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By Jason Comack  February 21, 2010, at 12:55 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?
Chris Lytle: Lytle is a much better fighter then he shows in the ring. He’s content with banging out KO’s, fights and submissions of the night and banking the extra cash. Lytle is a much crisper boxer then we’ve seen as of late but the truth is his giant hay-maker of doom punches have put money in his wallet so he’s unlikely to stop them. Against Brian Foster we were reminded that Lytle does in fact have a submission game as he won with a devastating knee bar.
Lytle has settled nicely into the gate keeper role. He’s a guy you can put either on the under-card or a Spike TV Prelim/Fight Night and know your going to get a solid fight. His role is taking on young guys who are ready to move up in competition and while there’s a bunch of fights that make sense a lot of the young welterweights are already booked in fights.
Rory MacDonald; The 20 year old Canadian welterweight is an exciting prospect. However he’s been rumored to be fighting Carlos Condit at UFC 115. Rick Story and Nick Osipczak are fighting each other at UFC 112. Amir Sadollah and Dong Hyun Kim are fighting each other at UFC 114. T.J Grant and Johny Hendricks are fighting at UFC 113.
So due to timing issues most of those guys are out of the equation. So whose left?
Paulo Thiago: Thiago has been fighting top guys non-stop. This fight would give him a chance to hone his skills, he’s still very raw, and give him a win against a solid welterweight. Let’s not kid ourselves though Thiago isn’t going to take such a drastic step down in competition.
Matt Serra: That already happened and my wallet still is hurting.
Rob Kimmons and Mike Pierce: Pierce and Kimmons are fighting on UFC Live: Vera/Jones on March 21rst so the timing works out nicely. Pierce, 10-3 (1-1 UFC), took out Brock Larson is his UFC debut and then lost to Jon Fitch. Obviously there’s no shame in losing to Jon Fitch and in fact he looked very good in that fight. Kimmons hasn’t enjoyed much UFC success, 2-2, but is moving down to welterweight for the first time.
Ben Saunders and Jake Ellenberger: Saunders was originally set to take out Martin Kampman before a horrifying gash knocked hm out of the fight. Ellenberger is 1-1 in the UFC and much like Pierce has looked good even when he’s lost. He lost to Carlos Condit in his UFC debut but lost a close split decision, he followed that up by beating Mike Pyle.
Saunders is 4-1 in the UFC and a win over Ellenberger would probably put him in line to fight bigger fish then Lytle. If Ellenberger does win however Lytle would probably be a fight in his range.
Ricardo Almeida and Matt Brown: Almeida is moving down from middleweight, where he had sucess and draws Matt Brown as his first opponent. Brown is riding a fight win streak and is 4-1 in the UFC. Almedia would probably draw a bigger name if he wins considering his original opponent before injury was Jon Fitch. Brown already fought and lost to Lytle although it was outside of the UFC.
Nate Diaz and Rory Markham: The less sane Diaz brother is moving up in weight because well in his own words “I don’t make enough money to cut to 155.” Diaz is 6-3 in the UFC and a marketable fighter because of his personality. Markham had success in the IFL but has struggled as of late. He lost is UFC debut to Dan Hardy and has struggled with injuries since.
If Diaz can beat Markham I can’t think of a more perfect fight then Diaz/Lylte. Your bound to get a fight of the night with both guys winning wild hay-makers at each other. Unlike Gray Maynard Lytle actually has the boxing acumen to make Diaz pay for his goofy striking style. Also unlike Gray Maynard if he gets KO’d he really doesn’t care. Lytle and Diaz would also be a wildly entertaining scrap if it hit the ground.
Diaz has to get by Markham first but, Lytle Vs. Diaz would be awesome as a Spike TV Prelim or Fight Night fight.
By Jason Comack December 18, 2009, at 3:02 pm The Irish Hand Granade has inked a new UFC deal; Per MMAWeekly.
Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis has signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC, according to a source in his camp.
Davis, 36, made his UFC debut on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in August 2005 and has made 12 Octagon appearances since emerging from the reality show, earning an 8-4 record.
The source said Davis was targeting a spring return to action, though he has not been approached with a specific opponent or date.
Davis, an alumni of season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter, had amassed a record of 8-4 in the Octagon. He is coming off back to back losses, a controversial split decision to Dan Hardy and a vicious KO and that hands of Ben Saunders.
Davis has become very popular overseas and he’s one of the UFC’s “go to” fighters for cards in Europe. The former pro-boxer has a very well rounded game. In a lot of ways he’s similar to Chris Lytle. The loss to Hardy de-railed his title aspirations and Davis will now likely fall into a gatekeeper type roll.
By Anthony De Franco November 24, 2009, at 10:05 am Ladies and Gentlemen, let us take this time to take pride in a little victory. The UFC 106 disclosed payroll was over 1 million dollars. Way to get that money, guys.
Some interesting notes from this list, brought to us by MMA Weekly:
- Tito Ortiz is making 250,000 in a loss. Do we even know if he can still draw? If the numbers for this card come back, and they suck, how is Dana White going to defend paying him that kind of money?
- Lil’ Nog also making big bucks, getting 100,000 for his win over Luiz Cane. Rogerio was incredibly good in the victory, and showed the kind of skills that can make him a champ at 205.
- The night’s big winner was Josh Koscheck, who received 106,000 in salary for his win over Anthony Johnson, and then added 140,000 more for Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night. War Kos. That’s got to be a good feeling waking up on Monday and seeing an extra 246,000 in your bank account.
Here’s the full list:
MAIN EVENT FIGHTERS
-Forrest Griffin: $250,000 (includes $150,000 win bonus) def. Tito Ortiz: $250,000*
- Josh Koscheck: $106,000 (includes $53,000 win bonus) def. Anthony Johnson: $17,000
MAIN CARD FIGHTERS
-Paulo Thiago: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Jacob Volkmann: $6,000
-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: $100,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus) def. Luiz Cane: $19,000
-Amir Sadollah: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Phil Baroni: $25,000
PRELIMINARY CARD FIGHTERS
-Ben Saunders: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Marcus Davis: $27,000
-Kendall Grove: $44,000 (includes $22,000 win bonus) def. Jake Rosholt: $15,000
-Brian Foster: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus) def. Brock Larson: $26,000
-Caol Uno: $20,000 vs. Fabricio Camoes: $10,000
(The fight was ruled a draw. Both fighters received their show money only.)
-George Sotiropoulos: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Jason Dent: $8,000
UFC 106 DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $1,021,000
*Tito Ortiz was paid a flat rate of $250,000 to show, with no available win bonus.
UFC 106 AWARDS & BONUSES
(Each fighter was awarded $70,000 per award, which is in addition to his disclosed salary.)
Fight of the Night:
-Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson
Knockout of the Night:
-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Submission of the Night:
-Josh Koscheck
By Anthony De Franco November 19, 2009, at 4:56 pm George Sotiropoulos v. Jason Dent
Love Sotiropoulos. He’s a huge lightweight with the kind of BJJ that can end fights quickly. He’s grown a lot as since his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter. He’s got three wins in the UFC but none of them are over anyone with a name. The best of them in the ultra-lanky lightweight George Roop.
Dent is a TUF 9 alumni who has in a win in his one fight since. He’s another BJJ guy with 15 of his 19 career wins coming by submission. He had a previous stint in the UFC, and he lost to Gleison Tibau and Roger Huerta before being cut.
In what promises to be a technical, BJJ battle, I’ll take the guy who has more potential.
Prediction: Sotiropoulos via unanimous decision
Caol Uno v. Fabricio Camoes
How the mighty have fallen. Uno went from his famous wars with B.J. Penn to being on the undercard. In his comeback at UFC 99, he lost a fight he simply should not have against Spencer Fisher. Before that, he lost a fight in Japan against Shinya Aoki. Is Uno done? He 42 total fights under his belt, which is more than veterans like Randy Couture. There’s a possibility that the battle wounds have just caught up with him.
Camoes is a UFC newcomer. He’s 10-4 in his MMA career, but lacks any big wins. He’s a second degree black belt under Royler Gracie, so you know that his BJJ is solid. Most of his wins come by submission, which you’d figure. He’s walking into a really crowded 155 division, and will have impress right away to move up the ranks.
Prediction: Uno via TKO
Brock Larson v. Brian Foster
Larson is a Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts product that we praised on this site, so needless to say that he lost his last fight. He’s 26-3 in his career and he called for him to get more respect before he lost to solid up and comer in Mike Pierce. He’s a very strong wrestler with a background in Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu, which is a combination of BJJ and Judo. A former WEC fighter, he’s 2-1 since coming over to the UFC and will look to continue to use his all around game to climb in the rankings.
Foster is from the HIT Squad camp that Matt Hughes runs. Foster lost his first UFC fight in really bizarre fashion. He lost to Ricky Story via Arm Triangle, but he actually defended the move correctly. When you are in an arm triangle, you are taught to keep your opponent inside of your guard. That keeps him from getting any kind of leverage. Well, Story didn’t need any leverage to choke to out Foster. When you lose in such a strange way, you have to prove that the last one was a fluke.
Prediction: Larson via Submission
Paulo Thiago v. Jacob Volkmann
Thiago’s on this undercard too, huh? It wasn’t too long ago that he knocked out Josh Koscheck, right? Since then he lost a decision to Jon Fitch at the swing fight of UFC 100, and now he’s been banished to the undercard. He’s only loss is the one to Fitch, and he still has a bunch of potential.
Volkmann is making his UFC debut, but has big fight experience as his last bout was on ESPN’s Bellator Fighting Championship. He’s 10-0, and a very hot prospect. Another Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts project, he’s got great BJJ, and a decent all around game. Side note: His nickname is Christmas. Not kidding.
I’m just pretty sure that this fight is designed for Thiago not to lose.
Prediction: Thiago via unanimous decision
Kendall Grove v. Jake Rosholt
Is there more maddening fighter in the UFC than Kendall Grove? He shows potential that makes you jump out of your seat sometimes, and other times you think that he just flat out sucks. Since TUF 3, he’s won three in a row, lost two in a row, then won two more, then lost to Ricardo Almeida, which isn’t that bad. I still think that he is the best fighter that he has ever been. His muay thai causes problems for just about anyone because of his length. On the ground, he’s not a real pro, but he’s better than most.
Rosholt is another member of Oklahoma State wrestling dynasty that has made it’s way over to the UFC from the WEC. He’s 1-1 in the UFC since coming over. His loss was to an underrated Dan Miller, but his win was over Chris Leben, and there were rumors that Leben had fallen into drug use again and had not trained for the fight at all. Rosholt will likely try to take Grove down, and if he does the question becomes can he possibly stay out of Grove submissions.
In a word: Nope.
Prediction: Grove via submission
Marcus Davis v. Ben Saunders
Mark my words: This will be the most exciting fight on the card.
Davis is a former boxer that has made himself a really nice career in MMA. Since appearing on TUF, He’s 8-2, and his losses are to Mike Swick and Dan Hardy. In the Hardy fight, there is an argument to be made that Davis actually should have won a split over Hardy. If he did, he probably gets a rematch with Swick, and maybe we’re talking about him taking on GSP. He’s not just a good boxer, but he’s got good muay thai, and a good enough ground game to get back to his feet.
Saunders is also a muay thai practitioner with excellent stand-up. He’s shown a propensity to bang, and was even talking smack to Mike Swick before Swick put him down for good. He’s 7-1-2 in his career, and 3-1 in the UFC. I think that Saunders is a future contender, but this not going to be his fight.
Prediction: Davis via TKO
For UFC 106 Gear, check out The 3rd String Store.
By Anthony De Franco September 29, 2009, at 7:21 pm What a replacement for Dyun-hung Kim. Swick was supposed to take on Martin Kampmann at UFC 103, but instead “The Hitman” was knocked out by Paul Daley who replaced Swick because he was concussed in training. Now, Swick will get a second chance at a number one contender’s fight with Dan Hardy. Last time we saw Dan Hardy, he was eeking out a split decision over Marcus Davis at UFC 99 in Germany. Here’s the story from MMA Weekly:
Following Martin Kampmann’s devastating loss to Paul Daley at UFC 103, fans and critics alike were wondering who could possibly fit the bill to face Mike Swick with the winner gunning for a shot at UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. It looks like that question has been answered in the form of British fighter Dan Hardy, who will face Swick at UFC 105 in England.
Mike Chiappetta of AOL Fanhouse first reported the news on Monday citing UFC president Dana White, and MMAWeekly.com has since confirmed the bout with sources close to the negotiations.
Swick was forced out of his scheduled UFC 103 bout against Kampmann due to a concussion sustained in training, but the American Kickboxing Academy stand out is back to form and chomping at the bit to get in the Octagon.
Currently sitting with an undefeated record as a 170-pound fighter, Swick has looked impressive in his last few bouts, including a dominating performance over Ben Saunders in his last trip out.
The hometown crowd will definitely be behind its countryman, Hardy, at UFC 105 as he hails from Great Britain and has amassed a 3-0 record in the UFC.
I am really excited to watch Swick smash Hardy. To be honest, I just can’t possibly see Hardy winning this fight because his strength is striking, and I’m fairly sure that Swick’s striking is in fact better than Hardy. I full expect Swick to walk and then start preparing for Georges St.Pierre in February.
By Anthony De Franco September 9, 2009, at 3:36 pm Oh baby. Let me tell you about how excited I am for this one. In one corner, you have “The Irish Hand Grenade” who is one of MMA’s best boxers with improved Muay Thai and excellent take down defense. In the other, You have “Killa B,” who was undefeated before getting swatted back down the welterweight ranks by Mike Swick in Germany at UFC 99. Saunders is an excellent striker and makes exciting fights with just about anyone.
Another reason that this fight is awesome is that both of these fighters need this fight. Davis also lost in Germany when he dropped a controversial decision to Dan Hardy. That loss was especially difficult for Davis, who was sick of Hardy running his mouth and was threatening to kill the Brit by the time they got in the ring. Before that loss, Davis had won 7 of his 8 UFC fights, with his only loss also coming to Swick.
Expect this fight to be a standup war. Saunders lost to Swick because he was staying in the pocket too much and got caught a bunch of times. If he does that with Davis, The Irish Hand Grenade might actually kill him.
Thanks to MMAWeekly For the Photo!
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