A day away from UFC 100…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It’s been a date that’s been circled on my mental calendar for a long time now. We’re almost there. UFC 100 is Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Thursday, took a look at the heavyweight championship bout between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar. Mir defeated Lesnar 17 months ago.
While you know I go a little ga-ga for Lesnar, have that same type of affection for one Georges St. Pierre. GSP takes on Thiago Alves for the welterweight championship in another main event-worthy scrap.
At 28 years old and with an 18-2 record, GSP has a legit claim to being called the best fighter pound-for-pound. Anderson Silva might have something to say about that, but GSP has been busy and looking good against top-notch foes.
Alves is no slouch, though. He’s won seven straight UFC fights and is only 25 years old. His best days are yet to come, if you ask the Boneman.
Alves said the key to his success is that he fights from behind from the start. He acts as if he’s already losing the fight on the scorecards and needs to make something happen.
Alves is naturally bigger than St. Pierre, so it’ll be interesting to see if he’s cut up and ready or weight-drained.
In the end, still like St. Pierre to continue to rise up to the occasion and raise his profile as one of the best.
Also on the card is the bout between The Ultimate Fighter coaches Dan Henderson (USA) and Michael Bisping (United Kingdom).
Henderson is getting up there at 38, but there isn’t anything or anyone out there that will take him out of his game.
Bisping’s only loss was to Rashad Evans at light heavyweight. He’s got the tools to be something special and this is his night to make a name for himself.
And I think this is Bisping’s night. It should be a good one, but Bisping will win a close unanimous decision.
***
Look for the Matt Grice story in Saturday’s paper. A car accident derailed what could have been a promising wrestling career at Oklahoma. He went through eight surgeries in one year.
Enticed yet? Find out more Saturday. Grice, from Harrah, takes on Shannon Gugerty in a preliminary bout at UFC 100.
***
Also the same time UFC 100 will be going on, 15-year-old boxer Juan Saucedo of Capitol Hill High will be fighting in a national junior golden gloves tournament.
For more on his story, here’s what I wrote Thursday. Saucedo is a quiet kid, almost too quiet. But get him in the ring, man oh man, look out.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment