Shogun vs. Griffin at UFC 76

[l69norm]

http://sports.bodogbeat.com/mma-news-“shogun”-rua-vs-forrest-griffin-at-ufc-76-24544.html

"The Ultimate Fighting Championships has officially announced the day that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (16-2-0) will make his debut inside the octagon. September 22, in Anaheim , the much-touted Chute Boxe fighter will face UFC fan favorite Forrest Griffin (14-4-0) at UFC 76...."

 

[Tao]

I like Forrest but I think Rua will bust him up

 

[Lapper]

are they purposely trying to destroy our beloved forrest???

shogun's only loss in the past 4 years is when he broke his arm against mark coleman.

 

[Manji]

http://sports.bodogbeat.com/mma-news-“shogun”-rua-vs-forrest-griffin-at-ufc-76-24544.html

"The Ultimate Fighting Championships has officially announced the day that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (16-2-0) will make his debut inside the octagon. September 22, in Anaheim , the much-touted Chute Boxe fighter will face UFC fan favorite Forrest Griffin (14-4-0) at UFC 76...."

Old news (but great news)....

Shogun should be able to dominate Griffin....Instead of slugging it out with Griffin; I could see Rua taking him down and submitting him...
Standing up...Rua is a few levels better but risks getting knocked out with a lucky punch (like Cro-cop or Nog) Griffin's boxing is pretty good....On the ground, Griffin wouldn't have a chance and Shogun could get his first UFC win without any risk...
....Supposedly Shogun is the best grappler at Chuteboxe....

On the other hand, Shogun may want to make a statement to the UFC and its fans and will try to go for a flashy highlight knockout.


Bigger News: Wanderlai's first fight with the UFC is on DEC 29....

 

[l69norm]

...Bigger News: Wanderlai's first fight with the UFC is on DEC 29....

http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/08/08/dana-white-chuck-liddell-needs-two-wins-for-title-shot/

"...UFCjunkie.com first announced last month that a Silva-Liddell fight is being discussed for the Dec. 29 pay-per-view card in Las Vegas. Negotiations with the Brazilian fighter apparently have been productive; over the weekend, White told a Las Vegas TV station that “we’ve got Wanderlei Silva” when he was discussing upcoming mega-fights...."

 

[l69norm]

I like Forrest but I think Rua will bust him up

are they purposely trying to destroy our beloved forrest??? ...

...Shogun should be able to dominate Griffin..., Shogun may want to make a statement to the UFC and its fans and will try to go for a flashy highlight knockout....

I always think of Shogun as the "Michael Jordan" of the MMA world in the way he seems to "float" in the air and his feet never seem to touch the ground while he's stomping and kicking the other fighter. I guess he's at a disadvantage there under the UFC rules.

If Forrest had managed to beat Keith Jarden, would he have gone up against Chuck next?

As much as I like an underdog, I'm sure it's going to be Shogun either standing or on the ground.

 

[Manji]

If Forrest had managed to beat Keith Jarden, would he have gone up against Chuck next?

Jardine just lost to Houston Alexander; so its not really a win - loss issue....

Jardine just got picked because he's a recognizable fighter (thanks to him being in the The Ultimate Fighter reality show) and the UFC brass figure that Chuck will be able to knock him out...

The Iceman is one of the UFC's most recognized and marketable fighters....Another loss and the Iceman's popularity would definitely dwindle.... The UFC wants to feed him an easy win to get the fans excited about Chuck again..... then set him up with either a possible future Championship fight and/or a fight with Wanderlai...

Chucks not getting any younger and the clock is ticking....The UFC (and Chuck himself) want to make as much money as possible before he retires (or gets retired by any of the new hired guns: Shogun, Rampage and Wanderlai...)

 

[Tao]

Manji what are your thoughts on the upcoming Quinton vs Henderson bout and St Pierre vs Koscheck fight?

 

[Manji]

Manji what are your thoughts on the upcoming Quinton vs Henderson bout and St Pierre vs Koscheck fight?

I think that Quinton will beat Henderson....
Henderson is best when he fights at 185 pounds....At 205; I don't think Henderson can handle Rampage's power....


I doubt Rampage will be fazed by Henderson's striking (just like he was with Chuck)....Rampage's boxing is sharper and more dangerous...


Henderson's only hope of winning is either a lucky (or well-timed) punch) or the more likely scenario is that Hendo will get a win by taking down Rampage and trying to ground and pound him to a decision....but controlling Rampage on the ground will be extremely tough since Jackson has a wrestling background....Rampage's strength will cause problems for the former member of the American Olympic team and we might finally see Jackson's infamous power bombs...


Age may also be a factor....Henderson will be 37 and Rampage is 8 years younger....Some of Henderson's last fights in Pride he had been looking a little slower and gassing out quicker....That could be a huge factor in a five round championship fight...If Henderson does start gassing out in the later rounds; then Jackson will finish it by KO or Ground & Pound....Even if Henderson doesn't gas out...I still think Jackson will put it away before the fight ends....


[Side note: Henderson's win against Wanderlai was huge but the rumour was that Wanderlai had been sick at the time but still went through with the fight....]

 

[Manji]

St Pierre vs Koscheck fight?

Haven't seen enough of St Pierre and Koscheck to give an in depth opinion....Always made it a priority to watch Pride and not UFC....Now that Pride is done (at least for now) I'm trying to catch up on the UFC and it fighters but its kind of difficult since UFC is pretty anal about letting their fights be displayed on Youtube and Dailymotion (Dana White is a fucking dickhead)....

But from what I've seen and read:

George St Pierre will defintely have the edge in striking....As well as experience....

I think it will come down to whether Koscheck can take GSP down....GSP has a strong take down defense and will be well prepared for Koscheck and his attempts to take him down....

Haven't seen Koscheck fight since his first fight in the The Ultimate Fighter but apparently he's been getting better with each fight (heard his stand up is much better)....He's definitely the better wrestler...
Koscheck could win this but if he does it will be by boring Lay and Pray Decision....I think if his game plan could be similar to what he did with Diego Sanchez in that Koscheck will punch and/or kick and move (more for points than to ....When he sees an oppurtunity he will take down GSP and try to get points from the ground....If GSP stuffs him...Koscheck will retreat by falling back to his guard or popping back up to his feet...

I doubt that either fighter will submit each other..

The deciding factor will be who will be able to control the fight.....
If GSP is able to play his game and strike and stuff Koscheck's take down attempts it will be St Pierre's night....

 

[IntelArtificial]

Vanderlei already fought in the ufc against vitor belfort

Hi Manji. I think you mean Vanderei's first fight back in the UFC since his loss to Vitor Belfort. Vanderlei already fought in the UFC but got the crap knocked out of him by a then young and quick as lightning puncher Vitor "the phenom" Belfort.

 

[Manji]

Hi Manji. I think you mean Vanderei's first fight back in the UFC since his loss to Vitor Belfort. Vanderlei already fought in the UFC but got the crap knocked out of him by a then young and quick as lightning puncher Vitor "the phenom" Belfort.

Yeah...My bad....That's what I meant....

But it was actually his first fight back in the UFC since his loss to Tito Ortiz (UFC Japan in 2000)....Wanderlai lost a decision fight....

Haven't seen that fight for a long time but I do remember Tito didn't do much to earn that win....Mostly Lay n Pray from Tito....

 

[l69norm]

..I seriously, for the life of me, do not understand how anyone can like Forrest...

As much as I like to bash Forrest, I always like an underdog. He was lucky to make it out of the first round with Tito. I'm sure Shogun will finish him quickly with a kick to the head.

Off-topic - I knew Shogun had an older brother named "Ninja". He also has a younger brother named "Shaolin".

 

[Manji]

Off-topic - I knew Shogun had an older brother named "Ninja". He also has a younger brother named "Shaolin".

Shogun has an older brother named Murilo "Ninja" Rua.....
He's currently fighting in Strikeforce....Knocked out Joey Villasenor last June....

Doesn't have a younger brother name "Shaolin"....
You might be thinking of Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro.....A Brazilian from team Nova Uniao....Currently fights for K-1 and has a record of 19 - 1 and fights as a lightweight....His only loss is to Kawajiri....

 

[l69norm]

...Doesn't have a younger brother name "Shaolin"......

This is where I got it from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauricio_Rua#_note-bio
"....Rua was born on November 25, 1981 in Curitiba, Brazil. His family also lives in Curitiba. His father is a successful businessman that runs his own business. His mother was a track athlete and is currently a marathon runner. The Rua brothers also run marathons sometimes.[9] He has two brothers, his older brother, Murilo (born 1980) and his younger brother, Marco "Shaolin" Rua[9]. Murilo is also a mixed martial artist and Marco is currently training at Chute Boxe, though not at a professional level like his older brothers. In June 2007, Rua announced that he plans to get married at the end of the year to "the famous Brazilian personal trainer and future Renata Rua."[10]..."

Also said he's getting married (can hear the hearts breaking in the Hammer) and ranked #1 light heavyweight in the world (MMA Weekly). The marathon thing explains why he's got such great cardio. I remember Ninja from the brawl he started with Mark Coleman and Phil Baroni the night Shogun got hurt as well as the big knockout by Dennis Kang in the welterweight tournament.

Also from MMA Weekly:
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=4526&zoneid=13

KEVIN RANDLEMAN ARRESTED IN NEVADA
Thursday, August 16, 2007 - by Ken Pishna, MMAWeekly.com

UFC and Pride FC veteran Kevin Randleman was arrested on DUI and other charges today in Goodsprings, Nevada, which is a former mining town just south of Las Vegas.

According to county records, Randleman was being held in the Clark County Detention Center with a hearing scheduled for Friday morning.

The records also indicate that he was arrested on several charges including DUI, Speeding, Driving Without a Valid License, Intimidating a Public Officer, Malicious Destruction of Public Property, and others.

 

[Manji]

I stand corrected....

Guess there's gonna be two Shaolins fighting in a few years...

 

[Smash]

I seriously, for the life of me, do not understand how anyone can like Forrest.
Its like Dana is throwing him no-names, and still he is gassed after a round. How can someone that is not exciting be a fan favortie?

His wins are against guys like Elvis Sinosic. Anytime he fights someone 'decent' like Tito its a loss. He is 14-4, but has fought some pretty weak names.
What drives me so nuts about forrest, is how smug, and conceded he comes across.

His popularity is soley based off that Griffen/Bonner fight. It was one of the best fights the UFC has put on. That fight was only good beacuse both fighters can't finish a fight so it became a Fred Flinstone type of slugfest.
I met Forrest at my bjj club last year, the clubs owner was looking to bring him in as a temp trainer until he met him. Lets just say his "trucker mouth" is very active...lol

I've give him credit though for being one tuff-mutha. The fight with Tito was a very close fight, if it wasnt for that last min takedown by Tito that fight could have gone the other way. Tito started the fight good but after a few dozen shots to the head Forrest woke up and started getting confident and dominating the fight.

 

[Tiffany_69]

my 2 cents

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (16-2-0) September 22, in Anaheim WILL DESTROY GRIFFIN, A wider arsenal and Griffin as stated has not shown much in the conditioning department. Rua I think will have no problem adjusting to UFC rules and will adjust strategy to suit.
I am a sexy Georges St Pierre fan. So can only say go Georges

 

[Manji]

Sad thing is, Forrest doesn't have to be the underdog. I've no idea why after 3min of round one he is breathing so hard.
He must work on conditioning more, and he will win fans over. Not talk about how he got his ass kicked, and go running off into the crowd.

The biggest thing that will hurt Shogun is the differant rules. No foot stomps, and such will be hard to deal with.

I liked Pride rules so much better. Tougher rules, tougher men.

Breathing hard or being gassed don't always mean a fighter is not conditioned.....
Could be nerves before a fight....or an injury that depletes a fighter's strength and energy....
Or even overtraining.....(BJ Penn said that was the case for his loss against GSP)....

Haven't really seen Griffin fight...Missed the first TUF finale and have only seen his loss to Jardine)....Don't really know much about him.....But 4 of his 7 UFC fights have gone to decision so his conditioning cannot be that bad (though I'm just guessing and could be wrong since I have only looked that up on his Fighter's Profile).....

As for being arrogant....What UFC fighter isn't arrogant? It seems like 75 percent of them are so full of themselves.....Especially the TUF fighters....

The no "foot stomps" rule will be the be least difficult adjustment for Shogun (or any of the Chuteboxe fighters)

Three factors that might be a difficult adjustment for Pride fighters (especially the strikers) are (in my opinion of course):

"No Knees to the Head on a downed opponent"....

Elbows being allowed....Crocop found out the hard way that elbows can pose a huge problem and are not that easy to block/avoid in the guard (especially from a 260 pound Brazilian Grappler)

Fighting in a cage and not in a ring....Less room to manuver (can't bounce off the ropes and change angles - Crocop does that move well due to his kickboxing background) Getting pinned to the cage (favouring the ground fighter especially the wrestler) - Crocop remarked that just brushing up against the cage is extremely uncomfortable....

 

[Smash]

BJ Penn said that was the case for his loss against GSP)....
QUOTE]

I agree Penn was gased (he's know for his late night partying/drinking) thats always been his weekness within the MMA circle. He's always relied on his talent soley and dogged it on his conditioning. Funny thing is that fight was very very close Penn hammered GSP and after the fight Penn didnt look like he was just in a fight. GSP on the otherhand looked beat-up his eye was almost shut and he was bleeding from a few parts of his face. GSP's heart and Penn's lack of training hard combined to win that fight.

IMO if Penn concentrates on training properly and stops the partying theres nobody in his weight div that can deal with him. I think pound for pound he his the best fighter in the UFC.