It's MMAzing Radio - Episode 11

The gang, despite being down 1 soldier, forges on and breaks down the results of UFC 146, discusses what is next for JDS, commiserates about Jason "Mayhem" Miller, previews the TUF Finale and debates their bi-monthly rankings.

UFC 146 Predictions

Image via UFC newsletter

UFC Heavyweight Championship:
Junior Dos Santos (c) v. Frank Mir

Doctor Law: This card has had a lot of twists and turns. The biggest one was Alistair Overeem confirming everybody’s suspicions about him and getting himself kicked off this card (“removed myself” my ass Alistair). Frank Mir steps in for Alistair and has the opportunity to become a three time UFC champion. Unfortunately for him, he is facing a very uphill battle. JDS has been on a tear and the only way Mir wins this fight is to somehow get this fight to ground. If it gets there, Junior is screwed. I don’t care how solid JDS’s ground game is; Mir will start ripping body parts off if you go to the ground with him. Fortunately for the champ, the fight starts standing. JDS by 1st round KO.

Kid Presentable: First off, Frank Mir absolutely deserves this shot. He has been on a nice strong win streak and is a former champion himself. It just lacks the sex bombness that was the Reem vs JDS. Mir might be the most dangerous man on the mat in the division, but JDS has some very impressive takedown defense. In Mir's previous fight, by all means Big Nog should have put him away, but his hubris and decision to go for the sub got the best of him. JDS will not make that mistake. Combine that with better hand speed and greater power, and Frank will have a short night before he takes a nap. Junior by KO round 1.

Image via bleacherreport.com

DJ Mark with a “K”: While it’s sad that Reem got popped for elevated levels of manliness Mir is a decent last minute replacement. UFC has done a good job playing up the” revenging the master” angle (Mirs last win was over JDS's coach/mentor) but on paper I got JDS all over this one. His punching power has been unmatched so far in his UFC run and a lot of people question Mir's stand up/chin/heart, as I do. This isn’t a complete blow out though since I think Mir can sub anyone when it hits the mat, I just don’t think he’ll be able to get it there and keep JDS long enough to crank an arm or wrap up a choke. JDS by KO 2nd Rnd.

Lavender Gooms: Frank Mir is a bad dude. You have GOT to be a bad dude to get rocked like he was against Noguiera, get taken to the ground and somehow flip it so that you’re the one breaking arms and getting the W. I’ve got nothing but props and respect for Mir and I do not believe it would be as big a upset if Mir were to win as some may believe it to be….But Junior is going to put it on him. Junior’s striking is on or above any level Mir has experienced AND that hand speed will leave Mir guessing. I don’t see Mir having much of a chance to get it to the ground where he has his best chance of pulling out the win. I like Mir, but after he’s been knocked out in the first round, I’ll really be wishing Overeem wasn’t too much man for mortal testosterone tests. Dos Santos by TKO in 1st round.

Picking Dos Santos: All of us
Picking Mir:

Image via cagepotato.com

Cain Velasquez v. Antonio Silva

Doctor Law: Velasquez was originally supposed to be taking on Mir in this fight, but now takes on the Big Foot Silva. No one thinks more highly of Big Foot Silva than Silva himself. I just watched the preview show where he said he had the "best striking, best BJJ and best wrestling" in the heavyweight division. He is wrong about all of that. Very wrong. Cain is going to throw shade all over Big Foot ( just learned that phrase this week…I had to use it). Cain by 2nd round TKO.

Kid Presentable: Cain is the better striking, more experienced Daniel Cormier. I expect Cain to style all over Bigfoot just as DC did in their previous bout. Unfortunately the history and track record of Bigfoot's fights implies that even in victory Cain is probably going to walk away with a broken hand from that big ass dome of Silva's. Cain by TKO, round 2.

DJ Mark with a “K”: Another fight that got changed around, but still manages to be interesting on paper. Cain is the easy favorite in this one as Big Foot has been inconsistent when facing top competition. The real question is how long into the fight in till Cain breaks his hand on Big Foot stone like skull. If Cain can get out of the fight without breaking his hand that will be a true victory. Cain by TKO 1st rnd.

Lavender Gooms: In his last fight, Silva lost to Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce GP. In his next fight he gets Cormier’s training partner, who just happens to be the former Heavyweight champ. Whatever Silva is good at, Cain is better(except BJJ). Silva won’t be able to keep Cain down so his jiu-jistu won’t come into play in this fight. Cain’s biggest worry in the fight is figuring out how not to break his hand on Silva’s adamantium encased skull. While there will be a Big Foot sighting on Saturday, it will only be brief. Cain by TKO in the 2nd round.

Picking Velasquez: All of us
Picking Silva:

It's MMAzing Radio - Episode 10

The gang comes back from a two week hiatus to celebrate their 10th episode. Among the topics discussed are UFC on Fuel TV 3, the viability of the Korean Zombie as a title contender, Strikeforce: Barnett v. Cormier, Josh Thomson's chances if he joins the UFC, Jon Jones's DUI arrest and UFC 146's incredibly deep card.

The Korean Zombie Apocalypse

Image via ghoulishgary.com

The end of days are nigh, and judgment day has come. It is now the dawn of the Korean Zombie era. UFC on Fuel 3 wrapped up last night and even as a near 3 to 1 underdog, TKZ took victory in a strong candidate for fight of the year. In spite of some issues gassing in the third, Zombie showed a full arsenal of punches, knees, takedowns, positional control, and one slick D'arce choke to end Poirier's night.

Chan Sung Jung has long been a fan favorite since he burst on to the U.S. scene against Leonard Garcia in the WEC that Joe Rogan called, "fight of the century." Having been present at that event, the large Latin American fan base made for a partial crowd to Garcia, but by the end even they could not deny the robbery of that decision showering the arena in boos. Jung was then flat-lined against George Roop and suddenly people weren't sure that Jung would be anything more than a crowd pleasing fighter, whose style would always prevent him from reaching the upper levels of the sport.

But then the UFC merger happened. A twister happened, learned by watching a youtube video of Eddie Bravo. The second fastest KO in UFC history against a former title challenger that had never been stopped by strikes, even against the mighty Jose Aldo, happened. Even then though, many chalked it up to a lucky punch for the massive underdog in the Hominick fight. Forums cried "well Mark doesn't usually come out swinging like that" or "it was a short fight, you can't really tell if someone is any good from that." The choruses echoed across the interwebs. Maybe they were right, even the most ardent TKZ fans were only cautiously optimistic about him as a prospect. Zombie again came in an underdog against Dustin Poirier, a young riser in the division with a well rounded game as well. What followed much like all his previous UFC bouts had been, was a revelation. The first three rounds showed excellent displays of combos, knees, and a uppercut that would wobble Poirier a couple of times. Jung also further provedhis grappling acumen with slick takedowns, reversing a takedown attempt into mount position, and pulling off the fight ending submission. Jung is not yet fluent in English, but he got the crowd roaring with a simple foursome of "I want Jose Aldo."

Vinny Magalhaes put his M-1 belt on eBay...and we're the leading bid.

Screenshot via me

Vinny Magalhaes, the reigning M-1 Light Heavyweight champion, has taken his feud with the organization to a new level. Threatened by Evgeni Kogan, M-1's director of communications and king of the Russian hipsters, that they will match any contract offer he signs, Magalhaes has decided the embarrass the company by putting the belt on eBay.

Here's why this matters: We at It's MMAzing want this belt. We are currently the high bidder, but let's be real, this is going to be expensive. If anybody wants to contribute to this fund, let us know. By donating at least $50, you are automatically inducted into the It's MMAzing Ring of Honor, which is definitely not something I just made up.

BREAKING NEWS: Dominick Cruz tears ACL, fight with Urijah Faber off UFC 148 card.

image via ktvu.com

According to multiple reports, UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz has a torn ACL and will no longer face Urijah Faber at UFC 148. MMAJunkie.com has confirmed the reports while the UFC is yet to comment on the situation.

Cruz and Faber were originally set to be the main event of the July card before scheduling issues forced the much anticipated Anderson Silva v. Chael Sonnen rematch to be booked as the main event for the card. UFC 148 was to be the site of the rubber match between the two bantamweights as Faber won the first at WEC 26 via submission and in Cruz avenged the defeat with a unanimous-decision victory at UFC 132.

It is not yet known what the UFC plans to do with Faber. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Cruz and Faber have at least 1 more month of filming of the Ultimate Fighter to complete. Given the UFC's usual MO, however, it is unlikely that Faber will be moved off the card. In what is either a happy accident or the sign of pure genius of Joe Silva's part, Renan Barao (#3 in the It's MMAzing rankings) is already booked to fight Ivan Menjivar at UFC 148. It makes sense for the UFC set up either a #1 contender's or interim title fight between Barao and Faber for that card. Either way, Cruz's injury has left the UFC in an unfortunate position as another division has been brought to a halt by a champion's injury.

It's MMAzing Radio - Episode 9

The gang goes in depth in their breakdown of UFC on Fox 3; talking about Nate Diaz as a future star, his title hopes, Johny Hendricks' parlay busting victory over Josh Koscheck, Alan Belcher's assent and Pat Barry's beating at the hands of Lavar "Big" Johnson.

UFC on Fox 3 Predictions

Image via UFC newsletter

Nate Diaz v. Jim Miller

Doctor Law: Do you see that gif of Diaz flipping off Donald Cerrone next to DJ Mark’s prediction? I’ve had that saved for 4 months, ready to go. Also, if you’re a regular reader of this site, you realize that we are more or less running a Diaz brothers fan site. So, to no one’s surprise, I’m picking Nate Diaz here. I think this should be an absolutely fantastic fight. A Diaz brother against another aggressive guy…how could this go wrong? (Answer: Nick Diaz v. Carlos “Running Man” Condit.”) Miller should provide a very stiff test for Nate and is the favorite for good reason. However, I think Nate has turned a corner in this career and it’s entirely possible that this fight ends up looking a lot like the Cerrone beatdown. Worth noting: Kid Presentable, Lavender Gooms and myself have a 4 fight parlay that has Diaz winning. Please God, let him win. Diaz by 4th round submission.

Kid Presentable: This is a fight I think could be a 5 round war. Of course that means this could be a fight where my guy gets controlled and laid on for 5 rounds. Not that Miller is that type of guy, but losses can change a man, and his aggression against Bendo was his undoing so there is a chance he takes a more conservative approach here. But we may as well hope for the best right? Miller represents the stronger wrestler of the two and likely has a bit more power in his strikes, but I would give Nate the standing reach advantage as he should be able to control it standing. On the ground its pretty on the level, but Nate when he wants to be can be incredibly good off his back. I expect a lot of punches thrown, a lot of middle fingers and F U's, and I expect that I will yell "209 Bitch!" somewhere in the vicinity of 20x during this fight. I roll with the Diaz brothers, always, underdog or not. Nate by decision.

Image via terezowens.com

DJ Mark: Like the rest of the It’s MMazing crew, I’m a huge Diaz brothers fan. It’s been interesting to watch Nate evolve over the course of his UFC career, and his most recent fights have been his most impressive by far. However, he’s facing a top contender in Jim Miller and I think I’m going to create the classic win/win scenario for myself here. I’m picking Miller to win, but if he does lose, at least one of my favorite fighters gets the biggest wins of his career and is sky rocketed to the somewhat long) list of top title contenders. Miller by decision

Lavender Gooms: My head is telling me that this is going to be a close fight. Miller’s strong wrestling can be a problem for Nate, who has had a history of problems with strong wrestlers that are good at positioning and controlling the fight on the ground. My head tells me that Nate can get/has gotten frustrated with these fights and has normally lost against strong wrestlers. But screw my head, 209 bitch! The Stockton slap will be in full effect!!! Go win me some money Nate!!! Diaz by badassness.

Picking Diaz: Dr. Law, Kid P, Gooms
Picking Miller: DJ Mark

Image via my wallet

Josh Koscheck v. Johny Hendricks

Doctor Law: This fight is a bit of a wild card to me. Johny Hendricks has only been defeated once in his career and he’s coming off his best performance ever in a knockout over perennially #2 welterweight Jon Fitch. Then again, Hendricks has only fought 1 top 10 welterweight and a 20 second fight isn’t the best sample to extrapolate future performances off of. It’s possible that Hendricks landed a lucky shot…but it’s also possible that he’s just a bad bad mother f*cker. Either way, I’m a little surprised Koscheck is the underdog here. I know he has his losses, but he’s only got knocked out once, which I view as Hendricks’ only path to victory here. I know his beard will weather some shots, but I think Hendricks gets finished here. Or, if nothing else, he better lose. Kos by 2nd round TKO.

Kid Presentable: I don't like this fight. Not one bit. Probably because I am gambling on it and I am very nervous. Kos is about to cross into the wrong side of 30 as Hendricks is entering the prime of his career at 28. Both fighters are very similar with strong wrestling bases and KO power in their hands. Kos is a fair bit more accomplished and his power double is among the best in the sport, while Hendricks one defeat came by being bullied into the cage by Rick Story. Ultimately Kos represented too much of a value as the underdog, and here's to hoping that his experience being battle tested against the best of the division will see him to victory. Hendricks should be very game as talk of a #1 contendership for him in victory is ongoing. I'm nervous. Kos by decision.  

DJ Mark: I’ve been all over the place with this fight during the last couple of weeks. My first reaction was that lightening doesn’t strike twice and that this was a fight for Kos to win by grinding decision. But the more I think it over and dissect the fight the more and more I like Hendricks in this one. It’s too bad the Fitch fight didn’t last longer since I think it would have been a great reference point to compare this fight to. I don’t think Hendricks will win again in the first 20 seconds, but I think this might be a passing of the torch. Hendricks by decision

Lavender Gooms: Koscheck left his long time gym AKA and says that this is the best camp he has ever had…Yeah ok. That’s such bull, I’m waiting for the person who says “man my camp this time was HORRIBLE… guys don’t put your money on me”. Now that would be refreshing. Hendricks is a lot like Koscheck; he’s a good wrestler (probably better than Koscheck) with heavy hands. Hendricks will be a contender soon enough and this will be a close fight, but I believe Koscheck’s technical striking carries him to a hard fought win. Koscheck by split decision.

Picking Koscheck: Dr. Law, Kid P, Gooms
Picking Hendricks: DJ Mark