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MJS

08-30-2005, 10:10 PM

I taped the 1st episode and watched it yesterday. I havent seen the 2nd episode yet. IMO, I wasn't too impressed with what I saw. Its amazing how these guys say that they want to fight, get on the UFC, etc., but yet they come onto the show and they are in poor shape, walk off due to it being too difficult, etc. Regardless if they saw the first show or not, they should know that the training is going to be tough. That being said, start prepping yourself BEFORE you get onto the show, rather than waiting and giving up.

Mike

Marginal

08-31-2005, 02:29 AM

The second episode was a bit funny. Dana was already in a bit of a snit from the heavyweights vanishing like mist, then one of the welterweights goes into his office, and starts in along the same lines, Dana was livid...

:boing2:

That was some good TV.

The fight wasn't especially interesting though. Went to decision, no controversy, little action. (It's bad when I'm shouting "Work! Work!" at the tv)

still learning

09-01-2005, 05:11 AM

Hello, Fun to watch.....they still have rules...not real fighing, breaks and rest....timeouts and NOT like real fighing-NO rules anything goes....none stop till someone gives up or knock-out.............Aloha

Marginal

09-01-2005, 03:03 PM

Yes, but then it wouldn't be on TV at all.

mrhnau

09-01-2005, 03:10 PM

yeah, that would seem alot like the "Running Man" w/ Arnold. Interesting concept. I wonder how loud the FCC would scream if someone died on a reality show? or got seriously injured? (concussion, paralyzed)

Gin-Gin

09-02-2005, 01:19 AM

I missed the first episode, but just watched the rebroadcast with the Melvin vs. Josh fight. They seemed to be pretty closely matched (I thought for sure that George would get picked since his knee is injured... :idunno: ) but Melvin just couldn't choke Josh out for some reason. [This is the first episode I've seen, so I don't know much about their backgrounds--will check the UF website.] While I admire Melvin's "toughness" in not telling the officials about his broken hand, I think he should have at least told his coach, so that Rich could give him another strategy - it probably would have made the difference.

I hope the other fights will be better.

Gin-Gin

09-22-2005, 06:27 PM

I hope the other fights will be better.Well, not this week. :( Has anyone seen this week's show yet? What was wrong with those guys?! No one threw anything (punch or kick) for the first minute of the first round, then no one did anything for the last minute of Round 2! Round 3 was a little bit better, but that was only after Rashad was actually throwing stuff (after a peptalk from Rich Franklin). Maybe neither of them wanted to hurt the other one since they had become friends & they were jovial the night before the fight, with Rashad even cutting Tom's hair... :rolleyes:

I'm also disappointed with Matt Hughes' behavior, trying to get a rise out of George, egging him on over & over again. Neither Randy nor Chuck behaved that way last season, & to me it looks unprofessional. Rich seems to be a bit more mature in that department probably because he used to be a schoolteacher.

MJS

09-22-2005, 08:07 PM

I watched the first two episodes and then stopped watching it. I think that its great that Dana puts this show on, but theres just something about this season that didn't keep my interest. Maybe they purposely put guys on the show who were less skilled, not as in shape, etc. as compared to the first episode, but having to listen to people complain about how hard it is, how difficult the training is, etc., week after week, was getting to be a bit too much. If being an Ultimate Fighter is the dream or goal of these guys, then IMO they should know that the road is going to be very bumpy.

Mike

tshadowchaser

09-22-2005, 08:11 PM

Not sure what the rest of the season will bring but it looks like Dana picked a group of quiters and cryBabies this year. I sure hope the action picks up and there are some real fighters in that group somewhere.
So far last years group wouls have moped the floor with these guys,

All thought subject to change if some real action occures

Marginal

09-25-2005, 02:39 PM

It's a hard show to watch. Dana comes in, tells them he wants them to pick off the weakest links. Matt chooses that one guy, and has him fight Rashad (who I assume he considrered a weak link, though he seemed more interested of geting rid of the guy with the bad knee more than winning a fight) So in a battle of the perceived weakest links, you get a horrible fight. Somehow, that doesn't really surprise me.

Seems like they chose people who weren't going to be too rowdy in the second season. Not much point in having a reality show featuring a bunch of guys reading the Bible. A couple of people attempting a little gamesmanship, it's a poor substitute for actual personalities.

BlackCatBonz

09-25-2005, 02:46 PM

ive had rougher "friendly" fights than these guys are having this season.

Gin-Gin

09-26-2005, 12:08 PM

Not sure what the rest of the season will bring but it looks like Dana picked a group of quiters and cryBabies this year. I sure hope the action picks up and there are some real fighters in that group somewhere.
So far last year's group would have mopped the floor with these guys. All thought subject to change if some real action occurs.Agreed :D

Gin-Gin

09-28-2005, 05:52 PM

This week's fight was the best so far! :D Both fighters came out swinging & it was apparent that they both wanted to win (like last year's contestants); unfortunately, neither of them could choke out the other one (although they both came close numerous times--I swear, I though Jorge had it when he had Jason's back & was applying the choke!). Jason, the fighter from Matt Hughes' team did exactly what his coach was shouting at him to do, & it seems to have made the difference--he scored more points because he made more shots. Jorge didn't move his head very much at all (& therefore "ate" a lot punches), & although Rich was giving him advice on what he needed to do, he just couldn't seem to get it together. Unfortunately, his injured knee popped out of place during the fight, & that was probably a factor as well.

Anyone else see it?

mrhnau

09-28-2005, 05:57 PM

Yeah, I saw it. Thought the fight was the best of the season so far. Lots of blood spurting around. I agree, I thought the fight was over when Jorge mounted his back. The punches Jason was throwing did not seem to have alot of pop on them though. I was a bit upset that he won. I'm curious to see how the group will react to Jorge after the defeat. He really got abused during the last few episodes.

I don't like Hughes attitude, about sending out the fighter he does not mind losing. He seems really immature. Being a good fighter does not make you a good coach.

I was really impressed with the scare crow event. Most impressive, even though the other team forfeited (which was smart).

MrH

lonecoyote

10-02-2005, 10:05 PM

Anybody surprised by anything so far? I can't believe Jorge lost. Got any opinions or reactions to the show?

terryl965

10-03-2005, 12:56 AM

Yea I can't believe the owner of the company telling them to pick out the weaker players, you would think they would won't great fight to get the ratings, jorge let his emotion get to him, just like alot of fighters.

Terry

lonecoyote

10-03-2005, 12:30 PM

I agree on both counts, Terry, you would think they should want a great fight every week, with two competitors about equal and making a good fight, instead of good fighter/bad fighter blowouts. I also think Coach Hughes really got under Jorge's skin too, messing with him about his courage (someone will have to pick you because you're not going to fight) week after week.

DavidCC

10-03-2005, 05:07 PM

I think you could see Liddel's influence on the guy with the crazy angles his punches were coming in.

I think Hughes is not quite as good a coach as he thinks he is, and he's coming off as a bit of a hypocrit (talking about principles and the high road etc and then playing head games with an opposing team's player. You don't see football coaches razzing the other teams players, and I think it is low class for Hughes to be doing it. Let him play head games on Franklin if he wants but interfering with the other team's members is an abuse of his position.

Franklin is more of a teacher than a coach, he doesn't seem to understand the difference.

-DC

dsp921

10-04-2005, 10:54 AM

I'm a little disappointed with this season so far. I think the fights were far better last year, all but one of the fights so far this year were boring. Not a whole lot of personality in the group either. No big drama in the house to fill the first half of the show. I do like that they added the 3rd round to the fights, too bad the fights aren't so great. Hopefully, it'll pick up. Looks like Dana is getting a little tired of the crappy fights and is going to have a little talk with the fighters.

DavidCC

10-04-2005, 01:47 PM

So Hughes' team loses the fight - work the rest of them into the ground. Lose teh challenge - run them more into the ground. Lost the next fight... run them into the ground. You said yourself you are a better coach than Franklin, Gosh, Matt, why was your guy so unmotivated?

SammyB57

10-04-2005, 07:18 PM

I've actually enjoyed most of the fights. While most people said Von Flue/Gurgel was the best fight I disagree. I don't mind a slower pace that is more technical. I enjoyed Rashad's fight very much even though Dana thought it was horrible. I really don't understand Dana's logic. Rashad was very technical and doing some crazy-stunts.

People want to see "balls-to-the-walls", "swing-for-the-fences" fights. I like seeing technical fights even if the pace is a little slower.

I was very impressed by the first fight on the show between Melvin and that one guy and by Rashad's fight. I was not impressed at all by Von Flue/Gurgel. Last night's fight was okay.... I think Seth should have finished Dan after stunning him with that one big kick, but he was very methodical and won the victory.

dsp921

10-04-2005, 07:32 PM

It's not the slower pace that is a problem, it's the seemingly low level of motivation these guys have. Early on people just quit, and now in the fights the rest don't show much in the way of determination.
Dana's logic is to sell tickets to fights and to sell Spike a popular show that people watch. To do that there has to be excitment. For everyone of us that understand and appreciate the techincal aspect there are 100 people that want to see a bloody war. But really, how technical is standing around for half the round looking for an opening? Create an opening and show some aggression.

lonecoyote

10-05-2005, 12:14 PM

dsp921

10-05-2005, 12:28 PM

Yeah, Effective aggression is part of technical ability. You have to make things happen as opposed to waiting for them to happen. I think the welterweight fights have been okay, while the heavyweights have been dismal. Jason may not have the best technical ability, but he showed a lot of heart and won a tough fight and so he got treated like crap and then let go to the other team. Why? What's going on?
I don't think Hughes liked him for some reason, maybe because he came in a couple days late. Looked like he paid his dues in the first workout. He's the kind of guy that can do some damage to Matt's team, he just keeps fighting, might have been a mistake for Hughes to give him up so easy.

DavidCC

10-05-2005, 04:51 PM

Jason may not have the best technical ability, but he showed a lot of heart and won a tough fight and so he got treated like crap and then let go to the other team. Why? What's going on?
I think despite Hughes' "I am fully in control" exterior, he mostly acts from emotion. He decided right away he didn't like von Flue and (as shown on TV) was a complete jerk to him the whole time. Playing solitaire in the locker room? it's rude. Grow up Matt Hughes. Von Flue beat the best guy on the other team, and he still gets no credit from you? Spike must have left something out becasue MH's attitude seems completely unjsutified. Of course now von Flue can take sweet revenge by beating everyone Hughes puts against him.

mrhnau

10-05-2005, 05:03 PM

I think despite Hughes' "I am fully in control" exterior, he mostly acts from emotion. He decided right away he didn't like von Flue and (as shown on TV) was a complete jerk to him the whole time. Playing solitaire in the locker room? it's rude. Grow up Matt Hughes. Von Flue beat the best guy on the other team, and he still gets no credit from you? Spike must have left something out becasue MH's attitude seems completely unjsutified. Of course now von Flue can take sweet revenge by beating everyone Hughes puts against him.
I'm waiting for Von Flue's next fight, and having Hughes say something like "go after the eye" to whoever he puts up against him. Just seems like the kind of thing he would do. Heartless.

If Hughes team wins the next competition, I imagine they will Jason. If they lose the competition, I almost see Jason wanting to fight again, in revenge. Either way, I think Jason will fight again next. Hughes would see him as a weak link (all injured) and Jason will be upset enough to kick someone elses buttocks.

MrH

Gin-Gin

10-05-2005, 05:05 PM

Being a good fighter does not make you a good coach.MrHWell said. :)

Anybody see this week's show? Matt Hughes railed on his team when they lost the challenge & IMHO is not a good coach. He admitted on camera more than once that he really didn't care if Jason won his fight (last week) or not. When Jason did win, he just sat there in the office & didn't celebrate like he did with his other guys. I'm so glad that Jason was sent to Rich's team because I think with a coach that not only works him hard but cares & gives positive feedback as well as negative, he will really develop as a better fighter. He may not be the most skilled fighter on the show, but he has a lot of heart & a good attitude, which to some people means much more than how many wins you have. Unfortunately, the fight between Dan & Seth was similar to the one from a couple of weeks ago (Rashad & ?)--two guys who had become friends & whose hearts just didn't seem to be in it. There was a lot of action, but neither one seemed to be able to get a good submission or to knock out the other one. Dan admitted after the fight that he "didn't know where his hands were."

Which brings me to a question: If you were a contestant on this show & had a "once in a lifetime chance" to become The Ultimate Fighter could you set aside friendships you made with other contestants & fight them--to win?

mrhnau

10-05-2005, 05:12 PM

Should we request a merger with
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27179
Since they are basically the same threads?

MrH

mrhnau

10-05-2005, 05:15 PM

Well said. :)
Which brings me to a question: If you were a contestant on this show & had a "once in a lifetime chance" to become The Ultimate Fighter could you set aside friendships you made with other contestants & fight them--to win?
Personally, that would be tough... I've had the good fortune to not beat anyone up, so it would be tough to be asked to beat up one of my good friends for money. That seems to be another difference between this years show and last. Seemed alot of animosity in the house last year.

Fundamentally, would I? I don't think so. I guess you could just be rude or mute and not form friendships, but thats hard to realistically do over a period of weeks, especially with people on your own team. I'd hate to have to act that way, since its not part of my personality.

MrH

Gin-Gin

10-05-2005, 05:27 PM

Should we request a merger with
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27179
Since they are basically the same threads?

MrHNot sure. Will ask the other Mods & Admins & get back to you. :)

KenpoTess

10-05-2005, 06:59 PM

Threads merged :)

~Tess
-MT Assist Admin

Marginal

10-05-2005, 10:22 PM

Personally, that would be tough... I've had the good fortune to not beat anyone up, so it would be tough to be asked to beat up one of my good friends for money. That seems to be another difference between this years show and last. Seemed alot of animosity in the house last year.

I didn't really see animosity as an element in the finals last season. Dose of healthy respect and competitiveness, yeah. Didn't see anyone calling blood-feud tho.

If you look at what happened last season, most of the people on the show that performed well are still floating around UFC events. Losing well doesn't kill your chances, and you've still gotten plenty of exposure which can be spun out from there. Seems like going out and doing the nothin' dance is the prime way to do everyone involved a disservice.

mrhnau

10-06-2005, 08:50 AM

If you look at what happened last season, most of the people on the show that performed well are still floating around UFC events. Losing well doesn't kill your chances, and you've still gotten plenty of exposure which can be spun out from there. Seems like going out and doing the nothin' dance is the prime way to do everyone involved a disservice.

I'm personally happy to see some of the more memorable figures from the show coming back and having real fights. I'd probably follow their careers more than your normal UFC fighter.

I was thinking of this the other day... there are very few fighters who lost this year that I would enjoy seeing again. The fights have not been, on average, all that fantastic. I'd definately not pay to see most of the other competitors. I've not even been impressed with the victors overall. We will see how it goes though... I want to see Luke fight!

MrH

lonecoyote

10-16-2005, 09:12 PM

Luke's stand up was great. I thought he was going to be choked out but he came back.

mrhnau

10-18-2005, 10:16 AM

good lord... I enjoyed watching rashad use Mike as a practice dummy. Really one sided. Seemed like Mike just sat there sometimes and let Rashad punch him. Rather sad.... I keep hoping the fights get better, and some of them have been ok, but overall its been disappointing...

On the upside, Rashad looked better. However, considering what he was fighting, I think I'd look pretty good LOL

MrH

terryl965

10-18-2005, 10:52 AM

mrhnau

10-18-2005, 11:55 AM

Mike is the biggest disappointment this year the hype about his stand up, I guess they was talking about the way he can satnd there and get hit like a punching bag. Rashad looked alot better, but anybody fighting Mike would have looked good. The best so far has been luke, that really say's it all for this season.

terry
Yeah.. the way they were hyping Mike, I was expecting a stretcher or something... I was expecting a lopsided fight, and most definately a KO/submission. The closest to a KO was Rashad pounding Mike repeatedly. I thought for a while that the ref was going to call it. Mike just looked overwhelmed at time, barely being able to effectively cover up. even Dana looked upset. I feel sorry for him LOL. I agree, I think the Luke fight was one of the best. I've not enjoyed any of the heavyweight fights. Its that way in boxing too. It seems the heavy weights have heavy fists, but they lumber around so slowly that it makes for a boring fight. Mike honestly could handle losing a good 20 lbs. Might help in the ring... what do you think?

MrH

FearlessFreep

10-18-2005, 11:57 AM

DavidCC

10-18-2005, 12:13 PM

Maybe if Hughes works his guys just a _littel_ harder, they will be able to fight. Really matt I think the problem is you aren't making them sweat enough in training. I mean, what else could it be???

mrhnau

10-18-2005, 12:40 PM

Maybe if Hughes works his guys just a _littel_ harder, they will be able to fight. Really matt I think the problem is you aren't making them sweat enough in training. I mean, what else could it be???
I think he is pushing them rather hard... wonder how much of that is just wearing them thin.

something I just thought about... wasn't Mike the one who did the scarecrow event? Didn't he injure his back when doing that? I wonder how he recovered... how much time passed between that event and his fight? still, even with a bad back, you need to do a bit better...

Marginal

10-18-2005, 03:54 PM

Keep in mind that he whole purpose of the show is to promote UFC to mostly non martial artists. There are probably more non martial artists in the world than martial artists and the producers of the show are probably more interested in getting non martial artists into watching UFC than whether he fights or fighters are good from a technical perspective. Big on hype and drama.
People watching two men in speedos circle each other, and circle, and circle.... Even the non MA folks know that the fight's completely boring. There's no real hype or drama to carry things along. Matt yelling "Train more!" is drama?

Gin-Gin

10-18-2005, 05:03 PM

IMHO, Hughes is working his team very hard; even harder if they don't win the challenge. I don't think it's a question of physical toughness. I personally don't like his coaching style, especially when he shouted to Mike toward the end of the match, "why don't you just stand against the fence & let the clock run out?!" [other coaches might have said something like "Don't give up buddy!" or "Get back in there!" but not Matt] I realize that he was probably just trying to motivate Mike, & while some people respond well to that type of coaching, some don't. After all the hype about Mike being Matt Hughes' "assistant coach" & his best fighter, it was such a let-down. I'm not sure if Mike was injured or not - if he was, he didn't say so. However, it seemed that after his attempts to submit Rashad fell though, he just gave up. Fatigue was probably a lot of it, but I think it was more than that, & Matt's tone didn't help; it probably made the guy feel even worse.

It reminded me of the hype & let-down when Jorge fought. Here's this guy who trains with & is a friend of Rich Franklin, yet when the time came he just couldn't get it together - yes, he did have a knee injury, but he wasn't even doing what Rich was shouting at him to do! It looked like either he was out of shape or just gave up also. Not much aggressiveness at all. Those who have won, like Jason, Luke, & Rashad were all aggressive & stayed that way until the end of the match. Maybe that's the key...

DavidCC

10-18-2005, 06:43 PM

IMHO, Hughes is working his team very hard; even harder if they don't win the challenge. I don't think it's a question of physical toughness. ...
Yes, i was being kindof sarcastic. What I really think is that he pushes them so hard in the weight room that they have nothing left for the ring. I think he is not a good coach. He's more of a trainer.

Gin-Gin

10-18-2005, 06:48 PM

What I really think is that he pushes them so hard in the weight room that they have nothing left for the ring. I think he is not a good coach. He's more of a trainer.Agreed :)

FearlessFreep

10-18-2005, 09:38 PM

People watching two men in speedos circle each other, and circle, and circle.... Even the non MA folks know that the fight's completely boring. There's no real hype or drama to carry things along. Matt yelling "Train more!" is drama?

Well, mostly I meant the hype and drama outside the ring. I mean, the average non-MArtist new to viewing it probably isn't going to know the difference between a good fight and a bad fight itself, and I'll confess that more than a few of them look to me like some National Geographic special on mating rituals of confused young males of the species, but if they can get some dysfunctional soap opera bravado going on before the match, that's entertainment!

Shogun

10-21-2005, 03:23 PM

Well, mostly I meant the hype and drama outside the ring. I mean, the average non-MArtist new to viewing it probably isn't going to know the difference between a good fight and a bad fight itself, and I'll confess that more than a few of them look to me like some National Geographic special on mating rituals of confused young males of the species, but if they can get some dysfunctional soap opera bravado going on before the match, that's entertainment! You hit the nail on the head. TUF is to show how fighters prepare for fights, what a bad fight is, and so forth. Its not really about the fights themselves. if people tuned in ONLY for the fights, then they are wasting their time because there are about 57 different UFC tapes/dvds available to purchase (roughly 450 fights) and about the same for pride, KOTC, RINGS, Hooknshoot, and others. But noe of those show you the mental and physical preparation for the fights, and show what it takes and what these guys are. TUF shows the world that MMA fighters are ligit athletes, and not just angry guys who know karate.

Marginal

10-21-2005, 07:02 PM

Also proves that running on a treadmill doesn't build mental toughness. Who knew?

Gin-Gin

10-21-2005, 07:19 PM

Also proves that running on a treadmill doesn't build mental toughness. Who knew?:rofl:

Marginal

10-21-2005, 08:03 PM

I was glad Rashad won that match. Liked him ever since he tried to put a zipper on Melvin's mouth.

Don't really get how Matt manages to make all the heavyweights he touches into punching bags though. That's what I mean about the actual drama of the fights. "I'm awesome. Nobody can stop me. I'm looking forward to my UFC debut!"

Then they stand there and get beaten for three rounds straight...

Drama go boom. Schadenfreude's in for a lock.

FearlessFreep

10-21-2005, 11:06 PM

running on a treadmill doesn't build mental toughness. Who knew?

he he

tshadowchaser

10-22-2005, 04:15 PM

It starting to look like whom ever picked this group was sleeping
Never would I expected to see such little mental toughness and piss poor fights
Dana must be pulling his hair out or maybe thats way he has none to pull out

Shogun

10-22-2005, 06:41 PM

maybe thats way he has none to pull out
ding-ding-ding! we have a winner. haha

mrhnau

10-25-2005, 10:42 AM

Just watched the Cummo fight... nice knees! This was one of the best fights I've seen. Glad to see Cummo doing so well! I hope he does not splurge on snack food too much LOL I guess it does not matter too much though. How much time between the semi's and the finals? Interesting way Sammy was trying to pass Cummo's ground defense by jumping. Looked like he got clocked pretty good on the way down on the second attempt. Luke is lucky he survived that arm bar in the first round!

I'm also looking forwad to seeing Brad fight... that should be interesting matchup. Both of those guys look pretty tough...

MrH

Gin-Gin

10-25-2005, 11:40 AM

mrhnau

10-25-2005, 12:03 PM

Yes, I think that the coaches & Dana choosing the fighters for the Semis (with input from the fighters themselves) made a big difference. Last night's fight (Luke vs. Sammy) was the best of the season so far. It was Sammy's first fight, so no one except his teammates knew what to expect. There was more action in the first round of that fight than all of the previous ones; none of that "circling each other for three minutes" junk. :) Both fighters got in a lot of good shots, lots of good submission attempts, & at times each of wobbled a bit, but it was Luke's knee to Sammy's head that scored the knockout. Sammy took the loss pretty hard (as I'm sure anyone would who made it that far in the competition). Something new: Matt Hughes was actually comforting Sammy after the fight, being sympathetic - not being an ******* as he was to all of the other fighters who lost - maybe he is a human being after all...:eek:

Hughes a human? I doubt it ;) As for the specifics of the fight, both fighters got clocked a good bit. Kinda funny looking seeing Sammy's knees buckle from that one shot by Luke... that knee was brutal.

How about this for a change... I don't like the concept of fighters going to the semi's w/out fighting at least once. You have eight fighters to begin with (I think?). How about everyone has to fight at least once. It would make the early competitions a bit more critical too. Its kind of strange... Luke had something to brag about, since he actually fought his way to the finals. Sammy was still an unknown... With Rashaad, this will be his third fight! I think its up to the 39th day? He probably will have fought 3 times in 20 days (I forget when his first fight was). That would be brutal for ANYONE. Just the normal wear and tear from these fights, and God forbid you get cut or have a sprained wrist (I guess the punching bag in his last fight had a hard head!). Would be nice to see everyone fight once before the semi's.

MrH

Gin-Gin

10-25-2005, 12:31 PM

I agree--it would be more fair if everyone got to fight at least once before the Semis. I feel so bad for those who get injured in training & never get to fight...

Icewater

10-25-2005, 03:07 PM

I just got to see this weeks fight last night. I guess I can't understand how you can train so hard and be demoralized so quickly! I know that mental conditioning is a huge part of physical exertion, but Mike Whitehead just up and quit! And almost in the first round! No punches, no bursts of energy, a few lame kicks, and several useless hugs. I could tell that Hughes was extremely upset. And from watching the last 50 something UFCs, I don't think Rashad would stand a chance in the Octagon against a UFC middleweight.

lonecoyote

10-25-2005, 11:56 PM

I completely agree that its not fair for a fighter to get to the semis without having fought. These guys have got to conserve themselves in this tournament format and so anyone who hasn't fought has a huge advantage. Some of Hughes' team have been leaving it in the gym. I've heard that explanation in regards to boxers "He trained so hard he left the fight in the gym" That's what happened to whitehead in my opinion. It's funny that he (Hughes) said at the beginning of this whole thing that since you can't completely turn around a fighter in just a few weeks, picking the teams was the most important thing (I'm paraphrasing, but that's what he meant) He then proceeds to train the hell out of these guys like he's trying to completely change them when he was right in the beginning-the skills they bring are pretty much the skills they've got to use, they can fine tune some things, and work on strategy a little but there's no time to get them in shape if they're not already, or break down and rebuild a big part of a fighters game, just can't do it in these circumstances.

grimfang

11-01-2005, 04:55 PM

REMINDER: the two remaining semi-final matches will be shown TONIGHT (Tuesday, Nov 01) on SpikeTV at 11pm est.

Gin-Gin

11-01-2005, 05:05 PM

REMINDER: the two remaining semi-final matches will be shown TONIGHT (Tuesday, Nov 01) on SpikeTV at 11pm est.Thanks for the reminder. :) Anybody see last night's fight (between Rashad & Keith)? It was a good one too, & was scored very closely (29-28, I believe). Both fighters were aggressive, but Rashad was a better grappler & I think that's what made the difference.

Looking forward to watching tonight's Semi-finals!

terryl965

11-01-2005, 06:00 PM

Gin-Gin

11-01-2005, 06:19 PM

Ol' Rashad has proven to the people that he belongs and he also proven to Matt Hughes he belong and earned his respect glad to see fighters can put aside there differences and become one for the team.
TerryAlthough Matt Hughes is not my favorite person on the show, I was impressed by his change in behavior towards Rashad when it was time for the fight, which (IMO) was more professional than he has behaved the entire season. He assured Rashad that he was there to help him & gave him good pointers before & during the match.

7starmantis

11-01-2005, 06:28 PM

I agree. I didn't see when it said the next show was and I was freaking out last night! I had to call a buddy of mine and finally found out it was tonight.

7sm

mrhnau

11-02-2005, 09:47 AM

Thanks for the reminder of last nights show! I enjoyed it. The first fight was pretty good, but I was really rooting for Jason. I would have -really- enjoyed a Luke/Jason fight. It looks like the finals in this division will be decided by how quickly or if the fight goes to the ground. I thought it was kind of funny, Joe wanted a stand-up fight until he finally got hit :) still, he got that arm bar pretty quickly.

I thought the Seth/Brad fight was a bit disappointing. I guess I expected Brad provide some beat down. I did not realize he was so inexperienced!

What do you guys think about the finals match ups? predictions?

Joe vs Luke

Rashad vs Brad

How about another aspect... which of these fighters would you actually pay to watch fight? If I were the type to buy fights, I'd pay to see either Luke or Joe, I think they are both exciting fighters. I'd not pay for either Rashad or Brad.

mrhnau

11-02-2005, 09:58 AM

btw, I've enjoyed reading an article this year called "he said/ he said", with ongoing commentary from Stephan and Forrest from last years show. Its pretty entertaining. Its a decent way to get the feel of the season and get a recap of things that have occured. check it out!

http://www.spiketv.com/shows/series/ultimatefighter2/said/episode_12.jhtml

This is a link to the most recent, but you can check all episodes.

MrH

7starmantis

11-02-2005, 10:52 AM

What do you guys think about the finals match ups? predictions?

Joe vs Luke

Rashad vs Brad

Joe vs Luke should be an interesting fight. I dont agree with what people are saying that if it goes to the ground, Jow wins. I think Luke has a pretty descent ground game as well. Overall I dont know on this one, it could be anyones game. I'm probably leaning a bit more towards Luke here.

Here I really think Rashad will win because mainly of experience. As long as Rashad has healed up a bit I think its his fight, if he fights like he did last time. Brad is hard to beat, I think his shere size is what could give him the match. If Rashad can hurt him, its all over.

7sm

terryl965

11-02-2005, 11:01 AM

Joe versus luke no contest Joe will submit withen the first round.

Rashad Versus Brad I go with the inexperience of brad just to big and has to much power for Rashad even through Rashad look good on the mat.

Have to wait and see
terry

mrhnau

11-02-2005, 11:01 AM

Joe vs Luke should be an interesting fight. I dont agree with what people are saying that if it goes to the ground, Jow wins. I think Luke has a pretty descent ground game as well. Overall I dont know on this one, it could be anyones game. I'm probably leaning a bit more towards Luke here.

Here I really think Rashad will win because mainly of experience. As long as Rashad has healed up a bit I think its his fight, if he fights like he did last time. Brad is hard to beat, I think his shere size is what could give him the match. If Rashad can hurt him, its all over.

7sm

Luke has seemed quite slippery... I agree, that simply going to the ground -might- not be enough.. its going to be an interesting fight, thats for sure! I hope Luke wins :)

With Brad/Rashad, I think Rashad has the skill edge, but brad has the muscle edge. If Brad gets in a few good shots, Rashad might crumble. He has a good chin, but I think Brad has too much power.... again, I hope its a good fight and does not include 14 minutes of rolling around on the ground. Would be a very entertaining stand up fight...

MrH

7starmantis

11-02-2005, 11:15 AM

Your right, if Brad gets in a few good shots, Rashad could very well get knocked out!

Gin-Gin

11-03-2005, 11:01 AM

Your right, if Brad gets in a few good shots, Rashad could very well get knocked out!That's possible....I just think it's very cool that two of the finalists were the last ones picked on their team (& therefore not very much was expected of them), & they beat the "favorites." To me, that's what the show is about* - giving a chance to guys who might not normally get one. :)

*besides getting ratings & promoting the UFC

mrhnau

11-03-2005, 11:25 AM

That's possible....I just think it's very cool that two of the finalists were the last ones picked on their team (& therefore not very much was expected of them), & they beat the "favorites." To me, that's what the show is about* - giving a chance to guys who might not normally get one. :)

Yeah, I enjoyed that fact... what I would -like- to see is the season go w/out injury from either training of fighting. This season seemed to have alot of cuts and other various forms of injury. I think the season might have been a bit more interesting w/out injury. I also wish we had seen everyone in the finals fight a bit more... oh well :-) that being said, I think this will be Rashads 4th fight now? Lukes 3rd?

MrH

Cyber Ninja

11-04-2005, 11:57 PM

I think Joe will beat Luke. Rashad over Brad. The real fight I would like to see is Joe vs. Diego Sanchez. Now that Diego is fighting as a welterweight, Joe will be in his weight class.

mrhnau

11-05-2005, 12:07 PM

I think Joe will beat Luke. Rashad over Brad. The real fight I would like to see is Joe vs. Diego Sanchez. Now that Diego is fighting as a welterweight, Joe will be in his weight class.

Good gosh... that would be like the guys from Saturday Night Live...

"If da Bears play da Bulls, who would win?"

7starmantis

11-05-2005, 01:54 PM

I think Joe will beat Luke. Rashad over Brad. The real fight I would like to see is Joe vs. Diego Sanchez. Now that Diego is fighting as a welterweight, Joe will be in his weight class.

I dont know, I'm not on the Joe train yet....he is very good, but I'm not sure that he has as complete a game as Luke or Diego. I do think this fight with Luke will be a good one though.

7sm

Cyber Ninja

11-05-2005, 04:12 PM

Good gosh... that would be like the guys from Saturday Night Live...

"If da Bears play da Bulls, who would win?"

what do you mean?

lonecoyote

11-06-2005, 01:48 AM

Those were all great fights. Not real sure if either of the TUF2 winners has what it takes to really contend in the UFC for a long time, though. It went pretty much like everyone here predicted.

Cyber Ninja

11-06-2005, 04:05 AM

After watching the fights, I have to agree with you coyote. I was not impressed. The Diego vs. Nick fight was pretty good though.

terryl965

11-06-2005, 11:34 AM

Well if Rashad drops down to 205 he may have a chance, but luke is a wirey type of guy with a lot of heart so I would say if he gets some proper training he'll be alright.

All in all it was intertaining.
Terry

7starmantis

11-06-2005, 12:04 PM

I thought overall the fights were entertaining. I must be the only one, but I thought Rashad vs Brad was a good fight. There were many, many mistakes on both sides in that fight, but they stayed in there and both gave it all they had. That is what th UFC is looking for, the skill and training can come later...look at how much Brad advanced in the few months after the show. I'm not completely sure I agree with Joe's victory either, we'll be seeing a rematch of that one before too long.
Diego's fight was another close one, he deffinitely won, but he didn't dominate like he is used to. He is starting to fight some skilled guys and he is going to have to progress to stay in it.

I am looking forward to UFC 56 in two weeks, should be good.

7sm

PS: UF 3 as well!

mrhnau

11-06-2005, 12:17 PM

PS: UF 3 as well!

I noticed open calls for UF3 while I was watching... (only seen bits so far, got it taped). Anyone here thinking of trying out?

MrH

7starmantis

11-06-2005, 02:03 PM

What weight classes are they looking for, anyone know?

mrhnau

11-06-2005, 02:33 PM

What weight classes are they looking for, anyone know?

rumored to be Light Heavy and Middle, I'll let you know if I find something definitive.
http://www.mmafighting.com/faq/tuf.html

MrH

Edit:

I'm looking at the application, it does not designate the weight class, just asks where you normally fight at

http://www.spiketv.com/shows/series/ultimatefighter2/application.pdf

Gin-Gin

11-06-2005, 11:41 PM

I think Joe will beat Luke. Rashad over Brad.You were right! :) IMHO, all of the fights were good & each fighter gave 110% - it's too bad that all 4 couldn't win...
The real fight I would like to see is Joe vs. Diego Sanchez.That would definitely be a good match. Diego's match with Nick Diaz was excellent - I don't think Diego has ever been challenged that much before.

If anyone tries out for it, please let us know. Looking forward to UFC56 & the next season of "The Ultimate Fighter."