his great ground and pound and clinch grappling and is actually ranked 7th in the world by Sherdog’s list of best Lightweights.

Well that’s what’s been on my mind as of late in regards to MMA.  Any comments or suggestions feel free to leave one or better yet, follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/BanillaIce.  I respond to all comments and twitters so be like Ellen DeGeneres and HOLLA!…(lame.)

Until next time Unfiltered MMA Maniacs!  What’cha gonna do?!  When The Banilla Man types blogs for you!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Hello Unfiltered MMA readers and welcome to the 2nd edition of “Banilla Ice Says…” with none other than yours truly, Banilla Ice, giving you the low down in Mixed Martial Arts today.

Well with August 29th just around the corner, you can definitely be sure that UFC 102 is going to be jammed packed to the rafters.  With that said, I think I’m going to look into my crystal ball and see if I can predict the outcomes of UFC 102 and maybe place a little better than my usual 104 out of 10,000,000,000 people in UFC’s official fantasy thing on their website.

In my honest and humble opinion, UFC 102 looks to be an interesting card. There are a couple of fights I am fully looking forward to seeing as the main card is one of the better ones in recent memory (besides UFC 100) with some big fights in the 185 lbs. Middleweight divison, Light Heavyweight and of course the Heavyweight division.  With that said, let’s begin!

Preliminary
Nick Catone Vs. Mark Munoz
Being Filipino, it was hard seeing Munoz get knocked out by Hamil in his last fight. I know he works out in the same team as Urijah Faber. Urijah has gone on record in stating that Mark is an amazing grappler and was a Division I Champion when he wrestled at Oklahoma State and won the Big-12 title 2 years in a row, back to back. Cantone is supposedly well-versed in everything but if you get choked out by Tim Credeur you’re not that impressive. If Munoz can take it to the ground I feel with his power, he’ll be able to ”GnP” to get the TKO.
Winner – Munoz via TKO Round 1

Tim Hague Vs. Todd Duffee
Have you guys seen Todd Duffee’s fighter profile pic?! Dude’s 6′3, 260 lbs. and jacked like a beast! However I’m not sure if he’s ever faced a versatile big man as good as Hague. My fellow Canadian is a decent striker with a great submission game. To be quite honest, I don’t think Hague’s chin’s been tested and I’m interested to see Duffee’s power as he looks like a man who may possess hands of granite. If Hague can take it to the ground, it’s his to lose as he has the better ground game but don’t be surrpised if the unbeaten Duffee pulls one out.
Winner – Tim Hague by Leg Lock Submission Rd. 2

Justin McCully Vs. Mike Russow
I’m going to be honest, I HATE Justin McCully. Russow is a world-reknowned submission fighter and if he doesn’t stop Justin McCully within 3 minutes of the 1st round, I’ll be surprised.
Winner – Mike Russow by Arm lock Submission Rd. 1

Gabriel Gonzaga Vs. Chris Tuchscherer
I’m sure this will be a grappling fight. With Tuchscherer being a Division II wrestler and “Napao” a BJJ specialist I don’t see this staying on the feet for too long. Unfortunately for Chris, albeit you may be a wrestler and a decent one at that, I’m not sure if you’ve ever faced someone with the BJJ skills as Gonzaga. Tuchscherer looks like a big fella so he may fight off a couple submission attempts but when it’s all said and done, I see “Napao” walking away with another tap out victory.
Winner – Gabriel Gonzaga by Arm Lock Submission Rd. 2

Main Card
Ed Herman Vs. Aaron Simpson
I’m not sure if this will be on the main card but I like Simpson and hope he gets showcased here against a really tough opponent in Ed Herman. Simpson is what some may say a “world-class wrestler” but his most dangerous weapon is that overhand right he likes to throw which hits people silly. Ed Herman is a very good wrestler himself who likes to get in the trenches and clinch and fight inside. This is one of the most exciting fights on the card for me as Simpsons last 2 wins have come by TKO and has looked impressive. Ed is coming off a unanimous decision win against David Loiseau who was clearly out-matched from the get-go. Ed has always had trouble dealing with submission fighters but luckily for him, Aaron Simpson isn’t one. I think Ed will squeak out a Split Decision win as the only way I see Simpson winning is if he connects with a home-run or damages him enough on the ground to get a ref stoppage but I think Ed’s too seasoned now to leave himself vulnerable. Fight of the Night candidate in my opinion.
Winner – Ed Herman by Split Decision

Brandon Vera vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
Vera has always been at his best when using his Muay Thai. Don’t get me wrong, he’s decent on the ground and has a couple submission victories but I think with Krzysztof’s improved ground game, Vera will have a harder time finishing it on the ground. Being Canadian I admire Krzysztof and being Filipino I admire Vera especially after a couple of his losses to Jardine (who I despise) and Fabricio Werdum in where the stoppage was questionable. I think Vera has it if he can get Krzysztof to stand and trade especially if he can break him down with leg kicks. I don’t think there will be a knock out but definitely a unianous decision win for Vera.
Winner – Brandon Vera by Unanimous Decision

Nate Marquardt Vs. Demian Maia 
Tough test for Maia as he finally gets a shot at the UFC Middleweight upper echelon. I see Marquardt putting up a great fight, he has great conditioning and I don’t think he’s ever been forced to submit but Maia’s BJJ is on a whole other level. Maia’s BJJ skills are used more so offensively and countering than defensively as he transitions with the greatest of ease. Maia has a sixth sense of knowing when his opponent might shift his weight and he easily exploits that by always being able to get dominant position. Marquardt however is a big fella and with super trainer Greg Jackson at his side is a force none the less. But in Maia he’ll find someone just as good on the ground as himself if not exceedingly better and against BJJ artists like Thales Leites, Nate’s had trouble with in the past.  This fight will be similar to the Jason McDonald/Maia match as I expect Maia and Nate to go 3 rounds but with Maia eventually forcing Nate “The Great” to tap.
Winner – Demian Maia by Guillotine Choke Rd. 3

Keith Jardine Vs. Thiago Silva
Silva will knock out this tool…
Winner – Thiago Silva by Knock Out Rd. 1

Randy Couture Vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Man O’ Man, I’m crazy hyped for this fight! I’ve always been a fan of Big Nog but only recently have I begun to admire Couture. Randy is one of the best strategist in the world. His wins over Sylvia and Gonzaga showed what a technician he is in the cage. Most notably his win over Gonzaga as Gonzaga is a world-class BJJ artist where as I’ve never taken Sylvia serious for some reason. Nogueira much like Gonzaga is a world-class BJJ artist. Gonzaga was basically on the defensive the entire fight against Couture and with Couture throwing him around like a rag doll, imagine what Couture may be able to do to Nog.  However Nog has the heart and stamina that Gonzaga never did.  What the underlining story in this fight will be whether or not Nogueira will be able to respond after being stopped for the first time in his career to Frank Mir.  Couture is great at positions, he’s big and strong and I don’t doubt Nog will be on his back some time during the fight but can Nog pull out a victory against someone who will be putting constantly pressure against him?  Couture has the better stand-up, GnP, probably stronger and perhaps may even be faster than the younger Nogueira BUT Nogueira will always have that one shot submission. Although I believe Randy has the tools to win and perhaps even win easily, I’ll always give Nogueira a submission’s chance at ending it. 
Winner – Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro by Arm Lock Submission Rd. 3

PHEW! That took sometime brother… After seeing my UFC 102 picks, let me know what you think. Do you concur with me? Do you think I’m a bumbling buffoon? Any feedback is definitely appreciated so feel free to let me know how you feel in your comments and emails.

Don’t forget you can also follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/BanillaIce.

Thanks a lot for reading guys.  Now…  up, up… and… AWAY!

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So…  my first official MMA blog…  niceeee.

Anyhow, welcome one and all to Banilla Ice’s Unfiltered MMA blog.  I’m your host, the one…  the only…  Banilla Ice.

Well, not really sure how to start off a blog. I mean it’s almost like dating in the sense that I feel like I have to pimp myself out to you guys and let you know why you need to read my blog.  Then by setting you guys up with high expectations, I suddenly only after time reveal that I’m a big douchebag with no better opinions as yourself. 

Now that the introductions are out of the way, just know I may be slightly more educated in terms of MMA than you but I’m neither right nor wrong unless I’m wrong based on facts, then I’m wrong. Got it?  Good.

Anyhow, most MMA bloggers like to get into a mailbags and respond to their crazy amounts of mail. Unfortunately considering this is my first post, I don’t got one.

After this past Saturday’s Strikeforce Card which featured Gina Carano getting “Crushed” (Get it, “Crushed”, since she was “Crush” on American…nevermind) by Wanderl…errr… I meant Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos…  MMA news has been kind of slow. Sure there’s been more “greasing” allegations with Ishida believing Melendez was getting his “grease” on in their Strikeforce fight and KenFlo claiming BJ Penn was practicing his Shaolin Mantis Fist technique on his eyes during their UFC 101 bout but suddenly from out of LL Cool J and the “Deep Blue Sea”, the biggest news of the week finally came with Mr. Dana “Nobody Wants This Job But Me!” White annoucing the upcoming November 21 fight between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin!

Now we all know Carwin is one big dude.  Standing 6′2, 260 lbs. and with a record of 11-0, this guy is a beast.  He hits hard and fast and has bigger hands than Brock himself! As if having sledgehammers for fist weren’t big already, Carwin’s got hands the size of Brock’s head.  But with all that said, does this equal a win and possible upset?

To be quite honest, I don’t believe so. 

A lot of people are betting that with a better record and more experience, Carwin can possibly defeat Brock.  People are betting that with a strong right hand, Carwin can possibly land a flush shot like he did with Gonzaga and K.O. Lesnar, the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. The problem is, Brock isn’t any other fighter.

A lot of people dis-credit the UFC for giving Brock a title shot in only his 3rd fight. I like to think “why not?”  If we were to look at the contenders right when Mr. Couture re-joined the fold, who could he of fought at that time that would of generated interest? Mir and Nog had been going through their season of TUF and training for their upcoming fight and would you honestly pay to watch Couture headline a showdown against Chieck Kongo who seemed at that time as the only legitimate heavyweight contender?  Yeah…  I don’t think so either. 

Giving Brock a shot at the title immediately made it a “win or lose and go home” scenario for Brock.  Had Brock lost, he would of immediately lost all PPV/fan interest and momentum as he would of looked like a UFC wannabe but knowing that if he did win, Brock would have beaten the legit UFC Heavyweight champ and become a serious threat in the division.

The UFC has used Brock in a semi-freak show manner.  He’s beaten the last two great UFC HW champions and demolished them credibly, but now they promote him as this unbeatable Super-Heavyweight beast who looks unstoppable at this point in his young MMA career already due only to his sheer size and strength. Velasquez  who was another potential suitor to challegne Lesnar, is in my opinion still too green and small to be able to handle a beast like Brock.  Even should he of faced Carwin with the winner getting Brock, I believe Carwin would of pounded a decision win easily over Cain on brute strength alone.

Now with Carwin, they have someone they believe can hold their own against Brock which has always been the dilemma with finding opponents for Brock. Both are wooly mammoth like men with incredible strength and physiques. Both are Collegiate wrestlers with Brock a Division 1 champ and Shane a Division 2 champ.  Both are probably the most formidable HW’s in the division but it is here where the similarities end.  

You see, Brock has quality wins over quality opposition. He lost his first MMA fight to Frank Mir but manhandled him at UFC 100 to unify the interim and World titles.  He’s taken out Couture who in reality was too small a man to challenge Lesnar.  He also beat at the time a top contender heavyweight in Heath Herring, pounding him bell to bell and making him flip over in one of the most craziest straight right hands ever thrown. That’s 3 guys of top 10 heavyweight calibre.  Carwin’s only faced one legit threat in Gonzaga. However in that fight, Carwin was losing on the ground, received a broken nose until he finally caught “Napao” flush in the stand up.

Lesnar is no Gabriel Gonzaga.  Brock is 10 times a better wrestler/grappler than Gabriel and tons more stronger than him as well.  Brock has also been the main event, he’s used to the pressure of the big stage and has shown the ability to learn and adapt and use strategy in his fights recently.

I’m not saying he’s a Heavyweight GSP in terms of strategist and technician but he’s deadly effective.  In this fight, Shane’s going to have to prove his worth and prove to the world that Dana and Joe Silva were right in making him the number 1 contender.  He must prove that he can take the beast down, keep him down and control him because once Brock is on top, he’s just too good to let you back up unless he wants you to stand with him. 

Although they may look to be mirror images of one another, Carwin and Lesnar are nothing a like.  Shane is heading into unchartered territories, talking down to Lesnar while talking himself up.  Dana White’s been doing a lot of talking, stating that this was the only fight to be made for Brock.  Carwin’s said a lot of stuff about Brock in the press and we all know Lesnar is at his best when he’s angry…

With November 21 not that far off, Brock must be smiling somewhere thinking, “Keep talking Shane… you won’t like me when I’m angry.”

Well, that concludes my first ever Unfiltered MMA blog post.  Enjoy? Despise? Tell me what you think, feel free to leave me a comment but don’t be too harsh, I can’t handle negative criticism.  It makes me want to eat and get fat…

Until next time, same time…  same Banilla Ice channel!

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