Big Nog is coming off his gruesome kimura loss to Frank Mir at UFC 140 in December, a defeat that had many fans and pundits pleading for the legend’s retirement. Following that fight, Nogueira said he expected to return within nine months. Just seven months later, he’ll be taking one more kick at the cat against a tough striker in Kongo, who ate a first-round TKO loss against Mark Hunt in his last outing. Still, you can’t count either of these guys out (see: Nog vs. Schaub, Kongo vs. Barry). Are you happy to see Nogueira back in the Octagon? And who do you think will be left standing?
In other booking news…
(Fun fact: Nogueira’s body is composed mainly of replacement parts from grave-robbed corpses.)
Big Nog is coming off his gruesome kimura loss to Frank Mir at UFC 140 in December, a defeat that had many fans and pundits pleading for the legend’s retirement. Following that fight, Nogueira said he expected to return within nine months. Just seven months later, he’ll be taking one more kick at the cat against a tough striker in Kongo, who ate a first-round TKO loss against Mark Hunt in his last outing. Still, you can’t count either of these guys out (see: Nog vs. Schaub, Kongo vs. Barry). Are you happy to see Nogueira back in the Octagon? And who do you think will be left standing?
Weidman increased his perfect MMA record to 8-0 at UFC on FOX 2 in January with a unanimous decision win over Demian Maia. Munoz was scheduled to compete against Micchael Bisping at the same event, but had to withdraw due to elbow problems. Munoz is currently riding a four-fight win streak, most recently stopping Chris Leben at UFC 138.
It would come as a revelation to no one if I said Wanderlei Silva’s best days are behind him. It would warrant no gasps if I wrote that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is fighting past his prime. And it would come as no shock if you heard that Matt Hughes is …
It would come as a revelation to no one if I said Wanderlei Silva’s best days are behind him. It would warrant no gasps if I wrote that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is fighting past his prime. And it would come as no shock if you heard that Matt Hughes is on his last legs.
It is not my intention to construct a list full of fighters so obviously shells of their former selves that it makes MMA fans tear up recalling the glory days of heroes and legends passed.
Instead, this list will be populated by fighters that still rank as contenders; fighters still putting in competitive bouts with ranked opponents; fighters that may not so obviously be entering the twilight of their career.
As a note on the criteria for this list, no fighter with a lengthy losing streak, a la Kid Yamamoto or Yoshihiro Akiyama, will be included. Their recent records speak for themselves.
This list will only concern itself with fighters that may reasonably be considered threats within their respective divisions.
It is also necessary to explicate that this list is not meant to label fighters as “overrated.” Many of the inclusions are exceptional combatants that will continue to put on competitive and exciting fights for years to come.
More than anything else, this list is comprised of fighters that are currently, or were recently, considered title threats, but have seen their opportunities pass them by.
These fighters have risen to the zenith of their careers and will go no further.
(This punch-face that Bendo gave Frankie Edgar? Good *and* ugly.)
By Mark Dorsey
Inspired by the 1966 Spaghetti Western film about three gunmen who set out to find a hidden fortune during the American Civil War, this post-event wrap-up is dedicated to the moments that may have slipped through the cracks or deserve a little bit more analysis. Before we bid adieu to the resounding success that was UFC 144, join us for a look back at the event with a solid, squinty-eyed gaze that would make a macho legend like Clint Eastwood proud.
The Good
• The Japanese crowd. As expected, the Japanese crowd was politely engaged in the fights throughout the entire event. There were long periods of respectful silence during most of the action, prompting Joe Rogan to urge Mike Goldberg to take off his headphones in order to soak in the eerie quiet in the arena. Rogan is a stand-up comic who doesn’t often get the opportunity to crack jokes during the fights but it was funny when he said that event was akin to watching “a cagefight in a church.” Despite the reverent atmosphere, the crowd also had its moments of vocal fervor, erupting into chants of Hioki’s name and random “UFC” chants, while also scolding Ryan Bader with boos when he tried to tie-up Rampage from the bottom. The Japanese fans showed a lot of support to non-native fighters such as Vaughan Lee after his impressive armbar victory over Kid Yamamoto, and Tim Boetsch after his shocking comeback win over Yushin Okami. The vibe in Japan was markedly different from the UFC’s amazing shows in Toronto and Rio, but anytime there’s an event when the fans become one of the main talking points, it speaks to their passion.
• Referees. Referees usually only get the spotlight if they make a mistake or controversial decision, but sometimes they should get mentioned simply because they did a solid job. That was certainly the case at UFC 144 which saw some great stoppages. Particularly noteworthy was Herb Dean’s reaction time, jumping in to stop Mark Hunt and Issei Tamura from inflicting more damage after their devastating knockouts of Cheick Kongo and Zhang Tiequan, respectively. In a similar vein, during the Lauzon/Pettis fight, referee Marc Goddard was right on top of the action, quickly stepping in to prevent follow-up damage after Lauzon was KO’d.
(This punch-face that Bendo gave Frankie Edgar? Good *and* ugly.)
By Mark Dorsey
Inspired by the 1966 Spaghetti Western film about three gunmen who set out to find a hidden fortune during the American Civil War, this post-event wrap-up is dedicated to the moments that may have slipped through the cracks or deserve a little bit more analysis. Before we bid adieu to the resounding success that was UFC 144, join us for a look back at the event with a solid, squinty-eyed gaze that would make a macho legend like Clint Eastwood proud.
The Good
• The Japanese crowd. As expected, the Japanese crowd was politely engaged in the fights throughout the entire event. There were long periods of respectful silence during most of the action, prompting Joe Rogan to urge Mike Goldberg to take off his headphones in order to soak in the eerie quiet in the arena. Rogan is a stand-up comic who doesn’t often get the opportunity to crack jokes during the fights but it was funny when he said that event was akin to watching “a cagefight in a church.” Despite the reverent atmosphere, the crowd also had its moments of vocal fervor, erupting into chants of Hioki’s name and random “UFC” chants, while also scolding Ryan Bader with boos when he tried to tie-up Rampage from the bottom. The Japanese fans showed a lot of support to non-native fighters such as Vaughan Lee after his impressive armbar victory over Kid Yamamoto, and Tim Boetsch after his shocking comeback win over Yushin Okami. The vibe in Japan was markedly different from the UFC’s amazing shows in Toronto and Rio, but anytime there’s an event when the fans become one of the main talking points, it speaks to their passion.
• Referees. Referees usually only get the spotlight if they make a mistake or controversial decision, but sometimes they should get mentioned simply because they did a solid job. That was certainly the case at UFC 144 which saw some great stoppages. Particularly noteworthy was Herb Dean’s reaction time, jumping in to stop Mark Hunt and Issei Tamura from inflicting more damage after their devastating knockouts of Cheick Kongo and Zhang Tiequan, respectively. In a similar vein, during the Lauzon/Pettis fight, referee Marc Goddard was right on top of the action, quickly stepping in to prevent follow-up damage after Lauzon was KO’d.
• Rampage Jackson. There were many disappointing aspects of Rampage’s performance at UFC 144, but he should also get some credit for providing a lot of interest in this card. Although he couldn’t pull off a win, Rampage did his best to entertain with a great entrance in which he came out to the Pride FC opening theme song and provided the crowd with a couple of his signature howls. His Japanese homecoming clearly meant a lot to an emotional Rampage who fought through a knee injury and showed a lot of maturity in many of the interviews he gave before and after the event. Also, the slam/spike on Bader was thrilling and a reminder of the potentially fight-ending techniques that Rampage still possesses.
The Bad
• Late fights and timing issues. As the UFC continues to expand into different overseas markets, there will be some growing pains regarding how to satisfy both the live crowds and the North American television audience. Let’s be honest, it’s nice that we can watch the UFC at its regular time slot here in North America, but I’m not sure that catering to the PPV numbers is the best way to build a strong UFC following in Japan, especially when it means starting the fights at 10AM on a Sunday. Also, it may seem like a strange thing to complain about, but a 4-hour PPV is just way too long. The average major league sporting event is only 2.5 to 3 hours long; this was a 4-hour PPV with 2 hours of preliminary fights. It’s great that there are so many fights being shown but hopefully it’s not at the expense of waning interest by the time the main event rolls around.
• The state of Japanese MMA. Japanese fighters did not fare very well on this card as a whole. When it came down to all of the high-profile matches of Japanese versus foreign fighters, the Japanese contingent didn’t do well, with Yushin Okami, Kid Yamamoto and Yoshihiro Akiyama each suffering definitive losses. Yushin Okami dominated Tim Boetsch for two rounds, but for a guy constantly hyped as the best Japanese fighter in the UFC, he quickly fell apart after getting stormed in the third round. Aside from Hatsu Hioki’s impressive win over rising contender Bart Palaszewski, the Japanese fighters who did secure victories (Riki Fukuda, Takanori Gomi, and Issei Tamura) did so against less-than-stellar opposition (Steve Cantwell, Eiji Mitsuoka, and Tiequan Zhang).
The Ugly
• Rampage Jackson. As a fan of Rampage, it’s easy to want to give him some leeway for fighting through a knee injury, but the truth is, this was an ugly event for him in the context of his entire career. After missing weight and giving up some of his purse, Rampage appeared to be mentally checked out. It seems he was looking past Bader and didn’t really take him seriously. During the fight, Rampage didn’t throw his hands much, and other than his slam, he showed very little of the dynamism that has marked some of his more famous fights. For a guy who has expressed a desire to fight Jon Jones again, this was a big setback.
• Rogan and Goldie. There were a couple head-smacking moments from the commentary during the Cheick Kongo and Mark Hunt fight. First, during the walk-in, Mike Goldberg stated that Hunt “brutalized” Fedor for eight minutes in their fight at Pride Shockwave 2006. While it’s true that Hunt had Fedor in some legitimate trouble, stating that Fedor was “brutalized” is disingenuous and reeks of Zuffa-inspired revisionist history. Second, during the fight itself, Joe Rogan talked about Kongo’s improved grappling, especially in the Ben Rothwell fight. After Goldie chimed in with “He even attempted an armbar” Rogan got confused and began talking about Hunt’s grappling instead of Kongo’s, saying of the armbar, “Well, he also did that in the Fedor fight. He almost caught Fedor in an Americana, or was it a Kimura, at some point.” Unlike Goldie’s misnomer, Rogan’s was obviously an accident. Plus, did Rogan really describe Tim Boetsch’s win over Okami as the greatest comeback win he’s ever seen in MMA?
• Mangled limbs. Yushin Okami’s left leg collapsed after he got KO’d by Tim Boetsch and it was reminiscent of Cro Cop’s mangled-looking leg after his loss to Gonzaga. On a similar note, during his fight against Rampage, Bader stupidly put his arm down to try and stop from being slammed. Luckily, it didn’t cause any major damage to his arm.
Admit it: When Mark Hunt first caught Cheick Kongo with a counter left, you were excited. When Hunt chased Kongo down and dropped him with a series of fight-ending straight rights, you cheered. No matter how much money you bet on Kongo to win, you couldn’t help but buy into the feel-good story that has been Mark Hunt’s UFC run. To see the same Mark Hunt who only earned a shot in the UFC due to the PRIDE buyout- the guy who Dana White offered to pay to just walk away from the UFC before being submitted by Sean McCorkle- thoroughly outclass one of the heavyweight division’s best kickboxers is a testament to his newfound dedication to the sport. The fact that he’s thirty seven years old only makes it all the more remarkable.
Mark Hunt improves to 8-7, marking the first time he’s had a winning record in the sport since his record was 5-4 in 2008. Although his hopes for either a title shot or a fight on next week’s Australia card are both pretty optimistic (to put it mildly), Hunt clearly demonstrated that he’s ready for stiffer competition. As for Cheick Kongo, this loss shouldn’t hurt his standing with the UFC- he was already a gatekeeper to begin with. We already knew that he wasn’t a serious contender for the heavyweight championship- the way he was outclassed by Mark Hunt’s striking and his inability to get Hunt on the ground proved it.
Admit it: When Mark Hunt first caught Cheick Kongo with a counter left, you were excited. When Hunt chased Kongo down and dropped him with a series of fight-ending straight rights, you cheered. No matter how much money you bet on Kongo to win, you couldn’t help but buy into the feel-good story that has been Mark Hunt’s UFC run. To see the same Mark Hunt who only earned a shot in the UFC due to the PRIDE buyout- the guy who Dana White offered to pay to just walk away from the UFC before being submitted by Sean McCorkle- thoroughly outclass one of the heavyweight division’s best kickboxers is a testament to his newfound dedication to the sport. The fact that he’s thirty seven years old only makes it all the more remarkable.
Mark Hunt improves to 8-7, marking the first time he’s had a winning record in the sport since his record was 5-4 in 2008. Although his hopes for either a title shot or a fight on next week’s Australia card are both pretty optimistic (to put it mildly), Hunt clearly demonstrated that he’s ready for stiffer competition. As for Cheick Kongo, this loss shouldn’t hurt his standing with the UFC- he was already a gatekeeper to begin with. We already knew that he wasn’t a serious contender for the heavyweight championship- the way he was outclassed by Mark Hunt’s striking and his inability to get Hunt on the ground proved it.
It’s disappointing to say this, but I think we can all agree that the “Sexyama in the UFC” experiment is officially a bust. Jake Shields, with his subpar striking and inclination to grapple, was about as handpicked of an opponent as Yoshihiro Akiyama could get for his welterweight debut. Yet for three rounds last night, Shields outpointed Akiyama on his way to a unanimous decision victory. While Akiyama did manage to stuff Shields’ takedown attempts throughout the fight, he offered nothing in return. Save for a beautiful throw in the second round, Akiyama never had Jake Shields out of his element in this fight- let alone actually in danger. And even though Jake Shields didn’t come close to finishing Akiyama until the final minute of the fight, he was clearly in control throughout the bout. Yoshihiro Akiyama has now lost four straight fights (or five, depending on how you feel about the Alan Belcher decision), and although he has shown flashes of greatness, the thirty six year old’s UFC run has been overwhelmingly unremarkable.
There may not have been a bigger surprise from last night than Tim Boetsch’s victory over Yushin Okami. Not only because Boetsch was such a heavy underdog, but also because of how he won. “The Barbarian” failed to live up to his nickname for most of their fight, being outgunned by Yushin Okami’s jab heavy offense in the first round and nearly punched out by Okami’s ground and pound after a failed guillotine in the second. When Tim Boetsch realized that nothing short of a finish would get him a victory, he threw caution to the wind and put everything behind his strikes. And it actually worked, as Okami found himself out cold fifty four seconds into the third round. While Okami seemed to be back to normal throughout the fight, once he got caught by “The Barbarian” he resorted to the same gunshy ”Thunder” we watched get picked apart by Anderson Silva. Okami needs to shake his fear of getting caught- something much easier said than done after back-to-back knockout losses.
As for the evening’s end of the night bonuses, which were all worth $65k, Submission of the Night went to Vaughan Lee for his armbar against Kid Yamamoto. Lee survived Yamamoto’s early onslaught and transitioned to the armbar after a failed triangle choke during the prelims on FX. Knockout of the Night went to Anthony Pettis for his brutal head kick against Joe Lauzon. It’s being rumored that Pettis has earned a rematch with Benson Henderson for the title. Don’t ask me how knocking out a gatekeeper like Lauzon earns a guy a title shot, but we’ll keep you posted if the rumor turns out to be true. As we mentioned earlier, Fight of the Night went to Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson for their five round main event title fight.
Also of note, the UFC has decided to give Takeya Mizugaki his win bonus, even though he lost a unanimous decision to Chris Cariaso. Mizugaki earned takedowns and stayed on top of Cariaso for the entire fight, but Cariaso’s submission attempts, elbows from the bottom and sweeps earned him the victory in the eyes of the judges. Admittedly, I thought Mizugaki was going to be the victor while watching the fight, but only because top control usually wins, regardless of whether the guy on top is actually attacking or not.
Full Results:
MAIN CARD (PPV)
Ben Henderson def. Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision- UFC Lightweight Championship
Ryan Bader def. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson via unanimous decision
Mark Hunt def. Cheick Kongo via TKO (strikes) at 2:11 of Round One
Jake Shields defeats Yoshihiro Akiyama via unanimous decision
Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via TKO (strikes) at :54 of Round Three Hatsu Hioki defeats Bart Palaszewski via unanimous decision
Anthony Pettis def. Joe Lauzon via KO (head kick) at 1:21 of Round One
PRELIMINARY CARD
Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via TKO (strikes) at 2:21 of Round Two
Vaughn Lee def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto via submission (armbar) at 4:29 of Round One
Riki Fukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision
Chris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision
Issei Tamura def. Tiequan Zhang via KO (punch) at 0:32 of Round Two
(They’re both dangerous on the mat and on their feet. They’re both impossible to finish. But hell will freeze over before they both wear suits on the same day. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this gallery, click here.)
Konichiwa, bitches, and welcome to our liveblog presentation of the UFC 144 pay-per-view card. We’ve got seven more fights to go at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, leading up to the headlining lightweight title bout between Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson. Along the way, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will try to invent a new kick against Joe Lauzon, Yoshihiro Akiyama makes his last sexy stand against Jake Shields, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson defends his old PRIDE turf against Ryan Bader.
Handling play-by-play for this leg of our journey is Anthony Gannon, who will be throwin’ down results after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let your voice be heard in the comments section. As was predicted in the ancient fart scrolls, this is gonna be one hell of a night.
(They’re both dangerous on the mat and on their feet. They’re both impossible to finish. But hell will freeze over before they both wear suits on the same day. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this gallery, click here.)
Konichiwa, bitches, and welcome to our liveblog presentation of the UFC 144 pay-per-view card. We’ve got seven more fights to go at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, leading up to the headlining lightweight title bout between Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson. Along the way, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will try to invent a new kick against Joe Lauzon, Yoshihiro Akiyama makes his last sexy stand against Jake Shields, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson defends his old PRIDE turf against Ryan Bader.
Handling play-by-play for this leg of our journey is Anthony Gannon, who will be throwin’ down results after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let your voice be heard in the comments section. As was predicted in the ancient fart scrolls, this is gonna be one hell of a night.
Please stand by…
Greetings, Potato Nation. I’m honored to be with you tonight, providing you with the play-by-play for the UFC’s glorious return to the land of ninjas, sushi, and splendidly depraved pornography.
I’ve got to hand it to Dana White. After all those years of complaining about the Japanese business culture, he finally made it happen. Just keep your filthy trap shut if the event fails to live up to your lofty expectations though. White has neither the time, nor the inclination to explain himself to fans who rise and sleep under the very blanket of the MMA that he provides, and then question the manner in which he provides it. He’d rather you just said ‘thank you,’ and went on your way. Either way, he doesn’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
On a serious note, this is kind of an extraordinary event, as Japan holds a special place in many of our hearts. It brings out the Pride fanboy in all of us. The only thing that could make this any better is if Wanderlei Silva storms the cage, rips the microphone from Buffer’s hands, and screams at the top of his lungs, “PRIDE NEVA DIE!”
Round 1 – We begin, and Pettis and Lauzon are pawing. WOW, Pettis lands a head kick and it’s over!
Pettis needed an impressive showing. He got “Showtime” tattooed across his back for God’s sake. I understand it’s difficult to live up to that moniker at the highest level against guys like Clay Guida and Jeremy Stephens, but if you’re going to get a gigantic tattoo proclaiming what your thang is, then you’ve got to back that shit up. If a girl has a tattoo of some shrubbery with the term ‘VEGAN’ stamped across her shoulder, you’d fully expect her to be an exceedingly annoying person who reeks of armpits. Conversely, if a menacing fellow has a tear inked next to his eye and ‘FUCK YOU’ tattooed on his knuckles you wouldn’t expect to see him gardening, would you? Hell no! You’d expect him to suck up your tax dollars in the joint learning how to be an even scarier criminal, then go on to earn a living trading crystal meth for hookers. The point is that you have to live up to your ink. Those are just the rules.
Bart comes out with lots of ink and serious hair. Hioki rolls out to some incredibly bad club music.
Round 1 – The referee is Herb Dean and it’s on. Hioki knocks Bart down with a straight right. Bart is up quickly. They trade leg kicks. Hioki going for the takedown. Bart with a guillotine. Aint happening. Hioki gets to half guard, now to side control. He’s dropping a couple elbows. He’s hammering away at Bart’s ear. That don’t look fun. Bart gives up his back trying to get up, dangerous move. Hioki has a nasty armbar, but Bart gets out of it. Now he’s in guard again. Wow! Hioki with some more ground and pound, and some BIG hammer fists. Bart trying to wall walk, but he’s going to end the round on his back. Big round for Hioki.
Round 2 – Hoiki opens with a front kick. Bart misses a leg kick. Bart connects with a good right. Hioki with a leg kick that sneaks through. Bart goes to the body. Hioki is finding a home for his jab. Bart connecting with leg kicks. Hioki goes for the head again and misses. Bart takes one in the pills instead. And he’s fine. Answers back with a low kick of his own. Hioki goes for a takedown, and climbs on Bart’s back as the buzzer sounds. Much better round for Bart, but still a close round to score.
Round 3 – Bart comes out swinging. Mostly misses. Now Bart has Hioki against the cage, but Hioki scores a trip takedown. Bart is trying to control Hioki’s posture, but Huiki gets side control. He’s dropping a few elbows. Hioki looking for a mounted crucufix, and it looks pretty sucky. He’s landing some short elbows. Bart doesn’t like it and gives up his back to get out of it. Now Hioki is on his back and working for a choke. With over a minute left, this is a real crappy place for Bart to be. Hioki working the body to try and soften Bart up. Hioki gets his arm arounf Bart’s face but cannot find the neck. It matters not, he dominates the 3rd round, and with that will get the decision.
Hatsu Hioki wins the unanimous decision. 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. Rogan is talking up Hioki as the #2 featherweight in the world, could we be seeing a title shot awarded?
Tim Boetsch is set to face off against Yushin Okami next. You gotta love Boetsch. He’s like a cross between a 9th century Viking killer and the guy who built your deck. I can guarantee you no one is happier that the UFC is back in Japan than Yushin Okami. Yush is a pimp in his homeland, and finally he gets to fight in front of a crowd that will appreciate his conservative effective fighting style.
Round 1 – Leon Roberts is the 3rd man in the cage and we’re set. Tim lands a leg kick to start things off. Then a right hand. Tim pushing forward, and eats an Okami left hand. Okami lands a straight jab, throws Tim off balance. Tim east yet another jab, has a mouse under his eye already. Tim with a head kick, blocked. Tim shoots for a takedown, Okami defends. Okami lands an inside leg kick then a punch, and he’s in command of the stand up. Okaim lands a kick to the face! Hope he cut his toe nails beforehand. Tim with some good head movement to avoid some shots. He needs more of that. Okami with a knee to the body. Tim comes alive at the end, but Okami probably took that round.
Round 2 – Tim is a little busted up, and he looks pissed. Okami with more of the same, lands a knee to the sternum., and some strikes. Tim whiffs a huge hook. Okami has Tim pressed against the cage, looking for a takedown. Tim is defending well, but now Okami is deep on a double leg, gets the takedown. Tim has a guillotine, but that isn’t going anywhere. Okami is out of danger, and looking to advance his position. Tim keeps him in half guard. Okami is going for a head and arm triangle. Now he’s dropping some punches, working the body. Okami going for a Kimura, and he’s mounted Tim. Tim is in all kinds of trouble. Okami is reigning down some hurt. Going for the arm triangle again, but it’s too late. Big round for Okami as the buzzer sounds.
Round 3 – Tim just cannot get anything going here. He needs to do something extreme. Are purple nirples against the unified rules? Cause them shits hurt. Tim is going for it, landing some serious uppercuts. Okami is hurt. And Tim Boetsch gets the knockout. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God! And wow do I sound like an idiot!
Joe Rogan calls that the greatest comeback in UFC history, and I cannot disagree. Tim came back in a serious way, and crumbled Okami at 54 seconds in the 3rd round after getting destroyed. Huge win for Tim Boetsch. I don’t know about Tim, but after the interpreter does her thing, I’ve completely forgotten the question Joe asked him.
Next up is Jake Shields vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama.
You’ve got to feel for Sexyama, he has not had an easy road in the UFC. And against Shields, it aint fittin’ to get any easier. Jake didn’t lose from 2004 to 2011, had 15 straight wins, and now he’s 1-2 in the UFC, and that one win was a struggle. That’s a tough pill for a guy like Shields to swallow. He’s a tough sumbitch. I mean this guy came over with a serious rep. He beat up on Dan Henderson, and no one beats up on Dan Henderson like that. Not Fedor, not Rampage, no one. And he arrives in the UFC and gets slapped down a couple notches. That’s an assault on a fighter’s manhood. For us regular fellows, that’s kind of like when you’re with your woman, and that thing happens; that horrible thing that’s supposedly “no big deal,” and “happens to all guys.” Then in a moment of sexual frustration, this previously sweet, compassionate woman unleashes a tsunami of cruelty upon you that totally emasculates you. You have no other option than to rock her world next time, but the specter of failure is now your worst enemy. It’s all mental. Shields is looking to overcome that mental obstacle and rock Akiyama’s world.
Round 1 – Marc Goddard is the ref, and we’re on. They come out pawing. Shields with the single leg, Akiyama defending well. Shields is relentless though. Akiyama stuffs it. They seperate, and go back to pawing at each other. Shields lands a few kicks. Akiyama with a big uppercut. Shields lunges desperately at Akiyama, going for another takedown. Man, Akiyama has great takedown defense. They separate again. They trade jabs. Shields looking for aanother tie up. Akiyama misses a head kick. Akiyama with the takedown, and Shields is back up. The round ends, and it’s impossible to call.
Round 2 – Shields comes out with a sense of urgency. He’s throwing a lot of kicks to the body. Akiyama lands a shot to the body. Jake forcing a tie up, and Akiyama lands a spinning back fist. Jake misses on a takedown attempt. Shields with a good body kick. Akiyama is landing a few jabs, and goes for a body kick of his own, Jake catches it and shrugs him off. Jake with a double jab. And again. Akiyama with a stiff jab of his own. Another body kick by Shields. Akiyama with a huge leg kick, checks one of Shields’. Akiyama with a huge Judo throw, Jake gets right up. Shields has him pressed against the cage now. He’s on Ayiyama’s back, but time if set to expire. Good round, very close.
Round 3 – Shields with a right. Akiyama answers with a shot. Shields with a couple more kicks. Shields with another kick to the body. Shields shoots, cannot get that takedown. Akiyama has him against the cage, throws a knee to the leg. He’s working the body, and they separate. They trade strikes, and Jake lands to the body again. Akiyama stuffs another takedown. Jake briefly gets Akiyama to the mat but he pops right back up. They’re clinched against the cage, trading knees. The ref separates them. Akiyama is swinging hard, but Jake gets his back. Akiyama grabs the fence twice, and the ref ignores it. Jake is on his back looking for a choke. Akiyama defending well. Time expires but jake finishes strong.
Jake Shields wins the unanimous decision with 30-27 across the board. Hats off to Akiyama. That fight was closer than the 30-27 decision and far from the destruction many thought it would be.
Is it me, or it that interpreter pretty cute? She’s got that Japanese schoolgirl look.
And the big boys are next, Cheick Kongo and Mark Hunt. Mark Hunt is an inspiration to all of us who are rockin’ the muffin top, especially against a guy with the extraordinary chesticles of Cheick Kongo. Kongo is a menacing presence, but Hunt fears no man. He’s Samoan.
Round 1 – Herb Dean is the referee, and it’s time to roll. They touch gloves. Kongo catches a kick and Hunt falls down. Kongo charges, and hunt reverses and pushes Kongo against the cage. They square off. Hunt misses a hook. Kongo sticks a jab. He’s got a 8 inch reach advantage. Hunt checks a leg kick. Hunt lands a huge left, stuns Kongo. Hunt lands another huge bomb. He knocks Kongo down, and descends on him. Herb Dean stops the fight. Hunt with a huge TKO.
Mark hunt earns himself a big victory at 2:11 of round 1. Hunt responds to Rogan’s question of how he feels like any man of few words would, “I feel good.” Nuff said.
Co-main event is next, Rampage Jackson vs. Ryan Bader.
Bader is still trying to erase the shame of being the only guy to lose to Tito Ortiz since Ken Shamrock in 2006, so a win over Rampage would serve him very well. Perhaps Rampage missing weight by 5 pounds will benefit Bader, aside from putting an extra 50 G’s in his pocket. Bader comes out to a Star Wars remix, very cool to accentuate his nickame, “Darth” Bader.
Rampage has stated his desire to retire with the belt he once held. So long as Bones Jones is the man, I just don’t see that happening. But hey, a fellow can dream, can’t he? I have dreams of Gina Carano forcing me to be her naughty little cabana boy. The only difference is I know my dream isn’t coming true. Regardless, Rampage is a star in Japan, and he misses his fans. The arena explodes when he walks out to the Pride theme. You just knew someone was gonna do it. He’s playing to the crowd too, the sneer, the chain, the howl. The fans love it.
Round 1 – Leon Roberts is the ref, and it’s time to roll. Rampage comes out hard, commnads the center of thee cage. Bader with a leg kick. Ram[age shoots, Bader clinches him against the cage. Lands a short left, and a couple knees to the thigh. Bader backs off. Bader with a Superman punch, hist a lot of air. Then lands an overhand right. Bader with an inside leg kick. Rampage isn’t throwing anything. He’s head-hunting. Bader going for a takedown. Rampage defending well. Big inside leg kick by Bader. Bader faking shots, and using feints. Good strategy. He shoots again, and Rampage defends. Bader has Rampage against the cage, he cannot get the takedown, but lands an uppercut and a knee. Rampage with a leg kick, how about that? Rampage unleashes and lands a hook. The round ends with Bader probably doing enough to take it.
Round 2 – Rampage looks a little gassed already. Rampage throws a giant hook, but misses. Bader with a jab, then an overhand right that is blocked. They tie up and Rampage has Bader up against the fence. Bader tries a knee and Rampage picks him up and drops him on his head. Bader looks hurt. Bader misses a right but lands a knee. Bader with a takedown of his own. He’s working some short elbows. Bader goes to the body. Bader is stuffing Rampage into the cage, and Rampage is trying to wall walk. Bader fighting to keep him on his back. Bader is landing some nice knees to the thigh. Rampage gets up, but Bader slams him back down. He lands a big right. Bader is Rampage’s guard, and he’s ending the round strong.
Round 3 – Both guys look exhausted. Rampage lands a jab. Bader ties him up against the cage. They separate. Bader shoots, Rampage stuffs. Bader with a left to the dome. Bader shoots again and lands it. He’s in side control, and this is not looking good for Rampage. Bader is firing off some knees to the body. Bader working some short elbows, noting of any great note, but he’s winning the round. Rampage kicks him off and tries to get up, Bader is glued to him again. Bader drags him to the mat again. Bader working some punches from the guard. Now half guard. Rampage working to get up, but Bader is too strong from top position. Hammer fists to the body, and now going for a Kimura. Nothing doing. Rampage reverses and Bader ends the fight going for a guillotine. I gotta think Bader took that one.
Ryan Bader wins the unanimous decision with 30-27 across the board. Huge win for Ryan Bader. He puts himself back into the top of the pack at 205.
I had the pleasure of meeting Frankie Edgar a few weeks ago when he was signing autographs and taking pictures at Hooters in Wayne, NJ. What a super nice guy. And I don’t know, maybe it was the 5 pints that the smoking hot Thai bartender served me, but I kinda thought I could take him. I maintained professionalism though, simply shook his hand, got my picture taken (proud to say I DID NOT raise the clenched fist), and commented on the grotesque size of my head as he signed the picture for me. We shared a laugh, and the belief that flannel was in fact back in, since we were both sporting the timeless garb. Then I went on my way, very happy with my first picture/autograph session with a professional fighter. Normally I’m way too cheap frugal to pay for that sort of thing, but my friend Billy is the manager of Hooters and got me that one on the arm. It pays to know people in high places.
I’m conflicted with Ben Henderson. On the one hand, he seems like a phenomenal guy, the kind of guy you’d want to be your Bible study buddy. On the other hand, I just cannot root for a guy who has wings covering his entire back.
Ben comes out to some Christian rap. He’s fired up, son! Ben gives the crowd a fist pump to get them fired up.
Frankie rolls out to some hip hop. He sprints to the cage. The champ is ready to throw down. Let’s do this!
Round 1 – Marc Goddard is the 3rd man in the cage. Both fighters look focused as hell. They touch and it’s a go. Feeling each other out, Frankie starts off with a leg kick. Then a body punch. Frankie catches a kick and puts Ben down. He gets right back up. Frankie lands a straight right. Ben with a big kick, Frankie blocks. He tosses Ben down, but again Ben gets right back up. Frankie with a nice leg kick, Ben answers, skims Frankie’s pills. But he’s OK. He keeps catching Ben’s low kicks. Body punch by Frankie. Ben lands a body kick this time. A hard one too. Frankie pushes forward with a right hand that lands. Ben lands a left, Frankie responds to the body. Frankie scores a takedown, but Ben gets up. Ben lands a knee from the clinch. Frankie with a spinning back fist, misses by a mile. Frankie with a spinning back kick, barely lands. Good first round, close.
Round 2 – Frankie has some swelling on his left eye. Frankie lands a right. Ben aiming for that eye. Lands a good kick, but Frankie catches it again. Ben doing a good job of keeping the pressure on. Frankie with a leg kick. Ben keeping a jab in Frankie’s face. Frankie catches a kick, and they trade hooks while he holds Ben’s leg. Ben lands a job. Good knee too. Frankie lands a body shot, then a left. Ben with another huge knee. Frankie pushes forward with a combination that scores. Ben checks a leg kick. Frankie lands a good left, then takes ben down. Frankie with a guillotine setup, but lets it go. Ben misses a head kick. Frankie lands a low kick, Ben responds with a punch to the grill. Frankie with a nice combination. He rushes in and eats a shot. Another takedown by Frankie. He’s in Ben’s full guard working some ground and pound. Good shot to the grill by Frankie. Ben kicks Frankie square in the face with an upkick and reverses the position. Frankie is bleeding badly. Awesome round, very close again.
Round 3 – They clash and trade punches. Frankie lands a right. Front kick misses by Frankie. Ben stuffs a takedown but Frankie lands a punch. Good body kick by Ben. Ben stuffs another takedown attempt. Frankie lands a right. Ben lands a knee to the body. Frankie ducks a couple punshes, and lands another right. Frankie is down with Ben on top. Frankie gets up, blocks a kick. Ben misses a couple elbows, Frankie lands a punch. Ben sticks a jab. Frankie with a big left, then an inside leg kick. Ben lands a great knee. Frankie sticks a takedown, but Ben pops right back up. Ben misses badly with a head kick. Frankie with a big takedown, Ben gets up as the round ends. This is a close fight.
Round 4 – The championship rounds begin. Both guys look pretty fresh. Frankie opens with a leg kick. Ben pushes forward, misses a couple jabs. Then sticks one. Ben lands a body kick. Frankie with a nice combination. Damn, Ben lands one to the jewels, a hard one too. Frankie is walking it off. He’s ready to go. Frankie with a good straight right. And another. And another. Good knee by Ben. Ben locks on a guillotine, pulls guard, and it looks tight. Frankie defends well, and is out of it. A standing Kimura forces Frankie to abandon back control. Hard leg kick by Ben lands. Another one, Frankie catches it, but does nothing with it. Frankie tosses Ben but he stays on his feet. Huge kick by Ben. Frankie lands a combination to end the round. Another super close round.
Round 5 – Ben fires up this quite Japanese crowd! He’s psyched. Frankie with a leg kick, then a straight right. Ben lands a combination of his own. Good left by Ben. Frankie fails on a takedown but lands an uppercut. Frankie with a strong left to the chops. They trade shots and clinch up. Frankie throws Ben to the ground, but Ben just keeps getting right up. Ben misses a side kick. Inside leg kick by Frankie. Two big shots by Ben. Frankie drops Ben with a shot, and Ben responds with a huge body kick. They both miss with punches. Ben with a kick, Frankie blocks. Frankie shoots, misses a takedown. Ben kicks him again. Jumping knee by Ben lands hard. Ben finishes on top in a dominant way. Wow, great fight. Close, but we could have a new champion.
The decision is in, 49-46, 48-47, and 49-46 for the NEW UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION BENSON HENDERSON. Wow! Ben thanks God for giving him the strength to kick dude’s asses.
Frankie thinks he did enough to take the decision. I respectfully disagree.
Well that’s it for me, folks. We’ll analyze this bitch tomorrow when the hour is more decent. I didn’t get my old man nap in today. My ass is tired.
Cheick Kongo will look to continue his climb up the heavyweight ladder when he takes on Mark Hunt at UFC 144.A win over Hunt would put Kongo on a five-fight unbeaten streak, not having been defeated since his 2009 loss to Frank Mir.This is a very winna…
Cheick Kongo will look to continue his climb up the heavyweight ladder when he takes on Mark Hunt at UFC 144.
A win over Hunt would put Kongo on a five-fight unbeaten streak, not having been defeated since his 2009 loss to Frank Mir.
This is a very winnable fight for Kongo, as Hunt has always been a mid-level fighter at best and boasts a mediocre record of 7-7. However, Kongo will need to be cautious of Hunt’s striking game, which is dangerous to say the least.
Kongo himself is also a dangerous and skilled striker, but it would be wise of him to use his grappling skills to win this fight, as opposed to standing and trading with Hunt.
A win over Hunt, singularly, will mean little for Kongo, but when combined with his recent success in the heavyweight division, it should garner him a top-10 opponent for his next outing.
It’s clear that Kongo’s back-to-back losses to Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez back in ’09 convinced the UFC that he doesn’t belong among the elite of the division, but enough wins will get anyone back to the top.
Where exactly Kongo will rank with a win at UFC 144 is difficult to determine because of the impending amalgamation of the UFC and Strikeforce’s heavyweight divisions—but one thing is for sure, his opponent will at least be high-profile.
A win at UFC 144 should move Kongo into the division’s upper echelon—two or three wins away from a title shot.
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter @AndrewBarr8
