The Cleveland Fan on Facebook

STO
The Cleveland Fan on Twitter
Misc Boxing/MMA
Scott Swerbinskyufc-115-preview-sm

UFC 115 takes place tonight in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. While the fight card is pretty deep and has some very intriguing matchups, this is one of those rare cards when the main event is about fifth on the list of fights I am interested in watching.

Rich Franklin and Chuck Liddell will be the last fight of the night in the octagon. Both fighters have had great careers and have done wonders for the sport. They are easily two of most recognizable figures in the UFC and mixed martial arts. Franklin and Liddell also just happen to be two of the most respected and likeable guys in the game.  All of that being said, I don’t believe either guy will be challenging for a title anytime soon.

I really like both fighters and think the fight will be very entertaining. This fight was supposed to be Liddell versus Tito Ortiz to highlight the end of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Ortiz’s neck injury and surgery scrapped that and Franklin stepped in late, but his addition lent another big name to the card.

Read more...

Scott SwerbinskySuga

UFC 114 has come and gone and it was a solid event with a few surprises.

The UFC, in my opinion, does just about everything right. The last few events, however, made me think that maybe it’s time for a change on one front. I know this won’t happen but I feel it’s my right to voice my opinion. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg, the announcing team on the pay per views, need to go.  Their act is getting frustrating and watered down. They make every fight way too dramatic and hype up all newcomers way too much. If I had a dollar for every time Rogan said “Mike” during the last few events, I could retire to a island of my choice.

On the other hand, the fights were good and the card turned out to be pretty entertaining, let’s take a look at a few of the highlights:

Rashad Evans vs Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

I was as wrong as anyone could be on this one and I’m happy about that. Rashad dominated the fight with his speed and wrestling. Rampage didn’t do anything until the 3rd and final round but it was too late and he couldn’t finish the fight because he was out of gas. Evans took home an easy decision and is now next in line for a title shot against champion Shogun Rua.

Read more...

Scott Swerbinskyquinton-rampage-jackson-rashad-evans

The MGM Grand in Las Vegas will be the home for UFC 114. A quick look at card from the casual fan and they might say there isn’t a whole lot of star power. That very well could be true but the talent on card has the makings to provide a very solid night of action inside the octagon.

Read more...

Scott SwerbinskyShogun

The UFC event that took place last night was highlighted by a new champion, a sucker punch, and a so called internet legend getting cut from the roster right after the event was over.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua dominated Lyoto Machida and left no doubt who was the winner in their rematch. Many observers thought Rua won the first fight seven months ago and there is no question now who the light heavyweight king is in the UFC.

Machida was perfect coming into the fight, now he no belt, a loss on his record, and a smashed up face to show for his troubles. Rua landed a few big shots, buckled Machida and then pounded him out on the ground before the ref could jump in and stop it.

Read more...

Scott Swerbinskylyoto-machida-mauricio-shogun-ruaTonight the Ultimate Fighting Championship has a solid card in store for mixed martial arts fans. The Bell Centre in Montreal is the venue and fight fans everywhere will enjoy what is in store.

One of the most anticipated rematches highlights this truly stacked event. Lyoto Machida puts his light heavyweight title on the line again against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. These two fighters met back in October in a tight decision won by Machida. I had Shogun winning three rounds to two but every round was close and very competitive. The UFC usually isn’t big on immediate rematches but this one is a rare exception because of the razor thin decision.

The first time around was a very technical standup battle, similar to a lick boxing match. There were very few takedown attempts or submission tries. Look for the rematch to be pretty much the same. Both fighters like to throw a lot of kicks, Machida with his karate style and Rua with his muay thai.

Read more...

More Articles...

Page 6 of 32

6

The TCF Forums