It's hard to believe that welterweight Thiago Alves can actually make the 170 lb. limit. He's missed weight often because he is cutting such a significant amount down from his walking weight around 200 lbs.
Alves (16-3, 9-2 UFC) made the weight on Friday and was just too massive for Josh Koscheck to deal with. Koscheck tried takedowns on four separate occasions but Alves simply muscled his way out of them. When the fighters stood toe-to-toe, Alves' Muay Thai class shined through. He had Koscheck reeling 1:06 into the fight with a huge left. Koscheck was out on his feet after a big knee less than 30 seconds into the third. It was too much stand-up for Koscheck, an All-American college wrestler, who is still a work in progress on his feet.
Alves also did major damage with a bevy of kicks to Koscheck's lead leg throughout the fight. By the middle of the third round, Koscheck (11-3, 9-3 UFC) was nearly getting twisted around by the force of some of the kicks. The judges had it 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27. The Yahoo! MMA Experts blog scored it for 'The Pit Bull' in a clean sweep 30-27.
by Steve Cofield
Showing posts with label UFC 90. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UFC 90. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
You'd think that the MMA media paid $500 for their ringside seats by the way they went after UFC president Dana White and his middleweight champ Anderson Silva for what appeared to be showboating for two rounds of fighting in the UFC 90 main event. Patrick Cote suffered a fluke knee injury to hand the victory to Silva early in the third round. But the story of the fight for many was Silva's behavior and lack of activity. White came on ESPNRadio1100's post-fight show and refused to say that what Silva did was on purpose:
"A lot of people thought he was playing and goofing around but that's not his personality," said White. "Guys come out sometimes and they're not in their rythym. For some reason, they can't pull the trigger and I think that's what happened to Anderson tonight."
That was about the best White could come up with to answer his own questions:
"What else am I supposed to believe? Am I supposed to believe that he came out to not throw one punch or not do anything for three rounds? I don't believe that."
He said it simply doesn't play with Silva's normal mindset:
"I've known this guy for over two years, he's anything but disrespectful."
White said he felt like he was in bizarro world when things came unraveled when Cote injured his knee:
"All I know is I wanted to put my head through the table I was sitting at. You ever watch Star Trek? I wanted to transport myself back to Vegas in my bed."
White also broke down the Sean Sherk win over Tyson Griffin and Junior Dos Santos' shocking upset against Fabricio Verdum. He also had a good theory about how his pre-fight video blogs had a major effect in Las Vegas.
By Steve Cofield
Silvas story about the fight!
There's still no clear answer on what Anderson Silva was doing during his fight with Patrick Cote at UFC 90. He spent 10 minutes dancing, twirling his fists and at one point offered to help Cote off the mat. He was clearly mocking Cote and not coming clean about it after the fight is a sham.
Silva said the inactivity and clowning was his strategy:
"I never underestimate any of my opponents. That was my strategy. He was lost. He could never find me. That was the strategy, I was trying to confuse him."
Silva was defiant for a while saying he didn't ever come to play, but a few comments later during the presser, Silva's defense of his actions were unveiled as shady when he said he apologized to UFC president Dana White:
"I apologized because I trained really hard to go the full five rounds. I really feel like I owe everyone an apology. I owe you guys an apology, the fans an apology and Dana an apology."
What was he apologizing for? He stated that he was sorry that Cote got injured. Why would he have to apologize for an opponent's injury?
Dana White's excuse that Silva simply had a bad night doesn't hold water. It was clear in the five exchanges during the 10+ minutes, Silva could overwhelm Cote at any point.
The damage has been done. Silva produced the ultimate double whammy. He wouldn't cooperate with the big city media before the fight, came off as a clown during the event and finished the evening assuming that the fans and media are stupid with his flimsy excuses.
We should've known what Silva thought of the fight by the look on his face during the pre-fight presser. I wonder what someone like Matt Hughes would say about the performance? Remember that he was the guy who trashed Rashad Evans when he pulled similar antics during his early fights on The Ultimate Fighter 2. Sean Sherk was clearly biting his tongue commenting on the Silva fight during the post-fight presser.
Written by Stevie Cofield
Silva said the inactivity and clowning was his strategy:
"I never underestimate any of my opponents. That was my strategy. He was lost. He could never find me. That was the strategy, I was trying to confuse him."
Silva was defiant for a while saying he didn't ever come to play, but a few comments later during the presser, Silva's defense of his actions were unveiled as shady when he said he apologized to UFC president Dana White:
"I apologized because I trained really hard to go the full five rounds. I really feel like I owe everyone an apology. I owe you guys an apology, the fans an apology and Dana an apology."
What was he apologizing for? He stated that he was sorry that Cote got injured. Why would he have to apologize for an opponent's injury?
Dana White's excuse that Silva simply had a bad night doesn't hold water. It was clear in the five exchanges during the 10+ minutes, Silva could overwhelm Cote at any point.
The damage has been done. Silva produced the ultimate double whammy. He wouldn't cooperate with the big city media before the fight, came off as a clown during the event and finished the evening assuming that the fans and media are stupid with his flimsy excuses.
We should've known what Silva thought of the fight by the look on his face during the pre-fight presser. I wonder what someone like Matt Hughes would say about the performance? Remember that he was the guy who trashed Rashad Evans when he pulled similar antics during his early fights on The Ultimate Fighter 2. Sean Sherk was clearly biting his tongue commenting on the Silva fight during the post-fight presser.
Written by Stevie Cofield
Thiago “Pit Bull” Alves confirmed his status as the next in line for a welterweight title shot with a convincing victory over a game Josh Koscheck.
It was the second straight victory over a former NCAA champion wrestler for the American Top Team standout, who scored his seventh consecutive win. Similar to his June win over two-time former champion Matt Hughes, Alves was able to stuff Koscheck’s attempted takedowns and dominate the standup with his Muay Thai game, which may be the second-best in the UFC behind Anderson Silva.
“I think I’ve earned a shot at the title,” said Alves (16-3). “I’ve worked my way up and beaten everyone the UFC has asked me to fight. Josh is a good fighter and gave me a good match tonight.”
For Koscheck, the match was the sort in which the loser gained in stature through his performance. Koscheck took the match on just two week’s notice when Alves’ original foe, Diego Sanchez, pulled out with an injury. Despite his inability to take the fight to the ground, Koscheck withstood a tremendous amount of punishment and kept fighting, scoring several moments in which he had his opponent on the run.
“He’s a strong dude,” said Koscheck (11-3). “You saw what he was able to do out there. I tried to take him down but it just wasn’t happening. I’ve got no excuses, the better fighter won tonight.”
White said Alves has earned a title shot, while acknowledging it would take some time for Alves to get the shot, given St. Pierre is fighting Penn at the end of January. Alves, for his part, said he would be open to taking another match in the interim.
Written by Dave Doyle.
It was the second straight victory over a former NCAA champion wrestler for the American Top Team standout, who scored his seventh consecutive win. Similar to his June win over two-time former champion Matt Hughes, Alves was able to stuff Koscheck’s attempted takedowns and dominate the standup with his Muay Thai game, which may be the second-best in the UFC behind Anderson Silva.
“I think I’ve earned a shot at the title,” said Alves (16-3). “I’ve worked my way up and beaten everyone the UFC has asked me to fight. Josh is a good fighter and gave me a good match tonight.”
For Koscheck, the match was the sort in which the loser gained in stature through his performance. Koscheck took the match on just two week’s notice when Alves’ original foe, Diego Sanchez, pulled out with an injury. Despite his inability to take the fight to the ground, Koscheck withstood a tremendous amount of punishment and kept fighting, scoring several moments in which he had his opponent on the run.
“He’s a strong dude,” said Koscheck (11-3). “You saw what he was able to do out there. I tried to take him down but it just wasn’t happening. I’ve got no excuses, the better fighter won tonight.”
White said Alves has earned a title shot, while acknowledging it would take some time for Alves to get the shot, given St. Pierre is fighting Penn at the end of January. Alves, for his part, said he would be open to taking another match in the interim.
Written by Dave Doyle.
Silva vs. Cote
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Anderson Silva’s corner kept screaming at him to start acting like, well, Anderson Silva. UFC president Dana White said he thought he was in an “alternate universe” and wanted someone to slap him out of this bad dream.
At the end of the first round of their UFC 90 main event, Patrick Cote, after watching Silva bizarrely bow to him, shrugged in bafflement. That wasn’t even as unusual as the moment in the second round when Silva offered a hand to help Cote up off his back, rather than stomp him as you’d expect.
The Silva-Cote middleweight title fight ended in the third round when Cote blew out his knee without any contact. That was as strange, although not as much as the fight lasting to the third round in the first place.
“I was sitting there saying, ‘What the [expletive] is going on?’ ” White said.
Everyone showed up in suburban Chicago looking for Silva to deliver one of his Mike Tyson-esque destructions of Cote, the heavy underdog. This is what Silva fights are about, some violent combination of punches, knees and kicks that render opponents senseless.
“He’s a killer,” White said.
Not on Saturday. While Cote deserves credit for fearlessly standing in front of him, this was about Silva, arguably the best fighter in the world, deciding not to do much fighting.
He didn’t throw a purposeful punch for most of the first round. Rather than attack with his patented combinations, he danced, he pranced, he swayed and he even prayed. He did little hand tricks, Muhammad Ali feet shuffles and ran around in circles.
“If you don’t know him and you showed up for the first time, you’d [think] that guy was goofing around, he was acting arrogant and cocky and trying to play with [Cote] like he was a little kid,” White said. “That is not this guy’s style, that’s not his personality, that’s not who he is.”
No it isn’t. Silva, afterward, apologized for his performance yet also defended it, claiming he wasn’t out there playing and he was just throwing Cote off his game. He sounded as confused as everyone else.
The theories of what happened are endless. Perhaps he didn’t respect Cote and was unprepared. Perhaps he felt the need to deliver an entertaining show to the fans. Perhaps he was bored. Perhaps all the talk about switching to boxing or retiring outright, got to him. Perhaps he felt pressure to finish with a spectacular knockout.
Whatever it was, the solution is simple.
White needs to feed Silva opponents that’ll either motivate him to bring his “A” game or make him pay for any mental lapses.
Give him Chuck Liddell on Super Bowl weekend at UFC 94. If he survives that, give him Georges St. Pierre back at middleweight to headline the historic UFC 100 early next summer. Then have him go back to light heavyweight for a shot at whoever has the title after that.
Give him anything but what he’s gotten his last two fights, opponents that weren’t capable of hurting him and thus incapable of bringing out his best.
“I don’t know, I’ve got to think about it,” White said of Silva’s next opponent.
He would only smile at the suggestion of Liddell, the former light heavyweight champion, which means he’s certainly considering what would be a major pay-per-view draw. He did say he thought Silva wanted to return to 205 pounds for his next fight (Saturday’s was at 185).
Mostly White was searching for answers just like everyone else. Over the past two years Silva (23-4) has been his most reliable meal ticket. You put the Brazilian in the octagon and someone gets finished; often quickly and in spectacular fashion.
Until Saturday, no one in the UFC had lasted past the second round with the guy. He wasn’t just considered by many the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but the most exciting.
He was the perfect headliner for the UFC’s first card in the Second City. Cote is a tough guy who wasn’t backing down, but few outside his diehard fans thought Silva would need more than a few minutes to send everyone home buzzing about the UFC.
Instead fans were booing at the end, as much at Silva as the disappointment of Cote’s knee giving out.
“I was sitting there going, ‘No, this isn’t happening,’ ” White said.
In the end, if this is what constitutes an off night and an emotional letdown for Silva, then it isn’t too bad. Cote got a couple shots in, but not nearly enough for the fight to be in doubt. It’s why White didn’t look too interested in an immediate rematch even if Cote was healthy.
So give Silva a challenge he can’t afford to sleepwalk through. End the Knockouts Across America parade, give up on the middleweight division he has annihilated and find him some mega-fights that will bring out his best.
Chuck Liddell is waiting at 205. GSP (no matter what happens against B.J. Penn) can move up and challenge at 185. Acquiring a second title has always been Silva’s dream and should motivate if he’s still rolling after that.
“I’ll tell you this,” White said. “I wouldn’t want to be the next dude that has to fight him because he’s not happy.”
Then raise the bar and bring it on.
Written by Dan Wetzel.
At the end of the first round of their UFC 90 main event, Patrick Cote, after watching Silva bizarrely bow to him, shrugged in bafflement. That wasn’t even as unusual as the moment in the second round when Silva offered a hand to help Cote up off his back, rather than stomp him as you’d expect.
The Silva-Cote middleweight title fight ended in the third round when Cote blew out his knee without any contact. That was as strange, although not as much as the fight lasting to the third round in the first place.
“I was sitting there saying, ‘What the [expletive] is going on?’ ” White said.
Everyone showed up in suburban Chicago looking for Silva to deliver one of his Mike Tyson-esque destructions of Cote, the heavy underdog. This is what Silva fights are about, some violent combination of punches, knees and kicks that render opponents senseless.
“He’s a killer,” White said.
Not on Saturday. While Cote deserves credit for fearlessly standing in front of him, this was about Silva, arguably the best fighter in the world, deciding not to do much fighting.
He didn’t throw a purposeful punch for most of the first round. Rather than attack with his patented combinations, he danced, he pranced, he swayed and he even prayed. He did little hand tricks, Muhammad Ali feet shuffles and ran around in circles.
“If you don’t know him and you showed up for the first time, you’d [think] that guy was goofing around, he was acting arrogant and cocky and trying to play with [Cote] like he was a little kid,” White said. “That is not this guy’s style, that’s not his personality, that’s not who he is.”
No it isn’t. Silva, afterward, apologized for his performance yet also defended it, claiming he wasn’t out there playing and he was just throwing Cote off his game. He sounded as confused as everyone else.
The theories of what happened are endless. Perhaps he didn’t respect Cote and was unprepared. Perhaps he felt the need to deliver an entertaining show to the fans. Perhaps he was bored. Perhaps all the talk about switching to boxing or retiring outright, got to him. Perhaps he felt pressure to finish with a spectacular knockout.
Whatever it was, the solution is simple.
White needs to feed Silva opponents that’ll either motivate him to bring his “A” game or make him pay for any mental lapses.
Give him Chuck Liddell on Super Bowl weekend at UFC 94. If he survives that, give him Georges St. Pierre back at middleweight to headline the historic UFC 100 early next summer. Then have him go back to light heavyweight for a shot at whoever has the title after that.
Give him anything but what he’s gotten his last two fights, opponents that weren’t capable of hurting him and thus incapable of bringing out his best.
“I don’t know, I’ve got to think about it,” White said of Silva’s next opponent.
He would only smile at the suggestion of Liddell, the former light heavyweight champion, which means he’s certainly considering what would be a major pay-per-view draw. He did say he thought Silva wanted to return to 205 pounds for his next fight (Saturday’s was at 185).
Mostly White was searching for answers just like everyone else. Over the past two years Silva (23-4) has been his most reliable meal ticket. You put the Brazilian in the octagon and someone gets finished; often quickly and in spectacular fashion.
Until Saturday, no one in the UFC had lasted past the second round with the guy. He wasn’t just considered by many the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but the most exciting.
He was the perfect headliner for the UFC’s first card in the Second City. Cote is a tough guy who wasn’t backing down, but few outside his diehard fans thought Silva would need more than a few minutes to send everyone home buzzing about the UFC.
Instead fans were booing at the end, as much at Silva as the disappointment of Cote’s knee giving out.
“I was sitting there going, ‘No, this isn’t happening,’ ” White said.
In the end, if this is what constitutes an off night and an emotional letdown for Silva, then it isn’t too bad. Cote got a couple shots in, but not nearly enough for the fight to be in doubt. It’s why White didn’t look too interested in an immediate rematch even if Cote was healthy.
So give Silva a challenge he can’t afford to sleepwalk through. End the Knockouts Across America parade, give up on the middleweight division he has annihilated and find him some mega-fights that will bring out his best.
Chuck Liddell is waiting at 205. GSP (no matter what happens against B.J. Penn) can move up and challenge at 185. Acquiring a second title has always been Silva’s dream and should motivate if he’s still rolling after that.
“I’ll tell you this,” White said. “I wouldn’t want to be the next dude that has to fight him because he’s not happy.”
Then raise the bar and bring it on.
Written by Dan Wetzel.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
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