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By Anthony De Franco  March 19, 2010, at 3:35 pm  Yet another good post over over at The UFC Undisputed community site. This one focuses on the revamped striking game that will be in this year’s game, and answers some very important questions that we have all had since last year.
We’ve done a great deal to revamp striking. Last year, many of the reactions that could be generated in the Octagon (like receiving a body kick/punch/ elbow) were tied to pre-scripted animations. This meant that if you were tagged by certain strikes from your opponent, you’d lose control of your fighter for a very brief bit as you recovered your footing or stopped wincing from a body blow.
This time around, we’ve made the stand up much more true to life. Now the reactions generated by dealing and receiving blows and strikes rely greatly on our physics engine. Tech speak translation: the game is faster, more fluid, and more intense, with the player maintaining a greater amount of control over his fighter due to fewer preset animated reactions to fists/shins/elbows meeting someone’s chin/face/obliques. We’ll bring you all a much more detailed post on this topic in the weeks to come, as it has some important standup implications that we want to go in-depth on.
I remember a specific moment in which I realized that as good as 2009 was, it needed work. After watching 3rd String loyal fan and friend Brandon Steinberger and I make a match between Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch look like an elaborate dance, two of my non-MMA fan friends wanted to play. They picked up the controllers, ran to the center of the cage, and threw elbows at one another from clinch range. The problem was that once one hit, the other person was frozen in an animation, so he couldn’t do anything to block. It was horrifying.
It’s good to hear that this has been fixed. Physics appears to be a big focus this year, which should make for a much more realistic game.
We’ve brought a new layer of striking defense to Undisputed this year by way sways and counters. Why take a haymaker to the face from Wanderlei Silva when you can duck it, right? Mastering the sway in 2010 is going to be a very important key to you competitive Undisputed gamers. There’s more than one way to sway out of the way of strikes, but we’re going to let you discover which sway is right for the range of strikes that will be headed your way.
Also, be sure to keep an eye out for Sway Counters. On the dev team, we refer to a perfectly executed sway counter as “the magic moment”. Again, we’re going to let you find out why we call it “the magic moment”, but it might have something to do with it looking awesome, being a sure sign of elite skills, and being able to do some horrible things to the guy on the receiving end of the counter.
Here is a dirty little secret. When last year’s game came out, I was only about two or three months into being truly obsessed with MMA. Now, I know so much more than I did then. One of the things I’ve learned is that blocking in MMA is not a very functional form of defense due to light gloves. Head movement is what separates good MMA boxers from great ones. Now that this will be represented, it will create a whole new way to counteract all those stupid people online who try to run the center of the cage and overwhelm you with strikes in the first ten seconds of the fight. Duck, Counter Hook, Give me my check.
By Anthony De Franco February 27, 2010, at 6:05 am Yancy Medeiros defeated Raul Castillo via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
This is a tough fight to get excited about. It’s not that Medeiros did anything wrong, or didn’t impress. It’s that we saw him outstrike a grappler who clearly is not comfortable on his feet whatsoever. However, let’s choose to be positive. He defeated an American Kickboxing Academy member by using effective, if not dominant striking and showed some really nice takedown defense. The only offense that Castillo put together came after a low blow. That should say something.
Saffiedine defeated Terry via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
I’ll say it again: Training with Cung Le might be a mistake. I keep saying that Anthony Johnson needs to get with a real camp if he wants to be a legit contender, and we saw again here that Terry was simply overmatched. Terry has a great highlight reel TKO with a head kick, but against a tougher opponent in Saffiedine, he was peppered with shots throughout and couldn’t get a takedown. Saffiedine looked good, and I like the combination of all the different arts he combined in his attack.
Luke Rockhold defeated Paul Bradley via TKO (Knees to the Body) at 2:24 of round 1.
Rockhold was absolutely dominant. He was winning the standup battle many times over and did it by using impressive counters. The finishing sequence was impressive as he threw a couple of really nice knees against the cage to drop Bradley. Combine this win with some of Luke’s submission wins, and suddenly this is a guy that we really need to start looking at.
Trevor Prangley vs. Karl Amoussou ends by Technical Draw due to accidental eye poke from Prangley at 4:14 of round 1
Everyone is going to get on the referee for this, but it isn’t really his fault. He was a slave to a dumb rule. When someone gets poked in the eye like that, why should they not be allowed five minutes to recover? Is it any different then getting hit with a low blow? After a few minutes, unless you really got gouged, your eye starts to open and you can go on fighting. That was a good fight for four minutes, and it’s a shame that it was stopped because of a stupid rule like that.
Sarah Kaufman defeated Takayo Hashi via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Kaufman was just too strong for Hashi. The reality is that 135 is not a very deep division in women’s MMA. Hashi is a 125 fighter who was fighting up in order to give Kaufman an opponent. Kaufman boxed well throughout the fight, but Hashi simply could not keep up with the Canadian fighter. The problem is going to be finding an opponent for Kaufman. Even Jordan Breen might have to dig deep into the bag of tricks to find one.
By Anthony De Franco February 8, 2010, at 11:29 am It’s been no secret that WEC poster boy Urijah Faber has long wanted a rematch with Tyson Griffin. Griffin defeated Faber when they were both in Gladiator Challenge. Some time ago, rumors were running rampant that Griffin would drop to 145 and the two would get it on.
Tyson quickly debunked those rumors citing the fact that he had added too much extra weight since fighting at 145. Now, Faber is willing to put on some weight to get another shot, according to MMA Junkie.
“I’ll be around here for a while, and I’d love to get that fight again,” Faber said at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
“(It’s the) same with going up in weight. I’m not trying to mow through the weight class; I’m trying to fight superfights that fans want to see. At this point for me, I’ve had 26 fights, and I just want to do big, exciting fights. Go up? Go down? It’s all good.”
As before, Faber admitted his frame is not ideal for fighting at lightweight.
“I wrestled in college at 113 pounds for five years,” he said. “I know I could go to [135 pounds] if I wanted, but I’ve also been trying to put on weight for the last six years, so I feel most comfortable at [145].
“I would feel really comfortable at [155], but I would be at a disadvantage size-wise with my body structure and everything, and I’d be just about right at [135].”
While Faber would be at a huge size disadvantage at lightweight, it would be a huge fight for the UFC and certainly would bolster the popularity of the WEC. However, Faber needs to get past Jose Aldo first at the WEC’s Pay-per-view debut.
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 Jason Comack January 11, 2010, at 4:14 pm When my lightweight rankings come out (and I promise that will be soon) Benson Henderson will be outside my top 10.
Despite his recent 9 fight win streak Henderson is a fighter that’s very raw. His wrestling is solid as is his striking but even Benson will tell you it needs to be refined. His cardio is off the charts and he’s also very strong for a lightweight. His biggest strength is his submission offense and defense. As he showed in the Donald Cerrone fight, he can’t be killed by conventional weapons. I’m pretty sure every bone in his body is double jointed and he doesn’t need air to breathe. That’s the only possible explanation for how he survived Cowboy’s onslaught.
In terms of offense, he has great posture in top guard. He demonstrated this against Cerrone as he was able to rain down punches without taking much damage. His lightning fast guillotine against Varner shows you how explosive he can be.
The case against Benson is that even in wins against Cerrone and Varner, he was on the defensive a lot. A lot of people think he lost to Cerrone and he was most likely down 2 rounds to none against Varner.
So where does Benson go from here? A rematch against Cowboy appears to be in the works. But, what does a win ultimately do for him? Cerrone isn’t in the top 10 and Henderson already beat him. Let’s say he beats Cerrone a second time then what? The WEC lightweight division is surprisingly thin. Rising star Anthony Njokuani would make sense but Henderson beat him just a year ago. After that whose left? A rematch against Varner? Benson, Varner and Cowboy form the top tier in the lightweight division. After them, there’s not a whole lot there.
Henderson’s skill is undeniable but seeing him be outwrestled for two rounds against Varner doesn’t bode well for his chances agaisnt fringe top 10 fighters like Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thompson, Tyson Griffin and Sean Sherk.
So how high is the ceiling for Ben Henderson? As long as he stays in the WEC we may never know.
By Anthony De Franco January 11, 2010, at 12:36 am Before I make my argument, I’m going to participate in a little exercise that lawyers call discovery. That means that I am going to show all my cards, expose my evidence so that the whole world can see.
1. Varner was hit with a knee that glanced his head in his fight against Cerrone. Because of that, he “couldn’t continue” and a fight where the momentum was clearly in Cerrone’s favor was stopped, went to the cards, and Varner retained.
2. He then took a YEAR off, claiming that he had two separate injuries that kept him from fighting Cerrone. People clamored for the fight, and rumors began to circulate that Varner was ducking his opponent. The two continued to verbal spar and nearly fight each time they were in the same room.
3. After Cerrone lost an interim title fight to Ben Henderson, Varner was forced to fight Henderson. All he did in the lead-up to the fight was that the WEC was promoting the return of Urijah Faber, their biggest draw, more than they were promoting his title fight.
4. Just moments into said title fight, Varner looked for the ref to stop the fight because of something with his eye. It kinda made no sense. He was just hit with a kick to the body. I’m going to assume that he lost a contact. Otherwise, I have no idea.
5. In round three, Henderson locked in a hanging guillotine. It took Varner roughly three seconds to tap. No slam, no falling to the ground to defend, no trying to power out. Nothing. He just tapped.
6. After the fight, Varner said “Boo all you want. I came to fight, he came to grapple.”
Wow. What a guy. This dude wants to know why the fans hate him so much? Look at the six examples I just provided. All of those things seem to point to the same thing. Varner simply doesn’t have much in the way of heart.
As someone who covers the sport, I really don’t hate fighters. I have certain fighters that I treat as a “home team.” When they win, I get pumped. I never, ever get excited when someone looses. However, how could you not root against Varner after all he’s done?
The best part about the whole thing is that a lot of those things are excusable if they were the only thing a fighter has done. The quick tap could have been a case where the submission was just in really deep. The knee was a weird scenario. However, when you pile it all together, it paints an ugly picture.
Jamie. Listen to me. If you want the fans to like you, here is what you do: You shut up. You stop talking. You take your next fight and you win. You still stay quiet. Lather, rinse, and repeat. It’s your mouth that gets you into trouble more often than not.
As for the quick tap, I think that we all know what that means. I’m just not going to say it because I don’t want to create enemies. However, I think we all know that we need our fighters to show a little more heart than that.
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