Nathan Marquardt vs. Martin Kampmann UFC 88 (VIDEO)
Nathan Marquardt vs. Martin Kampmann UFC 88 (VIDEO)link
Also in middleweight action, Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) buckled Martin Kampmann (Pictures)’s knees less than a minute into their bout.
A head kick had done the damage, stunning Kampmann and sending him stumbling into the cage. Marquardt, 29, pursued with more punches while his opponent tried to tie him up.
Kampmann, 26, known as a good kickboxer, never recovered. Shortly after the head kick, he took a knee to the chin and went reeling across the Octagon, where again he was trapped against the fence. Marquardt was aggressive but smart, taking aim on his hurt opponent with accurate hooks and uppercuts.
“One thing I learned from my experience is not to just go crazy when you get a guy hurt like that,” said Marquardt, who improved to 27-8-2 while bouncing back from his split-decision loss to Thales Leites (Pictures) in June. “You have to get nice, accurate shots and land them right on the chin.”
That’s where his uppercuts connected on Kampmann. The strikes ripped through the Dane’s desperate defense, and a right hand to the body opened him up for a flurry that sat him down for good.
Marquardt was still punching when referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the bout at 1:22 for Kampmann’s first loss in the UFC.
Nathan Marquardt vs. Martin Kampmann UFC 88 (VIDEO)
Video of Dan Henderson's victory by decision over Rousimar Palhares at UFC 88.
Dan Henderson vs Rousimar Palhares UFC 88 (VIDEO)link
Dan Henderson (Pictures) entered UFC 88 on Saturday at Philips Arena in Atlanta staring at the possibility of three straight losses.
Worse yet, Rousimar Palhares (Pictures) is the caliber of opponent who could very well have handed him that third consecutive defeat. The 28-year-old Brazilian Top Team standout wasn’t well known entering the middleweight bout, but those who had seen him fight knew he could give Henderson trouble.
Right away each man’s strategy was clear. Palhares, wanting the fight on the ground, initiated the action with a takedown attempt. Henderson, wanting to stay on the feet, stuffed the shot and fed Palhares a right hand to the jaw.
Henderson, 38, fighting out of Team Quest in Temecula, Calif., punished Palhares for his failed takedowns. An uppercut dropped the Brazilian at one point, but his chin held up and sent the fight into the second round.
That stanza arguably went to Palhares, who wasn’t just shooting for takedowns. He used an unorthodox kicking game off scrambles to keep Henderson guessing and occasionally sucking air after catching a shin into his gut. Palhares also planted the lifelong wrestler on his back in the second round with a thudding slam, then quickly went to work on a heel hook that might have tapped a lesser opponent.
Henderson escaped, though, and shrugged off the danger after the fight.
“My knee was pretty much out the whole time,” he said. “I knew that I didn’t want to sit there, but I also knew that he really didn’t have it.”
Moments after the submission attempt, Henderson was back on his feet and countering takedowns with uppercuts that perhaps won him the round.
Rich Franklin’s return to the light heavyweight division was a relatively smooth one, as the former UFC middleweight champion downed the game but still evolving wrestler Matt Hamill (Pictures) with a left body kick for the referee stoppage 39 seconds into the third round at UFC 88 “Breakthrough” in Atlanta.
A move made out of necessity after two brutal losses to titleholder Anderson Silva (Pictures) -- who continues to wreck havoc through the middleweight division with no signs of stopping -- a focused Franklin utilized his experience, patience and poise to keep “The Ultimate Fighter 3” alumnus at bay.
Franklin (24-3) paced himself through the first round with inside and outside kicks. Hamill, who switched to a southpaw stance early on, didn’t land often but opened a sizable gash underneath Franklin’s right eye by grazing him with his left glove. A three-time NCAA wrestling champion, Hamill (4-2) executed his only takedown near the end of the first five-minute spell with ease, but couldn’t take advantage as Franklin flowed to an armbar attempt, then escaped to his feet with little effort.
The senior fighter held onto his lead into the second round, continuing to score against Hamill with a steady diet of leg and body kicks. Every attempt the 31-year-old Hamill made to close the distance was met with Franklin’s uppercuts and body knees in the clinch. Franklin only seemed in danger when referee Mario Yamasaki halted the bout briefly for a doctor’s evaluation of his gaping cut. But the fight continued on, and Franklin managed to open Hamill’s face in reply with his constant charge forward.
Franklin grounded his fellow Cincinnati native less than a minute into the final round with a spot-on left body kick. Hamill, whose only loss to Michael Bisping (Pictures) at UFC 75 a year ago was one of the most controversial decisions in UFC history, folded to the mat. Gripping his right side, Hamill tapped out just as the referee intervened.
Video of the shocking knockout of Chuck Liddell by Rashad Evans, at UFC 88. I'd like to see a full version where we see him come out to Immortal Technique, gotta love him for representing like that.
Rashad Evans vs, Chuck Liddell UFC 88 (VIDEO) link
Rashad Evans knocked Chuck Liddell cold Saturday at UFC 88 in Atlanta.
The shocking finish came at 1:51 of the second round. Liddell had backed his opponent into the cage, where the future UFC Hall of Famer loaded the right hand that has made him one of the few millionaire mixed martial artists.
Evans, an undefeated 28-year-old who has been fighting for roughly four years, flashed a jab that he followed quickly with an overhand right. At that precise moment, Liddell was throwing an uppercut. Evans’ punch landed first, and it landed on Liddell’s chin.
Liddell dropped instantly, and there was no doubt that the fight was over. He lay face-first on the canvas until referee Herb Dean (Pictures) rolled him over.
The fighters had covered plenty of ground during the first five minutes. They circled, pursued, were pursued, punched occasionally. It wasn’t a period worth replaying. Evans was elusive, but Liddell won the round.
Early in the second, Liddell seemed to get what he wanted: an exchange. Neither man connected with anything damaging, but Evans came out of it with the look of someone who had stood in the pocket with Liddell and more than survived there. Soon Evans was scoring with a left hook, and Liddell was closing in, thinking perhaps that Evans was falling into his game plan. The final exchange followed, leaving Liddell on the ground for several minutes before he was up and moving about again.
Video of John McCain's speech to the 2008 republican national convention.
John McCain Convention Speech, GOP 2008 (video) link
ohn McCain, a POW turned political rebel, vowed Thursday night to vanquish the "constant partisan rancor" that grips Washington as he launched his fall campaign for the White House. "Change is coming," he promised the roaring Republican National Convention and a prime-time television audience.
"Fight with me. Fight with me. Fight with me. Fight for what's right for our country," he said in a convention crescendo.
To repeated cheers from his delegates, McCain made only passing reference to an unpopular George W. Bush and criticized fellow Republicans as well as Democratic rival Barack Obama in reaching out to independents and swing voters who will pick the next president.
"We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us," he said of the Republicans who controlled Congress for a dozen years before they were voted out of office in 2006.
As for Obama, he said, "I will keep taxes low and cut them where I can. My opponent will raise them. I will cut government spending. He will increase it."
McCain's wife, Cindy, and ticketmate Sarah Palin and her husband joined him on stage as tens of thousands red, white and blue balloons cascaded from high above the convention floor.
Unlike Obama's speech a week ago, McCain offered no soaring oratory until his speech-ending summons to fight for the country's future.
But his own measured style left his crowd cheering, and as is his habit in campaign stops around the country, he stepped off the stage to plunge into the crowd after his speech.
McCain's appearance was the climax of the final night of the party convention, coming after delegates made Palin the first female vice presidential nominee in Republican history.
Video of Rudy Giuliani's hate filled speech at the 2008 Republican Convention. This entire night of the convention was like a hate rally, so negative! It's hard to believe them when they say they want to reach across party lines, after performances like we saw tonight.
Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani launched a scalding assault on Barack Obama on Wednesday, branding him the least experienced presidential candidate in 100 years.
The hero of September 11, 2001, rocked the Republican convention to the rafters as the party's vaunted attack machine awoke and tore into the Democrats in a bid to erase Obama's lead in the polls ahead of the November 4 election.
"He is the least experienced candidate for president of the United States in at least the last 100 years," said Giuliani, combining forensic prosecutorial skills with the bare knuckles of a political streetfighter.
"Not a personal attack, a statement of fact. Barack Obama has never led anything, nothing, nada."
Giuliani, who became an American hero after his role in stewarding his city through the September 11 attacks, also rode to the defense of under-fire Republican vice presidential pick Sarah Palin.
Democrats have argued that Palin's first elective office as the mayor of a small Alaska town is barely a blip on her resume, as she argues she has the requisite experience to serve a "heartbeat" away from the presidency.
But Giuliani gave the impression that as a former mayor himself, he was offended.
"I'm sorry that Barack Obama feels that her hometown isn't cosmopolitan enough," Giuliani said, sparking gales of laughter from the convention audience.
"I'm sorry, Barack, that it's not flashy enough," said Giuliani, plugging into a Republican attack narrative that the Democratic presidential nominee is an elitist and a "celebrity."
"Maybe they cling to religion there," he said, again bringing the house down, referencing an unguarded comment that Obama made at a fundraiser during the Democratic primary that some working class Americans bitter at their economic circumstances turn to gun ownership and religion.
Video of Sarah Palin's convention speech at the 2008 Republican convention, GOP 2008.. a very well delivered speech from Gov. Sarah Palin, although very negative, and insulting people who work in the community was an unfortunate thing for her to do. She was insulting many people in the GOP base who work in the community with their church.. strange thing to do.
Sarah Palin Convention Speech, GOP 2008 (video) link
In the most important speech of her life, Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin fired back Wednesday against the media and the "Washington elite" for raising questions about her personal and political background.
"I've learned quickly these past few days that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone," Palin said in excerpts of her speech to the Republican convention, released in advance.
"But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country."
Most Americans had never heard of her a week ago, but Palin was taking centre stage at the party's convention in the hopes of earning their trust.
The 44-year-old Alaskan governor played up her small-town roots and her experience as mayor of Wasilla, a town with the population of 6,700.
Sarah Palin, McCain's GOP Vice President PIck (VIDEO)
Video of Sarah Palin accepting John McCain's invitation to be his Vice President candidate. Sarah Palin is Governor of Alaska, and now the shocking choice for VP on the GOP ticket, chosed by John McCain today.
Sarah Palin, McCain's GOP Vice President Pick (VIDEO) National Review
[Problems with GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin, as pointed out by the conservative National Review]
Inexperience. Sarah Palin has been governor for about two minutes. Thanks to McCain’s decision, Sarah Palin could be commander-in-chief next year. That may strike people as a reckless choice; it strikes me that way. And McCain's age raised the stakes on this issue.
As a political matter, it undercuts the case against Obama. Conservatives are pointing out that it is tricky for the Obama campaign to raise the issue of her inexperience given his own, and note that the presidency matters more than the vice-presidency. But that gets things backward. To the extent the experience, qualifications, and national-security arguments are taken off the table, Obama wins.
And it’s not just foreign policy. Palin has no experience dealing with national domestic issues, either. (On the other hand, as Kate O’Beirne just told me, we know that Palin will be ready for that 3 a.m. phone call: She’ll already be up with her baby.)
Tokenism. Can anyone say with a straight face that Palin would have gotten picked if she were a man?
Compatibility. It doesn’t seem as though McCain knows Palin well. Do we have much reason to think they would work well together?
Debates. Maybe, as Jonah said the other day, Biden will look like a bully going up against her—and maybe she’ll shine. But I can think of a lot of other picks who would have been lower-risk.
I am not even sure that the pick will have quite the galvanizing effect on conservatives that it seems to be having now as it sinks in. The concerns I’ve mentioned here—about her readiness and her credentials—are the kind of thing that many conservative voters take seriously.
Now, as I said, there are pros too. Maybe Palin will be a terrific candidate and vice president. But let’s not underestimate the potential downside.
Sarah Palin, McCain's GOP Vice President PIck (VIDEO)
Video of Barack Obama's grand slam home run speech in Denver, for the 2008 Democratic Convention, DNC 2008.
Barack Obama Convention Speech, DNC 2008 (VIDEO) link
Barack Obama promised tonight, in his 2008 convention speech, to fix the ``broken politics'' of Washington and preserve the ideals of a nation that allowed him to become the first black presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party.
``This moment -- this election -- is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive,'' Obama told more than 75,000 supporters at Denver's Invesco Field as he accepted the Democratic Party's nomination. ``We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight.''
Obama in his DNC 2008 speech spoke 45 years to the day after Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his ``I Have a Dream'' speech, and he drew on that historic legacy. His parents, a Kenyan and a white woman from Kansas, ``shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to,'' Obama said.
Democrats had high expectations for tonight's 2008 convention speech from Obama; it was Obama's keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 that propelled him to national prominence. He used the acceptance speech to tell Americans more about himself, while arguing that he is a better candidate to lead the country than presumed Republican nominee John McCain...
...He directly criticized McCain, tying him to the ``failed policies'' of President George W. Bush that he said were responsible for the declining fortunes of American workers.
``John McCain doesn't get it,'' Obama said. The Arizona senator subscribes to an ``old discredited Republican philosophy'' that rewards the rich and leaves others worse off, he said. ``It's time for them to own their failure,'' Obama said. ``It's time for us to change America.''
Obama said McCain voted for the president's positions 90 percent of the time.
``What does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time?'' Obama asked. ``I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change.''
Full video of Joe Biden's VP nominee acceptance speech at the Democratic convention, DNC 2008.
Joe Biden DNC 2008, Convention Speech (VIDEO) link
Democratic vice presidential pick Joseph Biden declared war on the Republicans, warning America did not need a "good soldier" but a wise leader to guide it through troubled times.
In a fierce opening salvo as Joe Biden joined Barack Obama in the battle for the White House, the Delaware senator's speech echoed a chorus of voices from the convention floor denouncing the "catastrophic foreign policy" of the Republicans.
And while he paid homage to the war record of Republican White House hopeful John McCain, he accused him and the administration of President George W. Bush of failed judgement and neglect, saying it was time to end the war in Iraq.
"As we gather here tonight, our country is less secure and more isolated than at any time in recent history," said Biden, 65, whose eldest son, Beau, will soon deploy to Iraq with the National Guard.
Joe Biden DNC 2008, Convention Speech (VIDEO)
Drawing on his 36 years in Senate and his vast foreign policy experience, he savaged the Republican Party accusing it of failing to protect the American people in what he called "extraordinary times."
"The Bush-McCain foreign policy has dug us into a very deep hole, with very few friends to help us climb out. For the last seven years this administration has failed to face the biggest forces shaping this century," he said.
The Bush administration had failed to address issues such as "the emergence of Russia, China and India as great powers, the spread of lethal weapons," as well as climate change "and the resurgence of fudamentalism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the real central front against terrorism."
Joe Biden DNC 2008 Speech Video
"The choice in this election is clear. These times require more than a good soldier; they require a wise leader, a leader who can deliver change, the change everybody knows we need..."
...Obama's call to the veteran Delaware senator Joe Biden has been seen by many as an admission that Obama's own meteoric rise and crusade for change are undercut by inexperience and fragile bonds with blue-collar Democrats.
But Biden showed off all his wit and rhetorical skills Wednesday raising the roof with his speech, before Obama joined him on the stage for a show-stopping finish.
