C'mon now, Mrs.Evans, you can't get all butt hurt when someone takes a pop at your boy then go talking about Thiago's "pointy chin." What if there are Thiago fans on here as sensitive as you?
As for the "quick KO" comment, perhaps "one shot KO" would have been better (although it's mostly people going nuts over early KO's that bother me) but the point remains that people read way too much into that single punch against Chuck. Him landing one good shot against a guy who wound down his career by blocking punches with his face was the entire basis for his reputation as an elite striker following that bout, which I found a little ridiculous. Shit, Sokoudjou had to at least land 2 good shots before he got that kind of hype.
The Lidell win was nothing IMO. Beating Griffin was good though. I really hope this will be a good fight.
Well it is true that Thiago's only beat the guys put front of him with the one obvious exception (the champ). Who has Rashad beaten that you honestly think would beat Thiago Silva?
Rashad is/was one of the guys they've 'brought along' with favorable matchups and high profile fights where as Thiago is just now getting a sniff against the all-important TUF-alums and 'name' fighters.
But there's no doubt in my mind that Thiago would beat the Salmons, Lamberts and Bispings of the division. I think he'd beat Forrest worse than Jardine did. He just hasn't ever received the full backing of the Zuffa marketing machine to the extent that Evans has.
Don't get me wrong anything can happen and I do think Rashad is a good fighter but I think Thiago is going to frate trane his ass like he did to KJ.
MuchRespec' - Well it is true that Thiago's only beat the guys put front of him with the one obvious exception (the champ). Who has Rashad beaten that you honestly think would beat Thiago Silva?
Rashad is/was one of the guys they've 'brought along' with favorable matchups and high profile fights where as Thiago is just now getting a sniff against the all-important TUF-alums and 'name' fighters.
But there's no doubt in my mind that Thiago would beat the Salmons, Lamberts and Bispings of the division. I think he'd beat Forrest worse than Jardine did. He just hasn't ever received the full backing of the Zuffa marketing machine to the extent that Evans has.
Don't get me wrong anything can happen and I do think Rashad is a good fighter but I think Thiago is going to frate trane his ass like he did to KJ.
I personally don't think Thiago would beat Forrest. He could always land a big punch, but other than that, I think Forrest presents Thiago matchup problems. Thiago-Rashad should be a good fight.
K-Dub-"T" - After he beats Silva, this thread will look like a fool's paradise.I hope you're right, but I think Thiago is too much. Greg Jackson may have some master plan though.
I shall ttt it wilth glee.
ajc1984 - C'mon now, Mrs.Evans, you can't get all butt hurt when someone takes a pop at your boy then go talking about Thiago's "pointy chin." What if there are Thiago fans on here as sensitive as you?
LOL wtf, thiago has an objectively pointy chin dude. That's not me trying to insult him, it's just an observation, like the fact that I have a bong with a dragon on it where the dragon looks similar to Rashad (seriously).
BTW I'm not objecting to you "taking a pop" (lol) at anyone, just the stupid and incorrect nature of your claim that a guy who wrestled at 174 who went undefeated at heavyweight and 205 in the UFC starting with 6 months training looked "average" in doing so. It's also kind of silly for you to accuse me of being in some way upset about your dumb first post just because I set you straight, especially when you're the one still sitting here all huffy trying to find things to complain about in return. ;) Unless of course you consider saying that someone has a pointier-than-average chin the same as saying they haven't looked good for their entire career.
As for the "quick KO" comment, perhaps "one shot KO" would have been better (although it's mostly people going nuts over early KO's that bother me) but the point remains that people read way too much into that single punch against Chuck. Him landing one good shot against a guy who wound down his career by blocking punches with his face was the entire basis for his reputation as an elite striker following that bout, which I found a little ridiculous.
Jackson and Rashad's entire gameplan was to spend the first round figuring out Chuck's timing and then countering him with a shot like that, and they even referenced it between rounds before it happened. Why is it that you find someone perfectly executing a counterpunch that lands with enough accuracy and force to render any followup shots unnecessary inferior to landing multiple haymakers?
Shit, Sokoudjou had to at least land 2 good shots before he got that kind of hype.
Sokoudjou had already been beaten fairly easily by a guy who was considered B-level at the time and hadn't gone on a 10+ fight winning streak before beating Nogueira and Arona, bro. Rashad has improved and adapted his style from being primarily a wrestler to being able to finish with strikes and fight standing up, but Sokoudjou was always a judo spaz with good power who had the potential to catch anyone in the first minute or two but who gassed and quit easily. I have my +1250 or better betting ticket from the Minotoro fight to prove that I knew it even at the time!!!
"Perhaps "completely average" was a little harsh but the hype surrounding the guy was off the charts before the Machida fight, based entirely upon 1 punch against Chuck (who has been been dropped with punches by each of his last 5 opponents) and the end of the Forrest fight, completely ignoring his career prior to that."
lol @ completely ignoring his career prior to that. After TUF I picked Rashad to beat Chuck if he ever got the chance to fight him, and this was before Chuck had ever even been dropped. Rashad is still the only guy to knock Chuck out cold and was only the second guy after Rampage to do more than wobble him. Other than that he had shown good ground and pound in cleanly KOing Lambert with punches on the ground (how often do you see that?) and KOing Forrest with punches on the ground. His wrestling was roughly equal with Tito's. He was undefeated and despite being a guy who wouldn't even be big at 185, he had walked through heavyweights.
Yep Jackson is the x-factor here but ATT has been known to produce a decent plan in their day too.
Just out of curiosity HC, who did you pick to win between Griffin and Jardine? Did you pick Griffen to beat Anderson Silva?
Needless to say I disagree but it's a matchup I'd surely like to see.
Carl Weathers - Rashad Evans hasn't won a round in forever except the ones he won. Think about it
THATS DEEP SON
Thiagos victories in the UFC arent that impressive to me.
he beat two B class fighters in mendez and drwal. He has a TKO victory over irving, whos knee fucked him over.
asides from his KO of jardine. his two notable victories in the ufc come from takedown to mount to pounding out of mediocre fighters.
would he be able to take down tito? rashad? chuck? forrest? idk
we would have to see it happen. Im not knocking the guy for not being as hyped up as a poster boy. The unfortunate thing is that he hasnt had the chance to show his skill against the divisions more popular & higher ranked fighters. when he did, machida dismantled him convincingly. he did worst than a so called "declining" Tito.
I hope he has a good showing, if he does, he will definitely be on more peoples radar.
MuchRespec' -
Just out of curiosity HC, who did you pick to win between Griffin and Jardine? Did you pick Griffen to beat Anderson Silva?
I'd pick Griffin if they fight each other in 2010. I'd give Jardine a chance to find Forrest's chin again, but I think it would be an exciting 3 round war with 2 guys who don't seem to have KO power for the most part.
I picked Anderson to beat Griffin. I also don't think Thiago Silva is in the same universe as Anderson.
Poopyface TomatoNose - unless it was a round where he pulled out a finishing move.
LOL
Fair enough. I think Thiago's closer to said 'universe' than Griffin is but that's JMO.
But hey that's why fights are compelling. I admit we really don't know how good Thiago is yet because he's just now starting to get high profile fights.
Thiago is very aggressive which really hurt him in the Machida fight. Tito doesn't like to get hit and if he can't get the takedown then he just stalls out a fight. Other than the triangle attempt, which I admit was impressive (although desperate) for a guy who never attempts submissions.
A lot of the matchups menioned boil down to whether or not Thiago can defend the TD. A question this fight should answer to some degree I expect.
This little debate just got me more interested in the card.
really i didnt give a shit.
I think rashad earned the hype trane w/ the spectacular ko of salmon. No matter who the opponent was, Rashad was demonstrating some decent striking and put an exclamation point on it with that kick. We already knew he had great wrestling and solid gnp. Then we're realizing that this guy is becoming a complete mma threat...The chuck ko, showed that he could do it against another guy who's counter striking you had to respect due to ko power.
I thought Silva's chin was a little suspect against machida. Then I came to realize how strong machida is in the evans and shogun fights. I think it said more about machida, than it did about silva.
Thiago is by far the most overrated fighter in the UFC. He beat NOBODY going into the fight with Machida and was destroyed.(Antonio Mendes,Houston Alexander,Tomasz Drwal, James Irvin)
His biggest win was his stoppage of Jardine, whose brain has been scrambled one too many times and is a light bulb(on or off in fights).
Rashad has fought FAR tougher competition and BEATEN far tougher fighters then Silva here. If Silva wins, it's a mild upset in my eyes.
bryanand - Thiago is by far the most overrated fighter in the UFC. He beat NOBODY going into the title fight with Machida and was destroyed.(Antonio Mendes,Houston Alexander,Tomasz Drwal, James Irvin=title shot?)
lol whut
edit
Uh yeah the Machida fight wasn't a title fight, it was the UFC deciding to wreck the perfect record of one of their Brasilian prospects while playing round robin with the title with their 'name' fighters. I still say we really don't know how good Silva is because he hasn't gotten those big-name matchups yet. He's beaten some dangerous fighters and only lost to the guy who also beat everybody else.
I don't call for upsets very often and I'll be on here directly if I'm wrong on this one (won't be the first or last time I've gotten a pick wrong - it's MMA FFS).
I just have a good feeling about Thiago, I'm not sure you can call the man 'over-rated' when he's unranked can you? His record is very good though and he's beaten the guys he's been allowed to fight (except Machida of course).
And are you honestly saying you'd pick Salmon or Lambert or Bisping over Thiago? Honest question. I guess I'm asking who are these 'FAR' beetter opponents Rashad has beaten? Bonnar and Hoger?
Do you think Thiago wouldn't blow through Chuck the way Rampage, Rashad and Shogun did? Hell Jardine beat Chuck and Griffin and Thiago ran over him (to be fair so did Houston Alexander who Thiago also dismantled).
Needless to say I like this fight.
bryanand - You think Thiago's record was worthy of a title shot against Machida? He took the Brock Lesnar/Anderson Silva path. I'm sure Fitch wanted to take a shit in his mouth...What title shot against Machida?