11-Bout Lineup Finalized for UFC 121

[CrimsonGhost56]

UFC 121 “Lesnar vs. Velasquez”
Saturday, Oct. 23
Honda Center
Anaheim, Calif.

UFC Heavyweight Championship
Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez
Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann
Paulo Thiago vs. Diego Sanchez
Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill
Brendan Schaub vs. Gabriel Gonzaga

Court McGee vs. Ryan Jensen*
Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor*
Michael Guymon vs. Daniel Roberts
Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor
Dongi Yang vs. Chris Camozzi
Gilbert Yvel vs. Jon Madsen

*= will be shown on Spike

Former lightweight title contender Diego Sanchez will meet the world-ranked Paulo Thiago in a featured matchup at 170 pounds at UFC 121 “Lesnar vs. Velasquez” on Oct. 23 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. UFC officials recently finalized an 11-bout lineup for the event, which will air live on pay-per-view.

Sanchez will carry a two-fight losing streak into the match. Based at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, N.M., the 28-year-old last appeared at UFC 114 in May, when he dropped a unanimous decision to the unbeaten John Hathaway at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1, Sanchez owns notable victories over reigning Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago, current Strikeforce welterweight kingpin Nick Diaz, former Strikeforce lightweight titleholder Clay Guida and two-time UFC lightweight title challenger Kenny Florian. He has been finished only once -- by former two-division UFC champion B.J. Penn -- in 25 professional appearances.

Spawned by the Constrictor Team, Thiago has not competed since June, when he lost a unanimous decision to Martin Kampmann at UFC 115. Wins over Minnesota Martial Arts Academy standout Jacob Volkmann and American Kickboxing Academy thoroughbreds Mike Swick and Josh Koscheck anchor the 29-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt’s resume. Thiago has secured more than half (eight) of his 13 career victories by submission. He has never lost consecutive fights.

A heavyweight title match between champion Brock Lesnar and undefeated challenger Cain Velasquez will headline UFC 121, along with a pivotal welterweight showdown between former Strikeforce titleholder Jake Shields and the world-ranked Kampmann. The event will also feature a light heavyweight tilt pairing Tito Ortiz with Matt Hamill and a heavyweight matchup pitting “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 finalist Brendan Schaub against Gabriel Gonzaga.

link

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

That's not a good show, it's a great show. Must buy.

Tito fights always have some juice, he's a guy that can get away with a boring fight because of his charisma. Plus it has the side story of fighting Hamill, who he used to have under his wing. Looking forward to this fight a lot.

Thiago/Sanchez could be outstanding, two guys who really havent quite lived up to their potential, and two guys who each really need a win at this point. Will be fight of the night.

Kampmann does absolutely nothing for me, just one of those guys who has no juice and I have no desire to care about, but the story is obviously Shields debut, so again, although the fight is potentially boring, the story overides that and will keep people interested.

Gonzaga/Schaub is nothing special, but as far as a #5 goes these days, it's pretty damn good. This is the type of slop UFC has been putting in the 3 hole lately. As the #5 fight on a loaded show. i'll take it every time.

And of course, anything with Lesnar right now is the most exciting thing in MMA today, due to the divisive nature of his fights. Nobody had no opinion of Lesnar. All of his fights have off the charts crowd heat, and he has that Mike Tyson-esque quality where you know you are watching a spectacle, and you end up on the edge of your seat. The shedog geeks and MMA "purists" will insist once again that he has no chance, and will make all sorts of excuses if he wins. And if he loses, it will be the biggest MMA story of the year, and set up Lesnar/Mir III, which will infuriate the geeks, who will claim "nobody wants to see it", and then it will proceed to break every record that there is.

Can't wait.

 

[Liquidrob]

Of course Brock vs Mir III would do great, but just because of Brock

Your boy Dave just got his numbers from Dana on the Mir vs Cro Cop fight, said it was in the 275,000 range, throw in his Zuffa mark up that he adds on, that thing probably only did 200,000, Mir is nothing without Brock

 

[EmpireWF]

I think it's funny UFC is running ads on Spike strictly promoting tickets. I guess three weeks out, they're not where they hoped they would be. Still, the PPV should do over 800k.

Rob's gimmick is hilarious...Meltzer marks up Zuffa PPVs...ha ha ha

The low buyrate is no shock. No title fight. No big fight promotion. The biggest star on the show was a polite Frank Mir.

It's alright though, they'll bounce back with the Brock UFC, the Rampage/Machida UFC and the GSP UFC.

The REAL/LEGIT test will come on New Year's Day. Will people be too busy partying and getting wasted that Saturday night? Or will folks party around the UFC PPV. Unless they add a legit co-main (Carwin/Nelson not so much), we'll see how well Frankie Edgar can draw by himself.

Aside, when the hell is UFC 126 going down? If it's still scheduled for sometime in January and is a PPV, it's sandwiched between New Year's and the Super Bowl show.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Of course Brock vs Mir III would do great, but just because of Brock

Your boy Dave just got his numbers from Dana on the Mir vs Cro Cop fight, said it was in the 275,000 range, throw in his Zuffa mark up that he adds on, that thing probably only did 200,000, Mir is nothing without Brock

The Brock/Mir dynamic sells, you can't tell me that Muuuur doesnt contribute, otherwise all of Brock's fights would do just as well.

But yeah, Muuur is nothing without Brock, that's pretty obvious. After he loses the runner match, he can go back to commentating WEC fights all by himself like Joey Styles circa 1996.

 

[Steel Mamba]

I love the main event, but this undercard is going to be a snooze fest. Hamill vs Tito may as well be a wrestling exhibition and Shields is just going to lay ontop of Kampmann for 15 minutes.

Schaub vs Gonzaga should be pretty interesting though, that's a tough test for Schaub this early in his career.

 

[EmpireWF]

I love the main event, but this undercard is going to be a snooze fest. Hamill vs Tito may as well be a wrestling exhibition and Shields is just going to lay ontop of Kampmann for 15 minutes.

Schaub vs Gonzaga should be pretty interesting though, that's a tough test for Schaub this early in his career.

let me get this straight...

Jake Shields and Martin Kampmann
Matt Hamill and Tito Ortiz

BORING!!!!

BUT WAIT!!!!!!

:fap:BRENDAN SCHAUB & GABRIEL MFING GONZAGA:fap:

 

[Steel Mamba]

let me get this straight...

Jake Shields and Martin Kampmann
Matt Hamill and Tito Ortiz

BORING!!!!

BUT WAIT!!!!!!

:fap:BRENDAN SCHAUB & GABRIEL MFING GONZAGA:fap:

lol, yeah. I didn't put it like tho, I'm not making Schaub and Zaga out to be some sort of barn burner but it is an interesting matchup and styles make fights. So far all I've heard in regards to the rest of the undercard are storylines, which is all well and good. But, come fight night you're not going to give a damn about the story when you're bored out of your mind from watching 2 guys dry hump each other for an entire fight.

Is there any doubt that Shields will take Kampmann down at will? Does Kampmann pose any serious threat to Shields, will he be able to push him? Either this fight will be 15 minutes of wrestling, or Shields gets this guy on his back and taps him within the first 2 rounds in what will most likely be an uncompetitive bout. With that said it doesn't really have the making for an entertaining fight.

Tito vs Hamill. Why Tito is even still in the UFC is beyond me. They'll let guys let Hendo walk, but Tito who hasn't won since he beat Shamrock back in 06 is still with them? His standup game is very unexciting, and his wrestling and GnP isn't what it used to be. I hate downing fighters, but in this case it's pretty clear that all of the nagging injuries has truly diminished his overall abilities.

The Sanchez fight could be hit or miss. So the names are there, the storylines are there, but not the greatest stylistic matchups outside of the main event and Schaub/Zaga fight. That's all it comes down to, names don't matter it's all about the fight itself and the matchup.

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

let me get this straight...

Jake Shields and Martin Kampmann
Matt Hamill and Tito Ortiz

BORING!!!!

BUT WAIT!!!!!!

:fap:BRENDAN SCHAUB & GABRIEL MFING GONZAGA:fap:

Its pretty accurate.. Schaub/Gonzaga should be more exciting then either of those two wrestle-fests. Hopefully Tito will keep it standing, we'll see.. but no doubt Shields is just gonna grind out Kampman.

I get sad when I see Yvel on the undercard.

Stout/Taylor should be a fucking great fight.. hopefully they get it on the air.

 

[EmpireWF]

So Shields working for subs is boring?

Sorry, but I don't see the interest in two random nothing heavyweights slugging it out. Who cared about big ass Rothwell and crappy Yvel?

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

All of you whores need to shut up. It's a great card, something for everyone.

 

[EmpireWF]

BROCKTOBER!

I know Cain has that mystique about him being the gym warrior, unbelievable gas tank, mountain for a head, best wrestler, bricks for hands, etc.

If Lesnar beats him, is there anyone you can say would be the man to stop Brock? Obviously he can be beaten, but unless it's another freak mistake, dayum.

 

[Liquidrob]

BROCKTOBER!

I know Cain has that mystique about him being the gym warrior, unbelievable gas tank, mountain for a head, best wrestler, bricks for hands, etc.

If Lesnar beats him, is there anyone you can say would be the man to stop Brock? Obviously he can be beaten, but unless it's another freak mistake, dayum.

if he beats Cain they dont have much else, JDS? Carwin and his 1 round tank? Mir? lol

The UFC HW division is smoke and mirrors, Brock needs to get out his contract and challenge himself against the worlds top HW's

 

[Steel Mamba]

BROCKTOBER!

I know Cain has that mystique about him being the gym warrior, unbelievable gas tank, mountain for a head, best wrestler, bricks for hands, etc.

If Lesnar beats him, is there anyone you can say would be the man to stop Brock? Obviously he can be beaten, but unless it's another freak mistake, dayum.

Shane Carwin + Cardio > Brock

So Shields working for subs is boring?

Sorry, but I don't see the interest in two random nothing heavyweights slugging it out. Who cared about big ass Rothwell and crappy Yvel?

Against Kampmann yeah it is. IMO a fight has to be competitive in order to be exciting. I don't want to see one guy come in and just steam roll his opponent uncontested. I want to see a fight, a clash of will.

& If Gonzaga is a random nothing what is Tito nowadays? All of those Heavies you're talking about put on good fights.

 

[EmpireWF]

The Rothwell/Yvel fight was crap. Yvel gassed out and Rothwell gassed out. Two big dudes sucking wind, throwing bombs is not an entertaining fight.

As for Brock leaving, lmao. I admit, there would be awesome match-ups (and perhaps more difficult ones) outside the UFC, with Fedor, Barnett and Overeem. Too bad those guys will never come to the UFC (maybe Overeem will some day) though.

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

So Shields working for subs is boring?

Jake Shields is extremely boring, yes.

 

[EmpireWF]

Jake Shields is extremely boring, yes.

Agree to disagree.

 

[CrimsonGhost56]

anyone got a link to the lesnar and velasquez primetime series that started last night?

 

[Steel Mamba]

http://fullcontactzone.tv/details.php?id=6072