(At one point, Jones tried to pull away because he thought the handshake was over, but Chael held on for like a half-second longer. It was, without question, the most challenging moment of Jones’s professional MMA career. / Photo via Getty Images)
The fight game isn’t just about tatted-up white guys with shaved heads hitting each other in the face. If it were, BodogFIGHT and the IFL would still be alive and kicking. Marketing /Hype/PR is a crucial aspect of the fight business — but it doesn’t always go so well.
There were times when the UFC has had stunning marketing triumphs (the whole “Zuffa created the entire MMA world and if you don’t like it you’re a butthurt Pride fanboy” shtick). But there were also times when the UFC’s efforts fell flat on their face like Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante against Dan Henderson.
What were some of these hyped-up but obviously bullshit moments? Let’s have a look…
1. Watch Che Mills, the Unstoppable Killing Machine!
(Source: Getty)
UFC 145’s main event of Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans was strong enough to sell a pay-per-view on. Sure, sometimes the promo made the two fighters look like jilted lovers, but we’re not gonna hate on the UFC for hyping up a title fight.
We will, however, hate on them for trying to convince fans that a squash match — Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills — was some kind of epic duel between two young lions. There was only one prospect in that fight, and it wasn’t Che Mills.
The UFC’s inability to do anything with subtlety ruined the promos for this event, the prelims for this event, and most of the PPV portion of this event. Describing Mills as a “new, dangerous welterweight from the UK” was a gross exaggeration. The British striker was only dangerous if you were a TUF bum or if you suffered an accidental knee injury while fighting him.
During the prelims, Rogan was doing the hard sell. THIS CHE MILLS GUY IS A KILLER. HE’S A MONSTER. HE’S A BADASS. HE BEHEADED NED STARK. HE SHOT BAMBI’S MOTHER. Insane falsehoods like this littered the broadcast. Rogan didn’t stop the bullshit once the main card started, either.
We got treated with pro-wrestling-level fakeness about how Che Mills was on MacDonald’s level up until MacDonald, predictably, ran through Mills.
Thus, the only thing that got killed at UFC 145 was Mills’s career.
Since then, Mills hasn’t legitimately won a fight, unless you count Duane Ludwig’s freak injury as a legit win. Earlier this month, Mills lost via TKO to Irishman Cathal Pendred (never heard of him either) at a CWFC event in Ireland.
(At one point, Jones tried to pull away because he thought the handshake was over, but Chael held on for like a half-second longer. It was, without question, the most challenging moment of Jones’s professional MMA career. / Photo via Getty Images)
The fight game isn’t just about tatted-up white guys with shaved heads hitting each other in the face. If it were, BodogFIGHT and the IFL would still be alive and kicking. Marketing /Hype/PR is a crucial aspect of the fight business — but it doesn’t always go so well.
There were times when the UFC has had stunning marketing triumphs (the whole “Zuffa created the entire MMA world and if you don’t like it you’re a butthurt Pride fanboy” shtick). But there were also times when the UFC’s efforts fell flat on their face like Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante against Dan Henderson.
What were some of these hyped-up but obviously bullshit moments? Let’s have a look…
1. Watch Che Mills, the Unstoppable Killing Machine!
(Source: Getty)
UFC 145’s main event of Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans was strong enough to sell a pay-per-view on. Sure, sometimes the promo made the two fighters look like jilted lovers, but we’re not gonna hate on the UFC for hyping up a title fight.
We will, however, hate on them for trying to convince fans that a squash match — Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills — was some kind of epic duel between two young lions. There was only one prospect in that fight, and it wasn’t Che Mills.
The UFC’s inability to do anything with subtlety ruined the promos for this event, the prelims for this event, and most of the PPV portion of this event. Describing Mills as a “new, dangerous welterweight from the UK” was a gross exaggeration. The British striker was only dangerous if you were a TUF bum or if you suffered an accidental knee injury while fighting him.
During the prelims, Rogan was doing the hard sell. THIS CHE MILLS GUY IS A KILLER. HE’S A MONSTER. HE’S A BADASS. HE BEHEADED NED STARK. HE SHOT BAMBI’S MOTHER. Insane falsehoods like this littered the broadcast. Rogan didn’t stop the bullshit once the main card started, either.
We got treated with pro-wrestling-level fakeness about how Che Mills was on MacDonald’s level up until MacDonald, predictably, ran through Mills.
Thus, the only thing that got killed at UFC 145 was Mills’s career.
Since then, Mills hasn’t legitimately won a fight, unless you count Duane Ludwig’s freak injury as a legit win. Earlier this month, Mills lost via TKO to Irishman Cathal Pendred (never heard of him either) at a CWFC event in Ireland.
Couture vs. Toney didn’t headline the UFC 118 PPV — Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn had that honor — but it was a large part of the event’s marketing.
Dana/The Zuffa hype machine gave out reasons why the fight wasn’t bullshit and why you should buy the PPV. They cited the statistic that James Toney had more knockouts than Randy Couture had fights and trotted out the tired, near-meaningless phrase “you never know what’s gonna happen in a fight” again and again.
Forget the fact that pure boxers had tried to ply their craft in the UFC twice and had failed, DANA WHITE is telling you James Toney has a chance so it must be right and you better buy the PPV so you can see the upset of a lifetime!
Toney’s ass-crack being visible at the weigh-ins foreshadowed the shittyness to come. The match ended the way everybody thought it would, with Toney having laughably bad MMA skills (he didn’t even know how to tap out correctly) and Couture effortlessly submitting him.
When the UFC was founded, one of the bigger issues was how to market it.
The American public had long been familiar with the typical Asian martial arts bushido bullshit thanks to the wave of interest inspired by movies ranging from Enter the Dragon to The Karate Kid. But the UFC was more than just karate guys and katas. It was the world’s toughest and purest fighting tournament. How, exactly, are you supposed to sell that?
McLaren was the man in charge of the UFC’s marketing in 1993. His strategy was to make the UFC appear as anything BUT a sport. To McLaren, the UFC had to be presented as Mortal Kombat without the thunder gods and four-armed Shokan princes.
The result of this policy was the enthusiastic yet ultimately self-defeating “BANNED IN 49 STATES. FIGHTS END VIA KNOCKOUT, SUBMISSION, OR DEATH” marketing campaign that piqued the interest of martial arts enthusiasts, street brawlers, and pornography theater owners.
4. Revenge Is a Dish Best Served on a Lackluster PPV Main Event.
(Source: MMAWeekly)
Remember Chuck Liddell’s “fearsome” title reign where he allegedly fought the best light-heavyweights in the world?
Yeah, we’re gonna talk about that for a second.
Riding high off capturing the UFC light heavyweight crown from Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell was pitted against Jeremy Horn. It was a peculiar match to make seeing as Horn hadn’t been in the UFC since a 2001 loss to Elvis Sinosic, of all people.
So why rush Horn to the front of the title-shot line?
Well, one theory is that Horn’s victory over the legendary Spencer Canup impressed Dana White so much that he had no other choice than to give Horn the title shot.
Another, equally likely theory, is that Liddell’s 1999 loss to Horn was a great pretext for a “REVENGE! GRUDGE MATCH!” angle straight out of the WWE’s playbook. Liddell got to avenge his loss, Horn lost some brain cells, and MMA fans lost a few hours and $40.
The UFC couldn’t survive if Tito Ortiz kept fighting the likes of Elvis Sinosic (that’s two Sinosic mentions in one article, if anyone is keeping count). The UFC needed established names. Ken Shamrock was an established name.
Yes, he was coming off a loss when he was brought in to fight Tito Ortiz for the first time in 2002 but that didn’t matter. Everybody remembered Ken Shamrock thanks to his status as a UFC Legend™ and thanks to his time in the WWE.
“Here are two guys who DON’T LIKE EACH OTHER!” “Watch the DISRESPECTFUL, UPSTART PUNK trash talk the RESPECTFUL VETERAN”
Ironically, the hype around the feud was all real. Shamrock’s Lion’s Den and Tito Ortiz had legitimate beef with one another. Thus, matching up him an Ortiz was an easy sell. But the reason this hook was so terrible was that Shamrock was no match for Ortiz. Shamrock wasn’t a roided-up superman anymore. He was Samson without his hair, Batman without his money, Chael Sonnen without TRT.
Yeah, great they don’t like each other. That doesn’t mean a fight between them made sense because, quite frankly, it didn’t. It was a cash-grab and attention whoring.
And it worked — so well, in fact, that they did it again twice. Shamrock would face Ortiz four years later on another PPV, UFC 61, and on a UFC Fight Night card called “Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter” just three months after that. Both of those fights ended in first-round TKO wins for Ortiz.
On the next page: A legend gets executed, “fun fights” (aka “squash matches”) and the absurd bullshit that actually turned out to be true.
In either case, it looks like Riddle will be given plenty of opportunities to do just that in the Texas-based organization Legalize It Legacy Fighting Championships, which Riddle announced he had signed a multi-fight deal with over the weekend via Twitter:
You have to appreciate how Riddle, being the witty bastard that he is, managed to reference both his recent quotes about beating his kids and the State of Texas’ history with blood baths in one masterfully written tweet. That’s what he was doing, right?
And in other news, Riddle’s opponent at UFC on FUEL 7, Che Mills, has successfully landed on his feet as well…
(When Keepin’ it Real Goes Wrong: Breakdance Edition. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.)
In either case, it looks like Riddle will be given plenty of opportunities to do just that in the Texas-based organization Legalize It Legacy Fighting Championships, which Riddle announced he had signed a multi-fight deal with over the weekend via Twitter:
You have to appreciate how Riddle, being the witty bastard that he is, managed to reference both his recent quotes about beating his kids and the State of Texas’ history with blood baths in one masterfully written tweet. That’s what he was doing, right?
And in other news, Riddle’s opponent at UFC on FUEL 7, Che Mills, has successfully landed on his feet as well.
Despite “giving up” in the third round of his fight with Riddle (White’s words, not ours), Mills has already signed a five-fight deal with UK-based promotion Cage Warriors, a promotion that has seen such names as Irish phenom Conor McGregor, Paul Daley, and TUF 6 runner-up Tommy Speer fight under its banner.
None of the details regarding Mills’ signing figures or debut opponent/date have been made available, but Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan had the following to say upon breaking the news (via MMAJunkie):
Che Mills is the best U.K. welterweight outside of the UFC at the moment, so I’m extremely happy that he has decided to come on board. A fighter of his caliber wouldn’t have been short of offers, but the fact that Che has opted to sign for Cage Warriors is proof that the guy is determined to return to the top. I have no doubt that he’ll get there too.
I’m a big fan of Che Mills. When the UFC recently released a bunch of guys, Che was the one I really wanted to bring in. He comes from a great camp and is always exciting to watch.
We will update you on the details of these two signings as soon as we are made aware.
(You think it would be damn near impossible to sum up an 18-fight UFC career in one image, yet here we are.)
Wow.
When we announced just hours ago that Jacob Volkmann had been cut from the UFCas part of a vast, government-led ploy to disarm the public following a 1-2 run in his last 3 fights, little did we know that his termination was just the precursor for one of the largest mass firings in UFC history. But that appears to be the case, as it was recently made public that Volkmann was but one of 16 fighters to be cut from the UFC today.
(You think it would be damn near impossible to sum up an 18-fight UFC career in one image, yet here we are.)
Wow.
When we announced just hours ago that Jacob Volkmann had been cut from the UFCas part of a vast, government-led ploy to disarm the public following a 1-2 run in his last 3 fights, little did we know that his termination was just the precursor for one of the largest mass firings in UFC history. But that appears to be the case, as it was recently made public that Volkmann was but one of 16 fighters to be cut from the UFC today.
Jon Fitch: That’s right, the man who is currently ranked at #9 on the UFC’s “official” welterweight rankings list, which were made public all of two weeks ago, has been axed for the second time in his 18-fight UFC career. While his first exit from the promotion wasn’t exactly performance-related, it’s hard to say that his second is any different. Fitch may be 1-2-1 in his past four bouts, but that lone victory came in a thrilling match over one of the division’s hottest prospects in Erick Silva. Not to mention Fitch’s thirteen other victories in the UFC. But yeah, keep trying to convince us that those rankings are anything other than a steaming pile of (adorable) dog shit.
Che Mills: 2-2 in the UFC, Mills was more than likely fired for basically giving up in the third round of his fight with Matt Riddle at UFC on FUEL 7, a move that immediately earned him the ire of The Baldfather.
Paul Sass: Talk a bout a hype-deflation. Sass came into the UFC riding a ten-fight unbeaten streak and quickly proved that he was the real deal by submitting his first three UFC opponents. However, after being dealt a taste of his own medicine compliments of Matt Wiman at UFC on FUEL 5, Sass would drop a follow-up contest to Danny Castillo, also at UFC on FUEL 7, which was apparently enough for the UFC to sever their ties with the Brit. Speaking of Brits…
Terry Etim: 6-5 UFC, on the heels of his second straight loss to Renee Forte at, you guessed it, UFC on FUEL 7 in London. Although Etim has fought just once a year since 2009 and is best known for being on the wrong end of the greatest knockout of 2012, this is still kind of a shocking entry considering the following he had gained amongst UK MMA fans. We guess shit happens when you drop a decision in your home country.
Other fighters who find themselves unemployed as of today are…
Wagner Prado: 0-2 and 1 NC, lost both fights by second round submission.
Josh Grispi: 0-4 UFC, officially became one of the biggest busts in UFC history (as we pretty much predicted) when he dropped a UD to Andy Ogle at UFC on FUEL 7.
Ulysses “Useless” Gomez: 0-2 UFC, also dropped a decision at UFC on FUEL 7. Expect several nickname-based puns to start popping up on comment boards across the MMA blogosphere any minute now.
(It’s kind of offensive that the UFC promos keep referring to Barao as a “monster.” He’s a human being, okay? An aggressive, scary human being whose mother just happens to be half-cthulhu / Photo via MMAJunkie.)
Today at the Wembley Arena in London, UFC interim bantamweight champ Renan Barao and 22-year-old phenom Michael McDonald will do battle to determine who’s truly the greatest 135-pound fighter in the world, at least until Dominick Cruz finally heals up and puts an end to this ridiculous charade. Alright, so an interim title might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s still a damn good fight, and the rest of the card features a crowd-pleasing assortment of slugfests and future stars.
Leading us through today’s UFC on FUEL 7 liveblog is Alex Giardini, who will be laying down round-by-round results from the main card broadcast after the jump beginning at 3 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please share your own thoughts in the comments section.
(It’s kind of offensive that the UFC promos keep referring to Barao as a “monster.” He’s a human being, okay? An aggressive, scary human being whose mother just happens to be half-cthulhu / Photo via MMAJunkie.)
Today at the Wembley Arena in London, UFC interim bantamweight champ Renan Barao and 22-year-old phenom Michael McDonald will do battle to determine who’s truly the greatest 135-pound fighter in the world, at least until Dominick Cruz finally heals up and puts an end to this ridiculous charade. Alright, so an interim title might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s still a damn good fight, and the rest of the card features a crowd-pleasing assortment of slugfests and future stars.
Leading us through today’s UFC on FUEL 7 liveblog is Alex Giardini, who will be laying down round-by-round results from the main card broadcast after the jump beginning at 3 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please share your own thoughts in the comments section.
Cheerio, my lovely Po-ta-toes…glad to be sharing this sunny afternoon with you all and I am hopeful for a couple of hours filled with ultra-violence. A lot of questions will be answered today live from Wembley Arena – will Renan Barao enter the pool of “Brazilian champions that clean out their entire division” for years to come? Will Michael McDonald prove he isn’t the only up-and-coming star McDonald even if the other MacDonald spells his name MacDonald? Will Dustin Poirier and Cub Swanson provide us with an early fight of the year nomination? Will Jorge Santiago continue the curse of “Big in Japan, small in UFC”? Will Matt Riddle get spit on again? Don’t touch the remote/mouse/track pad (or finger if you’re using an iPad/iPhone or something but who in the blue hell watches fights on those?)
Intro video begins….McDonald says he is not here to make predictions but win fights…Barao says it is his belt, and nobody will take it away….bring on the afternoon.
Anik and Florian get us going…they mention this is the first title fight in the UK since 2008 and both main event competitors have not yet lost in the Octagon.
Che Mills vs. Matt Riddle
Round 1: Riddle has got me wondering if that hairstyle is new. Riddle taunts the crowds a bit; giving England the Bret Hart pose. Guest Octagon girl Carly Baker gets the up-and-down and the main card is underway. Both touch gloves…both trying to establish the jab. Riddle goes for a single-leg. He pushes Mills against the fence. He lets go, and both men clinch. Mills trying to break loose but Riddle grinds him further. Riddle throwing some knees, none of them too hurtful. Riddle going for the single again. Riddle scores the takedown. Mills successfully gets up. Both clinched against the fence once more. Riddle working the wrist. Mills separate, and both men on their feet. Front-left kick by Mills. Riddle scores another single-leg takedown. Mills gets up and both men now at the centre. Inside leg-kick by Mills. Nice hook by Riddle. Riddle clinches Mills once more against the fence. Mills gets in a nice knee. Riddle looking for a double-takedown…gets his hips up…and gets it. Riddle on top of Mills. Mills has got Riddle’s right leg trapped and Riddle works on top of him, closing the round with a short elbow. 10-9 Riddle.
Round 2: Riddle catches Mills with a nice right after the glove touch. Riddle scores a big takedown after a crazy Che Mills kick. Riddle gets a North-South choke. Working on it…but Mills isn’t in trouble yet. Riddle trying to clench his hands together. Riddle bails on it, goes into side control. Riddle throwing some knees to the ribs. Riddle trying to mount. Riddle gets an underhook, giving Mills some shots to the dome. Working with his knees and fists, Riddle still in side control. Nice shot by Riddle as he is almost mounted. Riddle in half-guard. Riddle trying to bridge and now he gets mount. Mills give him his back. Mills switches but Riddle stays on the back and tries for a rear-naked. Both are against the cage and Riddle transitions to mount. The round closes with not much damage to Mills. 10-9 Riddle.
Round 3: Both men hug instead of glove-touching. Nice jab by Mills. He goes for a head-kick, Riddle blocks. Riddle missing most of his jabs. Riddle working a single-leg once again. Crowd boos (obviously). Mills won’t go down. Riddle sends him back to the clinch. Mills sprawls against the cage trying to prevent the takedown. Riddle goes for a takedown and Mills ends up on top of Riddle’s back but Riddle is back up. Riddle scores another takedown. Riddle in Mills’ guard, with some light punches to the ear. Solid elbow from Riddle. Riddle moves into half-guard. Mills has the right-leg trapped. Mills reverses, and is on top. He needs to do something huge. He gets up and rains down some punches. Riddle is on the floor asking him to come down. Mills stays up, and the referee stands them up. Riddle works the single-leg yet again as the round closes. 10-9 Riddle.
Riddle should get the nod. Very effective takedowns. Scorecards in a minute…
Matthew Riddle def. Che Mills by Split Decision (29-28 Riddle, 29-28 Mills, 30-27 Riddle)
Nick The Tooth is sitting where the girls sit tonight?! With that babe Baker?! Hey, is that Bloodstain Lane fight still happening?
Anyhow….yeaaaah, don’t think this one is going to a decision.
James Te Huna vs. Ryan Jimmo
Round 1: Leon Roberts gets them going…. Te Huna locks Jimmo up against the fence with double-underhooks…Te Huna trying to throw some knees in there…referee warns them, wants more action. They get separated. Jimmo with a crazy headkick and drops Te Huna! Jimmo raining down elbows and fists but Te Huna is surviving. Jimmo in the guard, Te Huna is split open. Hard to see if its coming from the eyes or the forehead. Cut is around the right eye. Both men on their feet. Te Huna tries a choke but to no avail. Jimmo now trying to secure a choke. Jimmo trying to get some punches on the inside. Te Huna raining down some twelve-to-six elbows to the cranium. Nothing is putting Jimmo in trouble yet. Nice elbows by Te Huna. Still working the elbows but now gets warned by Roberts is Te Huna. Jimmon ends the round in the guard. 10-9 Jimmo.
Round 2: Replay of that menacing flush kick. Both men bouncing around, no strikes yet. Jimmo switches stance, goes for the kick again but misses. Te Huna trying for inside leg-kicks but gets nothing. Te Huna looking for a single-leg up against the cage. Both men clinched against the fence, another warning for not doing much. Big swiping, side takedown by Te Huna, now in side control. Throwing some elbows to Jimmo’s face. Still in side control, chipping away with punches. Jimmo squirming. Te Huna now in full mount. Te Huna trying to get his right leg loose, which is trapped. Nice short elbows by Te Huna. Some big ground and pound by Te Huna. Nice big rights by Te Huna. Hammerfists raining down, Jimmo surviving. Te Huna continues with some short elbows, and Te Huna gets up as the round closes. All square. 10-9 Te Huna.
Round 3: Both men touch’em. One round a piece. Jimmo misses a kick. Jimmo escapes a takedown attempt. Jimmo works Te Huna up against the fence. Jimmo pressuring and working a takedown. Te Huna still postured up. Roberts getting impatient again. Te Huna will a knee and a big elbow. Both at the centre of the Octagon now. Te Huna pits Jimmo up against the cage. Jimmo reverses, now has control. Back and forth fight. Te Huna gets another takedown from the bodylock and has Jimmo against the cage on his back. Te Huna working the hammerfists and elbows. Jimmo looks to be cut, hard to tell where the blood is coming from. It is in fact Te Huna’s cut. A minute to go, more elbows from Te Huna. Jimmo’s corner yelling at the fighter to get back to his feet. Jimmo in butterfly guard underneath Te Huna. Jimmo and Te Huna seem to be talking to each other. Te Huna on his feet, trying to make it rain but the round closes. Big comeback from Te Huna. 10-9 Te Huna.
Well, this liveblogger should shut it with his predictions. Was Round 1 a 10-8 for Jimmo? You never know with these crazy judges…
James Te Huna def. Ryan Jimmo by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Big win by Te Huna…great composure in Round 1, he was in a boatload of trouble.
They show a little clip from UFC Primetime: Rousey vs. Carmouche…you may think this is a squash fight for the ages but the past two episodes have been quite good.
Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago
Round 1: Both welterweights touch gloves. Nelson with his awkwardly-funny karate stance. Santiago throwing some wild rights, nothing landing. Big knee by Santiago. Nice switch-kick by Nelson. Nelson tries a side-kick to the body, lands. Nelson switching stances often. Big headkick by Santiago, doesn’t fully connect. Front-kick by Nelson. Santiago blocks a body-kick. Double-leg by Nelson, in half-guard. Nelson on his feet…splits open Santiago’s legs and eats a punch. Both back to their feet. Jab-catches by Nelson as Santiago tries to find a home for them. Not much action from both men back on their feet thus far. Kick to the body by Nelson, keeps Santiago on the outside. Santiago rushing in, catches Nelson with a good punch. Nelson looking for a takedown, doesn’t get it…back to the center, and the round closes. Close one. 10-9 Nelson.
Round 2: Santiago misses a headkick. Nice strikes by Nelson, good left hand. Santiago throwing some wild ones, none landing. Nelson catches him with a big right hand, and goes for the takedown. Level-change and a double from Nelson. Gunnar in side control. Good short elbows by Gunnar. Nelson trying to get a significant position. Nelson now in the closed guard. Nelson trying to slam for a second, but lets it go. Nelson controlling the posture. Big elbow from Nelson to Santiago’s face. Another elbow by Nelson. Nelson gets up, tries to move around and gets right back down. Nelson passes guard, in side control now. Nelson mounted. Nelson continues to throw elbows. 10-9 Nelson.
Round 3: Santiago trying to land a combo. Nelson’s feet planted. Nelson goes for a sidekick. Santiago fights off the takedown attempt. Santiago lands a right hand. Headkick blocked by Santiago. Right hand by Nelson, catches Santiago off-guard. Santiago now has Nelson against the fence. Elbow and knees by Santiago. Another right by Santiago who is throwing some wild ones. Nice straight right by Nelson. Both men shuffling around the cage. Nice right by Santiago. Good uppercut by Santiago. Another uppercut from Nelson and immediate right hand by Santiago who looks pretty wobbly. Knee by Nelson, clinched up against the fence. Big uppercut from Nelson once more. Goes for a takedown, Santiago fights it off. Santiago with a hook but misses…Nelson catches him with a right hand. Santiago misses an uppercut and Santiago pouring it on…Santiago with a nasty right at the end of the fight. Saved by the bell? 10-9 Nelson
Gunnar Nelson def. Jorge Santiago by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Decision heavy but good fights thus far…this one’s is a sleeper…
Jimi Manuwa vs. Cyrille Diabate
Round 1: Both touch gloves…. Manuwa with a tight stance. Diabate misses a combo. Manuwa with a good lowkick. Manuwa pushes Diabate against the fence, reversal. Manuwa gets superior position and gets the takedown. Manuwa in side control. Manuwa trying to work. Back on their feet. Diabate eats a stiff, short elbow. Manuwa grinding Diabate against the fence. Highkick from Manuwa. Stiff right from Manuwa and takes him down again. Manuwa lets him up. Right hook by Manuwa. Misses a left hook, Manuwa. Side kick by Manuwa. Both men in the clinch, delivering short elbows. Diabate hits him with a knee and Manuwa follows immediately with a left-hook. Big knee to the midsection by Diabate. Manuwa takes him down again. Manuwa stands up and the round closes. 10-9 Manuwa.
Fight is over?! Diabate is unable to continue. Something’s up with his leg….
Yep, that’s it…looks like Diabate’s calf muscle is messed up. Disappointing.
Jimi Manuwa def. Cyrille Diabate by TKO (Corner Stoppage), Round 1, 5:00.
I guess that’s the stoppage we *weren’t* looking for…but it did put an end to those decisions. “Party Up” by DMX blazing through the arena and that is fitting because our co-main event should be one hell of a barnburner.
Anik announces that the fighter rankings with be updated thirty-six hours after UFC events. They also show up next to the fighter’s names on fight intros and upcoming cards…whatever.
Cub Swanson vs. Dustin Poirier
Round 1: Both men exchanging glares. They touch gloves. Both men block each others’ lowkicks. Swanson with a wild right, misses. Poirier with a nice lowkick. Swanson pouring it on, with two hooks followed by a body shot. Swanson with a right hand. Poirier tries to take him down but unsuccessful. Swanson leading in with a lowkick then a right hook, misses. Big right by Poirier followed by another lowkick. Swanson with a hook then body shot. Counter-right from Poirier. Swanson with a lowkick. Poirier continues with the lowkicks. Swanson keeps charging in. Highkick checked by Poirier. Poirier clinches Swanson against the cage. Both men break out. Body shot by Swanson. Big uppercut rocks Poirier. Both exchange and Swanson is throwing them wildly. Swanson pouring it on but Poirier catches his heel and takes him down. Poirier in the guard. Tries to rain down some elbows but Swanson covers up effectively. Flying knee from Swanson misses. So does a frontkick by Poirier. 10-9 Swanson.
Round 2: Swanson tries to work a jab. Poirier working with those lowkicks. Body shot by Swanson. Left hook misses by Swanson. Nice combo from Poirier. Nice shot to Swanson’s body by Poirier. Poirier with another kick to the leg. Right misses from Poirier. Big kick to the body by Swanson. Poirier goes for the takedown. Clinches Swanson against the fence. Swanson escapes. Front-kick misses by Poirier. Kick checked by Swanson but he lands a big right hand. Big double-leg takedown by Poirier. Swanson going for the arm. Poirier stands with a shoulder lock on Swanson but Swanson breaks free. Swanson eats a good three-hit combo by Poirier. Poirier looking for a takedown as he has Swanson against the fence. Both men back at the center. Poirier with a good right hand. Another lowkick by Poirier. Good technical fight thus far. 10-9 Poirier.
Round 3: Swanson hits him with a left hook. Poirier pushing him against the fence. Tries a double. Poirier cannot secure the hips just yet. Instead he clinches with Swanson and throws some big shots towards Swanson. Left hand connects. Huge left hand by Poirier as they get back to the center. Another left by Poirier. Nice jab from Poirier backs up Cub. Swanson gets a big takedown and is in Poirier’s guard. Poirier going for some elbows but Swanson returns the favor with some hammerfists too. Swanson gets his back. Gets the hooks in. Goes for the choke but nothing secured yet. Swanson still working the back. Poirier trying to stand up. Swanson has the back still. Poirier tries to stand up, may look for a slam while Cub is on his back. Swanson gets mount as Poirier tries to shuffle. Swanson on his feet pouring it on. Both men on their feet. Poirier gets a short elbow in. Swanson sweeps and throws Poirier down. Swanson has an arm trapped and works the back once more. Both fighters talking to each other. Swanson looking for an armbar. Poirier is out and rains down but the fight finishes in Swanson’s guard. 10-9 Swanson.
We needed that…hope the judges get this one right…
Judges get it right…Swanson looks like a fighter reborn – not the same dude that got slaughtered by Aldo. Main event time, brothers and sisters.
Renan Barao (c) vs. Michael McDonald
McDonald comes out to some indie Barenaked Ladies stuff…you know, the kind of song that would take the world by storm if it was on The OC last night. Barao comes out to a reggaeton banger. I’ll have to Shazam this when I rewatch…
Round 1: They touch gloves and were underway. Both start with the feeling out process. McDonald misses with the right, Barao misses with a highkick. Both grapple and Barao gets a takedown early. In side control now is Barao. He hops into McDonald’s guard. McDonald looks to setup a triangle. Barao keeping him locked. Both men back on their feet. Both guys have their hands up high, lots of respect thus far. McDonald with a nice left hand that finds its way through. Barao and McDonald exchange wild rights, nothing too harmful. Barao with a nice left hand. Barao with a nice lowkick. Barao goes for the takedown, stuffed. Barao catches him with a right in a short exchange. McDonald pouring it on, big right hand! Barao is hurt, and gets a body-lock. He hits McDonald with some nice rights against the cage. Barao gets a takedown and looks fully recovered. Barao in the guard as the round closes. 10-9 Barao.
Round 2: Both guys hesitant at first. Barao with a right that slips through in an exchange. McDonald with a good left hand. McDonald with an uppercut. Barao goes for a spinning axe-kick, misses though. McDonald with left. Both men keeping it cool on their feet, looking for an opening. McDonald gets a right in, Barao goes for the takedown and stuffed. Barao gets another takedown, secures it and McDonald gets back up by delivering an upkick from his back. Barao unable to land a combo. McDonald misses with a left and right. Referee steps in as Barao accidently pokes the challenger. McDonald rocks Barao back with a good combo, but McDonald took some hits too. Uppercut by McDonald misses and Barao swings a wild right. Both men trying to capitalize as they get on the inside. Big front-kick to the face by Barao. Counter-right by McDonald, Barao pushes back. Barao lands a nice right in an exchange but has a cut over his right eye. Tries for a spinning kick as the round ends. 10-9 Barao.
Round 3: Both men are shuffling again at the beginning. Barao catches McDonald with a good combination. Barao goes for a kick, doesn’t throw it. Barao blitzes in with a combination into a body lock and has McDonald against the cage. Takes him down, Barao now in side control. McDonald escapes. McDonald lands a right hand. Barao goes for the front-kick again. McDonald with an uppercut, doesn’t quite catch Barao. Barao with a left hook followed by a solid right hand. McDonald looking for that uppercut quite often. Barao keeping tight. McDonald connects with an uppercut. Both men starting to tire but just a bit. Barao catches him with a spinning kick to the chin, McDonald not in too much trouble. Another front-kick by Barao but doesn’t make it through. Championship rounds, a first for the challenger. 10-9 Barao.
Round 4: Both men circling again. Some smiles back and forth from both dudes. Left hand by Barao. McDonald gets a right in. McDonald stuffs the takedown. Barao with a wild right, misses. Barao throwing a headkick and flying knee but doesn’t catch McDonald. Challenger is bleeding from the nose. McDonald stays upright against the fence, doesn’t allow Barao to follow-up on a takedown. Very technical fight so far. Barao gets another spinning kick to connect with McDonald’s face. Barao misses with a jab. McDonald keeping his head moving. Barao gets McDonald down and has an arm triangle in. McDonald gives the thumbs up. Barao trying to sink it in. Barao keeps position. McDonald trying to stay alive. McDonald in trouble….the challenger taps.
A bloody Barao dances and McDonald congratulates the champion. Good fight; something tells me these two will have a great rivalry in the near future.
Renan Barao def. Michael McDonald by Submission (Arm Triangle), Round 4, 3:57.
So…Barao says “Dominick Cruz, I am waiting for you…come back quick”. Triple threat match, with these three, I’m down. It was a decent afternoon of fights. Poirier-Swanson may not have been the fight of the year (unless 2013 utterly sucks), although it was the best one on the main card alongside the main event. Jimi Manuwa *finishes* Diabate, Te Huna scores an impressive comeback victory, Riddle stays clear of saliva, Nelson wins over Santiago (he lost five straight during three separate UFC stints) and this guest Octagon girl is saucy as hell. That’s it for me, Potato Nation…until next time.
(Ladies, you are not prepared to deal with Matt’s “O-face.” You just aren’t.)
Matt Riddle is on the fast track to replacing Michael Phelps as the most motivated stoner on the planet Earth, you guys. After fighting just once in 2011, Riddle put together a 3-1 record in 2012 (well, 2-1 and 1 NC if you’ve ever sucked dick for weed before) and already has his first fight for 2013 lined up. The man with one of the sunniest dispositions in the sport will be taking on butter-toothed BritChe “Beautiful” Mills at UFC on FUEL 7, which goes down from the Wembley Arena in London, England on February 16th.
On the heels of a disappointing victory via injury over Duane Ludwig at UFC on FUEL 5, Mills will be looking to extend his octagon record to 3-1 with a victory over Riddle, who is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over John Maguire at UFC 154. Although Riddle has developed for putting on exciting brawls in his last few performances, he might want to avoid these kind of shenanigans against a power striker like Mills, who proved to Rick Flair-impersonator Chris Cope that he is not a fan of theatrics in his UFC debut.
(Ladies, you are not prepared to deal with Matt’s “O-face.” You just aren’t.)
Matt Riddle is on the fast track to replacing Michael Phelps as the most motivated stoner on the planet Earth, you guys. After fighting just once in 2011, Riddle put together a 3-1 record in 2012 (well, 2-1 and 1 NC if you’ve ever sucked dick for weed before) and already has his first fight for 2013 lined up. The man with one of the sunniest dispositions in the sport will be taking on butter-toothed BritChe “Beautiful” Mills at UFC on FUEL 7, which goes down from the Wembley Arena in London, England on February 16th.
On the heels of a disappointing victory via injury over Duane Ludwig at UFC on FUEL 5, Mills will be looking to extend his octagon record to 3-1 with a victory over Riddle, who is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over John Maguire at UFC 154. Although Riddle has developed for putting on exciting brawls in his last few performances, he might want to avoid these kind of shenanigans against a power striker like Mills, who proved to Rick Flair-impersonator Chris Cope that he is not a fan of theatrics in his UFC debut.
And if you guys still give a shit about Strikeforce matchups, you’ll be happy to know that two-time almost title challenger Lorenz Larkin has been booked against a replacement opponent for the final Strikeforce card now that champion Luke Rockhold has bowed out again due to injury. Ironically, “Monsoon” will now meet the man who Rockhold took the title from, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who is on the heels of a quick knockout over Derek Brunson at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman.
When the UFC first announced that Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic would be the main event of yesterday’s UFC on FUEL 5, most of us assumed that the fight would serve as a coming out party for Stipe Miocic. Even though he hadn’t faced any big names in his UFC career, the heavy-handed prospect certainly looked like he was Cleveland’s next best hope for a champion. Putting Stipe in the cage with a fighter that (arguably) has a weak chin could produce a highlight reel knockout and put Miocic “in the mix” at the heavyweight division.
Except that didn’t happen. Miocic managed to land some heavy shots throughout the fight, but in the end Struve proved to be too much, earning the TKO in the second round. While Miocic outworked Struve throughout the first round, Stipe Miocic had no answers for the lanky heavyweight’s offense once Struve actually started using his jab. Sorry, Cleveland, but you really should have seen this one coming.
This isn’t meant to take anything away from Stefan Struve, as he looked pretty impressive with his victory. Any questions about his chin seemed to be answered yesterday, as he weathered some heavy punches on his way to earning the TKO. And forgive us if we’re harping on this, but when Struve actually uses his jab, he’s a completely different fighter. His lanky attack creates problems for everyone in the heavyweight division, warranting a post-fight comparison to Jon Jones from Chael Sonnen (except Chael added that Struve has twice the courage of Jon Jones, naturally). The twenty four year old fighter improves to 9-3 in the UFC, and is currently riding a four fight win streak.
When the UFC first announced that Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic would be the main event of yesterday’s UFC on FUEL 5, most of us assumed that the fight would serve as a coming out party for Stipe Miocic. Even though he hadn’t faced any big names in his UFC career, the heavy-handed prospect certainly looked like he was Cleveland’s next best hope for a champion. Putting Stipe in the cage with a fighter that (arguably) has a weak chin could produce a highlight reel knockout and put Miocic “in the mix” at the heavyweight division.
Except that didn’t happen. Miocic managed to land some heavy shots throughout the fight, but in the end Struve proved to be too much, earning the TKO in the second round. While Miocic outworked Struve throughout the first round, Stipe Miocic had no answers for the lanky heavyweight’s offense once Struve actually started using his jab. Sorry, Cleveland, but you really should have seen this one coming.
This isn’t meant to take anything away from Stefan Struve, as he looked pretty impressive with his victory. Any questions about his chin seemed to be answered yesterday, as he weathered some heavy punches on his way to earning the TKO. And forgive us if we’re harping on this, but when Struve actually uses his jab, he’s a completely different fighter. His lanky attack creates problems for everyone in the heavyweight division, warranting a post-fight comparison to Jon Jones from Chael Sonnen (except Chael added that Struve has twice the courage of Jon Jones, naturally). The twenty four year old fighter improves to 9-3 in the UFC, and is currently riding a four fight win streak.
Rather, this is meant to point out that perhaps we shouldn’t rush to crown Struve the future of the heavyweight division. A test against the deep end of the division is certainly deserved here, but we’ve already seen Struve get knocked out by the division’s top fighters. Unless he continues to work at absorbing less damage and using his reach, I doubt we’ll see anything different out of him this time around. No matter how good your chin is, taking heavy shots from a 240+ pound athlete isn’t exactly a good idea.
But Struve’s victory wasn’t the only surprise from yesterday. How about Dan Hardy actually attempting some takedowns? Or Matt Wiman submitting Paul “Sassangle” Sass? Or Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig ending via freak knee injury? Those quirky Brits, I tells ya.
Fight of the Night bonuses went to Stefan Struve and Stipe Miocic, Submission of the Night went to Matt Wiman, and Knockout of the Night went to Brad “One Punch” Pickett, who scored his first knockout since 2008. All bonuses were for $40,000.
Full Results:
Main Card:
Stefan Struve def. Stipe Miocic via TKO, 3:50 of Round Two
Dan Hardy def. Amir Sadollah via unanimous decision
Brad Pickett def. Yves Jabouin via KO, 3:40 of Round One
Matt Wiman def. Paul Sass via submission (armbar), 3:48 of Round One
John Hathaway def. John Maguire via unanimous decision
Che Mills def. Duane Ludwig via TKO (knee injury), 3:28 of Round One
Preliminary Card:
Jimi Manuwa def. Kyle Kingsbury via doctor’s stoppage (eye), 5:00 of Round Three
Hamid Corassani def. Andy Ogle via split decision
Brad Tavares def. Tom Watson via split decision
Gunnar Nelson def. Damarques Johnson via submission (rear naked choke), 3:34 of Round One
Robert Peralta def. Jason Young via KO, 0:23 of Round One
