UFC 73: Stacked - From the Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA

[Kagemaru]

Had a good position this time around. The fights live were entertaining, inspite of the reviews from the pay per view.

Here are some of my favorites from the evening.

George Gurgel (In Black) vs Diego Saraiva

http://kagemaru.smugmug.com/photos/171257439-L.jpg

Stephan Bonnar (bottom) ties up Mike Nikels

http://kagemaru.smugmug.com/photos/171257462-L.jpg

I don't remember exactly what was going on here. From what I remember, Heath Herring (crazy hair guy) knocked down Nogeira with a left kick. He didn't finish him off thinking the ref was going to stop the fight but he didn't. I think the ref is standing Nogeira up as Herring pleads with the ref to stop it.

http://kagemaru.smugmug.com/photos/171257473-L.jpg

Hermes Franca lands a knee to the face of Sean Sherk as Sherk goes in for the takedown. Sherk would hold on to his belt by winning a decision over Franca.

http://kagemaru.smugmug.com/photos/171257489-L.jpg

Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz exchange blows. The fight would end in a draw.

http://kagemaru.smugmug.com/photos/171257511-L.jpg

Anderson Silva leaps from the cage after his TKO victory over Nate Marquadt.

http://kagemaru.smugmug.com/photos/171257555-L.jpg

Alvin Robinson taps to strikes from Kenny Florian

http://kagemaru.smugmug.com/photos/171257602-L.jpg

Frankie Edgar drops an elbow on Mark Bocek

http://kagemaru.smugmug.com/photos/171257636-L.jpg

The pics look a little dark on my computer here at work, they looked good at home...

Most shots with Mark IIn, ISO 1600, F2.8, 1/500th. The arena seemed a bit dark this time as well.

[thekid24]

Nice shots.

You mean Tito couldnt beat Evans? HAHA

[McBride61]

I like the shots but I hate the cage. Have anymore?

[JohnJ]

I like 'em... especially the "victory leap" and the knee to Sherk's grape. Do you normally have to bump it up to 1600 for a televised event?

John

[bob393]

Great work!

[Miyagi-san]

nice, especially a freeze frame of tito catching a fist with his head :D

[drandtus]

WOW, great set. Love the Ortiz/Evans shot.

[Kagemaru]

I like the shots but I hate the cage. Have anymore?

Yeah the cage is a serious pain in the A**. Under certain situations you can almost make it go away and in some it's totally annoying!

I like 'em... especially the "victory leap" and the knee to Sherk's grape. Do you normally have to bump it up to 1600 for a televised event?

John

Yeah I use 1600 because I want the fastest shutter speed possible. The MIIn is quite noisy though at 1600.

Great work!

Thanks!

[DCM Canon]

Very nice!! Thanks for sharing! I bet its a blash live. We aways enjoy them on PPV

[MikeI]

Great set! Love the Evans shot...I can't believe it ended in a draw!!!!

[achristian]

Yeah, I would agree that they look a little dark. Nothing too bad and can easily be lightened up. Gives me some food for thought as I will be at an event soon and am looking to shoot. One of my friends is fighting for Renzo Gracie unless he goes to Brazil to fight. I will post when I get them.

[rickydiver]

Great series off shots you have there, I presume you were ring/cage side shooting here? Thanks for sharing them, would love to go to one of these events one day but I dont think they have Scotland planned anytime soon;)
Cheers Ricky

[Kagemaru]

Great series off shots you have there, I presume you were ring/cage side shooting here? Thanks for sharing them, would love to go to one of these events one day but I dont think they have Scotland planned anytime soon;)
Cheers Ricky

yeah I was cageside.

They might go to Scottland. They've been to England twice and Ireland once with another show in London in Sep. Cross your fingers!

[ironbelle]

Man you had great position. Some shots you see no cage at all. It's like you were perched on top of the cage or something. Are you shooting through the cage or is there actually a small opening that is not caged in. I've not been to an MMA event, only a boxing match.

[Kagemaru]

Man you had great position. Some shots you see no cage at all. It's like you were perched on top of the cage or something. Are you shooting through the cage or is there actually a small opening that is not caged in. I've not been to an MMA event, only a boxing match.

I'm shooting through the cage the whole time. That's one of th reasons I always try to shoot at 2.8, the DOF is shallow enough to almost make the cage disapear. It work best when the fighters are directly in front of me at the opposite side of the cage. It gets tricky when I have to shoot at tight angles to the cage, the apparent size of the openings in the cage are smaller and makes it really hard to find focus..

[ironbelle]

I thought shooting boxing was a pain shooting between ropes to keep the front ropes out of the pic, but this takes the cake. I want to try this maybe. After shooting my first boxing shoot and experiencing blood, sweat/vaseline splatter, I'll have to think about MMA.

[DwightMcCann]

Great job!

[Kagemaru]

Great job!

Thanks Dwight, I appreciate it.

[Linkzi]

Great series! exciting captures...

[goatee]

Great shots. You're right about the Herring shot - he let Noguera get up, and ultimately lost the fight because of that. The next round he took it really easy on him, and by the third, Noguera had recovered, and won.

I love watching Silva fight - his Muay Thai techniques are just so graceful - looks more like dancing than the brawling some fights end up with.

The Ortiz / Evans fight was also really good - both superb fighters, and I can't wait for the rematch :D.

It's funny, as I was watching it, I was wondering if there were any POTN shooters cageside :).

We don't have to watch on PPV here in the UK - it's free on Bravo.