UFC 72

I'm pretty proud of my UFC 72 Predictions this time around. To see the results you can pretty much just look at the predictions page Ok, enough of me patting myself on the back. Here are the UFC 72 Results

Rich Franklin (185) vs Yushin Okami (185)
Winner : Rich Franklin by Decision

Forrest Griffin (204) vs Hector Ramirez (204)
Winner : Forrest Griffin by decision

Jason MacDonald (185) vs Rory Singer (186)
Winner : Jason MacDonald

Tyson Griffin (155) vs Clay Guida (155)
Winner : Tyson Griffin

Marcus Davis (169) vs Jason Tan (169)
Winner : Marcus Davis

Ed Herman (186) vs Scott Smith (185)
Winner : Ed Herman


I'll post the other results as I get them
Eddie Sanchez (234) vs Colin Robinson (238)

Dustin Hazelett (169) vs Steve Lynch (170)

Since there isn't a title bout on the UFC 72 card, these results are just a formality, however it's good to see that everyone made weight.

Rich Franklin (185) vs Yushin Okami (185)

Forrest Griffin (204) vs Hector Ramirez (204)
Jason MacDonald (185) vs Rory Singer (186)
Tyson Griffin (155) vs Clay Guida (155)
Marcus Davis (169) vs Jason Tan (169)
Eddie Sanchez (234) vs Colin Robinson (238)
Ed Herman (186) vs Scott Smith (185)
Dustin Hazelett (169) vs Steve Lynch (170)

UFC 72 is two days away (June 16, 2007)

Let's start off with the UFC 72 Fight Card as it sits right now (from the official UFC 72 web site).

Rich Franklin vs Yushin Okami
Hector Ramirez vs Forrest Griffin
Rory Singer vs Jason MacDonald
Clay Guida vs Tyson Griffin
Jason Tan vs Marcus Davis
Tom Murphy vs Jake O'Brien
Eddie Sanchez vs Colin Robinson
Scott Smith vs Ed Herman
Dustin Hazelett vs Stevie Lynch

Now, I believe that Jake O'Brien is out of this card, but I might be wrong.

There are two things worth noting about the UFC 72 fight card. First, there are no title fights on the card. This is a bit of a disappointment, but still there are some worthy fights on this card.

Let's start off with my prediction for Rich Franklin vs Yusin Okami:

Most of the fans who read this page are familiar with Rich Franklin. For those of you who aren't, Rich has an excellent stand up game and heavy hands (try to forget his loss to Anderson Silva). Rich is also comfortable on the ground, but mostly in the top position.

Yushin Okami has an impressive resume, but has yet to face a fighter like Rich Franklin (you can also forget about Okami's victory over current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. That was a DQ victory, very early in the fight. Most of Okami's victories are by strikes, which makes this an excellent match up with Franklin.

I'm going to give the edge in this fight to Franklin, just based on the experience factory (not total fights, but who he's fought). In either case, I don't think this will be a quick or easy fight.

Prediction: Rich Franklin

Hector Ramirez vs Forrest Griffin
What can I say. I will not pick Forrest against anybody but a top 5 fighter at light heavyweight. I don't think Ramirez is a top 5, so my pick goes to Forrest Griffin.

Rory Singer vs Jason MacDonald
I like both of these fighters as well, but again it's a matter of who they've fought. I'm going to take Jason MacDonald in this fight.

Clay Guida vs Tyson Griffin
As I said in a previous post, it's going to be a great fight, but I'm leaning toward Tyson Griffin.
Prediction : Tyson Griffin

Jason Tan vs Marcus Davis
Prediction : Marcus Davis

Eddie Sanchez vs Colin Robinson
Prediction : Eddie Sanchez

Scott Smith vs Ed Herman
Prediction : Ed Herman

UFC 72 from Belfast Ireland is this Saturday (June 16). One of the fights that I'm looking forward to most on this card is Tyson Griffin vs Clay Guida. These are two guys who leave it all in the cage. They both come in to fights in great shape and go 100% to the final bell. Both fighters are coming off losses and will be hungry for a big win to put them back in the mix at 155.

Griffin is the stronger of the two, and I believe he has the better stand up. Guida seems to have slightly better cardio and that might be to his advantage in a long grueling fight. This is a tough one to pick a winner for and on any given day I might change my mind. If I have to pick one, I'll pick Tyson Griffin by TKO.

UFC 72 Prediction : Tyson Griffin by TKO over Clay Guida

Remember, I'll post my complete UFC 72 Predictions later tonight

Yep, you read the title right. Forrest Griffin is looking forward to testing his chin this Saturday. That is a little surprising considering that Forrest got beaten badly in his last outing by Keith Jardine. Of course, that's what makes Forrest a great fighter and exciting to watch.

The following quote is from UFC.com and outlines exactly what Forrest is made of:

“We’ll see how this fight goes and I would really like to take some solid shots from Hector and be fine,” he says matter of factly. “I’ve had a lot of people hitting me as hard as s**t, and I would like for that to happen in this fight.”

Cool, we can all look forward to Forrest Griffin vs Hector Ramirez being a classic Griffin battle! The two wage war at UFC 72 this Saturday (June 16th).

I for one am predicting a Forrest Griffin Victory.

Check out my UFC 72 Predictions for other predictions on the event. I plan on posting the predictions later tonight.

Two big rumours, both courtesy of UFC Junkie (via other sites).

1) UFC 75 will be held in London, England and Michael Bisping will be on the card.

2) Mauricio Shogun Rua has officially signed with the UFC and he'll debut at UFC 72 in Belfast, Ireland.

A little more about #2. Shogun is an outstanding 205lb fighter, but may have some trouble transitioning to the UFC rules. He likes to do the Brazillian soccer kick to his downed opponents head. He is also a big fan of the stomp to the head, not allowed in UFC either. Assuming he can make those adjustments, he should be a force in the UFC light heavyweight division. He has victories over Quinton Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman, Alistair Overeem and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (little nog).

It wouldn't surprise me if Dana White announced the Shogun thing at UFC 71 this Saturday.

UFC 72 is scheduled for June 16, 2007 from Belfast Ireland. It will be available on PPV. This card is starting to shape up, I'm sure the UFC has one more big fight up their sleeves. There are no title matches on this card.

Rich Franklin vs Yushin Okami
Hector Ramirez vs Forrest Griffin
Rory Singer vs Jason MacDonald
Clay Guida vs Tyson Griffin
TBD vs Marcus Davis
Tom Murphy vs Jake O'Brien
Eddie Sanchez vs Colin Robinson
Scott Smith vs Ed Herman
Dustin Hazelett vs Stevie Lynch

I see nothing about UFC 72 being available on SpikeTV on UFC's web site. Here is the info about UFC 72

UFC® continues to take Europe by storm as UFC 72: VICTORY hits Northern Ireland! Rich “Ace” Franklin continues his quest to regain the UFC Middleweight Championship as he takes on another top middleweight contender, Yushin Okami. Plus, Light Heavyweight favorite Forrest Griffin returns to the Octagon to face Hector “Sick Dog” Ramirez. UFC 72: VICTORY will be live, Saturday, 16 June, from The Odyssey in Belfast LIVE on pay-per-view in the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom.

It looks like Rich Franklin will be facing somebody other than Martin Kampman at UFC 72 in Belfast on June 16th. Kampman suffered a knee injury during training. The UFC is looking for a worthy opponent to take on Franklin.

At UFC 72 in Belfast Ireland, it looks like TUF veteran Rory Singer will face Canadian Jason MacDonald. This should be an interesting fight between two well matched guys. Personally, I pick MacDonald to take this one, but you can't tell what his attitude will be like after the beat down that Rich Franklin gave him in Ohio.

More news from UFC.com, this time about UFC 72 From Belfast, Ireland!

ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER FIGHT IN BELFAST

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP®
ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER FIGHT IN BELFAST

UFC 72: VICTORY

RICH “ACE” FRANKLIN vs. MARTIN KAMPMANN
FORREST GRIFFIN vs. HECTOR RAMIREZ

LIVE FROM THE ODYSSEY ARENA
SATURDAY, JUNE 16

Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, April 21- 9am BST

Manchester, England (UK) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization today announced it will bring the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts event straight back to Europe, this time to fight fans in Northern Ireland. Topping off the international lineup of fights will be the middleweight main event clash Rich “Ace” Franklin vs. Denmark’s Martin Kampmann, and the light heavyweight special feature Forrest Griffin vs. Hector Ramirez. UFC 72: VICTORY will take place live from Belfast at the Odyssey Arena Saturday, June 16, 2007.

“We are very excited to bring the UFC to Northern Ireland,” said UFC President Dana White. “We are having our first fight in Manchester this Saturday, and we are ready to come right back and have another blockbuster event in Europe. UFC 72 will be one of many record-setting events -- our London office is already working on more fights for 2007, and a regular series of fights for 2008. Our goal is to bring the best fights with the best fighters to all of our UFC fans, whether they are based in Nevada or Northern Ireland.”

Tickets for UFC 72: VICTORY go on sale Saturday, April 21 at 9:00am BST with prices starting at £30.00. Tickets are available through the Odyssey Arena Box Office or by calling 028-9073-9074. Tickets are also available online through www.odysseyarena.com and www.ticketmaster.ie.

UFC® Fight Club™ members have the opportunity now to purchase tickets to this event via the website www.ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, April 19 at 9:00am BST. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.ufc.com.

UFC 72: VICTORY will be screened live on Setanta PPV1 (Sky channel 481) at 8:00pm BST on Saturday, June 16, available via remote control through Sky Box Office or by calling 08708 500 005.

This first ever UFC event in Belfast features the main event middleweight bout Franklin vs. Kampmann. Franklin, (23-2-0) fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio, is an extremely well-rounded fighter possessing great striking and submission skills. He fought most of his career as a light heavyweight before moving to the middleweight division. At UFC 53, he knocked out UFC champion Evan Tanner to capture the middleweight crown. He made his first title defense against Nate Quarry at UFC 56 winning by first round KO and his second defense against Canadian David Loiseau at UFC 58, winning by decision after dominating “The Crow” through all five championship rounds. He faced Anderson Silva in his third UFC title defense, but was KOd by the Brazilian in the first round. At UFC 68, he returned to the Octagon™, and in front of his home state crowd, stopped Canadian Jason MacDonald at the start of the second round. At UFC 72, Franklin faces Denmark’s Martin Kampmann for the fight that could make him the number one contender for the middleweight title.

“This fight is crucial, I am sure my next fight will be a title shot if I secure a victory in Belfast,” said Franklin. “I believe Kampmann and I will be a great match-up for the fans. We both like to stand, so this fight will not be anything less than exciting.”

Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann (12-1-0) came to the UFC in 2006 with a reputation as a fierce standup fighter. In his first bout against kickboxer Crafton Wallace, Kampmann displayed his all-around mixed martial arts game as he quickly took Wallace down and submitted him in the first round with a rear naked choke. In his second fight, Kampmann showed what he could do while standing as he pounded out an impressive three round unanimous
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decision over Thales Leites last November. The 24-year old native of Aarhus, Denmark then defeated Drew McFedries at UFC, making for three consecutive victories in the Octagon. Now, Kampmann will attempt a fourth win, this time over the former champion and mixed martial arts superstar Rich Franklin.

“I have a lot of respect for Rich Franklin, but I’m going to train hard and I’m going to finish the fight by knockout or submission,” said Kampmann. “This going to be a good fight – it’s going to be a war.”

Also on the card is the special features Forrest Griffin vs. Hector Ramirez. Forrest Griffin (13-4-0), fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., is a well rounded fighter whose freestyle propelled him to become the Light Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter® Season 1. Never one to back down from a challenge, Griffin has faced serious opposition in the Octagon, taking on Tito Ortiz, Stephan Bonnar, Elvis Sinosic and most recently, Keith Jardine. Originally, scheduled to fight at UFC 70, Griffin was sidelined to due illness, but is back in full form and ready to rock against Hector “Sick Dog” Ramirez. Griffin wants to reclaim his status as a rising light heavyweight while winning over the Belfast crowd with a spectacular victory at UFC 72.

Ramirez (6-2-1), who hails from the same East Los Angeles neighborhood that produced boxing superstar Oscar De La Hoya, is a well-rounded competitor who is known for his explosive right hand. Also known for his wrestling and kickboxing skills, Ramirez possesses the power to knock out his opponent with either a swing or a kick. He made his UFC debut at UFC 65 last November, and is excited to take on Griffin and prove he belongs in the high ranks of the UFC.

The remaining bouts for UFC 72: VICTORY will be announced in the near future. All bouts are subject to change.

For more information about UFC 72, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC® organization produces approximately twelve to fourteen live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are distributed throughout the world including broadcast on WOWOW, Inc. in Japan, on MAIN EVENT in Australia, Globosat in Brazil and Bravo in the United Kingdom. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.