Mark Bocek knocked off John Alessio by unanimous decision at UFC 145 and ruined “The Natural’s” return to the UFC.
The battle of the Canadians was never really close, as Bocek controlled the pace of the fight and did pretty much everything he wanted. Here’s a look at what we learned from this fight.
John Alessio Wasn’t Quite Ready for a Comeback
Alessio had been on quite a roll, winning 10 of his last 11 fights. However, he hadn’t fought in the UFC since he lost to Diego Sanchez back in May of 2006.
It appeared tonight that he wasn’t really ready for a return.
When Alessio was actually able to stay on his feet, he was effective. It’s just too bad for him that the only time he stayed on his feet was late in the third round. He landed a bunch of solid punches and put in some good damage on Bocek, but it was too little, too late.
His inability to control the positioning for 90 percent of the fight was Alessio’s downfall. The Natural just didn’t seem ready.
Mark Bocek Is Comfortable on the Ground
Bocek’s plan was clear in this one. At the beginning of every round, he went straight for the takedown, and unfortunately for Alessio, he got it every time.
Once he secured his takedowns, Bocek delivered an array of elbows, punches and other punishing blows.
Bocek is a submission ace, and although he didn’t get one in this matchup, it was clear that he’s even a little underrated in that aspect of the game.
Bocek Is Ready for a Big-Time Run
Before Bocek lost to Benson Henderson back in April of 2011, I felt that he was going to surprise the world and get the win.
But he didn’t look ready for that fight. No worry though, because Henderson can make anyone look like an average fighter.
Since then, however, the Canadian has now won two fights in a row, and he looked much better in this one. It’s a big question as to whether or not he’ll get another big-time fight, but if Bocek continues to fight like this, he has the capability to really make some noise.
I would enjoy seeing him going up against someone with an equally impressive ground game in his next fight. If he gets past that, look out for the 30-year-old.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com