Thread: The next couple of months in MMA

He looked good against Hamill... but then again he was fighting Hamill.
Who knows, as it looks now all the old Pride legends are dropping like flies, maybe Hendo is the next to go.

The thing with guillotines is you'll almost never catch someone in them that knows what they're doing unless you have it really, really tight with your guard closed in. The counters are just way too easy and effective. Also your arm's probably just hyper extended and should be fine in a day or two.
Also I've been working on my striking a lot, my one-two is getting pretty nasty and I'm getting really good at slipping jabs/crosses and creating angles.
Anyway probably the best thing you could do for your grappling is remember, position before submission. I never really took that to heart til I got out pointed at the tournament, and it's worked wonders for my ground game. Of course I still will go for subs from the bottom if I see an opening, but my sweeps have gone from non-existent to really good and my overall game is a helluva a lot more dangerous. It'll especially benefit you if you like striking, since even from someones guard you can land pretty good strikes. Work on your sweeps, trust me it will pay off.

Well I mean you have to take risks too. If you have someone in your guard you should be constantly moving, working to sweep or working for a submission. People that just try and defend have the easiest guards to pass. Same for any position really, especially on the bottom. The second you relax and let the person on top of you get comfortable it's going to be a helluva a lot easier for them to maintain control.
Also get used to baiting people into playing into your strengths. Personally, I have really good armbar defense, but I suck at passing someone with a really active guard. So when I'm in someones guard I like to bait them into taking an arm so I can defend the armbar and pass their guard. It's always easy to defend something you know is coming, plus it wears on people mentally when you can control them like that. Just get used to improvising when doing it with the same training partners. It will force you to get creative to keep fooling them and make you better.

So... my boxing still sucks haha. It may have been the fact that I was feeling like shit the whole time I was training because of eating hotdogs beforehand, but I think it had more to do with my form degrades ridiculously fast when I'm pressured. I'm fine if I can stick and move, but the second I start getting hit and the guys not backing up I immediately lose form and start swinging. This usually ends with my ass on the mat. Something I need to work on I guess. Oh and I learned my instructor used to train with Jake Hieron at one of Couture's gyms, thought that was pretty cool.

Everyone keep an eye on Jonny Bermudez.
He's a personal friend of mine.

He's a killer!

Originally Posted by djwolford

Nothing personal against your friend, but he's lucky that other dude didn't have heavy hands or that would have been a five second fight.

3 and 1 so far..
my money will go on him each and everytime ..

Originally Posted by djwolford

Yeah, boxing is one of those things that you're either a natural at, or it improves as you get comfortable with it. You just have to learn to not worry about getting hit, which is the complete opposite of a normal person's natural reaction. To be honest I wish I could give you advice on maintaining good form to return the good advice that you give me on my jiu jitsu, but my boxing form is crap as well. Just do what I did and take up the Keith Jardine strategy. It doesn't have to be orthodox, it just has to work.

Nah I'd rather have good standup lol. I just need to spar more and get used to it. It's funny, I used to not worry about getting hit and I would always keep my hands low and everything. Then I ended up getting knocked out twice, so now I'm like too worried about getting knocked out. I don't care about the pain from getting hit, but I obviously don't want to get knocked out and I get really overwhelmed when someones just standing in front of my throwing combinations. Especially when I'm used to throwing a punch or two, connecting and backing out, and I do that and they chase me. I actually had my buddy Wanderlei Silvaing me today haha, just standing in front of me throwing hooks. I don't even react like a normal person and cover up, I keep trying to throw my jab in there for some reason haha. Only way to fix that is to keep sparring though, eventually I'll get used to it.

Yeah I don't have the power or chin to fight like Jardine hah. I'm going for more of the Machida style, except without as much running. Also lol Aoki just destroyed Alvarez. That'll shut people up talking about Alvarez as the best 155er. BJ would submit Alvarez in the first round, and KO Aoki in the first round. Fucking Japanese light weights are so overrated.

So djwolford did you ever find the videos? Japanese fighters are imo less physically gifted than their white counterparts but they tend to have more heart eg. Akira Shoji, Dajiro Matsui.

Also I got banned from Sherdog. doesn't that suck guys?

So who do you guys have in these upcoming cards?
Hendo v. Franklin
Tough one to call. I hope Franklin wins, but this is a really close fight. Franklin has better stand up(yeah I said it), but Hendo has more power. Hendo has better wrestling, but Franklin has underrated submission skills. I'm gonna say if it stays standing, either Franklin gets caught and (T)KO'd or wins via UD.
Shogun v. Coleman
Another tough one. Same as the first time, on paper Shogun should destroy Coleman. But who knows how his knee is after the surgery and how cage rust is going to affect him.
Fedor v. Arlovski
Arlovski's boxing is the only thing he has going for him in this fight. If he can keep Fedor away with a strong jab, manage to avoid the takedowns and utilize good head movement, he MIGHT cut Fedor and get it stopped or possibly get a decision nod. The more likely result, Fedor mixes up the stand up with some kicks, gets inside and knocks him the fuck out. That or he takes him down, pounds him out or submits him. Arlovski winning isn't impossible, but it's extremely unlikely.
Machida v. Silva
Machida all the way. Silva has extremely overrated stand up. He's a brawler with a decent chin and good power. Styles make fights, and Silva's style is tailor made for Machida to dominate. Silva is gonna try and push the pace, stay in Machida's face and knock him out. He won't be able to touch Machida, and Machida will pick him apart.
Penn v. GSP
I'm favoring Penn in this one. Penn has great boxing, GSP can't stand with him period. If you want to argue that GSP's stand up is a lot better, he hasn't proved himself against a striker. He's outstruck wrestlers, and proved he has a suspect chin against Serra. Penn has a granite chin and isn't going to get KO'd. GSP has also proved to have problems finishing fights with striking against Jon Fitch. You can credit some of that to Fitch for having a good chin, but no one has a good enough chin to get the shit beat out of them by someone with good KO power and stay standing. GSP does not have knock out power. In BJJ, Penn obviously has an advantage. GSP has good enough BJJ to keep him at bay for a while, but if Penn ends up on top it's going to be a short fight. The thing that is going to make or break this fight for GSP is his wrestling. If he can take Penn down, control him on the ground, avoid submission and utilize some GNP, he has a shot. He may even get a ref stoppage if he can put Penn in a position where he can't escape and can pound on him long enough. And if the fight drags on, Penn's cardio is going be a huge factor. Yes he's training hard, but GSP's pure size and strength can train the best of em. I'm a huge fan of both fighters, but I simply think Penn has more ways to win.

Dj pm me and I'll give you a link for the fights

Originally Posted by raghead

So who do you guys have in these upcoming cards?
Hendo v. Franklin
Tough one to call. I hope Franklin wins, but this is a really close fight. Franklin has better stand up(yeah I said it), but Hendo has more power. Hendo has better wrestling, but Franklin has underrated submission skills. I'm gonna say if it stays standing, either Franklin gets caught and (T)KO'd or wins via UD.
Shogun v. Coleman
Another tough one. Same as the first time, on paper Shogun should destroy Coleman. But who knows how his knee is after the surgery and how cage rust is going to affect him.
Fedor v. Arlovski
Arlovski's boxing is the only thing he has going for him in this fight. If he can keep Fedor away with a strong jab, manage to avoid the takedowns and utilize good head movement, he MIGHT cut Fedor and get it stopped or possibly get a decision nod. The more likely result, Fedor mixes up the stand up with some kicks, gets inside and knocks him the fuck out. That or he takes him down, pounds him out or submits him. Arlovski winning isn't impossible, but it's extremely unlikely.
Machida v. Silva
Machida all the way. Silva has extremely overrated stand up. He's a brawler with a decent chin and good power. Styles make fights, and Silva's style is tailor made for Machida to dominate. Silva is gonna try and push the pace, stay in Machida's face and knock him out. He won't be able to touch Machida, and Machida will pick him apart.
Penn v. GSP
I'm favoring Penn in this one. Penn has great boxing, GSP can't stand with him period. If you want to argue that GSP's stand up is a lot better, he hasn't proved himself against a striker. He's outstruck wrestlers, and proved he has a suspect chin against Serra. Penn has a granite chin and isn't going to get KO'd. GSP has also proved to have problems finishing fights with striking against Jon Fitch. You can credit some of that to Fitch for having a good chin, but no one has a good enough chin to get the shit beat out of them by someone with good KO power and stay standing. GSP does not have knock out power. In BJJ, Penn obviously has an advantage. GSP has good enough BJJ to keep him at bay for a while, but if Penn ends up on top it's going to be a short fight. The thing that is going to make or break this fight for GSP is his wrestling. If he can take Penn down, control him on the ground, avoid submission and utilize some GNP, he has a shot. He may even get a ref stoppage if he can put Penn in a position where he can't escape and can pound on him long enough. And if the fight drags on, Penn's cardio is going be a huge factor. Yes he's training hard, but GSP's pure size and strength can train the best of em. I'm a huge fan of both fighters, but I simply think Penn has more ways to win.

I'm going with Hendo
Shogun
Fedor
Machida
GSP

-I just think Hendo has amazing wrestling technique and could easily win a UD by just GnP/LnP.
-Shogun is just an emotional favorite, Coleman is old and done but if Shogun loses I think he's also done so I hope he wins and continues his career.
-Fedor.
-I really don't know much about Thiago Silva but Machida is pretty damn good. Slightly boring but watching the Tito fight for the second time made me truly appreciate his skill.
-This fight is really really close and my choice is pure guesswork. But I just kinda don't like Penn nuthuggers not that BJ is lacking in skill or anything.

Stupid holidays have made my cutting a bitch. I wanted to get down to weight before I started training, but I may have to start as a tiny super-heavyweight and become a big heavyweight a couple weeks after

Originally Posted by Mr. E

Stupid holidays have made my cutting a bitch. I wanted to get down to weight before I started training, but I may have to start as a tiny super-heavyweight and become a big heavyweight a couple weeks after

...you don't train in weight classes.
Just start training, you'll drop fat pretty quickly if you're training correctly and get to your proper weight class. I never heard of someone cutting weight to train, usually training is part of the cutting weight process lol.

Originally Posted by raghead

...you don't train in weight classes.
Just start training, you'll drop fat pretty quickly if you're training correctly and get to your proper weight class. I never heard of someone cutting weight to train, usually training is part of the cutting weight process lol.

I was mainly concerned about sparring.

Originally Posted by Mr. E

I was mainly concerned about sparring.

You only spar with people in your weight class?

Bas Rutten is amazing. That video made me said cause when I saw it I thought he was coming back to fighting and he looked great. But he's still retired . It's such a shame that his career ended so early, he would have dominated the HW division for a long time in the UFC.

Yep... plus almost as many submissions as KO's, truely a well rounded fighter. If he hadn't fucked himself doing god knows what in training he would be more successful than Randy/Coleman and no doubt be in the UFC hall of fame.

I hope he's not training him any more.
I wish he would travel and do seminars or something, I would kill to train with that man.

You gotta give it to the guy, he knows how to hype a fight.
He could have just said "I'm going to break GSP mentally" but he goes and says "GSP is a quitter, as soon as you start pushing him and getting in his face he's going to quit". That definitely got in GSP's head haha, his reaction was awesome.

He's training for 5 hours a day now.
But yeah it's absolutely mind blowing how much he's accomplished training 30 minutes to an hour a day. Imagine if he had a training regiment like GSP. He would overtake Fedor as the greatest fighter of all time. He would also probably hold the LW, WW and MW belt at the same time lol.
But what ifs don't matter, it'll never happen . Plus its probably too late now anyway, Penn's in his 30s now. Man that dudes potential was fucking limitless if he just would have trained hard from the start.