Catalin Morosanu v. Gary Goodridge Fight Video

by Fraser Coffeen on Nov 30, 2010 9:26 PM EST in Fight Videos

Here is one of the marquee matches from this past weekend's K-1 Scandinavia Rumble of the Kings show - Catalin Morosanu v. Gary Goodridge.

This was an important fight for Morosanu, as his last year has not been fantastic in-ring. A year ago, he was poised to be K-1's main Eastern European representative. But after an unnecessary DQ loss to Taiei Kin, and a bad showing against Errol Zimmerman where Morosanu looked terribly unprepared, the Romanian fighter has seen his K-1 status fade, as he's been replaced by both Daniel Ghita and Raul Catinas. This is his first big fight since that Zimmerman loss, though he did score a win in Sarajevo in October.

Goodridge is of course an MMA legend and one of the pioneers of both UFC and Pride. He once had a respectable K-1 career with wins over Mike Bernardo and Cyril Abidi, but those days are long behind him, as Goodridge has not won a pro fight, either MMA or kickboxing, in almost 4 years. He's currently on a combined 0-17-1 streak. But he's still a fighter who grabs my attention, and so, despite myself, I was looking forward to this one.

I had heard bad things about this fight and Goodridge's showing, but I thought he looked in pretty decent shape. It wasn't until the missed high kick near the end of round 1 that Goodridge falls apart, as he seems to hurt his leg on that kick. From there, he's done, though you have to appreciate how much he keeps coming forward and trying to push the action.

Morosanu looked good in some ways and bad in others. He definitely has a high volume output here, using a lot of punches to hurt Goodridge. But if he wants to move up, he really needs to tighten those shots up - that big looping right in particular is so wide that any striker with quicker hands should be able to counter it.

And am I alone in thinking that Morosanu pulled a bit of a jerk move with the fake glove touch and quick kick after Goodridge comes up favoring his leg in the 1st? Is that kind of thing really needed?

We'll have more of the Rumble of the Kings fights in the coming days.

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Morosanu 2nd in fans' poll after Aerts

why this guy isnt in a Superfight or Reserve match in Tokyo?

by Meeee on Dec 1, 2010 4:58 AM EST reply actions

K-1 is not really looking for a fair fight

What they are looking for, in my opinion, is a balance between a good fight and a popular one. Sometimes they would put together a very good match up, at other times they would organize a fight just cause people would like to see it.
The voting is only an option for them, something to inform the on the popularity of a fighter, but unfortunately does not guarantee a spot in the Finals.
It only shows how much the people here in Romania love Moro, or maybe just the fact that we have more time than other nations to spend at the computer and vote ;)

by natiuneaMMA on Dec 1, 2010 9:07 AM EST reply actions

Fraser, please allow me to dissagree

1. I think Garry, while deserving a lot of respect for his part in the full-contact sports scene, is well past done with it. He does not belong in the ring anymore. Not there in Stockholm, not here in Romania, an not anywhere else. I respect the man for what he was, but every fighter should know when to retire. Look at Ernesto Hoost if we ought to give an example. I think I counted about 10 punches from him, and an attempted high kick. That’s not a fight, by any measure.
2. Moro did look good, but I’d say only in heart. I did not really see any precision in his strikes, who landed mainly on Garry’s guard, nor did I see any stamina in his game. He looked a little overweight or a little under prepared for his size. I spoke with his coach, Mr Mihai Constantin a while ago, and he said Catalin is getting back in shape after The Dancing With the Stars contest (he won the first prize there by the way), where he went down to 86kg. Stockholm was, in my eyes, the proof he’s not quite there yet.
3. “The Death form the Carpathians” (LOL) is not a disrespectful fighter by any means (including the fight with Taiei Kin, where I think he just misunderstood the situation), so I don’t believe he did that on purpose. If you watch his interview after the fight (MAN I LOVE HIS ENGLISH :D ), you can see – from my point of view – that he just wanted a fight, and there was no foul play involved.

by natiuneaMMA on Dec 1, 2010 9:36 AM EST reply actions