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UFC 48 "Payback" Preview
By Jade Prout
Courtesy of MMAFighting
Zuffa’s third show of 2004 promises to be a strong contender in the arena of Mixed Martial Arts competition. The now-vacant Heavyweight Championship title will be filled, and two legends of yesteryear look to re-establish themselves in a blockbuster main-event match. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the fights…
MATT SERRA VS IVAN MENJIVAR (155 lbs.)
Canada’s Ivan Menjivar will be making his UFC debut against Matt "The Terror" Serra, a student and instructor at Renzo Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Long Island who has fought 6 of his 8 professional fights in the octagon. Standing just five-foot-seven, Serra is all muscle and he has the skills needed to put it to use. Ivan may have more fights under his belt than Matt, but Serra seems to have faced higher-caliber opponents than Menjivar has. Another possible advantage to Serra will be, surprisingly, his size; Menjivar is just five-foot-five and has typically competed at 145 pounds, whereas Serra cuts weight to make the 155-pound limit. This fight is sure to be a clinic on ground fighting, and may well go the 3-round distance.
GEORGES ST-PIERRE VS JAY HIERON (170 lbs.)
The second of two Canadians on the card, Georges St-Pierre displayed impressive power and ground skills in his decision win over Judo stylist Karo Parisyan at UFC 46. St-Pierre’s original opponent for UFC 48 was Jason Miller, of Team Oyama; unfortunately, Miller was tied up by legal difficulties, and was unable to compete. Replacement Jay Hieron is new to the UFC, but he has strong Jiu-Jitsu credentials. Although Hieron is undefeated in MMA, none of his former opponents has ever earned a professional win. Georges also brings an undefeated record to the Octagon, but only one man will walk away with his streak intact. The winner here will also be one step closer to the now-vacant Welterweight title, so there’s a lot riding on this fight for both men involved.
CURTIS STOUT VS TREVOR PRANGLEY (185 lbs.)
This is a classic "striker-versus-grappler" match; Stout is the striker, and Prangley (of the Lions Den) is the grappler. Stout was originally scheduled to face "Lightning" Lee Murray, but Murray is having trouble getting a Visa in his native England. Stout is on a tear at the moment, with four straight wins by KO or TKO. Prangley, on the other hand, is coming off a decision win over highly respected UFC veteran Andrey Semenov. Don’t be surprised to see Prangley going for the takedown to work for a submission, and Curtis looking to stay on his feet and use his Muay Thai skills. Prangley appears to be the favorite to win, but Stout could easily beat the odds with vicious knees from the clinch. If time allows, this fight may end up being aired on the PPV broadcast as a bonus match.
FRANK TRIGG VS DENNIS HALLMAN (170 lbs.)
Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg is a ground-and-pound specialist with a penchant for the forearm choke. Dennis "Superman" Hallman has nearly 20 submission wins to his credit, two of them over former UFC Welterweight Champion (and legendary pounder) Matt Hughes, so he’ll be ready for just about anything Trigg can throw at him. Dennis has only been stopped once, by an "unintentional" kick to the groin by Trigg. Trigg’s most notable loss was to the aforementioned Hughes, by submission via rear naked choke. Logic would seem to dictate that Hallman has the edge here, but in the fight game logic often takes a backseat to chance; and if given half a chance, Trigg will seek to defy that logic. Could a possible title match be in the winner’s future?
PHIL BARONI VS EVAN TANNER (185 lbs.)
We all know the back-story on this rematch, but perhaps it bears repeating. After an early barrage of punches from Baroni, Tanner received medical attention for a cut; after this brief respite, Evan took Phil to the ground and began pounding away with fists and elbows from the full mount. Referee Larry Landless, believing Phil to be overwhelmed and in grave physical danger, stopped the fight. Baroni thanked him with a punch in the mouth! Having served a disciplinary suspension for this infraction, Phil is looking for a little "Payback" against Tanner. Evan, by far the more experienced of the two, has the luxury of training with Matt "The Law" Lindland, who owns two wins over Baroni. Tanner will certainly be a tough nut for Phil to crack.
TIM SYLVIA VS FRANK MIR (265 lbs.)
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia is fully reinstated and ready to reclaim the title that he feels is his by right; but one obstacle remains in front of the six-foot-eight power-hitter, and that obstacle is Frank Mir. Mir has finished UFC veterans such as Pete "El Duro" Williams and David "Tank" Abbott with dazzling first-round submissions, and he recently knocked out six-foot-ten Wes "The Project" Sims. Sylvia, undefeated as a pro, holds knockout victories over the likes of former Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez and the nearly seven-foot-tall Gan "The Giant" McGee. This Championship match is scheduled for five 5-minute rounds, don’t expect it to last more than two... and don’t blink!
MATT HUGHES VS RENATO VERISSIMO (170 lbs.)
The word "Payback" will have special meaning to Matt Hughes in this fight. He is coming off a submission loss to BJ "The Prodigy" Penn, who just happens to be Verissimo’s student. Hughes has a clear advantage in experience, with well over 30 fights and only a handful of losses; but those losses have mostly come by way of submission, and submissions are Verissimo’s bread and butter. Verissimo, currently undefeated and sporting wins over UFC veterans "Super" Gil Castillo and Carlos "The Ronin" Newton, has never actually won by submission in an MMA fight, but he will certainly try to do so on Saturday night. One can only assume that the winner of this match will be considered the top contender for the Welterweight title.
KEN SHAMROCK VS ‘KIMO’ (265 lbs.)
Ken was the first man to win by submission in the UFC with his blink-and-you-missed-it heel hook victory over Pat Smith at UFC 1. Kimo made his mark at UFC 3 not only by coming to the ring bearing a full-sized crucifix on his back, but also by giving then-undefeated UFC Champion Royce Gracie one of the toughest fights of his life. Ken and Kimo faced off in the "Superfight" at UFC 8, and Ken took the win by kneebar. Ken is coming off ACL surgery, as well as an ugly loss to former Light-Heavyweight Champion (and UFC poster-boy) Tito Ortiz. Many "lapsed" fans of the UFC are expected to tune in for this blast from the past, and if these two elder statesmen of MMA bring their A-games to the octagon, it will be well worth watching.
UFC 48: Payback airs on Saturday, June 19that 10 p.m. EDT on iNDemand, DirecTV, Dish Network, TVN, Echostar, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada.
By Jade Prout
Courtesy of MMAFighting
Zuffa’s third show of 2004 promises to be a strong contender in the arena of Mixed Martial Arts competition. The now-vacant Heavyweight Championship title will be filled, and two legends of yesteryear look to re-establish themselves in a blockbuster main-event match. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the fights…
MATT SERRA VS IVAN MENJIVAR (155 lbs.)
Canada’s Ivan Menjivar will be making his UFC debut against Matt "The Terror" Serra, a student and instructor at Renzo Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Long Island who has fought 6 of his 8 professional fights in the octagon. Standing just five-foot-seven, Serra is all muscle and he has the skills needed to put it to use. Ivan may have more fights under his belt than Matt, but Serra seems to have faced higher-caliber opponents than Menjivar has. Another possible advantage to Serra will be, surprisingly, his size; Menjivar is just five-foot-five and has typically competed at 145 pounds, whereas Serra cuts weight to make the 155-pound limit. This fight is sure to be a clinic on ground fighting, and may well go the 3-round distance.
GEORGES ST-PIERRE VS JAY HIERON (170 lbs.)
The second of two Canadians on the card, Georges St-Pierre displayed impressive power and ground skills in his decision win over Judo stylist Karo Parisyan at UFC 46. St-Pierre’s original opponent for UFC 48 was Jason Miller, of Team Oyama; unfortunately, Miller was tied up by legal difficulties, and was unable to compete. Replacement Jay Hieron is new to the UFC, but he has strong Jiu-Jitsu credentials. Although Hieron is undefeated in MMA, none of his former opponents has ever earned a professional win. Georges also brings an undefeated record to the Octagon, but only one man will walk away with his streak intact. The winner here will also be one step closer to the now-vacant Welterweight title, so there’s a lot riding on this fight for both men involved.
CURTIS STOUT VS TREVOR PRANGLEY (185 lbs.)
This is a classic "striker-versus-grappler" match; Stout is the striker, and Prangley (of the Lions Den) is the grappler. Stout was originally scheduled to face "Lightning" Lee Murray, but Murray is having trouble getting a Visa in his native England. Stout is on a tear at the moment, with four straight wins by KO or TKO. Prangley, on the other hand, is coming off a decision win over highly respected UFC veteran Andrey Semenov. Don’t be surprised to see Prangley going for the takedown to work for a submission, and Curtis looking to stay on his feet and use his Muay Thai skills. Prangley appears to be the favorite to win, but Stout could easily beat the odds with vicious knees from the clinch. If time allows, this fight may end up being aired on the PPV broadcast as a bonus match.
FRANK TRIGG VS DENNIS HALLMAN (170 lbs.)
Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg is a ground-and-pound specialist with a penchant for the forearm choke. Dennis "Superman" Hallman has nearly 20 submission wins to his credit, two of them over former UFC Welterweight Champion (and legendary pounder) Matt Hughes, so he’ll be ready for just about anything Trigg can throw at him. Dennis has only been stopped once, by an "unintentional" kick to the groin by Trigg. Trigg’s most notable loss was to the aforementioned Hughes, by submission via rear naked choke. Logic would seem to dictate that Hallman has the edge here, but in the fight game logic often takes a backseat to chance; and if given half a chance, Trigg will seek to defy that logic. Could a possible title match be in the winner’s future?
PHIL BARONI VS EVAN TANNER (185 lbs.)
We all know the back-story on this rematch, but perhaps it bears repeating. After an early barrage of punches from Baroni, Tanner received medical attention for a cut; after this brief respite, Evan took Phil to the ground and began pounding away with fists and elbows from the full mount. Referee Larry Landless, believing Phil to be overwhelmed and in grave physical danger, stopped the fight. Baroni thanked him with a punch in the mouth! Having served a disciplinary suspension for this infraction, Phil is looking for a little "Payback" against Tanner. Evan, by far the more experienced of the two, has the luxury of training with Matt "The Law" Lindland, who owns two wins over Baroni. Tanner will certainly be a tough nut for Phil to crack.
TIM SYLVIA VS FRANK MIR (265 lbs.)
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia is fully reinstated and ready to reclaim the title that he feels is his by right; but one obstacle remains in front of the six-foot-eight power-hitter, and that obstacle is Frank Mir. Mir has finished UFC veterans such as Pete "El Duro" Williams and David "Tank" Abbott with dazzling first-round submissions, and he recently knocked out six-foot-ten Wes "The Project" Sims. Sylvia, undefeated as a pro, holds knockout victories over the likes of former Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez and the nearly seven-foot-tall Gan "The Giant" McGee. This Championship match is scheduled for five 5-minute rounds, don’t expect it to last more than two... and don’t blink!
MATT HUGHES VS RENATO VERISSIMO (170 lbs.)
The word "Payback" will have special meaning to Matt Hughes in this fight. He is coming off a submission loss to BJ "The Prodigy" Penn, who just happens to be Verissimo’s student. Hughes has a clear advantage in experience, with well over 30 fights and only a handful of losses; but those losses have mostly come by way of submission, and submissions are Verissimo’s bread and butter. Verissimo, currently undefeated and sporting wins over UFC veterans "Super" Gil Castillo and Carlos "The Ronin" Newton, has never actually won by submission in an MMA fight, but he will certainly try to do so on Saturday night. One can only assume that the winner of this match will be considered the top contender for the Welterweight title.
KEN SHAMROCK VS ‘KIMO’ (265 lbs.)
Ken was the first man to win by submission in the UFC with his blink-and-you-missed-it heel hook victory over Pat Smith at UFC 1. Kimo made his mark at UFC 3 not only by coming to the ring bearing a full-sized crucifix on his back, but also by giving then-undefeated UFC Champion Royce Gracie one of the toughest fights of his life. Ken and Kimo faced off in the "Superfight" at UFC 8, and Ken took the win by kneebar. Ken is coming off ACL surgery, as well as an ugly loss to former Light-Heavyweight Champion (and UFC poster-boy) Tito Ortiz. Many "lapsed" fans of the UFC are expected to tune in for this blast from the past, and if these two elder statesmen of MMA bring their A-games to the octagon, it will be well worth watching.
UFC 48: Payback airs on Saturday, June 19that 10 p.m. EDT on iNDemand, DirecTV, Dish Network, TVN, Echostar, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada.
