Strikeforce: Fedor And I Just Keep Winning

Before I get around to an annoying amount of self congratulations, I want to briefly touch on Brett Rogers' performance against Fedor from Saturday.  Despite the loss, I feel like I vastly underestimated Rogers as a fighter.  His power is unquestionable but his ground game is at least serviceable and he even managed to take Fedor's back.  It looked like he might have been gassing a little in the second round when he dropped his hands before the knockout.  But this was just his first fight that he has been able to train full time for so I expect Rogers to keep getting better.  Aside from the actual fight, I also thought he handled his media/promotional tour exceptionally well.  Obviously, I'm very excited for the fighting future of Brett Rogers.  I think he could be a star.

Okay, let's move on to the actual winners.  Fedor just keeps rolling no matter how ugly he makes it look.  Rogers broke his nose and busted him up but Fedor hit Rogers' eject button in the second round for the knockout.  Fedor doesn't look like the most dominant heavyweight in the world  in or out of the cage but you can't argue with the results.

My second victory over Asia in the Prediction Competition was just as vicious as the first one.  In fact, beating her is easier than dropping a chainsaw down a stairwell on a hooker.  That's a saying, right?  So I didn't make it look like brain surgery or anything but i went 4-0 picking all of the favorites.  Asia went 1-3 correctly choosing only Fedor.  That brings me to 9-0 compared to her 2-7.  Sheer dominance, folks.

Check back in a couple of days for our UFC 105 picks.

Strikeforce Fedor vs Rogers Prediction Competition

And we're back. For UFC 103, I broke out a new feature where I put my MMA predictions up against my friend Asia's picks. She's new to the world of MMA and appears to use nicknames as her primary tool of predicting. Usually, that method would dominate my years of actually watching the sport but, for that night, Vitor and I were unstoppable. That doesn't bode well for me tomorrow night. We had to take October off as I missed my first UFC event in probably five years. I was trapped in a small Texas town with no sports bar and JustinTV.com gave my laptop some type of aggressive digital herpes. Apparently, Asia didn't fare much better. Asia?

After a few minutes of figuring out what to Google to get me to the Strikeforce website, (turns out “Strikeforce” works just fine) I managed to get some idea as to what’s going on this Saturday. I sadly missed the last MMA event due to a disastrous weekend which ended in an apple red bridesmaid’s dress desperately in need of dry cleaning, and an Ozarka bottle full of dead goldfish. Trust me, I would have much rather watched an insecure group of men frantically vying to establish their masculinity in a preordained battle of the brawn.

That being said, I’ve got this week’s fight pegged. (I’m lying I haven’t even looked at the card yet but I’m sure my predictions will be top notch.) Keeping in mind that I have no real basis for predicting anything, and mostly I’m just clicking links and checking out the pretty pictures, let’s take a look at Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum vs. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.

Besides the fact that “Vai Cavalo” Werdum sounds like the next pandemic, his entire name is confusing and off-putting. However, I didn’t need Babel Fish to tell me “Cavalo” had something to do with a horse. (Wow, I am such a liar, I did need Babel Fish.) Badly translated from Portuguese, it means something along the lines of “Horse goes.” I’m sure this lovely alias has some kind of catchy ring in the native tongue, perhaps some brutal subtlety lost in translation, but in English, well it just sounds dumb. Now I’ve seen this Silva guy and not to be insensitive to people with acromegaly but he looks like he’s especially inclined to pulverize someone. He’ll also be fun to root for, so I’m going with him. I’ve got to say, ever since the Carano/Cyborg fight I’m weary to underestimate the Brazilians but I don’t want to find out what happens if Silva loses.

Next up, Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry “The African Assassin” Sokoudjou. I still can’t bring myself to root for someone called “The Dreamcatcher” and he is looking especially wimpy in his latest publicity shot. I’m thinking the Assassin is going to professionally execute the sissy looking bloke. For some reason the fact that I have no idea how to pronounce Sokoudjou is also strangely alluring, not to mention I’m partial to people who sounds like they might be carrying weapons.

As for Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Jake Shields, well this one was a little tougher. Miller pretty much screams douche bag while Shields blanket stare gives the impression he would still have trouble passing a 5th grade entrance exam. Given that valuable information I’m siding with “Mayhem,” the guy with a little personality. Even if he looks like he should be leading beer funnel cheers at the nearest frat, I bet he could at least argue his way out of a paper bag.

Which leads us to Fedor “The Last Emporor” Emelianenko vs Brett ‘The Grim” Rogers. This fight has me torn; two equally tough looking dudes, with equally mediocre nicknames. They’re not giving me a lot to go on here. For some reason I’m really leaning toward Rogers. Maybe it’s the classy “Mr. T” tribute hairdo, or the illegible tattoos proudly displayed on his forearms (though his mustache is questionable). On the other hand you can’t argue with the burly Russian, or at least I wouldn’t. Yeah, I can’t put money on some guy from Minnesota when there is a Russian to contend with. Alright Fedor, don’t let me down!

So to recap, Asia is going with Antonio Silva, Sokoudjou (I'll tell you how to pronounce it later), Jason Miller, and Fedor. I gotta tell you, my picks are going to be so much more boring than those.

Money lines are from Bodog and my picks are in bold.

Fabricio Werdum (-150) vs. Antonio Silva (+120)
This is probably the best chance for an upset on the main card. I was tempted to take Silva just to have an underdog but I believe Werdum still has something to prove after being dumped by the UFC after going 2-2 against pretty good competition.

Gegard Mousasi (-650) vs. Sokoudjou (+450)
Look Asia, nobody likes "The Dreamcatcher" nickname. Mousasi said he doesn't like that nickname. But for some reason, the 24-year-old MMA phenom looks like he can beat anything but that shitty nickname. Sokoudjou looked promising in Pride but flamed out in the UFC. Mousasi will make quick work of him.

Jake Shields (-295) vs. Jason Miller (+235)
I'm just a big Jake Shields fan. I think this has the potential to be the fight of the night and I wouldn't be too surprised to see Mayhem pull the upset. Mayhem seems like a weird, likable guy and I guess somebody has to host Bully Beatdown on MTV. I just think Jake Shields is the better all around fighter right now.

Fedor (-625) vs. Brett Rogers (+425)
I actually think Fedor is closer to a 9-1 favorite right now, which is just insane. Rogers has the power to end this quickly and seems pretty determined. I followed his press tour this week and he is very likable. I'm guessing by the time this fight rolls around, Asia and I will both be rooting for Grim. However, the smart money is piling up on Fedor. For good reason, Fedor is the much more experienced fighter and perhaps the world's best pound for pound.

Check back next week to see if Asia can pick up any ground on me. Right now, I'm 5-0 to her 1-4. It's good to be king. Okay, I feel I have sufficiently jinxed myself.

Bonus Strikeforce: I love Jorge Gurgel (+175) over Billy Evangilista (-215) tonight.

Brett Rogers' Media Tour FTW

Brett "The Grim" Rogers has been making the rounds this past week to promote his fight with Fedor on Saturday night. And it's a good thing since all Fedor has done is show up everywhere in the same sweater and frown. That's not entirely true, he does crack a smile here when Ariel Helwani politely asks him why he always wears the exact same sweater.



Okay, this post isn't about Fedor or his Cosby Sweater. The other day Brett Rogers went through the carwash at ESPN. He bullshitted with Dana Jacobson on First Take, even though Dana wouldn't know MMA if it hit her with a bottle of Grey Goose. Ah, I despise First Take. Grim did the ESPN.com chat and didn't pull any punches. Thoughts on Brock...

Thoughts on hurting folks...

Then he showed up on the Adam Corolla podcast yesterday. He talked about working in the tire department at Sam's Club and the transition to becoming a full time fighter. He and his trainer explained how hard he's worked on his ground game. Rogers also talked about how he cares about his perception as a fighter. He doesn't want to be considered a boring fighter and pays attention to the MMA blogs. He had me at blogs. Okay, so Brett seems like a pretty good guy and I'm more inclined to root for him after this little media tour. How easily swayed am I?

I'll tell you what, I'll update this after his appearance on Carson Daly's show tonight. I know, I didn't think it was still on TV either. And if Grim knocks Daly out, I will definitely be rooting for the upset tomorrow night. But would I bet on it?

Hot Stove: Tim Lincecum Smokes Pot Edition

Just as soon as baseball season comes to its miserable conclusion, the Hot Stove League springs into action providing teams with the hopes of improving their franchises for the following season. Um, until the Yankees buy all of the good free agents. Even with an apparent down year for free agents, fans and media will speculate on signings and trades. It's a gentler time, when even Royals fans can feel the slightest glimmer of hope. Anyway, I'm excited.

The most sensationalistic story on the first day of the Hot Stove League is Tim Lincecum's marijuana charge following a traffic stop. I realize this has nothing to do with free agency or trade rumors but it's worth mentioning. Like any 25-year-old, he was caught speeding while smoking with 3.3 grams on him. While I have no problem with it, MLB probably won't be very happy. But is it really that shocking? Do you realize how bored he must get pitching in the NL West?

Onto the real Hot Stove action. My Halos re-signed one key free agent in Bobby Abreu. His new deal is basically two years for $19 million. Abreu made close to $6 million with the Angels this season after making $16 million the year before with the Yankees. I was a little surprised to see that Abreu was only worth $11.1 million this past year. But I'm sure once you throw in all of his intangibles, he was worth closer to $50 million.[citation needed]

In other actual Hot Stove news, the Red Sox acquired Jeremy Hermedia from the Marlins. The Sox gave up lefty pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez for the underachieving Marlins outfielder. Hermedia, still just 25, was the 11th pick overall in 2002 and was widely considered a top prospect for years. Hermedia's best season was 2007 when he hit .296/.369/.501 with 18 homers. The Sox do have an eye for talent. So maybe they can sprinkle some of that Big Papi dust on him and he'll become a superstar after all.

Alright, keep checking back for more Hot Stove action. Or go to MLB Trade Rumors for actual/good coverage.

UFC 108 Crushes My Dreams

Okay well, Dana White can't be too happy with the recent turn of events either. UFC 108, the New Years card, looked like it was going to be loaded and now it's looking for a headliner. I was giddy with anticipation for the January 2nd card because of the potential fight between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort. But that fight is being pushed back while Silva recovers from elbow surgery.

Okay no problem, Brock Lesnar came down with an illness and had to withdraw from UFC 106 to be rescheduled for the New Years card. The Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin fight is the perfect headliner for UFC 108, right? The recent news from Bloody Elbow is that the Lesnar-Carwin fight is off of UFC 108 too. Apparently Brock has mononucleosis and not the dreaded swine flu.

That probably leaves us with some sort of co-main event starring Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez and Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva with some good depth in tow. Not bad, but not what you'd expect from one of the UFC's biggest PPVs of the year. Hey, does anybody know what Georges St. Pierre is up to?

Behind The Scenes At The MTD Office

It has been my dream since the inception of this site to get a monkey that I could feed booze to and have throw darts to predict the outcome of sporting events. But PETA has pretty much ruined that for everybody. After watching this clip, I have rededicated my dream to hiring this molesty, talk show monkey to run the sports prediction portion of this site. Unfortunately, it appears that he is already more successful than me. He also appears to be getting more action than me.

You stay classy, Japan.

[Warming Glow]

Reggie Bush Dabbles In Delusion

I love delusional people. I could do an entire case study just on the American Idol auditions. Well, athletes also have the occasional bout with the mental condition. So with the current success the Saints are having, somebody has to be out of his mind, right? Right. Heisman Trophy winner/Kim Kardasian boy toy/first round bust, Reggie Bush, hit The Monty Show to air out his own brand of delusion. Okay, what are we waiting for?

"Can we go undefeated?" Bush said. "Yes. I do think we have the players, the chemistry, we have the heart and dedication, the coaching staff, we have the players."

Alright, I'm not going to knock him for that. Any player would say that the way the Saints season is going. It shows confidence in the team and it's not a prediction. But my boy Reggie was just warming up.

"Once I do win an NFL MVP, once we do win a Super Bowl, once I am in the Pro Bowl, it's going to be that much more special because of all the criticism that I had to come through and because of the work I've put into it, it'll mean that much more to me and I'll appreciate it more," Bush said.

*record scratch* I'm sorry, MVP? This is a guy who has averaged 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, and 3.9 yards per carry over his first four seasons. If he continues at this pace, he might hit 5 yards per carry by his 15th season. Bush hasn't even been much of a threat in the punt return game this season after showing flashes of brilliance last year. Occasional SportsCenter highlight? You betcha. MVP? Not so much. Buy hey, keep living in that fantasy world. When you do win that MVP, I'll interview you on ESPN.

[PFT]