UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones

[Turd Ferguson]

[YOUTUBE]4FRGP8hdoWc[/YOUTUBE]
This trailer RULES... might even be better than GSP/Koscheck.

MAIN CARD

• Light Heavyweight Championship: Mauricio Rua vs. Jon Jones
• Bantamweight bout: Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland
• Lightweight bout: Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus
• Middleweight bout: Nate Marquardt vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
• Heavyweight bout: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Brendan Schaub

Preliminary Card (Spike TV)

• Lightweight bout: Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani
• Light Heavyweight bout: Luiz Cane vs. Elliot Marshall

Preliminary Card (Facebook/Untelevised)

• Featherweight bout: Eric Koch vs. Rafael Assuncao
• Welterweight bout: Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle
• Lightweight bout: Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau
• Middleweight bout: Dan Miller vs. Nick Catone
• Bantamweight bout: Joseph Benevidez vs. Ian Loveland

With a Light Heavyweight Title fight that is beyond huge, UFC 128 kicks off a stretch of cards where every upcoming event from this card to UFC 131 (at the very least) is must-see. This card is absolutely stacked from top to bottom.

The main event is a Light Heavyweight Championship fight between Shogun Rua and Jon Jones. To be 100% honest, I still have absolutely no idea who is going to win this fight. Shogun has the issue where he's coming off of a long layoff due to knee surgery. The last time Shogun was out for an extended period of time, he beat Mark Coleman, but he looked lethargic throughout the fight, and it made people question whether or not he was past his prime... which is a ludicrous statement to make about a guy who was still only in his mid-20s, but those questions were there. Jones has the issue where he only has six weeks to prepare for the biggest fight of his young career. Furthermore, it's only six weeks where he has to train for an elite fighter like Shogun. To build on top of that, there is a major issue with experience. Shogun has fought some of the best in the world at a young age and passed with flying colors, dismantling guys like Rampage Jackson. This is Jon Jones' first real big name opponent. The outside factors surrounding this fight alone are extremely intriguing.

Stylistically, I would think that despite the great and creative striking of Jon Jones, Shogun has the absolute advantage in the standup. Jones is going to need to take this fight to the ground as soon as possible and hope that his wrestling is great enough to control Shogun. It's accepted that Jones is going to take Shogun down... however, Shogun is usually quick to get back on his feet, and he can threaten from his back. What's interesting though is that the guys who Shogun had no problem getting back up from, such as Machida and Liddell, don't have the aggressiveness on the ground like Jones does. Shogun is going to be tested big time on the ground, and Jones is going to certainly have his submission defense tested.

What I think is important to note too is that Jon Jones has not faced adversity once yet. He hasn't been rocked. He hasn't been in a vulnerable situation where he's been threatened to be submitted.

I can see this fight going two ways.

1.) Jones puts in a valiant effort, threatening Shogun quite a few times, but eventually being too overaggressive on the ground, getting caught with a submission. Despite losing, it becomes clear that with more seasoning against top competition, Jones is absolutely a future champion.

2.) Jones being fresh is a major advantage, and Shogun has ring rust. Jones cruises to victory, grounding and pounding Shogun out around the third round or so.

It's a very interesting and exciting matchup. I cannot wait to see how it unfolds.

The co-main event is a Bantamweight fight between Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland. I know absolutely nothing about Wineland. This is a fight for the UFC to basically introduce Faber to casual fans, and they're going to want him to lead the charge for the smaller weightclasses. This is a very important fight for both Faber and the UFC. If Faber loses, this WEC expansion may not turn out the way they would like it to. And after Siver/Sotiropoulos, it bears mentioning more than ever that nothing is guaranteed in MMA.

I don't get why the UFC keeps shitting on Jim Miller. Miller's one of the top lightweights in the company and has won 8 of his last 9. He's only lost to two people in his career, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. He's looked great in just about every win. He should really be getting a top ranked opponent, like Sherk or Guillard after this fight. I don't know what else Miller has to do to prove he's legit. Kamal Shalorus is a decent fighter, but he had problems with Jamie Varner, which shows you exactly where his skillset is. I predict another submission victory for Miller in this one after Kamal gasses out around the second round.

Marquardt vs. Akiyama is a fight where both guys are fighting for relevancy at 185, and possibly even their jobs. Dana's still angry at Marquardt for not bringing it vs. Okami. Akiyama's lost against Leben and Bisping, but he's turned in Fight of the Night performances every time out, and he also has the factor of the UFC really wanting to break into Japan this year where if he loses, he might still have some job security. I don't think Akiyama's gas tank will hold up, he's gassed in every fight he's had in the UFC so far. Marquardt is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the division, but he has a tendency to fuck things up. Being that this isn't a #1 Contender fight, I think Marquardt takes a decision. I think that Akiyama will also be forced to go down to 170 for one last shot.

Cro Cop vs. Schaub could be Cro Cop's swan song in the UFC. Schaub is tearing it up lately, and Cro Cop looks done. He has no chin left. I'm predicting Schaub by brutal first round knockout and an emotional retirement speech by Cro Cop afterwards.

I am psyched for another Edson Barboza fight. His UFC debut was one of my most favorite fights of last year. Njokuani is a one hit wonder for a brutal head kick KO of a twelve year old. Njokuani has long legs that are going to be leg kicked to death by Barboza in what will be another impressive win.

There's a reason why the UFC cut Elliot Marshall despite a 3-1 record and a loss to Vladimir Matyushenko. He's BORING. And now that he's back, he's going to decision Luiz Cane in what will be a completely boring affair in what should be a fight on par of the Spike TV prelim between Nik Lentz and Andre Winner. I don't get why a crowd killer like Cane and Marshall will be on the Spike prelims when Pellegrino/Tibau, Miller/Catone, and Almeida/Pyle will be untelevised.

The three aforementioned fights would be really good fights on any main card, and I'm surprised they're being tucked away on the prelims, especially where Pyle is coming off of an impressive win over John Hathaway.

Pellegrino vs Tibau is a loser goes home fight, and Pellegrino should have the advantage on the ground to take it.

Dan Miller will probably choke Catone out, getting another win and rebuilding his record.

Almeida vs. Pyle is a real interesting fight, where I would assume Almeida would take it due to his superior ground game.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

Haha, wow, you think Wineland is an "introduction?" Wineland is an extremely good fighter and can probably win this. Wineland was the first ever Bantamweight champion in the WEC. His only WEC losses are to Chase Beebe and Rani Yahya. He's an extremely aggressive wrestler with some crisp boxing. Faber had better be in tip top shape for his fight with Wineland.

I'm a huge Jim Miller fan and I think that Shalorus will dominate the early rounds by virtue of being a fucking ox, but, as you stated, Miller will get the late submission with Kamal gasses (which he does, a lot). I think it will be in the third, though. Not the second.

Haha, I wish you hadn't brought up Njokuani's head kick of Horodecki. The Polish Hammer is one of my favorite fighters and I was pissed he turned his back to Njokuani and got KO'ed by that. That being said, I think that Barboza takes this fight pretty handily.

I couldn't give a shit about Marquardt vs. Sexyama. This will be the most boring fight on the face of the planet and I will probably use this time to get more beer or make food.

I'm a huge Schaub fan and I cannot wait for his fight with Cro-Cop. To be honest, I somehow missed that this fight was taking place and didn't even find out about it until they mentioned it last night. I predict Schaub will win this with a heavy knockout and, like you said, Cro Cop will give an emotional retirement speech.

That being said, I'm sure I'm not alone here when I say I wouldn't mind seeing one last Cro Cop LHK KO before retirement. It won't happen, though.

Now to the main event:

I'm torn on this one. Jones WILL be a champion one day, but I don't think it's his time yet. Shogun is very deadly and Jones hasn't seen anyone like this. That being said, Jones did dismantle Brandon Vera who, despite the fact that he's not lived up to his hype, is a very potent striker.

Shogun's take-down defense is very suspect and you also hit the nail on the head again, Guy. I'll elaborate further than you did, but you were spot on with your statement about Machida and Liddell not being Jones.

Shogun may have gotten up easily from Machida and Liddell, but both of those fighters are basically the exact same thing. Great counter punchers with amazing take-down defense. They aren't known for their offensive wrestling. Forrest Griffin punished the hell out of Shogun on the ground and that's closer to a litmus test of what Shogun will see from Jones than either Machida or Liddell.

Ring rust is a bitch, but Shogun has done this many times and this is Jones' first. I'm inclined to go with Shogun, but may swing my pick toward Jones as the fight gets closer.

 

[The Best]

Wow it's going to be fun watching that in person, What's really intriguing me is how Jones' unorthodox style will go against Shogun's famous muai thai style.

This is one of the few cards where i believe that there will be a lot more finishes than decisions, it's going to be great seeing this in person!!

 

[Uncle Chester]

UFC 128: Shogun vs Jones

Mauricio Shogun vs Jon Jones

This fight has one of the greatest back-stories to any fight we've ever seen. What makes this fight so special is the contrasting yet similar careers of Shogun and Jones. Shogun was once in Jones' shoes, the hungry young upstart who took this entire sport in a year or 2 and now he's fighting a fighter whose career path has resembled his own. Shogun has felt what Jones felt, he himself has experienced that brash young arrogance and exuberance that has made Jones into a legitimate PPV draw. This matchup up for Shogun is tough but Shogun can beat anyone, and this doesn't exclude Jones. If he can get inside and avoid the jab then I have no doubt Shogun will TKO or knockout Bonesy out but Jones is a wicked wrestler whose hard to counter due to his unpredictability. Shogun will need to defend that takedown to avoid those cunty elbows of Jones but he's also an absolute monster at BJJ so a submission isn't unlikely. Jones' gameplan will be to keep Shogun at bay with his long arms, take him down and ground and pound but that's not going to be easy against the GOAT. The fight is a little bit premature, I would've liked to have seen Jones fight a top fighter first before being considered a contender but it should be a tense affair.


Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland

This should be a highly entertaining fight and it's an important fight for UFC's golden boy Urijah Faber. Wineland is no joke- take a peek at his record and suffice to say he's a top fighter but I'm hoping Faber can edge out a victory. His much more interesting than Wineland tbh.


Lightweight bout: Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus

Now that Sotiriopolous has been defeated, Miller is one fighter down from what should be a title shot. His won against some of the brightest fighters in the lightweight division and once again he has to fight an absolute fucking mammoth in Shalrous. Kamal will get the better of stand up exchanges but due to his freakishness will gas and leave the door open for submission.


OTHERS: Akiyama and Marquadt are both fighting to retain their statuses as top guys. Akiyama is dangerous but his cardio holds him back. I'm looking forward to the fight but Marquerdt may edge it. Akiyama isn't going anywhere, he's put on too many awesome fights for the UFC to cut him but I see him headlining a free card if he loses this one.

Cro Cop is a shadow of his legendary self but he's still dangerous and should put up a valiant efort against Schaub but I don't see him winning. It's youth and growth versus age and regression and youth will probably win.

 

[battech2]

I'm sorry to hear about Rampage but I really think this is a great opportunity for Jones to make his mark in this sport. I work the call center at DISH Network so I always have to work fight nights. I have still never missed a fight because I stream it onto my iPad from my Sling Adapter at home. I really got sick of people calling in and ruining the fight outcomes for me so I decided to just bring my TV with me. Here's to another great UFC; 128 show us what you're made of!

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Pumped only a week away from this card.

Starting right with the main event, Jones is up for the fight of his life right now. If he wins he becomes the UFC Light Heavyweight champion. He is definitely facing his toughest opponent yet in Rua, who is very well-rounded in all aspects. Jones has yet to fight anyone with the striking ability that Rua posses. One of the things Jones has an advantage on, is his long reach. I really wish they would've waited a little longer for before Jones gets the title shot, especially since the knee injury to Evans wasn't that serious, could've easily pushed this fight back a month or two, and bimped another big fight to this event. I think Rua will win this fight, as long as his leg is fully healed and is truley at 100%. Jones could surprise a lot of people and pull it off he his the skills to do so, just needs to keep calm and not over exert himself. Like I said when this fight was first announced, a loss for Jones doesn't really hurt him at all, he is still extremely young and the loss wouldn't knock him far out of the title picture since he is filling in for someone. Sucks because I like both fighters a lot, guess I'll be happy with whoever wins, a little more if Jones does since he is basically a hometown boy.

Faber/Wineland should make for a pretty good fight for Faber's big UFC debut. Wineland quietly made his way towards the top of the Bantamweight division again. Now is in what seems to be a fight for a shot at Cruz and the Bantamweight title. Faber meanwhile looked great in his Bantamweight debut against Mizugaki. I have know doubt Faber can win this fight by typical Faber style, by subbing Wineland, where most of Wineland's losses come from. Faber is the better wrestler and should have little trouble getting the fight to the ground to put Wineland away.

Miller/Shalorus could possibly be the FOTN. I have to agree with the majority here, in saying Shalorus will be in control until gassing leaving it open for Miller to get the win by a sub. I'm not gonna bitch about Miller fighting Shalorus instead of a top opponent, because once Miller wins he should be right there fighting next for the title or get the winner out of Guida/Pettis.

Well now Dan Miller is bumped up to fight Nate Marquardt since Akiyama had to back out due to the earthquake/tsunami in Japan. Miller was starting to regain a name for himself after going on that 3 fight losing skid, but this well most likely be halted as Marquardt should be able to beat Miller handedly, then we'll have to listen to him just like Bisping saying he should be fighting for the title next yet again. I don't see this being that exciting of a fight at all.

I'm not sure what to think about the Schaub/Cro Cop fight. Since Schaub lost to 'The Belly' he has been on a role, the KO loss let a fire under his ass. I'm not sure what to think of Mirko anymore, since the loss to JDS, he seemed to have a resurgence, starting to look somewhat of the Cro Cop of old. Then we have the Mir fight, where he just looked like crap (well they both did) until Mirko was but out by that knee in the final minute. If Mirko wants to win this, he needs to pull the trigger and not hold back, or else Schaub will pick him apart like he did to Gonzaga, except Schaub will end up putting Cro Cop to sleep. I rather see Mirko go out fighting than what we saw in his last fight, no shame going out guns blazing.

For the under card, Glad to see Barboza make the Spike prelims, he started his UFC career with an awesome performance. A could care a less about Luiz Cane, he needs a win badly or else he is done, after not lasting more than a half of a round in his last 2 fights, getting TKO'd in both. I'd much rather watch the Benavidez fight than Cane/Marshal.

 

[jmt225]

So the card is this Saturday and that still feels too far away...

I absolutely cannot wait for Shogun vs. Jones. The Countdown show and presser have me so hyped up for this fight. I was getting nervous about it recently, but after seeing the Countdown program and Shogun's recent interview with Ariel Helwani... I am more confident than ever that Shogun will beat Jon Jones this Saturday.

Nothing against Jon Jones, I really like the kid and he does have a really bright future, but it's ridiculous the hype he's getting right now, while Shogun's accomplishments are getting completely ignored. Shogun is a legend in the sport at only 29-years-old and has beaten the best of the best the Light Heavyweight Division in MMA has had to offer, yet it's Jon Jones getting his dick relentlessly sucked by the media and fans, it's Jon Jones with the 30 minute special on Spike TV... you know, this shit just makes no sense to me and people have a rude awakening coming this Saturday when Shogun lays down a serious ass whoopin' on Jones.

All Jones has over Shogun is wrestling... that's it. The striking advantage goes to Shogun, as does the overall ground game. Shogun will tear those boney legs of Jones' apart with vicious leg kicks when on the feet, and IF Jones is able to take the fight to ground, then he'll meet the most active fighter he's ever had to deal with from the bottom.

Jon Jones has never dreamed of fighting a guy like Shogun, but his worst nightmare will be met this Saturday. Mark my words. If he somehow proves me wrong, then I'll give him all the props in the World, but it's not happening.

Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland should be a fun little war. Both guys always lay everything on the line, and both always fights as aggressively as possible. I have to give Urijah the advantage, though. He's just way too well-rounded. His boxing is very good, and if he doesn't like where the stand-up is going, he has the ability to take the fight to the ground and do his thing there. Should be a fantastic debut for Urijah in the UFC. Definitely looking forward to it...

Jim Miller will dominate Kamal Shalorus and will hopefully then move on to bigger names. He deserves it, as he's undoubtedly a top 5 Lightweight in the UFC.

Jim's brother Dan, however, I don't think voes too well against Nate Marquardt. Marquardt is coming off a terrible loss, and this is when he shines best... against a mediocre name after a bad loss. But, I will say that if he's taking Dan Miller lightly, then he's in for a big shock come this Saturday, as Dan, like his brother, is very well rounded and can pull off a win during any moment of the fight. That said, I just don't see it happening. Nate's a huge, talented (when he wants to be) Middleweight with a lot to prove, and I think it's very possible we'll see the best Nate Marquardt we've ever seen this Saturday.

And I just have a gut feeling that this Saturday we will also see the Mirko Cro Cop of old. Brendan Schaub is a young, arrogant, and highly overrated fighter who will stand with Cro Cop and won't cower away from Cro Cop's striking. That will, fortunately, lead to Schaub's demise.

I'm not saying I expect Cro Cop to win this fight and then go on to win 3 straight more and earn himself a title shot, but I do firmly believe he will win this fight Saturday. It's just the perfect match-up for him.

All in all, great main card for this show. The preliminary fights suck ass, but that doesn't matter with a main card/main event this show has. Saturday night cannot come soon enough.......

 

[Minor League Brian]

Yanno, I gotta agree with my boy J here. At least partially. Partially because I fucking can't stand Jon Jones, but its mostly to do with his hype.

From what I've seen, Shogun has GOT to be one of the most tossed aside/forgotten Champion's in the UFC. Anytime we have a Heavyweight bout you hear Cain and Lesnars name pop up, GSP for Welter. Silva for middleweights, and it was Penn for Lightweights. LHW? I don't even hear Rua's name mentioned. I really don't.

I don't get what it is. Is it because people think Jones has a "interesting" style? Personally I think its stupid and I think eventually its gonna get his ass handed to him. Or maybe its because he's young and loud? Hell, Rashad has that covered imo. Then again, he's now boring as shit.

I just don't get it, I don't see how Jones deserves this shot yet. I really don't. And on top of that, I don't see how anyone thinks he's the favorite or the guy to do this. The ONLY thing I think that'll hold Rua back is ring rust and besides that, I think Rua will be able to handle this fight. Maybe I'm wrong, I've been wrong plenty of times before, but I just don't get this Jon Jones hype.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Man...what a night we have ahead of us. This is so awesome im going to give it a.....

Hey Yo

Jon Jones vs Shogun Rua

Expect War Shogun to turn up to silence Jon Jones critics at least for a little while. Jon Jones is riding so much hype for this fight and it is unbelievable. Shogun's accomplishments and skill are being completely over looked as JMT stated. Shogun has beaten Noguiera, Rampage Jackson, Alistair Overeem twice and Machida just to name a few. Shogun has beaten a class of MMA elite fighters and is only 29 years old so he is about to hit his peak. In no way shape or form am I underestimating Jon Jones, i am actually a huge fan and would be happy to see him get the win but he just isn't ready for somebody like Shogun. Shogun is too experienced, smart and skillful. But this is nothing but a blemish for Jones as he will grow and eventually be champ in the UFC.

Urijah Faber vs Eddie Wineland

Pumped to see the debut of Faber in the UFC. I do not why everybody is underestimating Wineland he is an excellent striker and possesses good grappling. Both are very aggressive fighters and we should be in for a treat.

As for the other fights i'm sorry i'm not really interested. Cro Cop hasn't really looked the same so i am disappointed and Nate Marquardt just pisses me off. He define the word mediocre.

 

[Uncle Phatso]

To be honest, I don't get the whole Cro cop is getting old stuff. He is 36 but outside of his fight with Mir I believe he has shown that he still has a lot of fight left in him. Schaub has a huge reach advantage over him. But really he has faced nelson and lost and while he got a big victory over Gonzaga. It wasn't that big Imo.

But really Gabe hasn't had a really impressive victory over anyone notable since Cro cop. He put up a good fight against Randy, He got wrecked by both Carwin and JDS. Hell even Werdum Tkoed him, his last three wins after fighting Werdum came from nobody’s.


I'm not saying that Schaub can't win, but people don't count Mirko out of this. Until he retires Cro cop will be a huge threat in the Hw division. That's my take on it.

Also small fun fact, This will be Cro cops first fight ever in march. His last Kickboxing contest in March was in 2002 against Mark Hunt. So maybe March will be lucky in this month.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Well, Jones completely obliterated Shogun. My God. Not once, throughout that fight, was Jones even remotely in trouble. Jon Jones went in and fought the greatest Light Heavyweight out there today, and possibly even in the history of Mixed Martial Arts, and absolutely destroyed him. We all knew that Shogun may have had ring rust, and may not have been 100%. And I think that absolutely played a huge factor, as he didn't even throw a leg kick once throughout the fight. We all knew that the takedown defense of Shogun would play a major role, but I think if Shogun was 100%, he would have been at least somewhat quicker on his feet to avoid the takedown, and I think if Shogun was 100%, he would have made at least a bit of a fight out of it. You really have to wonder though how much of the fight was Shogun being out of it, and how much was based on Jones being just so damn good... and I think even if Shogun was 100%, Jones still would have won, it just wouldn't have been a complete one sided ass kicking.

I give Shogun a lot of credit, coming in to fight on only a ten month layoff after a knee reconstruction. Most athletes would take an entire year off. Furthermore, despite being out of his league completely the minute the fight began, Shogun still fought on the entire way through, never giving up and always trying to find a way to finish when the fight was on the ground. I actually really felt bad for Shogun throughout the fight too. He had gone through so much to win the title, only to be obliterated by Jones.

Shogun will be back, and I think a rematch against either Rampage or Forrest Griffin makes a lot of sense for him right now.

It's all moot though. Jon Jones is only 23 years old and is the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion already. He's going to destroy Rashad Evans when they fight, and that will likely take place on the Fourth of July weekend card. Who in the hell is going to beat Jones is my question, and that is a topic in itself.

Eddie Wineland deserves a lot of credit. In the first round, he absolutely took it to Urijah Faber, and I was starting to feel like an upset may have been possible. Faber then came back and took it to Wineland the last two rounds in what was a fun fight. Faber will get Dominick Cruz next, and it should be interesting to see if the UFC runs with Faber headlining a card.

It seems like I say this after every time he fights, but I have to say it again... what else does Jim Miller need to do to prove that he belongs with the elite of the UFC Lightweight Division? He keeps improving with every fight and last night he finished a tough son of a bitch in Kamal Shalorus, and furthermore, he knocked him out, something he's never done. He truly deserves to be in title contention, and a fight against Sean Sherk makes a lot of sense as Guillard and Siver are already booked. Either that, or possibly a fight against the winner of Melendez/Kawajiri... although that seems extremely unlikely.

I really don't like Nate Marquardt and I really like Dan Miller, so I'm not going to say too much other than the fact that Miller threatened Marquardt on quite a few occasions and I wish he pulled it off. Marquardt hysterically told Helwani that he wanted to move down to 170, which would be a stupid move as he'd get wrestled on pretty badly by the elite of that division.

Cro Cop really looked the best he had in quite a long time vs. Brendan Schaub, until Schaub landed the brutal KO that may have ended his career. I still think Schaub is a jock douchebag who will get beaten by the elite of the heavyweight division when that time comes. Dana cut Cro Cop last night, so its either Strikeforce or retirement for him.

Dan Miragliotta should never be allowed to referee in New Jersey again as this is the second year in a row in that state where there's been a stoppage where the fighter clearly was not defending himself and yet, gets absolutely brutalized. Last year was Carwin vs. Mir, and this year was Cane vs. Marshall. Cane landed about 50 shots to Marshall who was clearly not defending himself and couldn't take any more punishment, and yet Miragliotta, instead of acting like he should have, sat there mesmerized. He's an okay ref for the most part, but he absolutely has his moments of being careless.

Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani was a great fight that if you haven't seen it, you absolutely should go out of your way to watch. Great back and forth fight that literally might have been decided in the last ten seconds. Barboza absolutely has a future at 155, but he still has a lot of work to do, and the Aldo comparisons should stop for a little while. Njokuani is alright, but this is a fight that Barboza should have dominated.

 

[jmt225]

Last night was easier to watch since it felt like the torch was being passed.

At this point in time, Shogun is the greatest Light Heavyweight in history, and after so many injuries... his era has unfortunately been cut short. Regardless, Shogun is still an absolute legend at the young age of 29, and for him to get dominated in the manner he did last night just goes to show that we are indeed starting the Jon Jones era in the Light Heavyweight Division.

Jon Jones was absolutely spectacular last night. Even with his reach advantage I thought there was no chance in hell that Jones would EVER out strike Shogun, but last night he did it and he did it beautifully. Jones has developed into a full fighter, and if he enters each fight with a good game plan... I don't see how anyone who can make 205 could ever defeat him. Anderson Silva stands a chance since Jones MIGHT strike with him, but if Jones went into that fight with a similar game plan Chael Sonnen had in his fight with Anderson, then I don't think Anderson would be able to do anything to stop the monster.

But yeah... all the props in the World to Jon Jones. I was heartbroken for Shogun, but I know his best days are most likely over and regardless we'll still see him kick ass for many more years to come (would love to see Shogun vs. Forrest 2 for Shogun's next fight so he could avenge that loss).

Cro Cop vs. Brendan Schaub was also heartbreaking. Cro Cop just needs to hang them up. He has not been the same since the fluke Gonzaga fight. It sucks to see such a great warrior like Cro Cop decline so quickly. It came out of fucking nowhere.

I give zero props to Schaub. Fuck him, and I hope he gets a top guy next so his ass can get knocked right back down ladder where he fucking belongs.

Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland wasn't as good as I hoped, but regardless still a decent fight. Faber looked great, though I'm pretty sure he and the UFC are disappointed with that kind of debut. But whatever... Faber's a talented motherfucker and I will not be surprised if he goes on a run in the Bantamweight Division similar to the one he had in the Featherweight Division during his hot streak there in the WEC.

Jim Miller looked absolutely spectacular, as expected. As long as he can avoid BJ Penn (and a couple of Strikeforce fighters), Jim Miller, I think, will be the one to defeat Frankie Edgar for the Lightweight Championship. The guy is just too fucking good in pretty much every area. It's mind blowing how well-rounded he is.

The same cannot be said for his brother though, unfortunately. I mean, Dan's a good talent, but to let Marquardt lay and pray him like that last night shows that he's not anywhere near the talent his brother is. And as far as Marquardt... not the performance he needed to have last night. It was a boring fucking fight and I'm sure everyone watching has no interest in seeing his next fight. I know I sure as hell don't.

 

[INDYjon22]

Very sad to see Shogun get beat up like he did. I love and respect the hell out of Mauricio and last night was kind of difficult to watch. He looked out of shape and sluggish. All of the injuries he has had over his career and all of the wars seem to be taking their toll on him now. Hopefully he can come back and give us some more great fights before the end of his career.

Jones on the other hand looked spectacular. His striking was great and unpredictable as ever. He is getting better on the ground with every fight and it is always difficult to figure out how he is going to attack his opponents. He is just very well rounded. It is so damn scary to see him fight and know that he is only 23 years old. The sky really is the limit for him.

As for where he goes from here, well a fight with Rashad makes the most sense seeing as Rashad may be leaving Greg Jackson. I don't really know how that fight would go but I don't see Evans winning the belt from Jones. The fight I want to see is against Anderson Silva though. It would be great to see Jones and Anderson strike with each other, though Anderson would more then likely get the best of those exchanges. But, I definitely want to see Jones/Anderson more then GSP/Anderson right now.

Faber looked good last night. Wineland is no joke, but Faber won as I think most people expected. Faber's wrestling looked great and he had some beautiful takedowns. I think Faber vs. Cruz is where the UFC is going to go next with both guys, but I guess I could probably see Faber fighting another former champion such as Miguel Torres first. But, the UFC definitely wants to see Cruz/Faber, as do I.

Marquardt vs. Miller didn't really do anything for me. It's not that I like or dislike either guy, I am just indifferent and that lead to me not caring that they were fighting. Miller is a tough guy but he isn't going to contend with the top guys ever, they are just to much for him. Marquardt on the other hand needs to get back to being aggressive and finishing people if he ever hopes to get another title shot.

Jim Miller is a beast and definitely a top 5 Lightweight in the UFC at this point. Hopefully he gets his title shot before to long. If Pettis loses to Guida I suspect that Miller will finally get his chance at the title. At the very least he needs to get a number one contenders fight with someone. Good performance.

Mirko looked very good and then just like that it was over. I actually liked Schaub before the fight but seeing him land that unnecessary late punch when CC was clearly out pissed me off. I know they say to not stop until the referee pulls you off but people know when to stop and Schaub shouldn't have thrown that last punch. I thought it was dirty and changed my opinion of him. He may have looked great last night but I hope he gets his ass destroyed in his next fight.

Very upset to see Marshall lose. Cane saved his career and Marshall will now probably have to go back to the smaller promotions. Hopefully he bounces back.Barboza vs. Njokuani was a nice little slugfest. Very entertaining fight. I didn't agree with the Mike Pyle/Ricardo Almeida decision, but the fight was boring so I am not going to complain to much. Glad to see Tibau pick up the win, I have been a fan of his for a few years now. And, Koch's KO of Assuncao was awesome. Koch has a ton of potential.

UFC 128 was very entertaining and seeing the changing of the guard was definitely something to behold. Hopefully Jones has a long and triumphant reign. I think he will, but the LHW title needs to have someone hold onto it for more then one fight. But, Jones definitely seems like he has the tools to hold onto that belt for a long time.

 

[Mekanik Kommandoh]

Man, I just felt crushed after the main event last night. Shogun is my favorite fighter of all time and the main reason I got into MMA to begin with. To see him utterly dominated for two and a half rounds just made my heart sink. I truly think that his injuries are starting to catch up to him and his best days are behind him. He's still my favorite and I will always root for him, but I had such high hopes that he could halt the Jones hype train and he didn't even come close.

Still, you can't deny Shogun had the heart of a champion and, even when everyone knew the fight was going to end, he kept trying to engage and submit Jones on the ground. He never gave up, which is truly amazing given the absolute beating he took, particularly those vicious shots to his ribs.

Major props to Jones in any case. He beat a legend and made it look easy. I honestly can't think of anyone in the LHW division that can beat him. Rashad won't. I don't think Rampage can. Machida may have a chance, but I doubt he could pull it off either. Assuming Jones remains healthy, I predict a long title reign. The LHW division isn't known for its consistant champions, but I think that's going to change. Also, I agree with IndyJon - an Anderson/Jones fight is looking much more enticing than GSP/Silva, though I doubt the UFC would book it over the latter. Even still, I'm not even so sure Silva could beat him.

Faber was in fine form and I thought the fight was pretty damn exciting. Maybe not as great as some were hoping for, but still a damn good co-main event. I had no real bias going into the fight, as I like both guys, but it's nice to see Faber back on track. We'll see if he can pull off a win against Cruz.

My boy Jim Miller came through again. Seriously, give this guy a title shot. What more does he have to do to prove himself? I'm sure that the winner of Pettis/Guida will be next in line, but Miller should get a shot right after that. He's fucking incredible.

Marquardt vs. Miller = bleh. I was much more excited for the fight before Sexyama pulled out. I knew Marquardt was going to win and he did it in rather boring fashion. The fight wasn't bad, but it's hard for me to get excited about any of his fights unless he's fighting an opponent I like and while I think Dan Miller is cool and all, he did nothing to make the fight anymore interesting. Probably the weakest fight on the entire main card.

Seeing Cro Cop get knocked out again was depressing, but not surprising. He just doesn't have a chin anymore. Kind of a shame, given I hate Brendan Shaub. Cro Cop was looking decent before he got his block knocked off, but alas, a win for him was not meant to be.

All in all, great night of fights despite my MMA idol being brutalized.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Well i'm ready to eat my words. Major props to Jon Jones he looked unstoppable in that fight the hype train continues to roll and it doesn't look like it is ever going to be derailed. After that fight i officially surrender and admit that Jon Jones is the future and we are heading for an era of dominance. To put away someone as elite as Shogun Rua so dominantly is a testament as to how great Jon Jones is. He was so focused and intent and it really showed, he showed no sign of weakness or letting up he dominated the fight in every single away. UFC 128 will always be a night to remember.

As for Faber, good showing and debut for the Cali Kid. Nobody really doubted he was going to lose. As for CroCop he showed signs of his former self but they were not able to fully resurface we have witnessed the end of a legend. But all in all another great night of fights. Good to see.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Man-o-man, never in a million years would I expect Jones to dominate Shogun like that. Like I said in my original post in here, Jones could pull it off if he stays calm and doesn't try and pull anything tricky, but to flat out dominate him was surprising to say the least. I think it was JJ's orthodox fighting style that really threw Rua off, you never know what he is gonna throw. I bet he trained mostly for a wrestling fight, but was caught off guard when JJ decided to mostly stand and strike with him, not the lay off or knee injury. Rua has the heart of a warrior though, he kept going until he couldn't anymore. I feel sorry for Shogun's next opponent, he is gonna unleash an ass whooping on them.

Urijah started out a little sluggish, as I think he was shocked that Wineland came out and tried to take the fight to the ground. Very good first round for Wineland. Faber managed to get a few punches in there towards the end of the round that got his attention though. For the rest of the fight we seen the Faber we're used to. Like I said in the LD if TUF coaching position was most likely on line opposite of Cruz, I would give Faber one more fight, before a title shot. I believe Cruz is gonna put up way more of a fight then the first time the fought, gonna be a great fight, can't wait to see it.

What a start to the Jim Miller/Shalorus fight. Shalorus came out swinging hard looking for the one hitter quitter multiple times, while Miller was looking to counter it. Miller did a perfect job avoiding getting hit, and picking apart Kamal. Just another great performance from Miller. Miller has damn well deserved his title shot. I would pull a Fitch on Pettis/Guida and just bump Miller right to the number one contender, he is more deserving than those two right now.

My likeness of Marquardt has fallen more and more with each of his fights over the past few years, as pointed out by a few others, he is lacking aggressiveness in his fights. Dan Miller almost finished him a few times because of it. Nothing against Miller, but Marquardt should've dominated him. I don't think you can blame Nate's fighting on Greg Jackson's training anymore, he just doesn't look the same.

Sucks we just seen the last of Mirko in the UFC. But like I said earlier in the thread, I'm content with Mirko, because he showed up and fought, didn't hesitate to throw down. He just got caught plain and simple in the third round, he was taking those shots from Schaub all fight until that big one. Only if he would've threw the head kick just a minute earlier when he was stalking Schaub back into the cage, he might have connected with it, like he has done many times, instead he let Schaub get to the middle of the cage where he had full range to counter it. I hate when fighters plead for a fight bonus after the fight, that always leaves a sour taste in my mouth, Dana's sitting right there he see's you. Struve seems like the most logical opponent next for Schaub if he beats Browne in May. In a perfect world I would love to see Mirko get one last fight in Strikeforce against none other than Andrei Arlovski, where the loser retires, it would be fitting for both of their careers.

I agree fully with Guy on his assessment on the Cane/Marshall fight. Mirg. needed to stop that fight way before he did. Poor Marshall was getting the breaks beat off him for far to long, and had no choice put to try and fight back a little because Mirg. wouldn't stop the fight. Marshall was in the fetal position a few times trying to get the fight stopped, not like he was flat on his back absorbing the punches. Mirg. can get someone seriously hurt by doing that. Good showing by Cane though. Sucks Kingsbury is booked for TUF Finale, Cane/Kingsbury would be a fun fight to see.

Barboza looked good, he came out with an awesome 1st round, looking like it wasn't going any further at some points during it. Tides turned in the 2nd on him though and for some of the 3rd round, until he got that takedown and landed that bitch slap with the bottom of his foot, had that not have happened at the end of the fight, he could've put Njokuani out.

I think Almeida got screwed on the decision. In a lackluster fight. Tibau/Batman was pretty boring for the most part as well, for once Tibau got rocked and was able to stay strong and win the fight.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

I realize that I also got caught up in doing the same thing, but I'd like to add a little running commentary here. I know that Jones looked impressive, he actually looked absurd, but I seriously think we (and when I say we, I'm also pointing the finger directly at myself) need to chill on this Jon Jones "era" talk.

We always say stuff like this and, then, one title defense later we're talking about someone else's "era."

Remember the Rashad Evans "era?" That lasted one fighter

Remember the Machida "era?" That lasted one fighter.

Shogun "era?" Lasted one fighter.


We all sit here and say that "yeah, but [insert name] is different." They're really not. Jon Jones has really poor footwork, has really poor leg kicks, and actually has subpar positional wrestling for someone of his abilities. It's only a matter of time before someone else comes along and beats him.

I love Jon Jones, I knew he would beat Shogun, and have said for a very long time that Shogun, much like every Brazilian on the planet, will eventually lose to a solid wrestler who doesn't make that critical mistake. For some reason, other than Machida, Brazilian's have decided wrestling is not important. Say what you will, but the reason many of you are giving Machida a chance against Jones is because of his amazing TDD and unorthodox striking.

I just think we are too quick to usher in "eras" for fighters. Jon Jones hasn't even made a single title defense and, already, people are throwing out a future potential match-up with Anderson Silva.

GSP has had an era. Fedor has had an era. Anderson has had an era. This kid just won the belt on Saturday. As impressive as he looked doing it, he has yet to even make a defense and we're already calling it an era. I, for one, am going to try to stop myself from doing this. The LHW and HW divisions are the most fluid divisions in MMA. We haven't had a long-term UFC LHW champion since Chuck and Tito. No other UFC LHW has even made two successful defenses of the belt. We haven't seen back to back defenses of the UFC LHW title since February of 2006.

I love Jon Jones as much as the next person and think he's one of the most talented fighters in the UFC. The sky is the limit for him, but I want to hold off on an "era" until I've seen him successfully defend the belt at least twice.

 

[Minor League Brian]

I realize that I also got caught up in doing the same thing, but I'd like to add a little running commentary here. I know that Jones looked impressive, he actually looked absurd, but I seriously think we (and when I say we, I'm also pointing the finger directly at myself) need to chill on this Jon Jones "era" talk.

We always say stuff like this and, then, one title defense later we're talking about someone else's "era."

Remember the Rashad Evans "era?" That lasted one fighter

Remember the Machida "era?" That lasted one fighter.

Shogun "era?" Lasted one fighter.


We all sit here and say that "yeah, but [insert name] is different." They're really not. Jon Jones has really poor footwork, has really poor leg kicks, and actually has subpar positional wrestling for someone of his abilities. It's only a matter of time before someone else comes along and beats him.

I love Jon Jones, I knew he would beat Shogun, and have said for a very long time that Shogun, much like every Brazilian on the planet, will eventually lose to a solid wrestler who doesn't make that critical mistake. For some reason, other than Machida, Brazilian's have decided wrestling is not important. Say what you will, but the reason many of you are giving Machida a chance against Jones is because of his amazing TDD and unorthodox striking.

I just think we are too quick to usher in "eras" for fighters. Jon Jones hasn't even made a single title defense and, already, people are throwing out a future potential match-up with Anderson Silva.

GSP has had an era. Fedor has had an era. Anderson has had an era. This kid just won the belt on Saturday. As impressive as he looked doing it, he has yet to even make a defense and we're already calling it an era. I, for one, am going to try to stop myself from doing this. The LHW and HW divisions are the most fluid divisions in MMA. We haven't had a long-term UFC LHW champion since Chuck and Tito. No other UFC LHW has even made two successful defenses of the belt. We haven't seen back to back defenses of the UFC LHW title since February of 2006.

I love Jon Jones as much as the next person and think he's one of the most talented fighters in the UFC. The sky is the limit for him, but I want to hold off on an "era" until I've seen him successfully defend the belt at least twice.

So wait, you agree with me now?!

Look, I think Jones is talented as fuck. There's no getting around it, but I don't want to crown this the Jones era yet simply because (as you said yourself) we've done it with every winner of the LHW belt for some reason. Maybe its because the talent level is so high, and so deep, anyone who wins the belt automatically looks amazing but that very level of talent is the reason no one (I think, Jones could do it) is really gonna have a "run" right now unless they've got GOAT talent.

Looking at Jones the one way I see someone being able to beat him is the same way Silva almost lost, you gotta be a stronger wrestler and get him on his back. It'd nullify his reach and instead of having that massive body on you you'd have him under you and not have him wearing you out. Its obviously not as easy as that, but I don't see anyone being able to stand with him simply because of that Reach. Silva can try his head-movement all he wants as it doesn't matter if he can't get inside and on the ground he's just to lanky to control from the guard spot.

 

[jmt225]

Looking at Jones the one way I see someone being able to beat him is the same way Silva almost lost, you gotta be a stronger wrestler and get him on his back.

The problem with that theory is that we've already seen Jones against the strongest wrestlers in the Light Heavyweight Division in Matt Hamill and Ryan Bader, and Jon Jones DOMINATED them. If he does the same to Rashad (which he should considering Rashad was out wrestled by Tito and Bisping), then what other wrestlers are left in the division for Jones to defeat? I can't think of any, except MAYBE Phil Davis, which won't be for a year or two down the line.

Like I said in the Jones thread, the only way this guy loses is to himself. There's NO ONE who can make 205 who can take him down or keep him from taking them down. His only downfall will be if he tests his stand-up against elite strikers (which is definitely possible the more and more confident he becomes in his striking), but that's it, in my opinion. And with any elite striker out there Jones should be easily able to take down and control for 5 Rounds, if not putting them away sooner. And any elite BJJ guy like let's say Roger Gracie doesn't stand a chance either, since Jones actually has the stand-up advantage against any 205 BJJ fighter, and since Jones will UNDOUBTEDLY be able to dictate where the fight takes place against ANYONE, he will stand with guys who can tap him from their back and destroy them on the feet.

For Jones to fall off, he's either going to have to be stupid, or start taking it easy with his training. Otherwise, the man SHOULD be unbeatable at 205.

 

[Minor League Brian]

The problem with that theory is that we've already seen Jones against the strongest wrestlers in the Light Heavyweight Division in Matt Hamill and Ryan Bader, and Jon Jones DOMINATED them. If he does the same to Rashad (which he should considering Rashad was out wrestled by Tito and Bisping), then what other wrestlers are left in the division for Jones to defeat? I can't think of any, except MAYBE Phil Davis, which won't be for a year or two down the line.

Like I said in the Jones thread, the only way this guy loses is to himself. There's NO ONE who can make 205 who can take him down or keep him from taking them down. His only downfall will be if he tests his stand-up against elite strikers (which is definitely possible the more and more confident he becomes in his striking), but that's it, in my opinion. And with any elite striker out there Jones should be easily able to take down and control for 5 Rounds, if not putting them away sooner. And any elite BJJ guy like let's say Roger Gracie doesn't stand a chance either, since Jones actually has the stand-up advantage against any 205 BJJ fighter, and since Jones will UNDOUBTEDLY be able to dictate where the fight takes place against ANYONE, he will stand with guys who can tap him from their back and destroy them on the feet.

For Jones to fall off, he's either going to have to be stupid, or start taking it easy with his training. Otherwise, the man SHOULD be unbeatable at 205.

I didn't say anyone was gonna do it, just that its the only option I see to beat him. I can't see how anyone will be able to do it off there back without being an over-sized LHW themselves. Maybe a guy like Forrest could match up, but Forrest would just die during the standup. Which goes back to you can't stand with him. I really don't know any "Elite" Strikers that could handle that reach, that's the problem. Jones doesn't even need a crisp solid striking game merely because he can constantly jab and keep them at his range. There's literally no way you can hit Jones where he hasn't had the opening to hit you countless times.

Again, the only thing I see is someone taking him to the ground and GNPin' him. Old Hendo might have been able to do that but he's fallen in love with that Right the last few times I've seen him, and no matter how much it hurts to hit him; Jones will take care of him in my eyes.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

I'm outside the box on this one. I believe that a solid boxer with a good inside game could pick apart Jones. Work with me on this.

Mike Tyson, when he was dominating the HW division, only had a 72" reach. What Mike did, probably better than anyone since Marciano, was close distance with headwork and footwork and POUND the inside. When you look at Jon Jones, you can nullify his reach by working the inside of his body.

It's just that the striker, in question, will need to have a solid base and clinch game. Machida is the exact person I can see doing this. I'm really not going to my nuthuggery of Machida as some people might think.

Machida has great inside outside movement. An absolute must against someone like Jon Jones. You need to be able to stick and move and change directions to keep that reach of Jones as a non-factor.

Machida moves around the cage better than anyone at 205. Once again, this is a must. If you want to nullify Jones' reach, you need to change directions and move laterally as well as forward and backward. There's not a fighter in the UFC who does this as well as Machida. This is due to Shotokan's movement in their base. Unlike other Karatakans, Machida has constant movement and fluidity.

Machida has a sumo base. This is huge. Wrestling will only get you so far with Jones because of his strength, length, and size. What sumo provides that NAIA, NCAA, and Greco Roman wrestling don't provide is a base that's meant to nullify those takedowns. Sumo is about leverage and nobody uses that leverage better than Machida. He's stuffed takedowns from very high level wrestlers and BJJ players because of this base.

Machida is a BJJ black belt. You're going to need one because Jones WILL get you down at some point. Superior knowledge of a ground game is going to be huge. My only problem with Shogun and Machida's black belts is that I'd favor an Eddie Bravo style black belt more than a traditional Nogueira black belt.

Being able to use Rubber Guard, X-Guard, Twister Side-Control's, and lock down will be critical in your fight with Jones. Bravo is some of the best in the business at pulling sweeps and using the base to gain sweeps. Nogueira's black belts tend to be more defensive styles of BJJ and Bravo black belts are constantly on attack.

If you're constantly switching from submission attempt to submission attempt, even if you're on your back, you can neutralize Jones' ground and pound and force him to think about other things. Taking his head out of HIS game will be a huge component of beating him.

 

[X]

Just finished watching this event and really enjoyed it from start to finish. Lots of good fights, the best probably being the Cro-Cop vs. Schaub fight (not counting the Barboza vs. Njokuani fight on the prelims).

It was sad to see Cro Cop lose that fight when it seemed like victory was within his grasp through out the entire thing and he just let his guard down for one second and that's all it took for Schaub to knock him out. Say what you will about Schaub, he's starting to put together an impressive record.

Miller vs. Marquardt was decent, but nothing special. Not exactly an exciting fight, but not particularly boring either. I expected more out of Dan Miller honestly.

His brother Jim looked fucking awesome though and he pretty much won me over as a fan of his now based solely on his great performance. That dude's a beast.

Faber-Wineland's first round was pretty great, but it slowed down quite a bit after that. Glad to see Faber get the win but Wineland didn't look bad either, he clearly won that first round, he just couldn't keep it up in the next two. Really look forward to what fights the future holds for Faber, kid is exciting as hell to watch.

And the main event, woah, I had seen Jones fight a few times before but I wasn't expecting him to flat out dominate a legend like Shogun, but he did just that. He's on a whole other level right now and it's got to be frightening stuff for everyone else in the light heavyweight division, knowing Jones is so young and still has so many years left and room to improve. Clearly we've entered the Jon Jones era.

All in all great show, glad I watched it all and am now pumped up for the next PPV and this Saturday's Fight Night card. I was just bummed Akiyama had to cancel his fight, I haven't seen much of the guy but have heard nothing but great stuff. Any word on what his next fight will be?

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

xfear, I don't think Dana has a set time table for his return. They're clearly sympathetic to his plight. I think they're going to wait and see what develops in Japan before they push for him to return. It also wouldn't surprise me to see Dana do a benefit show and ask Akiyama to headline with a very winnable fight.

 

[X]

xfear, I don't think Dana has a set time table for his return. They're clearly sympathetic to his plight. I think they're going to wait and see what develops in Japan before they push for him to return. It also wouldn't surprise me to see Dana do a benefit show and ask Akiyama to headline with a very winnable fight.

That last bit makes a good deal of sense, especially since Dana has been preparing to get the UFC's foot in the door in Japan for awhile now apparently. Throw in the unfortunate fact that MMA is basically dead in Japan (pro wrestling is outdrawing MMA for the first time there in about 15 years) and I could see Dana organizing a big benefit show with Akiyama headlining, would be great publicity for the UFC and would get them introduced into Japan, you could kill two birds with one stone.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

That last bit makes a good deal of sense, especially since Dana has been preparing to get the UFC's foot in the door in Japan for awhile now apparently. Throw in the unfortunate fact that MMA is basically dead in Japan (pro wrestling is outdrawing MMA for the first time there in about 15 years) and I could see Dana organizing a big benefit show with Akiyama headlining, would be great publicity for the UFC and would get them introduced into Japan, you could kill two birds with one stone.

That's more or less what I was thinking. They've done events in Japan before, but I don't believe they were done under the Zuffa banner. I believe they were done when SEG still owned the company.

Dana has been pushing for a possible Asian market for quite some time. I'm not sure that it's coming any time soon with Brazil and Toronto already on their plate, not to mention that they added the UAE recently as well, but I think that a benefit show for Japan would definitely open a door for a later date.

I'm not sure if you're aware of all the problems currently taking place in Brazil with kidnappings and such, but I have to believe that Dana is going to want to see how that goes before he opens to a new market across seas in Japan. Especially with their history of fight fixing and mob involvement.

Akiyama, however, is more than just an MMA star in Japan, he's also a loved pop singer who's married to another beloved pop singer. The market he provides is huge for Japanese. So, I think that doing a benefit fight with him as a headliner would definitely win over the Japanese people and begin the demand to see their homegrown fighters put on a show in Japan.

I'm not ruling out what you said as a possibility, but I think that these factors may play a portion on the time table. I'm curious as to what you think about that.