SB Nation User Blog: Gregory Kim

Some classic behind the scenes snapshots of Liddell, Dana, Tito, Frank Fertittta, etc...credit to...

Gregory Kim — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:57:02 -0000

Some classic behind the scenes snapshots of Liddell, Dana, Tito, Frank Fertittta, etc...credit to ezbop1000 for the video.

UFC Contenders and Pretenders at 205

Gregory Kim — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:03:55 -0000

As UFC 86 looms closer, we must once again address the state of the UFC’s light heavyweight division. As I proceed to examine what is arguably the most talent rich division (aside from the lightweights) in the UFC, I share with you my latest set of rankings and further examine the short-term outlook of future contenders and pretenders at 205. My instincts tell me Quinton Rampage Jackson may just exceed Tito Ortiz’s five consecutive title defenses at 205.

Who are your pretenders and contenders at 205?

Jackson #1 and Griffin #2 (Confirmed)

A win for Jackson gives him and fans a shot redemption: Future and possible rematches against Silva and Rua however, the next ticket may very well go to Machida, Liddell or Wanderlei. Outside of those three opponents, the lone guy that may present problems for Jackson right now is Lyoto Machida. At this point in Quinton’s prime, I don’t think Machida has enough tools to beat Jackson. It’s going to take much more than an elusive fighting strategy to beat Rampage. Quinton has the ability to run the table on the top 10 much like Anderson Silva has done in the Middleweight division.

Forrest is much deserving of this title shot and though folks felt as if Jardine should be fighting Rampage instead of Griffin…that thought-bubble immediately burst after UFC 84. If Forrest beats Quinton and that’s a big if, the list of title contenders stays the same but the possibility of obtaining the belt becomes more realistic for the rest of the ranked ‘contenders’. Final word – Quinton may hold the belt for a long time.

Can Griffin pull the upset?

Chuck Liddell #3 vs. Shogun #6 (wild cards: Hendo or Anderson Silva)
Some speculate next Thursday’s announcement may include a super fight between the Spider and the Iceman. Regardless, if Chuck says he’s one win away from a title shot, chances are Dana will award him one with a win over a notable opponent. Most fans probably don’t want to see Liddell vs. Rampage III should both fighters prevail however, at 37 years of age, Chuck matches up very well against the majority of UFC top 10 LHWs. On the flipside, Mauricio Rua is young, has amazing talent and can fill his bandwagon full of American fans with a win in the UFC, especially over Chuck. Final word – Who will Chuck fight next? Hendo? Silva? Rua?

Verdict:

Chuck Liddell = Contender

Shogun Rua = Contender

Lyoto Machida #4 vs. Keith Jardine #7
You cannot deny the fact Lyoto is now a top 5 LHW, after notching his 5th consecutive win in the UFC. Odd enough, his victory over Ortiz was somewhat of a lackluster boost, notably because Ortiz was not considered a top 10 UFC LHW. Lyoto needs at least one more fight to be considered a #1 contender alongside Chuck. On the other hand you cannot deny The Dean of Mean props for beating both Griffin and Liddell however his inconsistency has put a mark on his career in the UFC. Though still a top 10 LHW, Keith has missed the opportunities to separate him from the pack of contenders. Final word - Joe Silva, please test Lyoto against a worthy striker such as a Thiago Silva or Keith Jardine.

Verdict:

Lyoto Machida = Contender

Keith Jardine = Pretender

Wanderlei Silva #5 vs. Rashad Evans #8
Wanderlei came out UFC 84 a winner. Fans breathed a sigh of relief but critic’s state this win is just a ‘stay’ on what may ultimately be a move down to 185. Regardless, a win keeps him in the top 5 and grants him a fight against another top 10 LHW opponent. Silva came away 84 unharmed and Evans should be ready to go come UFC 88 or 89. Both guys are top 10 LHWs but may find more success in the 185 division. Evan’s last two fights have been nothing to brag out and I can’t see him ever beating anyone in the top 5 (Jackson, Griffin, Liddell, Machida or Silva). Final word – Follow Michael Bisping and make some money at 185.

Verdict:

Wanderlei Silva = Pretender

Rashad Evans = Pretender

Thiago Silva #9 vs. Sokoudjou #10
Thiago Silva still has a lot to prove to me and I want to see him fight a top 10 LHW. Sokoudjou perhaps cracked the top 10 with an impressive win over Nakamura however he, like Thiago Silva, needs more fights to prove their valor. I like both their chances of cracking the top 5 someday. Final word - Two guys with very heavy hands. Fans would not argue seeing this fight. Safe fight for either fighter and a good test for each.

Verdict:

Thiago Silva = Contender

Sokoudjou = Contender

Stephan Bonnar #11 vs. Matt Hamill #12.

Hopefully this will finally get re-scheduled. Very interesting match for both guys as each presents opposing styles. Matt has flown under the radar and a healthy Bonnar has a chance to crack the top 10. Final word - I don’t see either fighter ever being a serious title contender but may challenge the bottom half of the top 10.

Verdict:

Stephan Bonnar = Pretender

Matt Hamill = Pretender

James Irvin #13 vs. Goran Rejlic #14
Show me some consistency James! You’re perhaps one win from also cracking the top 10. Irvin did himself a service by moving down to LHW however, he has yet to garner enough wins to fight a notable opponent. He needs to follow up with another win to be taken serious. Goran Rejlic has reserved a spot on the radar and fans took notice with his decisive victory over Wilson Gouveia. Is Goran a rising star or another flash in the pan? Final word – Rejlic’s kicks and submission game are insane but needs to improve his striking. Goran has 2 fights left on his contract…make em count!

Wilson Gouveia #15 vs. Luis Cane #16
Was Gouveia’s loss a glimpse of things to come or was Rejlic a better fighter that night. I am one of the few who was not impressed by Wilson’s latest string of victories. He was one win away from probably getting a rematch with Keith Jardine. Luis Cane on the other hand nicely bounced back picking apart an undersized and unworthy Jason Lambert. Cane has the fire and tenacity to gain a nice fan base here in the US, not too mention a string of victories outside the UFC (7 straight) to help the cause…a la Thiago Silva and Lyoto Machida. The only mark is a DQ loss to James Irvin!?! Can he continue to win in the UFC? Final word – Cane continues to move up the ranks and Gouveia at best gets a rematch with Jardine down the road.

Jason Lambert #18 vs. Kaz Nakamura #19

Jason Lambert wasn’t so ‘punishing’ against Luis Cane. Final word - Last chance fight for either Nakamura or Lambert. Losers leave town!

Props to "How Not to Punch" bloodyelbow article

Houston Alexander #17 vs. Eric Schaefer (unranked) (Confirmed)
My oh my how the mighty have fallen. Should Houston win this fight, he can actually say "Nebraska’s in the house" and have it mean something. If Eric the Red can get this to the ground, Houston will have a problem. Final word – Oh, how close Houston was to cracking the top 5. A win keeps him in the UFC.

Tito Ortiz on Fox and Friends 6/3/2008 Promoted his new book and wrestled Fox's Brian...

Gregory Kim — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:49:53 -0000

Tito Ortiz on Fox and Friends 6/3/2008

Promoted his new book and wrestled Fox's Brian Kilmeade. Kilmeade's single leg attempt was...pathetic to say the least.

The Lyoto Machida Dilemma

Gregory Kim — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:52:06 -0000

As I sit back for a minute and rethink this fight, I can't help but look back to the last 1:45 seconds of the fight and think, what Tito could’ve done for his career had he used submissions earlier and throughout his career in the Octagon…but most importantly I thought to myself what does the UFC do with a guy as good as Lyoto Machida?

via www.cdn.sherdog.com

Let’s look back prior to UFC 84….

Lyoto Machida had a solid rank within the top 10 LHWs (Sherdog, mmaweekly). Some MMA Ugers even went as far as putting Machida amongst the top 5 UFC LHWs. Whoa, let’s not go to far MMA rubes. For reality sake, a top ten made more sense, in part based on his consecutive and impressive win streak in and out of the UFC and over some pretty notable opponents. Prior to UFC 84, Machida made each victory count, tallying four consecutive Octagon wins, 3 by decision and a dominating performance over a, then, top ten ranked Sokoujdou. The question remained, who should Machida fight next, a top ten, perhaps top 5 UFC LHW?

Fast forward to UFC 84 match making and Machida is presented with the opportunity to fight a Tito Ortiz. The same Tito Ortiz, who by Dana's standards is not even a top 10 fighter but a fighter who perhaps brings one of the largest fan bases in the world...which begs the question, what does a victory over Tito Ortiz seriously get Machida?

via www.cdn.sherdog.com

The UFC 84 aftermath….

Though Machida earned the victory, I'm not so certain this win put him in any better position for the short term. Thus leaves us with the Lyoto Machida dilemma. As 'elusive' and ‘tactical’ a fighter Machida is, it’s his fighting style that perhaps may be Lyoto’s and the UFC’s own worst marketing nightmare. The question still remains how do you market a fighter who has now rattled off five consecutive Octagon wins, 4 by unanimous decision over opponents outside the top 10? From a dollars and sense stand point, Lyoto made a fair $100,000 to Tito’s $210,000 salary. One could argue that Lyoto earned every penny but the question of Lyoto’s value still remains to be seen, especially for $100,000 a fight. As MMA fight ratings go, it takes two to tango and you take Tito Ortiz away from the equation and what do the average MMA fans think of Lyoto Machida in the short term?

From a PR perspective, it’s obvious the UFC will attempt to market Lyoto Machida as a silent assassin. However come fight time, will he do enough to entertain the crowd…pre fight, night of and post fight? As they say, styles make match ups however does Lyoto Machida bring a fighting style that exudes bad ass like a Chuck Liddell? Or the likeability of a Tito Ortiz?

It’s unfortunate to examine Andre Arlovski’s demise in the UFC and for the sake of this post I won’t however with that benchmark in mind, how many more fights and how much more patience Dana White has for a guy like Lyoto Machida?

So what now…..

Tito, love him or hate him, came away UFC 84 a winner. Whether he and Dana are able to reconcile their differences is another story, needless to say, it will be interesting to see where Tito finishes out his career. At the very least, I think fans will come away remembering one thing and that’s not Machida’s victory: Tito’s near submission attempt.

Lyoto’s record now stands at 13 wins and perhaps is one fight away from a title shot? Can we say Thiago Silva, Wanderlei Silva or Keith Jardine come step up to the plate? It will be interesting to see how the UFC handles Lyoto Machida in the long term, LHW champion or not? I just hope for his sake, he continues to grow his fan base because he’s just too talented a fighter to not watch….a la…Andre Arlovski and Yushin Okami.