George Sotiropolous

[ColWallace]

I'm not a massive mma fan, but occasionally I tune in and just as often mma produces some good action.

I like the Australian UFC fighter, George Sotiropoulos, who seems a very humble fellow. He's got an all-action fighting style, and he's a good boxer by mma standards. Here's a quote from him in the Sydney Morning Herald today:

"Fighting is like a turtle that lays eggs on the beach, then the turtles hatch and have to make their way down to the water and swim out to sea, and that are those who didn't get eaten by birds and other predators. Then they have to swim out to the marshes and that is tough, then there are sharks waiting there to eat them.

"You have to go through all of that just to get to the sharks.

"There are all these things to look out for, injuries and unforeseen problems. You have to be like a cat in the rain, it never steps in the puddle, it always looks around where it puts its paw."

What a fantastic stream of allegorical cliches!

[ColWallace]

Ah well, so much for trying to steer conversation away from you know who.

Er, the official Michael Katsidis website goes up tomorrow. They might be selling hoodies. Wouldn't that be nice?

[Philfy]

I really like George as well. He's a very well rounded fighter. You can see his boxing pedigree shine through when he fights. He moves well and he has an excellent ground game.

He also won me some $ $ $ when he defeated Joe Stevenson at UFC in Sydney. Anybody go to that one?

[ColWallace]

I didn't go but watched the whole card on One HD. Was amazed that tickets sold out in a couple of hours before the card had been announced. I went to Green-Jones and there were plenty of empty seats in the top sections. Even the closed circuit rooms sold out in Homebush for the UFC.

I liked George's fight. Easily one of the best on the card. He absolutely schooled Joe Stevenson whenever they started boxing. It was embarrassing for Stevenson.

George is fighting Kurt Pellegrino in Las Vegas this weekend. I don't know anywhere that's showing it but I'll be interested in how George goes. Interesting the UFC actually paid a writer from the Herald to go to Vegas and cover the fight. I'm starting to admire the way they go about business in the light of the endless Pacquiao-Mayweather soap opera. I know boxers are earning more in one fight then mma fighters are in their whole careers, but at least the fights are getting made and the fans are happy.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/boxing/t...0701-zqjn.html

[Philfy]

I didn't go but watched the whole card on One HD. Was amazed that tickets sold out in a couple of hours before the card had been announced. I went to Green-Jones and there were plenty of empty seats in the top sections. Even the closed circuit rooms sold out in Homebush for the UFC.

I liked George's fight. Easily one of the best on the card. He absolutely schooled Joe Stevenson whenever they started boxing. It was embarrassing for Stevenson.

George is fighting Kurt Pellegrino in Las Vegas this weekend. I don't know anywhere that's showing it but I'll be interested in how George goes. Interesting the UFC actually paid a writer from the Herald to go to Vegas and cover the fight. I'm starting to admire the way they go about business in the light of the endless Pacquiao-Mayweather soap opera. I know boxers are earning more in one fight then mma fighters are in their whole careers, but at least the fights are getting made and the fans are happy.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/boxing/t...0701-zqjn.html

Dana White is a shrewd businessman. He knows that if you keep the fans happy and entertained then the sport will continue to grow. Putting UFC 110 on free-to-air TV was a smart move for its Australian debut. Everybody tuned in, even some who probably had no interest in it at the time.

It's apparent to me that Dana White is building up Sotiropolous to be an Aussie UFC star. It's good for business, hence funding an Aussie journo to cover the fight. Expect him to be the headline act when UFC returns here.

One of the main things I like about UFC is that the fights are generally evenly matched and there's nary a fighter with a padded record. Even when a fighter loses, it's not the end of the world. They dust themselves off and get another crack soon enough.

Good Luck to George, I like his story. Cheers for the link.

[The Muss]

I like Sotiropolous. Thought he seemed like a true professional on The Ultimate Fighter. Well rounded fighter too with pro boxing experience and a BJJ black belt.

Would do big things for the sport in Australia if George can really crack the upper echelon and challenge in the division.

I wouldn't mind seeing him against Nate Diaz if they both win their next fights.

Article on George by Dan Koch:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/fueltv/s...017627,00.html

[buster007]

i read that interview too.

this guy has gone to hell and back. of all people who deserve an ounce of luck to climb his way to the top it is this bloke.

hope he goes as far as he wants to.

[The Muss]

Pellegrino is no joke. The guy is better than good in all areas. Wrestling pedigree, black belt, credible hands with good power. There are so many good fights on that card.

[ColWallace]

Good news! George survived some anxious moments in the last seconds of the fight to win a clear UD over Pellegrino.

[Sine]

Yeah he's a legitmate top 10 (or better) lightweight.

Very well rounded. For MMA he has pretty good boxing skills. Good foot work and head movement, works of an active jab. I believe he had 40 or 50 amateur boxing fights and won a state title for his division.

Obviously his bread and butter is his BJJ though, being one of the handful of legitimate BJJ Black Belts from Australia. Transitions and chains submission together really well and has a very good rubber guard probably picked up from his time in 10th planet with Eddie Bravo.

He seems to be a nice, softly spoken gentleman as well.