Friday's Mission Impossible: Sweeping Leandro Lo - Roberto Satoshi Edition

I've discussed it before, but only a handful of guys out there have swept/come up on top of Leandro Lo.

Otavio Sousa is one. Click HERE.

Add Roberto Satoshi to that list as well.

I stumbled across this match today, and it reaffirms what I saw in the Otavio Sousa Copa Podio match, Leandro is susceptible to the sit-up guard type of standing up for a single leg type takedown rather than a traditional sweep.

Jump to the 2:30 mark in the midst of the scramble to see Satoshi get to his feet with the pants leg grip and then ultimately finish on top.
This sit-up guard sweep is a mainstay of guys like Otavio Sousa and Rodolfo Vieira.
See BJJ Scout for further evidence.

 

Keenan Cornelius vs Jackson Souza - IBJJ Pro 2013 Final

Carol Gracie....Saying....Something....Yoga.....?

 

 

UFC Fight Night 30-Something Middleweight Eliminator: Rockhold vs Phillippou - Full Video Highlights

Well....that.....happened last night.



Rockhold folded Phillippou in half in the first round. Phillippou looked he was looking for a way out after the first exchange or two. He had the deer in headlights look walking out to the octagon, and I'm sure any man who had bet money on the underdog was realizing there really wasn't a hotdog's chance in a hallway of it paying out.
Checking his eye after the cut from the kick et cetera, moments later when he stayed down after the body kick, this was my complete and utter lack of surprise that Rockhold won a fight that did not even look competitive for a moment or two.

Let's rewind back through the event starting with the anti-climactic main event:

Rockhold moves on to a division full of the likes of Machida, Jacare (who he actually beat - since then Jacare's won 5 in a row, with increasingly quick finishes), Weidman, and Vitor Belfort. After Anderson's strangle hold lapsed, the division really has heated up, and sad as it was to see Silva go out on a stretcher, there would have been a serious problem as Machida and Jacare were not willing to fight Silva.



Brad Tavares used an early combination of attacks to the body and end of the round takedowns to stifle Lorenz Larkin's advantages on the feet, upsetting the oddsmakers' favorite. I figured Tavares' takedowns/clinch would be the decisive factor and I was right.




Dillashaw bested Mike Easton of ignominious Team Lloyd Irvin affiliation with a versatile attack on the feet and some well-timed takedowns. Dillashaw channeled some movement that was very Dominic Cruz esque with kicks, punches, feints, switching stances, takedowns and knees.



Yoel Romero finished Derek Brunson through sheer out-athleticizing-mongo-smashing-him-donkey-kong style Cole Miller walked away with $50,000 with one of only 2 submissions on the entire card.
Yoel Romero is quickly becoming one of those guys that others will not want to fight. His wrestling pedigree, willingness to cut weight and stay dangerous through at least 2-3 rounds, and finishing power is quickly making him a man to avoid on the ladder/totem pole.

Full video highlights for the rest of the fights after the jump:

Mid-March Bellator Returns!

March 14th, Daniel Strauss rematches Pat Curran, War Machine enters the welterweight tourney again, and the "Fight Master" winner Joe Riggs rounds out the welterweight tourney as well.

Fight Master in case you're wondering you aren't, I know is that reality TV show Bellator put on MMA that I'll admit, I watched as often as I did the Miesha/Ronda TUF season which means not at all.




My other fondest Bellator memory?

The PPV that was to be?

 

Open Mat Radio: Your Day Needs More Podcast

Open Mat Radio Podcast
"On this week’s episode we have Matt “Aesopian” Kirtley. Matt is an Eduardo deLima blackbelt and founder of Aesopian.com. Known for his high level instruction we discuss what exactly makes a good instructor, when to teach concepts versus moves, how to utilize multimedia to improve your game and why the crucifix should be in your arsenal! We also discuss his collaboration with ArteChokeMedia.com and how the instructional market will be forever changed with their 3D Jiu Jitsu mixed media platform."
 

UFC Middleweight Fight Night Contender Series 35: Rockhold vs Phillipou - Picks & Prognostications

Rockhold will come in looking to make a statement. Phillipou has considerably  more UFC experience, but Rockhold had the (mis)fortune of drawing Vitor Belfort his first bout in the UFC (TRT'd Belfort at that). Before that Rockhold beat Jacare (a less developed dynamo in MMA than now) and had won 9 in a row. Phillippou is coming off a less profile loss to Francis Carmont where Carmont wisely surprised Phillippou with a bunch of takedowns. It wasn't amazing or anything, but it was crafty and it got the "W".

Rockhold by 2nd round TKO in a rock 'em sock 'em robots affair of brain trauma.

Lorenz Larkin doesn't turn down fights I would suspect by taking a fight against the very tough, very durable Brad Tavares. Tavares didn't impress me much on the TUF show, but has really turned the corner professionally in his UFC bouts. His clinch-heavy style has continued to develop and he's strung together an impressive list of wins. Larkin also has a loss to Francis Carmont. I guess it's his height, but he's always looked small to me in this weight class (though he has a win over Robbie Lawler in olden days of yore under the Strikeforce banner).Tavares has wins of tough guys, but no big names yet. Larkin doesn't really fit that bill, but it's all experience in the tool box to workman-like progress up the middleweight ladder. What awaits him at the top are guys I simply do not believe he's ready for: the Belforts, Machidas, and Jacares of the roster, not to mention Weidman.

Tavares will push him around and finish him inside of the 3rd round I suspect.

Dillashaw is another guy who turned out to be much more of a prospect than the less than stellar competition of this TUF season showed him to be.

Mike Easton is still with Lloyd Irvin, and as a result of all the allegations, involvement in the previous gang rape in Irvin's past, and current scandal coming to light, I'm hoping Dillashaw beats Easton, hands him his 3rd loss, and Easton gets the firing from the UFC, in exactly that order.

Sleeper shoe in for FIGHT OF THE NIGHT is Derek Brunson vs Yoel Romero.

These guys are going to hit one another very hard. Yoel has the better wrestling pedigree, but he looks like the Hulk in this weight class and simply out-beasts many of his opponents with his considerable weight cut advantage and heavy, heavy hands. That being said, Derek Brunson is another bright prospect for the middleweight division. Like the other 185'ers fighting on this card, he has two losses.  Brunson has a quick loss to Jacare awhile back, but has won his first two UFC fights with wins of some guy named Brian and Chris Leben.
Yoel Romero won his last two fights via stoppage.

I'm gonna go with Yoel Romero to win this one via TKO in the 2nd round

As for the other fights further down the scale:
Moraga will beat Ortiz.
Cole Miller will win his fight by flashy pants dance shoes style submission!
Brenneman will beat the UFC-debut'ing Beneil Dariush due to experience.
Nijem will beat Justin Edwards.

The rest of the fights?
I don't honestly plan on watching them or keeping an eye out for the results.
-----
"January 15, 2014 | Arena at Gwinnett Center | Duluth, Georgia

main CARD

FOX Sports 1, 7 p.m. ET

Luke Rockhold vs. Constantinos Philippou

Lorenz Larkin vs. Brad Tavares

T.J. Dillashaw vs. Mike Easton

Derek Brunson vs. Yoel Romero

John Moraga vs. Dustin Ortiz

Cole Miller vs. Sam Sicilia

preliminary CARD

FOX Sports 1, 5 p.m. ET

Justin Edwards vs. Ramsey Nijem

Elias Silverio vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg

Brian Houston vs. Trevor Smith

Alptekin Ozkilic vs. Louis Smolka

preliminary CARD

UFC Fight Pass, 4 p.m. ET

Vinc Pichel vs. Garett Whiteley

Charlie Brenneman vs. Beneil Dariush "