SB Nation User Blog: FlyByKnight

The 5 Most Impressive Performers of UFC 91

FlyByKnight — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:57:33 -0000

5.) Gabriel Gonzaga: To be fair, he was fighting a man who had no business even being in the same building let alone the same cage as him. But that still doesn't mean that he wasn't impressive. Gonzaga's only problem lies not in his striking or submissions, but his cardio. As fights tend to go on, he blows his wad and has nothing left. It happened against Couture and it happened against Werdum. But in this fight, he did not need that cardio. He systematically battered Hendricks on the feet with body shots and perfectly placed precise fists to the face. Another win and perhaps Gonzaga is looking at another title shot.
Possible Next Opponent: Junior dos Santos

4.) Dustin Hazelett: At just 22 years of age, Hazelett is already a rising star in the UFC's Welterweight division. He already has seven fights inside the UFC and is 5-2 in those fights. His only losses in that span are to Josh Koscheck and Tony DeSouza. But in his fight against Tamdan McCrory, he displayed some of the best jiu-jitsu that the UFC has ever seen. His use of the rubber guard was flawless and the way he controlled the fight on the ground was the most impressive thing I have seen in quite a while. With a few more wins, we might have GSP's next challenger (outside of Alves).
Possible Next Opponent: Dan Hardy

3.) Demian Maia: When he came into the fight against Nate Quarry, Maia entered to the song "Encore". And that's exactly what he delivered. An encore of his first ever performance in the UFC. A dominant first round submission (Rear Naked Choke) victory. And man did he look impressive. Maia is on the fast track towards stardom in the UFC. He is the first man since Royce Gracie to open up his UFC career with four straight submission victories. And get this crazy piece of information. Maia has won fights in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 1st rounds. But, the crazy part is that all four have come in the third minute of each round and two have come at the same time (2:44) while another was four seconds shy (2:40) and the other wasn't far behind (2:27). Talk about picking your time and working towards it.
Possible Next Opponent: Michael Bisping

2.) Brock Lesnar: This was a very impressive title fight performance for Lesnar. He didn't let Randy Couture do anything of note in the fight. At one point, Couture reversed Lesnar's takedown attempt and appeared to be poised to take Lesnar's back. But Lesnar simply just twirled him around and tossed him to the mat like a rag doll before winning the rest of the first round. At no point was Lesnar in any trouble. And if Lesnar can take anything away from this fight it's that he had his chin tested multiple times and walked away fine. That's a scary thought now for the rest of the Heavyweight divison.
Possible Next Opponent: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira/Frank Mir

1.) Kenny Florian: Destruction. The only word that can be used of Kenny Florian's four minute fight with Joe Stevenson. But the most impressive part of Florian's performance was the fact that he looked much stronger than he has in the past. I mean physically stronger. And he was. He stuffed everything Stevenson wanted to do with relative ease. Florian is now riding a six-fight (and dominant) winning streak inside the UFC. His muay thai skills are pretty unrivaled at 155 while his jiu-jitsu game is top notch. And now we'll get to see if he truly can kill the master.
Possible Next Opponent: B.J. Penn

Top 10 Fighters that I wish the Zuffa would sign

FlyByKnight — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:49:36 -0000

Lately, I have been watching a ton of MMA and I've been keeping tabs on certain fighters just to see how they progress. And most people are probably reading the title of my FanPost and wondering why I chose to put "Zuffa" instead of "UFC". Well, that's because a couple of the guys on my list would be going straight to the WEC due to the weight classes that they fight in, whether that be 135 or 145. I'm not just going to list ten random guys that are big names or ten guys who everyone else says. I'm going to vary my list up a little bit because, quite frankly, I can't stand being just like everyone else. So, without further ado, here are the top ten fighters that I wish Zuffa would sign.

10.) Yoshihiro Akiyama: This judoka is a very promising fighter with all things considered. At 33-years old, one has to wonder how much time Akiyama has left at the top of his game. All twelve of his victories have been in fights he has finished. Only once has he tasted defeated. And at 185 pounds, he would provide a very stiff test for the UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva. He holds notable victories over the likes of Melvin Manhoef (submission) and Denis Kang (knockout). His lone loss was to Jerome LeBanner, who outweights Akiyama by roughly 75 pounds. Akiyama did hold a controversial win over Kazushi Sakuraba but that was later changed to a No Contest. A guy like Akiyama could spice up the UFC 185-pound division. He might not be the most promising guy out there but he could cause some damage.

9.) Jake Shields: The EliteXC 170-pound champion is riding an eleven fight, and four year, win streak. Over that span, he's defeated the likes of Yushin Okami, Dave Menne, Carlos Condit, Mike Pyle, Paul Daley, and Nick Thompson. He also holds a notable victory over Hayato Sakurai. Over his last 17 fights, he is 15-1-1. A record that would be great for any fighter in any division. But lately, he has been calling out the UFC 170-pound champion, Georges St. Pierre. And with each fight that passes, perhaps Dana White should try to sign this guy just so that he can let the fight happen. I'm not saying Shields would beat him, because I think Georges would murder him, but at the same time, Shields would add more competition to the Welterweight division. Think of the potential fights that could be made with him on the roster. It'd make for some interesting clashes. That's for sure.

8.) Alistair Overeem: Since moving to Heavyweight, Overeem has looked very imrpessive. His No Contest against Mirko CroCop withstanding, Overeem has looked like a new man since he got away from the tough cut that he was having to do just to get down to 205. The man has big time fight experience and is one of the most well-rounded Heavyweights in the world today. His addition to the UFC could certainly spice things up since he has the game to beat guys like Lesnar and guys like Nogueira. His striking is very dangerous for the Heavyweight division while his submissions are very sneaky and subtle to cause a lot of problems for most of the top guys. Is Overeem a requirement for the UFC's Heavyweight division? Not really. But it sure would be fun to see him fight the top level Heavyweights that the UFC has to offer. We all saw what he was doing to Mirko before the stoppage due to the accidental knee strikes to the groin. He looks very motivated, and very scary, as a Heavyweight.

7.) Josh Barnett: Yes, I know that Dana and Josh have a bad history. We all know that Josh failed a drug test after he beat Randy Couture for the UFC Heavyweight Championship way back in March of 2002. But look at Barnett's past. Outside of three losses to Mirko CroCop, Barnett has been one of the best Heavyweight's of his era. He holds a win over Nogueira, Rizzo, Monson, Hunt, Aleksander Emelianenko (Fedor's brother), and a host of other really good fighters. But consider where Barnett is right now. He is one of the top Heavyweight's in the world, arguably top five. And potential fights with Andrei Arlovski and Fedor may await him in the near future. And should he win either of those fights, I could see Dana (and Zuffa) offering him a contract to come back and fight for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Remember, like Frank Mir, he was never beaten for title. I think that could make an interesting return for the Babyface Assassin.

6.) Andrei Arlovski: Consider his last two fights and realize that perhaps, just perhaps, the Pitbull is officially back. For a while, it seemed like he had lost that edge that had earned him the UFC Heavyweight Championship. But now, it looks like he has regained that edge and is on a path of destruction. With his last five victories, he has been on a steady rise back into the eyes of fans everywhere. Over those last five fights, he's defeated the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Roy Nelson, Ben Rothwell, Jake O'Brien, and Marcio Cruz. His record speaks for itself. He has finished all but one fight (Werdum). A return to the UFC should not be ruled out. The guy is a legend and icon over there and could be considered the top contender for the title should he come right back. Potential SuperFights are awaiting him against the likes of Couture, Nogueira, Lesnar, and Mir as well as a potential rematch with Werdum should it be warranted (which I think it is). Next up for the Pitbull might be Fedor, but that remains to be seen. Should Arlovski somehow, someway, defeated Fedor, he'll be welcomed back into the UFC with open arms. You best believe it.

5.) Fedor Emelianenko: I know what everyone is thinking. How the hell does the hands down top heavyweight, and fighter, in the world make it onto my list at only the fifth spot? Well, it has to do with the following. I love Fedor, but I have just gotten too tired of the "will he" or "won't he" sign situation that has been going on with the UFC for the last year. But there is no doubt that Fedor has beaten, and destroyed, some of the top fighters in the world. Guys like Sylvia, Nogueira, Lindland, Mirko, Herring, Babalu, Arona, Randleman, and others. To be honest, he's not a necessisty for the UFC to sign. That's why he shows up where he does on my list. It's not a slight against him. It's just that the Heavyweight division in the UFC is not as lacking as people believe it is. Especially with the likes of guys like Couture, Mir, Nogueira, Lesnar, Werdum, Velasquez, Carwin, Gonzaga, Congo, and Herring. Would I like to see Fedor in the UFC? Yes, I really would. But it is not required for the UFC to do even better.

4.) Wilson Reis: His last fight withstanding, Reis is just so promising to not be locked up longterm by Zuffa (and the WEC). He might not be a great fighter on the feet, but once the fight hits the ground it becomes a true sight to behold. Reis might be the strongest 135-pound fighter in the world today. That much could be argued. And he might be the best submission artist at 135 in the world today. You could argue that as well. His potential is what earns him this spot on my list. The one thing that was always called into question about Reis was his work ethic. Some thought of him to be too lazy. Well, he showed a tremendous work ethic against Abel Cullum in winning a five-round unanimous decision to become the EliteXC Bantamweight Champion. Reis' potential is overwhelming. And to be honest, I think Zuffa would be missing out on a great opportunity to steal a very great prospect away from EliteXC if they didn't sign this kid.

3.) Norifumi Yamamoto: It has been a little over six years since Kid has tasted defeat. And in many people's eyes, he's the one man that can possibly derail the 145-pound champion in the WEC, Urijah Faber. He has vast experience fighting at 135 and 145, so he could make a major mark in the WEC considering he could have potential SuperFights with the aformentioned Faber as well as the 135-pound champion, Miguel Torres. And his style is one that can give fans something to go crazy about. His sprawl-and-brawl style is one that constantly gives you great fights and even better finishes. The raw potential and great ability that this Kid would bring to the cage would be very good for the WEC. This guy, alone, could give WEC the one thing they've been lacking: a SuperFight PPV. Think about it. Faber versus Kid. Who wouldn't pay $50 to watch that? Especially if there were great undercard fights.

2.) Gegard Mousasi: The DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix winner is one of the best all-around fighters in the world. There is no question about that in my mind. When you look at some of his big victories, they're against tough competition. Guys like Melvin Manhoef, Ronaldo Souza (Jacare), Denis Kang, and Evangelista Santos (Cyborg). He's beat tough strikers like Manhoef and Cyborg. He's beaten great ground fighters like Jacare. And he's beaten very good all-around fighters like Kang. To me, he could be new blood at 185 for the UFC and would be an immediate challenger for Anderson Silva's 185-pound crown. Do I expect him to beat Silva? No. But that doesn't mean that he lacks a great shot at doing so. His game (and heart) will always keep him in a fight. And I think it's a move that the UFC needs to make.

1.) Eddie Alvarez: When I look at Eddie Alvarez, I see a dynamic fighter that would be a huge icon over here in the states. His last two fights, a unanimous decision win over Joachim Hansen and a knockout of Tatsuya Kawajiri, were two of the greatest fights I've seen. The man can take a punch and he can keep coming. Next up for Alvarez is a fight against Nick Diaz for the EliteXC Lightweight Championship. This is another instance of Zuffa having the ability to steal a great fighter away from EliteXC. And better yet, he'd come right into the UFC and could be a major contender for BJ Penn's 155-pound title. Who wouldn't want to see Alvarez and Penn hook it up? I know for damn sure that I would. With Alvarez being a cult icon in Japan, I don't see how Zuffa (and the UFC) wouldn't try to snatch him away from EliteXC.

The 3 Most Impressive Performers of UFC 87

FlyByKnight — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:50:19 -0000

After having watched all the fights over ... for about the third time ... I've realized a few major things regarding certain fighters.

Brock Lesnar: He can be very dominant in the Heavyweight division. His level of control is insane. Granted, he can't take the back of anyone due to the sheer size he brings to the cage. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that he made Heath Herring quit inside the octagon. I've never seen Heath Herring look so demoralized and beaten like Brock made him look after their fight. The same Heath Herring that is still a great striker and has good ground skills. He made Herring look like a rag doll. The way he was able to stop the sweeps Herring was throwing at him made me realize how great he can be. There are a few things he needs to learn, though. He does need to learn how to properly ground-n-pound an opponent. He basically Couture'd his way to a win the final two rounds which is fine, I guess, but he needs to start inflicting damage on these guys when they're underneath him on the ground. The sheer power, weight, and size he brings will basically nullify whatever anyone wants to do to him on the ground. The only Heavyweight that can pose a problem for him in the UFC right now is Nogueira simply because he knows how to take a beating and pull of crazy submissions out of nowhere. The Brock of now would simply murder the Mir of right now. Not even close. He might not be classy but he is scary.

Kenny Florian: He can be a scary guy for BJ Penn to fight. And it's not because his jits game is solid enough to be able to see something coming from BJ. It's because he's so long that he might be able to control the distance between the two and make this more of a jab-fest, much like BJ did to Sherk. And I think that Kenny's elbows on the ground when mixed in with his other aspects will make him a dangerous opponent for BJ. Cardio is still a big question mark for BJ. We didn't see much of it against Sherk considering that boxing doesn't take as much out of your gas tank as grappling does. I think that, on an all-around level, Kenny Florian will be Penn's toughest test in the Lightweight division. I think Florian could actually win that fight due to his ability to seemingly always keep the opposing fighter at bay with his reach. Florian would, in my opinion, pot-shot Penn around the cage. And I think Kenny's takedown defense is sufficient enough to be able to control wherever the fight goes. And I do like his leg work, as well. I was very impressed with him against Huerta. It finally looks like Florian has turned that corner. And I'm not talking about his skills in the cage. I'm talking about his mind. He's finally turned the mental corner. And that's a huge thing for him.

Demian Maia: It's not just the level of jits that he displays. It's the way he does it. At times, you think you are watching the reincarnation of Royce Gracie from the early days. Then at times, you realize you're watching the new breed of jiu-jitsu guys. Maia has a great feel for what is going on and possesses, in my opinion, the best MMAJitsu in the game right now. He doesn't overly hurt his opponents with his newfound ground-n-pound game, but he does it enough to get them to move to where he wants them to move. And in a way, he seems way more comfortable with guys in his half-guard. Look at the replays of when he put Herman and MacDonald into triangle chokes. He let them pass his guard and sit down in his half-guard. He then trapped the right arm and pivoted perfectly into a triangle. He gives them something just to set them up for what he wants. It really is genius work on the ground. But the reason he makes my list is because he's now training with Wanderlei Silva on his stand-up game. You could see the improvement in Maia's stand-up work against MacDonald. At one point, very early in the second round, he stunned MacDonald with a sweet counter left hook. And he even worked the knees. Maia's game is only improving and that's a very scary thing for the guys at 185. Think of it this way, he's submitting guys when he's dead tired. That's supremely tough to do. Maia is legit. I just hope more people don't jump on his bandwagon. Considering I made his Wikipedia page, I can't stand how many people attempt to edit it. As of sixth months ago, no one even knew who he was. Anderson Silva better get ready, he's about to tap.

Note: I realize that most of you will wonder why I left Georges St. Pierre off of my list. It's simply because, while he did control the entire fight, I didn't find his performance to be more impressive than the three guys I have listed directly above. Not to mention that we all know that St. Pierre doesn't have any definitive flaws to really discuss so there'd be no real reason to list his performance as impressive. It's not like he made any really improvement unless you want to mention that he finally showed how big his gas tank is. And I don't feel like devoting the majority of my time to doing that. Anyways, enjoy.

Kotchman for Teixeira DONE

FlyByKnight — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:48:18 -0000

Angels first baseman Casey Kotchman was pulled off the field during pregame warmups this afternoon at Fenway Park. And there are strong indications he is about to be traded to the Braves for Mark Teixeira, according to a source with knowledge of those discussions. Details are still being finalized, and additional, lesser names are expected to be involved. But Kotchman for Teixeira is the core of this deal.

The latest: A second source with knowledge of these discussions says the Braves will get Kotchman, plus a second lesser name, for Teixeira in a 2-for-1 deal.

MLB.com's Lyle Spencer says the second player is pitching prospect Stephen Marek.

-- ESPN

I boo this big time in my book.

SportsCenter just said it is a done deal. They've been traded for each other.

Conger beginning to rake

FlyByKnight — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:47:05 -0000

In his last two games, he's 5-8 with 5 HR and 11 RBI while scoring 5 R. In his last ten games, he's batting .300 (12-40) with 6 HR and 16 RBI while scoring 10 R.

The Angels should never trade this kid, no matter what. He's our future behind the plate. Can't wait until he's called up. He has the potential to be a .300/.375/.600 guy with 20 HR+ potential. That's something we could certainly use at the big league level right now. And his defensive skills are improving on a day-to-day basis. That's the biggest key for him. He'll continue to hit, for sure. He just needs to get the defense going and he'll be up here in no time.

Serra vs. St. Pierre 2 - Into The Numbers

FlyByKnight — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:58:09 -0000

Interesting outlook on St. Pierre's and Serra's career in regards to striking and takedowns.

Takedown Attempts
Georges St. Pierre: 41/50 (82.0%)
Matt Serra: 26/116 (22.4%)

Takedowns Defensed
Georges St. Pierre: 11/46 (23.9%)
Matt Serra: 16/25 (64.0%)

Strikes Attempted
Georges St. Pierre: 367/694 (52.9%)
Matt Serra: 133/390 (34.1%)

Strikes Defensed
Georges St. Pierre: 120/355 (33.8%)
Matt Serra: 177/373 (47.5%)

Submissions Attempted
Georges St. Pierre: 18
Matt Serra: 12

Submissions Defensed
Georges St. Pierre: 7
Matt Serra: 5

Guard Passes Attempted
Georges St. Pierre: 68
Matt Serra: 40

Guard Passes Defensed
Georges St. Pierre: 6
Matt Serra: 8

What's this mean? 82% of the time when St. Pierre shoots for a takedown, he gets it. Only 24% of time when an opponent shoots for a takedown against St. Pierre do they actually get it. This means that his athleticism and explosion is too much for any natural wrestler. In his last four fights against natural wrestlers - Koscheck, Hughes (x2), and Sherk - the wrestlers have only secured 7.7% (1/13) of their takedown attempts against Georges St. Pierre. The only guy to land one was Koscheck. And he went 1/4 in their fight. Hell, in his last five fights against pure wrestlers which includes all three against Hughes, the wrestlers went 3/20 (15.0%) on their takedown attempts. Needless to say, don't go into a fight against St. Pierre looking for the takedown. Look for him to go for it himself and work his way into your world if you are a jiu-jitsu guy, like Serra is. Conversely, Serra is not good at all working for takedowns. He's had six fights in his career where he's looked for more than ten takedowns. In only one of those fights did he even get 50% of those attempts. He has had fights where he has gone 1/16 (Lytle), 1/28 (Thomas), 1/17 (Penn), 4/13 (Edwards), and 2/13 (Carter). Needless to say, I think Serra realizes that he can't takedown superior athletes to himself so that's why I believe he's at an advantage during this fight. He knows what St. Pierre wants to do. He knows St. Pierre wants to explode and get Serra down to the ground. But, Serra is comfortable off of his back. In his career, Serra has attempted twelve submissions while he's been able to pass guard a remarkable forty times. On the flip side, only five submissions have been attempted against him and only eight times has his guard been passed. And that was all by one man. Karo Parisyan. A common opponent that Serra has with Georges St. Pierre in their careers. Against Serra, Karo had two submission attempts and eight guard passes. Against St. Pierre, Karo had four submission attempts and two guard passes. In each fight, Karo was able to neutrulize the other's ground game but Serra was able to go for a submission attempt while Georges was completely shut out on the ground. For St. Pierre, due to the more fights he's fought, he's attempted more submissions and guard passes than Serra. The striking goes without question to St. Pierre in this one. The fact that he's landed more strikes than has been thrown at him is simply amazing. To land at a near 53% clip is insane. Not to mention the fact that he's getting hit just 34% of the time. Against his two smaller, stocky opponents - Sherk and Serra - St. Pierre has landed 57/115 (49.5%). However, he was only 4/20 (20.0%) against Serra. On the flip side, those two went 27/79 (34.2%) against him. Serra was 16/36 (44.4%) in their first fight. After looking at the numbers, you wonder how Serra can even last five minutes let alone win. The answer lies in the ground game of Serra and his heavy hands. One punch and it might just be nighty-night for the French-Canadian, St. Pierre. I look for St. Pierre to get the takedown two minutes in and for Serra to catch him with something on the ground. Should be an interesting fight now that I've looked at the metrics and numbers.

Ten Dream Fights I'd Like To See In 2008

FlyByKnight — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:20:40 -0000

I originally posted this on another site which is actually a sports forum. I posted this on February 13th on that site. Anyways, here it is.

10.) Cruiserweight: David Haye vs. Steve Cunningham
9.) Featherweight: Chris John vs. Jorge Linares
8.) Super Featherweight: Manny Pacquiao vs. Edwin Valero
7.) Junior Welterweight: Junior Witter vs. Demetrius Hopkins
6.) Junior Welterweight: Ricky Hatton vs. Paulie Malignaggi
5.) Junior Middleweight: Cory Spinks vs. Oscar De La Hoya
4.) Middleweight: Kelly Pavlik vs. Arthur Abraham
3.) Lightweight: Juan Diaz vs. Michael Katsidis
2.) Welterweight: Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto
1.) Light Heavyweight: Joe Calzaghe vs. Bernard Hopkins
Two of these will for sure happen. And that's Calzaghe-Hopkins on April 19th along with Witter-Hopkins on March 22nd. One that could happen is Hatton-Malignaggi.

Obviously things have changed since I originally wrote this out. For instance, Michael Katsidis went stupid against Joel Casamayor so his potential fight with Juan Diaz is not happening anytime soon. I originally thought Witter-Hopkins would happen but who knows if it ever will. Hatton-Malignaggi will happen should they both win their next fights.

The reason I have Calzaghe-Hopkins at #1 over Mayweather-Cotto is for a few simple reasons. First off, it'd be the first ever meeting between fighters who each have had consecutive title defense streaks of over 20. You'd see Calzaghe going up in weight to see if he can take the Light Heavyweight title from Hopkins. And we'd get to see Bernard Hopkins try to reclaim his crown as, perhaps, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. If he were able to defeat Tarver, Wright, and Calzaghe in succession, who would deny him that pound-for-pound title? I'd take those three over the likes of Baldomir, De La Hoya, and Hatton as a threesome. The combined records of the three Mayweather beat, at that time, was 124-13-6 (.8671). The combined records of the three that Hopkins would have defeated, at the time, would be 117-6-1 (.9435). I think I'd take Hopkins, slightly, over Mayweather when it comes down to the pound-for-pound title should he defeat Calzaghe. And would we be able to deny Calzaghe the right of being called the pound-for-pound king? His last two fights would have beaten fighters with a combined 87-4-1 record at the time of their fights. And Calzaghe is closing in on 50 straight wins to start his career ala Rocky Marciano. Now, just imagine that Calzaghe wins and gets pitted against Chad Dawson. How do we justify keeping Calzaghe out of the top spot of the pound-for-pound rankings if he defeats three very great fighters with a combined record of 113-4-1? We can't.

This is going to be an awesome year for boxing. And the reason could be deeply rooted in the fact that Mixed Martial Arts is starting to put out these great events that are forcing boxing to show up or be gone. I'm a huge MMA fan but I also love boxing. So it's a win-win for me right now. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy. I suggest you all do the same.

My scorecard for Marquez-Pacquiao II

FlyByKnight — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:03:03 -0000

I would have posted the following in the proper thread for it but comments were disabled for that thread.

114-114, Draw

1st: Pacquiao (10-9)
2nd: Marquez (10-9)
3rd: Pacquiao (10-8)
4th: Marquez (10-9)
5th: Marquez (10-9)
6th: Marquez (10-9)
7th: Pacquiao (10-9)
8th: Marquez (10-9)
9th: Pacquiao (10-9)
10th: Pacquiao (10-9)
11th: Draw (10-10)
12th: Marquez (10-9)

How did two judges give Manny Pacquiao the 6th round?

I can see how Marquez wins the fight, I can see how Pacquiao wins the fight. I just had it a draw.

Phillippe Aumont signs for $1.9-million

FlyByKnight — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:43:00 -0000

The trend of signing mid first-round picks to 2006 (and not 2007) MLB slot recommendations continues as the Mariners have landed No. 11 overall pick Phillippe Aumont for $1.9 million. MLB's slot for this year was $1.71 million, down 10 percent from 2006.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=210

Thought I'd post this here and let you guys know that your first round pick finally signed.