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UFC 110 Aftermath: What's Next For Chris Lytle

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.

MMA

UFC 110: Undercard Predictions!

By Jason Comack

February 15, 2010, at 3:40 pm

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Elvis Sinosic (8-11-2) vs. Chris Haseman (20-16)

The Fighters: Move along nothing to see here. No, seriously. This is the “hey let’s find two Australian dudes” and have them fight. Sinosic isn’t very good as his losing record would indicate. The UFC seems to love the King Of Rock and Rumble as this is will be his 9th fight, 1-7, in the UFC. They must think he has a cool nickname.

Haseman, 40 years young, is also…well Australian. He’s 0-1 in the UFC and has lost his last 5 fights. This will be his first return to action in almost two years.

Breakdown: These two met once before and Haseman won by the dreaded submission “chin to eye.” Of course that fight happened in 1997. Haseman/Sinosic II won’t exactly have the drama of Couture/Coleman but if nothing else we get to hear a whole lot of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie Oy Oy Oy.”

Prediction: Haseman Via Chin To Eye Round 1

Stephan Bonnar (11-6) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (18-9-1)

The Fighters: Is this a “loser leaves town match?” [Side Note: Can we just officially start hyping these matches as such? We have number one contender matches, why can't we have the opposite? Joe Rogan can even pull his best Jeff Probst and kick the loser out of the cage in lieu of a post fight interview.] Stephan Bonnar has earned a lot of good will with the UFC but it might be running out. Seriously speaking, the UFC wouldn’t exist as currently constructed without the contributions of Bonnar and Forrest Griffin, and since that fateful day in April 2005 their careers have gone in opposite directions. Griffin went on to win a title and Bonnar has been suspended for horse steroids and has lost 4 of his last 6 fights, including two in a row. While Bonnar has become a more refined fighter, his skills haven’t really evolved in the past five years. He’s still a mediocre striker, with questionable cardio, less than stellar wrestling and decent jiu-jitsu. His last loss was to Mark Coleman in a fight in which Bonnar got bullied. To say it was an embarrassing performance would be an understatement.

Soszynski entered his season of The Ultimate Fighter as one of the more experienced contestants. The former IFL veteran has racked up a 3-1 record in the UFC and is coming off his first UFC loss. Soszynski is a very big and strong light heavyweight who has found a knack for winning by submission (two of his UFC wins have earned him submission of the night.)

Breakdown: This is a fight that seems to break down perfectly for Soszynski to win. Everything Bonnar does well Sosznyski does better. Bonnars best hope might be to turn this fight into a brawl, ala Griffin/Bonnar I. In his last fight, against Brandon Vera, Soszynski looked hesitant when he got tagged and never seemed to want to engage. Forcing him into the pocket is the way to go.

Prediction: Sosznyski Via Unanimous Decision.

Chris Lytle (27-17-5) vs. Brian Foster (13-4)

The Fighters: Lytle is The Ultimate Gatekeeper at this point. Don’t let the veteran Lytle’s UFC record fool you. He’s a very well rounded fighter who always is a challenging fight. In fact, Lytle’s last 3 UFC fights have been awarded Fight Of The Night honors. Lytle will never be a title contender but he certainly has an important role in developing young talent. Get past Lytle and it’s time for the big boys.

Foster is replacing Dong Hyun-Kim, who had to pull out of the fight due to injury. Foster put himself on the map with impressive performances against Rick Story and Brock Larson. In the Larson fight he received two illegal blows in the first round and came back to win.

Breakdown: We can expect fireworks here as both guys aren’t afraid to stand and bang. Fosters edge may be on the mat but don’t expect Lytle to let it come to that. At the end of the day Foster won’t be ready for a fighter the caliber of Lytle, when the brawling ends and the boxing begins Foster will be out of his league.

Prediction: Lytle KO Round 2

Goran Reljic (8-0) vs. C.B. Dollaway (9-2)

The Fighters: And the award for “fight I am randomly super excited for” goes to…Goran Reljic and The Doberman?

Reljic is one of the top prospects at 185 pounds. The exciting 25 year old made his debut at UFC 84 and took out Wilson Gouveia in impressive fashion. He mixed in punches and devastating kicks before eventually knocking out the veteran fighter. Now moving down to middleweight for the first time Reljic hopes to quickly move up the ladder. Reljics striking skills were on display in the octagon but don’t doubt his BJJ credentials. Reljic is a BJJ Brown-Belt and in 2007 he swept the European Gracie Jiu-Jitsu championships.

Dollaway in a lot of ways is similar to Melvin Guillard. Dollaway has an insane amount of talent but always seems to find a way to put his neck on the line, literally. He got caught in an arm-bar, twice, against Amir Sadollah and got caught in a guillotine choke against Tom Lawlor (and almost caught by Mike Massenzio.) Dollaway’s strength is his All-American wrestling background. He trains with a great camp at Arizona Combat Sports that includes up and comers like Ryan Bader and Aaron Simpson.

Breakdown: Reljc will have a significant advantage while the fight is on the feet. On the other hand Dollaway’s wrestling is good enough to the point where he should be able to get the fight to the ground at will. The real question is whether or not Dollaway has learned from his mistakes and learned enough jiu-jitsu defense to remain out of harms way. Something tells me he hasn’t.

Prediction: Reljic Via Triangle Choke Round 2.

Igor Pokrajac (21-6) vs. James Te Huna (12-4)

The Fighters: Pokrajac is a Cro-Cop disciple. While you would expect head-kicks from anyone on the Cro-Cop Squad, Pokrajac relies on his wrestling and submission skills. Pokrajac is 21-6 and 0-1 in the UFC. His one UFC loss was a decisive decision loss to Vladimir Matyushenko.

Huna is a Australian, shocker I know, fighter making his UFC debut. Huna relies on his Thai Boxing and wrestling skills. According to some publications he was considered the #1 Light Heavyweight fighter in all of Australia and New Zealand.

Breakdown: While these guys have a combined 43 fights between them most have been against local competition. In fact looking at Pokrajac’s record his 21 wins is clearly inflated by fighting lesser European competition. Every time he’s taken a step up in competition; Ausserio Silva, Mamed Khalidov and Vladimir Matyushenko he’s lost handily. One can come to the hypothesis that the only reason Pokrajac is still on the roster is because of his association to Cro-Cop. Look for the hometown fighter, Huna, to stifle Pokrajac’s take-downs en route to a K.O. win.

Prediction: Huna Via K.O Round 2

MMA

Amir Takes On The Stun Gun at UFC 114…

By Anthony De Franco

February 11, 2010, at 1:49 pm

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Nothing like another good striker v. grappler matchup. Here’s the news from Bloody Elbow:

Welterweights are set to do battle on May 29 in Las Vegas at UFC 114 as “Ultimate Fighter” winner Amir Sadollah returns to action to face Korean Judoka Dong Hyun-Kim.

The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight, with both fighters verbally agreeing to the tilt. Bout agreements are expected soon.

Sadollah has quietly worked his way back from the being the forgotten TUF winner and become a fan favorite. His self-depricating sense of humor reminds many people of Forrest Griffin. For me, he mention the Family Guy Road House running joke in his post-fight. I’m sold.

Hyun-Kim will look to take the fight to the ground and work the ground and pound that earned him victories over Matt Brown and T.J. Grant. Kim is 12-0-1 (1). Yea, that’s a lot of columns.

This should be a good fight to see where both of these guys stand. If Kim wins, expect a jump in competition for his next fight.

MMA

Swick To Take On Hardy At UFC 105…

By Anthony De Franco

September 29, 2009, at 7:21 pm

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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.

MMA

TUF 9 Winner James Wilks v. Matt Brown at UFC 105

By Anthony De Franco

August 20, 2009, at 7:00 am

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For his first fight under UFC contract, James “Lightning” Wilks will take Matt “The Immortal” Brown at UFC 105.

Wilks won the ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” when he defeated American DeMarques Johnson by rear naked choke at the end round 1. He is a strong jiu-jitsu fighter and most importantly, he is British. UFC 105 will be the next event taking place across the pond.

Brown is best known for being the man who garnered his nickname from surviving an overdose on heroin. He was on season 7 of TUF, and became one of the coolest men on earth when he threatened Jeremy May’s life. Forrest Griffin even compared him to Chuck Norris. In the ring, Brown is 3-1 since entering the UFC, with victories over Pete Sell, Ryan Thomas and Matt Arroyo. His lone loss was to Dyun-hung Kim via split decision. Brown will likely attempt to stand with Wilks to avoid being submitted.

Does anyone else notice that there is no “development” of Ultimate Fighter winners anymore? Recently, Amir Sadollah lost his first fight against a tough fighter in Johny Hendricks. Now, Wilks is being thrown in against Brown who is no slouch. Compare Matt Brown to Brian Gassaway who Diego Sanchez fought after wining TUF 1.

All in all, I like Matt Brown in England.

PGA

Tom, Tiger, and The Wind- British Open Day One Thoughts

By Jordan Lauterbach

July 17, 2009, at 1:11 am

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I feel like a weather man. Maybe Al Roker or Mr. G. It seems like every time we have a major championship, I’m writing about the weather. But, unlike the U.S Open, today I write about how good weather can affect a golf championship.

What kind of effect can good weather have on a golf championship?, you may ask. The answer lies in the course.

One of the main features of links golf is that it is played in areas that are often rainy and windy. A major staple of the British Open has always been watching players struggle through some of the strangest conditions this side of winter. For goodness sakes, last year’s British featured sideways rain!

More than every other type of course, links courses are based on the assumption that the weather will be generally bad and unpredictable. The courses themselves aren’t necessarily all that challenging. The game often surrounds itself around navigating the course in sub-par conditions. Because the courses exist is places like Scotland, Ireland, and Britain, it is a safe bet that the weather will generally give way to challenging links golf.

But if you took that bet on day one of the British, you would have lost. The weather at Turnbury was quite calm. Watching the coverage on TNT, I saw little traces of rain or wind that would make any difference. This made a course that would be difficult in bad weather quite “assaultable”.

And assaulted it was. Although not leading at the end of the day,Tom Watson stole the show early. Watson used the calm course to his advantage a fired an unreal five-under, 65. The most impressive statistic from Watson’s day? No bogeys.

The 59 year old is known for his many triumphs at The British in the past, but was largely thought of as a ceremonial player who would finish light years below the cut line. Watson, himself, was supposed to help out on ABC’s weekend coverage. But don’t worry, ABC. He’ll still be helping you out. He may be your lead story. Yes, the prospect of Watson being in serious contention this weekend is an unlikely one. But stranger things have happened. One has to only look to last year when 53 year old Greg Norman found himself in the top three going into Sunday.

But here’s why I don’t think Watson is a serious contender come Saturday night- The weather yesterday allowed the course to become manageable. Their was no wind. No rain. No obstacle to overcome, besides the general trials of a professional golfer. I wouldn’t bet on the weather staying that way. I question whether Watson can compete in weather that is less than glorious. From what I understand, a glorious day is quite rare. I don’t think the equation of late round golf + Scottish weather + a few charging young guns on your tail would be one that Watson could solve successfully. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re talking about Watson’s prospects differently after today’s round. He tees off at 8:06am.

Getting “Watson-blocked” in all of this is the actual leader, Miguel Angel Jimenez. Jimenez, also no spring chicken, shot a 6 under, 64 to grab sole possession of the lead. As was with Watson, Jimenez did not bogey a hole. His round was capped by a fantastic birdy putt at 18 to grab sole possession of the lead. The forty five year old had his most success in the early 2000’s. He had his best major finish ever when he tied for second at the 2000 U.S Open. A year later, he had his best ever British finish- tieing for third.

While I think he has a beater chance to stay in the tournament, I still question how much of the leaderboard was aided by the great condition. That being said, while tougher condition don’t help the leaders, it doesn’t do the chasers any favors either.

Other day one musings….

- Another poor day one showing for Tiger at a Major. He shot a +1, 71. It looked like he struggled off the tee for the majority of his round. One of the more disturbing things I noticed from Woods today was his general demeanor. Tiger is not known as a hot head, but he’s never exactly stoic on the course when he’s frustrated. If Tiger is not playing well, you will know it from his body language. This is nothing new.

But I thought his body language today was particularly poor. I noticed it more on the back nine. It wasn’t just yelling and pouting. It was letting the golf club go in the middle of his back swing in frustration. If seen Tiger mad, but never so much that he’d consistently go short on his mechanics.

I have a theory about why Tiger was so mad at himself, and it goes back to the weather. In his Tuesday press conference, Tiger talked so much about the challenges of a links course and the importance to taking advantage of it when you can…Today was a perfect day to pepper a course like Turnbury and Tiger couldn’t do it. Theren lies the frustration.

But this I know- round two is a make or break round for Tiger. He’s tied for 68th and cannot afford to wait for the weekend to make his move. By that time, it may be too late…even for Tiger.

The fact of the matter is that Woods may have wasted a huge opportunity on Thursday. If theres no charge, I wonder how this will affect the way his year is viewed. To be fair, its not a bad knock on the guy if you make it.

- Two major disappointments today…

-My pick, Hunter Mahan, is tied for 98th after a +2, 72. He never got comfortable after putting up bogey’s on his first two holes. He made only three birds all day (all on the back nine) and double bogeyed 15. He knows how to come from beind, but 8 shots may be a rough climb in a major.

- Anthony Kim was terrible. Part of it could have been the neck injury that he suffered early in his round. I know what those feel like and I can’t imagine playing golf with one. Kim dug his grave and buried himself with a gigantic 9 spot on the
2nd hole…9??

I don’t even shoot nine’s.

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UFC 110 Aftermath: What's Next For Chris Lytle

UFC 110: Undercard Predictions!

Amir Takes On The Stun Gun at UFC 114…

Swick To Take On Hardy At UFC 105…

TUF 9 Winner James Wilks v. Matt Brown at UFC 105

Tom, Tiger, and The Wind- British Open Day One Thoughts

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