The MMA Thread!

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Grand Master

D. S. Veteran

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We all know the UFC is the top dog in the MMA world. There is no disputing that. They have the best production, the best fighters, the best everything. But there are still other organizations that while being B-league still matter in the MMA picture. Since we generally have threads for the important PPV and they come and go quickly, it's hard to keep an open discussion about the state of current MMA without building the discussion around a specific PPV.

For instance, I want to talk about the latest Strikeforce event and the state of women's MMA.

In a single event, Strikeforce tanked both divsions. Sarah Kaufman got clowned badly by Marloes Coenen and will have to swallow her words about deserving to be co-headliner in a televised event. But this was a match that follows the Strikeforce Bizarro MMA rules of title contendership: you only get a title shot after you lose a fight against a high profile fighter. Marloes Coenen is huge for the 135lb (61Kg) division and jumped straight into a title shot after getting badly beaten by Chris Santos. Miesha Tate, who won the tournament for contendership, had to wait around while Sarah was fed to a much bigger opponent who shouldn't even be fighting at that weight and certainly not for a title right after such a loss. On the other hand, Chris Santos is so dominant that the only match-up that Strikeforce can get her that sells PPV is Gina Carano and that just isn't going to happen.

What are your opinions on women's MMA? Positive, negative, couldn't care less?

Also, what do you think is the future for the WEC? Should it be the prime development territory for the UFC and eventually their champions should seemlessly jump into the UFC? The roster is much shallower than in the UFC so there aren't many top-level match-ups available. Should guys like Ben Henderson get into LW UFC contendership after clearing their division or should Zuffa expand the WEC roster with more top-flight competition instead of prospects? Maybe the other way around, people dropping from the UFC into the WEC, I don't know.

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Grand Master

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I don't know much about womens MMA, just that I saw Gina Carano vs Cyborg and how one sided that was and that I believe was the last time we saw Carano?

Carano got noticed by Hollywood and is now putting her good looks into use. I doubt that she will return to MMA and risk all that getting smashed around for a much smaller payday.

I don't know why there is a woman's division. It was cringe-worthy seeing Kim Couture's jaw get broken like that.

Do women really like getting their asses kicked and their faces smashed for a relatively small amount of money? Quite pathetic really.

Equal oportunities: if women want to fight, let them fight. They shouldn't be confined only to the kitchen. Gina Carano used her MMA career to make the jump into starring in B-Movies and TV with American Gladiators.

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Grand Master

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Carano got noticed by Hollywood and is now putting her good looks into use. I doubt that she will return to MMA and risk all that getting smashed around for a much smaller payday.

yeah and a great move for her, she could really make it as a model and an actress...not seen her act mind you...:shifty:

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Grand Master

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yeah and a great move for her, she could really make it as a model and an actress...not seen her act mind you...:shifty:

Miesha Tate is also pretty easy on the eyes :whistle:

Maybe she will return to the cage to be a ring girl.

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Grand Master

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Miesha Tate is also pretty easy on the eyes :whistle:

Maybe she will return to the cage to be a ring girl.

ooo never seen her before and I want to see more :rofl:

btw unrelated...seen Arianny Celeste's Playboy Shoot?....Bazinga! :woot:

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Grand Master

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Another question: WWE crossover. After Lesnar, Lashley and Batista took their shots at MMA. Do you believe that MMA is a possible career path for a WWE (or any other relevant organization) that has worn out their welcome with the company. Does it make you interested in watching the fights or is a major turn off?

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rathefeare

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How about a guy like Shelton Benjamin. Not a huge WWE star but with legit wrestling credentials that could become a middle of the pack or even journeyman fighter.

Yeah guys like Shelton who were legitimate collegiate wrestling standouts could certainly make the transition to MMA. I also think WWE's "hookers" and "shooters" could have done it, but they are all much older now.

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Grand Master

TheElite

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How about a guy like Shelton Benjamin. Not a huge WWE star but with legit wrestling credentials that could become a middle of the pack or even journeyman fighter.

The thing with Brock is that his freakishly sized hands could be used as hammers. Shelton is an ordinary guy with good wrestling. He'll get whipped in the stand up because he's never (presumably) done it.

He's probably the Kimbo Slice of the wrestlers, but that's it.

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rathefeare

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LOL. I meant, what Kimbo has in stand up (good level of skill), Shelton has in ground game.

I would say Shelton's ground game has potential to be a lot better than Kimbo's stand up. Shelton competed at a high level in collegiate wrestling and has been wrestling since at least high school and maybe before. He has professional level training and experience.

Kimbo has no professional stand up fighting training and only has marked experience in street fighting. His stand up was vastly overrated. He beat 3 hand picked (and possibly bribed) fighters in Elite XC of no great caliber. In the UFC he won a snore feast against Alexander and lost in the standup against Roy Nelson, Matt Mitrione, and Seth Petruzelli. Guys known for their heavy hands but not exactly great boxers.

Shelton is billed at 248 lbs and given WWE's habit of inflating stats I wonder is he walks around at around 225 and could make the cut to 205.

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Grand Master

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Keeping with the Bizarro MMA Rules of title contention for Strikeforce, Gegard Mousasi is getting a title shot at Rafael Cavalcante coming from a defeat that cost him that same title. Does Strikeforce do all their matchmaking blindfolded?

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Grand Master

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Keeping with the Bizarro MMA Rules of title contention for Strikeforce, Gegard Mousasi is getting a title shot at Rafael Cavalcante coming from a defeat that cost him that same title. Does Strikeforce do all their matchmaking blindfolded?

:rofl:

it's just names in hat and then ask someone off the street to pick someone! :D

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Grand Master

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Saw a Maldonado fight :blink:

I'll wager James McSweeney goes 4-6 and gets cut by the UFC after UFC 120.

Called it :D

Where does Bisping fit into title contention now? Granted that he won but if he couldn't put away Akiyama, how would he fare against guys like Nate Marquardt, Demian Maia or even Chael Sonnen? He does not seem to have the skill set required to climb to the top of the heap and beat Anderson Silva.

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Grand Master

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Well after UFC 121... let's play

THE CUTTING GAME.

Who do you think will get cut from the UFC after the last PPV? And who deserves to get cut but won't?

Tito Ortiz will probably be cut. Good riddance. Cote will probably follow as well.

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