Episode 6: UFC on FX Browne vs Silva

Fight Block Episode 6 Agenda: UFC on FX Browne vs Silva predictions and UFC on Fuel TV Struve vs Miocic recap.

Episode 5: UFC on Fuel Struve vs Miocic Predictions

Episode 5 Agenda: Quick discussion on current Strikeforce events, UFC 152 recap, and UFC on Fuel Struve vs Miocic predictions (46:19). Tune in.

Episode 4: UFC 152 Predictions Jones vs Belfort

Fight Block Episode 4 Agenda: UFC 152 Prediction Show, In the Main Event Jon Jones defends his Light Heavyweight Championship against Vitor Belfort. First UFC Flyweight Championship is decided between Joseph Benavidez and DeMetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson, also Michael Bisping takes on Brian Stann in middleweight match up, and Matt Hamill returns to the Octagon.

Other news covered: Anderson Silva and Stephan Bonnar step up to headline UFC 153 and a recap of The Ultimate Fighter: Nelson vs Carwin debut episode.

iTunes Download file coming soon.

Jeremy's Picks: Jones, Benavidez, Bisping, Hamill, Olivera
Coop's Picks: Jones, Benavidez, Bisping, Hamill, Olivera

Episode 3: Renzo Gracie, Robbers, Brock Lesnar Hall of Famer?

Episode 3 Agenda: Crazy story this week, Renzo Gracie takes down two robbers while tweeting the events live! But did he take things too far? Also our Top 5 list of MMA Fighters doing badass things outside the cage. And does Brock Lesnar deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? Tune in! Audio File coming soon!
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Episode 2: GSP/Silva and Aldo/Edgar

 
Fight Block Episode 2 Agenda: GSP is healthy and ready to return at UFC 154, Bellator and Champions losing outside the promotion, ONE FC 5 Sylvia vs Arlovski controversy, Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar announced for UFC 153, and Brock vs Fedor possibly in the works? Tune in.
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Episode 1: Jon Jones/UFC 151 Cancelled

Join us for the first episode, the beta test, of The Fight Block. We are taking this thing in a new direction and slowly working to creating a weekly podcast. In our first episode we discuss the recent controversy surrounding Jon Jones and UFC 151 being cancelled.

Cystal Ball: Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix-Barnett vs. Cormier Edition

Article Submitted by Jacked The Ripper

Photo Credit: MMA Convert

Without further ado (and there's been a lot of it), Showtime will be presenting MMA fans around the world with a much-delayed (but worthwhile) climax to the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix saga. I chose to post an old fan-made poster circa the tournament's initial announcement to illustrate how things have changed. Since the tournament containing eight of the best heavyweights in the world began its quest to crown the king of the division, we now find ourselves with the tournament final of Josh "The Babyfaced Assassin" (or Warmaster depending on who you ask) Barnett versus "D.C." Daniel Cormier. If you predicted this as the tournament final when the high-stakes spectacle was initially announced, then go take a shower, because I smell bullshit in your words. Barnett's barely on the damn poster and D.C. was regarded somewhere between a skidmark on the tourney's alternates circuit or a nice prospect, but only because his primary training partner was a man named Cain Velasquez. I've got to say, I always imagined Barnett in the finals (although maybe not as easy as he made it look along the way) but I don't have the poker face to say the man I saw him against would be the guy who looks like a somewhat tougher version of 'Carl' from Family Matters. And Gilbert Melendez makes a guest appearance, which will be nice. Oh wait, he's fighting? Well, then...

Lightweight Bout: Gesias Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg The other Cavalcante on the card looks to regain some of the attention that was on him just a few years ago that had him in talks for toughest lightweights in the world. Not exactly anymore. But che should be able to thwart anything Isaa "The Valley Girl" Vallie-Flagg throws his way. Not really his nickname. But it should be. Don't believe me? Check the quality of opposition. If JZ loses this, then he's even done as a high-level gatekeeper if you ask me. The other Cavalcante via decision.  

Welterweight Bout: Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang A battle only watched by hardcore fans that will surely see the live audience go snag their food. And it's on the main card? I know JZ Cavalcante has fallen a bit, but geez. Kinda harsh. Burrell via 2nd round TKO.

Light-Heavyweight Bout: Rafael Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle A rematch a few years in the making where Feijao will look to erase the L on his record from when MAK pasted him back in 2009 with a brutal knockout. Cavalcante wasn't taking him seriously at the time (could you blame him, though?) and Kyle made him pay for it. Kyle has really come into his strike at heavyweight, rededicating himself after the birth of his child as well as a long suspension stemming from what can be vaguely described as very unsportsmanlike conduct in a past bout. He's only lost at heavyweight in recent memory, and that's a division he has no place at. He's been impressive enough that I was looking forward to seeing the long-teased fight between he and former champ, Gegard Mousasi. He'll have to settle for Feijao, though, who has improved since their last outing and won a title. Not a bad name to add to your resume twice. On paper, the Brazilian is better in each skill, even if Kyle hits harder. Still, though Kyle's got the better chin, and if he can connect squarely, people may be talking about Mike Kyle come Sunday morning. I won't be surprised if I'm wrong, but I have to go with the guy who's more skilled: Cavalcante via 2nd round TKO.

Strikeforce Lightweight Title Fight: Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thompson If this trilogy had happened sooner after their last fight, I would have been more interested. Thompson seems to have reached his peak as a fighter, and it appears he is sliding out of his athletic prime as years of hard training are catching up. He got a gift decision against JZ and got beaten decisively against Tatsuya Kawajiri. Remember what Melendez did to him? Let me refresh your memory-it involved a lot of elbows and a little bit of time. Thompson still is a game fighter, though, and I don't expect him to go down easy. I don't think Gil steamrolls him as fast as the odds would suggest, but I expect a convincing decision from the man they call "El Nino." Then let's talk UFC, please.

Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier I introduced this one enough in the intro. It's breakdown time. Let's talk facts. Bigfoot looked great against Fedor in that second round. D.C. looked great against Bigfoot. But that doesn't mean he should be favored to win here. Bigfoot lumbered around the ring with all the poise and grace of Frankenstein meanwhile serving his head on a silver platter to the upstart, like some giant deformed pinata.

The Olympic powerhouse, Daniel Cormier is surely one to keep your eyes on still, but, much like Shane Carwin's career, time is against him. At age 33, D.C. is off to a late start and I think that doesn't help his chances here, either. At the same time, Barnett's 34, so he doesn't have that many years at an elite level left in him, either. In fact, if Cormier wins this decisively, it's pretty obvious that Barnett's athletic peak may have past him by. Long story short, the time is now for both of these guys. Although they are both at very different points in their careers, they are just as much in need of a W on Saturday night in order to have a head start capitalizing on the next few years to cement a legacy.

It's almost weird to think that D.C. has a lot to prove being a prospect, but Barnett has plenty to prove for different reasons. He has always been regarded among the top heavyweights, only falling out of top contender talk due to inactivity against top opponents after Affliction folded

Skill set-wise, Barnett has always been regarded as one of the best. He's easily the most well-rounded heavyweight in the top 10, and one has to think that he always had it in him to be THE best, a theory perpetuated strongly by Joe Rogan. It is yet to be seen whether he still can or if he spent the time when he should have been THE SHIT sidelined.

Speaking of skill sets, no one has better, more suffocating top control than J.B. "The Warmaster" has shown time and time again that if he gets on top of you, that's a wrap. He can hit submissions from a variety of positions. His stand-up is underrated, he hits hard, and if it gets overlooked, it's at his opponent's expense. His catch-wrestling style wears on opponents and is very physically taxing.

D.C., on the other hand, has improved by leaps and bounds in the striking department. The dude hits like a truck. His Olympic-caliber wrestling is...literally Olympic-caliber. He can definitely implement a sprawl and brawl gameplan against Barnett, occasionally mixing in a takedown to score points.  Barnett's best bet would be to make it nasty, pin Cormier against the fence, utilize dirty boxing, hold a heavy base and dump D.C. on his Olympic ass. We could be in for one of the best heavyweight fights in a while, or an uneventful war of attrition. I'm "pinning" my hopes and money on an exciting bout, though.

Make no mistake. D.C. would win every wrestling match they'd have, but it is Barnett who has the better wrestling for MMA. Both have solid stand-up, with Cormier getting the decided edge in power. Barnett can hit submissions out of many positions. Cormier also is coming off of breaking and re-breaking his hand, likely limiting his potential for improvement. I'm also sold on Barnett's cardio more so than D.C., and he has the more taxing style for his opponent. I'll be surprised if Barnett's past his prime already, which is essentially what D.C.'s chance is riding on here. I wouldn't be surprised to read either man's name in the headlines on Sunday morning, but on paper, this is Barnett's fight for the taking. Josh "The Babyfaced Assassin" Barnett...unanimous decision.

Got some differing opinions? Let's here 'em!

Crystal Ball: UFC 144 Edition

Submitted by Jacked The Ripper

Photo Credit: Zuffa, LLC

Main Card:

• Middleweight: Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch
Tim Boetsch's middleweight career has been off to a pleasant start. Some feel he's being thrown to the wolves by drawing Anderson Silva's last title challenger in this outing, but I disagree. Boetsch presents the strength and potential style to muscle Okami around the same way Sonnen did. A good chin, brute power, and some judo chops (see what I did there) make Boetsch a formidable opponent, even for A-list opposition. He's made it clear that he should have more eyes on his career than most surging middleweights. The problem is Boetsch doesn't posess the speed of Sonnen, nor does he posess the gas tank to keep the same frenetic, relentless pace that Sonnen put on Okami. Few do, and this isn't to say Boetsch has garbage cardio, it's just that it's not elite. Also standing in his way is that his style is one that Okami is used to dealing with. I expect Okami to find his way out of a few wild striking exchanges and some bullying to take a forgettable decision like the old Okami was known for. The only X-factor here for upset potential may be if Okami's not motivated after falling to the champ after finally receiving his long-awaited title shot. Still, though. Okami by decision.

• Featherweight Bout: Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski
In a battle to potentially determine the next victim contender to the throne of Jose Aldo, we have an intriguing match-up between two well-traveled verterans of the sport. Bart Palaszewski is currently enjoying his status as something of a hot commodity after his Chuck Liddell-esque destruction of Tyson Griffin. Hioki, on the other hand, displayed the now-routine Octagon jitters, though came out on top against a game George Roop. Walking away with a W in your first UFC outing is always an accomplishment, even though the performance was underwhelming. It's hard to tell whether 'Bartimus' either isn't well-rounded enough to sustain a hot streak, or whether he simply was oversized at his previous weight. Still, though, his success has been comparable to Pat Healy in that he wins fights he shouldn't (i.e. Pettis at a weight heigher than his current class), though is always a stern test for anyone in the division with consistency being his only flaw holding him back. A win over Hioki would put Palaszewski in line for gold, the one thing missing from his soon to be 50-fight career. Unfortunately for the inked-up featherweight, I think Hioki's well-rounded game and hometown motivation will enable him to manage a definitive decision over a game Bartimus. In Bart's favor, though, I'm inclined to believe his hair would impress the likes of Heath Herring and Dennis Rodman.

• Lightweight Bout: Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon
In a bout that is sure to deliver fireworks, be it a slugfest or a tactical battle, the last WEC Lightweight Champ, Anthony Pettis, attempts to get in the mix by derailing the momentum of repeat spoiler, Joe Lauzon. Lauzon hopes to remind people that he shouldn't be the underdog as often as billed, thus making a case for a potential contender label of his own. Pettis may be getting labeled as the more one-dimensional of the two because of the way in which he lost to Clay Guida, but I see the two as being equally well-rounded. Pettis is great off his back, even though I'd give Lauzon the overall advantage on the floor by a measurable margin. Lauzon, on the other hand, is perfectly competent on the feet, though Pettis is the clear superior in this department. All in all, I wouldn't be shocked to see either man appear victorious. In the end, though, I see Pettis shining through in his ability to keep the fight standing enough to pepper Lauzon and drill him with significant strikes being the key to victory. Anthony Pettis via competitive, yet clear-cut unanimous decision.

• Welterweight Bout: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields
Both men are in desperate need of a win here to not only remain in the mix, but remain in the good graces of UFC brass. The eyes tend to be on Akiyama as the promotions' bigger failure with some going as far as saying he's been the biggest bust ever. I disagree; in fact, between the two, I think Shields has been more dissappointing. Akiyama, perhaps unfairly, was pinned with the high-hopes of being the man to defeat Anderson Silva by Dana White. In spite of a well-rounded game, middleweight proved to be too much for Akiyama, although he was able to give the division's major players fits aside from Vitor Belfort. In the end, it is clear that Akiyama is most definitely UFC-level, just not an A-lister. He hopes to restore his initial high-hopes and reinvent his career Madonna-style at 170.

I believe Shields to be the larger bust after the UFC almost-immediately thrust him into title contention, essentially billing him as GSP's next opponent before he'd even debuted against Martin Kampmann. His success in Strikeforce and other non-UFC promotions was played up to epic proportions, with his reputation being pushed as a top pound-for-pound player. Since his arrival, he's gone 1-2. Or 0-3, depending on whether you subscribe to the theory that Kampmann won that night. Unlike Akiyama, all of his performances have been easily forgettable, aside from maybe just the Jake Ellenberger fight, albeit for the wrong reasons.

Shields' best chance is pinned upon his ability to implement his specific brand of the ground game, coined, American Jiu Jitsu. His best bet is to clinch with Akiyama and attempt to drag the Japanese-Korean to the ground and implement his dominant top-game submissions. Or perhaps hope that Akiyama will judo throw him into a position where he can work his magic.

Akiyama enjoys a clear-cut advantage in the stand-up. He hit with plenty of power at middleweight, and that power will only multiply in comparison to his smaller welterweight counterparts. He will be able to toss his new opponents to the mat with greater ease given his strength advantage. His submission game has always been more than competent, with his only submission loss being accounted for at the hands of cardio, rather than Chris Leben being better than him on the floor.

A cut to a new weight class is always a huge X-factor and Akiyama yet-again finds himself being fed to the wolves immediately. The other most significant X-factor is where the fight takes place. Although Akiyama's no slouch on the ground, Shields has proven time and time again that he is on another level with his submission game. And while Shields can tolerate the stand-up game long enough to implement his game or (usually) not get finished on the feet, Akiyama posesses the ability to end his night in violent fashion.

In the end, Akiyama will be able to keep the fight standing and avoid being submitted when it hits the floor. If it's standing as long as I think it will be, it's Sexyama's fight to win. It will be a fairly impressive debut for the welterweight division's freshest (& sexiest) face. The Prince of Swagger via decision.

• Heavyweight Bout: Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo
It's 2012. Brock Lesnar is retired after consecutive drubbings. Fedor Emelianenko is barely, or just outside the top ten at heavyweight. Mark Hunt, of all people, is relevant and on a winning streak in the most significant heavyweight division on the planet. If I would have told you that two years ago you would have shit yourself. And I wouldn't have blamed you. In fact, I probably would've joined you. Not to make it weird or anything.

Cheick Kongo is enjoying a nice resurge in relevancy and is unbeaten in his past four outings. He shut down the previously unbeaten Matt Mitrione, scored a dramatic, unreal comeback win over Pat Barry in one of 2011's most memorable moments to boot. Before that, he bested Paul Buentello, but drew against the rising Travis Browne due to his infatuation with Browne's shorts.

On paper, this bout looks similar to Kongo's fight against Antoni Hardonk. And I expect Kongo's gameplan to be the same. You see, Kongo has earned the label of being a world-class striker and gets promoted as a wrecking ball on the feet by the UFC in order to generate hype. But one dissappointing thing about The French Sensation is that he is a coward. No pun intended with his French heritage, but he has a knack for being scared to stand and trade with opponents who posses even decent stand-up skills or power. The first instance I can recall of it is him turning into an impromptu wrestler after being blasting by Heath Herring. From there, it's been rinse and repeat. Including guys he's clearly better than in the stand-up game like Paul Buentello. Even if Kongo is more than capable on the feet, he instead chooses to pin opponents against the cage and just hold them there, blasting with an occassional knee, legal or not. Do not think I'm confusing strategy with cowardice, either. Kongo inexplicably seems to go against his skillset at times.

In this case, though, Mark Hunt IS the better striker. In fact, his crowning of K-1 World Grand Prix Champion in 2001 literally means the term world-class striking isn't just being thrown around because. Kongo was a kickboxer who, while competent, was just decent on the European circuit. Hardly the terror that the Super Samoan, who plagued K-1 was.

In order to win this, Kongo HAS to pin Hunt to the cage and drag him to the canvas where he can implement his beastly ground and pound. The other option would be to catch one of Hunt's staple leg kicks and follow him to the ground. Hunt is deceptively fast for his size and will have to work to counter Kongo's forward movement with his counter-striking. Ultimately, Kongo will not only have to wade through counter strikes in order to get the fight where he wants it, but also hold Hunt in place, which is no easy task, especially considering his thirty pound deficiency and Hunt's raw strength. Mark Hunt. Brutal first round knockout.

Light-Heavyweight Bout: Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader
Expect this fight to look a lot like Jackson's against Hamill in many fashions. Quinton will have to put his best sprawling shoes on and work to tag Bader on the feet, while largely not having much to worry about in terms of the other man's striking ability. But the recurring question is just how much gas does Quinton really have left in the tank. The missed weight surely has an explanation, but it's not going to do anything to quell the naysayers calling for his retirement.

I was sitting in-person for Bader's last fight in San Jose at 139 where he caught Jason Brilz early with a lunging right hand and ended his night. One thing I've noticed lately about Bader's game is his flawed movement. He stands incredibly flat-footed, and scuttles around. He really has to dig deep into his wrestling roots in order to have a chance in hell against the man they call Rampage. While Bader's loss to Jones is forgiveable, his getting dropped and tapped by Tito is not.

Rampage's loss to Bones is understandable as well. Though it did instill strong doubt as to whether Jackson would ever hold the belt again, it in no way signifies he is done. Rampage isn't quite in that spot where he's only taking on novelty fights (ala most of the latter portion of Randy Couture's career) and is still a top light heavyweight. Questions of motivation aren't enough to buy Darth Bader a victory, either. Plus, fighting in Japan should make no one wonder whether Rampage wants to fight, especially considering he requested to.

In the end, as long as Rampage's weight cut wasn't injury-related (and it may be, considering that even with qustions of motivation, he's always been professional about making weight) it's only a matter of time before he blasts Bader with the kill shot. Quinton Jackson via TKO in front of his 'hometown' crowd.

• Lightweight Title Fight: Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Benson Henderson
In what may turn out to be the event's fight of the night, the Land of the Rising Sun is treated to a lightweight clash of epic proportions. Frankie "The Answer" Edgar, now being dubbed the Rocky Balboa of MMA, defends his crown against surging contender "Smooth" Ben Henderson. Both guys are difficult not to like, with each man's background story being easily endearing.

This is one of those fights that I wouldn't touch if I was a betting on the event. I'm not going to be majorly shocked with either outcome. But the way I see it is rather simple in comparison to some of the other bouts on the card, in spite of the bout's even matchup. The champ has the speed advantage, wrestling advantage, and the better hands. I'll concede submission offense and defense to Bendo, and I'm sure he has some surprises for Edgar to boot. But in short, Edgar has The Answer for Smooth. Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision.