Well, it’s over. 2011 — arguably the biggest year for MMA and the UFC — has come and gone. UFC 141 gave us a night to remember on the way out, and now we charge boldly on into a new year with an even more frantic fight calendar. I hope you’re taking this opportunity to rest up and prepare yourselves, people. Things are only going to get busier.
But before we completely turn our backs on the year that was, let us return one last time to Friday night’s event for a look at the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between from UFC 141. It’s the least we can do.
Biggest Winner: Alistair Overeem
He stood in the center of the Octagon when Lesnar entered, fixing him with a cold, dispassionate stare as the former champ jogged around the perimeter. When Lesnar passed by without so much as a glance in his direction, Overeem turned to his corner and nodded as if to say, Yeah, we got this one. As it turned out, he did. Overeem showed zero fear of Lesnar. He bullied him in the clinch and made him look not just mortal, but downright vulnerable. Was this the one true test of his skills that Overeem’s detractors have been waiting for? Yes and no. He took Lesnar apart “piece by piece,” just like he promised he would, but he also didn’t face many serious takedown threats in the short bout. That might still leave some questions about his wrestling ability, but you can’t doubt that he’s an elite heavyweight who deserves a crack at the title. Not all his fights have been against top competition, but this one was and The Reem looked every bit as good as advertised. It’s time to give this man his due. Hopefully he can get that lawsuit with Golden Glory squared away so he can get his money, too.
Biggest Loser: Brock Lesnar
If he really does call it quits now, MMA history may not be terribly kind to him. His last three fights go a long way toward supporting the theory that Lesnar was the classic bully who folded under attack, and people are more likely to remember the images of him skittering backwards and crumpling to the mat than they are to recall his struggle his diverticulitis and what it may have cost him career-wise. It’s still remarkable to think of what he managed to do in such a short time and with so little prior fight experience. His presence and his success in the sport brought a new level of attention and awareness to the UFC, which is the kind of rising tide that lifts all ships. Even if we don’t remember him as a great heavyweight, we’ll have to recognize his status as one of the true superstars of this little era. It’s just a shame he couldn’t have packed more actual fighting into the few years he spent inside the cage, but if he feels like he wants to retire, then he absolutely should. I just wouldn’t want to be a deer anywhere in North America now that that guy has a lot of free time on his hands.
Most Surprising: Johny Hendricks
Usually the phrase ‘puncher’s chance’ is code for ‘almost no chance at all,’ but Hendricks reminded us that there’s a reason for that particular combat sports cliche. He said afterward that he was motivated by all the people who forgot about the power in his left hand and wrote him off completely in this fight, and I’ll admit I was one. At the same time, the look of elation on his face as he paraded around the Octagon following the TKO stoppage seemed to be mixed with at least a little bit of surprise. He can say he expected to win, but he’s kidding himself if he says he expected to win just like that. Fitch is known as a guy who can take a shot, which is part of what makes Hendricks’ win so impressive. As he was quick to point out, he did what both Georges St-Pierre and B.J. Penn were unable to do. Whether that necessarily puts him among the welterweight elite, we’ll have to wait and see.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Anthony Njokuani
His striking is sharp, but if he can be that easily outwrestled then he might as well find out now. Just a couple more stuffed takedowns here or there and he probably would have beaten Danny Castillo — maybe even finished him. He defended himself well once the fight got to the mat, but that’s not enough in that division. Every potential opponent with a double-leg that’s worth a damn will look at this film and see a blueprint for victory. Njokuani’s job is to make sure that the next person to try and follow it is in for a painful surprise. If he can force people to stand in front of him and play his game, he’ll be in business. If he can’t, he’ll end up as just another striker complaining about being surrounded by wrestlers.
Least Impressive in Victory: Jacob Volkmann
Rarely do you see a fighter whose personality so perfectly matches his fighting style. Both in the cage and in interviews, Volkmann comes off as awkwardly off-putting and the exact opposite of entertaining. The only exciting moments of his decision win over Efrain Escudero came when he nearly got choked out, and his post-fight interview was painfully uncomfortable. Bringing politics into the cage is a risky proposition to begin with, but doing so with a bad joke poorly delivered is the worst of all possible worlds. Watching Volkmann trying to tell a joke in the presence of actual comedian Joe Rogan was like watching Jerry Seinfeld hit mitts with Greg Jackson: it just feels wrong on every level. I’m not sure who is encouraging Volkmann to continue playing this political angle, but they’re doing the man a disservice. He’s got enough of an image problem with his fighting style. He doesn’t need to make it worse by using every interview to demonstrate why comedy should be left to the professionals.
Baddest (Individual): Nate Diaz
Is there anything short of an unexpected drug screening that can make one of the Diaz boys take a step backwards? Just like his brother Nick, Nate Diaz showed why pace, pressure, and a willingness to take a few to give some back is a dangerous combination. He got right in Cerrone’s face and never left, peppering him with blistering punch combos that seemed on the verge of giving “Cowboy” a bad case of whiplash. After the fight, according to Cerrone, Diaz came up and apologized for knocking his $1,000 cowboy hat to the floor at the press conference, telling him, “Here, take mine.” Is it just me, or is Diaz become one of the UFC’s most oddly compelling characters? Whatever the UFC decides to do with him next, the one thing you know is that you could stick him in the cage against Napoleon’s army and he’d at least make a fight of it. The UFC will always have a use for guys like that.
Mr. Self-Awareness: Donald Cerrone
He came out flat-footed and never really got his offense working, and he was the first to admit it. He was also refreshingly candid in the post-fight press conference, admitting that Diaz took it to him and made him eat his words. In a world where excuses and regrets are the preferred armor of each night’s losers, it’s nice to see a guy who can provide such an honest assessment of his own failings. When Cerrone intends to smash your stupid face, he’ll tell you. When he instead got his own face smashed, he’ll tell you that too. He didn’t quite have it against Diaz on Friday night, but he still made sure that fans got their money’s worth, which is why he earned his fourth bonus in five fights. Maybe it wasn’t a perfect year for the “Cowboy,” but it was still a memorable and profitable one.
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Best New Prospect: Jimy Hettes
Dana White admitted that he hadn’t really paid much attention to Hettes prior to UFC 141, but the skinny grappler has his attention now. Nam Phan couldn’t have been more outmatched if he was going up against a tag team, and the judges’ scores reflected as much. I mean, 30-25, 30-26, and 30-26? At that point, the judges might as well stop tallying the numbers and just write ‘BEATDOWN’ across their scorecards. Hettes could obviously use a little more polish, and he’s not ready to be thrown in with the big dogs just yet, but he is someone worth keeping an eye on. If he’s indicative of the next generation of MMA fighters, you can’t help but be very excited about this sport’s future.
Hype Train with an Uncertain Destination: Alexander Gustafsson
Vladimir Matyushenko may be 41 years old, but all you need to do is look at the guy’s record to know that beating him still puts you in pretty solid company. Gustafsson looked more comfortable than we’ve ever seen him in the Octagon, and right away you got the sense that it was only a matter of time until he found a way to end this one. Still, I’m not sure if it’s his size or his youth that has some people whispering about how he’d do against Jon Jones, but those people need to slow their roll. Gustafsson is a talented young fighter, but he’s still a work in progress. He needs to shore up his wrestling if he’s going to jump up to that next level in the light heavyweight division, and that’s not going to happen overnight. All his training partners rave about him, but what he needs right now is time to grow as a fighter. By the same token, he should see if he can’t hurry it up a little. At the rate Jones is slicing through challengers, Gustafsson’s number might come up sooner than he thinks.
Well, it’s over. 2011 — arguably the biggest year for MMA and the UFC — has come and gone. UFC 141 gave us a night to remember on the way out, and now we charge boldly on into a new year with an even more frantic fight calendar. I hope you’re taking this opportunity to rest up and prepare yourselves, people. Things are only going to get busier.
But before we completely turn our backs on the year that was, let us return one last time to Friday night’s event for a look at the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between from UFC 141. It’s the least we can do.
Biggest Winner: Alistair Overeem
He stood in the center of the Octagon when Lesnar entered, fixing him with a cold, dispassionate stare as the former champ jogged around the perimeter. When Lesnar passed by without so much as a glance in his direction, Overeem turned to his corner and nodded as if to say, Yeah, we got this one. As it turned out, he did. Overeem showed zero fear of Lesnar. He bullied him in the clinch and made him look not just mortal, but downright vulnerable. Was this the one true test of his skills that Overeem’s detractors have been waiting for? Yes and no. He took Lesnar apart “piece by piece,” just like he promised he would, but he also didn’t face many serious takedown threats in the short bout. That might still leave some questions about his wrestling ability, but you can’t doubt that he’s an elite heavyweight who deserves a crack at the title. Not all his fights have been against top competition, but this one was and The Reem looked every bit as good as advertised. It’s time to give this man his due. Hopefully he can get that lawsuit with Golden Glory squared away so he can get his money, too.
Biggest Loser: Brock Lesnar
If he really does call it quits now, MMA history may not be terribly kind to him. His last three fights go a long way toward supporting the theory that Lesnar was the classic bully who folded under attack, and people are more likely to remember the images of him skittering backwards and crumpling to the mat than they are to recall his struggle his diverticulitis and what it may have cost him career-wise. It’s still remarkable to think of what he managed to do in such a short time and with so little prior fight experience. His presence and his success in the sport brought a new level of attention and awareness to the UFC, which is the kind of rising tide that lifts all ships. Even if we don’t remember him as a great heavyweight, we’ll have to recognize his status as one of the true superstars of this little era. It’s just a shame he couldn’t have packed more actual fighting into the few years he spent inside the cage, but if he feels like he wants to retire, then he absolutely should. I just wouldn’t want to be a deer anywhere in North America now that that guy has a lot of free time on his hands.
Most Surprising: Johny Hendricks
Usually the phrase ‘puncher’s chance’ is code for ‘almost no chance at all,’ but Hendricks reminded us that there’s a reason for that particular combat sports cliche. He said afterward that he was motivated by all the people who forgot about the power in his left hand and wrote him off completely in this fight, and I’ll admit I was one. At the same time, the look of elation on his face as he paraded around the Octagon following the TKO stoppage seemed to be mixed with at least a little bit of surprise. He can say he expected to win, but he’s kidding himself if he says he expected to win just like that. Fitch is known as a guy who can take a shot, which is part of what makes Hendricks’ win so impressive. As he was quick to point out, he did what both Georges St-Pierre and B.J. Penn were unable to do. Whether that necessarily puts him among the welterweight elite, we’ll have to wait and see.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Anthony Njokuani
His striking is sharp, but if he can be that easily outwrestled then he might as well find out now. Just a couple more stuffed takedowns here or there and he probably would have beaten Danny Castillo — maybe even finished him. He defended himself well once the fight got to the mat, but that’s not enough in that division. Every potential opponent with a double-leg that’s worth a damn will look at this film and see a blueprint for victory. Njokuani’s job is to make sure that the next person to try and follow it is in for a painful surprise. If he can force people to stand in front of him and play his game, he’ll be in business. If he can’t, he’ll end up as just another striker complaining about being surrounded by wrestlers.
Least Impressive in Victory: Jacob Volkmann
Rarely do you see a fighter whose personality so perfectly matches his fighting style. Both in the cage and in interviews, Volkmann comes off as awkwardly off-putting and the exact opposite of entertaining. The only exciting moments of his decision win over Efrain Escudero came when he nearly got choked out, and his post-fight interview was painfully uncomfortable. Bringing politics into the cage is a risky proposition to begin with, but doing so with a bad joke poorly delivered is the worst of all possible worlds. Watching Volkmann trying to tell a joke in the presence of actual comedian Joe Rogan was like watching Jerry Seinfeld hit mitts with Greg Jackson: it just feels wrong on every level. I’m not sure who is encouraging Volkmann to continue playing this political angle, but they’re doing the man a disservice. He’s got enough of an image problem with his fighting style. He doesn’t need to make it worse by using every interview to demonstrate why comedy should be left to the professionals.
Baddest (Individual): Nate Diaz
Is there anything short of an unexpected drug screening that can make one of the Diaz boys take a step backwards? Just like his brother Nick, Nate Diaz showed why pace, pressure, and a willingness to take a few to give some back is a dangerous combination. He got right in Cerrone’s face and never left, peppering him with blistering punch combos that seemed on the verge of giving “Cowboy” a bad case of whiplash. After the fight, according to Cerrone, Diaz came up and apologized for knocking his $1,000 cowboy hat to the floor at the press conference, telling him, “Here, take mine.” Is it just me, or is Diaz become one of the UFC’s most oddly compelling characters? Whatever the UFC decides to do with him next, the one thing you know is that you could stick him in the cage against Napoleon’s army and he’d at least make a fight of it. The UFC will always have a use for guys like that.
Mr. Self-Awareness: Donald Cerrone
He came out flat-footed and never really got his offense working, and he was the first to admit it. He was also refreshingly candid in the post-fight press conference, admitting that Diaz took it to him and made him eat his words. In a world where excuses and regrets are the preferred armor of each night’s losers, it’s nice to see a guy who can provide such an honest assessment of his own failings. When Cerrone intends to smash your stupid face, he’ll tell you. When he instead got his own face smashed, he’ll tell you that too. He didn’t quite have it against Diaz on Friday night, but he still made sure that fans got their money’s worth, which is why he earned his fourth bonus in five fights. Maybe it wasn’t a perfect year for the “Cowboy,” but it was still a memorable and profitable one.
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Best New Prospect: Jimy Hettes
Dana White admitted that he hadn’t really paid much attention to Hettes prior to UFC 141, but the skinny grappler has his attention now. Nam Phan couldn’t have been more outmatched if he was going up against a tag team, and the judges’ scores reflected as much. I mean, 30-25, 30-26, and 30-26? At that point, the judges might as well stop tallying the numbers and just write ‘BEATDOWN’ across their scorecards. Hettes could obviously use a little more polish, and he’s not ready to be thrown in with the big dogs just yet, but he is someone worth keeping an eye on. If he’s indicative of the next generation of MMA fighters, you can’t help but be very excited about this sport’s future.
Hype Train with an Uncertain Destination: Alexander Gustafsson
Vladimir Matyushenko may be 41 years old, but all you need to do is look at the guy’s record to know that beating him still puts you in pretty solid company. Gustafsson looked more comfortable than we’ve ever seen him in the Octagon, and right away you got the sense that it was only a matter of time until he found a way to end this one. Still, I’m not sure if it’s his size or his youth that has some people whispering about how he’d do against Jon Jones, but those people need to slow their roll. Gustafsson is a talented young fighter, but he’s still a work in progress. He needs to shore up his wrestling if he’s going to jump up to that next level in the light heavyweight division, and that’s not going to happen overnight. All his training partners rave about him, but what he needs right now is time to grow as a fighter. By the same token, he should see if he can’t hurry it up a little. At the rate Jones is slicing through challengers, Gustafsson’s number might come up sooner than he thinks.
So it’s official: horse meat > beef jerky. (Photo: UFC.com)
There was a time when the UFC had trouble drumming up any interest at all in their heavyweight division—can you say ‘Arlovski vs. Buentello for the title!!!’?—but those days are long gone. One could point to the growth of the sport attracting big men from other sports, or credit training camps for churning out well-rounded fighters, but much of the interest in the revitalized division has been carried by the broad, skull-tatted shoulders of one man.
Brock Lesnar’s 2008 debut in the Octagon brought interest, intrigue, and—most importantly—eyeballs. Lots of them. Speculation over whether the big man could survive against a real fighter was rampant, but before long we were asking if anyone could survive in a real fight against him. He quickly smashed his way to the top of the 265 lb. heap, but his skid down that mountain was just as fast. Following two brutal, first-round losses to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem, Brock is ready to hang up the gloves. Looking back at his brief career, if it is truly over, one thing becomes painfully clear: Brock Lesnar doesn’t love fighting; Brock Lesnar loves beating people up. While those two interests often intertwine, they quickly diverge when you start getting tagged. For all of the debates over Brock’s questionable chin and concerns for vegetable-rejecting body, the real downfall of his MMA career was his heart. He doesn’t love this fighting game, and MMA is a cruel mistress. If you can’t fully commit to her, you can expect to find a pile of shredded “Clutch Gear” shirts on the doorstep when you get home from the bar. Brock seems to have gotten that message and is packing his things and moving on with his life.
So it’s official: horse meat > beef jerky. (Photo: UFC.com)
There was a time when the UFC had trouble drumming up any interest at all in their heavyweight division—can you say ‘Arlovski vs. Buentello for the title!!!’?—but those days are long gone. One could point to the growth of the sport attracting big men from other sports, or credit training camps for churning out well-rounded fighters, but much of the interest in the revitalized division has been carried by the broad, skull-tatted shoulders of one man.
Brock Lesnar‘s 2008 debut in the Octagon brought interest, intrigue, and—most importantly—eyeballs. Lots of them. Speculation over whether the big man could survive against a real fighter was rampant, but before long we were asking if anyone could survive in a real fight against him. He quickly smashed his way to the top of the 265 lb. heap, but his skid down that mountain was just as fast. Following two brutal, first-round losses to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem, Brock is ready to hang up the gloves. Looking back at his brief career, if it is truly over, one thing becomes painfully clear: Brock Lesnar doesn’t love fighting; Brock Lesnar loves beating people up. While those two interests often intertwine, they quickly diverge when you start getting tagged. For all of the debates over Brock’s questionable chin and concerns for vegetable-rejecting body, the real downfall of his MMA career was his heart. He doesn’t love this fighting game, and MMA is a cruel mistress. If you can’t fully commit to her, you can expect to find a pile of shredded “Clutch Gear” shirts on the doorstep when you get home from the bar. Brock seems to have gotten that message and is packing his things and moving on with his life.
While the UFC is losing their biggest draw in the form of Lesnar, they may have found a future star in Alistair Overeem. He may not cut a polarizing promo, but he’s built like an Adonis and is capable of delivering incredible pain with each of his limbs. He shirked off Lesnar’s takedowns with ease, but they didn’t have the desperate commitment behind them that they should have, not even close. If you believe Overeem to be an unstoppable force then your fire was fueled last night, and if you doubt his place at the top of the food chain you’ll undoubtedly focus on Brock’s uninspired performance rather than those destructive knees and kicks. You can argue over how he’ll do against the rest of the field, and frankly we hope you do.
If Lesnar’s wild ride in the heavyweight division resembled a violent tsunami, Jon Fitch’s dominance over the welterweight landscape has spread like continental drift. After 145 consecutive minutes of anti-climactic fighting, the sport’s least celebrated grinder was toppled in the blink of an eye. If rebounding from a gutsy loss to GSP—his only defeat in twenty two consecutive bouts–with five straight wins and a hard fought draw did nothing to place his name back “in the mix” for a second shot at the belt, it’s hard to imagine what it will take for Fitch to earn one now. For Johny Hendricks it’s the sort of victory that a fighter can build his name on, but despite the divisional upheaval caused by GSP’s injury it’s a little premature to be calling for a title shot. While Diaz and Condit fight for the interim strap, he can kill some time spending that $75k ‘Knock Out of the Night” bonus.
Lightweights Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone also picked up some spending cash with their “Fight of the Night” bonuses. Nate cooked up the Diaz family recipe of 11-punch combinations and trash talk, and he served it to Cerrone for a full three rounds. “Cowboy” was overwhelmed by Diaz’s trademark punches in bunches, but did little to change up his game plan and alter his attack. He found success with kicks, sweeping the Stockton tough’s legs out from under him on several occasions, but then it was back to accepting the short end of the stick in a lopsided boxing match. For Cerrone it was a sour ending to a tremendous year, and for Diaz another imposing performance at 155 lbs.
After missing with a couple of wild strikes, Matyushenko charged right into a perfectly timed jab. Gustafsson dropped him with the strike and followed it up with ground and pound to end the bout in just over two minutes. It was the lanky Swede’s fifth win and fifth stoppage in the Octagon. The twenty-four year old’s long frame and composed dominance over a veteran like Matyushenko should raise some eyebrows at 205 lbs.
And what can you say about Jim Hette’s performance that the scorecards didn’t? 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26 pretty much sums it up. He sent Nam Phan flying repeatedly and beat him up on the ground. He needs to bring his cardio in line with the rest of his game, but he’s a perfect 10-0 with two impressive wins in the UFC and looks to be a very promising prospect in the featherweight division.
Main Bouts (on Pay-Per-View): -Alistair Overeem def. Brock Lesnar by TKO at 2:26, R1
-Nate Diaz def. Donald Cerrone by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
-Johny Hendricks def. Jon Fitch by KO at :12, R1
-Alexander Gustafsson def. Vladimir Matyushenko by TKO at 2:13, R1
–Jim Hettes def. Nam Phan by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)
Preliminary Bouts (on Spike TV):
-Ross Pearson def. Junior Assuncao by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
-Danny Castillo def. Anthony Njokuani by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Preliminary Bouts (on Facebook): -Dong Hyun Kim def. Sean Pierson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
-Jacob Volkmann def. Efrain Escudero by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
-Matt Riddle vs. Luis Ramos: CANCELLED due to Illness
-Diego Nunes def. Manny Gamburyan by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
That’s what Joe Rogan said to Hendricks after his knockout victory over Jon Fitch at UFC 141, and it pretty well describes what has just happened in Hendricks’ MMA career: There’s now no doubt that Hendricks is one of the truly elite fighters in the welterweight division, and he might just be the welterweight with the best chance of dethroning the champion, Georges St. Pierre.
Am I getting ahead of myself there? Maybe. It’s going to be a while before Hendricks would get a title shot. With St. Pierre shelved by a torn ACL, the welterweight division is in a state of flux, with Carlos Condit facing Nick Diaz for an interim title in February, and the winner of that fight expected to face St. Pierre next.
But think for a minute about what it means that Hendricks just knocked out Jon Fitch in 12 seconds. Prior to Friday night, Fitch had built up a UFC record of 13-1-1, fighting inside the Octagon for a total of nearly three and a half hours, and no one had been able to finish him. Whether Fitch was beating good strikers like Thiago Alves, or getting beaten up by a great, well-rounded opponent in St. Pierre, the one thing Fitch was never in danger of doing was getting KTFO’d.
And that’s just what Hendricks did to him, with a vicious left hand to the jaw that knocked Fitch back so hard that the back of his head bounced off the canvas.
Hendricks said after the fight that he thought people didn’t respect his left hand, and that may be true: Hendricks is still often described as a wrestler above all, thanks to his status as a two-time NCAA champion. But that punch he landed to Fitch’s jaw informed everyone who didn’t already know that Hendricks has serious power in his hands.
It might be a while before Hendricks gets a shot at the title, especially if the UFC decides to hold Condit or Diaz until GSP is healthy. But looking at what Hendricks brings to the table, with his wrestling background and his punching power, you’d have to say that he’d be a real threat to beat St. Pierre if he ever gets that opportunity. Johny Hendricks has arrived as one of the elite welterweights in MMA.
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UFC 141 Notes — Watching Brock Lesnar‘s emergence as the UFC’s biggest star has been fun, but I’m not surprised that he announced his retirement after losing to Alistair Overeem. Lesnar is a millionaire many times over and doesn’t need to fight for the money. He tried MMA, had a lot of success, and has now lost twice in a row and needs to focus on his health. The UFC lost its biggest pay-per-view star, but the sport will be fine without Brock, just as Brock will be fine without MMA.
–It was great to see Dong Hyun Kim’s use of the same front kick that Anderson Silva used to knock out Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida used to knock out Randy Couture. Kim’s kick didn’t have quite enough power on it to knock out Sean Pierson, but it showed that Kim is working on diversifying his striking.
–Anthony Njokuani hasn’t evolved as a fighter at all: He’s still an exciting striker but a very rudimentary grappler. Until his takedown defense improves significantly, Njokuani is going to lose a decision to any good wrestler he faces, as he did to Danny Castillo.
UFC 141 Quotes
“I want to thank Donald Cerrone for the fight. Sorry about all the s–t that went down.” — Nate Diaz, leaving all the bad blood behind him after whipping Cerrone.
“Jacob Volkmann, an outstanding grappler. Not the best joke teller.” — Joe Rogan, after Volkmann made an unfunny joke about wanting to give President Obama a glassectomy. The UFC should tell Volkmann to leave the jokes to Rogan.
“He’s a good fighter, I look up to him, but I got the knockout. It was a good punch. It was my day to day. It was my dream to fight in Las Vegas and it was the biggest win of my life.” — Alexander Gustafsson after knockout out Vladimir Matyushenko, showing proper respect for an opponent 17 years his senior.
Good Call
We’re so used to bad judging in MMA these days that it sometimes comes as a surprise when all three judges get it right, but let’s credit the judges in the three Facebook preliminary fights, because all nine scorecards on those fights were right on the money: 29-28 for Diego Nunes over Manny Gamburyan, 29-28 for Jacob Volkmann over Efrain Escudero and 30-27 for Dong Hyun Kim over Sean Pierson.
Bad Call Herb Dean is usually one of the best referees in the business, but he made an absolutely horrible call by standing up Jacob Volkmann and Efrain Escudero in the middle of the third round of their fight. Volkmann had Escudero’s back on the ground and was working for a finish, and Dean inexplicably stopped them and stood them up.
Stock Up Volkmann is now 5-0 since moving down to lightweight. He doesn’t have the most crowd-pleasing of styles, and he hasn’t fought the highest quality of competition, but you can’t argue with five straight wins. It’s time for Volkmann to get someone in the Top 10, so we can get a feel for just how good he is.
Stock Down Gamburyan has now lost three straight fights, and he was never really able to implement his game plan against Nunes, who succeeded in keeping Gamburyan at distance and stopping Gamburyan’s takedowns. Gamburyan probably won’t lose his job in the UFC because the promotion needs as many recognizable fighters as it can get in the shallow featherweight division, but he’s fallen a long way since he was the division’s No. 1 contender.
Fight I Want to See Next Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem. A great battle of two great heavyweight strikers. I can hardly wait.
That’s what Joe Rogan said to Hendricks after his knockout victory over Jon Fitch at UFC 141, and it pretty well describes what has just happened in Hendricks’ MMA career: There’s now no doubt that Hendricks is one of the truly elite fighters in the welterweight division, and he might just be the welterweight with the best chance of dethroning the champion, Georges St. Pierre.
Am I getting ahead of myself there? Maybe. It’s going to be a while before Hendricks would get a title shot. With St. Pierre shelved by a torn ACL, the welterweight division is in a state of flux, with Carlos Condit facing Nick Diaz for an interim title in February, and the winner of that fight expected to face St. Pierre next.
But think for a minute about what it means that Hendricks just knocked out Jon Fitch in 12 seconds. Prior to Friday night, Fitch had built up a UFC record of 13-1-1, fighting inside the Octagon for a total of nearly three and a half hours, and no one had been able to finish him. Whether Fitch was beating good strikers like Thiago Alves, or getting beaten up by a great, well-rounded opponent in St. Pierre, the one thing Fitch was never in danger of doing was getting KTFO’d.
And that’s just what Hendricks did to him, with a vicious left hand to the jaw that knocked Fitch back so hard that the back of his head bounced off the canvas.
Hendricks said after the fight that he thought people didn’t respect his left hand, and that may be true: Hendricks is still often described as a wrestler above all, thanks to his status as a two-time NCAA champion. But that punch he landed to Fitch’s jaw informed everyone who didn’t already know that Hendricks has serious power in his hands.
It might be a while before Hendricks gets a shot at the title, especially if the UFC decides to hold Condit or Diaz until GSP is healthy. But looking at what Hendricks brings to the table, with his wrestling background and his punching power, you’d have to say that he’d be a real threat to beat St. Pierre if he ever gets that opportunity. Johny Hendricks has arrived as one of the elite welterweights in MMA.
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UFC 141 Notes — Watching Brock Lesnar‘s emergence as the UFC’s biggest star has been fun, but I’m not surprised that he announced his retirement after losing to Alistair Overeem. Lesnar is a millionaire many times over and doesn’t need to fight for the money. He tried MMA, had a lot of success, and has now lost twice in a row and needs to focus on his health. The UFC lost its biggest pay-per-view star, but the sport will be fine without Brock, just as Brock will be fine without MMA.
–It was great to see Dong Hyun Kim’s use of the same front kick that Anderson Silva used to knock out Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida used to knock out Randy Couture. Kim’s kick didn’t have quite enough power on it to knock out Sean Pierson, but it showed that Kim is working on diversifying his striking.
–Anthony Njokuani hasn’t evolved as a fighter at all: He’s still an exciting striker but a very rudimentary grappler. Until his takedown defense improves significantly, Njokuani is going to lose a decision to any good wrestler he faces, as he did to Danny Castillo.
UFC 141 Quotes
“I want to thank Donald Cerrone for the fight. Sorry about all the s–t that went down.” — Nate Diaz, leaving all the bad blood behind him after whipping Cerrone.
“Jacob Volkmann, an outstanding grappler. Not the best joke teller.” — Joe Rogan, after Volkmann made an unfunny joke about wanting to give President Obama a glassectomy. The UFC should tell Volkmann to leave the jokes to Rogan.
“He’s a good fighter, I look up to him, but I got the knockout. It was a good punch. It was my day to day. It was my dream to fight in Las Vegas and it was the biggest win of my life.” — Alexander Gustafsson after knockout out Vladimir Matyushenko, showing proper respect for an opponent 17 years his senior.
Good Call
We’re so used to bad judging in MMA these days that it sometimes comes as a surprise when all three judges get it right, but let’s credit the judges in the three Facebook preliminary fights, because all nine scorecards on those fights were right on the money: 29-28 for Diego Nunes over Manny Gamburyan, 29-28 for Jacob Volkmann over Efrain Escudero and 30-27 for Dong Hyun Kim over Sean Pierson.
Bad Call Herb Dean is usually one of the best referees in the business, but he made an absolutely horrible call by standing up Jacob Volkmann and Efrain Escudero in the middle of the third round of their fight. Volkmann had Escudero’s back on the ground and was working for a finish, and Dean inexplicably stopped them and stood them up.
Stock Up Volkmann is now 5-0 since moving down to lightweight. He doesn’t have the most crowd-pleasing of styles, and he hasn’t fought the highest quality of competition, but you can’t argue with five straight wins. It’s time for Volkmann to get someone in the Top 10, so we can get a feel for just how good he is.
Stock Down Gamburyan has now lost three straight fights, and he was never really able to implement his game plan against Nunes, who succeeded in keeping Gamburyan at distance and stopping Gamburyan’s takedowns. Gamburyan probably won’t lose his job in the UFC because the promotion needs as many recognizable fighters as it can get in the shallow featherweight division, but he’s fallen a long way since he was the division’s No. 1 contender.
Fight I Want to See Next Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem. A great battle of two great heavyweight strikers. I can hardly wait.
(Upon encountering the crazed polar bear, Alistair stretches his arms out, hoping to make himself appear larger. / Photos courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more from this set, click here.)
529 pounds of mean son-of-a-bitch will be colliding tonight in Las Vegas as former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar takes on Strikeforce/DREAM/K-1 champion Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 141. Plus, Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone settle their beef in the lightweight division, and Jon Fitch goes for his tenth-straight decision against Johny Hendricks. But first, the final Spike TV prelims broadcast ever, featuring a TUF winner and a pair of WEC standouts. Not a bad way to kick off New Year’s weekend.
Round-by-round results from UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem will be piling up after the jump beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. And while you’re waiting, feel free to share your New Year’s resolutions in the comments section.
(Upon encountering the crazed polar bear, Alistair stretches his arms out, hoping to make himself appear larger. / Photos courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more from this set, click here.)
529 pounds of mean son-of-a-bitch will be colliding tonight in Las Vegas as former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar takes on Strikeforce/DREAM/K-1 champion Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 141. Plus, Nate Diaz and Donald Cerronesettle their beef in the lightweight division, and Jon Fitch goes for his tenth-straight decision against Johny Hendricks. But first, the final Spike TV prelims broadcast ever, featuring a TUF winner and a pair of WEC standouts. Not a bad way to kick off New Year’s weekend.
Round-by-round results from UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem will be piling up after the jump beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. And while you’re waiting, feel free to share your New Year’s resolutions in the comments section.
Facebook prelim results:
– Diego Nunes def. Manny Gamburyan via unanimous decision (29–28 x 3)
– Matt Riddle vs. Luis Ramos was cancelled hours before the event due to Riddle being too ill to fight.
– Dong Hyun Kim def. Sean Pierson via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Anthony Njokuani vs. Danny Castillo
This fight is brought to you by Gina Carano’s breasts. Uh, I mean Haywire, directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Round 1: Njokuani throwing to the head and body. Castillo looks for a takedown but is rebuffed. Njokuani doing a good job early of keeping him at bay. But inevitably, Castillo grabs Njokuani’s waist and drags him down. Njokuani gets to his feet and is slammed back down. He gets up again but Castillo is on his back throwing knees to his legs. Njokuani tries to spin out and escape, but Castillo takes him down again. Njokuani’s back is against the fence. Njokuani gets up, and gets slammed. He gets up again, Castillo returns to back control. He tries slamming Njokuani and nearly finds a choke in a scramble. But Njokuani reverses and tries a guillotine choke of his own. Castillo slams out of it and they’re up and clinched again. They separate and Njokuani misses some punches before the bell. 10-9 Castillo.
Round 2: Njokuani opens with a front kick to the face that misses. He sticks a jab. A body kick misses. He fires a punch combo. Castillo just biding his time until the takedown, it seems. He shoots, Njokuani sprawls. Njokuani rushes forward and fires a flying knee. Castillo grabs him but can’t hold him. Njokuani lands a hook to the ribs. Castillo misses a leg kick. Castillo shoots and Njokuani grabs a thai clinch and punishes Castillo with knees and an elbow before separating. Njokuani staggers Castillo with a right hand. Castillo clinches up and takes Njokuani down, giving himself some time to clear the cobwebs. Short punches to the body from Castillo. Castillo trying to get some distance but Njokuani is holding him down. But then he explodes out and they’re against the fence again. Castillo gets the fight to the mat once more before the bell. You might give that round to Njokuani 10-9 for the significant strikes he landed before Castillo took the fight back into his world.
Round 3: Castillo ducks under Njokuani’s punches to shoot, but Njokuani defends. Njokuani lands a straight right. Castillo shoots from a mile away and eats a knee to the ribs on the way up. But he stays on Njokuani and slams him down against the cage. Njokuani sitting against the fence, Castillo hugging his waist tightly, but not doing much else. Boooo. Njokuani stands. Castillo with some wall-and-stall. Castillo moves to the back and Njokuani rolls for a leglock to free himself. He gets up and they separate. Njokuani looking for the thai clinch. Njokuani throws a front kick and Castillo snatches him up, returning him to his familiar position against the fence. Njokuani stands. Castillo hanging off his back. Njokuani shakes out and throws steady punches in the last 30 seconds. He lands a leg kick and some punches, and fires a flying knee at the bell. “Very good fight,” Joe Rogan says. “Meh,” I say. They’ll probably give it to Castillo for the ground control, but he really didn’t do any damage.
Castillo def. Njokuani via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29). The crowd boos it pretty hard. “Was that close to you?” Castillo asks, genuinely surprised. Castillo explains that he took three of his four fights this year on less than four weeks’ notice and tries to get some respect from the fans, which they give, begrudgingly. He walks off in a bad mood.
Ross Pearson vs. Junior Assuncao
Round 1: Pearson stalking, Assuncao staying elusive. Assuncao grabs Pearson as he’s throwing a big right hand and takes him to the mat. Assuncao works to Pearson’s back. Pearson breaks out, lands a knee and throws a pair of left hooks to brush Assuncao back. Swing and a miss from Assuncao. He throws a head kick. Assuncao goes for a telegraphed TD attempt and Pearson defends it and lands another knee. Assuncao clinches up and lands a left elbow on the exit. Pearson rushes forward with a left hook. Body kick Pearson, Assuncao returns some punches. Pearson lands a knee on a takedown attempt from Assuncao. Assuncao touches Pearson up with a crisp punching combo. Leg kick Pearson. Body kick Assuncao. Pearson tries a superman punch. The round ends. Close, though Pearson was certainly the aggressor.
Round 2: Body kick Assuncao. Pearson punching, Assuncao dodging. Assuncao scores a takedown. Pearson gets to his feet and escapes. Leg kick Pearson. Assuncao goes for a single leg. Pearson defends. Assuncao tries it again, Pearson defends again. Assuncao clinches as Pearson comes forward. Pearson sets up the thai clinch and Assuncao gets the eff out of dodge. Pearson lands a nice body shot then stumbles Assuncao with a jab. He pours on the abuse, landing a knee, more body shots. Assuncao clinches to make it stop. Knee to the body from Pearson. Assuncao escapes and Pearson chases. Assuncao goes for the single-leg. Pearson defends and tosses Assuncao to the mat with a judo trip. Assuncao gets up and returns the favor. Assuncao in Pearson’s guard. Pearson escapes and Assuncao fires heavy punches in the closing seconds.
Round 3: Pearson steps forward with a leg kick. Pearson eats a jab and Assuncao takes him down. Assuncao looks for a rear-naked choke on the mat. Pearson escapes and gets to his feet. They clinch against the fence, then separate. Assuncao scores a takedown, but Pearson is up within a second. Knee to the dome from Assuncao. Pearson separates but eats a punch. Assuncao stays on him, tenaciously. Pearson gets some space, throws a knee, lands a leg kick. Asssuncao grabs on, Pearson turns him around against the fence. Dirty boxing from both sides. Pearson fires a head kick and follows it up with a solid knee to Assuncao’s head. Pearson lands in close. He smells blood and presses forward with punches. Assuncao grabs his leg and the horn sounds. Pearson might have this one wrapped up.
Pearson def. Assuncao via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27). No time for an interview. And so, the prelims end with five straight decisions and a withdrawal due to illness. Let’s hope things pick up during the main card. Speaking of which, hit that “next page” link to continue to our UFC 141 pay-per-view coverage…
In the Fight of the Night, Diaz outboxed Cerrone through three rounds for a convincing decision win (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). The fight was strictly a standup affair, with Diaz sticking to his rapid-fire boxing and Cerrone mixing in his Muay Thai kickboxing background.
While Diaz was the clear winner with his accurate punches, Cerrone drew excitement from the Vegas crowd every time he chopped Diaz to the floor with leg kicks.
Hendricks won Knockout of the Night bonus with his 12-second finish over former title contender Jon Fitch. Hendricks landed a big left hand to flatten Fitch and then followed with one more before referee Steve Mazzagatti stepped in.
There were no submission finishes on the card. In the 10 fights, seven went to decisions while three ended in (T)KOs.
In the Fight of the Night, Diaz outboxed Cerrone through three rounds for a convincing decision win (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). The fight was strictly a standup affair, with Diaz sticking to his rapid-fire boxing and Cerrone mixing in his Muay Thai kickboxing background.
While Diaz was the clear winner with his accurate punches, Cerrone drew excitement from the Vegas crowd every time he chopped Diaz to the floor with leg kicks.
Hendricks won Knockout of the Night bonus with his 12-second finish over former title contender Jon Fitch. Hendricks landed a big left hand to flatten Fitch and then followed with one more before referee Steve Mazzagatti stepped in.
There were no submission finishes on the card. In the 10 fights, seven went to decisions while three ended in (T)KOs.
Well, it’s over. 2011 — arguably the biggest year for MMA and the UFC — has come and gone. UFC 141 gave us a night to remember on the way out, and now we charge boldly on into a new year with an even more frantic fight calendar. I hope you’re taking this opportunity to rest up and prepare yourselves, people. Things are only going to get busier.
