Well I can bore you with the start of a wonderful hungover morning of the 15th , or the properly given Nickname of “Ramble” to the new cowboy on this particular ride.. Myself attempting to explain why I think that cows are plotting to take over the world in their tight little groupings (MOOOve Biotch get out the way), taking my buddies prosthetic leg and scaring the little Mexican kids next to us with it while driving 80mph, a pair of the ugliest neon sunglasses that fit rightfully upon “Ramble”s face..
I will instead get right to arriving at the HP Pavilion to watch Carano v Cyborg... Once we arrived to the HP I know that I have to find a specific person to receive my wonderful tickets.. After receiving my tickets (Section 8, Row 9, seats 1,2,3,4) which are my wonderful floor tickets we head in... The staff at the HP bring over a chair and we roll to the Floor area, I first notice Brett Rogers who is a rather large man, not too imposing but a large man none the less, then the adorable Meisha Tate always looking fabulous and as usual charming.. After the ushers send us on a wild goose chase for our seats (4times, 5 different directions just bad stuff) I just go and take our seats, I immediately take a pic of the view from my seat and boastfully mms it to one Eric Shapiro who took this all in stride with a smile, Grab 4 beers for the group and head back to my spot...
As the first fight comes on I have no idea who these kids are but they look extremely intense on their way to the Cage.. This fight (Trevino v Hill) is a fast paced back and forth battle for just a few minutes, so many switches and tight technical grappling added in a bit of sloppy gamesmanship and boom it is finished by “Spider” by two very technical moves, wonderful jiu jitsu displayed by both...
The second fight comes right after (3mins at the most) this is a match between Zak Bucia and who seems to be the hometown fav James Terry.. From the bell Bucia seems out classed and overwhelmed back pettling and trying to avoid the inevitable, James Terry went all Rory Markham on Zak and landed the head kick from helll on the kid, what a sight....
“The Silver Back” v “Tarzan”, was a vintage Sean Sherk display by the Silver Back and hey a wrestler realized that you can use submissions in MMA... The fight had its moments but well I'm over it now as I was then..
Scott Lightly made Mike Cook quit in the cage bottom line.. Scott hit Mike with a left then a head kick and just "broke" him then, but no Scott eases up and lets Mike refocus and then decides to punish more, then a body shot to the liver (which I assume broke a rib or two) Mike shakes his head in a “no more” fashion and Scott lands a pretty brutal right to the dome and well that ended the fight...
CooCoo the Peeing Monkey gassed and did nothing and Jay Heiron won that fight as he should, just a damnn dominant showing from Jay. I cannot nor will I blame Jay for that lackluster of a fight, to say it simply Jay signed with Strikeforce to fight one Nick Diaz and well we know that story and all of that BS, so when Jay gets his hands on Diaz it will now be personal imo, Jay had a job to do and he did it.
The Live Card
A in shape Werdum is a pretty damnn good fighter, he does have an issue with the power shot to the head but he can do what he wants once on the ground, he looked good and Pyle did what he could and that was go for the knock out and pray....
Please god tell me that someone was as F~ING amped to see the GREAT YUJI SHIMADA in the cage as I was,,,, “YOU GIB UP”....... “YOU GIB UP”, seriously goose bumps like a mother, to see the greatest Japanese ref eva live and right infront of me, com'on for reals just absolutely fantastic..
Fedor v Werdum wouldn't be that bad of a fight imo I hope that it happens..
Melendez v Ishida was a fight that I was really amped for, I'm a fan of The Endless Figther and have been for years I believe that the man has the most powerful strongest fastest takedowns in the game (don't bring up GSP, you guys know what I mean) and that was the problem the takedowns weren't there and weren't apparent and he decided to go “new school” Sean Sherk on us and have a standup battle with Gil and paid the price by losing in a violent manner..... Congrats to Gil he did a wonderful job I just wish that he would have called out Thomson in a harsh manner, they have tried to get this fight going for the longest time, but hey thats a different story...
Gergard Mousasi v Babalu, I got to give the Mousasi Man a “low five” on the way to the cage, and Babalu's entrance was rather funny... I told everyone that Mousasi would win via (t)ko round 1, and people looked at me like I didn't know what I was talking about and well, we have a new Strikeforce LHW champion of the world.. Babalu, well my man damnnnnnnnnnnnnn the Mousasi Man was tooo much for ya kid, it happens lets see you soon... Gergard is and has been for a long time LEGIT, I hope that he one day very soon him and Anderson Silva can fight, yet we shall see...
Gina v Cyborg was epic for MMA and was a rather good fight, I know that it was one sided on your screen and I by no means am arguing about that, but being there live in person, your heart racing, hoping, willing Gina to get up and push back the onslaught that is Cyborg is just something that is too crazy to explain... Gina gassed and got worked (not "worked" like she threw the fight) and Cyborg whooped the shhhh out of the wonderful Gina.. Cyborg came to this fight for one thing only and that is the ladies 145 belt and she succeeded, please stop making excuses for Gina and quit putting down Cyborg she beat the F out of Gina, that is our reality, congrats to Cyborg she can bring the fight that is forsure..
So I could end this little experience with the stories of the “Original Joes” and seeing two of my all time favorite MMA fighters from Japan in person and getting a little goofy about it explaining that they “Are right there, RIGHT THERE” and getting told, point some more dumbasss.. Or the story of trying to find a decent place to have a cocktail after, but alas that is waaaayyyyyyy more difficult than it sounds, and a mindless adventure, but I will end on this..
Strikeforce is not the UFC and I like it that way guys, they are two different products attempting to bring us the same great pleasure and that is exciting and honest unabashed MMA... I can make the argument on how the live experience of the both differ or whatever, but they both have a good product and GREAT MMA... We know that the UFC is the alpha dog and not even Strikeforce is arguing that.. But after seeing the HP damnn near sold out last night, I would say that this card did great and brought us fun and exciting fights, I appreciate what I was able to watch last night and I thank Strikeforce and my boys for my experience o and special tip of the hat to the ladies from Brooklyn that made the trip to San Jose for this event, the great group of guys (and two ladies) sitting two rows behind us, Urijah Faber for being his normal cool asss self and ofcourse I cannot forget the wonders of the lolli pop guild, and I can't even begin to explain that shhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
*side note, ShowTime runs the produciton of the event not Strikeforce, so if the production was pisss poor take it up with ShowTime
FR702
