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Post by LWPD on Feb 28, 2007 5:32:33 GMT -5
UFC 68 Final Card
Live Saturday, March 3, 2007 at 10 p.m.EST
Main Event: UFC Heavyweight Championship
Tim Sylvia (23-2) vs. Randy Couture (14-8)
170 lb.: Matt Hughes (40-5) vs. Chris Lytle (22-13-5)
185 lb.: Rich Franklin (20-2) vs. Jason MacDonald (18-7)
205 lb.: Renato “Babalu” Sobral (27-6) vs. Jason Lambert (22-6)
170 lb.: Jon Fitch (12-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (10-1)
185 lb.: Martin Kampmann (14-2) vs. Drew McFedries (5-1)
205 lb.: Matt Hamill (2-0) vs. Rex Holman (4-1)
155 lb.: Gleison Tibau (11-4) vs. Jason Dent (12-7)
155 lb.: Jamie Varner (11-2) vs. Jason Gilliam (9-0)
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Post by habbalah on Mar 2, 2007 19:29:57 GMT -5
So far the match with the most gossip about it is Jason Vs Franklin. A good number of people seem to be going for an upset here.
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Post by LWPD on Mar 2, 2007 21:06:49 GMT -5
Official UFC 68 Weigh-in Video
Weigh-In Results
Tim Sylvia (263) vs Randy Couture (222.5)
Rich Franklin (185) vs Jason MacDonald (183.5)
Matt Hughes (171) vs Chris Lytle (169)
Jason Lambert (204) vs Renato Sobral (204)
Drew McFedries (185) vs Martin Kampmann (185.5)
Rex Holman (205) vs Matt Hamill (202.5)
Jon Fitch (171) vs Luigi Fioravanti (171)
Gleison Tibau (155.5) vs Jason Dent (156)
Jason Gilliam (155.5) vs Jamie Varner (155.5)
LWPD (look at Tim Sylvia with the huge height and weight advantage)
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Post by MikeMcKinney on Mar 3, 2007 1:36:38 GMT -5
I'll be watching this sat. night at my friends house. Hope it's a good card, it looks solid!
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Post by LWPD on Mar 3, 2007 10:13:08 GMT -5
Courtesy of Wrestling Observer
Match order for tomorrow night's show:
Pre-show matches
Jason Gilliam vs. Jamie Varner
Gleison Tibau vs. Jason Dent
Jon Fitch vs. Luigi Fiorvanti
Rex Holman vs. Matt Hamill
Live
Jason Lambert vs. Renato Babalu Sobral - Two grapplers, with Sobral being at couple of levels above
Rich Franklin vs. Jason MacDonald - MacDonald is really strong on the ground as he's shown in recent fights. Still, he is now being brought to Columbus, OH to beat Rich Franklin. But he wasn't brought in to beat Ed Herman or Chris Leben either. Look for Franklin to try and keep it standing, where he should have the edge
Drew McFedries vs. Martin Kampmann - This is a sleeper fight, in that the names aren't that familiar to most fans, although they've both had success over the past year, but it looks like a good action match on paper.
Matt Hughes vs. Chris Lytle - Lytle, like MacDonald, is being booked in the spoiler role. Hughes, like Franklin, is a heavy favorite. After last week's Pride show, you know nothing is for sure. Lytle is better standing, but the way they match up, it should be Hughes punishing Lytle on the ground through superior positioning and strength.
Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture for the heavyweight title - I know the doctrine is never bet against Couture when he's the underdog, and Couture is very convincing when you talk with him. But there are valid reasons the odds are long against him. Sylvia via knockout, maybe round two. Couture will likely be a gigantic crowd favorite, and if he wins, it'll almost guarantee everyone goes home happy.
Franklin showed up at yesterday's press conference with a nasty black eye from training.
LWPD (I'm curious about Hamill's progression...but after his last fight I understand why it makes sense from an entertainment perspective to keep it 'dark' going in)
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Post by LWPD on Mar 3, 2007 19:06:23 GMT -5
Mere hours away...let's hope for a good one tonight guys UFC 68 Final Hype Video UFC 68 Odds Snaphot
Courtesy of betus.com
Rex Holman 230
Matt Hamill -300
Jon Fitch -380
Luigi Fioravanti 300
Gleison Tibau -200
Jason Dent 170
Jason Gilliam 260
Jamie Varner -320
Rich Franklin -500
Jason McDonald 400
Drew McFedries 220
Martin Kampmann -280
Jason Lambert 300
Renato Sobral -380
Tim Sylvia -350
Randy Couture 280
Matt Hughes -500
Chris Lytle 400
LWPD (at those odds McDonald makes for a very attractive underdog play) |
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Post by dukedave on Mar 4, 2007 1:01:04 GMT -5
"Randy Couture, you're my hero"
Thank God you beat the big goof. Please do it one more time and then retire before CroCop removes your head from your shoulders.
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Post by Darth Turkish on Mar 4, 2007 1:12:16 GMT -5
Wow! Holy Crap! I, like many, gave Randy no chance. But I'll admit when I was wrong.
Congrats to Randy! Total domination.
Interesting how recently these older guys are taking out younger fighters who were supposed to dominate them.
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Post by Darth Turkish on Mar 4, 2007 1:15:03 GMT -5
just an aside, Tim Sylvia just got a really nasty brithday present.
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Post by MikeMcKinney on Mar 4, 2007 1:29:14 GMT -5
Randy u are the MAN...You dominated that life-less slug, Wow what a performance!
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Post by Eliath on Mar 4, 2007 1:29:35 GMT -5
In addition to Randy winning the title, both Franklin & Hughes looked very good in their returns.
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Post by habbalah on Mar 4, 2007 3:23:37 GMT -5
Randy u are the MAN...You dominated that life-less slug, Wow what a performance! Is that a jab at Randy? That lifeless slug's (Tim) been winning his matches with that tactic for some time now. Anyways it's great to see my boy back in the driver seat. Pfff striking skills drop at 40... I say his got better! |
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Post by LWPD on Mar 4, 2007 8:48:50 GMT -5
A classic show. Hughes and Franklin both looked impressive in their returns. I really like MacDonald as he still has a lot of upside...but Lytle needs to drop back to dark match territory. Kampmann with the classic comeback using BJJ 101...it's always a good visual to see the head and arm choke. When Randy Couture knocked Tim Sylvia down and took his back from underneath seconds into Round 1...it defined the reason why fans have completely turned against Tim. For over four minutes this 'champion' did absolutely nothing to try to escape from being turtled other than hold RC's arms to defend the RNC and look to McCarthy for a stand up. If he was fighting anyone other than Randy the arena would have been rocked with a chorus of booing. Instead it was viewed as step 1 in what would would become a five round clean sweep. Couture said in his pre-amble...'if Tim's gonna keep his belt...this time he's going to have to go out there and aggressively fight...and beat my azz...not just try to 'hold on' like he's been doing'. I had my doubts going in but Randy...at age 43...giving up 13 years...over a foot in reach...and 40 plus pounds...shocked the world and added another exclamation point behind his Hall of Fame level career. It was a Hollywood type moment and one of the most satisfying feel good payoffs I've ever seen in any professional sport. Randy Couture Post Fight Interview Dana White Post Fight Interview Courtesy of Wrestling Observer
Jamie Varner b Jason Gilliam. Varner took Gilliam down right away, got his back, and choked him out in less than 2:00.
Gleison Tibau b Jason Dent via decision after three rounds. Tibau scored takedowns in all three rounds and controlled the match from there. He struck from the top and went for a lot of submissions, but could never finish. 30-27 scores.
Jon Fitch b Luigi Fiorvanti. First round had Fitch take Fiorvanti down and work him over. In round two, Fitch scored two more takedowns before getting his back and choking Fiorvanti out.
Matt Hammil b Rex Holman after they exchanged, with Hammil doing better. Hammil scored the takedown, got Holman's back and punched him in the back of the head over and over (Hughes/Gracie finish) until it was stopped.
Jason Lambert vs. Renato Babalu Sobral opens the PPV show.
Babalu dominated the first 4:30 of the round, taking him down, getting his back and nearly getting a choke. But Lambert got up and decked Babalu with time running out and Babalu held on. Hard to judge round because Lambert did well, but I'd give it to Babalu.
Another upset here. Lambert took Babalu down and punished him on the ground while in guard, with punches, forearms and elbows. Finally John McCarthy ordered a stand-up, and as Babalu came forward, Lambert crushed him with a left hook to the jaw and it was over.
Are people having trouble elsewhere with the picture and sound? On DirecTV, they are off and during the stand-ups and video packages, it's totally annoying.
Matt Hughes vs. Chris Lytle is up next.
Fight was on the ground. Lytle tried a guillotine and neutralized Hughes for a while. Hughes got side control and threw a few punches but not much. At the end of the round, Hughes was about to get an armbar when time ran out. Close round slightly going to Hughes.
Hughes took him down and trapped the head, hammering him with elbows and punches. Lytle's left eye was busted up pretty good. Hughes got side control and even a full mount. Lytle used the cage to reverse, but in going for an armbar, lost his position. Definitely Hughes' round.
Hughes took him down and controlled Lytle the entire round, but didn't do much. Lots of booing because it was a bad round. Hughes went for an armbar late but Lytle got out of it.
Straight 30-27 scores for Hughes, but it was a bad fight and not a dynamic win.
Fans booed Anderson Silva on the screen. Lots of booing. It'll be bad for Sylvia.
Fan poll has Couture 62% to 38%.
Rich Franklin vs. Jason MacDonald is up next.
Batista is at ringside. Franklin connected with a lot of punches and showed good takedown defense. At one point Franklin threw MacDonald down and was throwing a lot of punches but as MacDonald started playing a submission game, Franklin backed off. MacDonald got a takedown late. Franklin's round easily.
Franklin gave MacDonald a real beating late in the round from the top with punches from the mount and back. It was seconds from being stopped when the round ended, but MacDonald's corner saw how wobbly he was and called it off, so Franklin won at the end of the second round. Unlike Hughes, I'd say very good performance by Franklin.
They had a face-off with Franklin and Silva after the match. Of course the fans booed Silva heavy, but Franklin told the fans that Silva was a real champion and didn't deserve to be booed. Silva praised Franklin as well. I guess Silva missed the class on how to play heel when you're in somebody else's city. Dana White then told Franklin he'd like the rematch in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati fans cheered, but in Columbus, a lot of fans booed.
Martin Kampmann vs. Drew McFedries is next.
McFedries was killing him with punches, with one knockdown from a right and several really hard lefts. Kampmann has a hell of a chin to stay up from that kind of pounding and his face was looking bad. Then Kampmann took him down, got a side mount and switched over, securing a head and arm triangle and McFederies passed out from the choke. A great example of the sport. This is a complete WWE crowd because these two weren't stars and the crowd went quiet, even though this was a really good match.
Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture is up next. Final poll is 71% for Couture.
I want to apologize from here. Apparently during this fight we had more traffic on the web site than any point in the seven year history of the site and everything crashed. At different times tonight, numerous other MMA sites crashed as well.
RANDY WON 50-45 across the board.
Couture decked Sylvia in round right after faking a kick and scoring with an overhand right. He went for the kill, but Sylvia survived, regained his bearings and the rest of the round had Couture underneath Sylvia, but having his back. Couture kept trying for a choke but never came close.
Couture took Sylvia down in the second round. He kept busy with punches to the head and body, as well as some elbows, giving Sylvia a bloody nose. Sylvia connected with some elbows from his back as well. Couture took him down a second time right at the end of the round.
Both guys were exhausted at this point, but Couture has balls of steel and fought through it. Couture out-struck Sylvia the entire round connecting many times to the head with rights. Who would have believed a round completely on their feet and Couture would win it handily, without even being rocked once. At this point Couture had the match won unless he was knocked out or submitted.
Couture took him down again in round four. After a stand-up, Couture was scoring with overhand rights. Sylvia just had no game plan and clearly had taken Couture too lightly. By this point he was too tired to execute. Couture got another takedown and scored with elbows to the head and more punches.
Round five saw Couture land more punches standing, and got another takedown. He got into a mount, scored with knees to the body, more elbows, got another mount. After a stand-up, he can another takedown. Couture had a swollen left eye but he pitched a five round shutout here. This was by no means fight of the year, but it will go down as one of the most memorable fights in history.
As great as Pride's show was last week, and it was, this match had more emotion and meaning than last week's entire card times two.
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Post by dukedave on Mar 4, 2007 12:13:36 GMT -5
Yes, Sylvia did all he could to endear himself to the fans afterwards didn't he. Claiming he was injured and then trying to take he back when he got booed. True Sylvia injury: yeast infection.
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Post by vansabu on Mar 4, 2007 13:00:01 GMT -5
Why is that funny ? Guys can get yeast infections ! But most of the time you have to have intercourse to get it .
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Post by dukedave on Mar 4, 2007 15:49:54 GMT -5
Why is that funny ? Guys can get yeast infections ! But most of the time you have to have intercourse to get it . It's supposed to infer that he's a big p...y by claiming to be injured. If it leaks to the media fine, but don't mention being injured after an old man just whupped your a$$. |
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Post by vansabu on Mar 4, 2007 19:03:21 GMT -5
Yeah ...that makes sense. If you lose say you lost and say he was better that night, I see what you mean I like Sylvia but I hate excuses for losing. If it bothers me even though I like him I can imagine how it pisses other people off that do not like him. He still the best goof out there !!! LOL
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Post by Darth Turkish on Mar 4, 2007 20:01:54 GMT -5
It will be a long time before that "goof" sees another shot at the belt- He could go on a tear and beat everyone out there- Arlovski, Gonzaga, and anyone else, but it will be a long time before he is considered again.
Dana has to go with who puts butts in seat- and Mr Sylvia is not one of them.
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Post by LWPD on Mar 5, 2007 5:14:33 GMT -5
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Post by Cosmic Crippler on Mar 5, 2007 22:24:45 GMT -5
man o man. cant believe the natural came through. he looked like a completely different fighter. sorry i doubted him. I think this calls for a Cpt. Couture/America bootleg.
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IPPON!!
