Last Friday my trainer Josh Russell put on a good performance, even in a loss. I was proud and pleased with him; he was fighting a guy with a lot more fights, and everybody was writing him off saying Kajan Johnson was just too experienced.
Well, Josh went out and won the first round on all three judges' scorecards. Unfortunately, once it got late in the second round, he was getting a little worn out, while Kajan was still able to fight at a fast pace.
Then Josh took a knee on his forehead that cut him pretty badly. It was right above his right eyebrow, about two and a half inches long and an inch wide, it was that big. When Josh came over after the round, I took a look at the cut and I could see right through to the bone. At that point, before the doctor even came over, I knew it was going to be stopped. Sure enough, the doctor came over, took a look at the cut, and that was it.
A disappointing ending, but he did really well I thought and with more conditioning and training I think he’ll continue to do very well in mixed martial arts.
The main event of the Heat XC show went pretty much how I expected. Roger Hollett was too much for Aron Lofton in every area. He came out, dominated the first few minutes and won pretty quickly with an armbar, which was no surprise to me.
Then on Saturday there was Strikeforce card. In my last blog I said I was not very excited about the Fabricio Werdum-Antonio Silva fight, but that ended up being one of the most entertaining on the night. I thought Werdum won the decision, I don’t think it was very controversial at all. He showed he’s not just a one-trick pony; he’s got some standup game. I’d definitely be interested in seeing him fight Fedor, though I’d still prefer Alistair Overeem as Fedor’s next opponent. We’ll see.
Next, Gegard Mousasi went out and impressed me. I think Mousasi is the best 205er in the world and I really think he could beat Lyoto Machida. Sokoudjou put up a good fight, but for a 24-year-old to be so calm and collected is something else.
The Jake Shields-Jason (Mayhem) Miller fight was extremely disappointing. I’d say Shields is the Travis Lutter of Strikeforce. He’s really good at what he does, but he never tries to finish the fight or do any damage. He just smothered Miller for 25 minutes. Mayhem was being aggressive tried to go after him, but it’s frustrating when one guy isn’t really fighting. He’s doing just enough to win a decision. Shields definitely does his job, he fights a smart fight, but does anybody want to watch that for another 25 minutes?
Finally, there was the main event, Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers. The fight actually went a little longer than I thought it would, but I think that’s because Rogers is so much bigger and stronger. He was able to use his size by pushing Fedor against the fence and using his weight. Fedor also got that pretty nasty cut on his nose, but you have to expect that from a guy his size and the power puncher that is, that if he connects, he’s going to cut you.
But Fedor showed how he never panics and just picks you apart. He never gets too excited, and he may take a bit of punishment, but he does what he has to in order to survive and get back on top. Fedor is definitely one of the greatest in sport but it’s unfortunate we don’t get to see him fight the best.
Overall, I enjoyed the CBS broadcast, I thought it was well done and I enjoyed the fights. I would really love to see them put Mousasi and Dan Henderson together in December.
And on that note, I’ll switch gears and do my UFC 105 main card picks.
Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera
I think Randy will use his wrestling and dirty boxing to smother Vera’s Muay Thai. He’ll use Greco-Roman trips and stuff to nullify Vera’s kicks and his reach and he’ll take him down from the clinch. The best thing to do against the attacks of a guy like Vera is close the distance and that’s perfect for Couture’s style of fighting. I think Randy will grind out a decision.
Denis Kang vs. Michael Bisping
I’m going with Kang (of course, he’s my buddy), but I do believe he will beat Bisping. I think being back with American Top Team is mentally a good thing for him. He’ll definitely be confident, after being back with those guys at ATT. He enjoyed his best success in his career while he was there. I see Denis submitting Bisping.
Dan Hardy vs. Mike Swick
I think Hardy is going to TKO Swick. I believe Swick hasn’t fought the toughest guys; he’s had some fairly easy fights and Hardy is one of the best at 170.
Matt Brown vs. James Wilks
I’m going with Brown. I like him, he’s been doing really well. Ever since the controversial loss to Dong Hyun Kim in Sept. 2008, he’s come back with a vengeance. He’s getting better in every fight. Brown by TKO.
Ross Pearson vs. Aaron Riley
Riley is such a seasoned veteran and so tough. But I really believe his best years are behind him. I think Pearson is a good, tough, little fighter. He’ll be well prepared training with Bisping and motivated coming out of The Ultimate Fighter. And with the fight in his home town. I’ll pick Pearson.
