MMA HQ - Mixed Martial Arts News and Analysis

This Saturday, July 22, marks the return of the World Fighting Alliance to the Mixed Martial Arts world. For the long-time MMA fan, this WFA card is one of the best MMA fight cards we have seen from any promotion in quite a long time. Will the casual fan and new UFC fanbase pay attention and buy the PPV show? I doubt it, but they will be missing out on what should be an excellent night of MMA. One problem with having such great matchups is that it makes my job harder for making predictions. With such great caliber fighters facing off, many fights could go either way; but, I’ll do my best at a breakdown.

Quinton Jackson vs Matt Lindland - Both of the co-main event fights should be excellent fights from start to finish. This matchup between two of the best MMA fighters in the world is one of the most unpredictable fights I’ve had to preview in a while. Quinton Jackson is, of course, the Pride FC veteran with an MMA record of 24-6 while Matt Lindland was predominantly a UFC fighter with an MMA record of 18-3. Quinton is known for his brute strength and standup game while Lindland is the Olympic wrestler with no stand-up to speak of. One key factor to note in this fight is the fact that Lindland is moving up in weight to 205 instead of fighting at 185 where he has fought his whole career. Will the step up slow him down a step? If Quinton is taken to the ground, will he be able to cope with Lindland’s superior wrestling? I think we will see Jackson dominate the stand-up game and prevent quite a few of Lindland’s takedown attempts. If Jackson does get taken to the mat, he has been known to simply pick up his opponent and slam them back to the ground. Matt Lindland does have a little Mike Tyson streak in him, so watch those ears Quinton. Winner: Quinton Jackson

Bas Rutten vs Kimo Leopoldo Man, I can’t figure out if I’m more intrigued by this fight or by the Jackson-Lindland fight. What can you say about Bas Rutten’s return to MMA? Is this simply a publicity and/or money-making move by Rutten, who has not fought comptetitvely in MMA since 1999? The same can be said for the 38-year-old Kimo Leopoldo. Why is Kimo taking this fight and is there really “bad blood” between these two fighters? To be honest, who really cares? Bas is back and he’s fighting Kimo! Bas is known as “The King of Pancrase,” where he dominated the martial arts community for close to five years, and is now one of the most respected MMA trainers in the game today. Kimo is an MMA veteran who has been fighting since 1994. Most noted for his many tattoos instead of for any quality victories, Kimo may have been fighting for the last 12 years, but he only has fought 15 times over that span. Kimo brings an arguably better ground game to this fight, while Bas clearly has the superior stand up game. If Bas is not affected from his seven-year layoff, I feel he should win this fight with no problem. Bas is such a technically superior fighter and his knowledge alone should keep him out of any compromising spots should he be taken to the ground. Winner: Bas Rutten

Jason Miller vs Lodune Sincaid Jason “Mayhem” Miller is one of those fighters that people seem to just love to watch. Charles “Crazy Horse” Bennett holds the top spot in my book, but Jason Miller isn’t too far behind. The fact that Miller is a good submission fighter, in addition to his off-the-wall persona, only helps improve his status. Lodune Sincaid is still a young fighter trying to find his place in the MMA scene. With three straight wins in 2006 over Alex Schoenauer, James Irvin, and Dan Molina, Sincaid seems to be finding his bearings as a fighter. Is Sincaid experienced enough to hang with Miller? I guess we will find out Saturday. Winner: Jason Miller

Rob McCullough vs Harris Sarmiento “Razor” Rob McCullough has made quite a splash recently in the WEC and currently holds a record of 12-3. Harris Sarmiento has fought over 30 times in the past four years and has lost his last four fights. What makes this fight interesting is that McCullough’s last loss came at the hands of Sarmiento back in 2004 on a split decision. Sarmiento really is a back-and-forth fighter with some decent winning streaks and just as many losing streaks. McCullough is a knockout punch fighter who can KO anyone at anytime. I look for some good action and for McCullough to come out strong looking for payback in this rematch. Winner: Rob McCullough

Ivan Salaverry vs Art Santore I have to admit a bias up-front here, since I am a big Ivan Salaverry fan. I think Salaverry holds many of the skills and techniques needed to be a top MMA fighter. Salaverry most recently fought in the UFC and suffered a decision loss to Nathan Marquardt back in August of 2005 and has not fought since. There were rumors floating around that Ivan would sign with the newly formed IFL, but that never materialized. Now he is back to action and going to face off against Art Santore who has a record of 14-4. Santore fights out of Oregon with Team Quest and has fought in mostly smaller shows to this point. Winner: Ivan Salaverry

Ricco Rodriguez vs Ron Waterman This fight is a rematch of a fight from last year in which Waterman defeated Rodriguez by decision. Ricco Rodriguez is a name that is somewhat well-known in the USA due to the fact that he was the UFC heavyweight champion at one time. In his career, Ricco has beaten the likes of Gary Goodridge, Paul Buentello, Andre Arlovski, Pete Williams, Jeff Monson, and Randy Couture. Since his losses to Tim Syliva and Pedro Rizzo in 2003, Ricco seems to have lost interest in staying in shape and training for MMA in general and is content in fighter under-talented fighters in smaller shows simply to collect a paycheck. Ron Waterman is a well-traveled fighter who has fought in the UFC, Pride FC, KOTC, WEC, and Pancrase. If Ricco comes to this fight in shape and serious about fighting again, he had the skills needed at one time to be a good MMA heavyweight. If he’s the same overweight fighter, Waterman will walk right through him. Winner: Ron Waterman

Ryoto Machida vs Vernon White Vernon “Tiger” White is another MMA veteran who has fought over 50 times dating all the way back to 1993. Ryoto Machida is an up-and-coming fighter who is undefeated at 7-0 and holds a victory over B.J. Penn in K-1 Hero’s. Many people think Machida has the ability to be a big force in MMA but he will have his hands full with Vernon White, who trains out of Ken Shamrock’s Lions Den. Will the veteran experience prove too much for Machida, or is Machida really the next big thing? Winner: Ryoto Machida

Marvin Eastman vs Jorge Oliveira Ah, Marvin Eastman; he’ll be forever remembered for having the cut the size of the Grand Canyon in his forehead from a Vitor Belfort knee. It’s really too bad, because Eastman is a good MMA fighter with some pretty solid wins. Jorge Oliveira is a new fighter with only three fights: wins over Shonie Carter and Mike van Arsdale, and a loss to the recently retired Justin Levens. Winner: Marvin Eastman

Everyone, please…please…please buy this event on PPV or go in person if you can. This is a great card that everyone should see but even more, to promote good MMA competition here in the USA, please support these events. There is more to MMA than the UFC.