MMA Crypt Prediction Contest 28 - UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort
UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort
Live, February 5th on Pay-Per-View
From the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
Main Card:
UFC Middleweight Championship Bout:
Anderson Silva (c) (27-4-0) vs. Vitor Belfort (19-8-0)Light Heavyweight Bout:
Rich Franklin (28-5-0) vs. Forrest Griffin (17-6-0)Light Heavyweight Bout:
Jon Jones (11-1-0) vs. Ryan Bader (12-0-0)Bantamweight Bout:
Antonio Banuelos (18-6-0) vs. Miguel Angel Torres (38-3-0)Welterweight Bout:
Jake Ellenberger (22-5-0) vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha (9-0-0)
Preliminary Card:
Featherweight Bout:
Chad Mendes (9-0-0) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (12-8-1)Lightweight Bout:
Donald Cerrone (13-3-0) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3-0)Bantamweight Bout:
Demetrious Johnson (8-1-0) vs. Norifumi Yamamoto (18-3-0)Welterweight Bout:
Mike Pierce (11-1-0) vs. Kenny Robertson (10-0-0)Lightweight Bout:
Gabe Ruediger (17-6-0) vs. Paul Taylor (10-6-1, 1 NC)Light Heavyweight Bout:
Kyle Kingsbury (9-2-0, 1 NC) vs. Ricardo Romero (11-1-0)
This "Fantasy MMA Challenge" contest requires that you pick the winning fighters offered in the events, the method in which they will win and when they will win.
Here is how it works:
4 points to pick the winner.
3 points to pick the style of win : decision, sub or KO
3 points to pick when the fight is over if you get the winner right.
Method:
KO/TKO (votes as KO and TKO count as the same)
Decision (Majority, split and unanimous count as the same)
Submissions (all count as the same)
Most points wins
If there is a tie, the poster with more posts on wins the tie breaker
Prizes:
1st Place: 20,000
2nd Place: 10,000
3rd Place: 5,000Fight picks must be entered in this thread by February 5th, 2011 no later than 7:00PM East Coast Time.
The eighth in our series going through the categories on our UFC Official Records page, this post deals with the record holders for the highest volume of takedowns landed.What: This volume or "counting" stat is the most basic of all grappling metrics. It simply measures which fighters have been able to takedown their opponents more often than any other in UFC history.
Why: This category is as important to the grappling game as significant strikes landed is to the striking aspect of MMA. Fighters who can consistently takedown their opponents control the pace and position of the fight. While this metric doesn't account for things like ground control, it is still indicative of a highly effective technique; making an opponent think about the takedown that may be coming is effective in its own right.
Who:
Rank Fighter Total
1 Georges St-Pierre 66
2 Karo Parisyan 53
3 Gleison Tibau 52
4 Sean Sherk 50
5 Jon Fitch 48
6 Randy Couture 46
7 Rashad Evans 44
8 Clay Guida 41
9 Matt Hughes 40
10 Frank Edgar 35Who's Next: Expect a lot of volatility in this list because of how closely the fighters are bunched together, with only a few takedowns between them. The next three fighters (Josh Koscheck, Tito Ortiz, and Ricardo Almeida) are all still active and could easily make the list with another takedown-heavy performance.
The Breakdown: Another category that finds Georges St-Pierre on top. It's just another feather in his cap and piece of evidence pointing to him as the premier wrestler in the game. Most of the other names are not likely to surprise. We see a veritable who's who of the UFC's wrestling talent with names like Sherk, Couture, Fitch, Guida, and Hughes.
The two names that are a bit suprising are the ones in the #2 and #3 slot. It seems that both Karo Parisyan and Gleison Tibau are here for similar reasons. They have a pretty easy time getting an opponent to the ground, but they have not had too much success in keeping them there.
The Takeaway: This category is kind of a strange one. While showing up on this list is a testament to a fighter's takedown ability, it can also be a testament to their inability to hold their opponent down. For example, a fighter who lands a takedown at the start of a round and is able to control his opponent effectively won't need another takedown. Showing up here might be indicative of good wrestling but bad ground control.
