Smaller Promotions Discussion (MFC, Dream, Sengoku, Invicta, ect)

[Ensane]

Mousasi forced out of Super Hulk tournament on Oct. 6 with undisclosed injury


Evidently his mouth still works fine:

Tuesday, September 8 1:52 am PT: A good drubbing of Renato Sobral has apparently made Gegard Mousasi pretty confident against Brazilians: after former middleweight WEC champion Paulo Filho challenged him to a bout, Mousasi retaliated via USA Today, calling Filho a “little donkey” who needs “magic stuff” to perform.

He does not mean vitamin C. “We all saw what happened when he came to America,” Mousasi said. “He got beat up. Now he’s back in Japan and feels like a kid in a candy store, I think. He can use all kinds of steroids. I think the steroids have gone to his head….he’s a little donkey who thinks he’s a running horse.”

Filho had previously told Tatame that he would submit the Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion, a challenge egged on by that promotion’s plans to co-promote with Filho’s Dream employers. Expect a frothing Filho to rebut shortly.

 

[kurt]

Mousasi forced out of Super Hulk tournament on Oct. 6 with undisclosed injury


Evidently his mouth still works fine:

The article suggests it may have happened in his exhibition match, though it's clearly only speculation from the writer. I'd say it's much more likely he injured it in training, that exhibition was pretty namby-pamby (did I just write namby-pamby?).

 

[4thliner*]

Mousasi forced out of Super Hulk tournament on Oct. 6 with undisclosed injury


Evidently his mouth still works fine:

Gegard is right, Fihlo isn't alone (and he looked like a mini Hulk in his fight against Manhouf), Overreem is the grandmaster.....Japan should do something about guys on roids fighting in K-1, Dream and etc.

 

[colonel_korn]

Mousasi forced out of Super Hulk tournament on Oct. 6 with undisclosed injury

A NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHES

ugh. would have preferred that they at least bring Hunt back, not that he's fared much better than Sapp of late. If Soko can't beat Sapp and the winner of Minowa vs Choi then I don't know what to say about the guy anymore.

Also they booked JZ vs Daisuke Nakamura for the same card. Nakamura is pretty entertaining and better than his record would suggest, but he's pretty badly outclassed by JZ.

 

[colonel_korn]

Various stuff:

• There's a Sengoku event tonight that's going to be airing on HDNet (3am ET/12am PT). If you weren't aware of that it's probably because it's a pretty mediocre card and there's very little buzz about it.
  

  * Hiroshi Izumi (93 kg/205 lb) vs. Antz Nansen (92.6 kg/204.1 lb)
  * Antonio Silva (121.1 kg/270 lb) vs. Jim York (114.8 kg/253.1 lb)
  * Jae Sun Lee (76 kg/167.6 lb) vs. Makoto Takimoto (75.3 kg/166 lb)
  * Ryan Schultz (69.5 kg/153.2 lb) vs. Kazunori Yokota (69.8 kg/153.9 lb)
  * Ryo Kawamura (92.4 kg/203.7 lb) vs. Fabio Silva (91.6 kg/201.9 lb)
  * Dan Hornbuckle (74.9 kg/165.1 lb) vs. Nick Thompson (75.9 kg/167.3 lb)
  * Joe Doerksen (82.7 kg/182.3 lb) vs. Takenori Sato (83kg/183 lb)
  * Maximo Blanco (70 kg/154.3 lb) vs. Tetsuya Yamada (69.9kg kg/154.1 lb)
  * Baek Woo Hyun (69.8 kg/153.9 lb) vs. Ikuo Usuda (69.8 kg/153.9 lb)
  * Shigeki Osawa (64.9 kg/143.1 lb) vs. Kim Ki Hyun (64.8 kg/142.9 lb)
  * So Jee Hyun (60kg/132.3 lb) vs. Ryosuke Komori (59.9 kg/132.1 lb)

  Even as a pretty big fan of overseas MMA I don't see a lot to get excited about, Maximo Blanco is a crazy person and he's fighting some kid fresh out of high school so that should be funny, aside from that I guess Hornbuckle/Thompson could be good, maybe Silva/York. The main event is a japanese judo guy fighting a kickboxer from New Zealand, both 0-0 in pro MMA.
  
• Nakamura/JZ isn't happening at DREAM 11 after all, JZ is still hurt. They did announce that Kawajiri is fighting this guy who no one's ever heard of which is a pretty ridiculous mismatch.
  
• K-1 Final 16 this weekend!
  
  

 

[pox]

il DVR sengoku, but K1 is what im realy looking forward to

 

[Captain_Cunney]

I have the PVR set for tonights Sengoku! It's not a great event but I'm looking forward to Silva/York, Hornbuckle/TheGoat and seeing what Izumi can bring to the table.

 

[Ensane]

The main event is a japanese judo guy fighting a kickboxer from New Zealand, both 0-0 in pro MMA.

Izumi won the silver in Athens, and has had a few regional championship gold wins. Keep in mind the hype that Hidehiko Yoshida had when he first appeared in Pride. Heck, even after he was losing to scrubs like James Thompson, people still flocked to see him in MMA. So I think Sengoku is hoping he's what Yoshida could have been if he made the jump to MMA much earlier.

I guess Nansen is supposed to be some great kickboxer, which means the organization is hoping he gets taken down and subbed quickly so Izumi can be showcased. Can't be any worse than the let down Ivanov was.

 

[colonel_korn]

Izumi won the silver in Athens, and has had a few regional championship gold wins. Keep in mind the hype that Hidehiko Yoshida had when he first appeared in Pride. Heck, even after he was losing to scrubs like James Thompson, people still flocked to see him in MMA. So I think Sengoku is hoping he's what Yoshida could have been if he made the jump to MMA much earlier.

Yeah, I guess the Olympic judo guys are big draws in Japan -- certainly Sengoku seems to think so with Yoshida, Takimoto, Omigawa and now Izumi and Satoshi Ishii in the stable as well. As an aside, I don't think it was mentioned here yet but Ishii is making his long-anticipated debut at the end of the year, against Yoshida. Can't say I see the appeal of that one, Yoshida's pretty old and looked absolutely awful in his last fight -- but again, I guess it appeals mostly to the Japanese fans, old vs new, passing the torch and all that.

 

[JLHockeyKnight]

The last 2 fights of Sengoku 10 were pretty damn good.

 

[Captain_Cunney]

The last 2 fights of Sengoku 10 were pretty damn good.

They were pretty decent, especially for free.


[SPOIL]I thought the Hornbuckle/Thompson fight was great also, that was a really impressive win by by Hornbuckle. It might be time for him to move on to bigger things, maybe strikeforce. Two dominant wins over fairly quality opponents (Gono/Goat) should put him on the UFC radar, Strikeforce at the very least.

Does anyone know who Honrbuckle trains with? I swear it was Miguel Torres in his corner. I've read that his ground game is pretty good also, which is a scary thought. The kid seems to have a very bright future.[/spoil]

 

[pox]

The last 2 fights of Sengoku 10 were pretty damn good.

the whole card was good, and it being on HD net made it better

 

[Superstar Treatment]

I'm quite hyped on Dream 12 being in a cage. I enjoy the ring aspect but really it's terrible for anything but striker vs striker.

 

[Captain_Cunney]

I'm quite hyped on Dream 12 being in a cage. I enjoy the ring aspect but really it's terrible for anything but striker vs striker.

I'm looking forward to it also, I've always preferred the cage to the ring. I suspect Dream changing to a cage has something to do with the cross-promotions they plan on doing with Strikeforce.

 

[Kreed]

I'm looking forward to it also, I've always preferred the cage to the ring. I suspect Dream changing to a cage has something to do with the cross-promotions they plan on doing with Strikeforce.

nah I think it just a one time gig just to spark up intrigue..Besides its not an octagon its a hexagon slight difference

 

[Ensane]

Just caught Sengoku, I'll hit up the spoil tags in case someone's waiting for the weekend to watch:
[SPOIL]
Top to bottom, a very solid card. What was it, 10 fights with only one going the distance?
-Hornbuckle looks solid, but I'd like to see one or two more fights from him before thinking he should make the jump. I don't think the UFC could offer him a competitive offer given how deep their welterweight division is. Though, truth be told, Thompson is no joke. Cap Cunney: Yes, that appeared to be Torres in his corner.
-Ryan Schultz is always either dishing out a highlight KO or on the receiving end of one. He'll get a call back. They seem to love him in Japan.
-Doerksen looked solid, though Sato was outclassed on his feet and Doerksen is good enough on his ground to defend anything Sato can throw at him.
-First time seeing Fabio Silva...what a Wandy clone.
-And lastly, what the hell is Izumi thinking? He's a 5'8 chubby 205er with no professional standup experience, against a lanky Kiwi kickboxing champ. Time to get new coaches...or maybe go back to judo where things are a bit more one dimensional.
-Another win for Big Foot, though it sounds as if subbing York isn't much of a major accomplishment.
[/SPOIL]

 

[colonel_korn]

Just caught Sengoku, I'll hit up the spoil tags in case someone's waiting for the weekend to watch:
[SPOIL]
Top to bottom, a very solid card. What was it, 10 fights with only one going the distance?
-Hornbuckle looks solid, but I'd like to see one or two more fights from him before thinking he should make the jump. I don't think the UFC could offer him a competitive offer given how deep their welterweight division is. Though, truth be told, Thompson is no joke. Cap Cunney: Yes, that appeared to be Torres in his corner.
-Ryan Schultz is always either dishing out a highlight KO or on the receiving end of one. He'll get a call back. They seem to love him in Japan.
-Doerksen looked solid, though Sato was outclassed on his feet and Doerksen is good enough on his ground to defend anything Sato can throw at him.
-First time seeing Fabio Silva...what a Wandy clone.
-And lastly, what the hell is Izumi thinking? He's a 5'8 chubby 205er with no professional standup experience, against a lanky Kiwi kickboxing champ. Time to get new coaches...or maybe go back to judo where things are a bit more one dimensional.
-Another win for Big Foot, though it sounds as if subbing York isn't much of a major accomplishment.
[/SPOIL]

I think Izumi [spoil]may have eclipsed Omigawa for worst performance by a judoka in a debuting role, that was brutal. He showed heart I guess fighting back after he got rocked, but yeah, strategy went out the window there.
[/spoil]Also I'd like to see Bigfoot [spoil]end up in Strikeforce or the UFC, he's basically cleaned out Sengoku's stable of awful heavyweights (seriously who's left, Choi Mu Bae?) and it's time for him to face some better competition. I don't know whether he's still persona non grata stateside though thanks to that failed PED test and his subsequent decision to fight in Japan. But either the UFC or Strikeforce would have some intriguing matchups for him. His striking/chin strikes me as a bit iffy but he's got powerful striking, good ground skills and he's huge obviously, he reminds me a lot of Gonzaga.[/spoil]

 

[JLHockeyKnight]

Just caught Sengoku, I'll hit up the spoil tags in case someone's waiting for the weekend to watch:
[SPOIL]
Top to bottom, a very solid card. What was it, 10 fights with only one going the distance?
-Hornbuckle looks solid, but I'd like to see one or two more fights from him before thinking he should make the jump. I don't think the UFC could offer him a competitive offer given how deep their welterweight division is. Though, truth be told, Thompson is no joke. Cap Cunney: Yes, that appeared to be Torres in his corner.
-Ryan Schultz is always either dishing out a highlight KO or on the receiving end of one. He'll get a call back. They seem to love him in Japan.
-Doerksen looked solid, though Sato was outclassed on his feet and Doerksen is good enough on his ground to defend anything Sato can throw at him.
-First time seeing Fabio Silva...what a Wandy clone.
-And lastly, what the hell is Izumi thinking? He's a 5'8 chubby 205er with no professional standup experience, against a lanky Kiwi kickboxing champ. Time to get new coaches...or maybe go back to judo where things are a bit more one dimensional.
-Another win for Big Foot, though it sounds as if subbing York isn't much of a major accomplishment.
[/SPOIL]

[SPOIL]Hornbuckle and Doerksen impressed me. Was Fabio Silva the one that knees the guy in the nuts/tailbone which eventually ended the fight? If so, he was a dirty *******.[/SPOIL]

 

[Captain_Cunney]

Just caught Sengoku, I'll hit up the spoil tags in case someone's waiting for the weekend to watch:
[SPOIL]-Hornbuckle looks solid, but I'd like to see one or two more fights from him before thinking he should make the jump. I don't think the UFC could offer him a competitive offer given how deep their welterweight division is. Though, truth be told, Thompson is no joke. Cap Cunney: Yes, that appeared to be Torres in his corner. [/SPOIL]

On Hornbuckle:
[spoil]I think he's most likely on the UFC radar, but as you said, he's a few fights away. Strikeforce would be the perfect fit for him, IMO. They have some very competive WWs but nobody that would a huge step up from Thompson, assuming Sheilds stays at MW. I was very impressed with him taking out Thompson like that, who is one of the best WWs outside of the UFC, IMO.

Regarding Bigfoot, I think during the broadcast they talked about his desire to go to Strikeforce and fight Fedor/Rodgers. Hopefully they can get a deal done, that would be a nice boost to a growing stable of HWs in SF.[/spoil].

Is K-1 tonight or tomorrow?

 

[colonel_korn]

On Hornbuckle:
Is K-1 tonight or tomorrow?

3:30am ET/ 12:30 PT "tonight" (late friday/early saturday)

 

[Captain_Cunney]

3:30am ET/ 12:30 PT "tonight" (late friday/early saturday)

Thanks, PVR it is.

 

[Ensane]

Anyone staying up to watch?

I won't be. But it sure makes for a nice lazy Saturday morning/afternoon!

 

[colonel_korn]

Anyone staying up to watch?

I won't be. But it sure makes for a nice lazy Saturday morning/afternoon!

I might try but I usually end up losing my will and going to sleep midway through.

Quick picks:
9. Badr Hari vs. Zabit Samedov
8. Peter Aerts vs. Alistair Overeem
7. Musashi vs. Jerome LeBanner
6. Semmy Schilt vs. Daniel Ghita
5. Ewerton Teixeira vs. Singh “Heart†Jaideep
4. Ruslan Karaev vs. Kyotaro
3. Glaube Feitosa vs. Errol Zimmerman
2. Remy Bonjasky vs. Melvin Manhoef
1. Catalin Morosanu vs. Kin Taiei

Most of these seem like easy calls, Kyotaro vs Karaev seems like the most evenly matched fight to me.

 

[JLHockeyKnight]

Anyone staying up to watch?

I won't be. But it sure makes for a nice lazy Saturday morning/afternoon!

Yeah I have a very important meeting with my pillow so I'll have to Tivo it.

 

[colonel_korn]

Mild spoilers (which fights were good if you don't have time to watch all of them):

[spoil]Best fights: Bonjasky/Manhoef, Schilt/Ghita

OK: Zimmerman/Feitosa, Hari/Samedov, JLB/Musashi, Overeem/Aerts

Bad: Kyotaro/Karaev

Really frickin' bad: Teixeira/Jaideep

Hilarious: Morosanu vs Kin[/spoil]

Some actual spoilers:
[spoil]
-Would have liked to see some more KOs, Hari was the only guy to finish and aside from that there weren't even many knockdowns either.
-Thought Manhoef was going to get killed but he came out and fought a really smart, disciplined fight. Wore down a bit at the end though and Remy still just ended up being too much for him.
-Ghita looked pretty good to start out (actually landed a head kick on Schilt ) but it became obvious that he was out of his depth as the fight wore on. Still a really promising prospect.
-Aerts had nothing for Overeem, kind of sad to see. Overeem looked great and while I realize it's K-1 and not MMA, I'm really starting to think he could be the guy to beat Fedor, if they ever fight.
-Kyotaro just incredibly frustrating to watch, he looked really good in the last round but spent the first two constantly running from Karaev. Just fight like you did in the third the whole time![/spoil]