My thoughts on UFC Fight Night, TUF season 6, and predictions for UFC 76
I will start off with Wednesday's Ultimate Fight Night. I wish I could have seen the under card. Especially with Maynard's knockout within like 5 seconds. Cole Miller and Leonard Garcia must have been awesome. Garcia gave Huerta a tough tough. Miller has a reputation of finishing all of his opponents but Garcia was the first to go the distance with him. I hope Miller is ready for the next level. I'm also a Luke Cummo fan, glad he won his fight. This sounds like a fight card where EVERY fight should have been televised. I wonder when they will put Ultimate Fight Night events on DVD.

Now for the televised card itself

Nate Quarry vs Pete Sell-
-Well, Quarry is back and I guess he either showed major ass ring rust of Sell just simply showed improvement. I had Sell winning the fight up until Quarry got him on the button. The first round was a tough one to call. I think Sell slightly landed more hits so I gave it to him. I thought Quarry was knocked out in round 2 so I can see why the first stoppage was controversial to some extent in comparison to what happened. Quarry still looked wobbly after he got up, but he did his best and of course Sell won the 2nd.

Then round 3. Like 30 seconds later and bam right on the button and Sell is out cold.

Quarry showed that he has good leg kicks. He still has his style of where he picks his shots but he always keeps his hands too low. I think with his style he could use a better defense. It was a medium paced fight. It was not too slow but Quarry is the type to just simply pick his shots and look for openings.

Nate Diaz vs. Junior

Nate is 100% like his brother but of course isn't 100% him. His striking isn't as accurate or as clean as Nick's but it was awesome how he landed all of those shots to set up his guillotine choke. Nate tends to be very reliant on his jiujitsu way too much. He was really like that against Maynard and Corey Hill while he fought on TUF where he just only used jiujitsu to beat them. It's like he used them as sparring partners or something. His jiujitsu is good but wasn't on the same level of Alberto Crane when he fought Roger Huerta. He's got the tools to have a well rounded game, but just needs to use them much more effectively. Great submission win by Diaz. I don't think he can handle Sherk with the skills he gots now.

Chris Leben vs Terry Martin
-Leben's stance and the position of his hands are much better now. I was impressed by his performance though he did gas out in round 3. Martin is a pretty big guy and Leben always had that reputation of even knocking out people who normally fight at 205. I remember Mike Goldberg called Leben "iron jawed." I think he forgot how Anderson Silva knocked out him in less than 30 seconds. Then again, there's a difference between being weak chinned and your opponent hits like a mule. But with Silva dominating that weight class, he's going no where. I heard he could drop to 170 but there's too much deep talent in that while at 185 the champion is too dominant. But Leben with how he is now can be a descent gatekeeper. I hope he doesn't end up back on a losing streak.

Kenny Florian vs Din Thomas
-As usual, I am always impressed with Florian's improvement. He is like a 155 Anderson Silva in terms of tools. Great mix of kickboxing and jiujitsu but lack wrestling. He just did what he had to and got the win as I expected.

I say Florian needs to work with BJ Penn and Randy Couture if he does get a rematch with Sherk to work on his take down defense. But then again, if BJ Penn does get a fight, I don't see Sherk taking down BJ Penn if Hughes couldn't take him down before the freak accident.

Overall, great card.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Ultimate Fighter season 6

I think this will be a good season. I'm picking Mac Danzig to win the whole thing. Afterall, he's the only fighter I'm most familiar with. I think it sucked that one guy got injured and had to leave. I'm not sure how he would have done, but I think he'll be back. Dana likes guys with a serious warrior attitude. Even Ross Pointon who has a shitty ass record gets the respect for Dana because of his positive attitude. It would have been awesome of Hughes got Militech is one of his assistant coaches and Serra got Renzo Gracie. It would be like UFC's version of IFL to some extent. It would be awesome.

I think both coaches picked who was best. I think it was natural for Serra to pick his student regardless of Hughes' mind games. Hughes I think is doing what I call a "Contender" strategy. In the first season of contender, the east coast team seemed to have the better fighters, but the mid carder level fighters like Gomez and Brinkley were picking out the toughest fighters like Manfredo and Reid. Hughes' top guy, Danzig fights Serra's top guy, Rick. I thought it was a descent fight and shows why I think Danzig is going to be this season's Ultimate Fighter.

The previews of the season makes it look really wild and I'm looking forward to what happens and why those crazy ass fights and the general wildness at the house happens. I don't blame those guys from what Jesse told me when he was there for season 3. You got NOTHING to do at the house. No TV, no reading, no internet, no cell phones. NOTHING!!! He says people go crazy and you'll go crazy. I just feel bad for them. Andy Wang said in an interview after season 5 that when got his cell phone back, he got all these weird text messages that said where he's been and he joked that he's now a father of 5 kids, lol.

I'm not sure if I'd do TUF. I need to have the experience and credentials like past winners had like Sanchez, Stevenson, and Diaz had. I think Serra is a good coach, but Hughes gots the best fighters. I don't think Serra and Hughes will have serious drama like Penn/Pulver and Shamrock/Ortiz in past seasons but I think it'll be interesting when they fight in December.

now onto my predictions for UFC 76
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jardine vs Liddell

Jardine has a weak chin despite his large frame. I say Liddell wins this 2nd round by knock out. But Jardine despite his chin still hits like a mule. If his power is at all like Jackson's, he could knock out Liddell. Jardine did make the mistake of looking past Houston Alexander so I hope these two fighters who are coming off HUGE losses can still do something tonight. I don't know how fast are willing the UFC is willing to make another Jackson vs Liddell fight but the 205 division is getting better fighters and it'd suck if they pass Liddell over superior fighters with who I am about to talk about next.

Shogun vs Griffin

Griffin's only chance at winning is if Shogun soccer kicks him or knees him on the ground. Griffin lost to Jardine of all people. I don't know about a lucky punch can help him, but this is all I can say. Or maybe Shogun will dislocate his arm. Those are the only 3 ways I know of that Griffin can beat Shogun. RIP Forrest Griffin. I hope you have life insurance.

Ah yes, a fight between the 2005 Grand Prix winner against the first season of TUF's winner. Shogun in his tournament fight the best the 205 division has to offer. He beat the current UFC title holder Rampage, he beat Little Nog, then he beat Overeem who has a victory over Randy Couture, and he beat Ricardo Arona who was fresh off beating Silva. Griffin beat Alex Schonauer and Sam Hoger and then Stephan Bonnar who was close to his level on the show. Griffin beat 2 bums and a mediocre (but still decentley exciting) journeyman. Shogun's opponents were all champions in their own right. I say Shogun in this case can handle the cage and hopefully he won't look past his opponent like Crocop did against Gonzaga or have another freak accident.

Then again, Shogun's loss to Coleman is sure something. Coleman is the first fighter ever to be a UFC and Pride champion.

Machida vs Nakamura

Machida by decision. Nakamura is a good fighter who knows how to give his opponent a run for his money but I don't see him in a contender stage. Machida has great striking, but doesn't have a descent KO rate. He has beaten 2 former UFC title holders and I think he deserves a better push by the UFC. Too bad they couldn't have Shogun vs Machida =(. I hope they fight each other next. It is 100% guaranteed who could fight Jackson next.

Fitch vs Sanchez

If the real Diego is back at 100%, he can probably win this by late round ground and pound or submission, or get a convincing UD. Fitch is good but Diego at 100% is at a whole different level. Too bad he was fighting with a staph infection against that dumb ass Koscheck.