The Omnivangelist

gamefiend 24 May 2006 Uncategorized 2 Comments

I haven’t missed a single UFC PPV in 3 years. I will move aside anything that gets in the way of my monthly (formerly bi-monthly) dose of violent competition. If I’m at my in-laws, I hand over 40 bucks and comandeer the TV for a few hours. My mother-in-law can’t stop watching from behind her hands, it’s that good.

So of course my mother gets her chance to watch it this memorial day weekend. Don’t make that face. After all, it’s at her urging that I’m even into martial arts in the first place. I spent my formative years watching kung fu flicks every saturday afternoon with her and my brother. While MMa is not something I’d expect my mother to seek out on her own, I think she might like it if I happen to be watching it at the house.

And I do have to watch it.

Not for the Hughes vs Gracie match, which is compelling but ultimately doomed for Royce. The only chance Royce really has is (ready for this?) his standup. Matt is by far the better wrestler, and at this level, the better wrestler gets to dictate where the fight takes place. If Matt wants to stand up, the fight is standing. If he wants to fight on top of the Staples Center, then they’ll fight there. Royce probably can’t knock Matt out (though Matt doesn’t have a great chin, just a strong will), if he can hurt/threaten Matt enough on the feet, he forces Matt to take him down to get out of trouble.

Noguiera has based much of his style around this. Whenever he has faced better wrestlers than himself, he uses his boxing skills to fluster and damage the opposition. The only way out for the wrestler is to put Nog on his back, which is ultimately where he wants to be. Nog will rarely finish someone on the feet, but he is amazing on the ground.

This is Royce’s only chance, and even that is slim. Even though Matt has been subbed several times in the past, I think his wrestling and sub defense will mostly nullify Royce’s guard game, where Matt can grind out a decision (the chances for Matt finishing off Gracie from the ground are pretty slim).

Matt keeps talking about how good his standup is now. If it is, Royce is taking a nap because he has no way to avoid trouble. If it’s not, the fight will be surprisingly competitive.

It’s going to be a good match, but there are other fights I want to see more on this card. I’ll discuss later.