UFC 59 - Fight Reviews
Easter is tomorrow and there isn't a thing I wanted to do in Baton Rouge
tonight so I purchased UFC 59 - Reality Check on the pay per view
channel. A pretty good card tonight and it proved to be quite entertaining.
Here are my thoughts on the fights I just watched.Jeff Monson vs. Marcio Cruz Good match that didn't quite go like I thought it would. I suspected that Jeff Monson would take advantage of his experience and win the match but I thought they'd spend more time on the ground since they're both champion grapplers. It was more of a boxing match and Monson proved the better fighter. Despite the win I don't see Monson being a franchise fighter in the heavyweight division due to his lack of height and reach. I wouldn't be suprised if he beats and competes well at the top though. Entertaining match. Evan Tanner vs. Justin Levens This match was over very quickly as Tanner had trained for a big match with Jeremy Horn who had to drop and was replaced. Justin Levens stepped in to fill the gap in the card but really couldn't compete with Tanner. It was his first match in the UFC, it was last minute and it was against a top tier competitor. Tanner showcased some skills and that triangle was money. Nick Diaz vs. Sean Sherk Nick Diaz looked like he had a bad hangover or something. He went out there and really just let Sherk run the whole fight pace the way he wanted. None of that fiery attitude and no sign of desire in Nick Diaz. At this juncture I don't think Diaz is really serious about his career in the UFC and probably needs a reality check as the show was named. He could've obviously beaten Sherk on his feet or on the ground had he'd been in the fight. You have to give it to Sean Sherk as he's a tough guy, quick and most importantly he's go the desire to win. |
The fight was a decent one as they did some good counter grappling. Sherk
was quick and got some good punches in on Nick Diaz. I was in complete
agreement with the judges on how the fight was scored.
Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffen
This was an extremely fun fight to watch and a thriller to the end. Tito came out swinging and pounded Forrest in the first round and I think he gassed himself out a little trying to put him away. Round two was all Griffen as he came out swinging and popped Tito really good. Round three was very much a stalemate until that last takedown by Tito in round three that edged him on the points.
Great fight that really helped out both fighters careers. Tito took that step back towards his championship he wants so bad and Forrest earned alot of respect by competing against a top tier fighter. Griffen showed alot of poise, resilience and desire in tonights fight. It was obvious that by the end of round two he'd earned alot of respect from Tito Ortiz as a no quit competitor who deserves to be in that octagon.
I think not getting to the Liddells or Bobalu's too quick is probably a good thing for Forrest as he needs to work on other aspects of his game first. He hung with an injured and some what rusty Tito tonight and probably could've won but I don't see him getting in there with the guys that are in the rhythm at the top just yet. Remember this guy's only been around for a year! He's got a long and exciting career ahead of him. If he keeps working I'd say its a safe bet that he'll wear the gold one day in the not so distant future.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Tim Sylvia
Tim Sylvia scored the early k.o. on Andrei Arlovski. Really a disappointing match but thats just how it goes sometimes. I think Andrei should've won that fight but I also think that lack of real tests since he won the gold made him a little sloppy. Tim wanted this one really bad and he took it but I see Andrei winning the rubber match.
All in all this UFC was much better than the last which was kind of boring. I'm definitely looking forward to the Hughes vs Gracie matchup on the next card.
Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffen
This was an extremely fun fight to watch and a thriller to the end. Tito came out swinging and pounded Forrest in the first round and I think he gassed himself out a little trying to put him away. Round two was all Griffen as he came out swinging and popped Tito really good. Round three was very much a stalemate until that last takedown by Tito in round three that edged him on the points.
Great fight that really helped out both fighters careers. Tito took that step back towards his championship he wants so bad and Forrest earned alot of respect by competing against a top tier fighter. Griffen showed alot of poise, resilience and desire in tonights fight. It was obvious that by the end of round two he'd earned alot of respect from Tito Ortiz as a no quit competitor who deserves to be in that octagon.
I think not getting to the Liddells or Bobalu's too quick is probably a good thing for Forrest as he needs to work on other aspects of his game first. He hung with an injured and some what rusty Tito tonight and probably could've won but I don't see him getting in there with the guys that are in the rhythm at the top just yet. Remember this guy's only been around for a year! He's got a long and exciting career ahead of him. If he keeps working I'd say its a safe bet that he'll wear the gold one day in the not so distant future.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Tim Sylvia
Tim Sylvia scored the early k.o. on Andrei Arlovski. Really a disappointing match but thats just how it goes sometimes. I think Andrei should've won that fight but I also think that lack of real tests since he won the gold made him a little sloppy. Tim wanted this one really bad and he took it but I see Andrei winning the rubber match.
All in all this UFC was much better than the last which was kind of boring. I'm definitely looking forward to the Hughes vs Gracie matchup on the next card.