Official MMA Predictions Thread.

[Glory's Sun]

Prior to this past Saturday's UFC 100 event, an underground movement took root and called for mixed-martial-arts fan who would attend the show to begin "Fedor!" chants throughout the night.

The thought, of course, was to make UFC executives well aware of the fans' desire to have Fedor Emelianenko, the world's top-ranked heavyweight and arguably the greatest MMA fighter in the division's history, fighting in the octagon.

The chants were never heard, but after UFC 100, UFC President Dana White said he wants Emelianenko in the UFC, that it's eventually going to happen, and that a fight with Brock Lesnar is imminent.

Lesnar, the former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar and NCAA Division I national wrestling champion, picked up his third consecutive UFC victory and first-ever title defense with a dominant second-round TKO of interim title-holder Frank Mir in UFC 100's main event.

With Lesnar's current streak of wins over Heath Herring, then-champ Randy Couture and now Mir, many are looking to possible future opponents for the seemingly invincible ground-and-pound machine.

Emelianenko, the former longtime PRIDE heavyweight champion, is the man many see as most likely to topple Lesnar. At 30-1, with back-to-back Affliction wins over two former UFC champions (Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski) and a 26-0 record (with one no-contest) over the past nine years, many fans are clamoring for the Russian fighter to take on the top talent in the world's premier fight organization.

"This Fedor thing has gone on and on and on," White said in the post-UFC 100 press conference. "Eventually, Fedor's going to be here. I want Fedor. I want him to come to the UFC and everything else.

"This guy (Brock Lesnar) just won the heavyweight title, and we'll end up getting that deal done. And then we'll do Brock vs. Fedor, and it'll be a huge fight."

How soon could we such the fight?

"Who knows," White said. "He's obviously contractually obligated to fight (with Affliction). Once that's over, we'll figure it out."

UFC officials have met with Emelianenko and his representatives multiple times. However, the meetings proved far from productive and often left each side blaming the other for the inability to get a deal done. The UFC said Emelianenko's demands were too outrageous, not necessarily from a monetary standpoint (though Emelianenko is believed to make at least $2 million per fight) but because a deal would essentially require the organization to enter the Russian market as business partners with Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelchtein. Emelianenko's people say the UFC's contract demands are too restrictive without any allowances, for example, for Sambo competitions and would dictate all aspects of the fighter's career.

Concessions will be need to be made, and that's often led White to predict a slim chance of a deal coming to fruition. In fact, White has often criticized the fighter, going so far as saying Emelianenko "sucks" while mocking past recent opponents such as kickboxer Hong Man Choi and Matt Lindland, who normally fights at middleweight.

However, White's tune has changed, and on Saturday, he spoke rather definitely about the fighter's future in the UFC.

Of course, that future could hinge on Emelianenko's upcoming Aug. 1 fight at "Affliction" Trilogy." There, Emelianenko meets another former UFC champ, Josh Barnett, who many rank among the division's top three or four.

However, don't expect Barnett to get the same invitation to the UFC is he knocks off Emelianenko.

Why?

"No one's beating down my door to get Barnett," White said.

Dana White says Fedor Emelianenko will fight in the UFC, Brock Lesnar fight imminent | MMAjunkie.com

[Strange Famous]

It cant help the reputation of UFC to have a former WWF wrestler as a prominent fighter.

I mean, the guy may be a genuine athlete, but all the average sports fan is going to think is that the whole thing is as fake as anything else in WWF.

[Glory's Sun]

super slow motion replay tends to solve that problem SF.

when you see the nose smashing and breaking in slow motion..you know it's real.

[Strange Famous]

Originally Posted by danbo

Fedor is an animal. Never, have I seen a fighter who's facial expression never changes. He's one cool cookie.

I am not going to restart the whole debate about Boxing vs MMA.

But Fedor is talking about a 2 million purse as if thats an outrageous demand in the article quoted above.

If he genuinely was that good, he could be fighting for the heavyweight boxing title for a 10 million purse.

Ive seen a youtube video of the guy fight... he cant hit, but he seemed quite cagey and awkward: and I suppose he must have adapted a good defensive style for MMA and some grappling skill to close fights out. A guy Lesner's size and build - all Fedor has to do is keep him running after him for 5 or 6 rounds and the guy will be shattered.

[Glory's Sun]

Fedor can't hit?? dude you need to hook me up with your pot dealer. seriously.

[telekinetic]

Originally Posted by Strange Famous

I am not going to restart the whole debate about Boxing vs MMA.

But Fedor is talking about a 2 million purse as if thats an outrageous demand in the article quoted above.

If he genuinely was that good, he could be fighting for the heavyweight boxing title for a 10 million purse.

Ive seen a youtube video of the guy fight... he cant hit, but he seemed quite cagey and awkward: and I suppose he must have adapted a good defensive style for MMA and some grappling skill to close fights out. A guy Lesner's size and build - all Fedor has to do is keep him running after him for 5 or 6 rounds and the guy will be shattered.

Did...did you just say Fedor can't hit?

I like Penny Arcade a lot, and I enjoy UFC--today's comic was quite a hilarious depiction of the bad rep UFC gets.

[Strange Famous]

I have seen Fedor fight when I was staying with a mate in the US and they had UFC on the TV, and also on Youtube.

In my judgment he wasnt much of a puncher, and seemed to rely on trying to frustrate the other guy into over attacking so he could put on a submission hold. These guys box with very light gloves and yet Fedor couldnt hurt most fighters I saw him against, nor could he throw combinations.

He struck me as a clever, good defensive fighter.

Probably a good tactic in MMA. But if he goes into a fight with a big lump like Lesner and tries to trade with him the chanes are he wont hurt him and will be hurt first. The guy has a decent record so he isnt going to fight a stupid fight - he wouldnt be 25-1 or whatever he is if he tried to stand toe to toe with bigger stronger fighters. He has to tie Lesner up, clinch a lot, jab and move - and let the big man wear himself out.

[silent_jay]

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[evilbeefchan]

If the fight ever happens, I am interested to see how the different grappling backgrounds would match up. NCAA champion vs. World Sambo champion.

[Strange Famous]

Saw that video... the guy was attacking and ran in Fedor's shot.

Similar to when Lennox Lewis got knocked out by Oliver McCall

Fedor isnt a weakling, any heavy man can score a big knockout if an opponent runs right into a shot, but in the context of the fight game Fedor isnt a puncher and opponents arent going to fear his power. Lesner certainly will try and walk through him, and he has to tie him up and fight negative early on to get the result.

[Shauk]

damn, someone beat me to the comic. I'm not in to mma, and that comic is perfect as to explaining why.

so much hype for such mediocrity half the time. It has it's moments but I just don't see why it's a billion dollar organization. I guess marketing is everything.

[silent_jay]

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[m0rpheus]

Originally Posted by Strange Famous

Saw that video... the guy was attacking and ran in Fedor's shot.

Similar to when Lennox Lewis got knocked out by Oliver McCall

Fedor isnt a weakling, any heavy man can score a big knockout if an opponent runs right into a shot, but in the context of the fight game Fedor isnt a puncher and opponents arent going to fear his power. Lesner certainly will try and walk through him, and he has to tie him up and fight negative early on to get the result.

Try this.

While he doesn't finish him with the KO he rocks the crap out of him and could have finished Timmah with strikes but instead goes for the rear naked choke.(BTW Sylvia was coming into this fight having just lost a VERY close fight for the UFC Interm HW Title against Big Nog who was widely considered as one of the top HWs at the time)
Skip ahead to about 4 minutes in or so if you want to skip the introductions as they're kind of long.

[Mojo_PeiPei]

Strange Famous makes a fairly valid point, hell, looking at the Sylvia fight you'd note that he has only 6 KO's in his 27 victories. Granted he has posterized Arlovski, and completely rocked Sylvia, but Fedor really is more into using his Sambo to take the fight to the ground and ripping people's arms off.

Fedor isn't an elite striker. He is not a Muay Thai style striker, he has an un-orthodox boxing style which is serviceable, he has very solid ground and pound.



I don't know how that would play against Brock, as Lesnar would have 50 pounds on Fedor and be virtually immune to any takedowns. I don't know if Fedor's striking would do much against Brock unless he employed Couture's dirty boxing/clinch techinque, as he is probably giving up at least 6 inches in reach minimum. I think you are delusional if you think Fedor is going to be able to submit Brock. Fedor really doesn't utilize Ju-Jitsu style submissions, he is just a calm fighter with a granite chin, when the fight between him and Lesnar gets to the ground I see a repeat of what happened to Mir; Brock controlling him outside guard and mauling him like a grizzly bear.

[m0rpheus]

Yeah but what's Brock's chin like? We really haven't seen him take any hard hard shots yet like Fedor landed on Timmah and Arlovski.

As far as being "immune" to take downs. Brock can be taken down. His legs aren't that big when compaired to the rest of his body. While arm bars against Brock would be tough, a rear naked choke (yes Brock despite rumors to the contrary does have a neck) or ankle lock (see frank mir/brock's first fight) could be locked in by a guy who has beaten the best in the world.

[Strange Famous]

Well, every video seems to prove my point.

The guy wasnt hurt at all in terms of the shot. He was off balance, Fedor took him down and applied choked him into submission.

He was clearheaded and at no point rocked by the punches, but he put him off balance enough to get a submission hold in.

Im not knocking the guy, thats how youre supposed to fight in MMA, but seriously - how can anyone claim this guy has anything more than below average power as a puncher?

[Mojo_PeiPei]

Fedor's strength for all intents and purposes, in my opinion, is on the ground. He moves extremely fast and smart, has good sweeps, and stays out of trouble, while being able to utilize his ground and pound.

I don't see him controlling Brock on the ground. I also think that if Brock scores the take down, which is very likely noting Brock's pedigree and size advantage, he might be able to negate Fedor's strengths on the ground by laying on him.

I agree Brock's chin is by and large unknown, but he has taken some decent shots between his fights with Randy and Frank, never really found himself to rocked or in a bad situation.

[Strange Famous]

Lesner has power, but he's a slow puncher... Fedor has to move out of range, and tie him up and clinch when they get close... sap the big mans strength and tee off on him in the later rounds

[Glory's Sun]

Lesnar doesn't have the abilities or the experience to handle Fedor yet.

[Paq]

it won't even get that far.. I was watching randy/lesnar and randy was pretty much controlling that fight barring the elbow and the 'almost out of reach' hook to the temple. I think randy would take him the next time. seriously. Fedor would probably let lesnar take him down, then just submit him. I doubt it'll go beyond the 2 minute mark in the 2nd round.

[silent_jay]

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[Strange Famous]

Fedor has abilities suited to MMA... he is quick, obviously is a good wrestler, has an upright, slippery awkward style - he frustrates opponents into over committing and then goes for the submission hold. He isnt a boxer and couldnt outbox Audley Harrison to be honest - but I dont expect many boxers could out wrestle him.

[silent_jay]

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[Glory's Sun]

cuz boxing is the sweet science.


heh.. if boxing is the sweet science then MMA is the nuclear physics of sport.

[Strange Famous]

well, do you remember Henry Akinwande? He could outwrestle most professional wrestlers I reckon!!

I can admit that Fedor is good at what he does - but I dont think what he does is anything like the level of skill, courage, and bravery that boxing requires... but this isnt a thread for that discussion.

I think the fact that a professional WWF wrestler (ie - a cross between an actor and a skilled stuntman) can be a contender in MMA says a lot. For the sake of your sport Fedor needs to win and win at a canter

[Mojo_PeiPei]

Originally Posted by guccilvr

Lesnar doesn't have the abilities or the experience to handle Fedor yet.

Lesnar has handled two of the most technical and able HW's in the UFC in Mir and Couture, and he completely nullified anything Herring could've hoped to do.

Brock most certain has the abilities from sheer athleticism alone to fight anybody out there. Experience you can tell by his last fight with Mir he is coming along mightily in the mental aspect of the game.

[Glory's Sun]

SF, please.. we don't need to get into the whole boxing vs MMA debate.. again.

Couture handled Lesnar quite nicely. In fact, I think it was a fluke that Lesnar even won that bout. Sure Lesnar has ability and is a huge man, but Fedor has beaten the best of the best.. cuz the way I've always seen it is Pride > UFC and now that Pride has dissolved, we should be able to see if that is true or not. Fedor is massive and has superior technical ability than Lesnar.. (yes so did Couture) I just don't see Lesnar winning.. Lesnar has already become a cocky SOB, and that doesn't always bode well for fighters in the octagon.

[silent_jay]

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[Strange Famous]

What the guy did in college sports isnt really very impressive to me.

I played for my university cricket team, but I dont think that means I can compare myself to any professional cricketer.

Simply put Lesner comes from a background of taking part in a scripted entertainment show where actors act out pre-determined plots and pretend to fight.

You may have to fit & athletic to do it well, so are stuntman in Hollywood movies, but WWF/WWE is not a sport.

If, in a very few fights, this actor can dominate the sport of MMA in my opinion that gives the sport a big credibility issue. Something like Stallone being able to win a heavyweight title based on what he learned filming the movie Rocky.

From what I have seen on Youtube, Lesner is a strong man with limited skill, very slow hands, and with one basic fight plan. Fedor is one of the few MMA fighters I have watched who seems to fight with a clear methodology, and go out there with a plan more complicated than covering himself in baby oil so that his opponent cant throw him or just piling forward and trying to outmuscle the other man... I expect him to dance and clinch alternately, chip away at him and frustrate him, stay out of any danger, and put away an exhausted Lesner somewhere around Round 8

A big man like Lesner probably has a prayer against anyone because he will hit hard (although as I said with very slow hands)... and you could always have one of those moments like Michael Moorer lunging accidentally straight into to a slow, mighty, George Foreman straight right - and its night night however good you are if a man with that kind of raw power lands flush.... whether its a clumsy fighter like Lesner or an old man like Big George.

But I give Lesner a 1/100 chance unless Fedor looses control and tries to trade with the guy. The fact Fedor is something like 25-1 should demonstrate even though he doesnt have a perfect record he should be too clever for that.

[YaWhateva]

Originally Posted by Strange Famous

Fedor is one of the few MMA fighters I have watched who seems to fight with a clear methodology, and go out there with a plan more complicated than covering himself in baby oil so that his opponent cant throw him or just piling forward and trying to outmuscle the other man... I expect him to dance and clinch alternately, chip away at him and frustrate him, stay out of any danger, and put away an exhausted Lesner somewhere around Round 8

So you have seen maybe 3 MMA fights in your life? MMA is a very cerebral sport, I don't know what the hell you are talking about. You've obviously only paid any attention to fights that prove your stereotypical view of MMA. Have you never seen Lyoto Machida fight? John Fitch? GSP? Nogueira? Every fighter comes out with a 'clear methodology'. the fact that you think most MMA fighters come out and just swing away like there is no tomorrow says a lot. So BJJ, Muay Thai, Sambo, Greco-Roman Wrestling, Judo, Shoot-Box, etc are all super inferior to the sweet science of punching a guy repeatedly in the head?

[silent_jay]

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[Mojo_PeiPei]

Originally Posted by guccilvr

SF, please.. we don't need to get into the whole boxing vs MMA debate.. again.

Couture handled Lesnar quite nicely. In fact, I think it was a fluke that Lesnar even won that bout. Sure Lesnar has ability and is a huge man, but Fedor has beaten the best of the best.. cuz the way I've always seen it is Pride > UFC and now that Pride has dissolved, we should be able to see if that is true or not. Fedor is massive and has superior technical ability than Lesnar.. (yes so did Couture) I just don't see Lesnar winning.. Lesnar has already become a cocky SOB, and that doesn't always bode well for fighters in the octagon.

I'd suggest you rewatch the Lesnar fight. Fluke? Couture's strategy of using the clinch was smart because it was successful in wearing on Lesnar, and more importantly it closed the distance to try, read try, and prevent the take down and vicious GnP.

Brock was still able to get Couture down on the mat and work him pretty much at will, plus he showed some very solid striking from the clinch throwing very nice knee's and elbow's. There was one point when Randy ate a knee, he shook it off and landed one shot, but that's about the most damage he did all fight.

[Strange Famous]

Lets look at what Lesner has done in his actual MMA career.

He has traded losses with Mir, a spoiler and top 30 fighter at best

A victory over a professional opponent who's lost as much as he's won

A victory over a 46 year old man who is a natural Light Heavyweight.

Do you really feel it does the credibility of MMA any good at all that the Heavyweight Champion of the World is 3-1?

The whole thing strikes me as a publicity stunt thats gone way too far

[Mojo_PeiPei]

Should be noted he's completely dominated every fight he's partaken in. Yes even that gift that Mazighatti gave Mir in Mir/Lesnar I.

[silent_jay]

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[Mojo_PeiPei]

Wasn't mentioned how Frank or Randy were both ex-champs/interim champs at the time of the their fights. And Herring might not be championship material, but the guy has notched 30 some odds wins in his career and is no slouch.

[silent_jay]

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[Strange Famous]

No he is 3-1

Loss - Mir
Beat - Herring
Beat - Coutre
Beat - Mir

The contest against the Korean circus act doesnt count towards his record, it was in a different sport.

No more than a pro boxer can include results from his High School wrestling career in his record.

[silent_jay]

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[Strange Famous]

Not just a different organisation, it was a completely different shaped ring.

Ive actually watched the fight against the human sack of potato's who's only qualification to be in the ring was being 7 foot tall.

Maybe you should check it out on youtube so that youre on an equal footing with me in terms of knowledge about it. Some websites might list it as a fight, but if you watch the video you can see it for yourself, it was not even in a cage.