Wake up!
Demian Maia and Jake Shields are done laying on each other, guys.
UFC Fight Night 29 fizzled with a lackluster main event between two welterweight grappling wizards, but the rest of the card was…okay.
The night was garnished with an absolutely vicious Knockout of the Night, a cringe-worthy Submission of the Night (or was it?), and an entertaining back-and-forth tilt between bantamweight contenders tossed around in a salad of disappointment.
Let’s see who pleased the fans and walked home with inflated pockets.
Knockout of the Night: Dong Hyun Kim
You didn’t see this one coming. You just didn’t.
I know anything can happen in mixed martial arts, but when Dong Hyun Kim faced the powerful youngster Erick Silva in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 29, fans and critics foresaw one of two outcomes:
1) Erick Silva would finish Dong Hyun Kim.
2) Dong Hyun Kim would smother Erick Silva, out-grappling him to a unanimous decision.
Instead, we were treated to:
3) Erick Silva lays the beatdown on Dong Hyun Kim in Round 2, nearly finishing him before eating a crushing overhand left from the “Stun Gun” that flattens him and sends him to the land of the unconscious.
Yeah, or that.
Dong Hyun Kim, enjoy your $50,000 bonus. You have earned it. This was by far the most exciting moment of the entire event.
Submission of the Night
There was one submission at UFC Fight Night 29, and it was brutal.
Former middleweight Rousimar Palhares debuted at welterweight against Mike Pierce, and he went to work quickly.
In Round 1, Palhares secured a disgusting heel hook that left Pierce writhing in pain, tapping frantically for the referee to halt the contest.
Pierce tapped. And he tapped.
The referee intervened.
Pierce continued to tap.
Palhares would not let go of the submission, something that has earned him a suspension in the past.
After eight (I counted) taps from Pierce, including three after the referee was clearly trying to break up the fight, Palhares released his hold.
That is inexcusable—a point recognized by the UFC, as they denied Palhares his post-fight bonus.
For being a poor sport, Mr. Palhares, you lose out on $50,000.
Maybe you should just be a decent person next time.
Fight of the Night
Raphael Assuncao and T.J. Dillashaw showcased everything beautiful about MMA in their bantamweight tilt, and each man received a hefty post-fight bonus for his effort.
The two 135-pound standouts struck, grappled and wrestled their way to a Fight of the Night performance, pleasing fans and putting the bantamweight division on notice in the process.
While Assuncao emerged victorious in the fight, Dillashaw showed off plenty of skills that prove he is an elite 135-pounder in the sport’s deepest promotion.
These calls are tough to argue, as Kim’s knockout was clearly the finest of the evening, and Palhares‘ submission deserved disqualification based on his unsportsmanlike activity.
The only debate I see comes with the Fight of the Night, where Joey Beltran and Fabio Maldonado hosted an entertaining, back-and-forth slugfest as anticipated.
Still, Assuncao and Dillashaw were much more technical and a better representation of the sport’s finest athletes, so they are slightly more deserving for the award, in my opinion.
What do you think? Do you agree with the post-fight bonuses? Sound off, and we’ll discuss.
Like MMA, heavy metal or life’s absurdities? Follow @HunterAHomistek
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