TUF Finale: Now with More Real Fighters!
MMA Stuff …
Jun 20, 2008
Say what you will about "The Ultimate Fighter" -- and I've said
plenty -- but we all know that come Wednesday night, we're plopped
in front of our televisions waiting to see the latest bit of drama.
And come Saturday night, we'll be plopped in the same space and
will be thankful that the UFC has provided us with legitimate
matches instead of the usual TUF alumni parade.
So read on and discover the long-term ramifications of Amir Sadollah's fashion mullet, the moral dilemma of rooting for Josh Burkman (Pictures) and even some of that "MMA stuff" you guys seem to like so much.
Evan
Tanner (Pictures) vs. Kendall Grove (Pictures)
Two of the sport's most enigmatic middleweights meet in the evening's main event with the loser likely facing the reality that his UFC career is near an end.
It all started out well enough for "Da Spyda," who pulled a Doug Flutie-special by coming out of nowhere to win the third season of "The Ultimate Fighter." With a freshly minted UFC contract in tow, Grove (8-5, 1 NC) scored a pair of impressive stoppage wins over Chris Price and Alan Belcher (Pictures) that had everyone wondering if the UFC had stumbled across another gem via their reality-TV cash cow.
Then we were all reminded that short-term success often hides long-term concerns when Grove's porcelain chin got the humpty dumpty treatment in back-to-back bouts against Patrick Cote (Pictures) and Jorge Rivera (Pictures) at UFC 74 and UFC 80, respectively. Now that Grove's biggest in-cage liability has been exposed like a bathroom-loving senator, the question becomes how can Grove deal with a problem that has no remedy?
The problems that have haunted Evan Tanner (Pictures) in recent years had nothing to do with bum genetics and everything to do with his almost Tyson-esque self-destruction. Always something of an oddball --the cornrows said it all -- Tanner (32-7) walked away from the sport for nearly two years and chronicled his bizarre downward spiral through rambling Internet posts that were equal parts depressing and disturbing.
A long overdue return came against Yushin Okami (Pictures) at UFC 82 in March and not surprisingly, Tanner's extended vacation had taken the edge off his game: He was knocked out in the second round.
When guys are getting paid money to twist limbs and smash faces, heartwarming comeback stories take a backseat to reality and Tanner won't get any sympathy from Grove, who is every bit as desperate for a win as he is. After seeing how flat Tanner looked in his comeback fight, the prospects aren't looking good, especially when you consider his Punch-and-Judy striking style leaves him ill-equipped to take advantage of Grove's shoddy chin.
As long as Grove doesn't have to worry about counting sheep on the canvas, he'll be able to flash his varied offensive arsenal at Tanner's expense. Plug the Evan Tanner (Pictures) of a few years ago into the same situation and we'd have a fine style clash, but against a younger opponent, who can strike and grapple with equal aplomb, this isn't the right fight for Tanner to try and rediscover past form.
Watch for Grove to start where Okami left off by taking it to Tanner in the clinch before putting MMA's would-be Josh Hamilton down late in the second round.
Diego Sanchez (Pictures) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (Pictures)
With the waiting list for a shot at Georges St. Pierre (Pictures)'s UFC welterweight title getting longer than an Ayn Rand novel, both Diego Sanchez (Pictures) and Luigi Fioravanti (Pictures) know their ongoing UFC comebacks can't afford any detours.
A detour is the last thing anyone expected from Sanchez (18-2) when the TUF alumnus entered the UFC undefeated and seemingly ready-made for a run at the top. Perception lived up to reality early on thanks to a series of blistering performances by "Nightmare," including wins over the likes of Karo Parisyan (Pictures) and Nick Diaz (Pictures).
While those are quality names on any resume, the real measure of a submission artist in the UFC welterweight division is how he handles the deluge of dominant wrestlers. In that regard, Sanchez has left much to be desired. While an Ebola-level staph infection hampered Sanchez severely in his grudge match with Josh Koscheck (Pictures) at UFC 69, he simply couldn't make his hyperactive submission game work against Jon Fitch (Pictures), Koscheck's teammate and fellow collegiate wrestling convert, at UFC 76.
There was no fall from grace for Fioravanti (12-3), who entered the UFC as an afterthought, dropping three of his first five tilts in the Octagon.
Given that the odds of survival in the UFC welterweight division are about the same as a paraplegic gazelle in the Serengeti, it's surprising to see Fioravanti getting another high-profile shot in the cage. Of course, anyone with a working brain stem knows this match is all about the UFC rebuilding Sanchez.
Having already stifled TUF alumnus Luke Cummo (Pictures) at UFC 82 in March, Fioravanti could play the spoiler role yet again and make the move from gatekeeper to legitimate contender. To do that, he will need to find a way to stifle the Zen aggression of Sanchez, who thrives on forcing a cardio-sapping pace. It is a task Fioravanti is capable of handling if he can use his size advantage to stymie Sanchez in the clinch. However, keeping Sanchez under control for 15 minutes is like trying to get Alberto Gonzalez to remember something.
Too many offensive advantages for Sanchez will tell the story as Fioravanti will be too busy defending takedowns and strikes to muster any offense of his own. The scorecards will be a mere formality as Sanchez takes a lopsided unanimous decision and hopefully treats us all to a seminar on how to most effectively absorb the power of lightning. If we're lucky, he might even cover thunder.
Jeremy Stephens (Pictures) vs. Spencer Fisher (Pictures)
Most fights at this level serve a concrete purpose, whether building up so-and-so or setting up such-and-such.
But every now and then, we get a fight that matches up guys who should fight for no other reason than it would make for the MMA equivalent of a Michael Bay movie. There won't be any CGI or superfluous feminine love interests, but matching Jeremy Stephens (Pictures) against Spencer Fisher (Pictures) (20-4) should deliver the kind of mayhem best enjoyed on a screen the size of P. Diddy's ego.
With a noms de guerre like "King," you'd think an outsized ego would be Fisher's calling card, but the North Carolina native is humble to a fault despite being one of the sport's most entertaining competitors. However, entertainment has often come at the expense of success as Fisher's kamikaze style came up short in critical dustups against Hermes Franca (Pictures) and Frankie Edgar last year. As wide open as the lightweight division may be, Fisher needs a consistent stretch if he's ever going to challenge for the title.
Toppling Jeremy Stephens (Pictures) (13-2) isn't going to garner that title shot, but it will get you some respect considering the upside Stephens has shown in his still-young UFC tenure. A disappointing start against Din Thomas (Pictures) at UFC 71 has since given way to a pair of impressive wins over Diego Saraiva (Pictures) and Cole Miller (Pictures). The latter, on Jan. 23, served as Stephens' coming-out party thanks to some surprising submission defense and his usual fistic onslaught.
Fending off the rubber guard won't be a concern against Fisher, but Stephens' toe-to-toe style will land him in a firefight that he may be too green to handle. If nothing else, Fisher has shown that he takes to a firefight like a pyromaniac and has more varied striking with his arsenal of kicks and knees.
A surefire fight-of-the-night contender delivers more fireworks than your crazy Uncle Bob's basement as Fisher just barely edges out a split decision.
So read on and discover the long-term ramifications of Amir Sadollah's fashion mullet, the moral dilemma of rooting for Josh Burkman (Pictures) and even some of that "MMA stuff" you guys seem to like so much.
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Two of the sport's most enigmatic middleweights meet in the evening's main event with the loser likely facing the reality that his UFC career is near an end.
It is a surreal fact when you consider Evan Tanner (Pictures) is a former UFC middleweight
champion and Kendall
Grove (Pictures) should still be in the midst of
his post-TUF honeymoon.
It all started out well enough for "Da Spyda," who pulled a Doug Flutie-special by coming out of nowhere to win the third season of "The Ultimate Fighter." With a freshly minted UFC contract in tow, Grove (8-5, 1 NC) scored a pair of impressive stoppage wins over Chris Price and Alan Belcher (Pictures) that had everyone wondering if the UFC had stumbled across another gem via their reality-TV cash cow.
Then we were all reminded that short-term success often hides long-term concerns when Grove's porcelain chin got the humpty dumpty treatment in back-to-back bouts against Patrick Cote (Pictures) and Jorge Rivera (Pictures) at UFC 74 and UFC 80, respectively. Now that Grove's biggest in-cage liability has been exposed like a bathroom-loving senator, the question becomes how can Grove deal with a problem that has no remedy?
The problems that have haunted Evan Tanner (Pictures) in recent years had nothing to do with bum genetics and everything to do with his almost Tyson-esque self-destruction. Always something of an oddball --the cornrows said it all -- Tanner (32-7) walked away from the sport for nearly two years and chronicled his bizarre downward spiral through rambling Internet posts that were equal parts depressing and disturbing.
A long overdue return came against Yushin Okami (Pictures) at UFC 82 in March and not surprisingly, Tanner's extended vacation had taken the edge off his game: He was knocked out in the second round.
When guys are getting paid money to twist limbs and smash faces, heartwarming comeback stories take a backseat to reality and Tanner won't get any sympathy from Grove, who is every bit as desperate for a win as he is. After seeing how flat Tanner looked in his comeback fight, the prospects aren't looking good, especially when you consider his Punch-and-Judy striking style leaves him ill-equipped to take advantage of Grove's shoddy chin.
As long as Grove doesn't have to worry about counting sheep on the canvas, he'll be able to flash his varied offensive arsenal at Tanner's expense. Plug the Evan Tanner (Pictures) of a few years ago into the same situation and we'd have a fine style clash, but against a younger opponent, who can strike and grapple with equal aplomb, this isn't the right fight for Tanner to try and rediscover past form.
Watch for Grove to start where Okami left off by taking it to Tanner in the clinch before putting MMA's would-be Josh Hamilton down late in the second round.
Diego Sanchez (Pictures) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (Pictures)
With the waiting list for a shot at Georges St. Pierre (Pictures)'s UFC welterweight title getting longer than an Ayn Rand novel, both Diego Sanchez (Pictures) and Luigi Fioravanti (Pictures) know their ongoing UFC comebacks can't afford any detours.
A detour is the last thing anyone expected from Sanchez (18-2) when the TUF alumnus entered the UFC undefeated and seemingly ready-made for a run at the top. Perception lived up to reality early on thanks to a series of blistering performances by "Nightmare," including wins over the likes of Karo Parisyan (Pictures) and Nick Diaz (Pictures).
While those are quality names on any resume, the real measure of a submission artist in the UFC welterweight division is how he handles the deluge of dominant wrestlers. In that regard, Sanchez has left much to be desired. While an Ebola-level staph infection hampered Sanchez severely in his grudge match with Josh Koscheck (Pictures) at UFC 69, he simply couldn't make his hyperactive submission game work against Jon Fitch (Pictures), Koscheck's teammate and fellow collegiate wrestling convert, at UFC 76.
There was no fall from grace for Fioravanti (12-3), who entered the UFC as an afterthought, dropping three of his first five tilts in the Octagon.
Given that the odds of survival in the UFC welterweight division are about the same as a paraplegic gazelle in the Serengeti, it's surprising to see Fioravanti getting another high-profile shot in the cage. Of course, anyone with a working brain stem knows this match is all about the UFC rebuilding Sanchez.
Having already stifled TUF alumnus Luke Cummo (Pictures) at UFC 82 in March, Fioravanti could play the spoiler role yet again and make the move from gatekeeper to legitimate contender. To do that, he will need to find a way to stifle the Zen aggression of Sanchez, who thrives on forcing a cardio-sapping pace. It is a task Fioravanti is capable of handling if he can use his size advantage to stymie Sanchez in the clinch. However, keeping Sanchez under control for 15 minutes is like trying to get Alberto Gonzalez to remember something.
Too many offensive advantages for Sanchez will tell the story as Fioravanti will be too busy defending takedowns and strikes to muster any offense of his own. The scorecards will be a mere formality as Sanchez takes a lopsided unanimous decision and hopefully treats us all to a seminar on how to most effectively absorb the power of lightning. If we're lucky, he might even cover thunder.
Jeremy Stephens (Pictures) vs. Spencer Fisher (Pictures)
Most fights at this level serve a concrete purpose, whether building up so-and-so or setting up such-and-such.
But every now and then, we get a fight that matches up guys who should fight for no other reason than it would make for the MMA equivalent of a Michael Bay movie. There won't be any CGI or superfluous feminine love interests, but matching Jeremy Stephens (Pictures) against Spencer Fisher (Pictures) (20-4) should deliver the kind of mayhem best enjoyed on a screen the size of P. Diddy's ego.
With a noms de guerre like "King," you'd think an outsized ego would be Fisher's calling card, but the North Carolina native is humble to a fault despite being one of the sport's most entertaining competitors. However, entertainment has often come at the expense of success as Fisher's kamikaze style came up short in critical dustups against Hermes Franca (Pictures) and Frankie Edgar last year. As wide open as the lightweight division may be, Fisher needs a consistent stretch if he's ever going to challenge for the title.
Toppling Jeremy Stephens (Pictures) (13-2) isn't going to garner that title shot, but it will get you some respect considering the upside Stephens has shown in his still-young UFC tenure. A disappointing start against Din Thomas (Pictures) at UFC 71 has since given way to a pair of impressive wins over Diego Saraiva (Pictures) and Cole Miller (Pictures). The latter, on Jan. 23, served as Stephens' coming-out party thanks to some surprising submission defense and his usual fistic onslaught.
Fending off the rubber guard won't be a concern against Fisher, but Stephens' toe-to-toe style will land him in a firefight that he may be too green to handle. If nothing else, Fisher has shown that he takes to a firefight like a pyromaniac and has more varied striking with his arsenal of kicks and knees.
A surefire fight-of-the-night contender delivers more fireworks than your crazy Uncle Bob's basement as Fisher just barely edges out a split decision.
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