UFC 79

[SeanO]

Main Card
Interim welterweight championship bout: Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre
Light heavyweight bout: Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
Light heavyweight bout : Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
Lightweight bout: Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard
Heavyweight bout: Eddie Sanchez vs. Soa Palalei

Preliminary Card
Light Heavyweight bout: James Irvin vs. Luis Cane
Welterweight bout: Tony DeSouza vs. Roan Carneiro
Lightweight bout: Nate Mohr vs. Manvel Gamburyan
Middleweight bout: Dean Lister vs. Jordan Radev
Lightweight bout: Doug Evans vs. Mark Bocek

Looks like a good card but the match i'm looking forward to see the Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre match and I think i'm the only person I know who wants Matt Hughes to win. What do you guys think?

[Spiritchaser]

Georges will hurt Hughes here IMO, and Silva will destroy Chuck if the Iceman doesn't show up, if Keith Jardine can kick his ribs in Silve will really damage him.
I miss "The Natural", and not Butch Reed.

[Aholda]

Liddel was wild last night.

Silvia got that ass stomped.

Hughes got owned.

[Christof]

Liddell vs Silva was a superb fight. Silva took alot of punches but still kept standing, no ass stomping for him. Liddell simply brought a better game into the octogon and Silva couldn't get close enough, seemingly more happy to slug than kick. Great fight though, I enoughed Silvia vs Couture earlier in the year for spectacle but this was probably the best I've seen in terms of excitement.

Hughes was saddening, his expression at the end of the first was like he didn't know what had just happened to him. GSP I guess is just exceptional and a truly class act as well in the way he conducts himself.

The two final fights rescued what was until then a mediocre ppv.

[Jack]

Yeah, I'm in full agreement with Christof. Liddell vs. Silva was a really fun brawl and definetly exceeded my expectations. It's good for the UFC to finally have a huge fight deliver in terms of excitement.

I was pleased to see St. Pierre win. He's and awesome talent, and I can't wait to see him face Serra, who I expect him to beat.

The rest of the card wasn't spectacular, but the final two bouts made me pleased I watched.

[Al Stevens]

I agree with both Jack and Chrisof Liddell Vs Silva was a fun brawl and it actually had my attention through out the whole match.

also that was my first time seeing St.Pierre fight and i have to say i was very very impressed with him and Hughes just didnt seem like what i have seen on You Tube/Dailymotion.

However i think that in time Sokoudjou can be a good fighter in UFC as well

[DC]

Originally Posted by Christof Great fight though, I enoughed Silvia vs Couture earlier in the year for spectacle but this was probably the best I've seen in terms of excitement.

Hmmmm. It seems my wannabe deputy needs some work.

[Dusty Finish]

Seconded (thirded, fourthed, whatever...) on the love for the two marquee fights, but I'm a bit surprised at the apathy towards the rest of the card.

Sanchez-Palelei was a stinker, granted. We can "look forward" to more of clumsy, mediocre slugger Sanchez in the next year I'm sure, given Zuffa's blatant clamouring for a Hispanic star of any description. Paleli was a chicken in headlights- a mannequin would've cruised to a decision in that fight. I'm convinced that the heavyweight division is cursed- ten months ago, Randy was about to produce the greatest 25 minutes ever, Mirko hadn't crashed & burned, Arlovski wasn't the invisible man, Kongo hadn't been exposed as horribly one-dimensional, Brandon Vera was still hot, and Big Nog and Herring were coming. Now, the barren wasteland that is 206-265 is only slightly more interesting than the times when Justin Eilers and Paul Buentello were headlining Pay Per Views.

He takes a bit of sussing out, and if you've come for frenetic action you're at the wrong dance, but Lyoto Machida's movement, footwork and meticulous fighting style is fascinating. I can't think of anyone who utilises outside leg kicks anywhere near as effectively. He may not be all bomb-throwing, knockdown scoring kind of domineering, but he meticulously picks his opponents apart. I'd say get your money on Machida to be the man who eventually topples Rampage, but I have a funny feeling for Thiago Silva too.

Guillard-Clementi was fun, and they now have someone with a noteworthy PPV win to feed to Huerta or Edgar.

Chuck-Wandy wasn't a technical striking clinic or anything, but you could sense the desperate need in Liddell to win and salvage his career. Wandy showed him a bit too much respect, for me, and looked constantly wary of closing the distance and risking getting caught with any short range punches, so wasn't able to utilise the clinch. Also, I don't recall him shooting in for a takedown once. But still- two notorious strikers chasing that last hurrah before the sun goes down on them stood and traded.... did exactly what it said on the tin.

GSP is a freak, that's all there is to be said. He's constantly adding new stuff to his repetoire- witness the Harai Goshi in the first round, and shoulder slams from full mount. The move to Greg Jackson's camp appears to have been a shot in the arm. No disgrace for Hughes, losing to a quality fighter firing on all cylinders- in a world where the word is used too freely, Hughes is a genuine legend and a pioneer. The acid tests for GSP will be in the inevitable fights with Serra and Fitch- he's yet to prove he can get in the mindset to get the job done when he's the overwhelming favourite. Plus, as Serra showed in their first fight, and Penn showed before he gassed against GSP, "Rush" can sometimes struggle with guys who'll come inside and bang. Yet, at the frightening rate he's evolved in the last two years, it's not hard to envision him sussing that out.