It’s finally here! You can only get a couple of glimpses of each character but still, this upcoming season of Game of Thrones looks amazing. Tyrion is in Essos, Arya is training to become an assassin, Jon Snow is doing his thing, and of course Khaleesi is even more beautiful/badass (if that’s even possible). Plus y’know Dragons and Whitewalkers and magic and whatnot.
I really can’t wait for April 12th.
Now this movie looks really really good. Child 44 is based on a novel by Tom Rob Smith. The cast is amazing, with actors like Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, & Gary Oldman I don’t see how this could be a bad film. The plot seems really interesting, I’m always a fan of mystery thrillers, and period pieces. The film is set in Soviet Russia and I like the fact that even though the characters are talking in English they speak with a Russian accent, which I appreciate. It’s always bugged me when in period pieces characters seem to talk in a British accent no matter what time period or place they are in. Having the characters speak with an accent helps add a bit of authenticity in my mind. I’m really looking forward to this movie.
Child 44 is set to come out in theaters on April 17th.
This is the first trailer for the new reboot of the Fantastic Four movie franchise. I’m still not sure how I feel about this movie yet. I like the cast, but I don’t know if they would have been my first choice for their roles. The trailer doesn’t show much, but seeing the actual 4 characters does get me a little bit more excited for things.
Fantastic Four is set to come out in theaters on August 7th.
This is the man that will be fighting Anderson Silva on Saturday. Nick Diaz is one of MMA’s most polarizing figures. He has a very brash and unique personality, and he rubs certain people the wrong way. At the same time though, he is one of the toughest, most talented fighters in the world. Diaz has great boxing skills, he has some of the best body shots in MMA and can throw slick combinations with ease. Nick has one of the best gas tanks in MMA, he never seems to get tired. His elite cardio combined with his relentless output makes Diaz a very formidable challenge. He is also a high level black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, he’s tapped out several top opponents with creative submissions like when he got PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi in a gogoplata (3:54). Diaz has never been able to put it all together, and his wrestling has always been a weakness in his game. He might never be a champion but like him or not, goddamn he fun to watch.
Diaz fights the legendary Anderson Silva this Saturday January 31st @UFC183 live at 10PM on PPV.
.
#2 Alexander Gustafsson (16-2) vs. #5 Anthony Johnson (18-4)
Age: 28 30
Height: 6ft 5in 6ft 2in
Weight: 205lbs 205lbs
Reach: 79in 78in
UFC Record: 8-2 (6 finishes) 9-4 (7 finishes)
#2 Alexander Gustafsson is without a doubt the 2nd best 205lb fighter in the world. In UFC165 he gave Jon Jones the most difficult fight of his career, it was unmistakeably the fight of the year and most people were split on who had won the battle. The judges gave the decision to #1 Jon Jones who has since then defended his belt 2 more times. Gustafsson on the other hand has only beat #14 Jimi Manuwa since his loss to Jones. He has been patiently waiting for a rematch against the champ and was even scheduled to fight him at UFC178 but Gustafsson got injured and was replaced by #3 Daniel Cormier. Now Gustafsson must defeat the beast that is Anthony Johnson in order to earn another title shot.
#5 Anthony Johnson has had an up and down career in the UFC. He used to fight at 170lbs and was accustomed to cutting ridiculous amounts of weight. He was always known as a talented fighter with serious power, but he had consistency issues, especially with making weight. In 2012 after a failed attempt to make weight at 185lbs, coupled with a loss to #5(MW) Vitor Belfort Johnson was released by the UFC. After his release from the organization, Johnson decided to move up to 205lbs and went on an absolute tear picking up 6 wins in a row and 4 KO’s (including a win at heavyweight over former UFC HW champion #8 Andrei Arlovski). The UFC re-signed Anthony Johnson in 2014 and he’s quickly established himself as a legitimate title contender with frightening knockout power. He dominated #6 Phil Davis in his first fight back in the UFC and he scored a vicious KO over #13 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (For a GIF of the KO click HERE). Now in his 2nd stint in the UFC Johnson seems to have finally fulfilled his potential and is 1 win away from a title shot at 205lbs.
205lbs: #2 Alexander Gustafsson (16-2) vs. #5 Anthony Johnson (18-4)
185lbs: #7 Gegard Mousasi (35-5-2) vs. #11(LHW) Dan Henderson (30-12)
205lbs: #6 Phil Davis (13-2-1) vs. #8 Ryan Bader (18-4)
145lbs: Akira Corassani (12-5-1) vs. Sam Sicilia (13-5)
#2 Alexander Gustafsson vs. #5 Anthony Johnson – This is easily the most important and interesting fight of the evening. This fight will decide who the next man to face Jon Jones will be.This is a showcase of 2 of the best fighters in the world fighting each other in their prime. Both men prefer to strike which should lead to a stand-up battle. Gustafsson is known for his great footwork and striking at range while Johnson is known for his scary KO power and strike versatility. I just can’t see how this ends up a boring fight, plus the title implications make it that much more exciting.
#7 Gegard Mousasi – This might be a surprise pick to some since he is facing an MMA legend in #11(LHW) Dan Henderson, but I really see Mousasi winning this fight with ease. Dan Henderson has only won 1 fight in the last 3 years (a fight he was loosing up until the KO by the way). Henderson hasn’t fought at 185lbs since 2010 and hasn’t had a win in the division since his legendary KO of #10 Michael Bisping @UFC100 back in 2009. Dan Henderson is 44 years old, and he isn’t allowed to use Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) anymore, which hurt his chances even more. Simply put Dan Henderson is past his prime and just doesn’t have what it takes to beat elite competition anymore. Unfortunately for Henderson that’s just what Mousasi is, elite. Gegar Mousasi is a very underrated fighter with a very impressive record. He only has 2 losses in the UFC, and they are against elite fighters in #3 Jacare Souza & #4 Lyoto Machida. Mousasi is a special talent and he’s still only 29 years old. He might never have what it takes to become a champion in the UFC but he’s definitely one of the best fighters in MMA. I just don’t think Henderson has anything to threaten Mousasi with except maybe a lucky punch.
#22 Neil Seery vs Chris Beal – The first fight of the night should be an exciting one. These two flyweights (125lbs) are sure to put up a great fight. The Irishman Seery is 1-1 in the UFC and has yet to be in a boring fight. Chris Beal is a former Team Rousey member from the Ultimate Fighter Season 18. He didn’t win the show, but he has been undefeated so far in the UFC. Beal had arguably the greatest KO of the year in 2014 when he landed a sweet flying knee against Patrick WIlliams and knocked him out cold (For a GIF of the KO click HERE). The lower weight fighters are always more active and put on more exciting fights so I see no reason why this fight should be the exception.
Saturday, January 24th
The first fights of the night will start at 4:15PM EST and can be seen on UFC Fight Pass.
The Televised preliminary fights will start at 5:00PM EST and can be seen on Fox Sports 1.
The Main Card starts at 8:00PM EST and can be seen on FOX.
Edson “Junior” Barboza is without a doubt one of the most powerful and creative strikers in all of MMA. I currently have him ranked as the #8 Lighweight (155lbs) in the world. This is a highlight video of all the best moments in his career. It really is handy in highlighting just how good Edson really is.
He has arguably the best kicks in the entire sport. He has knocked men out with kicks to the legs (:41), kicks to the body (3:03) and kicks to the head (1:23). He throws strikes from all angles, and they all have deadly precision.
His wheel-kick KO of Terry Etim (it starts at around 1:22) is still considered by many to be the greatest KO in UFC history.
Edson is a rare talent, and he is only 28 years old. He is just now starting to put his whole MMA game together, and if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’ll be fighting for a belt in the near future.
Up next for him is a clash against fellow top ranked lightweight #13 Michael Johnson on February 22nd @UFN 61 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. A win against Johnson will put him 1 step closer to a title fight. That is one fight I cannot wait to see.
UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs Siver
Main Event:
#6 Conor McGregor (16-2)
Age: 26
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 145lbs
Reach: 74in
UFC Record: 4-0 (3 finishes)
VS.
#11 Dennis Siver (22-9)
Age: 35
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 145lbs
Reach: 70in
UFC Record: 11-6-1 (5 finishes)
Main Card:
145lbs: #6 Conor McGregor vs #11 Dennis Siver
155lbs: #4 Donald Cerrone vs #5 Benson Henderson
185lbs: #23 Urija Hall vs Louis Taylor
155lbs: #21 Gleison Tibau vs #30 Norman Parke
Fight I’m Most Looking Forward To – #4 Donad Cerrone vs #5 Benson Henderson – This is a short notice fight for Cowboy who fought just 3 days ago, be if anyone is up for the challenge its him. This is the 3rd time these two men fight each other, Benson Henderson won the first two times, but both fighters have change a lot since then. I can’t wait to see who wins this one.
Fighter Most Likely to Win – Conor McGregor – Let’s be honest we’re all hoping he wins so he can fight #1 Jose Aldo for the belt this year.
Most Underrated Fight – John Howard vs Lorenz Larkin – These two strikers are likely to put on a good show seeing as how their UFC jobs might be on the line.
I’m a huge fan of this guy. He is amazing at talking and promoting fights, and he is captivating to watch in the octagon. I can’t wait for him to fight Jose Aldo.
Fights & Film 