READY FOR ANOTHER SEASON OF TUFF 14?

It's that time of year again, time for another season of The Ultimate Fighter! I always look forward to this show and I'm actually quite excited to see coaches Michael Bisping (who I loathe) and Jason "Mayhem" Miller square off - should make for some really entertaining television.

The show premiers on September 21st on SPIKE TV.

For more information, including fighter bios click ont he link below:

http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/1/Meet-the-TUF-14-Cast-34956

TRIBUTE TO A GRAPPLING MASTER AND MMA LEGEND

Don't let his overall record fool you -- Kazushi Sakuraba was a beast and will go down as one of the GREATEST MMA fighters of ALL time in my opinion. Dubbed, "The Gracie Killer" for his wins of Renzo, Royce and Royler. If you're new to MMA, you're in for a treat!

CHECK OUT THESE "BEST OF" HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ipJ9NhpwTw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44E-lW3aYhM

BJJ Blackbelt, Alan Goes - Technique of the Week: Rolling Kimura

Aaah, the Kimura - I am certainly a big fan of the move but generally catch it while I have an opponent in my guard and after attempting a sweep (basically forcing him to post his hand). If I am unable to "dig it out" and finish them, I can usually still use it as a sweep using my super-gorilla strength. Follow the link below for a step-by-step overview of the Rolling Kimura from the stand-up position!

http://www.sherdog.com/mma-techniques/Technique-of-the-Week-Rolling-Kimura-34743

What are your thoughts?

Is this a high percentage move worth trying?

THANKS!

UFC LIVE 5: HARDY VS. LYTLE

The only thing better than a UFC event is a FREE UFC event and I for one am pumped about the line-up for tomorrow's show on Versus. First off, there are some big names on the Main Card; Dan Hardy, Chris Lytle, Jim Miller, Ben Henderson, Donald Cerrone, Charles Oliviera, Amir Sadollah, Duane Ludwig C.B Dolloway, Jared Hamman and a handful of other great fighters.

The prelims are fairly stacked as well with; Benavidez, Wineland, Herman, Noke, Vemola, Markes, Caceres, Hettes, Miller, O'Brien, Volkmann, Castillo, Figueroa, and Reinhardt. 


Overall, this should be a great card (especially coming off the heels of the lackluster card put on by Strikeforce, which aired on Showtime Friday night). 

MY MAIN CARD FIGHT PICKS:

Dan Hardy (23-9) vs. Chris Lytle (40-18)
Based on their history and fight styles, this has the making to be a slugfest. Both fighters are known for taking the center of the octagon and throwing punches and kicks with bad intentions and while many may favor, "The Outlaw," Dan Hardy --- I am going with Lytle via decision. Lytle is a rugged, blue-collar fighter with a great chin and the cardio to match it. I think he'll be able to hold his own standing and it'll be his ability to out wrestle and control Hardy on the ground that will give him his 41st win. 


Jim Miller (20-2) vs. Ben Henderson (13-2)
Joe Rogan believes this scrap has the potential to be "The Fight of the Year" and I think anybody would be hard pressed to argue again his claim. Both fighters are tough as nails, great wrestlers, always in shape and come to bang. I think it'll be a back-and-forth battle from bell-to-bell but at the end of round three, Miller will get his hand raised. Henderson is more dynamic in my opinion but what Miller lacks in athleticism he makes up for in grit and a never-say-die attitude. 


Charles Oliviera (14-1) vs. Donald Cerrone (15-3)
Both fighters have previous UFC wins and bright futures in the organization but I think Cerrone's big fight experience (like his wins over Varner, Ratcliff and McCullough) will give him enough of an edge against Oliviera. While some may call me crazy, I actually see Cerrone submitting Oliveira in the third round after wearing him down with his fast-paced stand-up. To date, Cerrone has 11 wins by submission and he'll sport a dozen after tomorrow's contest.


Amir Sadollah (6-2) vs. Duane Ludwig (28-11)
I see this as a stepping stone fight for Sadollah; Ludwig is somewhat of a journeyman and after dropping 3 of his last 4 fights, I don't see him getting back on track against the scrappy and unorthodox Sadollah. Ludwig has a lot of experience and he'll test Amir early but I see him being worn down by the pace, leg kicks and clinch of Sadollah before being TKO'd in the second. 


C.B. Dolloway (12-4) vs. Jared Hamman (12-3)
I see this as a classic, "striker vs. grappler" match-up with a big advantage going to Dolloway. First off, Hamman is 2-2 in his last 4 fights and has only successfully defended 23% of his opponents takedowns. Considering Dolloway's wrestling pedigree at Arizona State, I don't see Hamman staying on his feet long. C.B. has a nasty streak when he comes to fight and I think he is going to mow over Hamman with a ground-and-pound stoppage in the late first or second round. 


HOW DO YOU SEE THE FIGHTS GOING? 

Round One.

I have been planning to start a blog for months and finally, after a lot of procrastinating, I have decided to take the bull by the horns. With that, I am happy to introduce - Vanilla Gorilla MMA; a blog created to rant about MMA, fighters, training, conditioning and I am hoping to introduce, interview and post information on some up-and-coming fighters in the Los Angeles area as well.

A little about me...

I am a former U.S. Marine, high school wrestling champion, All-American college football player and long time fan and practitioner of MMA, No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai Kickboxing. I had my first (and last) MMA fight in 2003, a TKO loss to the infamous, Lloyd "Kadillac" Marshbanks in Tijuana, Mexico. It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget but it also opened my eyes to the dedication and commitment it really takes to become a competitive, professional fighter. So, with a new real-world perspective (and more so due to my bosses constant complaining about my bumps and bruises), I opted to forgo a second attempt at MMA glory and became a corporate slug by day and a casual MMA and BJJ enthusiast by night - it's a decision I rarely regret. 

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of being taught by and training with some exceptional individuals in the Los Angeles MMA/BJJ community. While at PKG Training Center (www.pkgla.com), I was trained by WEC veteran, Chad George, MMA Trainer, Ian Harris, BJJ Blackbelt, Tahi Burns and Sean Choi and locked horns with some pretty rough and tumble hombres on a daily basis as well. PKG Training Center is an amazing facility and I would highly recommend it to fighters, MMA enthusiasts at any level. 

I am currently training at Arriva-Machado (www.arrivamachado.com) MMA under No-Gi phenom and undefeated MMA fighter Pedro Munhoz and two-time Olympic hopeful, Kenny Johnson (who currently trains Anderson Silva, B.J. Penn and Paul Daley amongst many others). Arriva-Machado MMA is a fantastic gym, rich in history and filled with great grapplers and MMA, Muay Thai fighters to train with. 

I've also trained at IMB in Old Torrance, Impact Gym in Hermosa Beach and Dartanian Bagby / Absolute BJJ in North Hollywood. 

In the end, I have plenty of opinions regarding the history and current state of MMA, training, fighters, promotions, etc. and look forward to sharing my thoughts, hearing others feedback and hopefully learning more about the sport and culture I love in the process. 

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT - BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME BY EMAIL!