Offical UFC 102 Thread!

Please post comments before, during and after tonights event here.


Lets go Randy

Weigh-Ins for UFC 102 were held last night from the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon. All fighters hit the scales making weight for their respected bouts. The Main Event pits two legends of the sport against one another with Big Nog getting a 11lb. edge in the contest.

Main Bouts:

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (231) vs. Randy Couture (220)

Keith Jardine (205) vs. Thiago Silva (205)
Nate Marquardt (185) vs. Demian Maia (185)
Krzysztof Soszynski (205) vs. Brandon Vera (205)
Jake Rosholt (185) vs. Chris Leben (185)

Preliminary Bouts:

Ed Herman (185.5) vs. Aaron Simpson (185)
Gabe Gonzaga (259) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (258)
Mike Russo (260) vs. Justin McCully (238)
Tim Hague (263.5) vs. Todd Duffee (251)
Nick Catone (185.5) vs. Mark Munoz (185.5)
Marcus Aurelio (156) vs. Evan Dunham (155)

Everyone enjoy the fights tonight. If anyone knows a good stream to watch them let me know! Have fun guys!

really looking forward to this especially maia vs marquardt i heard something about some of the prelims being shown live is this for this event or ones in the future?

Shane

At UFC 103, prelims will be shown live for two reasons. 1 there are 13 fights and 2 this is a way to draw crowds as they are competing against Mayweather/Marquez.

I can't wait for this event, lot of good fights. Mostly il be a neutral but Nate is one of my favourites so il be bias in that one. Id like to see Gonzaga win as well.

Brandon Vera defeats Kristoff Soszynski via UD, round 3.

Nate Marquardt defeats Demian Maia via TKO, round 2.

Thiago Silva defeats Keith Jardine via KO, round 3.

Randy Couture defeats Minotauro Nogueira via SD, round 3.

Bet on

Leben
Randy
Nate
Vera
Silva

Not convinced about either Nate or Brandon. Think they could both get 'done over' tonight.

Whats the script with BJ and Nightmare? Heard earlier that it had been called off?

No Bj just wont fight in the UK, dont know whats up with that Huffy wanked now! but apparently UFC are looking into doing a 3rd event in November!!! could be good news if we get 3 shows

It could be, but, leaves the UK card very light. WTF is going to be main event? Please tell me it won't be Bisping.

Bisping is the Co main event they are still working on a headlining fight... I hope its something half decent and im sure it will be, If they gave us Irish Rich vs Hendo im sure they will put something big on in England... Im trying to think who is free and ready to fight? Id love it to be Little Nog but thats just hopefull...

Little Nog I could handle, IMO a very good addition to UFC, but Bisping? Let's face it, it was always going to be a 'can' or another demolition for MB. There are so many better UK fighters out there.

they should throw silva vs hendo on ufc 105 neither got damaged much in there last fights or do you thnk they would not have enough time to prepare

If the winner of Nate/Maia is not too badly beaten up and is willing to fight at 105, then i would expect him to fight Henderson at 105 for no.1 contender. if that doesnt happen then maybe Lil Nog debut or bring forward Mir/Kongo or somethin....

Hendo vs Silva was rumoured for 105 I could see that happening, Clay Guida vs Florian is still in talks for 106 the date hasnt been confirmed, thats a passible main event... Its hard to think who is free... most big fighers seem to have something in the works already

one pick wrong already lol

I just wanted to post my thoughts on tonights event, for my own sanity really haha.

I've actually been dreading this event, and it's entirely because of the Nogueira - Couture fight. In the Mir fight, although Nogueira was clearly suffering from the staph infection and knee injury, which accounts for his lack of speed and mobility, I can't think of anything to account for just how shot his chin looked in that fight.

If history has taught us anything, it's that once your chin goes (even if you've got a great chin) it doesn't just turn average, it turns fragile. I was shocked at the shots that were dropping Nog when he fought Mir. This is a guy who's been slammed on his head by Bob Sapp, taken a Crocop highkick right on the jaw, had a standing war with Sergei and spent 44 minutes in the ring with Fedor. I honestly think Nogueira in his physical prime wouldn't have been phased by those punches from Mir. And though they sound questionable, I'm inclined to believe the reports of him getting knocked out in sparring leading up to this fight.

To cut it short, I think Nogueira is going to lose. I hope he wins, but really, I think his body just doesn't have it anymore.

It shouldn't bother me as much as it does, fighters leave their prime all the time, it's the nature of the beast. I guess what bothers me more is the timing of this fight, and how it'll be looked at as a big settler between the Nogueira vs Couture legacy debate. In my mind, Nogueira is on a different level to Couture. I believe no heavyweight is more proven than Nogueira. No one has faced the level of opposition he has, or arguably beaten as many top heavyweights as he has. Nogueira never hopped about between weight classes and had title shots he didn't deserve handed to him. The thought that some people might now cry "over-rated" or "UFC>Pride" at a Nogueira loss is something I find really galling. This man has been a respectful warrior his whole life, and he should be held in higher regard than Couture, and he's been an actual hero to me. It was a Nogueira highlight that introduced me to the sport, and there was a time when I was at a real low point in my life. I was nearly 18 stone at one point. After a long period of time of feeling sorry for myself, I just got thinking about Nogueira one night, the story of him getting hit by a truck, and how he was in a coma, listening to the doctors saying he would die, and him thinking silently "no - I will live". I thought, if a little 10 year old kid can have that kind of resolve, the very least I can do is improve this part of my life. The next morning, I got up and ran 3 miles. It was hell, but in a way, Nog inspired me the whole way. And after that night, I just kept running, and I got my health back. I credit a large part of that to Nogueira, not just that early accident but the courage he's shown time and time again in the ring.

Would Couture have beaten Nogueira a few years ago? I don't think so, but it isn't fair to say one way or the other for certain.

MMA is an unfair sport, many men make incredible sacrifices in it and get very little back. They jeopardise their health, make little money and never get their spot in the limelight. Nogueira has sacrificed a lot, but he's been to the very heights of this sport. I've probably watched Rocky too many times, I want Nogueira to get a fairytale ending, but sadly, I just don't think it's going to happen.

I think Randy's gonna win, but I'll always be a Nogueira fan, and he'll always be my hero.

War Minotauro!

Well said Sunthunder,

Whilst i am a big Randy fan and want to see him win tonight, i have high respect and admiration for Nog career to date. Lets just hope these two give us a good fight. It is almost inevetiable if Randy win then people will say Nog overated so on and so forth... and you cant really use the excuse that Nog is past his peak when Couture is 12 yrs older than him. So we will just wait and see..

here we go hoping Vera and Maia wins

Link









http://www.tv2t.com/watch/Live/0200_GMT_UFC-Fighting_-_UFC_102_Couture_vs_Nogueira/flash

redmeanie77 wrote:Well said Sunthunder,

Whilst i am a big Randy fan and want to see him win tonight, i have high respect and admiration for Nog career to date. Lets just hope these two give us a good fight. It is almost inevetiable if Randy win then people will say Nog overated so on and so forth... and you cant really use the excuse that Nog is past his peak when Couture is 12 yrs older than him. So we will just wait and see..

The age is a fair point, but sometimes it's not the age, it's the miles on the clock. Nogueira has almost twice the amount of fights that Randy does over the same time period. Same thing applies to Wanderlei arguably.

Other picks:

Vera
Marquardt (hoping for Maia)
Rosholt
Jardine

Gotta a feelin Vera will loose here

Krystoff is an absolutely monstrous light heavyweight.

First round Vera. Looks really good, mobile, crisp kicks, motivated and not as listless as he's sometimes looked in the past.

Dull first fight so far

Rashad