fight night!
 
I’m a huge fight fan and a few nights ago featured a number of really good fights.  I feel like I have a pretty good knack for looking at two fighters and predicting the winner, although this doesn’t really take the odds into consideration.  Here were some of the fights from the other night, as well as my thoughts and predictions:
 
Brodie Farber vs. Rory Markham
  Prediction: Markham – correct
  Who I wanted: Ambivalent
   Analysis: This fight could have gone either way.  At first Markham got the upper hand with a couple of early shots, and then Farber went on the attack and landed a ton of shots in a row; however, Markham was backing up for most of the shots, so it didn’t look like the shots did much damage at the time.  Then Farber kept pursuing Markham and ran into a devastating roundhouse that immediately ended the fight. Definitely one of the most dramatic finishes of the night.
 
Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns
  Prediction: Johnson – incorrect
  Who I wanted: Johnson
  Analysis: I will say that I thought that the fight was slightly in Johnson’s favor before he couldn’t continue due to being eye gouged for the third or forth time.  In my opinion Burns should have been disqualified rather than Johnson being declared TKO’d.
 
 
Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O’Brien
  Prediction: Velasquez – correct
  Who I wanted: Ambivalent
  Analysis: I didn’t know much about either fighter here, I just decided to pick who I thought looked best prepared for the fight.  They both looked like really talented guys and I’m excited to see them both fight again.
 
Hermes Franca vs. Frank Edgar
  Prediction: Franca – incorrect
  Who I wanted: Edgar
  Analysis: Edgar really impressed me in this fight.  I thought Franca would submit him at some point throughout the fight, but Edgar’s standup and ground and pound was just too much for Franca.  I really like Edgar not only for his talent in the ring, but he seems like a really cool guy in his pre and post fight interviews.  From now on I’m both rooting for and betting on this kid
 
Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy
  Prediction: Vera – correct
  Who I wanted: Vera
  Analysis: This had to be the worst fight of the night.  Vera looked like an absolute monster in the ring because he cut down to 205 (he usually fights in the Heavyweight division).  However, his energy was dramatically affected by the weight cut and it definitely showed in the ring.  Normally I like watching him fight, but he merely eeked out a mind-numbingly boring Unanimous Decision in this fight.  If he wants me back as a fan, he’ll have to show a lot more life.
 
Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
  Prediction: Silva – correct
  Who I wanted: Silva
  Analysis: My only complaint was that the fight didn’t last long enough.  Silva has to be one of the best (if not the best) pound for pound fighters in MMA.  He is so sick that he chose to fight up a weight class at 205 for this fight (He normally fights at 185).  Can anyone stop him, even at 205? If anyone can, Forrest Griffin probably stands the best chance, but even there, I’d give a clear edge to Silva.
 
Savant Young vs. Mark Hominick
  Prediction: Hominick – correct
  Who I wanted: Young
  Analysis: I had seen Hominick fight before and thought he was winning the fight in a couple of his losses where he got caught.  I think he is a little under rated, so I chose to pick him over Young, even though I wanted to see Young win the fight.
 
Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
  Prediction: Barnett – correct
  Who I wanted: Ambivalent
  Analysis: I didn’t really know anything about either of these fighters coming in, so again I waited until I saw them both and was pretty confident in my pick.
 
Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
  Prediction: Arlovski – correct
  Who I wanted: Arlovski
  Analysis: Arlovski is really fun to watch and he’s an absolute machine.  He weighs 235 lbs. and is incredibly ripped, unlike most heavyweights.  He looks like a wolverine because he’s really hairy and wears a mouth guard that looks like he has fangs.  His precision and tenacity won this fight, though I will say that Rothwell can freakin take a punch.  That guy should have been knocked out much earlier.
 
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
  Prediction: Emelianenko – correct
  Who I wanted: Emelianenko
  Analysis: I’ve watched Emelianenko in Pride Fighting and he is extremely fun to watch.  Mainly because he looks like a complete chump when he enters the ring and anyone who is new to the sport automatically thinks he is going to get his ass handed to him and then he goes and proves everyone wrong.  I love watching him fight and I really hope that he works out contract negotiations to enter the UFC because he deserves more notoriety than he currently has.  Personally, I think that he should hire on a nutrition/training expert because a cut Emelianenko would be extremely scary.
 
Good Stuff!
Paul
paul wasicka’s blog
Tuesday, July 22, 2008