Tag: Main Event Channel

Video: ‘UFC Primetime–Jones vs Evans’ Episode 1

Primetime Part I (Video via: YouTube/WeedIsJustAPlanttt)

Despite the brooding drama built into the upcoming Jon Jones-Rashad Evans title fight at UFC 145, the latest installment of the UFC Primetime franchise has a decidedly more mature aura about it. No more fire-alarm monologues, no more interviews with grade school teachers. We’re dealing with big people problems. Rashad Evans has lost just about everything in his life over the past year, and he places a lot of that blame on the shoulders of his former teammates. While other matchups may have produced more vitriol for the cameras, few have the depth behind them as this rivalry.

Come on in for a breakdown of the highlights and Part II of the video.

Primetime Part I  (Video via: YouTube/WeedIsJustAPlanttt)

Despite the brooding drama built into the upcoming Jon Jones-Rashad Evans title fight at UFC 145, the latest installment of the UFC Primetime franchise has a decidedly more mature aura about it. No more fire-alarm monologues, no more interviews with grade school teachers. We’re dealing with big people problems. Rashad Evans has lost just about everything in his life over the past year, and he places a lot of that blame on the shoulders of his former teammates. While other matchups may have produced more vitriol for the cameras, few have the depth behind them as this rivalry.

 

“He has a book of notes that he takes, and it’s like a book of moves, and he reads this book of moves so that way when he fights the moves are fresh in his head. So I go in there in the locker room to wish him luck and I’m giving him daps and hugs and I’m going to warm him up, and I go and sit next to him when he’s looking at the book of notes and he covers it, and he puts it down and he looks at me. I’m like, ‘Damn, bro, it’s like that?’ Like, ‘For real?’ So then I knew at that point that I was next on the menu.” Rashad Evans, on the first time he realized he and Jones were destined to be better enemies than friends.

 

We start off in sunny Florida with an establishing shot of Rashad’s new crib. Over the past 12-months he’s divorced his high school sweetheart, severed ties with his ‘family’ at Jackson’s MMA Academy, and packed his bags for Florida to begin life anew. That’s a hell of an upheaval, and it must be taking an emotional toll on Rash…damn, did you see that ‘lac? Suga’s going to be alright, y’all.

 

“A few years ago Greg Jackson approached me with the idea of having Jon Jones join the camp. And I was like, ‘Man, this kid looks pretty good. He looks like an up and coming guy.’ And I was like, ‘Greg, I don’t really feel comfortable with him coming on the team, being that he’s going to be somebody that I got to compete against.’ And Greg was like, ‘No, no buddy. It’s not going to be like that. We’re family. We’re brothers. We’ll never have to fight each other.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, but still, I just don’t feel comfortable with the idea.’ And Greg was like, ‘Listen, trust me. You will not have to fight him, and if you do have to fight him I’m with you 100%.’ ”  Rashad Evans, doing a pretty good impression of a goofy white dude. No wonder he’s so adept at spotting those ‘fake ass white boys‘.

 

“You know, it made me feel angry at first. I was full of emotions and I was just more like, ‘Man, fuck Greg.’ You tell me that it would never happen, you’re guaranteeing me that I’ll never have to fight somebody, and I go off of your word, and then it turns around and it happens just the way that I thought it would happen? Then you turn around and say, ‘Alright, I’m going to stick with him’? That’s a betrayal.”  Rashad Evans, summing up a year of drama and saving me the need for 100 hyperlinks in a single, tidy quote.

 

“I remember growing up, we really didn’t have anything, but my parents were so loving that we never really realized how poor we were, because we had so much love in our home. And my job as a father is to outdo my father, and to show him that he raised a great man. And I’m out here trying to get it, not really for me at all but for my family and for my family’s future.”  Jon Jones, appreciating his roots. To this day he carries that photo of his father posing on the hood of his busted up El Camino in his back pocket for a little extra motivation.

 

“Rashad Evans realized that I was becoming the best fighter and that I was in line for the title shot, and that’s when he made me seem as if I wanted to challenge him. And I didn’t want to challenge him. The only thing I always wanted to do was to fulfill my dream of being the number one fighter in the world. To this day, I’ve never challenged Rashad at all.”  Jon Jones, who believes that the drama between the two is as one-sided as the fight will be.

 

“Yeah I feel bad for Rashad. You know, I miss the guy. Actually me and Jon were talkingabout how much fun he was and he’d always make us laugh. So there’s no negative animosity on our end. Especially not on my end.”  Greg Jackson, coping with the breakup like a real man, who is naturally sharing a laugh in bed with his hot new girlfriend while the recently-divorced ex-wife is crying alone in her shabby one-bedroom apartment dealing with the four kids and the dog.

 

“Rashad was the one who got bypassed through hard work, and he was the one who needed to find a way to challenge me for the light-heavyweight championship. And that’s why Coach Jackson, Coach Winklejohn and everyone on this team is backing me to the fullest in the is fight. Because I’ve done nothing wrong.”  Jon Jones, giving all credit to hard work when we know full well that God has a history of protecting him while saying ‘to hell’ with everyone else.

 

“Rashad fighting me out of anger, you know it actually excites me because it’s going to deteriorate his game. He’s really going to realize that he’s wasted the last three or four months of his life training for this fight because he’s not going to win.”  Jon Jones, who in his youth doesn’t yet realize that win or lose it’s not a wasted training camp if you share intimate moments with those around you.

 

Primetime Part II  (Video via: YouTube/WeedIsJustAPlanttt)

– Chris Colemon

 

Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller Vows to Retire if He Loses to CB Dollaway


(“Did I at least win the grappling round?“)

Could Jason Miller‘s 10-plus-year fighting career come to an end on May 26th? Mayhem appeared on last night’s episode of Spike TV’s “MMA Uncensored Live,” and raised the stakes for his UFC 146 battle with CB Dollaway:

“I’m on my own chopping block. If I lose to him, I’m quitting! I don’t even deserve to be in there! There’s not an easy fight. In the UFC, there’s no easy fight. He doesn’t deserve to be in there with me, and I’ll prove it. I’ll prove it in under a round, because, we see…I tend to get tired in the second round. [laughs] We’re both in a similar spot in our career I guess. We’re both on the chopping block. That’s fine. I’m really happy with that.”


(“Did I at least win the grappling round?“)

Could Jason Miller‘s 10-plus-year fighting career come to an end on May 26th? Mayhem appeared on last night’s episode of Spike TV’s “MMA Uncensored Live,” and raised the stakes for his UFC 146 battle with CB Dollaway:

“I’m on my own chopping block. If I lose to him, I’m quitting! I don’t even deserve to be in there! There’s not an easy fight. In the UFC, there’s no easy fight. He doesn’t deserve to be in there with me, and I’ll prove it. I’ll prove it in under a round, because, we see…I tend to get tired in the second round. [laughs] We’re both in a similar spot in our career I guess. We’re both on the chopping block. That’s fine. I’m really happy with that.”

As we’ve seen recently in MMA, threats of retirement aren’t always written in stone (see: Pellegrino, Gonzaga), and sometimes it’s just a matter of being super-pissed-off at the time. The only guarantee is that if Mayhem gets his ass kicked at UFC 146, he’s going to get fired from the UFC, and at that point, he may as well be retired.

CB Dollaway has been knocked out in his last two fights by Mark Munoz and Jared Hamman, and carries an overall UFC record of 5-4; another bad loss would likely cost him his contract. But despite CB’s rough patch, is it fair for Mayhem to say that “he doesn’t deserve to be in there with me,” in light of the notoriously terrible performance that Miller turned in against Michael Bisping at the TUF 14 Finale? “Pride goeth before the fall,” homey.

Alistair Overeem Sentenced to Community Service, Anger Management for Alleged Lady-Shoving


(Does *this* look like the face of a man who might beat you to death with a large ceremonial hammer?)

You can all exhale now — Alistair Overeem‘s dust up at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel earlier this year, in which he allegedly shoved a woman, will not result in a jail sentence. This is good news for UFC fans who are salivating over his upcoming heavyweight title fight against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146, and great news for the lucky bastard who just avoided becoming the Reem’s cell mate. (I’m just saying, he’s a big man, and he needs love.)

Overeem waived his right to a trial and did not appear in court for his misdemeanor battery hearing yesterday. While he was busy throwing out energy fields at the UFC 146 press conference, Overeem’s attorney David Chesnoff finalized a plea deal that will require the fighter to fulfill 50 hours of community service and to undergo anger-management counseling. Hopefully Alistair learns to channel his aggression into something positive, like party-rocking. Overeem also received a suspended 90-day jail sentence, but the matter will be dismissed as long as he meets the conditions laid out by the court.

Without sharing details of the case, Overeem described the situation as a lesson about the differences between Holland and America:


(Does *this* look like the face of a man who might beat you to death with a large ceremonial hammer?)

You can all exhale now — Alistair Overeem‘s dust up at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel earlier this year, in which he allegedly shoved a woman, will not result in a jail sentence. This is good news for UFC fans who are salivating over his upcoming heavyweight title fight against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146, and great news for the lucky bastard who just avoided becoming the Reem’s cell mate. (I’m just saying, he’s a big man, and he needs love.)

Overeem waived his right to a trial and did not appear in court for his misdemeanor battery hearing yesterday. While he was busy throwing out energy fields at the UFC 146 press conference, Overeem’s attorney David Chesnoff finalized a plea deal that will require the fighter to fulfill 50 hours of community service and to undergo anger-management counseling. Hopefully Alistair learns to channel his aggression into something positive, like party-rocking. Overeem also received a suspended 90-day jail sentence, but the matter will be dismissed as long as he meets the conditions laid out by the court.

Without sharing details of the case, Overeem described the situation as a lesson about the differences between Holland and America:

“Being famous in the States is definitely different than being famous in Holland or anywhere else, and it comes with a lot of advantages and some disadvantages. You need to learn how to deal with it,” said Overeem, who is now employing a security detail. “In Holland, I can just go to the grocery store and buy my eggs and milk, and here you might be under attack. Some situation may come up and you’re drawn into it and suddenly it’s world news. We don’t have that in Holland.”

Assuming they don’t make Overeem pick up cans off the side of the highway like some common schmuck, how do you think he should spend his 50 hours of community service?

UFC 144: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly


(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.

UFC 144 Aftermath Part Two: Barbarians in Beast Mode


(Props: Getty Images/UFC.com)

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.


(Props: Getty Images/UFC.com)

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

– Seth Falvo

UFC 144 Aftermath Part I: Playing to the Crowd

If you’re only going to do one thing, make sure you do it well. (Photo: Getty Images/UFC.com)

It would be an understatement to call the UFC’s return to Japan triumphant. We could point to the bevy of exciting finishes as proof enough, but last night’s action seemed to go beyond that. More important to the evening’s success was the way the competitors fought. Surrounded by fans that appreciate the “bushido spirit” above all else, the fighters let it all hang out and battled their way through adversity. The Japanese prefer an entertaining performance over a cautious victory, and from the opening bout to the final bell of the evening, they got their money’s worth.

The final four combatants weren’t able to match the undercard’s highlight-reel stoppages, but the fighters knew the stakes and, to the best of their abilities, showed up to wow the fans.

If you’re only going to do one thing, make sure you do it well. (Photo: Getty Images/UFC.com)

It would be an understatement to call the UFC’s return to Japan triumphant. We could point to the bevy of exciting finishes as proof enough, but last night’s action seemed to go beyond that. More important to the evening’s success was the way the competitors fought. Surrounded by fans that appreciate the “bushido spirit” above all else, the fighters let it all hang out and battled their way through adversity. The Japanese prefer an entertaining performance over a cautious victory, and from the opening bout to the final bell of the evening, they got their money’s worth.

The final four combatants weren’t able to match the undercard’s highlight-reel stoppages, but the fighters knew the stakes and, to the best of their abilities, showed up to wow the fans.

Quinton Jackson’s hopes to turn back the clock and revive his fan-focused style in Japan faded as quickly as his PRIDE walkout song. Just minutes into his bout with Ryan Bader, as he was pressed against the cage, it was clear that he was battling an opponent whose wrestling prowess promised to stifle whatever energy he’d hoped to bring to Saitama Super Arena. What’s worse, he must have known that there was little he could do about it. Overweight and under-trained, this was the worst Rampage we’ve seen to date. As the second round kicked off he looked slow, sluggish, and outgunned. And that’s when it happened. As Bader delivered a knee toward his head, Rampage caught the leg and scooped him up for a brutal slam. No, it wasn’t as high nor as swift as we’ve seen in the past, but for a man desperately hoping to thrill his fans it was an important moment, and moments like that are hard to come by. Bader was wobbled, but while the effects of the [pretty much illegal] slam were fleeting, Rampage had delivered what was unquestionably the most memorable action in the bout.

Unfortunately for the former Light Heavyweight Champion, that highlight would be his first and last. Bader quickly regained his composure and with it control of the fight. It was a dominant performance that scored him an obvious unanimous decision. Rampage cites a knee injury in training as the reason for his lack of preparation, and while his love of fighting has certainly waned in recent years I’m inclined to believe him. His assertion that he looked better than ever prior to the injury, probably not. At the end of the day, it was a very disappointing performance from Rampage and a notable victory for Bader. The former TUF’er notched a big win against a legend of the sport, and he did so on an important stage.

Before we begin quarreling about the outcome of the main event, let’s all do ourselves a favor and go watch the fight again. Not to see who scored more takedowns in round two, not to count who landed more significant strikes in round four, but to enjoy a damn good fight. In the latest installment of back-and-forth Lightweight title fights, Frankie Edgar showed the heart and determination that earned him the belt in the first place. Those disappointed that he didn’t survive a near-death experience in round 1 got their wish as the second frame wound down. A perfectly placed up-kick dropped the champion, opening his nose like a spigot. But it wouldn’t be a Frankie Edgar fight if he didn’t prove his mettle, and “The Answer” proved once again that he doesn’t have an ‘off switch’, only a ‘reset button’. The champ battled back and looked no worse for wear in rounds 3-5 (aside from his battered face, of course), but at the end of the fight the scorecards didn’t add up in his favor.

For those of you upset at the decision, of whom there are undoubtedly many, take comfort in the fact that Benson Henderson fought like a champion last night. While you may not agree with the judges’ tally, there can’t be any disappointment in having a champion that performs like he does. Henderson exhibited powerful, dynamic striking from the opening bell and he never stopped moving forward. He brought the fight to Frankie standing up and on the ground and was fighting for the finish; it’s not his fault that Edgar can’t be put away. Both men fought beyond expectations and together they earned the $65k “Fight of the Night” bonus.

Edgar’s reign was hallmarked by closely contested battles and instant rematches, and that streak shouldn’t end now. You can argue who won but you can’t argue that it was close, and if anyone deserves a chance to win back his belt it’s Edgar. Dana seems to be leaning toward a different rematch for Henderson in the form of Anthony Pettis. That bout too has an interesting storyline and would yield a night full of fireworks. Either way, the fans will be treated to a blockbuster fight between two competitors that go for broke. If the Japanese fans taught us anything last night, it’s that there’s little else we could ask for.

 


– Chris Colemon