UFC 102: Couture vs Noguiera - Gooooooooooooooo Randy!

Welcome back to the blog! I’m still taking entries to the contest to win a free magazine subscription from California Fighter Magazine (see details below). Today is a really special day, because Randy Couture is fighting. I have a little extra pep in my step when Randy fights, especially today. Randy doesn’t have that many fights left so each one is a fading chance to watch a legend. The card for UFC 102 is actually very solid. I am interested in all of the fights on the main card. I also have 3 official plays and will comment on a few others. Let’s get this party started.

UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira

Official weigh in results courtesy of MMAJunkie.com

MAIN CARD

• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (231) vs. Randy Couture (220)
• Thiago Silva (205) vs. Keith Jardine (205)
• Demian Maia (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (185)
• Krzysztof Soszynski (205) vs. Brandon Vera (205)
• Jake Rosholt (185) vs. Chris Leben (185)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Aaron Simpson (185) vs. Ed Herman (185.5)
• Chris Tuchscherer (258) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (259)
• Mike Russow (260) vs. Justin McCully (238)
• Todd Duffee (251) vs. Tim Hague (263.5)
• Mark Munoz (185.5) vs. Nick Catone (185.5)
• Evan Dunham (155) vs. Marcus Aurelio (156)

Betting lines courtest of Betonfighting.com

MAIN CARD

• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +160 vs. Randy Couture -200
• Thiago Silva +130 vs. Keith Jardine -160
• Demian Maia +140 vs. Nate Marquardt -170
• Krzysztof Soszynski +180 vs. Brandon Vera -210
• Jake Rosholt +120 vs. Chris Leben -150

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Aaron Simpson -120 vs. Ed Herman -110
• Chris Tuchscherer +305 vs. Gabriel Gonzaga -375
• Mike Russow -275 vs. Justin McCully +215
• Todd Duffee -205 vs. Tim Hague +165
• Mark Munoz -215 vs. Nick Catone +175
• Evan Dunham +135 vs. Marcus Aurelio -155

My thoughts on the Undercard…

Evan Dunham +135 vs. Marcus Aurelio -155

This fight has a chance to be the fight of the night. I had a chance to see Dunham fight at the PFC back in January. The kid has some game and fights with Xtreme Couture. Aurelio trains with American Top Team and has quite a bit of experience. It will be interesting to see how Dunham does in his 2^nd UFC fight against the lightweight gatekeeper in Aurelio.

No official pick.

Mark Munoz -215 vs. Nick Catone +175

After coming over for the WEC Munoz got knocked out by the tough Matt Hamill. I’m not convinced he’s UFC ready. I know that he is a great wrestler and trains with Urijah, but I don’t think he’s beat anyone good yet. The same thing with Catone, he’s tough, but he lost in his only fight against legitimate competition in Tim Credeur back in April. This should be a pretty good fight as well.

No official pick.

Mike Russow -275 vs. Justin McCully +215

I don’t know much about Mike Russow other than he used to fight in the Adrenaline organization out in the Midwest and that he’s a cop when he’s not fighting. What stood out to me is how a guy like Russow making his UFC debut is almost a 3:1 favorite over a guy like McCully with 3 fights in the UFC. I guess it shouldn’t be much of a surprise though as McCully isn’t that good and Russow was probably brought in to beat McCully and show him the door out of the UFC. If Russow wins then it wouldn’t surprise me if McCully gets dropped from the UFC.

No official pick.

Chris Tuchscherer +305 vs. Gabriel Gonzaga -375

I’m tempted to make a play on this because Gonzaga usually takes out the opponents that he’s supposed to and if the line is any indication then he shouldn’t have much trouble with Tuchscherer. But, I don’t know anything about Tuchscherer other than he is 17-1 and making his UFC debut. I don’t really like to make a prediction without having seen a guy fight before. I’m glad that this fight isn’t on the main card though because I don’t feel like looking at Gonzaga’s hairy back tonight.

No official pick.

Main Card breakdowns and my 3 official picks…

Jake Rosholt +120 vs. Chris Leben -150

I think Rosholt can win this fight. However, there are too many unknown variables in order for me to make an official play. Rosholt is a tremendous wrestler, but he lost to Dan Miller in his last fight in about a minute. Now Miller is a good wrestler, but losing in a minute should not happen to anyone with Rosholt’s wrestling capabilities. I also don’t think his wrestling ablities will be as effective as he’s used to against a very experienced guy like Leben. Leben is a gatekeeper in the UFC’s middleweight division, but he’s out to prove he’s more than that. Leben hasn’t fought in almost a year because of a suspension for a failed drug test. This is an additional variable that is making this fight hard to read. Rosholt trains at Xtreme Couture and should be able to continually develop because of it, while Leben may be topping off. Leben’s been around for awhile and trains at his own gym and certainly not with the caliber of coaches and fellow fighters at Xtreme Couture. I’m not making an official pick here, but I think Rosholt wins in what should be a pretty good fight.

No official pick.

Krzysztof Soszynski +180 vs. Brandon Vera -210

I will make an official pick on this fight. Soszynski comes in on a 6 fight winning streak, but I’m not convinced he's the real deal. Three of the fights came outside of the UFC and what doesn’t show up on his “official” record is his stint on The Ultimate Fighter TV show because those fights count as amateur fights. So the 6 fight winning streak is more of a hype thing than anything else. He comes from a decent camp in Team Quest but he’s going up against a legitimate opponent tonight in Brandon Vera. Soszynski’s go to move is the kimura which is an arm lock. He won’t be able to pull that off tonight against Vera who’s jiu-jitsu is at a much better level than the guys Soszynski has fought lately, maybe even ever. Now on to my boy Vera. I wasn’t really that big of a Brandon Vera fan until I had a chance to meet him (see picture above). He was extremely cool and down to earth and I’ve got nothing but love for the guy now. After knocking out Frank Mir, Vera was considered the next in line for the heavyweight championship. But 2 bad losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Verdum put those pipe dreams to rest. The losses provided a reality check for Vera and he’s since dropped to light heavyweight (LHW) and gone 2-1 since with the loss coming to Keith Jardine. I’m still intrigued by Vera’s move to the LHW division. The two wins he has aren’t against that impressive of opponents. A win tonight against Soszynski will set up a future matchup with other LHW contenders. A loss may relegate Vera to gatekeeper status. This fight should be determined early and I’m not talking about an outcome. When Vera comes out aggressive, he usually wins and when he comes out timid, he usually loses. In his last fight Vera was aggressive and won, he needs to continue that momentum tonight. Soszynski does have some power but Vera should be able to avoid it and win this by a decision. I think this line is set correctly and am officially taking Vera.

My official pick: Vera -210, 2.1 units to win 1 unit

Demian Maia +140 vs. Nate Marquardt -170

I’m really excited for this fight. These guys are 2 of my favorite fighters. Maia is one of the best jiu-jitsu guys in the world and probably the best in all of MMA. He is undefeated and finished all but one of his opponents. This includes a 5-0 record in the UFC (all 5 by submission, not to mention 4 submission of the night awards). Most of the people betting on this fight will be picking Maia to win and those people are loving getting him as an underdog. Well if there’s one thing I know when it comes to handicapping, is that if something looks too good to be true, it is and take the other side. What most people don’t know is how good Nate Marquardt is. He may be the 2^nd best middleweight in the world just behind Anderson Silva. Marquardt is a beast. He has great stand up, wrestling, and is a black belt in jiu-jitsu. Now I know his jits isn’t as good as Maia’s, but it’s certainly better than anyone Maia has faced. The only way Maia can win this fight is if he can pull off a submission. Marquardt should be able to avoid that as he will come in with a great gameplan courtesy of his world class coach, Greg Jackson. Maia is capable of beating anyone in this division except Marquardt, Anderson Silva, and maybe Dan Henderson. He may go on to do that one day, but I think he needs to work on some of his other skills because jiu-jitsu alone won’t do it. However, if there were someone able to do it on primarily on jiu-jitsu, it would be Maia. Maia will be the champ one day, but now is not his time. With all that said, I’m going to officially take Nate “the great” in this one and look for him to win via KO.

My official pick: Marquardt -170, 1.7 units to win 1 unit

Thiago Silva +130 vs. Keith Jardine -160

I don’t have a play on this fight, but it should be a good one. Both of these guys like to stand and bang. Silva has a black belt in jiu-jitsu but is more known as a stand up fighter. Jardine has fought some of the best in the LHW division but can’t seem to put together the string of wins he needs in order to get a title shot. No doubt he’s good, but he’s still just outside of the top guys in this division. But because of his inconsistency he is a gatekeeper for this division. Now Silva was on a 13-0 tear before being dismantled by current champ Lyoto Machida. Silva has a lot to prove in this fight. Will he bounce back? And so does Jardine, can Jardine return victorious from his disappointing loss to Rampage? I don’t know for sure, but we’ll certainly find out tonight. This has fight of the night written all over it. I’m definitely looking forward to this one.

No official pick.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +160 vs. Randy Couture -200

I spent some time earlier this week talking about this fight and I still feel the same way. If Randy can avoid the submission, he wins this fight. He should be able to win by a decision. Here’s what I wrote earlier this week about this fight…

This fight has been years in the making and a fight that a lot of fans have wanted to see for awhile. Both fighters have been considered 2 of the best in the heavyweight division but never fought, mainly because Nog fought in Japan and Randy in the US. Well they finally face off and Nog comes in as a slight underdog +140. This is interesting because normally Randy is the underdog in most of his fights. The last time Randy was a favorite had to have been in 2005 when he fought Mike Van Arsdale. This is a really tough fight for me to call. I think if Nog is going to win, he’s going to have to weather Randy’s Greco wrestling and ground control and catch Randy in a submission. That’s the only way I see him winning. I don’t see him out-striking or out-grappling Randy. This will be Randy’s first 3 round fight since 2005 so I’ll look for Randy to outpoint Nog for a split decision win.

Probably the most popular fighter in all of MMA, Randy couture is definitely one of my favorites, if not my all time favorite. There’s a special feeling in the air on Saturday’s leading up to a Randy fight. I like Nog, I think he’s a great fighter and a great person, but I get flipping jacked for Randy fights. I’ll hold out hope that the ol’ man has still got another win left in him and can take down Nog. If he doesn’t I’m afraid Randy might consider hanging it up again. I’ll get into that when and if that happens. Looking ahead at Saturday’s matchup Randy is a slight favorite at -170. I don’t know if I would set the line that way so that tells me that Randy is a more obvious play as the favorite as a lot of bettors will be looking to get Nog plus money. The oddsmakers will sit back and cash in once all the money comes in on Nog and Randy wins. Other than the oddsmakers giving Randy the nod, I think that Randy’s gameplan will be too much for Nog. Randy will come out and look to use his Greco wrestling style to pin Nog up against the cage and tire him out. I think Randy has better stand up and better ground control. If Randy can avoid the submission, he’ll beat Nog in a decision. I expect Nog to win 1 round but Randy walks away with a 29-28 split decision win. I also predict that I will say “That guy is my hero!” about 27 times today.

My official pick: Couture -200, 2 units to win 1 unit

My current record after the Strikeforce: Carano vs Cyborg fight is 7-2 +5 units. And to recap, here are my official plays for tonight…

• My official pick: Vera -210, 2.1 units to win 1 unit
• My official pick: Marquardt -170, 1.7 units to win 1 unit
• My official pick: Couture -200, 2 units to win 1 unit

Also there is still time to get in tonight’s contest. Here are the details…

Pick the winner, the round and how the fight is going to be won. We get points for getting each one right and a bonus 2 points for getting all three right. For instance…

If you pick Randy Couture to win by 1^st round KO and he wins by 3^rd round submission, then you would only get 1 point for picking the right winner.

If you picked Nog to win by 3^rd round submission, you would get 2 points; 1 for the right round, and 1 for how the fight was won. It does not matter that you did not pick the right fighter.

And if you picked Randy Couture to win by 3^rd round submission, then you would get 5 points; 1 for getting the right fighter, 1 for getting the right round, 1 for getting how the fight was won, and 2 bonus points for getting all 3 right.

Simple enough?

UFC 102 Fantasy Fighter brought to you by California Fighter Magazine.

We only make predictions from the main card. So here are the fights we will be picking from for Saturday night…

• Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
• Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva
• Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt
• Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt
• Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brandon Vera

RULES

• For picks to count, you must pick the fighter, round, and how the fight will be won. No incomplete picks will be counted.
• If you just say Randy Couture 1^st round, you will not be awarded any points. Let’s follow directions people it’s not that hard.
• Also, all picks must be emailed to fantastyfootballmma@gmail.com. Any picks made via the comment box will not be counted.
• All picks must be sent by 6:59pm pacific time according to the timestamp on the email.

PRIZE

The winner of the contest will win a free year subscription to California Fighter Magazine. I’d like to thank the guys for donating the prize. If you don’t win you should still subscribe to the mag, they are doing some big things for the California MMA scene so check em out. Check the blog on Sunday to see the results and to see if you win.

Get in the contest and enjoy the fights! See you guys tomorrow!

-jg-

Win a free copy of California Fighter Magazine and Randy's UFC 102 vlog, get ettttttttttt!!!

Before I get into today’s blog I want to tell you about a contest we’re having here at the blog. This is something my group of friends does during most UFC events. Before the fight we all put in a few bucks and then pick the winner, the round and how the fight is going to be won. We get points for getting each one right and a bonus 2 points for getting all three right. For instance…

If you pick Randy Couture to win by 1^st round KO and he wins by 3^rd round submission, then you would only get 1 point for picking the right winner.

If you picked Nog to win by 3^rd round submission, you would get 2 points; 1 for the right round, and 1 for how the fight was won. It does not matter that you did not pick the right fighter.

And if you picked Randy Couture to win by 3^rd round submission, then you would get 5 points; 1 for getting the right fighter, 1 for getting the right round, 1 for getting how the fight was won, and 2 bonus points for getting all 3 right.

Simple enough?

UFC 102 Fantasy Fighter brought to you by California Fighter Magazine.

We only make predictions from the main card. So here are the fights we will be picking from for Saturday night…

• Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
• Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva
• Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt
• Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt
• Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brandon Vera
  

RULES

• For picks to count, you must pick the fighter, round, and how the fight will be won. No incomplete picks will be counted.
• If you just say Randy Couture 1^st round, you will not be awarded any points. Let’s follow directions people it’s not that hard.
• Also, all picks must be emailed to fantastyfootballmma@gmail.com. Any picks made via the comment box will not be counted.
• All picks must be sent by 6:59pm pacific time according to the timestamp on the email.

PRIZE

The winner of the contest will win a free year subscription to California Fighter Magazine. I’d like to thank the guys for donating the prize. If you don’t win you should still subscribe to the mag, they are doing some big things for the California MMA scene so check em out. Check the blog on Sunday to see the results and to see if you win.

On to today’s blog. I don’t really have a lot to say other than I’m really excited for the Randy fight this weekend. I’m pretty sure he’s going to win. I’d say he has about an 80% chance to win. I get a special feeling the days leading up to my favorite fighters fights. Three immediately come to mind; BJ Penn, Mike Brown, and of course Randy. My friend Kyle get super jacked for these guys and I don’t expect Sunday to be any different. Today MMAJunkie.com showed a vlog of Randy doing some final preparations for his fight with Nog. I thought it was pretty cool. I like how the UFC how been pumping up their big fights with vlogs. In the past, it’s been Dana White in the vlogs, but he’s said that from now on before the fights, it’s going to be the fighters, cool by me. Here’s the vlog. My favorite part is about 4 and a half minutes in where it shows Randy after sparring and right before he exits the cage, he hits the camera. The guy is a beast. I hope to look half as good as Randy does but the time I’m 30 let alone someone Randy’s age. Enjoy the vlog and see you guys tomorrow for the first installment of 49er Fridays!

-jg-

Fedor is not the #1 Heavyweight in the world, Brock is! Brock N Roll baby!

You’ll see a lot of rankings on the internet and in the overall scheme of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) they matter very little, they are people’s opinion. But they make for some great conversation. When I make my fight predictions, I look at a few factors, but the 2 that hold the most weight are opponents faced and who they train with. It’s not an exact science, but it’s worked out pretty well for me. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut, but I will rarely make an official prediction on a fight based solely on my gut opinion. This weekend, two of the world’s top heavyweight fighters will face off; Randy “The Natural” Couture and “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. That got me thinking, I have a rough idea of who I would say is in the top 10 of each division, but I never really thought about exactly where. So over the next few weeks I’m going to set out to breakdown the top divisions in MMA starting with the heavyweights. Now I know you will not agree with all of my rankings and that’s fine, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. However, I will present convincing arguments as to why my rankings are the way they are. Normally, I will rank the top 10, but on occasion there will be 2 fighters where I can’t make a definite decision at the current time and will give them an “A” and “B” ranking. Additionally, I’ll continually update the rankings as more information becomes available based on questions answered by the fights that dictate them. Let’s take a look at how the big boys stack up.

Better luck next time…

The following fighters can be seen in top 10 rankings on various sites around the internet, but I’m not buying the hype. Don’t get me wrong I think they’re good, just not good enough to be deemed in the top 10; Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski.

Allistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem

Overeem is the current Strikeforce champion, but when was the last time he defended it? (Answer: November 2007). Yes Overeem has some big wins but he also has some bad losses, like to Sergei Kharitonov…who?... Exactly.

Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski

Once considered one of the best in the heavyweight division, Arlovski’s last 2 losses have me wondering if he can hang with the world’s best anymore. I still think he’s a great fighter, but based on his last fights I don’t think he’s worthy of a top ten ranking. Earlier this year a 15-5 record was very impressive, after 2 losses, a 15-7 record is not. Also, looking at some of Arlovski’s past wins, there’s no one in there I would consider a top opponent, not to mention 2 losses to the has been of the division, Tim Sylvia. Arlovski is and will always be a fan favorite, but his top 10 fighter days in the heavyweight division are long gone.

Now that we know who doesn’t belong in the Top 10, let’s take a look at who does. To clarify, the heavyweight division is any fighter who competes at 206 pounds and up.

10b. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic 25-6-2

Cro Cop is a guy that I'm not ready to make a definite call on. He was considered one of the greats a few years ago. That all came to an end when he suffered a devastating leg kick knock out to Gabriel Gonzaga in 2007 and a decision loss to Cheick Kongo following. Since Cro Cop has won 3 in a row with a no contest. I'd like to see Cro Cop's next fight vs Junior Dos Santos before dropping him out of the top 10. If he beats Dos Santos, he stays, if he loses, then he's gone. Cro Cop needs to beat Dos Santos and keep stepping up the level of his opponents. Next month he'll turn 35 and with over 30 fights under his belt, his motor may be running out. The fight with Dos Santos at UFC 103 next month will answer a lot of questions about the type of fighter he still is.

Next fight: UFC 103 on Sept 19th vs Unranked Junior Dos Santos

10a. Brett "The Grim" Rogers 10-0

Here's another fighter that has some questions surrounding him about whether or not he deserves to be this high. Yes he is undefeated but his only real notable opponent is Andrei Arlovski. Rogers KO'd Arlovski in less than 30 seconds in their fight this last June. Despite a lack of notable opponents, there are two things that intrigue me enough to rank Rogers this high. One, he has finished all of his opponents with 9 of them by KO. The other intriguing quality about Rogers is that he is not ducking anyone. He wants to fight the best. No, he's not in the UFC so he won't fight the best, but he is in Strikeforce and there are enough opponents for him to fight for now. If Rogers continues to win and remains undefeated in Strikeforce, fighting the likes of Fabricio Verdum and Allistair Overreem, then he deserves to be here. But Rogers may fight an even tougher opponent in Fedor Emelianko. No I don't think he can beat Fedor, but he can certainly beat the other 2 and he could be competitive in the UFC's heavyweight division as well based on what I've seen from him so far. One point of note, Rogers knocked Arlovski out faster than Fedor, not bad for a guy like Rogers who has only been training MMA for a few years. Additionally, Fedor has requested to fight Rogers, so that should speak some kind of volume to the type of fighter Rogers is. At this point, I'm ok with putting him in the top 10, but he'll need to continue to win and fight as good of competition that he can get in order for me to justify him again as a top tenner in the future. A trip to the UFC would also help his cause.

Next fight: Not determined, but there are rumors that Fedor Emelianko may take on Rogers for Fedor's first fight in the Strikeforce organization.

9. Cheick Kongo 14-5-1

Cheick Kongo is one of the best strikers in the heavyweight division. However, he is not a good wrestler when compared to the fighter's atop of this division. In his last fight against Cain Velasquez, Kongo outstruck him in the stand up game. The bad news was that Kongo could not stop Cain's takedowns and Velasquez was able to take Cheick down at will where he spent most of the fight scoring points in dominant ground and pound tactics against Cheick. Kongo has an impressive 7-3 record in the UFC, including 5 KOs. Additionally, in one of those losses, he lost a very controversial decision to Heath Herring that I saw Kongo winning. So in my opinion his record could easily be 8-2 in the UFC and with one of those losses coming at the hands of Velasquez, Kongo's performance in the UFC is nothing to balk at. Cain proved that Kongo's ground game needs some serious work so if Kongo expects to move up in this division, he'd better get ready to do it from the ground or at least develop enough takedown defense to keep the fight standing where in most fights, he'd hold an advantage if not in the least be very competitive. I like Kongo, he's one of my favorite fighters to watch, especially when he's walking out, but at this point I'm concerned that he may be just a very good gatekeeper* when it comes to the heavyweight division.

*A gatekeeper in MMA is usually used when talking about the UFC. A gatekeeper fighter is considered someone who is good, but not good enough to be the champion, but not bad enough to not be in the organization. Gatekeepers will often fight emerging talent or newcomers to the UFC to determine if they are worthy of being considered a legitimate contender. If they beat the gatekeeper then they’re ready for the higher level of competition, if they don’t then they’re probably getting dropped from the organization.

Next fight: Kongo is rumored to be fighting #5 Mir at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tennessee.

8. Shane Carwin 11-0

Most people would expect to see him higher. Yes I know he is undefeated and that he’s finished everyone he’s faced, but of his 11 opponents, I’ve only heard of Gabriel Gonzaga. Check it out, here’s a list of who he’s fought, I’m pretty sure that you haven’t heard of any of these other guys either. Rumor has it that Carwin will be getting a title shot in November at UFC 106 against Champion Brock Lesnar. Interestingly enough, I don’t mind that matchup. Usually, I get very frustrated when the UFC matches up a guy who obviously doesn’t deserve a title shot (like Thales Leitas). However, I think this matchup makes a lot of sense. First of all, Brock as already beat two of the top contenders in Frank Mir and Randy Couture. The other contender is Antonio Noguiera, but it’s hard to justify him getting a title shot coming off a loss to Mir who Lesnar just beat. Second of all, Carwin is rapidly gaining fans as fighters who can finish quickly usually do. Finally, Carwin is big and comes from a wrestling background just like Brock and that adds to this fight's intrigue. I know that a lot of fans love Carwin and hate Brock and would love to see Carwin win, but I don’t see that happening. The line on this fight already has Brock at almost a 3 to 1 favorite. I’d say that’s pretty accurate. He should be able to out wrestle and over power Carwin just like everyone else. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Carwin fight the gatekeeper Kongo after his loss to Lesnar to prove that he still belongs with the top of the division. If you disagree with this ranking, then I’d certainly like to hear about it, but before you email, please tell me who in the top 7 he can beat. (email me at fantasyfootballmma@gmail.com)

Next fight: Carwin is rumored to fight Champ Brock Lesnar on Nov 21, 2009 in Las Vegas at UFC 106

7. Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett 24-5

Barnett recently got busted for testing positive for a banned substance. The failed drug test resulted in a failed fight with Fedor and the eventual folding entirely of the Affliction promotion. If you look at Barnett’s record, you’ll see that he’s lost to Cro Cop 3 times. All of those came during Cro Cop’s heyday. Another one of Barnett's losses came to Pedro Rizzo 8 years ago which he avenged last July and the last time he lost came to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2006, but Barnett had previously beat him earlier that year. So Barnett doesn’t have a bad record at all. It’s actually pretty damn impressive if you take a look at some of the wins. In addition to Rizzo and Nogueira, he’s also beat Gilbert Yvel, Jeff Monson, Aleksander Emelianko, Randy Couture, and Dan Severn. It will be interesting to see what organization signs Barnett next. Normally, I’d say Strikeforce, but the UFC has been taking back a lot of its former fighters and Barnett could certainly be brought back. I don’t really want to see him go to Strikeforce. They only have about 3 fighters I’d like to see him fight (Rogers, Fedor, Overreem). I’d much prefer to see him go to the UFC where he could make a run at Brock while taking on some of the best heavyweights in the world to get there.

Next fight: It's reported that Barnett has agreed to wrestle in Japan's Inoki Genome Federation, a professional wrestling organization. Barnett will be dropped from the rankings if he does not line up a real MMA fight by the end of the year. WTF?!

6. Antonio “Minotauro” Rodrigo Nogueira 31-5-1

Nogueira has fought everyone and beat most everyone, except a few fellow elite fighters (Frank Mir and Fedor). One man he has not faced is his opponent this Saturday, Randy “The Natural” Couture. I’m not going to spend a lot of time talking about why Nog is here, but based on the who’s who he’s fought you can see why. Instead I’d like to do a slight sneak preview about his fight with Randy. This fight has been years in the making and a fight that a lot of fans have wanted to see for awhile. Both fighters have been considered 2 of the best in the heavyweight division but never fought, mainly because Nog fought in Japan and Randy in the US. Well they finally face off and Nog comes in as a slight underdog +140. This is interesting because normally Randy is the underdog in most of his fights. The last time Randy was a favorite had to have been in 2005 when he fought Mike Van Arsdale. This is a really tough fight for me to call. I think if Nog is going to win, he’s going to have to weather Randy’s Greco wrestling and ground control and catch Randy in a submission. That’s the only way I see him winning. I don’t see him out-striking or out-grappling Randy. This will be Randy’s first 3 round fight since 2005 so I’ll look for Randy to outpoint Nog for a split decision win.

Next fight: Nog takes on #3 Couture this Saturday in Oregon at UFC 102: Couture vs Nogueria

5. Frank Mir 12-4

After becoming the first fighter to ever stop Nog in a fight, Frank Mir lost a one-sided rematch to current champ Brock Lesnar. I’m really interested to see how Mir does over the next year. It was proven that he’s not the best in this division, but I think he could give some of the fighters I have ranked ahead of him a run for their money. Mir was out of fighting for almost 2 years as he recovered from a motorcycle accident. Once he returned to the octagon, he lost 2 out of 3 and the suggestions of him being done began. Mir bounced back with 3 wins in a row including a submission of Brock and the TKO of Nog. This will be the first time Mir will have fought coming off a loss since 2006. How does he respond? I’m not sure, but the rumor is that he is facing Cheick Kongo. While I think Mir will be the favorite going into that fight, I don’t think it will be an easy task for him to come out victorious, but he will.

Next fight: Mir is rumored to be fighting #9 Kongo on Dec 12, 2009 at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tennessee.

4. Cain Velasquez 6-0

This may be the most controversial fighter on here. Not because he’s on here, but because I have him this high. It’s no surprise that Fedor isn’t going to fight Brock anytime soon and Brock already beat Randy so if there is someone left with the ability to be beat Brock, it’s Cain. I understand Cain only has 6 fights, but Cain’s wrestling ability may be the best in all of MMA. Cain fights with the American Kickboxing Academy which feature some of the best fighters in MMA like Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, and Mike Swick and it’s been said that Cain is the most talented person at that gym. That tells me a lot. Cain has only been fighting MMA for about 3 years. Cain would have more fights, but he could not find an opponent because no one wanted to fight him. Finally, after a private workout in front of UFC president Dana White, Cain was signed to a UFC contract. Since entering the organization, Cain has reeled off 4 straight wins and all in impressive fashion. He proved that he can beat Kongo and I also think he can beat everyone else in this division. This is a bold prediction but until someone beats Cain, I’m not moving him down. Cain fights again in October against Ben Rothwell. Cain should be able to walk through Rothwell. After Rothwell I expect Cain to get a matchup with Mir, Nog, Couture, or Carwin with a title fight with Brock to follow.

Next fight: Oct 24, 2009 in Los Angeles against Unranked Ben Rothwell at UFC 104: Machida vs Shogun

3. Randy “The Natural” Couture 16-9

Probably the most popular fighter in all of MMA, Randy couture is definitely one of my favorites, if not my all time favorite. There’s a special feeling in the air on Saturday’s leading up to a Randy fight. I like Nog, I think he’s a great fighter and a great person, but I get flipping jacked for Randy fights. I’ll hold out hope that the ol’ man has still got another win left in him and can take down Nog. If he doesn’t I’m afraid Randy might consider hanging it up again. I’ll get into that when and if that happens. Looking ahead at Saturday’s matchup Randy is a slight favorite at -170. I don’t know if I would set the line that way so that tells me that Randy is a more obvious play as the favorite as a lot of bettors will be looking to get Nog plus money. The oddsmakers will sit back and cash in once all the money comes in on Nog and Randy wins. Other than the oddsmakers giving Randy the nod, I think that Randy’s gameplan will be too much for Nog. Randy will come out and look to use his Greco wrestling style to pin Nog up against the cage and tire him out. I think Randy has better stand up and better ground control. If Randy can avoid the submission, he’ll beat Nog in a decision. I expect Nog to win 1 round but Randy walks away with a 29-28 split decision win.

Next fight: Saturday vs #6 Nogueira

2. Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko 30-1

Look, I know that everyone and there mother has Fedor #1, well guess what? I don’t! I did but after his latest stunt of ducking the UFC, I just can’t do it anymore. I know that essentially Fedor has never lost and he’s beat some of the best in the world, but let me start with some people he hasn’t beat; Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir… all who happen to be, you guessed it, in the UFC! Can Fedor beat them? Without a doubt. Will he? We’ll never know until his management stops being so greedy and lets Fedor fight in the UFC. I’m of the opinion that if you don’t fight the best, you aren’t considered the best. Fedor hasn’t fought anyone considered a top contender probably since Matt Lindland in 2007 or worse Cro Cop in 2005. So Mr. Fedor you enjoy sitting at #2 in my rankings until you step up to the big leagues.

Next fight: Who knows, who cares? But seriously it maybe against #10a Rogers or Unranked Fabricio Werdum in Strikeforce.

1. Brock “N Roll” Lesnar 4-1

Oh that Brock Lesnar is so hot right now! I know he’s only had 5 fights, but anyone who’s seen Brock fight, love him or hate him, will have to admit that he’s a beast and a force to be reckoned with. There’s not a lot of argument that needs to be made that he isn’t #1 until someone beats him. Can Fedor beat him? It’s a possibility, but until he steps into the octagon to do it and shut me Brock, and Dana up, Brock is the top dog in the heavyweights… even if he does have a phallic tattoo on his chest. Oh, and his nickname isn’t really “N Roll” but it should be!

Well there you have it folks, the most accurate breakdown in all of MMA of the heavyweights ;) If you disagree please write me an email at fantasyfootballmma@gmail.com or comment below. Thanks again for checking out the blog and I look forward to your thoughts.

-jg-

Welcome to the Fantasy Empire!

Time to get on, gots to get it on, no choice but to get it on. Welcome back to the blog. Today I’m going to cover my most recent draft. Every draft is like Christmas morning for me. I get to open my presents so to speak and find out who all my new buddies are. You really do have a special bond with the guys on your fantasy team. Earlier this decade I had Marshall Faulk, the guy had an incredible career and for a few years I got to have him on my team and hot dog, it was fantasy bliss. Anyways, if you guys have any questions or future blog suggestions please email me at fantasyfootballmma@gmail.com or comment at the bottom of the blog.

Fantasy Empire VI

On Saturday night, I had my second fantasy football draft of the year and here’s how it went. Nick is the commissioner of this league and the draft was held at his house. This is the league’s 6^th year. This will be my third year playing in this league. I shared this team with my friend Marc last year and we placed 4^th so this year I’ll be looking to win it all.

He had a really cool way for drawing for picks. He put a folded piece of paper with your draft number on it in a manila envelope and handed them all to us at the same time. It was very simple and very fair. I lucked out and got the #1 pick. I was very happy about that. I want to pick in the first 4 picks or the last 4 but not the middle so when I got the #1 I knew this was going to be a good night and it was; I had a blast. Nick is a great commissioner and works hard to make sure that everything is organized and that we all get to have fun. Another thing that I was happy about was that Nick was picking 12^th. I liked this because we could work together in the draft and give each other honest advice about our upcoming picks without it affecting the guys we wanted. I also like this because we’re not going to be in the same division and will only have to play each other once. I’d love to see us both make the Super Bowl and play each other. I don’t know if that will happen though because this league is going to be tough. Top to bottom everyone had a solid draft and I love it that way, the tougher the league, the more rewarding the victories. And with the first pick of the 2009 Fantasy Empire Draft, the blog selects…

Round 1, 1.1

Adrian “All Day” Peterson – I really warmed up to AP this last week since the signing of Favre. He’s never had a good QB to keep defense honest and I think that this could be his biggest year. I was looking at Maurice Jones-Drew as well, but my plan for this draft was to pick aggressively. I figured I would take the safer pick in AP then get aggressive with my other picks. I also gave AP the edge because he opens up his season with Cle, Det, SF, GB, and Stl which are all average to below average defenses so I’ll be looking for him to get off to a hot start.

Round 2, 2.12

Reggie Bush – I turned the aggression on with my next pick. I love Bush this year. The guy had 50 catches in only 8 games last year. If he can stay healthy or be good for at least 12 games, I could be looking at 80-100 catches from 2^nd RB. I just missed Welker and Tom Brady at this pick, but I like Bush especially if he can stay healthy.

Round 3, 3.1

Marques Colston – In this league you have the option to play 2 RBs and 3 WRs or 1 RB and 4 WRs so with my second RB locked up I needed to address the WR position. Normally I don’t like picking 2 players from the same offense as my starters, but the Saints threw the ball all over the field last year and with the Bush/Colston combo, I should be able to get at least 10 catches total on a weekly basis. Coltson is an injury risk, but this is the NFL, who isn’t?

Round 4, 4.12

Phillip Rivers – At this pick there was no question who I was getting. This year I have huge man crushes on Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers and I want them in the 4^th round. Rodgers was gone, so this pick was easy. Also congrats to Rivvy getting a $92 million contract extension today, the guy deserves it.

Round 5, 5.1

Eddie Royal – My targets in round 5 were Anthony Gonzalez, DeSean Jackson, and Eddie Royal. Gonz and DJack went in the 4^th so I took Royal. The Broncos have a lot of issues right now, but Royal doesn’t and should be a PPR machine. I’m very satisfied with him as my #2 WR.

Round 6, 6.12

Joseph Addai – There wasn’t anything at WR that I liked at this point in the draft. I went with Addai. He’s not a guy I love and I actually like Donald Brown more, but the end of the 6^th round is a pretty darn good value for the Colts starting RB.

Round 7, 7.1

Donald Brown – If Addai had been picked by another owner, I still would of taken Brown here. In the middle rounds I’m targeting younger RBs in good situations. Brown definitely fits that bill. I locked up the Colts backfield. Whoever emerges in this situation should make a nice spot starter or good trade bait. I’m currently in negotiations with another owner about trading Addai and Brown for a top WR.

Round 8, 8.12

Greg Olsen – In this league you don’t have to start a TE. In the 7^th round I was considering Olsen and Hester but didn’t want to make a call on them then. Hester got picked so I was happy to get Olsen as a possible #3 WR. This could be a career year for Olsen. Cutler likes the quick over the middle passes and that should be where Olsen makes his money. If Olsen can emerge as Culter’s favorite target then he should see a lot of pass targets.

Round 9, 9.1

Chester Taylor – With all the savvy owners in this league, I knew that Taylor would be targeted to snake him away from me with the hopes that AP will go down. I had Taylor going in the 10^th, but I knew that he wouldn’t make it to the end of the 10^th, after a pretty aggressive start to my draft I laid up with this pick and locked up AP’s handcuff, Chester Taylor. Taylor will be a good replacement if AP does go down.

Round 10, 10.12

Brett Favre – I won’t start Favre unless Rivers gets hurt, but I do need him when Rivers has his bye. Favre and the Vikings play the Rams on the Chargers’ bye week so he should be able to put up good numbers that week.

Round 11, 11.1

Josh Morgan – I went with Morgan. He’s on both of my teams now so I’ll move him to the “my boy” category. I’m fine with this pick, I got another solid WR3 option and also got him 2 rounds cheaper than the other draft I had.

Round 12, 12.12

Earl Bennett – Bennett is one of my sleepers this year. He should start alongside Hester for the Bears. Bennett was Culter’s favorite target at Vanderbilt and I’m hoping that their previous chemistry will carry over to this year. If not, no biggie, this pick didn’t cost much.

Round 13, 13.1

Zach Miller – Miller will probably lead the Raiders in receiving this year making Miller a good PPR guy and spot starter for my team.

Round 14, 14.12

Kevin Jones – Team Noodles and I were talking a lot of trash during the draft so with my last position player I snagged his first round pick, Matt Forte’s backup. If Forte goes down, I’ll have myself a nice little starter.

Round 15, 15.1

Jets Defense – With only 2 picks left, time for my defense and K. I had the Jets #3 on my board so I’ll take that for the 15^th round. If they suck, no biggie, there’s always a good one that ends up emerging.

Round 16, 16.12

Jason Elam – Last pick of the draft. There were some pretty good options at K. I went with Elam because he plays on a team that has a good enough offense to give him a good amount of scoring opportunities.

So here’s my final roster…

QB – Rivers, Favre

RB – AP, Bush, Addai, Brown, Taylor, Jones

WR – Colston, Royal, Olsen, Morgan, Bennett, Miller

K – Elam

D - Jets

And my starting lineup will look something like this…

QB – Rivers

RB1 – AP

RB2 – Bush

WR1 – Colston

WR2 – Royal

WR3 – Olsen/Morgan/Miller (based on matchups)

K – Elam

D – Jets

Here’s how the whole draft went down…

Draft Results

Round 1

Pick Team Player

1 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Adrian Peterson (RB MIN)

2 LLSD Larry Fitzgerald (WR ARI)

3 Team Noodles Matt Forte (RB CHI)

4 AVILAS Maurice Jones-Drew (RB JAC)

5 SF Sharks Andre Johnson (WR HOU)

6 It's My Vick in a Box Steven Jackson (RB STL)

7 Clones LaDainian Tomlinson (RB SD)

8 TD City Drew Brees (QB NO)

9 The Terminator Michael Turner (RB ATL)

10 Kevin's Chris Johnson (RB TEN)

11 N1H Brian Westbrook (RB PHI)

12 Spit Flames Frank Gore (RB SF)

Round 2

13 Spit Flames Steve Slaton (RB HOU)

14 N1H Randy Moss (WR NE)

15 Kevin's DeAngelo Williams (RB CAR)

16 The Terminator Calvin Johnson (WR DET)

17 TD City Reggie Wayne (WR IND)

18 Clones Greg Jennings (WR GB)

19 It's My Vick in a Box Anquan Boldin (WR ARI)

20 SF Sharks Roddy White (WR ATL)

21 AVILAS Steve Smith (WR CAR)

22 Team Noodles Tom Brady (QB NE)

23 LLSD Wes Welker (WR NE)

24 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Reggie Bush (RB NO)

Round 3

25 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Marques Colston (WR NO)

26 LLSD Antonio Gates (TE SD)

27 Team Noodles Brandon Jacobs (RB NYG)

28 AVILAS Terrell Owens (WR BUF)

29 SF Sharks Dwayne Bowe (WR KC)

30 It's My Vick in a Box Pierre Thomas (RB NO)

31 Clones Clinton Portis (RB WAS)

32 TD City Marion Barber (RB DAL)

33 The Terminator Peyton Manning (QB IND)

34 Kevin's Aaron Rodgers (QB GB)

35 N1H Kevin Smith (RB DET)

36 Spit Flames Chad Ochocinco (WR CIN)

Round 4

37 Spit Flames T.J. Houshmandzadeh (WR SEA)

38 N1H Jason Witten (TE DAL)

39 Kevin's Bernard Berrian (WR MIN)

40 The Terminator Brandon Marshall (WR DEN)

41 TD City Ryan Grant (RB GB)

42 Clones Ronnie Brown (RB MIA)

43 It's My Vick in a Box Dallas Clark (TE IND)

44 SF Sharks Anthony Gonzalez (WR IND)

45 AVILAS Tony Romo (QB DAL)

46 Team Noodles DeSean Jackson (WR PHI)

47 LLSD Kurt Warner (QB ARI)

48 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Philip Rivers (QB SD)

Round 5

49 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Eddie Royal (WR DEN)

50 The Terminator Thomas Jones (RB NYJ)

51 Team Noodles Roy E. Williams (WR DAL)

52 AVILAS Marshawn Lynch (RB BUF)

53 SF Sharks Derrick Ward (RB TB)

54 It's My Vick in a Box Donovan McNabb (QB PHI)

55 Clones Braylon Edwards (WR CLE)

56 TD City Vincent Jackson (WR SD)

57 The Terminator Jonathan Stewart (RB CAR)

58 Kevin's Tony Gonzalez (TE ATL)

59 N1H Hines Ward (WR PIT)

60 Spit Flames Santonio Holmes (WR PIT)

Round 6

61 Spit Flames Darren McFadden (RB OAK)

62 N1H Laveranues Coles (WR CIN)

63 Kevin's Lee Evans (WR BUF)

64 The Terminator Antonio Bryant (WR TB)

65 TD City Derrick Mason (WR BAL)

66 Clones Kevin Walter (WR HOU)

67 It's My Vick in a Box Jerricho Cotchery (WR NYJ)

68 SF Sharks Torry Holt (WR JAC)

69 AVILAS Donald Driver (WR GB)

70 Team Noodles Santana Moss (WR WAS)

71 LLSD LenDale White (RB TEN)

72 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Joseph Addai (RB IND)

Round 7

73 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Donald Brown (RB IND)

74 LLSD Ahmad Bradshaw (RB NYG)

75 Team Noodles Kellen Winslow (TE TB)

76 AVILAS Domenik Hixon (WR NYG)

77 SF Sharks Cedric Benson (RB CIN)

78 It's My Vick in a Box Julius Jones (RB SEA)

79 Clones Matt Schaub (QB HOU)

80 TD City Devin Hester (WR CHI)

81 The Terminator Knowshon Moreno (RB DEN)

82 Kevin's Willie Parker (RB PIT)

83 N1H Matt Ryan (QB ATL)

84 Spit Flames Jay Cutler (QB CHI)

Round 8

85 Spit Flames Felix Jones (RB DAL)

86 N1H Larry Johnson (RB KC)

87 Kevin's Donnie Avery (WR STL)

88 The Terminator Michael Crabtree (WR SF)

89 TD City Lance Moore (WR NO)

90 Clones Jamal Lewis (RB CLE)

91 It's My Vick in a Box Ted Ginn Jr. (WR MIA)

92 SF Sharks Darren Sproles (RB SD)

93 AVILAS Steve Smith (WR NYG)

94 Team Noodles Nate Washington (WR TEN)

95 LLSD Ray Rice (RB BAL)

96 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Greg Olsen (TE CHI)

Round 9

97 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Chester Taylor (RB MIN)

98 LLSD Carson Palmer (QB CIN)

99 Team Noodles Matt Hasselbeck (QB SEA)

100 AVILAS Trent Edwards (QB BUF)

101 SF Sharks Beanie Wells (RB ARI)

102 It's My Vick in a Box Earnest Graham (RB TB)

103 Clones Rashard Mendenhall (RB PIT)

104 TD City Ben Roethlisberger (QB PIT)

105 The Terminator Steve Breaston (WR ARI)

106 Kevin's Chris Chambers (WR SD)

107 N1H Percy Harvin (WR MIN)

108 Spit Flames Owen Daniels (TE HOU)

Round 10

109 Spit Flames Matt Cassel (QB KC)

110 N1H LeSean McCoy (RB PHI)

111 Kevin's Eli Manning (QB NYG)

112 The Terminator Shonn Greene (RB NYJ)

113 TD City Tim Hightower (RB ARI)

114 Clones Chris Henry (WR CIN)

115 It's My Vick in a Box Hakeem Nicks (WR NYG)

116 SF Sharks Muhsin Muhammad (WR CAR)

117 AVILAS Mark Clayton (WR BAL)

118 Team Noodles John Carlson (TE SEA)

119 LLSD Jeremy Shockey (TE NO)

120 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Brett Favre (QB MIN)

Round 11

121 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Josh Morgan (WR SF)

122 LLSD Chris Cooley (TE WAS)

123 Team Noodles Isaac Bruce (WR SF)

124 AVILAS Joey Galloway (WR NE)

125 SF Sharks Justin Gage (WR TEN)

126 It's My Vick in a Box Jason Campbell (QB WAS)

127 Clones Devery Henderson (WR NO)

128 TD City Patrick Crayton (WR DAL)

129 The Terminator Miles Austin (WR DAL)

130 Kevin's Leon Washington (RB NYJ)

131 N1H Fred Jackson (RB BUF)

132 Spit Flames Michael Bush (RB OAK)

Round 12

133 Spit Flames Giants (DST NYG)

134 N1H Steelers (DST PIT)

135 Kevin's Eagles (DST PHI)

136 The Terminator Jeremy Maclin (WR PHI)

137 TD City Kevin Curtis (WR PHI)

138 Clones Fred Taylor (RB NE)

139 It's My Vick in a Box Vikings (DST MIN)

140 SF Sharks Davone Bess (WR MIA)

141 AVILAS Ravens (DST BAL)

142 Team Noodles Nate Burleson (WR SEA)

143 LLSD Ramses Barden (WR NYG)

144 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Earl Bennett (WR CHI)

Round 13

145 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Zach Miller (TE OAK)

146 LLSD T.J. Duckett (RB SEA)

147 Team Noodles Limas Sweed (WR PIT)

148 AVILAS JaMarcus Russell (QB OAK)

149 SF Sharks David Garrard (QB JAC)

150 It's My Vick in a Box Bobby Engram (WR KC)

151 Clones Chansi Stuckey (WR NYJ)

152 TD City Jerious Norwood (RB ATL)

153 The Terminator Titans (DST TEN)

154 Kevin's Vernon Davis (TE SF)

155 N1H Chad Pennington (QB MIA)

156 Spit Flames Willis McGahee (RB BAL)

Round 14

157 Spit Flames Mike Walker (WR JAC)

158 N1H Jamaal Charles (RB KC)

159 Kevin's Jerome Harrison (RB CLE)

160 The Terminator Stephen Gostkowski (K NE)

161 TD City Chargers (DST SD)

162 Clones Michael Vick (QB PHI)

163 It's My Vick in a Box Greg Camarillo (WR MIA)

164 SF Sharks Matthew Stafford (QB DET)

165 AVILAS Adam Vinatieri (K IND)

166 Team Noodles Juaquin Iglesias (WR CHI)

167 LLSD Glen Coffee (RB SF)

168 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Kevin Jones (RB CHI)

Round 15

169 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Jets (DST NYJ)

170 LLSD Sidney Rice (WR MIN)

171 Team Noodles James Davis (RB CLE)

172 AVILAS Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR OAK)

173 SF Sharks Nate Kaeding (K SD)

174 It's My Vick in a Box David Akers (K PHI)

175 Clones Patriots (DST NE)

176 TD City Shaun Hill (QB SF)

177 The Terminator Kyle Orton (QB DEN)

178 Kevin's Brandon Jackson (RB GB)

179 N1H Kris Brown (K HOU)

180 Spit Flames Rob Bironas (K TEN)

Round 16

181 Spit Flames Chaz Schilens (WR OAK)

182 N1H Visanthe Shiancoe (TE MIN)

183 Kevin's Mason Crosby (K GB)

184 LLSD Texans (DST HOU)

185 TD City Tashard Choice (RB DAL)

186 Clones Ryan Longwell (K MIN)

187 It's My Vick in a Box Ricky Williams (RB MIA)

188 SF Sharks Redskins (DST WAS)

189 AVILAS Justin Fargas (RB OAK)

190 Team Noodles Seahawks (DST SEA)

191 LLSD Robbie Gould (K CHI)

192 FantasyFootballMMA.Blogspot.com Jason Elam (K ATL)

Thanks again for checking out the blog and as always, YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!

-jg-