Posts Tagged ‘Shane Del Rosario’
TUF Finale 16: Nelson vs Mitrione Predictions
Posted by KDog13 on December 15, 2012
Main Card Breakdown
After one night of fights, another night begins, and our main event should be an interesting one. Roy Nelson will meet Matt Mitrione whom is replacing Shane Carwin due to an injury. Mitrione is 5-1, and all those fights are in the UFC which is very rare for any fighter. On the top of my head the only other one who has achieved such, is Matt Riddle. Mitrione is going to need to put forth a great performance though to beat Nelson who is as durable as they come. Mitrione already had one step up in competition in Kongo, and failed miserably to capitalize anything in that fight. Nelson is a very complete fighter, and one of only 2 men to go the distance with Junior Dos Santos. The man has an iron chin, an extra padding in that gut. Nelson can take this fight anywhere he wants to, but I’d think he is going to keep this one standing, and take Mitrione to the cage and beat him up in the clinch. I really don’t see Mitrione having much of a chance here, as Nelson is better anywhere the fight goes. Nelson via decision.
Now, I’ll be honest here I didn’t watch an episode of this season, which is rare because I normally like TUF. It’s just been very uninteresting lately, so I just didn’t make it a priority to watch. But, I do know Mike Ricci from his Ringside MMA fights, as well as his short lived Bellator career. That short lived Bellator career though, isn’t to say he is bad or anything, he just ran into the future champion Pat Curran. He certainly is a gifted fighter though, and he has some heavy hands to boot. As for Colton Smith, I know he is a Army Ranger, and he pretty good wrestler. The only thing he doesn’t really have enough here is experience, and Ricci has a good amount. Ricci also has fought some notable names as well, and has some decent wins including a win over Jordan Mein. I honestly think Ricci is going to KO him, and maybe I don’t know enough about Smith to say he has no chance, but Ricci is gifted, and we will see him be crowned as the welterweight TUF Finale 16 winner.
Another battle of heavyweights is on the card, which should be a really good one. Two kickboxers will meet, and I don’t see this one going to the distance. Shane Del Rosario is coming off his first professional loss, and will look to get back on track. One of the more talented prospects to come over from Strikeforce, with a serious Muay Thai kickboxing background, and he is very good on the ground to boot. This is definitely what I’d call Kryptonite for most heavyweights. His opponent is the very popular Pat Barry, who’d I’d have to believe needs a win here in the worst way. Barry in his last 4 fights is 1-3, so he might be on the cutting block, although his fights are exactly what the UFC and fans love. To be honest, I think this one will start standing, and Del Rosario at some point is going to take Barry down, and exploit is non existent ground game. Barry has to come out aggressive and fight on the inside, but I’m not sure he is going to come out like that. I just don’t see Barry winning this one because once it hits the ground, I’d just consider it over. Del Rosario by submission.
This next fight is such a fun one, and I expect someone’s lights to go out. Jamie Varner and Melvin Guillard will go toe to toe, and I expect this to be an all out war slugfest. Varner after returning to the UFC, and knocking out the heavily hyped prospect Edson Barboza put forth an excellent fight against Joe Lauzon, but came up short when Lauzon strapped on a triangle choke to end it. Varner looks to rebound, and although he like to stand and bang, he can threaten a submission in this fight. Guillard who is regarded as one of the most talented lightweights has hit a rough patch in his career just shortly after an all time high. So, in other words, his career has been a roller coaster lately. Guillard is one of the most athletic lightweights, and he packs a punch to boot on the feet, but his ground game has cost him just about every fight. Varner having never been knocked out, I really like his chances to knock out Guillard early. I’ve just seen a resurgence from Varner, and his stand up looks great. I expect him to unload on Guillard and finish him early.
I’m not going to over analyze our first fight of the main card, but I really like Dustin Poirier here. He is exceptional anywhere this fight goes, and Jonathan Brookins hasn’t quiet lived up to being a TUF winner. Brookins is a nice wrestler with a smother top game, but I don’t think his striking game is all there yet. He just hasn’t had much success lately, but that is in part to the quality of his opponents. I’d say this is the best opponent he will have fought, not discrediting Koch but Poirier is a contender in the featherweight division. Poirier is going to roll in this fight en route to a decision win.
Posted in UFC/MMA | Tagged: Bellator, Cheick Kongo, Colton Smith, Dana White, Dustin Poirier, Facebook, FX, Jamie Varner, Joe Lauzon, Jonathan Brookins, Matt Mitrione, Matt Riddle, Melvin Guillard, Mike Ricci, MMA, Pat Barry, Pat Curran, Roy Nelson, Shane Del Rosario, Strikeforce, TUF, TUF Finale, TUF Finale 16, UFC | Leave a Comment »
Matches to Make after UFC 146: Main Event Fighters
Posted by KDog13 on May 30, 2012
Junior Dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez II
Dana White already hinted that he liked this rematch, and I have to agree. The first one was way too short to really grasp the greatness that could be at hand in this heavyweight contest. Literally these are the two very best heavyweights in the world at the moment, and it would be compelling to see if Cain would shoot in for a takedown earlier this time. JDS seems like an unstoppable force in the UFC, and totally dominated Frank Mir at UFC 146. JDS only needed to shrug off one takedown, as he picked away at Mir on the feet, and put him away in the second round. Cain also looked great at UFC 146, as he took down “Bigfoot” Silva within seconds and ground and pounded him into oblivion, earning the TKO stoppage victory in the first round. It was so dominate, I think it warrants Cain the title shot, especially if Daniel Cormier has a fight still left in Strikeforce. I can definitely get re-excited for this matchup instantly!
VS
Frank Mir vs Werdum/Russow Loser
Frank Mir valiantly stepped in to face Junior Dos Santos for the Heavyweight title after Alistair Overeem was removed for testing positive for high testosterone levels. It was a tough match for Mir, as he was picked apart for the entire fight and succumbed to defeat in the second round. But, by no means does this mean Frank Mir is done. He still is the best BJJ black belt in the division, and has very underrated striking. At UFC 147, Werdum and Russow will tangle in what will be a big fight for these guys. I think the winner should be warranted a number one contenders match, but that’s another story. The loser of this fight would be perfect for Mir, and stylistically I think either would make it a fun fight, although Werdum would be the dream matchup here.
Antonio Silva vs Shane Carwin
The addition of “Bigfoot” Silva to the heavyweight division was exciting but seeing him get pummeled while blood covered his vision was rather upsetting. I wanted to see what he had to offer, considering he lost 20 pounds in order to increase his speed, he looked physically better but one gash above the eye foretold the tale of the fight. He’s still one of the top fighters in the heavyweight division, and I don’t see him falling down in terms of who he fights next. I think Carwin who should be ready to go soon, would be a perfect fight. Carwin is still a top fighter in the UFC despite his 2 fight losing streak, but age/injuries is catching up with him. His goal of getting a second chance at the belt is winding down but a win against “Bigfoot” Silva would certainly propel Carwin back into relevancy. This would be a nice scrap, size wise they would be close to even, and it would be interesting to see these guys stand and trade with each other.
Roy Nelson vs Brock Lesnar
Roy “Big Country” Nelson made an early statement at UFC 146, only needing 51 seconds to put away Dave Herman. Nelson has been up and down in UFC tenure, trading wins and losses but he continues to state that he is at the top of the heavyweight division. I’m not sure I agree with Roy but I do love his fighting style, and I think he is a keeper in the heavyweight division. He has also been vocal about fighting Brock Lesnar, which prompted my interest when Lesnar made a rare appearance at UFC 146. His presence at the event, and the fact he wanted to talk to Dana face to face after the event, sparked this match making. I think this would be a really fun fight. Especially considering what Roy Nelson has been saying, I think it would be fuel for Lesnar to comeback and fight him. PPV could use Lesnar, and Fans love Roy Nelson…it would be perfect!
Pat Barry vs Dave Herman
Immediate reaction to this fight is that someone would be getting knocked out in this one for sure. Both combine for 37 fights, 21 knock outs, and only 2 decisions. This definitely would be a fan friendly fight, and with both these guys, dont expect it to hit the ground, unless its someones face of course. Another reason I match these guys up is that it’s pretty clear with recent setbacks that these guys are at the lower tier of the UFC heavyweight division, so it makes sense.
Stipe Miocic vs Gabriel Gonzaga
Stipe Miocic is on the rise in the UFC heavyweight division, and with his victory over undefeated prospect Shane del Rosario, he is now 3-0 in the UFC. It wasn’t an easy fight, until Stipe brought the fight to the ground in the second round, where he pummeled Del Rosario until the referee stopped it. It was an impressive win and while I first considered a fight against the winner of Browne/Rothwell, I think another gritty veteran matchup against someone like Gabriel Gonzaga would be rather beneficial. It wouldn’t be rushing Stipe to face the divisions best, and also Gonzaga would prove to be a tough typical prospect/veteran test fight. Also Gonzaga derailed prospect Ednaldo Oliveira at UFC 142, so I think it would be an intriguing fight.
Shane Del Rosario vs Christian Morecraft
Shane Del Rosario is no longer undefeated after being beaten by fellow prospect Stipe Miocic. Del Rosario put in a great first round, using his kicks to keep Stipe at a distance. But, a takedown in the second round, and some ground and pound would ultimately be the downfall to Del Rosario. I fully expect Del Rosario to get another fight, and I think he has a bright future still in the UFC. He was on the top of his game, until a drunk driver hit his car, and I though he looked really good especially for that long layoff. A fight against Christian Morecraft would be ideal, especially considering both have never gone to a decision. But also more importantly, that both will need to win, more so Morecraft who is only 1-3 in the UFC.
Stefan Struve vs Hunt
This fight was supposed to go down at UFC 146, but Hunt had to pull out with an injury. Struve expressed after defeating Lavar Johnson (who stepped in for Hunt) that he still would like to face Mark Hunt. I liked this fight from the get go, and I think it would be a quick, but fun fight.
Brendan Schaub vs Lavar Johnson
Lavar Johnson was on fire in the UFC until valiantly stepping in to fight Stefan Struve on a few weeks notice. Struve was able to pull guard, and submit Johnson, who’s kryptonite is the ground game. Although Johnson saw his 2 fight win streak snap, he made a bunch of fans, and made a name for himself. I expect the UFC to match him up with someone who will stand and bang, and I think Schaub would be game for that. Schaub has hit a rough patch though in his UFC career, dropping 2 fights straight, both by knockout. This would be a tough fight for Schaub who’s chin now seems to be suspect, but the with the right gameplan (takedown), Schaub could get back into the win column.
Posted in UFC/MMA | Tagged: Antonio Silva, Brendan Schaub, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Christian Morecraft, Dave Herman, Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir, Gabriel Gonzaga, Junior Dos Santos, Lavar Johnson, Mark Hunt, Mike Russow, MMA, Pat Barry, Roy Nelson, Shane Carwin, Shane Del Rosario, Stefan Struve, Stipe Miocic, UFC | Leave a Comment »
