Post by ~ The Hype Train ~ on May 17, 2016 11:05:52 GMT -5
FIGHT HYPE - ZENITH
SuperFight Championship
Cain Velasquez (48-31) vs. 
(MW) Anderson Silva (85-20)Cain Velasquez. 1 Fight Win Streak. Former HW Champion.
Anderson Silva. 2 Fight Win Streak. Former HW and MW Champion.
This is Velasquez' first title defense in the division, and who better to kick things off against then the legendary Anderson Silva? If that's not a main event fight, I don't know what is.
Velasquez stole the title away from Bas Rutten by delivering sharp elbows that forced the former champ to fall asleep from blunt-force trauma in round two. Prior to that fight, Velasquez lost his Heavyweight Championship belt to Alistair Overeem who then lost it to Brock Lesnar in a revolving door for the loaded division. Velasquez then fell apart against Wanderlei Silva in a catchweight fight, and Anthony Johnson by KO. Since he's rebounded and taken the gold of the Superfight division, it's a sure bet he's not interested in letting it go anytime soon. After all, he likes gold.
Anderson Silva stands in his way, and he's hot off his controversial rape-win over Alberto Rodriguez. Why did we bring up Alberto? Because this is literally the only time he'll ever get brought up in a fight hype, and I felt bad for him.
Anderson's been fighting the best of the best in his last dozen matches and he's come out on top in most of them. Notable wins were against Fedor Emelianenko, Lyoto Machida, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz. Oh, and Wanderlei Silva - the same fighter that destroyed Cain Velasquez earlier this season.
But Anderson's also had his fair share of losses lately against the likes of Rich Franklin, Georges St-Pierre, and Tito Ortiz (they split their last match-ups). So, really, Silva and Velasquez are in a similar boat: Fighting elite talent, leaving everything in the octagon, and sometimes going home without their dignity.
Call this a Homecoming fight. A win for either side is a massive feather in the cap, and could project each to go on a tear and dismantle their respected divisions/Superfight contenders.
And it all starts here.
If Velasquez Wins: 4th Round TKO
If Silva Wins: 2nd round KO (High Kick)
Heavyweight Championship
Brock Lesnar (62-30) vs. Shogun Rua (44-40)Brock Lesnar. 2 Title Defenses, 8 Fight Win Streak, 8 Finishes.
Shogun Rua. Number 1 Contender, 4 Fight Win Streak, 4 Finishes, 2 Submissions.
What it comes down to is whether or not Rua has what it takes to bring the Beast to the ground and force him into a grappling match. Judging by their recent successes, it's no contest that Lesnar's has been far more dominant, but if this is the resurgence of Shogun, there's no telling how high he can climb. All he needed was a little more time in the gym to put together a legitimate fight plan, and here he is, ready to contend for the championship. If he wins this match, he will leap across the entire Top 15 ranked Heavyweights in the division - something never done before.
The main thing fans need to recognize is that a predicted winner is never set in stone anytime a fight is announced. Brock Lesnar is the obvious favourite, but Rua has proven he has KO power, and excellent submission skills. If Lesnar's wrestling fails to keep the match on his feet, Rua could grind out the win on the ground, hoping he can tire the champion until an opening presents itself and he locks in a submission. Brock Lesnar, on the other hand, is hoping that Rua's face is as soft as his latest opponents so he doesn't shatter his elbow when he executes his ground and pound.
Fight Hype Predicts:
If Lesnar Wins: 1st Round TKO
If Rua Wins: 4th Round Submission
Middleweight Championship
Robbie Lawler (28-18) vs. Pat Miletich (14-19)Robbie Lawler. 7 Title Defenses, 11 Fight Win Streak, 10 KO finishes.
Pat Miletich. Number One Contender. 2 Fight Win Streak, 2 Submissions.
Robbie Lawler currently holds the second longest winning streak in ManMMA (second only to the ever-elusive Shinya Aoki). In fact, Lawler's last loss came at ManMMA 274. Unfortunately for Lawler, it came at the hands of his challenger, Pat Miletich, by kneebar submission.
Pat Miletich is the exact threat necessary for Lawler to secure his legacy. Why? Because sometimes it's all about the stylistic match-up, and it can be argued that Lawler has not faced as submission artist like Pat Miletich. That said, Pat Miletich has not faced a striker like the new and improved Robbie Lawler, despite past performances.
But that isn't to say you should discredit Miletich because of his off-putting fight record - most of his fights were against the upper echelon of the Middleweight division. Guys like Georges St-Pierre, Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva. But is experience enough to push him ahead of Lawler to break the winning streak? Persistence for a submission is an absolute must. If Miletich lets the fight stay standing, he might as well sign his death certificate.
If Lawler Wins: 1st Round KO
If Miletich Wins: 1st Round Submission
Lightweight Championship
Shinya Aoki (61-34-1) vs. 
Gilbert Melendez (26-26)Shinya Aoki. 17 Title Defenses, 22 Fight Win Streak, 19 Submissions.
Gilbert Melendez. Number One Contender, 4 Fight Win Streak, 4 TKO finishes.
In another stylistic match-up, Aoki finds himself against a legitimate striker. Gilbert's on the rise currently with his recent performances, and with added attention from his camp he has a good shot at uncrowning the legacy that is Shinya Aoki.
The pair fought before at ManMMA 237, where Aoki forced Melendez to tap by triangle armbar in round 4. But in his recent run, Melendez has dismantled both Joachim Hansen and Benson Henderson by second round TKOs. Fans shouldn't take Aoki's match-up against Melendez lightly. He didn't walk through a light tournament. It was stacked, with the odds definitely not in his favour, and he's marched through with purpose. His attention is focussed on one thing - the Lightweight Championship.
If Melendez can stuff the takedowns - which to date, practically no one has - then there's a chance for him to fire off the leg-work to put Shinya away. But if Shinya suctions himself to any limb, consider it broken.
If Aoki Wins: 2nd Round Submission
If Melendez Wins: 4th Round TKO
Bantamweight Championship
Sarah Kaufman (56-25) vs. 
Liz Carmouche (26-32-1)Sarah Kaufman. 6 Title Defenses, 9 Fight Win Streak, 6 Knockout Finishes.
Liz Carmouche. Number One contender, 2 Fight Win Streak, 2 Knockouts.
Sarah Kaufman is starting to gain a reputation for being one of the most dominant female champions in ManMMA history. She etched her name into that category when she choked out Gina Carano by rear naked choke at ManMM 318. Now, she prepares herself against another striker - Liz Carmouche.
Liz has had a tough career in ManMMA. Her development plan took much longer than expected, and it could be suggested that her title shot is premature. But regardless, she's in the big show, and she is ready to do what she can to shock the world. Liz is certainly the underdog, but she shouldn't be counted out just yet. After all, she did manage to knock out Megumi Fujii at ManMMA 230.
Carmouche and Kaufman have fought once before, during the semi-finals tournament at ManMMA 287, where Kaufman won by knockout in under 6 minutes en route to her championship bid. Now, Carmouche wants to return the favour.
Regardless who wins: 1st Round KO
Flyweight Championship
Joanna Jedrzejczyk (18-5) vs. 
Tecia Torres (6-2)Joanna Jedrzejczyk. 2 Title Defenses, 4 Fight Win Streak.
Tecia Torres. Number One Contender, 3 Fight Win Streak.
When Joanna made her debut at ManMMA 249, she was a fresh face in a division that needed a new attitude. Joanna arrived and won by injury-stoppage against Felice Herrig. She followed it up with an arm triangle submission over Jessica Penne, and a unanimous decision win over Randa Markos. She was tossed into the semi-finals of a women's tournament that was stacked with superior talent (Kaufman, Coenen) and lost handedly to Megumi Fujii by kneebar submission in the second round. It was exactly what she needed - a strong loss to figure out how to be a true winner.
Joanna came right back with a submission win over Miriam Nakamoto, and a haymaker knockout for the number one contendership against Cat Zingano. She then had her second big loss - an armbar submission against ground-game expert Marloes Coenen.
The stage was set. Just as before, Joanna was ready to return with a vengence. Down went Zoila Gurgel by knockout. Down went Leslie Smith, then Randa Markos, and finally she submitted Fujii, redeeming her first big loss. Joanna had secured the Flyweight championship and went on a tear. Honchak, Kheyfets, VanZant fell, forcing the latter to retreat to Dancing with the Stars. Next was Gurgel by knockout and by all accounts, Joanna was ready to dominate the division. And then returned Megumi Fujii who one-upped her to take their fight series 2-1, again by kneebar submission.
Not to be outdone, Joanna jumped right back into the semi-finals tournament, where she crushed Calderwood by knockout in the first round. In the finals, she busted Randa Markos' cheekbone and set the stage for another shot at the title. At ManMMA 310, she made sure she didn't get tapped out by Fujii and instead won by TKO in the fourth round, and effectively evening their series 2-2. With Joanna in control and two title defenses under her belt, she's ready for a new opponent.
Insert Tecia Torres. Although, not as decorated as Joanna's early career, Tecia Torres has come on strong as of late. Debuting at ManMMA 281 with a unanimous win over Gadehla, Torres moved past Kyra Gracie, Leslie Smith and Bec Rawlings, earning herself a number one contendership. What is intriguing about her matchup with the champion is that she is a virtual unknown fighter with a limited ManMMA history. If you're not putting two and two together, that makes her a dark horse for the title.
It's easy to assume Joanna will walk through Tecia - after all, she's been in big events for much of her career, whereas this is Torres' big chance. But what needs to be considered is that this could either be a coming out party for Torres, or it's her first big loss, and both of those situations means bad news for Joanna. Whether it's now or later, Tecia's stock is rising, and it's only a matter of time until she's in the mix of Fujii and Joanna to lay claim to the title.
If Joanna Wins: 1st Round KO
If Tecia Wins: 3rd Round TKO
Have 9 points in celebration of this monumental achievement!