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By Jason Comack  February 21, 2010, at 7:31 pm  After each major Mixed Martial Arts event, our very own matchmaker, Jason Comack, does his best Joe Silva and breaks down all the possibilities for the fighters who waged war last night in a little feature we like to call: What’s Next?
Mirko Cro-Cop and Wanderlei Silva are easy to pick opponents for. Dana White suggested at the post fight presser that Mirko would fight Ben Rothwell who he was originally intended to face. Considering Mirko took minimal damage and Rothwell just had a stomach bug that fight could happen soon. Keeping Mirko active can’t be a bad thing, especially if he’s training as hard as he claims he is. One fight to also keep an eye on is Mirko/’Nog which will always be a draw overseas even though it doesn’t have the title implications it use to.
At the presser White mentioned the long rumored fight of Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Wanderlei Silva is something they would consider. When Silva learned that Akiyama was campaigning to fight him he perked up and said that he wanted to fight Akiyama. That fight would be a big draw overseas particularly in Japan. I’ve long believed that the UFC was keeping Akiyama as it’s ace in the hole for a Japan card. The UFC brand will never take over in Japan but MMA is gigantic there. Putting Silva/Akiyama on a card might be the only way to get Japanese fight fans interested in a card.
Speaking of Cro-Cop his opponent Anthony Perosh endured himself some UFC goodwill by taking the fight on such short notice. Perosh was well over matched against Mirko but will likely get another shot in the UFC. If and when he does get another fight it will come in the light heavyweight division.
Perosh will likely be used as a “can” to get a fighter that desperately needs a win, a win. Off the bat two names come to mind: Stephan Bonnar and Keith Jardine.
Jardine is on a three fight losing streak, normally the UFC axe would be close to chopping Jardine but I believe he’s firmly safe on the UFC’s roster. Jardine has fought too many top guys and has wins over too many top guys (Griffin and Liddell) to allow him to go to another organization, cough Strikeforce cough. Jardine is the exact kind of gatekeeper that Strikeforce lacks. But in order to keep Jardine’s credibility he needs to face some sub-par competition.
Other then the aforementioned Perosh here’s some light-heavyweights that would make sense for Jardine to fight:
- Brian Stann last fought at UFC 109, so the timing works, where he got dominated by Phil Davis.
- Kyle Kingsbury beat Razak Al-Hassan at UFC 104.
If Jardine can’t beat any of those guys then he doesn’t deserve to be in the UFC.
By Matt Soldano February 11, 2010, at 4:44 pm We had a first on the Fantasy shots this past week. Stein and I tied 3-3-1 to keep the standings as is. I hold a one game lead on Brandon and looking to continue my reign of being the finer ma gentlemen. Here are our picks for Week 11:
Stein:
G- Jeffrey Taylor, Vanderbilt (13.9 ppg, 5.3 reb) – 2/13 vs. LSU
G- Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech (20 ppg, 4.2 ast) – 2/13 vs. Virginia
G- Sylven Landesberg, Virginia (18.1 ppg, 5.2 reb) – 2/17 vs. Florida State
F- Greg Monroe, Georgetown (15.4 ppg, 9.5 reb) – 2/14 vs. Rutgers
F- DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky (16.4 ppg, 10.1 reb) – 2/16 vs. Mississippi St.
Vanderbilt over LSU – 2/13
Virginia over Florida State – 2/17
Soldano:
G- Mikhail Torrance, Alabama (15 ppg, 5.5 ast) – 2/13 vs. Arkansas
G- Austin Freeman, Georgetown (16.8 ppg, 3.6 reb) – 2/14 vs. Rutgers
G- Devan Downey, South Carolina (23 ppg, 3.4 ast) – 2/17 vs. Arkansas
F- Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest (16.4 ppg, 11 reb) – 2/16 vs. Virginia Tech
F- Larry Sanders, Virginia Commonwealth (14.9 ppg, 8.7 reb) – 2/16 vs. Drexel
South Carolina over Georgia – 2/13
Seton Hall over DePaul – 2/14
Listen to College Basketball 2Nite: The Late Game Situation, with the Ma Gentlemen, every Friday night at 10 PM (EST) on WCWPSports.
By Jason Comack February 3, 2010, at 10:10 pm Rob Emerson (17-8-1) vs. Phillipe Nover (9-2-1)
The Fighters: In what has become a staple of UFC undercards, this match, between two former Ultimate Fighter contestants, has “loser leaves town written all over it.”
For some reason Rob Emerson seems to have nine lives. He’s 2-2 [1 NC] in the UFC. In his debut fight he got slammed on his dome by Grey Maynard and while it was eventually ruled a no contest it was obvious he would have lost that fight. His two wins were over Kekita Nakamura (a split decision against a fighter who went 0-3 in the UFC) and Manny Gamburyan (who now fights at 145 pounds.) Emerson has solid kickboxing and good takedown defense but not enough to present a serious threat against even middle of the road lightweights.
Nover of course had a ton of hype coming into the Ultimate Fighter Finale. Dana White went as far as to compare him to Anderson Silva….whoops. Nover is 0-2 in the UFC and has had serious medical trouble along the way. Nover feinted in the opening moments of his TUF season and had another incident before his scheduled fight against Sam Stout in September. On the day of the fight Nover had another feinting episode and was not medically cleared to fight.
Breakdown: While Nover is primary a ground fighter his standup is more then adequate. In this fight expect him to look to go to the ground early where he will have a significant advantage against Emerson. The key to this fight will be Emersons take down defense as the only hope he has of winning this fight is on the feet. And even then I’m not so sure how he’d fare.
Prediction: Nover Via Unanimous Decision
Brian Stann (8-2) vs. Phil Davis (4-0)
The Fighters: Brian “All-American” Stann is a former Marine who is probably best known for his three fight trilogy against Steve Cantwell. Since joining the UFC, Stann is 2-1 and 8-2 overall.
Phil Davis is one of the UFC’s newly signed prospects. Considering how many prospects the UFC has let sign with other organizations recently one would assume they think very highly of him. The 25 year old Davis is 4-0 heading into his Octagon debut. Davis was a decorated wrestler at Penn State. He was a 4 time All-American with a career 116-20 record, including a 26-1 senior year where he won an individual title.
Breakdown: While it’s possible Davis will have the so called “UFC jitters” it’s hard to see him losing this fight. While he is raw he’s far too decorated of a wrestler and natural athlete for Stann to contain. Plus do you really think the UFC would make a big deal about signing Davis only to have him lose? Davis is the second coming of Rashad Evans.
Prediction: Davis Via Unanimous Decision
Tim Hague (10-2) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (17-2)
The Fighters: Two guys that are infamous for very different things. Hague was on the wrong end of one of the most embarrassing losses in recent memory (the Todd Duffee power-jab) Tuchscherer in his UFC debut was kicked in the groin by Gabriel Gonzaga in one of the most horrifying sights in recent memory.
Hague fights like a caveman. He keeps his hands and body so square he’s just asking to be knocked out. He’s 1-1 in the UFC and billed as having submission skills but don’t let the one win fool you. Pat Berry, who has no ground game, basically gave Hauge his neck and said “please choke me.” Tuchsherer on the other hand trains with Brock Lesnar and Minnesota MMA. He has legit wrestling skills and was a Division II All-American at Morehead University.
Breakdown: While we haven’t seen a ton of these guys in the Octagon I have yet to be impressed with Hague. His chin is questionable, to say the least, and his stand up game leaves a ton to be desired. The same could be said with Tuchscherer but if nothing else we know he’s incredibly tough and a solid wrestler.
Prediction: Tucscherer TKO Round 2
Rolles Gracie (3-0) vs. Joey Beltran (10-3)
The Fighters: Rolles Gracie continues the legacy of the Gracie Family. He is the son of Rolls Gracie, who was raised by his uncle the Helio Gracie. As the Gracie name would suggest Rolles is an excellent submission fighter and is a second degree blackbelt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This is Rolles UFC debut. Gracie is 3-0, including one win in the now defunct IFL.
Beltran is replacing Mustapha-Al Turk on very late notice (Al-Turk had visa issues.) The Mexicutioner, awesome nickname, presents a tougher test than Al-Turk would have. Primarily a kickboxer, Beltran is 10-3 with wins over UFC vets Wes Combs and Houston Alexander.
Breakdown: While Gracie is rough around the edges as a complete fighter his ground game is world class. As seen in his other fights his game plan will be simple. He will look to use his boxing to close the distance, clinch and proceed to look for a submission. While Beltran is a solid prospect he lacks top fight experience and will have no answer to Rolles ground skills.
Prediction: Rolles Gracie Rear Naked Choke Round 1
By Matt Soldano December 29, 2009, at 1:43 pm As a reader of 3rd String Safety you know that all of us are in some way affiliated with WCWPSports, telling you why you should not be surprised if Tampa Bay drops a 40 burger on the Jets or why Spags took the Rams job just to get his coaching experience for when Coughlin leaves, or even the simpler things like how to pronounce Oshmigo Atogwe?
No matter the reason you tune in, two members of the 3rd String Family, Brandon Steinberger and myself, have provided you with another incentive to check us out. I present to you, College Basketball 2Nite: The Late Game Situation. We want you, our loyal readers, to help track a segment that Stein and I have created called The Late Game Situation Fantasy Shots (SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS! Ah Damnit, it doesn’t have the same effect when written, just watch the video on YouTube.)
Anyways this is what the segment consists of. Each week, Stein and I pick 5 players (3 guards, 2 forwards). The players can only be chosen once throughout the season and you select one of their games throughout the week (Sat-Thu) to which they will play. We accumulate their stats for the selected game and see at the week’s end which team performed at a higher level. The statistics are your basics: Points, Rebounds, Assists, Steals and Blocks. Finally, we choose two teams to win one game during the week. The team can only be chosen once and each game is considered to be another category. This is our 4th week of fantasy shots and I am off to an ass-kicking 3-0 start.
Without further ado, here are the picks for Week 4:
Stein’s Team:
G – Xavier Henry, Kansas (17.2 ppg 4 asts) 12/29 vs. Belmont
G – Ronald Moore, Siena (8.5 ppg 8.4 asts) 12/31 vs. St. Peter’s
G – Damion James, Texas (17 ppg 10 reb) 12/29 vs. Gardner Webb
F – Kyle Singler, Duke (15.7 ppg 7 reb) 12/29 vs. Long Beach St.
F – Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest 12/28 (23 pts, 17 reb, 6 blks)
Xavier over LSU (12/29)
Mississippi over Jacksonville St. (12/29)
Soldano’s Team:
G – Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas (20 ppg 3 reb) 12/30 vs. Baylor
G – D.J. Kennedy, St. Johns (16.7 ppg 6 reb) 12/31 vs. Georgetown
G – Dominique Jones, South Florida (18.6 ppg, 6 reb) 12/30 vs. Louisville
F – Wesley Johnson, Syracuse (16.8 ppg 8 reb) 12/29 vs. Seton Hall
F – Storm Warren, LSU (14 ppg 10.7 reb) 12/29 vs. Xavier
UCLA over Delaware State (66-49) 12/27
Oklahoma State over Pacific (12/29)
Make sure you listen to College Basketball 2Nite: The Late Game Situation every Friday night at 11 PM (EST) on WCWPSports.
By Anthony De Franco October 27, 2009, at 5:06 pm It seems like forever since we’ve done one of these, but the last few UFC’s have been in places that don’t release salary, I guess. Anyway, it’s back.
Before we take a look at the salaries, here are a few of my observations.
- Ben Rothwell gets paid a lot. The heavyweight made 50,000 in a loss to Cain Velasquez. For his first fight in the UFC, and for being a guy that almost no one knows about, that’s a bundle.
- Lyoto Machida is yet another main event fighter with no win bonus. We saw this with Brock Lesnar a few months ago, and now The Dragon gets his pay upfront too. It’s a little shocking to me that the UFC would guarantee the full 200,000 grand regardless of the outcome of the fight.
- Joe Stevenson’s 94,000 to fight in the middle of a card has got to drive Dana White crazy. I’m pretty sure tht he is still on that big Ultimate Fighter contract, but to pay a guy who isn’t in title contention that much has got to irk the boys at Zuffa.
- And finally, who thought that Chael Sonnen would get paid more than Yushin Okami? Before all the injuries, Okami was considered a top middleweight. Sonnen is a journeyman who everyone thought was being served up for slaughter.
Anyway, here’s the full list, courtesy of MMA Weekly.
MAIN EVENT FIGHTERS
-Lyoto Machida $200,000 (no win bonus) def. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua $155,000
-Cain Velasquez $70,000 (includes $35,000 win bonus) def. Ben Rothwell $50,000
MAIN CARD FIGHTERS
-Gleison Tibau $38,000 (includes $19,000 win bonus) def. Josh Neer $14,000
-Joe Stevenson $94,000 (includes $47,000 win bonus) def. Spencer Fisher $26,000
-Anthony Johnson $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida $12,000
*Johnson forfeited 20-percent of his $15,000 show money for missing weight
PRELIMINARY CARD FIGHTERS
-Ryan Bader $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Eric Schafer $13,000
-Pat Barry $14,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus) def. Antoni Hardonk $16,000
*Barry earned added bonuses for Fight and Knockout of the Night
*Hardonk earned an added bonus for Fight of the Night
-Chael Sonnen $54,000 (includes $27,000 win bonus) def. Yushin Okami $18,000
-Jorge Rivera $36,000 (includes $18,000 win bonus) def. Rob Kimmons $9,000
-Kyle Kingsbury $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Razak Al-Hassan $3,000
-Stefan Struve $14,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus) def. Chase Gormley $10,000
*Struve earned an added bonus for Submission of the Night
UFC 104 DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $922,000
UFC 104 AWARDS & BONUSES
(Each fighter was awarded $60,000)
Fight of the Night:
-Pat Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk
Knockout of the Night:
-Pat Barry
Submission of the Night:
-Stefan Struve
By Anthony De Franco July 24, 2009, at 1:28 am Let’s give a big shout-out to Mark Buehrle, who threw the 18th perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball. Over the past few years, he’s been playing on a team that doesn’t get all that much press (if their manager isn’t losing his mind) but has been a damn good pitcher.
He also helps prove one of my most absurd theories: I have this strange thing that Pitchers in Major League Baseball don’t work fast enough. Buehrle is the king of the 2-Hour game, and has been more successful since going to that style. After all, who needs to shake off your catcher and be dramatic on the mound when you can have a WHIP of 1.18.
Perhaps more impressive than that was the White Sox pitcher getting a call from President Barack Obama after the game. Here’s what happened via The Kansas City Star:
Obama wore a White Sox jacket when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at last week’s All-Star Game in St. Louis.
“I told him how surprised I was that he actually did it,” Buehrle said. “He said, ‘Congratulations, and it’s an honor. A lot of people are going to remember this forever.’?”
Obama had spoken with Buehrle — a St. Charles, Mo., native — in the AL clubhouse last week.
“As a fan, it’s extraordinary,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs quoted Obama as saying. “When you’re a White Sox fan and know the guy who did it, it makes it even more fun.”
That’s the kind of President I want: One who gets score updates on his custom blackberry.
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