Contributors/Columnists
SHAWN ENNIS
JASON BENT
MATT PELKEY
ALEX WILLIAMS
JED GOODMAN
FRANK HYDEN
JASON BENT
JOHN TAYLOR
MAYNARD SWEENEY
MARC PATCHING
MIKE JARSULIC
BRUCE MITCHELL APPLY TO JOIN OUR TEAM
A rabid crowd of 15,082 came out to the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota to witness Georges St. Pierre's (17-2, 10-2 UFC, 7(T)KOs, 4 Subs) brilliant performance against a game Jon Fitch (17-3, 8-1 UFC, 4(T)KOs, 5 Subs, 1 NC). I've been gone for a little while, but I have returned with the latest Yes & No for UFC 87
Yes to the UFC for their huge success in Minnesota. With a gate of over 2.2 million, the UFC became the biggest event in Target Center history.
Yes to George St Pierre and Jon Fitch . It might not be have been the fight of the year, but it does win best one sided fight of the year. St. Pierre left no doubt that he should be included in the argument for pound for pound best fighter. Next up for him is another pound for pound contender, B.J. Penn. For Fitch, where does he go from here? It's the Rich Franklin scenario, a good fighter, but not nearly as great as the champion. Perhaps a fight against his training partner Josh Koscheck is in order.
Yes to Brock Lesnar (2-1, 1-1 UFC, 1 Sub). A dominating performance. Lesnar is still not a well rounded fighter, but who needs roundness when you can hit someone square in the jaw and watch them somersault backwards. I would not give Lesnar a title shot just yet, perhaps match him up with the other heavyweight winner of the night, Cheick Kongo.
No to Brock Lesnar for his post fight antics. I am used to seeing the respectful-type post fight interviews from the Anderson Silvas and St. Pierres of the world. It's hard to watch WWE post fight buffoonery. I understand he wants to celebrate, but it just looks unprofessional and tasteless.
Yes to Heath Herring (28-14, 2-3 UFC, 7(T)KOs, 16 Subs, I NC). He looked in great shape and took everything Lesnar dished out. Heath is tough man who will be back in the octagon for sure.
No to Cheick Kongo (12-4-1, 5-2 UFC, 8(T)KOs, 1 Sub). Yes he dominated his journeyman opponent, but, like Lesnar, he was classless after the fight. To announce his desire for a title shot is one thing, but to just walk away during his interview with Joe Rogan is another. Cheick needs to fight top contenders before he can claim he deserves a title shot.
Yes to Joe Rogan's comedy. "Let's look at the replay or not",made me laugh.
Yes to Kenny Florian (10-3, 8-2 UFC, 3 (T)KOs, 6 Subs). A great performance, he just keeps getting better. I don't think he can beat B.J. Penn, but I'd sure like to watch them go at it and find out.
No to Roger Huerta (20-2-1, 6-1 UFC, 10(T)KOs, 4 Subs, 1 NC). He complained about his current contract and about all the press he had to do, but it was the UFC that built him up, giving him mostly easy fights. I'm glad Florian beat him. Do you still think you are gonna get the big dollars from the UFC?
No, again, to commercials on PPV. I'm paying $44.95 to see fights not a lame Nicholas Cage movie. If they are going to have ads, I've said it before, place banners on the ground, have the announcers mention the product, even have them interview Nicholas Cage for a moment, but don't go to "commercial break".
Yes to Demian Maia (8-0, 3-0 UFC, 1 (T)KO, 5 Subs)and Jason MacDonald (20-10, 4-3 UFC, 3 (T)KOs, 16 Subs). Maia looks like the real deal and it could not come at a better time because the UFC needs more quality middleweights. MacDonald worked hard in the fight, he might never be champion, but he is a good mid-card fighter
Yes to Rob Emerson (8-6, 1-1 UFC, 3 (T)KOs, 1 Sub, 1 NC). He said he heard the pre-fight interview with Gamburyan claiming he was going to come right in and sure enough he took full advantage of it.
No to Manvel Gamburyan (8-3, 2-2 UFC, 2 (T)KOs, 5 Subs). I like Gamburyan's energy and excitement, but perhaps next time it would be wise to not let your opponent know your game plan before the fight.
Yes to Manvel Gamburyan. After losing in seconds, he still had a smile on his face.
No to the timing of the show. The UFC is usually great with their timing so this is not a a big concern, but no post interview from Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg and you could see St. Pierre had one more thing to say, but they ran out of time.
Yes to the overall show. A great show. Big knockouts, submissions, fight of the year candidates and a great showcase for up and coming talent. The show was a big winner for me.
