“Countdown To UFC 78″ Debuts Tonight
By: Kris Karkoski | Nov 12, 2007
The UFC’s official preview show for UFC 78: Validation, Countdown to UFC 78, debuts tonight at midnight ET on Spike TV. Main card fighters Michael Bisping, Rashad Evans, Houston Alexander and Thiago Alves will all be featured on the hour-long show.
The show will be replayed on Thursday, November 15th at 11pm ET and Saturday, November 17th at 6pm ET.
I always like watching these UFC Countdown shows. I like to see how each fighter trains and sometimes we don’t know who a fighter might have trained with prior to a fight and in these UFC Countdown shows sometimes we get to see who a fighter trains with prior to their fight.
The only thing that doesn’t make sense to me is why Spike or the UFC would air the show at Midnight?
Yeah, they did that show about the UFC, where Joe Rogan hosted it midnight, also. Not sure what their marketing tactic is there. Most of us have jobs. Thank god for DVRs.
No disrespect to Thiago but he is going to get that record of his tainted with Loss to Houston Alexander TKO 1st Round.
Agreed Doyle. I think Houston will make it to Rampage, only to get TKO’d at the beginning of the 2nd. (I’m calling it now).
probably wont watch the countdown because i’m not paying for this piss poor PPV
http://www.tv.com/story/10439.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=news&tag=headlines;title;0
UFC might air specials on CBS in prime time, read the article to hear the rest
I think its Thiago Silva not Thiago Alves? correct?
Yeah, it’s Silva. Alves is fighting Chris Lytle on the undercard.
I used to watch the countdown shows right before the PPV. It is nice having them on earlier in the week to see. I wounder if it is for betting purpose. They can easily “SWAY” a fanbase with a good story.
I love countdown and I agree its on too late. Predictions: Rashad FTW! Probably by decision though. Bisping isn’t easy to finish. Then I’d put Rashad next in line for Rampage. I’m takin’ Alexander to continue his madness and win with a TKO in the first. Karo over Ryo by lame decision, and Fisher over Edgar by KO in the first.
Im having to pull for my fellow Brit…ground and pound finish by Bisping…You read it here first…
Rashad is gonna hurt Bisping. I dont see him putting up much of a fight.
Rashad > Bisping
Alexander > Silva
Should both be good matches, but I’ll be surprised if they do well in the PPV numbers. I still don’t think either can draw (wasn’t Ortiz originally supposed to fight but he was injured?).
Can’t put Evans or Bisping next in line for the title. Griffin or Jardine have a stronger claim to a match against Jackson with their impressive victories over Rua & Liddell respectively (actually an argument could be made for Alexander who defeated Jardine, who defeated Griffin).
They may do OK in the PPV sales since it is part of the PPV three pack deal they offered. I purchased it because it was the samee price as purchasing them 1 by 1, but I got the “Ultimate KOs 4″ video, a Tapout beebie, and a membership to the UFC fan club. It was worth it, and the fights are pretty good. They just won’t get any of the casual fans to purchase it.
I agree with you on some points but not others Vamp.. I’d have to be pulling for alexander to get a title shot if he wins. I can’t agree with jardine having a strong arguement, true he beat liddell and griffin but liddell is now on a 2 fight losing streak and who has griffin beat besides the improbably upset of shogun? If the UFC is truly based on you’re only as good as your last fight then i’d have to agree that it should be griffin or jardine. otherwise i’d have to go with the winner of Evans/Bisping or Alexander if he can continiue his 30 second fights against top guys..
“Karo over Ryo by lame decision”
Uhhh, yeah. Hardly. Karo is no KO specialist, but he has NEVER had a “lame” decision. All of his fights could be fight of the year. The loss to Dirty Diego Sanchez notwithstanding, he is one of the best welterweights in the world, period. One good thing that came out of that loss is Karo’s vastly improved standup, which he demonstrated against both Fickett and Burkman.
Ryu Chonan is going to be in for a rude welcoming to the UFC. I don’t expect Karo to knock him out, but a very dominating decision in Karo’s favour will happen on the 17th.
I think Chonan/Parisian will be a great fight(as long as Karo doesn’t sing afterwords) Parisian (like he says) has at least 1 brilliant Jitz throw in EVERY fight, and his stand up HAS improved GREATLY. I think the Silva/Alexander is going to be ATOMIC. Somebody will bleed. Maybe everybody. Maybe even “Big” John. I’m getting a bloody nose just thinking about it. I hope they have a stretcher near by, because they are both devistating fighters. I think that Alexander may be powerful enough to stay off the ground, but who knows. Maybe he has some good ground skills, but I wouldn’t recommend using a fight with Silva to show them off, because he would get broken.
PS-Does anybodyknow if Wanderlei, Thiago, or Anderson(any of them) are related in any way? They all fight, or used to fight for Chute’ Boxe’. Just wondering.
I dont know about relations but i believe Silva is a common brazillian name.. Like Smith here in the US
I do think the heat vs pirhana fight will be a good one. If you guys remember Chonan was the last guy to legitimately beat Anderson Silva. Chonan looked better on the ground against Silva and withstood the onslaught in the stand up game to pull off that amazing body scissors to a heel hook combination.
I like Karo, but his best days are behind him IMO, he has been fighting since he was 15! Remember his fight with St. Pierre, eventhough he lost, Karo was quick and explosive.
He seems kind of worn out to me. I don’t see him ever holding the belt, which, really isn’t an indictment on him, but the reality that 170 lb division is tough and stacked.
Karo is an arrogant ****. I hope he gets beat. Ryo could be great or not-so in the UFC, never know about former Pride guys. Who knows? I pick Rashad, decision; Ryo, submission; Alexander TKO; Edgar, TKO. We’ll see.
Agreed with above. I can’t stand Karo, and even with that aside, he can’t finish a fight. That why his fights bore me more and more. I’m sick of seeing the same this. “Judo throw!”.
I think Karo will probably win but I hope he loses by some amazing Chonan submission. As for the lightheavyweights at hand and their title shots… 1: Evans 2: Griffin 3: Bisping 4: Jardine. I’d think both Alexander and T. Silva would have to win one or two more fights in impressive fashion to get a title shot.
Forrest and Jardine should both already be WAY higher than Rashad. Forrest BEAT Shogun Rua and Jardine BEAT Chuck Liddell. What it Rashad famouse for? Oh yeah, he was given a DRAW because Tito lost a point. So how can you give Rashad a shot, and not even mention Tito? He drew with him, shouldn’t he get one? All kidding aside, if they give the winner of the Bisbing/Evans fight a title shot, that will be BS. Neither of them is top ten in my mind(yet) Jardine and Forrest come first (Jardine cause he layed Fo out, then Fo, cause he tapped Rua for christ sakes)
any given day scotchydow anyone can win or lose. BUT you just contradicted yourself.. lol “Neither of them is top ten in my mind(yet) Jardine and Forrest come first (Jardine cause he layed Fo out, then Fo, cause he tapped Rua for christ sakes)
”
In case you forgot Rashad beat Jardine and he beat jason lambert when they were claiming lambert was the next big thing. Who has Forrest beat besides RUA? Bonner? Rashad beat him too. The same goes for Jardine.. who has he beat besides Liddell
I do believe Rashad is the real thing. If he wins this in a big way, give him a title shot. Jardine got beat a couple of fights ago. Forrest got beat not long ago, also. One more win for each of them before their title shot. If Rashad wins, give him a shot. I would like to see Tito-Rashad 2 some day, also, but not too soon. I think Matt Hamill should get a big name fight next, instead of a rematch with Bisping. Let him fight someone else and see if he should be in the mix at the top. Tito should fight Wanderlei, win or lose. I still want to see that rematch.
What I was saying is Rashad hasn’t BEAT any big names. A DRAW with Tito doesn’t count in my mind (because Tito would have won has it not been for the lost point) I think Rashad needs a win over a big name before he gets a shot is all. Maybe the winner of Silva/Alexander vs. the winner of Evans/Bisbing should get a title shot, but I don’t think thaey deserve one yet. I do remember that Rashad won a decision over Jardine. I still don’t think it takes him into top five. A win over Liddell or Rua is the type of win that sends you up that ladder. Maybe if Rashad would have beaten Tito, I would feel differently, but I am going off of recent wins, not wins 3 or 4 years ago.
Sean - re #16 - I still have a problem with the winner getting a shot (Bisping hasn’t defeated a contender and Evans had a draw with Ortiz). I’m not saying the winner doesn’t deserve a shot, but later in 2008. I would be fine with them fast-tracking Alexander for a shot over all of the fighters we discussed.
i totally agree vamp.. another devistating win for alexander and he should get a title shot.. look at anderson silva. he had one fight in the ufc before his title shot.. and chris leben wasn’t exactly top level in my opinion