We know — these things are just popularity contests. But as we look ahead following this weekend’s mind-blowing UFC 162 card, we decided to take a yearbook approach and predict which fighters will go on to even greater success, and which ones will be pumping our gas someday.
Most likely to make well over $24,000 to show in his next fight: Chris Weidman
Perhaps this is jab towards the fighter pay issues that have risen as of late but Chris Weidman established himself as a future star, no matter how differently the fight would have been had Anderson Silva taken it seriously. Yes, Weidman officially made just $48,000, but by dethroning Anderson Silva, he earned a lot more than just money — Weidman became world famous overnight ending up on sites like TMZ and every major newspaper in the country, and he was the man responsible for one of the most historic moments in UFC history. Weidman’s ability to have a similar legacy in the middleweight division is now in question, especially when you consider that an immediate rematch with Silva is still the most likely scenario. Say what you will about Weidman and the fact that eighteen fighters were not enough to convince you otherwise — he knocked out Anderson Silva. That’s all you need to know.
Rematch…retirement….Roy Jones….Stephan Bonnar II…who knows what the future really has in store for the former middleweight kingpin? And with the reiteration that his participation in superfights is off, it becomes more bleak. It really all depends on how Silva would like to go out: On his shield, or dancing the night away worse than J-Lo. Without discrediting Weidman, it was not what we expected or wanted from the supposed best fighter who has ever lived. When some unknown jackass gets KO’d while taunting his opponent, we applaud and move on with our lives, but let’s face it, the best fighters in the world usually don’t put themselves in such vulnerable positions. However it’s impossible to say that it was not a deserving loss for Silva and we’ve never seen him do that before; you live by the gun, you die by the gun.
We know — these things are just popularity contests. But as we look ahead following this weekend’s mind-blowing UFC 162 card, we decided to take a yearbook approach and predict which fighters will go on to even greater success, and which ones will be pumping our gas someday.
Most likely to make well over $24,000 to show in his next fight: Chris Weidman
Perhaps this is jab towards the fighter pay issues that have risen as of late but Chris Weidman established himself as a future star, no matter how differently the fight would have been had Anderson Silva taken it seriously. Yes, Weidman officially made just $48,000, but by dethroning Anderson Silva, he earned a lot more than just money — Weidman became world famous overnight ending up on sites like TMZ and every major newspaper in the country, and he was the man responsible for one of the most historic moments in UFC history. Weidman’s ability to have a similar legacy in the middleweight division is now in question, especially when you consider that an immediate rematch with Silva is still the most likely scenario. Say what you will about Weidman and the fact that eighteen fighters were not enough to convince you otherwise — he knocked out Anderson Silva. That’s all you need to know.
Rematch…retirement….Roy Jones….Stephan Bonnar II…who knows what the future really has in store for the former middleweight kingpin? And with the reiteration that his participation in superfights is off, it becomes more bleak. It really all depends on how Silva would like to go out: On his shield, or dancing the night away worse than J-Lo. Without discrediting Weidman, it was not what we expected or wanted from the supposed best fighter who has ever lived. When some unknown jackass gets KO’d while taunting his opponent, we applaud and move on with our lives, but let’s face it, the best fighters in the world usually don’t put themselves in such vulnerable positions. However it’s impossible to say that it was not a deserving loss for Silva and we’ve never seen him do that before; you live by the gun, you die by the gun.
Most likely to be allowed to date your sister: Frankie Edgar
Not only does he have the best entrance music this side of Big Nog, there is never a dull moment when the real Jersey Shore darling fights and quite frankly (no pun intended… or pun intended, thank you) we all wish we could fight our battles like he does. This was the first time in eight fights that Edgar did not compete for the title, and he still won Fight of the Night honors. Edgar will never be in a boring fight considering his fighting style and his ability to match his opponent’s pace; his cardio suggests he could have probably won fights against light-heavyweights in PRIDE with their opening ten minute round. Frankie becomes bloodied more frequently than Dustin Rhodes in the early ’90s no matter how lopsided or even his fights are. With the marketability of a prime Stallone and the heart of a prime Jake Lamotta, Edgar could skip the waiting line and get another crack at the featherweight title — and some of us wouldn’t have a problem with it.
Least likely to get another co-main event slot (even if he deserves one): Charles Oliveira
When this fight was announced, to say Oliveira was not being fed to the wolves was like saying you knew this guy wasn’t dead all along. Oliveira did more than just keep up with Edgar the whole fight — he had him in a bit of a knot at the end of the first round and tagged the former champion more than once with some solid shots. At the tender age of 23, it’s unclear what Oliveira’s future has in store, and if he is the budding prospect he is advertised to be (even if we get the feeling that everyone in the UFC is a “prospect” until they turn 32) or if he will be lost in the shuffle. Edgar’s star power to the habitual fan helped this fight get a co-main event slot but this was not the mismatch many, including this scribbler, thought it was going to be. Oliveira stand-up has improved drastically and we all know his submission game is gross in a good way. He should definitely be included in headlining plans again, even if it seems far away for now.
Least likely to be acknowledged while continuing to do his job efficiently: Mike Pierce
Mike Pierce isn’t going to be the annoying Spring Break emcee you would love to drown any time soon, but he doesn’t really get credited for even being at the festivities. The tough-as-nails wrestler has only lost three since 2009 (Fitch, Hendricks and Koscheck – all fellow wrestlers, all highly regarded) and that last one was debatable. Pierce’s four-fight win streak includes two stoppages by strikes, but Pierce can’t find a way out of the prelims. What is even odder is that Pierce opened the show on Facebook underneath a guy he beat in his last fight: Seth Baczynski. Maybe the brass thinks he isn’t exciting enough but with all due respect, we could name about fifty fighters we’d rather never see again and instead, watch a vintage Spike TV: Mike Pierce marathon. Come on, it’s main card time.
Most likely to be signed by Bellator, then lose in the opening round of their next heavyweight tournament: Dave Herman
We figured that coming out in a pink scarf at a press conference would have immediately cemented Dave Herman’s demise in Zuffa, but somehow, “Pee Wee” was able to survive two years of consistent failure during his UFC stint. After winning his first fight against Jon Olav-Einemo in June 2011, Herman failed a pre-fight drug test for marijuana, got his ass kicked by Stefan Struve, got his ass kicked by Roy Nelson, got his ass kicked by Big Nog, then failed a post-fight drug test for marijuana. Herman getting another fight at UFC 162 was an undeserved gift — not that he did much with it. Following his 17-second smashing at the hands of Gabriel Gonzaga, it’s safe to say the number two, three, four or whatever-they-call-themselves promotion in the world could easily secure the services of Herman, if they want to roll the dice on an underperforming pothead. And don’t act like Bellator is above that sort of thing, either. (See: Q. Jackson, W. Machine).
Finally, there is a fighter in Greg Jackson’s stable we can finally relate to. Swanson’s revival in the featherweight division could be the most impressive career-comeback currently happening in all seven divisions. He’s on a five-fight win streak with wins over Dustin Poirier, Ross Pearson and George Roop, and his lone Octagon loss was nearly two years ago at the hands of Ricardo Lamas (another future title-threat at 145 pounds). Although he may have to do a little extra to get a rematch with Aldo for fan-convincing purposes,Swanson’s exciting striking game and pure fighting spirit is something slobs like us dream of when we’re on our 34th chicken wing.
Surreal. That’s a pretty apt description of most Anderson Silva fights, for better or worse. Dodging Forrest Griffin’s strikes like he was in the Matrix, standing on the cage against Stephan Bonnar, front-kicking Vitor Belfort in the face? Surreal. Dancing around Thales Leites and shouting “where’s your jiu-jitsu now, playboy?” at Demian Maia? Surreal.
But those pale in comparison to what happened last night. What happened last night, when Silva lost for the first time in seventeen fights because he pushed the envelope too far, was the definition of surreal. For the sake of trying to comprehend what happened, let’s recapitulate for a moment. The first round saw Chris Weidman, the new middleweight kingpin of the UFC, take Silva down. Faced with the area in which he was most vulnerable, Silva deftly rolled with what ground and pound Weidman offered and defended any submission attempts before getting back to his feet. The rest of the round was spent taunting Weidman and stuffing any attempts at taking the fight to the ground. At the end of the round, Silva inexplicably hugged Weidman before returning to his corner.
When the second round began, Silva was in complete control, mocking Weidman’s attempts to hurt him. It was a performance unlike any other. But Silva strayed too far to the edge; caught with his chin up in the middle of a Weidman combination, he was felled by a left hook. His eyes rolled back; he was out before he hit the ground, where Weidman followed with a salvo of ground and pound that was merely a formality. Somehow, Silva had lost his title even more than Weidman had won it.
Surreal. That’s a pretty apt description of most Anderson Silva fights, for better or worse. Dodging Forrest Griffin’s strikes like he was in the Matrix, standing on the cage against Stephan Bonnar, front-kicking Vitor Belfort in the face? Surreal. Dancing around Thales Leites and shouting “where’s your jiu-jitsu now, playboy?” at Demian Maia? Surreal.
But those pale in comparison to what happened last night. What happened last night, when Silva lost for the first time in seventeen fights because he pushed the envelope too far, was the definition of surreal. For the sake of trying to comprehend what happened, let’s recapitulate for a moment. The first round saw Chris Weidman, the new middleweight kingpin of the UFC, take Silva down. Faced with the area in which he was most vulnerable, Silva deftly rolled with what ground and pound Weidman offered and defended any submission attempts before getting back to his feet. The rest of the round was spent taunting Weidman and stuffing any attempts at taking the fight to the ground. At the end of the round, Silva inexplicably hugged Weidman before returning to his corner.
When the second round began, Silva was in complete control, mocking Weidman’s attempts to hurt him. It was a performance unlike any other. But Silva strayed too far to the edge; caught with his chin up in the middle of a Weidman combination, he was felled by a left hook. His eyes rolled back; he was out before he hit the ground, where Weidman followed with a salvo of ground and pound that was merely a formality. Somehow, Silva had lost his title even more than Weidman had won it.
Looking at it like that, as a sequence of events, it seems like what happened last night can be condensed into something that resembles a traditional narrative. Anderson Silva was clowning when he shouldn’t have been and paid the price. He shouldn’t have done it in the first place, and that’s why he lost. I’m not so sure it’s that simple. What made Silva great wasn’t just his win streak, it was how he won. How he transcended the bounds of what we thought was possible in combat sports, how his greatest challenge wasn’t the person standing across from him but the shadows of the performances he had to live up to and surpass. Like Icarus, he flew a little too high, strove to be something that no one could be. It turns out that Anderson Silva is not some deity of violence descended from the heavens, that he is prone to the same physical limits and temptations of hubris and grandeur that plague us lesser mortals. But that willingness to push those boundaries, to tempt fate and escape its consequences again and again, is what made Anderson Silva the best fighter in the history of the sport.
As for Weidman, the man has earned his time in the sun. His home was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy, he endured shoulder surgery and went an entire year without fighting. He deserves the money, the $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus, the fame and the accolades that come with dethroning a legend. Regardless of how much Silva’s approach to the fight impacted the result, Weidman capitalized on an opportunity that no else managed to. There’s something to be said for that. With that said, if there will be an immediate rematch, I wouldn’t favor him. But then again, I was wrong about him last night.
Oh, there were some other fights too. Frankie Edgar and Charles Oliviera put together an entertaining, technical scrap tht shared Fight of the Night honors with Swanson vs. Siver. While there were momentum shifts, Edgar won all three rounds and finally got back on the right side of the win-loss column. Tim Kennedy managed to control Roger Gracie in an uneventful decision win and Mark Muñoz made a triumphant return to the Octagon in thrashing Tim Boetsch over three rounds. And to begin the night, Cub Swanson came back from a first round deficit to knock out Dennis Siver in the third in a contender for fight of the year.
But the story of the night was Silva. It always is when he fights, when he clowns, when he wins. But that’s not how last night unfolded. Anderson Silva was dethroned. It’s funny; when pressed to ask who he wished to fight, Silva would often respond “my clone.” Silva didn’t fight his clone last night, but he still managed to beat himself. I suppose that’s inexorable when you compete against your past accomplishments; sooner or later, you can’t go any higher. Last night, Anderson Silva flew too close to the sun and we were still shocked that he fell. With Silva, the rules seemed like they never applied. When they finally did, that was more surreal than anything else.
They’ve smushed chins. They’ve mushed lips. But tonight at UFC 162 in Las Vegas, Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman will let their fists do the love-making, and the only bodily fluids being exchanged will be BLOOD. [Ed. note: Look, I’m doing my best here.] Whether the Brazilian G.O.A.T. makes his 11th middleweight title defense, or the “All-American” lives up to his Rocky-esque underdog hype, I think we’re in for a hell of a battle.
Handling our liveblog for the “Silva vs. Weidman” main card is Alex Giardini, who will be slingin’ live results after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for the latest updates, and feel free to mouth off in the comments section.
They’ve smushed chins. They’ve mushed lips. But tonight at UFC 162 in Las Vegas, Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman will let their fists do the love-making, and the only bodily fluids being exchanged will be BLOOD. [Ed. note: Look, I’m doing my best here.] Whether the Brazilian G.O.A.T. makes his 11th middleweight title defense, or the “All-American” lives up to his Rocky-esque underdog hype, I think we’re in for a hell of a battle.
Handling our liveblog for the “Silva vs. Weidman” main card is Alex Giardini, who will be slingin’ live results after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for the latest updates, and feel free to mouth off in the comments section.
Good evening gentlemen (let’s be honest, your girlfriends are out cheating on you)…the Potato’s resident spaghetti-bender here, guiding you through UFC 162:Silva vs. Weidman. After yesterday’s attempt to dethrone Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling’s moment of the century, both Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman will battle for the middleweight title in a main event we actually give a shit about (it’s rough in the bubble these days, my patates). After a hectic week full of fighter pay controversies, Ken Shamrock sleazebaggary and a video that surfaced where Chael Sonnen looks severely out of place, the focus should be on Silva’s legacy and if the time has finally come for us to witness his first Octagon loss. Despite over a dozen fighters siding with Weidman, Silva will never be an underdog in a middleweight fight (for you Jon Jones fanny’s out there). He has been a gift for us to watch and you’ll agree with me when I say I never want this dude to go away. Weidman, a 9-0 Serra-Longo fight team product, really caught everyone’s eye when he submitted Tom Lawlor in just over two minutes back at UFC 139. I don’t have to remind you of what he did to Mark Munoz in his last fight to bring you up to speed on where we’re at today. He is also making $24,000 to show, which is less than the average Cage Potato reader’s annual salary.
The co-main event features Frankie “Lil’ Balboa” Edgar against Brazilian submission ace Charles Oliveira. Edgar is on a three-fight losing streak and despite still being viewed as one of the best fighters in the world; he desperately needs to win tonight…which is why this slight mismatch was made in the first place.
Also on the card is everyone’s favorite complainer Tim Kennedy, as he squares off against fellow Strikeforce vet Roger Gracie. Mark Munoz takes on Tim Boetsch and Cub Swanson meets Dennis Siver in what should be the fight of the night. Sit tight, refresh and don’t stream this one illegally, you vile combat sports enthusiast – scam your parents into thinking you’re visiting them tonight and order it on their satellite provider, because that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Intro video has Anderson Silva declaring the fans will like what they see tonight. Weidman says he will look to submit him and take his belt. And of course, cue the “Bring the pain, it’s insane, make em’ step to this” song that has never left us.
Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Siver
Round 1: Dennis Siver comes out to fucking Papa Roach and Swanson to something that kids who take molly’s listen to. Herb Dean summons them both and they touch gloves. Siver misses with a low legkick. Both men exchange low legkicks, as Siver bounces up and down repeatedly. Swanson gets a nice jab in as Siver misses with a big overhead right. Siver throws a headkick but it doesn’t connect. Nice right hand by Swanson. Siver catches a kick by Swanson and throws him to the ground. Siver trying to work as Swanson has his right leg stuck in his half-guard. Siver trying to clinches Swanson’s head and arm, and then ends up in side control. Siver attempting a crucifix and throws a few punches. Siver now has Swanson’s hips and Swanson attempts a guillotine. Both men are back on their feet, Swanson now in a southpaw stance. Siver lands another kick and a flurry before the bell sounds. 10-9 Siver.
Round 2: Siver working with those low legkicks as a part of his gameplan. Nice left hook by Swanson forces Siver to reshuffle his positioning. Patented spinning heel kick by Siver lands but doesn’t do too much damage. Swanson checks another headkick from Siver. Swanson goes for a left hook and Siver ducks under, working for a takedown but its stuffed. Solid kick by Swanson and Siver is slightly bloodied in the nose. Both men circling more and more, looking for openings. Another headkick blocked by Swanson and he throws one of his own that also gets blocked. Siver pushed forward with the jab and Swanson gets a good kick in to the body. A solid left jab rocks Swanson back a few steps. Big uppercut by Swanson and Siver tries to go for a takedown and Swanson judo flips the living hell out of Siver. Swanson in full mount and defends positioning well as Siver tries to get up. Sloppy display by Swanson has Siver reverse positioning but he doesn’t have any time to work. 10-9 Swanson.
Round 3: Siver lands a decent left hook and Swanson returns the favor with a solid headkick. Siver looking slightly tired as Swanson jukes back and forth. Nice right hand by Swanson; he’s getting into the groove now with his combinations. Siver misses with a spinning heel kick. Jab by Siver but it doesn’t faze Swanson. Another right hand by Swanson and another – Swanson drops Siver and continues to pummel him on the ground with hammerfists. Herb Dean steps in and that’s it for Siver.
Cub Swanson def. Dennis Siver by TKO (Strikes), Round 3, 2:23.
Notable celebs in attendance include Mike Tyson and according to Mike Goldberg, “one of the greatest in the world”, Usher. A shot backstage sees Anderson Silva looking like a badass Bruno Mars in a fitted, while Weidman gets booed by the home crowd.
Mark Munoz vs. Tim Boetsch
Round 1: Munoz looking hella in shape. Mazzagatti gets booed and the fighters touch gloves. Frontkick by Boetsch and gets a takedown but Munoz flips him over. That doesn’t last for long as both men are back up but Boetsch gets a big takedown. Both men back up and Boetsch clinching Munoz against the fence. They break apart to the center of the Octagon. Boetsch pushes forward and clinches Munoz against the fence. Nice knee to the body by Boetsch but Munoz takes him down. Boetsch gets back up and eats a punch on the way. Munoz gets another takedown but Boetsch rolls and ends up on top. Boetsch works a guillotine while Munoz takes him down but Boetsch hangs on. Boetsch rolls but loses it. Back on their feet, Munoz catches him with a solid right hand. Munoz has Boetsch clinched up against the fence. Munoz with a knee to the body as Boetsch tries to work for something. Combination by Munoz includes an uppercut but Boetsch looks alright. Tough round to score. 10-9 Boetsch.
Round 2: Nice kick to the body by Boetsch. Munoz returns the favor and adds a solid hook in the process. Munoz has Boetsch clinched against the fence but Boetsch reverses the positioning. Right hand by Boetsch but he cannot capitalize as Munoz scores a takedown. Munoz on top, looking for those Donkey Kong punches. Boetsch is controlling Munoz’s left wrist. Hammerfist by Munoz followed by huge shots to the body (specifically the ribcage). Boetsch gets up but he cannot stop Munoz’s wrestling, as the “Filipino Wrecking Machine” scores another takedown. Munoz is now controlling this fight. More shots to the body by Munoz, as he is playing seesaw with Boetsch’s head and ribcage. Knee to the body by Munoz as he stands over Boetsch. The horn sounds and Boetsch has got to be hurting. 10-9 Munoz.
Round 3: Munoz backing up towards the fence and sets up a big right hand as he lunges forward. Munoz goes for another takedown but Boetsch goes for a guillotine. He cannot secure the choke and goes for a Japanese necktie but he can’t get that either. Boetsch now going for Munoz’s arm but Munoz explodes out of the position and takes his back, raining down hammerfists. Munoz continues his assault with hammerfists to the head, thigh and ribs. Boetsch covering up and Munoz continues with relentless ground and pound. Kimura attempt by Munoz in half-guard, stretching Boetsch’s arm back. Munoz loses it but continues to ground and pound. Munoz sneaks an arm behind Boetsch’s neck for a rear-naked choke but Boetsch isn’t having any of it. Munoz now continues with his ground strikes as Boetsch tries a kneebar. Munoz tries a jumping donkey punch but misses as the round ends. 10-9 Munoz.
Mark Munoz def. Tim Boetsch by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28)
Man, Tim Boetsch is a tricky name to write over and over. It’s no Nurmagomedov…but it’s still tough. Finally, they show Roy Jones in the crowd…and then Ronda, of course.
Tim Kennedy vs. Roger Gracie
Round 1: Both men touch gloves and Kennedy immediately crouches coming forward. Gracie looking quite huge next to Kennedy. Gracie clinches and grabs control of Kennedy’s waist, as plenty of morons in attendance commence to boo. Kennedy is back up and goes for double-underhooks. Both men exchange jabs as the fight gets back to the center. Gracie catches Kennedy’s legkick but cannot capitalize. Gracie clinches Kennedy against the cage and ends up on top of him on the way down. Gracie now takes his back but Kennedy is doing a good job of controlling Gracie’s wrists. Brazilian fans chant for Gracie in Portugese. Kennedy spins out of the position and ends up on top but does not have any time to do something significant. 10-9 Gracie.
Round 2:Kennedy throws a kick to Gracie’s knee, followed by another legkick. Kennedy gets a takedown and ends up taking Gracie’s back. He starts to ground and pound and Gracie is covering up. Gracie rolls out and both fighters are back to their feet. Both men grappling against the cage and Kennedy has superior position over the Brazilian. Gracie reverses and now has Kennedy against the cage, who looks at the clock. Takedown by Kennedy and is now in half-guard. Kennedy is doing a good job of staying clear from submissions but he isn’t working and Kim Winslow stands them back up. Frontkick misses by Kennedy and pits Gracie against the fence once more. 10-9 Kennedy.
Round 3: Another frontkick that misses by Kennedy opens the round. Kennedy throws a big left but misses. Gracie has his hands down and isn’t throwing many punches except for a jab here and there. Not much going on with both fighters throwing a strike every few seconds. Gracie works for a takedown and eventually gets it but Kennedy gets right back up. Gracie is pushed against the fence and looks exhausted. This round is so lackluster than a wave has started in the crowd and Kim Winslow seems to acknowledge it by breaking up the fighters. Left hook by Kennedy lands right on the chin. Gracie’s hands are still down, looking quite Frankensteinesque at this point. Kennedy lands a knee with Gracie against the fence as the fight ends. 10-9 Kennedy.
Tim Kennedy def. Roger Gracie by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
No post-fight interview for Kennedy. Time constraints or conspiracy, you decide. GSP in attendance, as Goldberg says Dana White has a special announcement for us regarding the welterweight champ. Co-main event time…here comes Lil’ Balboa.
Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira
Round 1: Both men looking pumped at the staredown. Yves Lavigne brings them together. Both men start out with a furious pace. Edgar with a right hand and Oliveira immediately goes for a takedown. Edgar lands on top and gets a harsh warning for hanging on to the cage. Edgar looking faster on the feet but Oliveira is keeping up so far. Edgar is landing the jab over and over again. Oliveira tries to climb the Edgar tree but Edgar slams him down. Edgar is now in Oliveira’s guard and escapes to his feet before Oliveira can get a hold of his ankle. Edgar lands a legkick as Oliveira misses a flying scissor-kick. Frankie lands a left hook but Oliveira answers with a solid right hand. Big left hook by Edgar slightly rocks Oliveira. Edgar goes for a takedown but cannot get it. Edgar has a little bit of blood trickling out of his nose. Oliveira is thrown down again but is staying active with elbows from the bottom. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 2: Edgar keeps on landed his left hook by faking with his right. Frankie’s footwork looks great but Oliveira is keeping up like no other so far. Edgar trying to get a takedown but Oliveira is doing a good job defending. Nice legkick by Edgar followed by a big right hand. Nice jab lands by Oliveira, looking sharp with knees to the body in the clinch as well. Edgar takes him down but Oliveira wraps his long legs around Edgar, forcing him to find answers in the guard. Oliveira is keeping busy with elbows from the bottom but Edgar landing some solid shots. Back on their feet, Oliveira lands a solid combination. Edgar with a left hook but Oliveira answers with a sharp elbow. Oliveira with another jab and Edgar is bloody now. Edgar catches Oliveira’s kick but cannot make him pay as Oliveira moves backwards. Edgar clinches Oliveira back against the fence and scores a big takedown. Edgar finds himself in a guillotine but survives as the horn sounds. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 3: Edgar opens up with two left hooks. Oliveira picks up the pace with a nice combination but Edgar tags him with a big right. Edgar catches Oliveira’s leg and throws him to the ground. Lavigne stands up Oliveira who has done a remarkable job by keeping up with Edgar. Oliveira rocks Edgar with a right to the temple that forces Edgar to step back. Oliveira follows up with a knee that connects. Edgar goes for a takedown but it ends sloppily and Oliveira is back up. Oliveira lands another big right hand, followed by a left hook. Oliveira’s striking looks very impressive in this fight – a big improvement in his game. Another big right hand stuns Edgar. Edgar fights back with one of his own. Flying knee by Edgar but it doesn’t do damage. Oliveira sort of throws himself on the ground and Edgar jumps on top of him with some ground and pound. With Edgar in the guard, he tries to throw some big shots from the top. That’s got to be the Fight Of The Night. 10-9 Edgar.
Frankie Edgar def. Charles Oliveira by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
I think Oliveira surprised a lot of people, myself included. Definitely not the same dude that got rocked by Cub Swanson. How could you not love Frankie Edgar? How?
Steven Segal in attendance sporting a ridiculous goatee, which goes well with his ridiculous yellow shades. This will be a good time to tell you I actually love his movies…have I purchased any? Don’t be silly.
Main event time…holy shit, this is going to be something.
Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman
Round 1: Weidman extends his hand but Silva simply bows. Yikes. Dean summons them to the center and Silva starts to shuffle left to right. Silva with some nice footwork and Weidman goes for a takedown. Silva is on his back and Weidman ends up in his guard. Weidman pouring some ground and pound with some solid left shots. Silva is deflecting the shots and Weidman tries to pass. Weidman is back on his feet and keeps on punching Silva. Weidman goes for a heel hook while Silva spins out of it and they are back on their feet. Both fighters have their hands down and are trying to find openings. Both fighters are clinched together and break apart. Nice knee by Silva. Silva throws a vicious legkick. Weidman throws a jab and Silva returns the favor in nonchalant fashion. Silva continues with some legkicks and starts to taunt Weidman, asking him to bring it on. Both men embrace at the sound of the horn and Silva kisses him. A very tough round to score. 10-9 Weidman.
Round 2: Silva says “Come on, man!” in the corner. Weidman with a nice jab and Silva starts to dance. Silva now jogging while throwing kicks. Silva taunting his opponent as Weidman lands a jab. Silva doesn’t cover up and Weidman rocks him. Silva taunts him, gets hit with a left hook, falls and Weidman follows up with some big shots. Weidman has just knocked out Silva. Oh my god. New middleweight champion.
Chris Weidman def. Anderson Silva by Knockout (Round 2, 2:12), wins the UFC Middleweight Championship.
“It pisses me off when someone does that to me”, Weidman tells Rogan. Well, that’s how you win over the crowd. That’s quite the reversal, as the crowd relentlessly boos Silva. When asked if he wants a rematch, Silva declines and says he won’t fight for the belt. He has 10 fights left and what he is saying is that he is superfight bound at this point. When is the last time a fighter paid that high a price for slacking off? “Hello Japan”?!
Writing that last paragraph, I was five espressos deep and quite frankly I couldn’t feel my face as I watched that knockout. I think this is the biggest moment in MMA history and I can’t believe I was able to share it with Potato Nation. There is nothing else I can say. Let it simmer, I guess. Goodnight. Holy shit, man. Goodnight.
– Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira: Following his unsuccessful title challenge against Jose Aldo — which gave Edgar his third decision loss in a row — “The Answer” returns to the featherweight division to face dangerous grappler Charles Oliveira. Though Oliveira hasn’t competed since his knockout loss to Cub Swanson at UFC 152, his two previous fights resulted in submission victories over Jonathan Brookins and Eric Wisely. It’s a logical rebound fight for Edgar, and a huge opportunity for Oliveira.
– Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Siver: Speaking of Swanson, the Jackson’s MMA product is red-hot lately, with four straight victories in the UFC (three by KO/TKO). Fresh off his recent decision win over Dustin Poirier, Swanson will try to add to his streak against the hard-striking Dennis Siver, who is 2-0 since dropping to featherweight, with decision wins over Diego Nunes and Nam Phan.
– Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira: Following his unsuccessful title challenge against Jose Aldo — which gave Edgar his third decision loss in a row — “The Answer” returns to the featherweight division to face dangerous grappler Charles Oliveira. Though Oliveira hasn’t competed since his knockout loss to Cub Swanson at UFC 152, his two previous fights resulted in submission victories over Jonathan Brookins and Eric Wisely. It’s a logical rebound fight for Edgar, and a huge opportunity for Oliveira.
– Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Siver: Speaking of Swanson, the Jackson’s MMA product is red-hot lately, with four straight victories in the UFC (three by KO/TKO). Fresh off his recent decision win over Dustin Poirier, Swanson will try to add to his streak against the hard-striking Dennis Siver, who is 2-0 since dropping to featherweight, with decision wins over Diego Nunes and Nam Phan.
– Meanwhile in the middleweight division, Chris Leben will attempt to snap his two-fight losing streak against 8-1 prospect Andrew Craig, who most recently lost a decision to Ronny Markes at UFC on FX 7.
– With his four-fight win streak snapped by Mike Pierce in December, welterweight Seth Baczynski will welcome Strikeforce vet Brian Melancon into the Octagon.
You see, when I sat down at my computer after lunch, I was under the assumption that I was still participating in this thing we call Planet Earth. Little did I know that, while reheating the few scraps of ground beef that managed to survive Meatloaf Monday, I had apparently been thrust into some sort of magical UNICEF fantasy world in which everyone was twelve stories high and made of radiation and Cub Swanson can claim that he would kick Jose Aldo‘s ass 10 times out of 10.
I know that I could win that fight 10 out of 10 times if we did it again. It’s not even an issue to me anymore. I’d actually like my brother — would love for my brother — to fight him, who’s an up-and-comer, which I feel is more of a fair fight. I don’t really feel like [himself vs. Aldo] would be a fair fight at all.
Call me old fashioned, but when I make some contrived, ridiculous, he’s-got-to-be-joking statement, I’d like to think I did the math right when making said statement. This isn’t Vietnam, Cub, there are rules here. AND YOU CAN’T JUST START THE FIGHT COUNTER WHEREVER YOU WANT.
But since you’re a man of numbers, allow me to throw one at you. Eight. You lasted eight seconds with the dude the last time around. According to Michael Bisping, that is 14 minutes and 52 seconds less than a typical virgin lasts on prom night. And now you want your brother to be next in line at the slaughterhouse? It looks to me like somebody completely missed the point of The Hunger Games.
I’m a bit puzzled, Potato Nation.
You see, when I sat down at my computer after lunch, I was under the assumption that I was still participating in this thing we call Planet Earth. Little did I know that, while reheating the few scraps of ground beef that managed to survive Meatloaf Monday, I had apparently been thrust into some sort of magical UNICEF fantasy world in which everyone was twelve stories high and made of radiation and Cub Swanson can claim that he would kick Jose Aldo‘s ass 10 times out of 10.
I know that I could win that fight 10 out of 10 times if we did it again. It’s not even an issue to me anymore. I’d actually like my brother — would love for my brother — to fight him, who’s an up-and-comer, which I feel is more of a fair fight. I don’t really feel like [himself vs. Aldo] would be a fair fight at all.
Call me old fashioned, but when I make some contrived, ridiculous, he’s-got-to-be-joking statement, I’d like to think I did the math right when making said statement. This isn’t Vietnam, Cub, there are rules here. AND YOU CAN’T JUST START THE FIGHT COUNTER WHENEVER YOU WANT.
But since you’re a man of numbers, allow me to throw one at you. Eight. You lasted eight seconds with the dude the last time around. According to Michael Bisping, that is 14 minutes and 52 seconds less than a typical virgin lasts on prom night. And now you want your brother to be next in line at the slaughterhouse? It looks to me like somebody completely missed the point of The Hunger Games.
Honestly, I don’t even know what to make of a notion so ridiculous, except to say that I now sympathize with Mitt Romney more than I previously thought possible. At least he didn’t attempt to open a window on a plane — coincidentally causing that plane to crash into a mountain — and then declare that opening a window on a plane would definitely never cause a plane to crash into a mountain. Yeah, I know that makes no sense, but apparently we’re living in a world where we can make these kind of logical leaps without repercussion.
And while there’s little denying that Swanson has clearly elevated his game since the loss to Aldo at WEC 41, we can’t exactly condone the spewing of such mathematically retarded points as the one he is trying to make. We’ve heard of poking the bull, but Swanson sounds like he’s trying to jam his thumb right up the bull’s butt hole.
The Koch fight, I think he’s a real tough kid. I was supposed to fight him twice and I feel terrible that I wasn’t able to follow through with that for the fans and for him. That’s something I want back. The Zombie is just somebody who everybody loves. Everyone thinks he’s the best up-and-comer, and I don’t think so. That’s somebody I would love to throw down with. Lamas, he’s a stud and I felt like that was my fight and I messed up and I would like to give it another shot.
Well, for once we’re in agreement. Swanson has more than earned a shot at some top-level competition, the question is, who would you like to see him fight next?
We all saw lightweight Charles Oliveira get dropped and finished by Cub Swanson Saturday night at UFC 152. What we didn’t see, according to cut man Jacob “Stitch” Duran, was Oliveira injure his knee just before fighting Swanson while warming up in the locker room.
“I do know that in preparation for going out there, warming up, he twisted his knee,” Duran told MMA Junkie.
Duran also said that Oliveira needed assistance walking up the steps into the Octagon to fight Swanson. Junkie could not immediately reach Oliveira or representatives of the fighter but pointed out that “medical suspensions made public…on the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper, mixedmartialarts.com, stated that Oliveira has drawn an indefinite term and needs a CT scan or MRI to be cleared to fight.”
(On the topic of painful leg injuries…)
We all saw lightweight Charles Oliveira get dropped and finished by Cub Swanson Saturday night at UFC 152. What we didn’t see, according to cut man Jacob “Stitch” Duran, was Oliveira injure his knee just before fighting Swanson while warming up in the locker room.
“I do know that in preparation for going out there, warming up, he twisted his knee,” Duran told MMA Junkie.
Duran also said that Oliveira needed assistance walking up the steps into the Octagon to fight Swanson. Junkie could not immediately reach Oliveira or representatives of the fighter but pointed out that “medical suspensions made public…on the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper, mixedmartialarts.com, stated that Oliveira has drawn an indefinite term and needs a CT scan or MRI to be cleared to fight.”
We don’t yet know if that is because of head trauma sustained in the fight from the KO loss, this knee injury that “Stitch” says happened or both. If he did jack his knee up just moments before fighting, Oliveira deserves credit for not even mentioning it as an excuse thus far.
As for freak, last-minute injuries, Junkie correctly points out that these things sometimes happen in MMA. “Several fighters have injured themselves just prior to fights. In one infamous incident, former UFC heavyweight champ Kevin Randleman slipped on a pipe backstage prior to a fight with Pedro Rizzo at UFC 24 and knocked himself unconscious, which prompted officials to cancel the fight. UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock was pulled from a fight with Kevin ‘Kimbo Slice‘ Ferguson at ‘EliteXC: Heat when he sustained a cut over his eye while grappling with a training partner on the day of the event,” they wrote.
Bonus OG ‘tater points to you if you have been watching MMA long enough to remember the bizzare announcement over the telecast at UFC 24 where Randleman’s slapstick moment postponed a title fight. Thank goodness the UFC has come far along enough where pipes are no longer just splayed across the floor of locker rooms and walk ways at their events.
