Preface: Notice that all of my recent posts have ties to a song? I like the thread and will be continuing it as long as possible!
Forrest Griffin v. Anderson Silva
I like Forrest Griffin as a person a lot. I like what he brings to the UFC. The former Light-Heavyweight Champion brings the "every man" personality to the table and he relishes being in a good fight. He always comes prepared for a battle in the octagon and refuses to give up. To sum it up quickly- he is the Rocky Balboa of the UFC. I am impressed by his heart and sheer desire to win. How can you not like this guy?
Again, I like Forrest Griffin a lot, but I LOVE Anderson "The Spider" Silva. The reigning Middleweight Champion is unquestionably the best pound for pound fighter in the world today. His striking ability is impetuous and lands about 80% of all of the strikes that he throws and kicks. He has some incredible victories over some of the best fighters the UFC has to offer. He has completely cleared out the 185 weight class leaving no one available to even contend for a title shot. He has dominated several fighters that previously fought at 205 pounds. He makes great fighters look awkward, ridiculous and outclassed.
When these guys meet, both have something to prove. Griffin wants to win this fight to prove that he is a threat to regain the Light Heavyweight Championship. Silva is fighting the criticism of his last two performances, which were underwhelming to his standards. This could potentially be the fight that we see history in the making. I can see different scenarios in which Forrest Griffin wins the fight. Griffin is the much bigger fighter at 205, when it comes to his frame. He has the chance to lean on Silva and use his size to control the fight. He also has the power to end the night early with one powerful blow. However I see Silva winning in numerous ways. His striking is deadly accurately and his Muay Thai stand-up style could pose a lot of problems for Griffin. On the ground, Silva is clearly the better fighter, but the size difference that Griffin has over Silva may negate Silva's prowess as a black belt in Jui-Jitsu.
Prediction: Silva TKO over Griffin in Round 2.
BJ Penn v. Kenny Florian
BJ Penn is looking to defend the Lightweight Championship in what should be considered one of the biggest fights of his career. Coming of a forgettable loss to Georges St. Pierre (moving up to the Welterweight Class for the fight), his corner did not allow him to continue the fight. His conditioning has always been the big question mark throughout his career. Otherwise, BJ Penn has all the skills a person can train for: strong striking, defends well, and has an incredible ground game.
Kenny Florian is a great fighter as well. His conditioning is never in question. He has continued to get better and better for each subsequent fight over the past 6 fights. He is the type of guy that you like to see fight because you know you are going to get a strong performance out of him for each fight. While not the world-class skills of BJ Penn, his ground skills are nothing to snicker about.
This fight will come down to which BJ Penn arrives for the fight on Saturday night. I have to think that Penn has learned his lesson after the last fight against St. Pierre, but I am going to go against the grain and choose Kenny Florian to upset him and take the lightweight title.
Prediction: Florian over Penn by unanimous decision.
That said- I want to get something else off my chest pertaining to MMA: What is going on with Fedor Emelianenko? Why in God's name would you NOT sign with the UFC? These other organizations are not even on the map. I can't figure out how to even find the fights in order to watch. Sick and tired of hearing people blow up this guy saying he is the best fighter in the world, I have a major problem calling someone the best in the world if the are continually ducking the UFC. Instead of fighting the best fighters in the world, he continues to fight the rejects that have been casted off by the only organization that is well represented in the industry. Dana White is right calling this guy a joke. He offered him everything under the sun to come fight the best in the world, but he declined. As far as I am concerned, I will not entertain any argument from his fans about his status in the world of MMA.
Looking forward to Saturday night. My boy, Joe has a reserved table at Buffalo Wild Wings her in Murfreesboro- the only reserved table in the building. I feel like such a VIP when I sit there because we are always treated well by the BWW staff. This should be a great event for the UFC. Long live the best MMA company in the world continuing to put the best fighters together event after incredible event!
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