The matchmaking for this past weekend’s UFC 223 headliner had more twists and turns than a Hollywood blockbuster. However, it’s far from the only time in the promotion’s history that the UFC’s matchmakers have been left scrambling at the last minute to find short-notice replacements. In this article, we’ll look back at 10 classic examples […]
The matchmaking for this past weekend’s UFC 223 headliner had more twists and turns than a Hollywood blockbuster.
However, it’s far from the only time in the promotion’s history that the UFC’s matchmakers have been left scrambling at the last minute to find short-notice replacements.
In this article, we’ll look back at 10 classic examples of new opponents unexpectedly materializing out-of-the-blue in the final days before a big event to ensure that the show could still go on.
Fred Ettish vs. Johnny Rhodes
You have to dig deep into the history books to find out the shortest-notice fight ever in UFC history.
The night before UFC 2 in March of 1994, alternate fighter Fred Ettish was informed that he wouldn’t be fighting on the show, but he was invited to help out behind-the-scenes to make sure that the other fighters had everything they needed and were ready to fight on time.
On the night, Ettish was working backstage when one of the UFC’s head honchos Rorion Gracie urgently approached and asked if he could step in at the last minute to replace Freek Hamaker, who had just injured his hand during his opening round victory in the tournament.
Ettish estimates he had as little as 10-20 minutes to prepare, in which time he had to gather his gear, cornermen and do the briefest of warm-ups, before heading out to fight his opponent, Johnny Rhodes.
Unfortunately for Ettish, his bravery that night didn’t pay off as a disappointing performance against Rhodes led to a first-round submission loss, while he then cruelly became something of a laughing stock among MMA fans at the time, though these days he’s become more fondly remembered and respected.
I’ve always been a bit of an oddball MMA fan when it comes to picking my “favorite” fighters. While respecting the otherworldly athleticism of a Jon Jones, the otherworldly physique of a Alistair Overeem, or the otherworldly riddum of a Georges St. Pierre, I would never list any of those guys in even my top 10 favorites. What can I say? Being a fan of Jon Jones (the fighter, at least) is just too easy for an anti-establishment renegade like myself — like being a Lakers fan in the early aughts or a Patriots fan ever.
This is all a way of saying that I always found myself drawn to fighters who were more, well, human. I’m talking about the “everymen” of the sport — the guys who started off on the coveted bar fighting circuit or doing a little training on the side before finding out that they had some translatable skills to bring to the game. I’m talking about your old school, cornfed, perpetually 40-year-old-looking dudes who may have never been a champion, but always made sure to 1) show up and 2) turn in a memorable, fan-pleasing performances. I’m talking about your Jeremy Horns, your Chris Lytles, and your Anthony Peroshes.
Which is why I’m both saddened and relieved to learn that, following a pair of tough first round losses to Sean O’Connell and Gian Villante, “The Hippo” will be hanging up his gloves for good.
I’ve always been a bit of an oddball MMA fan when it comes to picking my “favorite” fighters. While respecting the otherworldly athleticism of a Jon Jones, the otherworldly physique of a Alistair Overeem, or the otherworldly riddum of a Georges St. Pierre, I would never list any of those guys in even my top 10 favorites. What can I say? Being a fan of Jon Jones (the fighter, at least) is just too easy for an anti-establishment renegade like myself — like being a Lakers fan in the early aughts or a Patriots fan ever.
This is all a way of saying that I always found myself drawn to fighters who were more, well, human. I’m talking about the “everymen” of the sport — the guys who started off on the coveted bar fighting circuit or doing a little training on the side before finding out that they had some translatable skills to bring to the game. I’m talking about your old school, cornfed, perpetually 40-year-old-looking dudes who may have never been a champion, but always made sure to 1) show up and 2) turn in a memorable, fan-pleasing performances. I’m talking about your Jeremy Horns, your Chris Lytles, and your Anthony Peroshes.
Which is why I’m both saddened and relieved to learn that, following a pair of tough first round losses to Sean O’Connell and Gian Villante, “The Hippo” will be hanging up his gloves for good.
In a statement released on his website last night, Perosh reflected on his up-and-down career with the vigor and optimism of a man half his age, writing.
I’m retiring from fighting in MMA. I‘ve had a great career in MMA spanning 12 years, 25 fights, 15 wins & 5 wins in the UFC all by stoppage and 3 by Rear Naked Choke. I always went out for the win by stoppage and I am proud of what I have achieved in my career.
I am 43 years old (young!) and I told myself I would retire if I either couldn’t keep up with the training, didn’t want it anymore or if I lost more than I won. The last fight camps were hard on me physically and mentally. I didn’t get the win and I knew straight after my last fight that I had had enough. I’m finishing with a UFC record of 5 wins and 4 losses in the Light Heavyweight division.
On the bright side I am retiring with all my mental bearings and apart from the usual wear and tear I am physically fit!
Having kickstarted his professional career a bit later than most of his counterparts — in November of 2003 at 30 years of age — Perosh rattled off 5 stoppage wins alongside one defeat before receiving his first call up to the big leagues. Despite losing back-to-back contests at UFC 61 and 66, Perosh’s unblemished finish rate in victory would be a constant that continued for the entirety of his mixed martial arts career.
Some 7 years and 5 wins later, Perosh would receive a second shot in the UFC, coming in as a late replacement opponent for former PRIDE Grand Prix champion Mirko Cro Cop on the main card of UFC 110.
The loss that Perosh suffered that night would be a violent one, but in it, “The Hippo” demonstrated the kind of stubborn grittiness that would define the latter half of his career. Even more incredible would be the then 38-year-old’s trio of victories over Tom Blackledge, Cyrille Diabate, and Nick Penner that followed (again, all by stoppage).
Perosh’s momentum would be quickly and brutally shut down in July of 2012, however, when he was blitzkrieged by Ryan Jimmo en route to a lightning fast knockout defeat. With the world ready to move past him, Perosh was then booked against former TUF 8 finalist and M-1 champion Vinny Magalhaes at UFC 163. In the lead-up to the fight, Magalhaes’ arrogance was on full display; the young Brazilian called Perosh an “old man” whose Jiu Jitsu “sucked” and stated that if he were to lost to the Australian black belt, he should probably be cut from the UFC.
The fight that followed, while brief, would undoubtedly be a defining moment in Perosh’s career.
From a 7-second loss to an emphatic, 14-second victory, Perosh arguably experience the greatest rebound performance of any fighter in UFC history. “The Hippo” briefly circled to his left and waited for the supposedly superior Jiu Jitsu fighter to charge in for a takedown, and when Magalhaes did exactly that (with zero setup whatsoever), Perosh connected with the first punch — and last necessary punch, if we’re being honest — of the fight. Magalhaes collapsed to the canvas, and from there, Perosh pounced, unleashing a stream of right hands that reawakened and KO’d Magalhaes a few times more before referee Mario Yamasaki could wave off the fight.
In his post-fight interview that night, Perosh admitted to “getting butterflies” in his stomach upon landing his first punch, which he credited to the hard work of his boxing coaches, before telling Magalhaes to “start looking for a new job.” It was a rare moment of smack talk from the typically reserved Perosh, made all the more effective by the hilariously karmatic ass-whooping it proceeded.
Another tough loss at the hands of Ryan Bader would follow at Fight Night 33, prompting Perosh’s critics to once again call for his retirement. Nevermind the fact that Perosh had managed to gut through the relentless, ground-n-pound onslaught of a current title contender for three rounds without ever giving in at 40+ years of age; clearly, this was a man with nothing left to offer. It was a memo that Perosh apparently didn’t receive before entering the cage his next fight again heralded up-and-comer Guto Inocente, who he would similarly dismantle inside of a round.
In his past couple fights, however, it appears that time has finally caught up to the 43-year-old, who looked a few steps behind the pace of things in his aforementioned losses to O’Connell and Vilante. As he said following his win over Magalhaes, Perosh would only compete until “he didn’t feel he had it in him” anymore, and as a huge fan of the guy, I’m personally glad to see that he’s come to that revelation sooner rather than later. You know, relatively speaking.
You can read Perosh’s full statement over on his website, but for now, let’s all flood his Twitter with our congratulations and thanks to a true pioneer of Australian MMA. Thanks for the memories, Anthony.
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 43, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nate Marquardt squared off against James Te-Huna in the latter’s home country of New Zealand.
In the first round, Marquardt had the back of Te-Huna, and from there he rol…
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 43, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nate Marquardt squared off against James Te-Huna in the latter’s home country of New Zealand.
In the first round, Marquardt had the back of Te-Huna, and from there he rolled forward and sunk in an armbar, forcing Te-Huna to submit.
Te-Huna has now lost three in a row, all in the first round. It’s unlikely that he’ll be cut, considering he is one of only a few UFC fighters from Australia or New Zealand, but he is going to take a serious drop in his level of competition.
Let’s check out three possible opponent’s for Te-Huna’s next fight.
(Photo via Hunt’s Facebook. A few alternate angles of the break can be seen here.)
I believe it was sometime between the fourth and fifth round of his epic slugfest with Antonio Silva last Friday that Mark Hunt resorted to an all elbows strategy of offensive attack. While I figured that it was simply another case of Hunt running out of shits to give, many fans began to speculate that Hunt had broken his hand on Silva’s Tango & Cash-sized jaw earlier in the fight. Well, consider the above photo further proof that “The Super Somoan” is a goddamned warrior in every sense of the word.
As it turns out, Hunt isn’t the only fighter who will be learning to wipe his ass with the other hand in the coming weeks (Author’s note: That is the last time I will steal that joke. I swear). TUF 8 alum Ryan Bader also walked away from Fight Night 33 with a shattered hand on account of Anthony Perosh punching it with his face so often, so join us after the jump for a couple photos of the damage via Bader’s instagram.
(Photo via Hunt’s Facebook. A few alternate angles of the break can be seen here.)
I believe it was sometime between the fourth and fifth round of his epic slugfest with Antonio Silva last Friday that Mark Hunt resorted to an all elbows strategy of offensive attack. While I figured that it was simply another case of Hunt running out of shits to give, many fans began to speculate that Hunt had broken his hand on Silva’s Tango & Cash-sized jaw earlier in the fight. Well, consider the above photo further proof that “The Super Somoan” is a goddamned warrior in every sense of the word.
As it turns out, Hunt isn’t the only fighter who will be learning to wipe his ass with the other hand in the coming weeks (Author’s note: That is the last time I will steal that joke. I swear). TUF 8 alum Ryan Bader also walked away from Fight Night 33 with a shattered hand on account of Anthony Perosh punching it with his face so often, so check out a couple photos of the damage below.
Bader, who outstruck Perosh 156 to 11 (!) in his unanimous decision victory over the weekend, posted the above photos to his instagram with the caption “I think that’s bad.” I’m no doctor, but I’m inclined to agree with him. We will have updates on the length of Bader’s suspension, as well as Hunt’s, as soon as the information becomes available.
Though the main card was high-quality in terms of entertainment value, the prelims were a dull affair. The two highlights: Ben Wall walking out dressed like a furry before getting KO’d in under a minute, and a great scrap between Nam Phan and Takeya Mizugaki that saw the latter’s hand raised via unanimous decision.
The main card started with one of the most technical, evenly matched women’s fights the UFC has ever had. Longtime fighter Julie Kedzie met newcomer Bethe Correia. Too bad that FOX Sports 1 blacked out for many viewers, cutting off the first half of the contest. Furthermore, Greg Jackson’s Matt Serra-level shouting eclipsed some of the action. It’s hard to appreciate what’s going on when all you can hear is Jackson screaming about how amazing a mediocre combo was in order to sway the inept judges.
Dylan Andrews and Clint Hester met next. It looked like they weren’t going to continue the card’s momentum, but they pulled through. The bout had spurts of inactivity, but for every dragged-out clinch or half-guard hangout session, there was at least one fiery exchange or big hit. The fight was stopped in between the second and third rounds on account of a shoulder injury, giving Hester the victory.
Check out the results of the co-main event, main event, and for the TL;DR rundown of the card after the jump.
(Mark Hunt is an artist…who only paints in red. / Photo via Getty)
Though the main card was high-quality in terms of entertainment value, the prelims were a dull affair. The two highlights: Ben Wall walking out dressed like a furry before getting KO’d in under a minute, and a great scrap between Nam Phan and Takeya Mizugaki that saw the latter’s hand raised via unanimous decision.
The main card started with one of the most technical, evenly matched women’s fights the UFC has ever had. Longtime fighter Julie Kedzie met newcomer Bethe Correia. Too bad that FOX Sports 1 blacked out for many viewers, cutting off an early portion of the contest. Furthermore, Greg Jackson’s Matt Serra-level shouting eclipsed some of the action. It’s hard to appreciate what’s going on when all you can hear is Jackson screaming about how amazing a mediocre combo was in order to sway the inept judges. It didn’t work though; Correia took home a split decision victory.
Dylan Andrews and Clint Hester met next. It looked like they weren’t going to continue the card’s momentum, but they pulled through. The bout had spurts of inactivity, but for every dragged-out clinch or half-guard hangout session, there was at least one fiery exchange or big hit. The fight was stopped in between the second and third rounds on account of an Andrews shoulder injury, giving Hester the victory.
The next fight was short and sweet; Soa Palelei came, saw, and conquered Pat Barry‘s consciousness. After shrugging off Palelei’s first takedown, Barry couldn’t duplicate his success. The Australian threw Barry to the mat, passed into mount, and turned off Barry’s brain with a barrage of punches. It was all over in 2:09.
Ryan Bader vs. Anthony Perosh was the first lackluster fight of the night. What was expected to be a squash match for Bader turned into a 15-minute grind fest. Bader earned a unanimous decision victory. There’s not much else to say about it. The fight happened and will be forgotten by tomorrow morning. Let’s move on.
Next up was the co-main event: James Te Huna vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The “Pride never die” slogan proved true in this fight. Rua lawn chair’d him. The knockout was so impressive Dana White called it “KO of the century” (though Chris Weidman might disagree with that assessment).
Mark Hunt vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva met in the night’s main event and produced the magic that the UFC has been lacking for some time. “Warriors” is thrown around way too much, but the two were warriors. By the end of the 25-minutes, both men were lathered in each other’s blood. Hunt-Silva was a fight were martial artistry erupted into bar-brawling and then reverted back again. Even though it ended in a draw—typically a result that pleases nobody—it wasn’t a mood-killer. We get to see that fight happen again, and we’re pumped for it. There aren’t enough hyperboles to explain how great it was. Watch it. You won’t regret it.
TL;DR: The card was worth the time it took to watch. The fights were competitive and the fighters involved mattered—two traits that are becoming rarer as the UFC holds more and more shows.
Complete Results:
Main Card
Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva, majority draw (48-47, 47-47, 47-47)
Mauricio Rua def. James Te Huna via KO (punches), 1:03 of Round 1
Ryan Bader def. Anthony Perosh via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Soa Palelei def. Pat Barry via KO (punches), 2:09 of Round 1
Clint Hester def. Dylan Andrews via TKO (doctor stoppage), 5:00 of Round 2
Bethe Correia def. Julie Kedzie via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Preliminary Card
Takeya Mizugaki def. Nam Phan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-28)
Caio Magalhaes def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Justin Scoggins def. Richie Vaculik via TKO (punches), 4:59 of Round 1
Krzysztof Jotko def. Bruno Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Alex Garcia def. Ben Wall via KO (punches), 0:43 of Round 1
(Rugby: You’re doing it wrong. I think. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what rugby’s supposed to look like. / Photo via Getty)
The UFC lands in Brisbane tonight for UFC Fight Night 33, and for a free card overseas, this thing is kind of loaded. In the main event, heavyweight contenders Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva slug it out in a match that is scheduled for five rounds but probably won’t last that long. Also on the card, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua‘s continued status as an active UFC light-heavyweight is on the line against New Zealand native James Te Huna, while Pat Barry and Ryan Bader attempt to bounce back from recent TKO losses against Soa Palelei and Anthony Perosh, respectively. Plus: Julie Kedzie will attempt to humiliate Bethe Correia as badly in the cage as she did during yesterday’s weigh-ins.
Our liveblog of the “Hunt vs. Bigfoot” FOX Sports 1 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Get round-round results after the jump, refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section.
(Rugby: You’re doing it wrong. I think. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what rugby’s supposed to look like. / Photo via Getty)
The UFC lands in Brisbane tonight for UFC Fight Night 33, and for a free card overseas, this thing is kind of loaded. In the main event, heavyweight contenders Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva slug it out in a match that is scheduled for five rounds but probably won’t last that long. Also on the card, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua‘s continued status as an active UFC light-heavyweight is on the line against New Zealand native James Te Huna, while Pat Barry and Ryan Bader attempt to bounce back from recent TKO losses against Soa Palelei and Anthony Perosh, respectively. Plus: Julie Kedzie will attempt to humiliate Bethe Correia as badly in the cage as she did during yesterday’s weigh-ins.
Our liveblog of the “Hunt vs. Bigfoot” FOX Sports 1 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Get round-round results after the jump, refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section.
Preliminary Card Results
– Takeya Mizugaki def. Nam Phan via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-28)
– Caio Magalhaes def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Justin Scoggins def. Richie Vaculik via TKO, 4:43 of round 1
– Krzysztof Jotko def. Bruno Santos via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
– Alex Garcia def. Ben Wall via KO, 0:43 of round 1
Hey folks, BG here. It’s 9 p.m., and I’m just waiting for this Arizona State vs. DePaul game to finish up so the UFC broadcast can start. Apparently, it’ll be running on something called a “FOX Sports Too” until then, but I don’t have that goddamned channel, and I don’t think any of my neighbors do either, so I guess I’ll be liveblogging college hoops for a while. Luckily, the first 20 minutes of any free UFC card are dominated by commercials. I think we’ll be alright.
It’s 9:03. I just saw about seven seconds of Julie Kedzie and Bethe Correia shadowboxing at the camera backstage before the screen went black. Huh.
9:13. At least I ordered pizza and wings, so the night’s not a total loss. And I’ve got twitter to entertain me. Poor Julie Kedzie, though, this sucks for her.
9:18, and Fox Sports 1 finally gets its shit together, midway through round 2. Alright, Kedzie and Correia are slugging, and Greg Jackson goes “WOWWWWWW!” Spinning shit is being thrown, my friends. We’ll start the official liveblog in round 3. Both of these fighters have nice, thick legs, and that’s something I would totally mention even if they were men.
Round 3: Correia lands a straight right. She tries a leg kick and eats a counter-right from Kedzie. Correia attacking with long hooks. Kedzie throwing out kicks without much success. Correia lands a hook while flailing some punches. Her punches are still looking sharp in the third round. Hook/cross from Correia. Correia snatches up a body kick from Kedzie and bulls her to the mat. Correia shoves Kedzie to the cage and tries to work to back control, but Kedzie reverses and escapes to her feet. Kedzie fires a wheel-kick. Is Greg Jackson yelling “JUST KIDDING” over and over again for some reason? Correia rushes forward with punches. Correia with another hook. Kedzie lands a side kick and they brawl to the bell. Like I said, I missed most of the first two rounds, but Correia looked damn good in the third.
Bethe Correia def. Julie Kedzie via split-decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29). Kedzie has lost her fourth consecutive fight. She was 0-2 in Strikeforce, and now she’s 0-2 in the UFC.
Dylan Andrews vs. Clint Hester
FYI, these guys were on TUF 17 together.
Round 1: Andrews marching forward, Hester sticking and moving with leg kicks. Hester wobbles Andrews right away with a stiff right hand. Hester clinches up and fires a knee to the body. Andrews scores a nice body-lock takedown and lands in half-guard. Andrews isn’t doing much from the top. He tries to trap Hester’s arm, but can’t do it. Hester tries to work to his feet and Andrews goes for a guillotine. Hester slips out and establishes top position. Another stalemate on the ground. Andrews gets to his feet, then briefly dumps Hester to the mat. Hester gets up, Andrews puts him right back down. Andrews hangs out in side control until the round ends.
Round 2: They trade leg kicks. Hester whiffs a big left hand and Andrews grabs him, but can’t convert the takedown. Hester with a right, Andrews returns a big right hand of his own. Hester rushes forward and drives Andrews to the mat. Hester with a few decent shots from the top, working Andrews to the body with punches. Hard elbows now. Andrews trying to lock Hester down, stalling him, and the crowd boos. Andrews is bleeding badly from his forehead. Andrews gets to his feet and Hester tees off on him. Andrews escapes danger. Hester pops the jab, Andrews returns fire. Hester gets his leg kicked out from under him, but he pops right back up. Leg kick Hester. There’s something wrong with Andrews’s right hand/arm…he’s holding it almost at his waist. There’s the bell. Clear 10-9 for Hester.
And it is all over. Andrews suffered a shoulder dislocation and can’t answer the bell. Hester goes over to him and they embrace as friends. With his one arm that still works, Andrews raises Hester’s arm.
Clint Hester def. Dylan Andrews via TKO (injury/doctor’s stoppage), 5:00 of round 2.
In the replay, we see the moment where Andrews’s shoulder fell apart. Basically, he just missed a punch and his arm swung out of it’s socket. One in a million shot, doc.
Jesus Christ. I feel like I’ve been watching UFC 168 promos for the last eight minutes, and they’re all fucking awful. Yes, yes, Andy, you back. Trust you. You back.
Pat Barry vs. Soa Palelei
My parlay bet begins…now.
Round 1: Palelei pushes Barry into the fence but Barry circles out. Barry whiffs some hard roundhouses. Palelei catches a knee from Barry and takes him to the mat. Off his back, Barry actually looks for an armlock. Wouldn’t that be something? Palelei escapes it and throws a few punches to Barry’s midsection from half-guard. Palelei jumps to mount. Oh boy, this ain’t good. After just a few punches from the top, Barry is totally unconscious. Don’t let a 265-pound man do that to you, bro.
Soa Palelei def. Pat Barry via KO, 2:09 of round 1. Barry’s face looks like he fell off a motorcycle or something. Jesus. Palelei only hit him like five times. Poor dude. Pat’s UFC record just dropped to 5-7, all losses by stoppage.
Ryan Bader vs. Anthony Perosh
Anthony Perosh is 41 years old, you guys. 41. Bader’s got a nice playoff-beard going.
Round 1: Bader takes the center of the cage. Perosh lands a wide hook. Bader grabs a clinch and whips in some uppercuts. Perosh falls to the ground and he looks to be in trouble as Bader pours it on, but Perosh gets to his feet. Bader lands another big uppercut and Perosh is on his heels. But Perosh collects himself and brushes Bader back with a big right hand of his own. Perosh rushes forward and essentially falls on his face. Bader gets on top and slugs down on Perosh. Perosh rolls to his knees, Bader sticks on him. Perosh gets to his feet. The box for a bit, and then Bader grabs Perosh against the fence and takes him down. Big elbow from Bader. Perosh is split open. Bader is briefly kicked off, but then jumps back on with a “Shogun punch,” as Jon Anik says. Bader with a little more GnP as the round ends. Easy 10-9 for Bader.
Round 2: Perosh dashes forward with punches, then follows it up with a leg kick. Bader drags Perosh down and works some knees to the body on the mat. Gnarly elbow from Bader. And some more short elbows. Perosh trying to find a way up, Bader just burying him with strikes. Perosh is totally stuck. Every time Perosh tries to kick Bader off, Bader dives right back in and punches him in the face. More hard elbows. And more, and more, and more. 10-9, bordering on 10-8 for the fact that Perosh did nothing except endure abuse.
Round 3: Bader wants to finish this thing. He swings some nasty left hooks, hard and reckless. At his earliest opportunity, he scores a takedown and puts Perosh right back against the fence. Bader, with those damn elbows. Perosh rolls, desperately. Bader slugs him in the face. Perosh briefly gets to his feet, Bader dumps him right back down and goes apeshit, looking for the stoppage. Perosh is too tough for his own good. He gets up again, Bader drags him back down. Bader’s arm is drenched in Bader’s blood. The entire mat is, actually. 30 seconds left. Bader punching and punching. There’s the last bell. Well, it’s a win, though I’m sure Bader is disappointed that he couldn’t stop an opponent who had nothing for him.
Ryan Bader def. Anthony Perosh via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 30-26). Bader says he hurt his hand in the first round, and Perosh is super tough, etc. By the way, the judges need to start handing out more 10-8′s. That last round was a mauling.
Mauricio Rua vs. James Te Huna
Round 1: Shogun comes forward swinging. He tries a leg kick. Te Huna comes in for a takedown, and Shogun tosses him to the side. Te Huna scrambles back to his feet, and covers up as Shogun swings on him. Te Huna misses a left hook but Shogun lands one of his own and Te Huna goes down, KO’d. He was stiff before he even hit the mat. Well damn, there goes my parlay. It was going so well, too.
Mauricio Rua def. James Te Huna via KO, 1:03 of round 1. Check out the GIF of the stoppage right here. Gnarly stuff. But is Shogun really “back”? Do we have to say that every time he wins a fight now?
They’re replaying Mizugaki vs. Phan from the prelims. I hear it was a good one. I’m just gonna enjoy it like a civilian.
This is a great fight, but I’m constantly checking my phone anyway. Blame it on my ADD.
Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva
All of Bigfoot’s cornermen are texting during the intros. Or Vine-ing. Or some shit. Just put away your damn phones, guys. Silva is booed. Hunt is carrying Oceania on his back right now; it hasn’t gone too well for the home team tonight. Hunt walked out shirtless and has absolutely no sponsors on his trunks.
Round 1: Silva makes first contact with a side-kick to the leg. He tries a front kick. And another side-kick to the leg. Dude thinks he’s Jon Jones or something. Hunt fires a punch over Bigfoot’s head. Silva slips to the mat but pops right back up. Front kick Silva. Hunt engages with a hard punch combo but Silva drops him with counter punches! Silva jumps on but Hunt scrambles to his feet. Leg kick from Hunt. Front kick to the body and a punch from Bigfoot. Leg kick Hunt. Hunt dashes in with a right straight. Silva grabs him against the fence. Hunt reverses him. Knee to the body from Bigfoot. then a body kick from Silva. There’s the bell. 10-9 Bigfoot.
Round 2: Hunt runs forward with punches, Bigfoot evades. Silva with a leg kick that knocks Hunt off balance. Silva clinches up, Hunt shakes out. Low leg kick from Silva. Bigfoot tries a spinning back kick that misses by a mile. Hook and a cross to the body from Hunt. Silva goes high with a kick. Hunt brushes Silva back with a hard right hand. Hunt with an inside leg kick. Sharp body kick from Hunt. Silva tries a front kick to the body. Hunt stalking Silva down. A leg kick from Silva wobbles Hunt, who’s clearly hurt. Hunt switches stance to avoid more damage. Hunt is limping around in southpaw. The bell gives him a moment to recover. 10-9 Bigfoot.
Round 3: Hunt comes out with some urgency, swinging hard. Hunt flies forward with a punch into a takedown. Silva tries to get up, Hunt drags him down, Silva gets to his feet again and stays there. Silva clinches, pushes Hunt against the fence. Hunt escapes, Silva throws a head kick at him. Hunt with an uppercut and right straight. Hunt clinches with Bigfoot against the cage. Silva works some knees. They separate, Hunt lands a right hand, and another one that flattens Bigfoot! Hunt gets on top and starts firing down short elbows. Hunt in half-guard. Silva stuck on his back, Hunt with steady GnP. Hunt raises up and drops some big elbows as the third round ends. We are indeed going to the championship rounds, and Hunt has regained momentum. 10-9 Hunt.
Round 4 (come on): Bigfoot ain’t done yet. He’s throwing kicks like the last round never happened. Hunt grabs him and pushes him against the fence. Bigfoot rolls out and starts attacking with punches. Hunt takes him to the mat. Hunt returns to the elbow show. Bigfoot gets to his feet and both men are slugging now. Oh baby, it’s a heavyweight fight. Bigfoot pushes Hunt against the fence and tees off with punches and knees. Hunt is exhausted. He tries for a takedown and falls on his face. Bigfoot gets on top, Hunt swinging at him from his back. Talk about a gamer. Hunt tries to roll out, and Silva gets full mount. It’s Donkey Kong time. Hunt’s forehead is split open from the abuse, but it looks like he’ll hang on to the bell, and he does. My God. Somehow, we are going to round five, and that’s a good thing. 10-9 Bigfoot.
Round 5 (WTF??): Hunt swings a right haymaker, and lands a stiff one on Bigfoot’s chin. Hunt still has a chance as long as he’s standing. Left hook lands from Hunt. Bigfoot tries for a takedown and doesn’t get it. Hunt lands a sharp standing elbow, and another hook, and a right. Bigfoot’s got a chin on him, but he’s completely gassed, and his face is covered in blood. Hunt backs Silva against the fence and tears him up with punches. The ref pauses the fight and brings the doctor in to clear Silva’s face. It’s a break for Bigfoot, and the crowd boos it. Bigfoot storms back, throwing punches, clinching, trying to stay in it. Silva lands four punches in succession, and Hunt returns the favor. Knee from Bigfoot. Holy shit, what a brawl. Pace slowing in the last minute, but both men still working, firing punches. Hunt stuffs a right hand into Bigfoot’s face as the round ends. Jesus. Hunt did all he could. Maybe he would have won if this was scheduled for seven rounds, but the scores here will likely be in Silva’s favor. Fantastic show of heart from both men.
Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva ends in a majority draw (47-47 x 2, 48-47 Hunt). Whoa…I had Bigfoot winning rounds 1, 2, and 4. But if there’s ever a fight that deserved a draw out of principle, this was it. Bigfoot tells the crowd he injured his back recently, and they rightfully boo him for it. But anyway, good God, what a fight, and for once, the draw actually feels satisfying. I loved it. What did you guys think? And should Hunt and Silva do an immediate rematch?
