Tuesday, September 15 2:00 pm PT: How Melvin Guillard would fare against Nate Diaz is not a question that’s kept a lot of observers up at night: the New Orleans native is probably going to get twisted into a neat little knot. But a free altercation is a free altercation, and the latest Spike TV broadcast to kick off the latest season of “The Ultimate Fighter” has an undercard worth tuning in for.
What: UFC Fight Night 19: Diaz vs. Guillard, an 11-bout card from the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
When: Wednesday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET on Spike TV.
Tuesday, September 15 11:50 am PT: TOKYO -- Just after leading Shooto promoter Sustain announced their first official participants for Vale Tudo Japan 2009, Sherdog.com caught up with Takanori Gomi once again for a quick Q&A.
“The Fireball Kid” gave his thoughts on his foiled Affliction debut, how his new hobby in surfing will (marginally) affect his MMA career, his final fight in Japan, fighting five rounds in preparation to head stateside, and disputes a recent report from Fighters Only magazine quoting the fighter as saying he’d sit out the rest of 2009 in expectation of his first child.
Tuesday, September 15 11:00 am PT: Quickly falling victim to another live Spike TV event on Nov. 14 headlined by one of the most popular mixed martial artists ever -- Randy Couture -- is a top-lining fight that suddenly seems flimsy in comparison: Nate Diaz vs. Melvin Guillard, a bout that caps UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16.
After winning a season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Nate Diaz rattled off three consecutive submission victories and appeared to be a more compact version of brother Nick -- permanently furrowed brow and all. But with an escalation in competition came diminishing returns. Diaz, who worked for forty-five minutes total in his last three fights, looked at times like he was sorely lacking in strength training.
This is not a problem afflicting Guillard, who may not possess even a fraction of Diaz’ ability on the mat, but packs an enormously powerful punch and is getting better at emulating Chuck Liddell’s hydraulic core anti-wrestling skill.
More than a year after losing a decision to Kenny Florian, Huerta has avoided press attention; instead of signing a new UFC deal, he opted to concentrate on an acting career. Swell if he can make a go of it -- though most can’t -- but where’s his head? Fighting requires a certain clinical mentality that’s absent from the casting call/manicured world of performing. You couldn’t ask for two more disparate lifestyles. Gray Maynard does not care about his headshot.
