Postcards from Rio, Part III: Fight Night Musings from Beer-Soaked Press Row

Filed under: UFCRIO DE JANEIRO — They don’t charge enough for beers at the HSBC Arena. I never thought I’d lodge that particular complaint against any venue, but as I watched the hailstorm of half-full plastic cups that came down from the rafters afte…

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RIO DE JANEIRO — They don’t charge enough for beers at the HSBC Arena. I never thought I’d lodge that particular complaint against any venue, but as I watched the hailstorm of half-full plastic cups that came down from the rafters after Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira beat Brendan Schaub, I was forced to admit that there was at least one upside to gouging event-goers on beer prices.

In the USA, fight fans would never throw away that much beer. Not after they paid nine dollars for it.

The most confusing part about the beer-throwing that went on at UFC 134 was the timing of it. Instead of chucking their brews in angry protest, as American fans might, Brazilians did it in celebration. Seconds after Big Nog’s upset victory, the first cup hit the apron surrounding the Octagon.

Splash. The UFC’s ringside officials looked up with baffled expressions. What kind of jerk throws a beer when their guy wins? you could almost hear them thinking. Then came the rest of the cups, sailing down like confetti.

After Mauricio “Shogun” Rua‘s win, one Brazilian reporter on press row watched as a nearly full cup landed upside down directly on the keyboard of his laptop — an impressive throw, really, and one that taught the rest of us an important lesson. After Anderson Silva‘s victory, ESPN.com reporter Chuck Mindenhall and I both immediately closed our laptops and covered them with our bodies, just in time to feel the foam sprinkling the backs of our necks. Didn’t these people ever drink any of their beer? I wondered.

For the American media members, the event might as well have been dubbed UFC 134: Cultural Differences. We knew they did things differently in Brazil. We just didn’t know how differently.

It wasn’t just the fans either, who were more vocal and more passionate than any crowd I’ve ever seen at an American MMA event. The reporters had their own style as well.

In the U.S. it’s generally accepted that you don’t cheer from press row. In Brazil, it’s no big deal to give a standing ovation to your favorite fighters, to shout encouragement during their fight, or to begin your questions at the post-fight presser by saying, ‘You’ve always been one of my idols…”

For the foreign press, just getting into the building that night had been a struggle. Since the HSBC Arena is a good hour outside of Ipanema, where the host hotel was, the UFC was kind enough to offer us a shuttle to and from the venue. A little over an hour before the first fight the shuttle dropped us off behind the arena, leaving us to wander the perimeter of the building looking for a way in. No one wanted to tell us that they didn’t know where we were supposed to pick up our credentials, so instead they just pointed to the next open door and said, ‘There.’

As in, go bother someone else.

By the time we finally found the Zuffa Will Call sign we’d been instructed to look for, we immediately understood how we’d managed to miss it for so long. Not only was the sign about the size of the top of a pizza box, it was obscured by the thousands of fans milling about in a festive mood on the sidewalk out front. Behind metal bars, and through a window that was barely bigger than a peephole, we received our credentials. Then an armed gentleman in a suit escorted us inside, and any illusion that this would be just another night of work in the MMA media was fully erased.

By the time the first fight began at 7 p.m., there was hardly an empty seat in the joint. Any reporter who’s ever tried to interview Thiago Alves knows all about ‘Brazilian time,’ but apparently it doesn’t apply on fight night.

I guess if you tell a Brazilian to meet you for lunch at noon, he shows up at 12:45. If you tell him to meet you for a fight, he’s there ten minutes early, staring impatiently at his watch.

Ian Loveland had the distinction of being the first fighter to walk out among this madness, and the raucous reception must have surprised him. This might have been the one fight the fans cared least about, since it was the only one lacking a Brazilian fighter, and still they cheered louder than some crowds did at WEC title fights.

At one point during the Loveland-Jabouin fight, a chant started up that seem to really tickle the Brazilian reporter sitting next to me.

“It’s the name of a soccer player,” he told me when I asked what it was all about. “He’s black, like Jabouin.”

“That’s it?” I said. “No other similarities?”

“No,” he said. “They don’t even really look alike.”

The chants would prove to be almost as much a part of the show as the fights. From the simple (David Mitchell probably didn’t realize an arena full of people was calling him a son of a…well, you know) to the unsettling (‘You’re going to die,’ set to the tune of ‘Whoomp! There It is,’ which was supposedly an even bigger hit in Brazil than in the U.S.), the Brazilian fans were never at a loss for words.

When they weren’t singing or chanting, they were doing the wave or else shouting along in unison with Bruce Buffer’s announcer schtick (sidenote: when a crowd knows every word of Buffer’s routine, even if they don’t speak English, you know they’re hardcore fans).

You wonder how much that kind of frenetic crowd support can really help a fighter, or hurt his opponent. It’s not like football, where crowd noise can directly contribute to penalties, so who cares if the fans are cheering for the other guy? At the same time, when Ross Pearson would tag Edson Barboza with a solid kick, the fans acted as if nothing had happened. When Barboza landed a glancing blow, they roared. Maybe that didn’t affect the judges’ decision, but in a fight that close it couldn’t have helped Pearson any.

The lone disappointment on the night for the Brazilian crowd was Luiz Cane‘s knockout loss to Bulgarian light heavyweight Stanislav Nedkov. At first they were stunned into a brief silence, then they booed, as if Nedkov had cheated somehow or else simply failed to follow the script. Then they apparently felt bad about booing, so they clapped politely. Not one to accept polite gestures gladly, Nedkov taunted them by putting his hand to his ear, Hulk Hogan-style, and the boos made an instant comeback.

If I was the beer-throwing type, here’s where I might have most tempted. But no. The Brazilians were apparently saving their cups for Nogueira’s win, which seemed to both surprise and exhilarate the entire arena.

For Nogueira, the party was just beginning. For Schaub, who made his way out of the cage sporting an eye that was already changing colors and an expression that seemed more confused than upset, the realization was just setting in.

Watching a losing fighter make his way past press row and back toward the locker rooms is always a touchingly sad moment, and so it was with Schaub. Just a few minutes earlier he had strutted into the cage like a giant, chest out and chin up in calm defiance. In defeat he seems to shrink inside of himself. You can almost see him looking for a way to disappear into the floor, to become invisible so that he might be alone with his own pain and disappointment for a little while.

Instead he has to make that long walk, where exuberant Brazilians gesture madly at him and shout in a language he doesn’t understand.

Suddenly it all seems like such an obviously bad idea. What was he thinking, coming to Rio to fight a Brazilian? Didn’t he know that this nightmare of a walk was waiting for him? Didn’t he know that they had come to celebrate his suffering, to baptize their heroes with beer, to sing him out of the arena with incomprehensible songs he would never hear again and would never forget?

Read Part I and Part II of Ben Fowlkes’ Postcards from Rio.

 

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“UFC 134? Bonuses: Three Fighters Pocket $100 G’s

I know this hurts right now, Big Nog, but it will all be worth it in a minute. (Pic: UFC.com)

UFC 134 was the outfit’s first return to Brazil in thirteen years, and with plans for four more Brazil-based events in 2012, Zuffa needed to make a lasting impression. The fighters delivered, big time, and for their efforts three of them walked away with a cool $100,000 bonus in their pockets. That’s a lot of Bony Acai.

Much was made of the homecoming to Rio, Royce Gracie’s home, the birthplace of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Yet in the land that helped transform hyper-extending limbs into an art form, there wasn’t a single submission landed. Brazilian fighters have evolved just like the rest of them, and last night they chose to showcase their fists.

I know this hurts right now, Big Nog, but it will all be worth it in a minute. (Pic: UFC.com)

UFC 134 was the outfit’s first return to Brazil in thirteen years, and with plans for four more Brazil-based events in 2012, Zuffa needed to make a lasting impression. The fighters delivered, big time, and for their efforts three of them walked away with a cool $100,000 bonus in their pockets. That’s a lot of Bony Acai.

Much was made of the homecoming to Rio, Royce Gracie’s home, the birthplace of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Yet in the land that helped transform hyper-extending limbs into an art form, there wasn’t a single submission landed. Brazilian fighters have evolved just like the rest of them, and last night they chose to showcase their fists.

Multiple fighters were able to shatter the tenuous bonds that link our bodies and our brains, with Shogun, Erick Silva, Nedkov, Anderson Silva, Tavares, and Nogueira all scoring wins by KO or TKO. All were impressive in their own right, but in the end the check went to the war-torn Big Nog, whose win was not only meaningful to the heavyweight landscape but completely unexpected. Coming off an 18 month layoff that saw a rushed rehab from multiple surgeries, few gave the local hero much of a chance against the quickly rising Schaub. For Minotauro, the win buys him some more time to recover and another shot at proving that there’s still life in that high-mileage body of his. For Schaub, losing to a legend isn’t as great as beating one, but it is a learning experience that will help him in his young career.

Edson Barboza edged out Ross Pearson in a split decision battle that earned both men the $100k nod at the end of the night. Pearson’s strategy of applying constant pressure and pushing Barboza backward paid off for much of the fight, limiting the full range of the Brazilian’s Muay Thai arsenal. But when he found any bit of room, Barboza was ready to uncoil a spinning kick of one variety or another. Was his win a case of style over substance or perhaps home-cage advantage? I don’t know, but FightMetric seems to think so.

UFC 134 Bonuses: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Leads $100,000 Winners

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In what may have been the biggest international showcase for the UFC in its history, the promotion handed out some of its biggest bonuses, as well.

Fight night bonus awards in the amount of $100,000 each were given to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Edson Barboza and Ross Pearson after the historic UFC 134 card in Rio de Janeiro. It was the UFC’s first trip to Brazil since 1998.

There was no submission in the 12 fights on the card at HSBC Arena in Rio, so UFC president Dana White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference he got to save a little money. Previous six-figure bonuses have been awarded at UFC 129 in Toronto, where fighters got $129,000 bonuses after fights in front of a UFC record of more than 55,000 fans. And at UFC 100, bonus winners also got $100,000 each.



Nogueira won Knockout of the Night for his first-round stoppage of surging heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub. Nogueira, fighting for the first time in front of his home country after more than 40 career fights, and just a mile from his gym and three miles from his home, returned after an 18-month layoff to record the upset. Schaub had won four straight fights.

Nogueira had to beat out several other candidates for the KO award, including debuting Brazilian Erick Silva, who stopped fellow countryman Luis Ramos just 40 seconds into the first round. And on the main card, Stanislav Nedkov upset Luiz Cane with a first-round TKO and Shogun Rua beat Forrest Griffin with a first-round finish, as well.

In the main event, Nogueira’s Blackhouse teammate Anderson Silva defended his middleweight title for the ninth straight time with a TKO of Yushin Okami. And that, too, could have vied for the knockout bonus.

Barboza and Pearson each won $100,000 for Fight of the Night for a close bout that saw Barboza, from Brazil, win a split decision. Pearson seemed to win much of the standup battle, though Barboza scored a knockdown early in the second round. Barboza improved to 9-0 overall and 3-0 in the UFC. The Fight of the Night bonus was his second straight.

 

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In what may have been the biggest international showcase for the UFC in its history, the promotion handed out some of its biggest bonuses, as well.

Fight night bonus awards in the amount of $100,000 each were given to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Edson Barboza and Ross Pearson after the historic UFC 134 card in Rio de Janeiro. It was the UFC’s first trip to Brazil since 1998.

There was no submission in the 12 fights on the card at HSBC Arena in Rio, so UFC president Dana White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference he got to save a little money. Previous six-figure bonuses have been awarded at UFC 129 in Toronto, where fighters got $129,000 bonuses after fights in front of a UFC record of more than 55,000 fans. And at UFC 100, bonus winners also got $100,000 each.



Nogueira won Knockout of the Night for his first-round stoppage of surging heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub. Nogueira, fighting for the first time in front of his home country after more than 40 career fights, and just a mile from his gym and three miles from his home, returned after an 18-month layoff to record the upset. Schaub had won four straight fights.

Nogueira had to beat out several other candidates for the KO award, including debuting Brazilian Erick Silva, who stopped fellow countryman Luis Ramos just 40 seconds into the first round. And on the main card, Stanislav Nedkov upset Luiz Cane with a first-round TKO and Shogun Rua beat Forrest Griffin with a first-round finish, as well.

In the main event, Nogueira’s Blackhouse teammate Anderson Silva defended his middleweight title for the ninth straight time with a TKO of Yushin Okami. And that, too, could have vied for the knockout bonus.

Barboza and Pearson each won $100,000 for Fight of the Night for a close bout that saw Barboza, from Brazil, win a split decision. Pearson seemed to win much of the standup battle, though Barboza scored a knockdown early in the second round. Barboza improved to 9-0 overall and 3-0 in the UFC. The Fight of the Night bonus was his second straight.

 

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UFC 134 Live Blog: Ross Pearson vs. Edson Barboza Updates

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Ross Pearson vs. Edson Barboza at UFC 134 in Rio.RIO DE JANEIRO — This is the UFC 134 live blog for Ross Pearson vs. Edson Barboza, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC: Rio pay-per-view at the HSBC Arena in Brazil.

In his last appearance, the TUF 9 winner Pearson (12-4) defeated Spencer Fisher at UFC 127 in February. Barboza (8-0) has defeated Mike Lullo and Anthony Njokuani in his two UFC fights.

The live blog is below.




On the stat sheet, Barboza stands out with a six-inch reach advantage over the Brit.

Round 1: Lots of head movement from Pearson. Barboza throws a heavy leg kick and misses. Pearson aggressively puhses forward and he’s landing punches. Barboza chops away with leg kicks as he tries to circle away from Pearson’s offense. A nice exchange has Pearson connecting to the body and Barboza landing with a counter right hand. Pearson closes the distance with a knee but Barboza shoves him off. Barboza lands a spinning back kick on the arm and it doesn’t really phase Pearson. Pearson scores on a straight left. Pearson is doing a good job mixing up his punches even though he’s throwing kicks sparingly. Barboza throws a head kick but it’s blocked. Pearson changes angles and connects with a body shot. Pearson shoots for a double near the end of the round but Barboza stops it. 10-9 Pearson.

Round 2: They both clip each other with a jab. Barboza hits Pearson with a kick to the body and then connects on a right to knock Pearson down on his knees. Barboza is ridiculously quick with his kicks/punches. Pearson recovers and uses his jabs. Pearson catches Barboza off guard with a leg kick. Pearson lands with left as Barboza backs. Barboza scores with a right hand. Pearson uses consistent head movement. Pearson shoots halfway through the round and Barboza moves out of the way. Barboza with a huge right that is blocked. Pearson continues to pick off Barboza with jabs. Barboza connects with a spinning back kick that pushes Pearson back. Pearson is doing a good job with his lead left hooks. Barboza wins the round on the early knockdown but Pearson controlled the rest of the round. 10-9 Barboza.

Round 3:

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Ross Pearson vs. Edson Barboza at UFC 134 in Rio.RIO DE JANEIRO — This is the UFC 134 live blog for Ross Pearson vs. Edson Barboza, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC: Rio pay-per-view at the HSBC Arena in Brazil.

In his last appearance, the TUF 9 winner Pearson (12-4) defeated Spencer Fisher at UFC 127 in February. Barboza (8-0) has defeated Mike Lullo and Anthony Njokuani in his two UFC fights.

The live blog is below.




On the stat sheet, Barboza stands out with a six-inch reach advantage over the Brit.

Round 1: Lots of head movement from Pearson. Barboza throws a heavy leg kick and misses. Pearson aggressively puhses forward and he’s landing punches. Barboza chops away with leg kicks as he tries to circle away from Pearson’s offense. A nice exchange has Pearson connecting to the body and Barboza landing with a counter right hand. Pearson closes the distance with a knee but Barboza shoves him off. Barboza lands a spinning back kick on the arm and it doesn’t really phase Pearson. Pearson scores on a straight left. Pearson is doing a good job mixing up his punches even though he’s throwing kicks sparingly. Barboza throws a head kick but it’s blocked. Pearson changes angles and connects with a body shot. Pearson shoots for a double near the end of the round but Barboza stops it. 10-9 Pearson.

Round 2: They both clip each other with a jab. Barboza hits Pearson with a kick to the body and then connects on a right to knock Pearson down on his knees. Barboza is ridiculously quick with his kicks/punches. Pearson recovers and uses his jabs. Pearson catches Barboza off guard with a leg kick. Pearson lands with left as Barboza backs. Barboza scores with a right hand. Pearson uses consistent head movement. Pearson shoots halfway through the round and Barboza moves out of the way. Barboza with a huge right that is blocked. Pearson continues to pick off Barboza with jabs. Barboza connects with a spinning back kick that pushes Pearson back. Pearson is doing a good job with his lead left hooks. Barboza wins the round on the early knockdown but Pearson controlled the rest of the round. 10-9 Barboza.

Round 3:

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UFC 134 Predictions

Filed under: UFCWill Anderson Silva improve to 14-0 in the UFC, or will Yushin Okami pull off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history? Can Shogun Rua avenge his loss to Forrest Griffin, or does Griffin have Rua’s number? Does Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira …

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Anderson SIlva will face Yushin Okami in the main event of UFC 134.Will Anderson Silva improve to 14-0 in the UFC, or will Yushin Okami pull off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history? Can Shogun Rua avenge his loss to Forrest Griffin, or does Griffin have Rua’s number? Does Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira have anything left, or is Brendan Schaub going to knock Big Nog into retirement? Those are the questions I’ll answer as I predict the winners at UFC 134.

What: UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami

When: Saturday, the Spike TV preliminaries begin at 8 PM ET and the pay-per-view starts at 9.

Where: HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Predictions on the five pay-per-view fights below.




Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami
Okami is the last man to defeat Silva: On Jan. 20, 2006, the two fought in the first round of a Rumble on the Rock tournament, and Silva was disqualified when he kicked Okami in the head on the ground. To the extent that their first meeting is relevant to their rematch, however, it should give Silva more confidence than it gives Okami: Silva was in control of the bout during all the stand-up exchanges until that unfortunate illegal kick the first time the fight went to the ground.

So what would Okami have to do to pull off the historic upset? The key for Okami would be to fight Silva the way Chael Sonnen fought Silva — except for the part where Sonnen got caught in a submission in the fifth round. Okami is a powerful grappler who has good takedowns and might just be able to do some of the same things to Silva that Sonnen did.

But Okami’s wrestling isn’t on the same level as Sonnen’s, and even if Okami is able to take Silva down, he’s going to have a hard time keeping Silva down. And Okami isn’t anywhere near Silva’s class as a striker. Is it possible that Okami could grind out a decision and become the new middleweight champion? Yes. Is it likely to happen? No. I think Silva wins by TKO.
Pick: Silva

Maurício Rua vs. Forrest Griffin
The co-main event is also a rematch, of Griffin’s upset victory over Rua at UFC 76. Going into that fight, most people thought Rua — a Pride wrecking machine making his UFC debut — would run through Griffin, who was very popular but known mostly for his stint on The Ultimate Fighter. Instead it was Griffin who finished Rua with a rear-naked choke in the third round.

Rua is again a big favorite this time around, as most people seem to think that Rua is healthier now than he was then, and that Griffin, at age 32, isn’t quite the fighter he once was. But I’m not convinced. I think Griffin’s size and strength is going to be tough for Rua to handle on the ground, and Griffin’s use of leg kicks will be very important to slowing Rua down. I see Griffin winning a hard-fought decision.
Pick: Griffin

Brendan Schaub vs. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira
Nogueira has had a long and honorable MMA career spanning more than a decade, and he’s finally fighting in his native Brazil for the first time. So it would be great to see him put on a phenomenal performance.

Unfortunately, there’s not much reason to believe Nogueira has any phenomenal performances left in him. He’s been inactive for a year and a half, so ring rust may be a problem, and in his last fight he was knocked cold by Cain Velasquez. Nogueira was once legendary for his chin, but that knockout loss to Velasquez — as well as Nogueira’s TKO loss to Frank Mir at UFC 92 — has me thinking Schaub could put him to sleep.

Schaub is a former football player who only started fighting three years ago, so he’s got nothing close to the experience of Nogueira, but he’s strong as a bull and hits like a Mack truck. I expect Schaub to handle Nogueira, and as a longtime Minotauro fan, I just hope it’s not an ugly loss.
Pick: Schaub

Ross Pearson vs. Edson Barboza
Pearson won Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter and has shown since then a real propensity for landing effective punches and putting on exciting fights. But Barboza is a different kind of striker, a guy whose leg kicks are legendary and who is capable of finishing opponents with his hands, his elbows or his knees. The 25-year-old Barboza is 8-0 and a rising star in the lightweight division, and he should earn his biggest victory to date against Pearson.
Pick: Barboza

Luiz Cane vs. Stanislav Nedkov
Win or lose, Cane’s fights usually end quickly: He’s been to the second round just twice in his 14-fight career. The 11-0 Nedkov is also a finisher, with five wins by technical knockout and four by submission, so don’t expect this fight to go the distance. I think Cane will welcome Nedkov to the UFC with a TKO win.
Pick: Cane

 

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UFC 134 Roundtable: Silva’s Streak, Schaub’s Rise, Upsets and More

Filed under: UFCAh, Brazil. A single mention of the country conjures up images of beaches, partying, and thongs. But Dennis Hallman jokes aside, it also reminds many of fighting. As the birthplace of mixed martial arts, Brazil has been an all too infre…

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Anderson Silva's hand is raised after win.Ah, Brazil. A single mention of the country conjures up images of beaches, partying, and thongs. But Dennis Hallman jokes aside, it also reminds many of fighting. As the birthplace of mixed martial arts, Brazil has been an all too infrequent stop on the UFC’s traveling road show.

Saturday night’s UFC 134 is the promotion’s first time back home in nearly 13 years, but they’re bringing their big guns to Rio, including the longest-reigning champion in UFC history, middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.

To kick off fight week, Ben Fowlkes and I take a look at some of this weekend’s pressing storylines in our UFC 134 roundtable.

1. Be honest: do you give Yushin Okami any chance against Anderson Silva? How, specifically, do you see this fight ending?

Fowlkes: I give Okami somewhere between ‘almost zero’ and ‘very little’ chance. On paper, he’s a big, powerful middleweight who can pursue the Chael Sonnen strategy of takedowns and perfunctory (though not especially damaging) ground-and-pound. But once they get in the cage, I don’t see him being able to keep that up for very long before Silva stings him with something. I’d like his chances a lot better if the fight was scheduled for three rounds rather than five. I’d like his chances even better if every round didn’t start on the feet. But alas.

I think Silva rocks Okami with a knee from the clinch in the third round and finishes with strikes on the ground.
— Mike Chiappetta
I think Okami roughs Silva up in the first round, and maybe even the second. Somewhere in round three, however, Silva’s going to get fed up. That’s when he’ll crush poor Okami with a combo move straight out of a video game, and of course Steven Seagal will later take credit for the whole thing.

Will the champ then be carried through the streets of Rio by an adoring crowd, thereby scuttling the hopes for a decent post-fight press conference and leaving us foreign reporters no choice but to join the mob, caipirinhas in hand? Maybe. Hopefully.

Chiappetta: I think he has a legitimate chance to pull the upset. Call me crazy, but I think his takedowns are good enough to put Silva’s back to the mat, and his top control is strong enough to keep him there and stay out of trouble. Let’s remember that Okami’s never been submitted in his career.

But I do think his chances of winning are solely dependent on taking Silva down and making it a grind. Even though Okami hasn’t been stopped on strikes since 2003, his striking game isn’t advanced enough to hang with Silva for 25 minutes. On the ground, it’s a different story. The trick is that Okami has to commit just enough to his striking to put doubt in Silva’s mind about what he’s doing, then initiate the clinch and put him on the mat before getting in trouble. That’s a tough proposition to pull off once, let alone five times. I think Silva rocks Okami with a knee from the clinch in the third round and finishes with strikes on the ground.



2. Every fight on the main card features a Brazilian taking on a non-Brazilian. Since this is the UFC’s much publicized return to Brazil for the first time since 1998, how much of a difference do you think the passionate hometown fans can possibly make?

Chiappetta: Never discount a real hometown advantage and the emotion that comes with it. For evidence, let’s think back just a few months to UFC 129, when 55,000 rabid fans — mostly Canadians — filled the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Ten Canadians fought, going 6-4, headlined by Georges St-Pierre‘s win over Jake Shields.

But even the locals that lost had some inspired moments. Think back to Mark Hominick‘s fifth-round rally against Jose Aldo. There’s definitely extra inspiration when the fans mobilize behind you. Brazilian fans are known for their passion, and they’ll be behind their guys with fire. Crowd energy can also work the opposite way, as the guy on enemy territory might find it hard to find his focus in the eye of a storm.

In the end, talent does usually win as emotion can only take you so far. But every now and then, a little push from the crowd makes a difference.

Fowlkes: In my experience, where hometown advantage makes the biggest difference is in fights that go the distance. Face it, many MMA judges are half-blind to begin with. If the crowd goes wild whenever a Brazilian lands a blow and sits on its hands when his opponent lands three, that could easily turn a borderline incompetent judge into a downright senile one. If I’m one of the Americans facing a Brazilian in Rio, I’m doing my best to make sure the scorecards don’t come into play.

In my experience, where hometown advantage makes the biggest difference is in fights that go the distance.
— Ben Fowlkes
Other than that, it’s all the little stuff on fight week that irks the foreigner. When you don’t speak the language, any foray outside your hotel room can feel exhausting. You can’t get the food you usually eat, can’t get around as easily. Plus you’ve got a nice little 11- or 12-hour flight to give other people’s germs a chance to hitch a ride on your already weakened immune system, and all just a few days before you begin your weight cut. What could go wrong?

But you know something? The Brazilians have done it long enough. They’ve gone through the headache of the visa application and the annoyance of communicating entirely through translators and/or hand gestures. They’ve played on our turf, in front of our crowds. Don’t they deserve to kick back at home for one event and show the locals what they’ve been up to in America all this time?

3. Excluding the main event, who on this card has the best chance to fight for a title? Assuming that person wins in Rio, how far from the shot do you think they are?

Fowlkes: Forrest Griffin probably has the best shot of earning a title shot, but I think Brendan Schaub is more likely to actually get one first. Sadly for FoGriff, that’s just how the divisions stack up right now. At light heavyweight there are more challengers “in the mix,” as Dana White would say, and the line forms behind Rashad Evans. At heavyweight there are fewer overall contenders available, especially with Brock Lesnar still out, so Schaub might get the nod just out of a lack of other options.

That said, Schaub will first need to beat someone closer to his prime. All these legends of the sport look impressive on the old resume, but we all know he’s catching these guys well past their expiration dates. If he beats Nogueira and then crushes someone his own age before the year is out, Schaub could conceivably get a shot at the winner of the Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos fight by next spring. Whether he’s actually ready for that fight, well, that’s a question for another roundtable.

Chiappetta: I agree that Schaub probably has the clearest path to the title, so I’ll audible a bit and answer who has the best chance not just to fight for the title, but win it. For me, it’s Edson Barboza.

The 25-year-old has an advanced striking game and is reportedly diligent in improving his wrestling and jiu-jitsu. As he stands now, he’s already a next-level prospect that should be on everyone’s radar as a future top 5 lightweight. If he continues to progress, he has the tools to be a champion. But at this stage, he’s still a good two years away.

4. More likely upset: Forrest Griffin over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira over Brendan Schaub?

Chiappetta: I’m going to say Griffin, for a couple of reasons. First of all, he’s already beaten Rua once before, so we know he can do it. Sure, the first time around Rua was fighting injured and ran out of gas, but Griffin’s already road-mapped the route to victory against him. Second, Griffin has a built-in size advantage and a ground game that can give Rua fits if he’s able to take it down again. Griffin fights smart, and if Rua isn’t 100 percent, he can make the rematch look like a carbon copy of the first fight between them.

Nogueira is certainly capable of beating Schaub, but it’s hard to pick him after an 18-month layoff. Fighting is about rhythm and timing, and months away affect that more than anything. Schaub has also proven himself to be a big puncher, and Nogueira’s reduced ability to take a big shot works against him, too.

Fowlkes: Griffin all the way. I give Nogueira very little chance against Schaub, mostly for the reasons you already outlined. He may be 35, but with the career he’s had he’s got a body that seems like it’s pushing 50. You don’t take that much time off and have that much of a physical overhaul at his age without paying a price for it. For Big Nog, that price is going to be decreased mobility and possibly weakened cardio, neither of which he can afford against a young whipper-snapper like Schaub.

Griffin, on the other hand, really shouldn’t be such an underdog. As you point out, he’s bigger than Rua. More durable, too. If you want to beat “Shogun” (and you aren’t Jon Jones), you need to be able to weather the storm early on. Taking a beating and still coming hard is Griffin’s whole deal, so I wouldn’t rule him out by any means. At least, as long as he doesn’t let it go to the judges.

 

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