UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop (Do Not Watch Mir vs. Cro Cop)

[Turd Ferguson]

[YOUTUBE]fgErP7i5EQ4[/YOUTUBE]

MAIN CARD

• Heavyweight bout: Frank Mir vs Mirko Cro Cop
• Light Heavyweight bout: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader
• Welterweight bout: Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle
• Lightweight bout: Sean Sherk vs. Evan Dunham
• Lightweight bout: Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens

Spike TV Card

• Middleweight bout: CB Dollaway vs. Joe Doerksen
• Heavyweight bout: Matt Mitrione vs. Joey Beltran

Preliminary Card (Non-televised)

• Heavyweight bout: Mark Hunt vs. Sean McCorkle
• Lightweight bout: Steve Lopez vs. Waylon Lowe
• Lightweight bout: TJ Grant vs. Julio Paulino
• Lightweight bout: Thiago Tavares vs. Pat Autinwood

This is a card that doesn't look that good on paper. This means that the card has to be really good in execution, and every fight on the main card has potential to be good and exciting.

Frank Mir, if he was smart, would immediately try to submit Cro Cop. Take him down, wear him out, and then go for the submission. Sure, Cro Cop has good takedown defense and excellent submission defense, but a fighter like Frank Mir would be able to succeed at doing this. However, because he is not smart, and he's been trying to stand with his opponents lately, chances are he will try to stand with Cro Cop. If Mir stands with Cro Cop, then Mir is at a severe disadvantage as Cro Cop at this stage is still close enough to being an elite striker. Mir is decent standing, but we saw what happened against Carwin and how he left himself vulnerable. Frank Mir is absolutely the favorite in this fight, but I see a path of victory for Cro Cop, and it's not exactly a stretch for him to win this fight.

Lil' Nog vs. Ryan Bader is a fight that will be Bader's coming out party. I was on the Lil' Nog bandwagon until the Jason Brilz fight, which was a fight Brilz should have won. Brilz dominated Lil' Nog with his wrestling. Ryan Bader is just as good, if not a better wrestler than Brilz, and he has the striking game as well to really threaten Nogueira. I think Bader will win in very impressive fashion, and will go on to fight Jon Jones.

I'll talk about the other fights later. I just wanted to start a topic up for this card.

 

[Ferbian]

Like I said in the thread you created about Cro Cop being the replacement opponent to face Mir, I'm thoroughly convinced this will be one hell of a match.

As you already know, I'm a Cro Cop fan, and I can only hope to see him come out victorious against Frank. But it will definitely be a tough match, for both opponents. I agree, if Frank plans on winning this one, he should do his best to make Cro Cop tap out quickly. While I'm not in doubt that Frank could go a long time with Cro Cop in the ring, I'm still sure that he'll have a small chance.

All in all, I can only hope to see Cro Cop come out victorious. But I really wouldn't be too disappointed to see Cro Cop go down to Mir, because they're both phenomenal fighters.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

I think this should be a hell of a card, I totally agree with Ferbs that the Cro Crop/Mir fight will be a damn good one, and I see Mirko coming out on top. The Bader/Nogueriua fight should be good, the Nog brothers are always fun to watch, haven't seen much of Bader, but I've heard good things of him.

And I absolutley LOVE watching Melvin Guillard in action, dude is explosive as hell, I hope he dominates in his fight.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

UFC:119 has massive to be a solid entertaining card. Although it lacks major star power, Mir vs Cro Cop has huge potential to steal the night. I seriosuly think it is going to come down to how badly Frank Mir needs and wants this win. Frank Mir is at a crossroads in his career and a win here will certainly silence the critics. Cro Cop is surely dangerous standing up because his striking is lethal, but i seriously believe Mir will adopt his old fighting style and utilise his superior BJJ. So Mir i see him winning.

If Lil Nog fights the way he did against Jason Brilz, then surely without a doubt in my mind Ryan Bader has this in the bag. Ryan Bader completely dominated Keith Jardine back in February at UFC 110, Ryan Bader is a much more lethal wrestler than Jason Brilz which will give Lil Nog a hard time. Ryan Bader i see him winning.

 

[INDYjon22]

The first card in Indiana and I won't even be at it. . This makes me a sad panda, but I will survive. This card looks good on paper, not great and not terrible, but it should be a solid card. There are a lot of intriguing fights lined up and a few contenders may become visible.

CroCop/Mir is interesting. If the fight goes to the ground Mir will win but if it stays standing CroCop should win, I won't say he will because lets be honest Mir is getting better and better on his feet and we have all seen CroCop get knocked out. However, I don't know if Mir will be able to get Mirko down. CroCop is just way to fucking good at stopping takedowns. It is literally like a chess match and I can't wait to see how it plays out. I will be backing CroCop though.

Lil Nog vs. Bader will be interesting as well. If Lil Nog fights like his last fight then Bader will win but if the Lil Nog from his debut shows up then Nog will possibly steam roll Bader. Bader has shown some great progress but he hasn't fought anybody of Lil Nog's caliber. I think Lil Nog will be able to out strike Bader and if it goes to the ground Nog can finish from all angles. I think Bader is in store for a long night.

Serra and Lytle will match up in a rematch from the TUF 4 finale. Don't be fooled by Chris Lytle, he is a very good fighter and I think he can beat Serra. Serra has never really impressed me, sure his win over GSP was awe inspiring but it wasn't much more then a fluke win. Lytle has great ground skills that will match Serra's and I am convinced he is better on his feet as well. Chris Lytle by split decision.

Sean Sherk returns to the cage to take on the up and coming Evan Dunham. If Dunham can get through Sherk then Dunham should move very close to a title shot, hell have him and Soti fight for the next shot against the winner of Maynard/Edgar. However, Sherk is no push over. I am a huge fan of his and he has only lost to champions. Take a look for yourself, the man does not loss to chumps. If Dunham wins then I will have some big expectations for him in the future. However, I think Sherk is the better wrestler and will be able to grind out a decision over the younger Dunham.

Guillard and Stephens doesn't excite me all that much. My money says someone will get knocked the fuck out, my true guess is that Stephens will walk away with the victory, but this fight is really unpredictable.

I also like Dollaway and Beltran to pick up some more wins. I don't really care for the rest of the undercard though I am interested to see how Mark Hunt does in his UFC debut. He is on a 5 or 6 fight losing streak so his signing was a bit odd, but I am curious to see how he does. His last couple loses have been against some of the best in the world and he is being fed a can. I expect him to win but we will see.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

This is going to be a very solid card. The main card is setup for some wars.

Mir vs. Cro Cop should be a very entertaining main event providing the eye poke Mirko sustained in his last day of training in Croatia isn't to serious. Each day we seem to be hearing something else on the matter. With this injury announced, I bet Mir will definitely try to stand and bang with Cro Cop. Mir is to much of a hard head to stick to what he is good at in his BJJ to take the fight to the ground. Mirko does have great takedown defense so it will be tricky for Mir.

Lil Nog vs. Bader is by far Bader's toughest challenge yet in a fight with Nog. I would say Nog has the advantage here with experience and his brother coaching Bader in TUF 8 so he can offer a bit more on Bader's technique. Lil Nog lost a little momentum in his last fight against Brilz, he was given a gift in the decision, must of been three Cecil Peoples judging that fight. If the Nog that fought Brilz shows up then Bader has this in the bag, if not then it will been a really could fight. Either guy shouldn't be to thrilled with a win because their next challenge is Jon Jones!

Lytle vs. Serra could very well be FOTN. I have always been a fan of of Lytle, I wish I can say the same about Serra but he just comes off as a cocky douche. Yeah he beat GSP but had his ass handed to him in the rematch to show it was just a fluke. Lytle has been on a little winning streak and I hope he continues it against Serra. The only thing Lytle has to watch out for his Serra's hands as we know he packs quite a hard punch.

Sherk vs. Dunham will be Dunham's toughest fight yet. I would've said that about Tyson Griffin but Dunham just dominated him throughout the whole fight. Sherk is finally fighting again after battling injuries. If Dunham gets the win he should be at the very top for a title shot. I like Indy's idea having Dunham fight Sotiropoulos for number one contender, but he would have to win against Joe Lauzon in his up coming fight at UFC 123 for that to happen.

Guillard vs. Stephens is a great fight to have to start the main card, it should end with a stellar knock out. The last time we saw Guillard he won by a vicious knee to the body. Each guy is on a two fight winning streak, so someone is gonna be set back with a loss.

Prelims on Spike should be alright. C.B. Dollaway will have his hands full with Doerksen. Meathead will also face a tough challenge in Beltran. Hopefully Mitrione has worked on his conditioning because Beltran can go the distance. Also hope they show the Mark Hunt fight at some point during the night. I'm sure Hunt is on a one fight deal to start. He loses he's out, wins he gets another fight.

 

[The Crock]

This is one hell of a card. I can't wait. This is one of the best cards in recent memory and I'm expecting huge things.

Cro Cop and Mir should put on a show, although I think Mir's pretty much got the win locked up in that one. Mir has gotten much better on his feet so I think he'll somewhat be able to hang with Cro Cop until he can take it to the ground. Cro Cop's latest "submission" win wasn't all that great. It was a simple guillotine, Mir can defend that in his sleep. I'm sure about this though, if it doesn't go to a decision, Mir will submit Cro Cop.

Little Nog vs Ryan Bader should be great too, Bader is vastly underrated and in my opinion he is a huge threat. Little Nog is a vet and he's done it all, but I don't think he has enough left in the tank to win. Bader has a hunger that is unmatched, he gets better with every fight. He'll surely show the huge leaps and bounds he's made in his latest training sessions.

I can't believe how little Serra vs Lytle has been talked about... that has the potential to be the fight of the night. Serra and Lytle both have great knockout power, and the best example of that is Serra - GSP I. I have Lytle in a minor upset in this one. Serra hasn't been great as of late and I don't think he can hang with "Lights Out" Lytle who has been ON A ROLL.

I'm very excited to see Dunham - Sherk. Ever since the PED suspension Sherk has just been... a little bland to me. I'm hoping to see one hell of a fight out of these two. I think that Dunham takes the win, the dude is an absolute animal and he will grind it out against Sherk for 3 rounds.

Guillard - Stephens is... well... different. Guillard is my pick to win, and for very good reason. He shows flashes of greatness at some points, but he doesn't seem to know how to reel it all in. He fights out of Salt Lake City, out of Gumby's camp. That is one hell of an underrated camp.

In the non-PPV fights I have: Dollaway, Mitrione, Tavares, McCorckle, Grant, Lopez all winning.

Overall, great card and a ton of great fights. I can't wait. I have a few early predictions:

Fight of the Night: Lytle - Serra

Knockout of the Night: Ryan Bader

Submission of the Night: Frank Mir

I don't know how it'll really turn out, MMA is a very unpredictable sport.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Mirko Cro Cop vs Frank Mir if you havent seen it then do not read any further.

The fight was hyped so much, it was really anticipated and then all we get is a fucking clinchfest that lasted fifteen minutes. No fighter did damage, if theydid it was minimal at not one point was there any sense of danger created for any fighter. This fight clearly showed how much Mir needs to learn in the wrestling aspect as he couldn't even get to Cro Cop's legs. This fight was too safe, nobody went for any risk or took any chance. You could probably call it that they were very evenly matched but what i saw is a lacklustre over hyped main event that definetly fell short of all my expectations. I feel sorry for the fans in attendance this was worse than friggen Anderson vs Meia. Your thoughts please?

 

[Dressler]

I think this was possibly a case of both fighters respecting the others strengths a little to much and playing it safe on both parts. If you look at the fight, Mir wouldn't really exchange punches very much, keeping close to Cro Cop as to not get kicked and then would go for the take down/clinch knowing that was his best shot, he also didn't try to shoot for too many take downs because he was afraid to get kicked, kneed or punched on the way in, so he was damn happy with that clinch. As for Cro Cop, he didn't exactly put on a clinic, but in my mind that's because A) Mir didn't give him the space he needed, and B) because like I said, respect came into play, he knew if he just kept throwing wild kicks here, there and everywhere that Mir would eventually catch him and the fight is over.

Although I agree it was lackluster at best, it wasn't that it didn't have the potential to be good, it was that they were a bit to respectful of the others abilities.

 

[INDYjon22]

More like 14 minutes.....

I hate to say it, but I am a little shocked that people are so surprised by this. Both men are known for liking to throw the leather, but neither man really likes to get hit. I am positive that this is the reason why they were so hesitant the entire fight. They let their fears of getting hit translate into a very boring fight, for the most part. However, as boring as the fight may have been the ending was terrific. It brings to mind the Gabriel Gonzaga/Kevin Jordan fight from a few years ago. The fight was incredibly boring, but the finish was top notch. And isn't that all that should be remembered? Probably not, this win won't get Mir any closer to a title shot mainly because it was not exciting, but the end did give me an awesome feeling, even if CroCop had to lose.

 

[The Crock]

They didn't really seem to know what to do. They stuck to the clinch game the ENTIRE time. It wasn't terrible but I would be fairly angry if I paid for a ticket, or even paid for the PPV. It is really just a part of the sport, you never know what a fight will be like. It's an unpredictable sport. The best part of the fight was Mir getting that KO, it was a thing of beauty... well not really but it ended an otherwise boring fight.

 

[jmt225]

Yeah, Mir vs. Cro Cop was a boring ass fight, but meh... props to Mir for being able to pull out the knockout. That was a very impressive knee, bottom line. But Mir didn't take any shots himself. That's what is really holding him back from being champion... the guy has yet to show he can handle being hit. Cro Cop didn't put the pressure on him like he perhaps should have, and it cost him deeply.

Here's hoping though that this a new streak for Mir. I would really like to see him get the winner of Carwin vs. Nelson, with the winner of that getting the winner of dos Santos vs. Brock/Cain for the HW Title.

Anyways, the rest of the main card was a let down as well, with the exception of Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle, which was a very fun fight, even if Serra fucked himself by not taking it to the ground like he should have.

Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens was a HUGE let down. I really don't know what their problems were, but they were really hesitant to pull the trigger, when usually neither fight that way. After the fight Guillard was harping he wants Gomi next... well, he doesn't deserve to be able to pick his own opponent after that kind of performance. While I would very much love to see Gomi knock him the fuck out like he undoubtedly would if they fought, Guillard can go fuck himself. Let Gomi destroy Clay Guida, and then get a shot at the LW Champ.

Lil' Nog vs. Bader was a typical lay fest... no surprise. Very disappointed Nog couldn't pull off any submissions though, but oh well. It'll be fun to watch Jon Jones beat the shit out of Bader now.

Sean Sherk vs. Evan Dunham was a decent enough fight I suppose. The decision... meh, I thought it was a draw, to be perfectly honest. Sherk undoubtedly won round 1, while Dunham undoubtedly won round 3. Round 2.. well, Sherk won the first half of it, while Dunham won the 2nd half of it, but neither did really anything to steal the round. So, yeah... I would have made it a draw. I hate draws, but Sherk vs. Dunham is as much of a draw fight you'll ever witness.

C.B. Dollaway was awesome. Definitely expecting big things from him in the future. I really think he'll end up being the stand out from TUF 7 when it's all said and done.

Matt Mitrione vs. Joey Beltran was easily Fight of the Night. Meathead's a bit of a ******, but he's fun to watch. I don't think he'll make it far as a Heavyweight once he starts fighting tougher competition, but it's going to be a pleasure to watch him whenever he gets in the octagon, that's for sure.

And I was very disappointed in Mark Hunt. He showed up in great shape, only to lose like that. Shame.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

What most of us thought was gonna be an entertaining card, turned out to be the opposite for the most part. At least the Spike prelims delivered.

Mitrione vs. Beltran was a damn exciting fight. Both of them beat each other up for 3 rounds, was a little sloppy at times, but entertaining throughout the fight. Mitrione is getting better and better as each fight passes. He is doing a great job mixing up his striking. Ended up catching Beltran a few times during the fight, but Beltran has a damn good chin. It's a shame Duffee was released, would've been a nice match up for Mitrione's next fight.

Dollaway vs. Doersken was a fast fight. C.B. locked on a guillotine very fast, but didn't apply any real pressure, did some nifty rolling around with the guillotine still applied and ended up setting it in for the win. Dollaway has been looking good since losing to Lawlor. I wish Sadollah didn't have a fight coming up, would like to see a rematch between the two.

Hunt vs. McCorkle - Another fast fight. Hunt hit McCorkle with a nice right hook very early that cut him. McCorkle shot but Hunt sprawled and ended up with top position, right into his guard, McCorkle got a Kimura that turned into an armbar, Hunt taps. Well it's probably safe to say that Hunt is one and done with the UFC. I would be surprised to see him get another fight.

Guillard vs. Stephens ended up being a boring fight. Someone was supposed to go to sleep in this fight, and that was the people watching. Stehpens was a little aggressive at times but couldn't land anything as Guillard was doing a good job keeping his distance. I'm not sure if I would've gave Guillard the decision, Stephens did score a knockdown in the first 5 seconds of the fight, and landed a nice punch in the third.

Sherk vs. Dunham - I think the decision for Sherk was bullshit, but still was a pretty good fight. I give Sherk the first round for the takedown and the damage for the cut he opened up above Dunham's eye, Dunham was able to lock on a guillotine twice, but sherk rolled out of it, one of them looked like the fight was over, hell Mike Goldberg even let out his patened "It is all over" except instead of saying over it was replaced with an Oh, as Sherk didn't tap. Second round I have to give Dunham. He was able to get another guillotine but sherk pulled out again, Dunham started just to stand and strike with him, thats where he won the round. Third round was definitely all Dunham as he just stood and out striked Sherk throughout the round. Was surprised not to see Sherk go for a takedown when he was losing the stand up battle with Dunham in the third. Dunham still has all the potential in the world, Sherk has never lost from a submission, guess it's hard to submit someone when they don't have a neck. I don't see Dunham dropping that far off the Lightweight ranks just for how close of a fight it was, despite losing he still looked good.

Serra vs. Lytle was another boring fight. Lytle just dominated with his boxing skills throughout the whole fight. Serra for some reason didn't want to try and shoot for any takedowns until it was to late in the third round, nor did he try and mix anything up, instead just kept rushing in and getting caught by Lytle's punches. Crowd was only behind the fight because Lytle was a hometown boy.

Lil Nog vs. Bader was the common theme of the night boring. The fight had it's little moments but they were far and few between. Nog didn't look comfortable in the early rounds, didn't get anything going until it was the third, then Bader went back to his wrestling and took him down again. Thats two fights in a row that Lil Nog has come off sluggish, he needs to really start letting those hands fly if he wants to stay near the top of the division. Bader looked alright, he will need to be much better though and look like the Bader from the Jardine fight if he wants to stand a chance with Jon Jones.

Mir vs. Cro Cop what a boring boring clinch fest. The most action of the fight before Mir ended it with the knee, was the knee to the groin by Cro Cop in the first. Definitely a win Mir better not talk shit about putting something on a mantle, because both of them looked like shit. With Mirko being hesitant to engage, Mir could've attempted to throw punches when he had him against the cage. Back to fighting up in a comers or borderline cans for Mirko if he continues to fight, sucks because he looked like he was getting back to his old form. Mir still has a shit ton of work to do before he is close to contend for a title. I would like to see Mir fight Nelson next, yeah there would be more clinching but at least Nelson will throw some punches.

 

[INDYjon22]

I was only able to catch 3 of the fights last night so I will make this short.

Mir vs. CroCop was boring, everybody has already said so, so there isn't a whole lot I can add. Both guys were just to scared to try anything. They gave each other way to much respect in regards to striking and it hurt the fight. Awesome KO by Mir at the end though. A rematch with Carwin or a fight with Roy Nelson seems like the logical next step for Mir, like JMT said. I would also be interested in seeing him fight Randy Couture, if Randy decided to move up again.

Bader vs. Lil Nog wasn't terrible. However, Bader was clearly the better fighter last night. Once again it seemed like both men were far to hesitant in trying to engage. A shame really, because both men have some heavy hands and could have had an absolute slugfest. I am really excited about Jones vs. Bader now. A lot of people want to see this fight and I am one of them.

Lytle vs. Serra was awesome and is in fact my favorite fight of the year, so far. Lytle is from my home state so needless to say I was pulling big for him to win. These two guys went balls to the wall and it was awesome. I respect Serra for wanting to put on a show, but he should have tried to take it to the ground if he truly wanted to win. Lytle is on a nice little win streak right now and is giving some great performances. He may never be a champion but he can give the top guys some shit. He is a great gate keeper.

The rest of the card I will have to watch online somehow. I really want to see Mitrion, Sherk and Dolloways fights. I don't really care about the rest.

 

[excel_excel]

Ahh overall a underwhelming event. Like everyone has said Mir vs. CroCop was incredibly boring, feeling more like a sparring session between two friends then a UFC fight. At least the ending was cool, but it doesn't make up for a crap match.

Bader vs. Lil Nog was okay, but again felt a bit too held back by something. That said Bader did kick ass, and I'm looking forward to seeing him again.

The Evan Dunham VS Sean Sherk fight was ok, and I have no idea as to why Sherk was awarded the desicion.

Chris Lytle Vs Matt Serra was the fight of the night for sure, Lytle was awesome out there.