UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

[SPX]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Guida has no range, and sub par striking.

I agree. His striking isn't that great. I really do like watching him fight, though. His reputation for being someone who just goes balls out is well-deserved, especially when he's pushed.

[MMA_scientist]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Dunham may not be a great striker, but he has shown that he can strike... Sherk is actuallya pretty good striker, and he beat Sherk standing. He also floored Per Eklund with a punch. I think he has more power than Kenny... and he has been able to take guys down pretty consistently. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kenny beat him at all, but I will be surprised if it is a blow out either way. I am not betting it unless somehow one guy is a pretty sizable underdog.

[Havis Jr]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Im betting against kenny until he wins one, and if they keep putting him against the top up and comers like dunham/maynard he is going to lose a lot. LW division is way more talented now then when BJ was champ.

What top LW fighters are in the UFC now that weren't there when BJ was champ?

None really, but my perception of who the top guys are has changed a lot. Diego,stevenson,sherk,kenny they were the top dogs when BJ was champ.

When BJ was fighting joe daddy for the lw title, Maynard and Frankie were battling it out on the undercard but either one of them could have beaten bj then and without a doubt now. I would pick maynard,frankie,dunham,soti over kenny or bj now. Styles matter but these new guys are on another level. Flame away.

[MMA_scientist]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

When BJ was fighting joe daddy for the lw title, Maynard and Frankie were battling it out on the undercard but either one of them could have beaten bj then and without a doubt now. I would pick maynard,frankie,dunham,soti over kenny or bj now. Styles matter but these new guys are on another level. Flame away.

Don't mind if I do.

BJ would beat any of those guys except Edgar, just due to his boxing style. Sotiroupolous would literally die in the cage against BJ. A guy loses to one guy and suddenly he is horrible. BJ is still a bad ass that generally cannot be taken down. And if you do get him down, he generally whups your ass. I would bet a lot on BJ vs. Sot, and would favor him against everyone else too. I actually think Florian would beat Edgar, personally.

I like Frankie, but aside form the BJ fights, he has looked totally beatable (hence the -600 line when he fought BJ). He lost a round to Veach. He has almost exclusively won by decision. Maynard damn near lost to Diaz (Diaz!). These guys are nothing special. Dunham JUST lost to Sherk. Just now. So how you put him on another level is sort of confusing.

[zY|]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

It's too bad BJ is a frontrunner who fights with no strategy. He's been around forever and he's still arguably the most talented MMA fighter ever.

[Mr. IWS]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

he's still arguably the most talented MMA fighter ever.

Probably the reason why Me, and probably most, Love him and hate him at the same time.

[Havis Jr]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Dunham beat sherk. I know what the judges said, but your in the minority if you think that was a deserved W.

Ill be the first to admit I can't stand BJ so maybe that affecting my judgement, but him beating stevenson and diego for title defenses is not very impressive. Its like silva beting cote and leites, in retrospect its not that big of an accomplishment.

[Mr. IWS]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Ill be the first to admit I can't stand BJ so maybe that affecting my judgement, but him beating stevenson and diego for title defenses is not very impressive.

Maybe not just looking on paper, but the way he beat both of them was pretty impressive, to me anyway.

[MMA_scientist]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Diego is good... that's a quality defense IMO. Stevenson is a quality win too IMO... he might not be top 10, but he has beaten some tough guys, Diaz, Guillard, Fisher, Pelligrino, Tibau... not top level, but good. Florian is a quality title defense too. And Sherk, nothing needs to be said. And BJ made all of them look downright silly.

I agree Dunham should have been given the nod, but it was close either way. I think Sherk would win a rematch more convincingly. He obviously gassed out, something he has never done before, and he had been out with injuries forever. So I don't think it is a stretch to say the lay off had some effect on his gas tank.

Look at the guys taht have been able to beat BJ... all champions. He has never lost to a non-champion (aside from when Edgar took the belt from him- which I think he won). BJ is a stud... sometimes he doesn't come in prepared, but he can beat anyone on any given day. I personally think he would destroy Maynard. I am hoping Maynard takes the belt so BJ can get another shot.

[SPX]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Dunham beat sherk. I know what the judges said, but your in the minority if you think that was a deserved W.

It was close. First round went to Sherk, third went to Dunham. The second was close. I personally gave it to Dunham. But it wasn't a robbery.

Ill be the first to admit I can't stand BJ so maybe that affecting my judgement, but him beating stevenson and diego for title defenses is not very impressive. Its like silva beting cote and leites, in retrospect its not that big of an accomplishment.

Stevenson's not particularly impressive, but Diego's a tough fight for anyone.

And like Zak said, the WAY he beat them was insane. Sanchez had just got done conclusively beating Stevenson and Guida, and Penn literally outstruck him 150 to 8.

[edman5555]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

BJ is obviously top level.

On Dunhams striking. Yeah he is good, I'll give him that. Sherk did gas in that fight as you said, which is why Dunham was able to out strike him easily. Dunham didn't start outstriking Sherk until the end of the first round, which was when he started to slow. Dunham was dropped by a punch from Efrain Escudero if I remember correctly as well. I'm not saying he stinks, but he isn't a top level striker. On the other hand, Kenny has very good striking but he isn't Anderson Silva obviously. So far he is the only one of the two that has handled good opponents on the feet. (Gomi, Guida off the top of my head, he probably did the same to Stevensen though I can't remember). There is clearly a difference. In a fight between KFLO and Dunham I would be all over KFLO.

Also, I am pretty sure Dunham was only a high school wrestler. Not that he couldn't become good after but he is def no Gray Maynard. I think the reason people look at Kenny like he has bad wrestling Defense is because of Maynard. But MAynard is top level, he was a THREE time all american. You can't call Kenny bad for not defending those takedowns. You can set the bar for "Bad" that high, especially when nobody else in the division is as good a wrestler as Maynard. Kenny is plenty good enough to stop Dunham from taking him down and the much better striker.

All that = Kenny Florian win

[edman5555]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Correction, Dunham didn't start outstriking Sherk until the end of R2

[Ludo]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Dunham beat sherk. I know what the judges said, but your in the minority if you think that was a deserved W.

Ill be the first to admit I can't stand BJ so maybe that affecting my judgement, but him beating stevenson and diego for title defenses is not very impressive. Its like silva beting cote and leites, in retrospect its not that big of an accomplishment.

When BJ Beat Stevenson, Joe was top 5 in the world. He was top 5 for a long time until this new crop of Lightweights made major pushes into the divisoin(Dunham, Sotiropoulus, Edgar, and Maynard) so circa 2008 when BJ not only busted Joe wide the fuck open, but proceeded to grapple-fuck the shit out of him was absolutely a feat to behold seeing as he was the first person in eight years to submit Joe.

Beating Diego in and of itself may not be "especially" great in hindsight. But the guy was outstruck 158 to 7 or some shit like that. Not to mention he is the first man to EVER stop Diego Sanchez in 26 fights. He dominated in every aspect of the fight. Not to mention Leites was a one trick pony and neither Diego nor Joe Daddy are.

[Havis Jr]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

More fights

Rani Yahya vs. Chan Sung Jung
Waylon Lowe vs. Willamy Freire

[SPX]

Re: UFN 23/Fight for the Troops

Rani Yahya vs. Chan Sung Jung

Holy shit! It's so weird to see WEC fighters listed on a UFC card!

I hope the Korean Zombie fucks him up!