Abbott, Ferguson Follow Streets to EliteXC Cage
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Feb 15, 2008
Scott
Smith vs. Kyle Noke
(Pictures)
Sometimes a nickname just makes sense. For example, Scott "Hands of Stone" Smith makes sense because he's the kind of guy you want around when you're looking to take down a wall and can't find your sledgehammer.
Then you have his opponent, Kyle "KO" Noke, who doesn't have a single KO win on his record. Such a misleading pseudonym means Noke either got a raw deal during the nickname lottery or has a much better grasp on psychological warfare than any of us thought.
It's all gravy for Noke, however, who makes his return to EliteXC
after a successful debut against Seth Kleinbeck (Pictures) -- the culmination of years spent
on the Australian circuit building his name as one of the
continent's premier prospects.
Over on the other side of the Pacific, Smith (12-5) spent his early days on the always-competitive California MMA scene and did so with great success. Originally your standard-issue brawling heavyweight, Smith eventually worked his way down to middleweight and into the UFC.
Having jumped from one overbearing promoter to another, Smith hopes to reclaim some of his lost luster and hopefully avoid those annoying submissions that he has such an affinity for wandering into.
Neither goal will come easy against Noke, who has the versatility to give the relatively one-dimensional Smith problems. At the same time, if Noke is to win, he almost certainly has to take Smith down. And that is hardly a given considering Noke's mediocre wrestling.
Exacerbating matters is the fact that Smith is likely to be the physically stronger man and will almost certainly try to do his best Blutto impersonation by bullying his opponent around.
The strain of trying to take down Smith will wear on Noke and leave him open on the feet. That'll be all the opportunity Smith needs as he notches a come-from-behind KO late in the second round.
Next up for Smith is a super fight with Roberto Duran to decide once and for all who gets to keep the nickname.
James Thompson (Pictures) vs. Brett Rogers (Pictures)
Rounding out a trio of heavyweight bouts on the televised portion of the card is the EliteXC debut of instructional DVD connoisseur James Thompson (Pictures) against promising prospect Brett Rogers (Pictures).
The idea of a promising prospect even existing in the barren heavyweight division should be enough to trigger the imagination of any MMA fan. What's more, Rogers (5-0) loves to brawl and rocks a Mohawk. In my book, that should get you a title of some sort.
Unfortunately, Gary Shaw has yet to purchase my book and I have yet to write it. So instead of a title, Rogers gets to match fists with one of the newest members of the Xtreme Couture bandwagon.
Joining the Couture camp was a smart move for Thompson (14-7), who needs all the help he can get after going 2-5 in his last seven bouts and being written off as more show than fighter. It's an understandable stance given Thompson's habit of creating cartoonish staredowns and generally acting like a second-rate Wanderlei Silva (Pictures).
Behind that crafted persona, however, lies an untapped mine of potential that Randy Couture (Pictures) will undoubtedly look to salvage. Just how much there is left to salvage is anyone's guess, but given Thompson's recent showings, Couture may be pushing the limits of his abilities.
More importantly, Thompson is facing the kind of opponent who has historically given him problems -- a powerful striker who can match his physicality. Rogers, though, has made his living thus far facing unknown quantities and may not react well to an opponent who can answer back with offense of his own.
How this one goes is anyone's guess. I suspect it'll come down to who lands the first punch. After some incredibly unscientific deduction, I've come to the conclusion that it'll be Rogers who wins the race.
Why? Mohawk, that's why.
James Edson Berto (Pictures) vs. Yves Edwards (Pictures)
The evening's opener may be the most evenly matched bout on the entire card, as UFC veteran Yves Edwards (Pictures) makes his return to EliteXC against one of the organization's most ballyhooed prospects, Edson Berto.
Most of that acclaim came to a stunning end when Berto (13-4-1) went headfirst into a knee from KJ Noons and got knocked out for his trouble. More disturbing was his lackadaisical effort given how dynamic he appeared in his first two bouts under the EliteXC banner.
A pair of wins outside EliteXC following that loss has undoubtedly rebuilt Berto's confidence, but those wins came against rather mediocre competition. The real test will be how Berto reacts to facing one of the lightweight division's most savvy veterans.
With more than a decade in the sport, most of which has been spent being matched against premier competition, Edwards (32-13-1) has spread the gospel of Thugjitsu the world over and found success more often than not.
Those winning ways seemed to have abandoned him of late, however, as he went on a stunning 1-5 streak before recovering to win his last two bouts. Certainly not what has come to be expected of the man who single handedly kept the reconstructive dentistry field booming throughout his entire career.
Sending a few of Berto's teeth into the inner recesses of his own skull would mark a fitting return to form for Edwards, but to do so he'll have to overcome his own habit of coasting along in fights after he takes the lead. That habit cost him dearly in past bouts with Jorge Masvidal (Pictures) and Joe Stevenson. Maintaining a strong tempo will be key for Edwards, who is the better striker of the two and more than capable of keeping this bout on the feet.
Expect Edwards to do just that. He'll pick apart Berto on the feet and eventually grab hold of the Thai clinch to finish off his overmatched quarry with a series of cranium-crunching knees. Keeping that in mind, I really need to ditch this writing thing and start up a new career as MMA's official post-fight facial reconstruction surgeon.
It'll be just like that show "ER," except I'd be totally incompetent.
Sometimes a nickname just makes sense. For example, Scott "Hands of Stone" Smith makes sense because he's the kind of guy you want around when you're looking to take down a wall and can't find your sledgehammer.
Then you have his opponent, Kyle "KO" Noke, who doesn't have a single KO win on his record. Such a misleading pseudonym means Noke either got a raw deal during the nickname lottery or has a much better grasp on psychological warfare than any of us thought.
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Over on the other side of the Pacific, Smith (12-5) spent his early days on the always-competitive California MMA scene and did so with great success. Originally your standard-issue brawling heavyweight, Smith eventually worked his way down to middleweight and into the UFC.
As it turns out, dropping the baby fat was easy in comparison to
sustaining a UFC career. Despite scoring a miraculous knockout of
Pete Sell (Pictures), Smith was eventually cast away
after a disappointing showing on "The Ultimate Fighter" and
back-to-back losses against Patrick Cote (Pictures) and Ed Herman (Pictures).
Having jumped from one overbearing promoter to another, Smith hopes to reclaim some of his lost luster and hopefully avoid those annoying submissions that he has such an affinity for wandering into.
Neither goal will come easy against Noke, who has the versatility to give the relatively one-dimensional Smith problems. At the same time, if Noke is to win, he almost certainly has to take Smith down. And that is hardly a given considering Noke's mediocre wrestling.
Exacerbating matters is the fact that Smith is likely to be the physically stronger man and will almost certainly try to do his best Blutto impersonation by bullying his opponent around.
The strain of trying to take down Smith will wear on Noke and leave him open on the feet. That'll be all the opportunity Smith needs as he notches a come-from-behind KO late in the second round.
Next up for Smith is a super fight with Roberto Duran to decide once and for all who gets to keep the nickname.
James Thompson (Pictures) vs. Brett Rogers (Pictures)
Rounding out a trio of heavyweight bouts on the televised portion of the card is the EliteXC debut of instructional DVD connoisseur James Thompson (Pictures) against promising prospect Brett Rogers (Pictures).
The idea of a promising prospect even existing in the barren heavyweight division should be enough to trigger the imagination of any MMA fan. What's more, Rogers (5-0) loves to brawl and rocks a Mohawk. In my book, that should get you a title of some sort.
Unfortunately, Gary Shaw has yet to purchase my book and I have yet to write it. So instead of a title, Rogers gets to match fists with one of the newest members of the Xtreme Couture bandwagon.
Joining the Couture camp was a smart move for Thompson (14-7), who needs all the help he can get after going 2-5 in his last seven bouts and being written off as more show than fighter. It's an understandable stance given Thompson's habit of creating cartoonish staredowns and generally acting like a second-rate Wanderlei Silva (Pictures).
Behind that crafted persona, however, lies an untapped mine of potential that Randy Couture (Pictures) will undoubtedly look to salvage. Just how much there is left to salvage is anyone's guess, but given Thompson's recent showings, Couture may be pushing the limits of his abilities.
More importantly, Thompson is facing the kind of opponent who has historically given him problems -- a powerful striker who can match his physicality. Rogers, though, has made his living thus far facing unknown quantities and may not react well to an opponent who can answer back with offense of his own.
How this one goes is anyone's guess. I suspect it'll come down to who lands the first punch. After some incredibly unscientific deduction, I've come to the conclusion that it'll be Rogers who wins the race.
Why? Mohawk, that's why.
James Edson Berto (Pictures) vs. Yves Edwards (Pictures)
The evening's opener may be the most evenly matched bout on the entire card, as UFC veteran Yves Edwards (Pictures) makes his return to EliteXC against one of the organization's most ballyhooed prospects, Edson Berto.
Most of that acclaim came to a stunning end when Berto (13-4-1) went headfirst into a knee from KJ Noons and got knocked out for his trouble. More disturbing was his lackadaisical effort given how dynamic he appeared in his first two bouts under the EliteXC banner.
A pair of wins outside EliteXC following that loss has undoubtedly rebuilt Berto's confidence, but those wins came against rather mediocre competition. The real test will be how Berto reacts to facing one of the lightweight division's most savvy veterans.
With more than a decade in the sport, most of which has been spent being matched against premier competition, Edwards (32-13-1) has spread the gospel of Thugjitsu the world over and found success more often than not.
Those winning ways seemed to have abandoned him of late, however, as he went on a stunning 1-5 streak before recovering to win his last two bouts. Certainly not what has come to be expected of the man who single handedly kept the reconstructive dentistry field booming throughout his entire career.
Sending a few of Berto's teeth into the inner recesses of his own skull would mark a fitting return to form for Edwards, but to do so he'll have to overcome his own habit of coasting along in fights after he takes the lead. That habit cost him dearly in past bouts with Jorge Masvidal (Pictures) and Joe Stevenson. Maintaining a strong tempo will be key for Edwards, who is the better striker of the two and more than capable of keeping this bout on the feet.
Expect Edwards to do just that. He'll pick apart Berto on the feet and eventually grab hold of the Thai clinch to finish off his overmatched quarry with a series of cranium-crunching knees. Keeping that in mind, I really need to ditch this writing thing and start up a new career as MMA's official post-fight facial reconstruction surgeon.
It'll be just like that show "ER," except I'd be totally incompetent.
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