There was a lot of doubt and uncertainty surrounding Mauricio Rua heading into his last fight against James Te Huna at UFC Fight Night 33, and “Shogun” silenced those critics in highlight-reel fashion.
The former light heavyweight champion had dropped …
There was a lot of doubt and uncertainty surrounding Mauricio Rua heading into his last fight against James Te Huna at UFC Fight Night 33, and “Shogun” silenced those critics in highlight-reel fashion.
The former light heavyweight champion had dropped three of his last four heading into his tilt in Brisbane, and the slump evoked talk that the MMA legend had fallen out of elite-level status. Some suggested a drop down to the middleweight division was in order, but Rua’s brutal first-round knockout of the Aussie put all the speculation on ice in a big way.
The Brazilian Muay Thai wrecking machine put himself back on the 205-pound radar, which has drawn the attention of another top-tier light heavyweight in Phil Davis.
“Mr. Wonderful” has put together a solid run as of late, collecting three consecutive victories over tough competition. That level of success has put him on the verge of breaking into title contention, but with the championship tied up for the time being, the Team Alliance fighter is going to need another big win to move him closer to the crown.
And it looks like he has his sights set on the former Chute Boxe fighter for his next challenge.
On Wednesday night’s installment of UFC Tonight, Ariel Helwani reported that coach Eric Del Fierro said Davis wants to face Rua in his next outing. Del Fierro said his fighter was healthy and aiming for a return in early 2014, and that he wants a fight with Rua.
Both fighters are staples in the crowded upper tier of one of the most competitive divisions, and the matchup makes sense in the divisional hierarchy. With Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira’s title bout coming in the first quarter of 2014 and the matchup between Rashad Evans and Daniel Cormier recently being announced for UFC 170 in February, Davis and Rua are the odd men out in the title race.
A bout between them would keep things moving in the title race at 205 pounds. The winner would certainly take a step closer to earning a title opportunity.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.
Even before Mauricio “Shogun” Rua took the cage on Friday night, the elegies for his storied career were already being written.
During the run-up to Rua’s fight against James Te Huna, we’d heard all about his knees (shot), his c…
Even before Mauricio “Shogun” Rua took the cage on Friday night, the elegies for his storied career were already being written.
During the run-up to Rua’s fight against James Te Huna, we’d heard all about his knees (shot), his cardio (suspect) and the intimidating aura he’d cultivated during his youth (now a distant memory).
The former light heavyweight champion was considered a slight underdog to the relatively unproven Te Huna. Dana White said they’d “probably” have the retirement talk if he didn’t perform well, via Fox Sports Live.
As it turned out, the only post-fight conversation Rua needed to have with the UFC president concerned the bonus check for knockout of the night. As in, it’s Mauricio—with two I’s.
His retirement speech was not needed at UFC Fight Night 33, as he struck down Te Huna with a pinpoint counter left hook just one minute and three seconds into the first round.
Newsflash: Rua’s not quite done.
Had Te Huna’s brain been capable of coherent thought, he could’ve testified to that fact at the moment his body dropped to the canvas and his head snapped back like he’d been in a car crash.
“I knew he would come out aggressive and trying to strike, but I also expected him to come clinching and trying to wrestle me,” Rua said through an interpreter while still in the cage. “I was timing his engagements. When he was moving forward I was timing his entrances so I could connect.”
This is where the hyperbole typically kicks in—the talk about Rua being “back,” the wistful columns about how he’s recaptured his old magic and the aw-shucks apologies about how we can’t believe we ever doubted him.
This time, let’s skip that part, since it’s not true and it’s actually pretty cynical.
The truth, as always, will be found somewhere in the middle.
Perhaps Rua is not as close to being done as we thought, but the old Shogun is not “back.” Rua’s time as one of the most feared 205-pound fighters on the planet is long past, and it’s not about to return.
His win over Te Huna was a good one, but in claiming it he stopped a fighter who himself came in off a loss and who had never beaten a top-10 opponent. Te Huna is a big, dangerous light heavyweight, but few were forecasting him as significant contender prior to this bout. Now maybe few ever will.
Rua’s victory simply means he’ll live to compete another day and perhaps get the chance to script his own denouement.
Where he goes next was a topic of conversation even before he dispatched Te Huna. It has been widely speculated—urged, perhaps—that he’ll think about cutting to middleweight, just like former light heavyweight champ LyotoMachida did earlier this year.
It’s probably the right move, if his body will allow it, though his questionable physical health will no doubt continue to dictate when, how and where he fights.
This weekend, we found out he still has the single-punch KO power that made him one of the most feared fighters in the world a half decade ago. That’s great, but let’s not make the mistake of inflating this win into something that it’s not.
The issues we saw in him before this bout—his busted knees, the mileage of 11 years and 30 fights, a 3-4 record since 2011—haven’t suddenly gone away. Can he still be a serviceable UFC fighter? Sure, but let’s not prop him up just so we can tear him down again later, when the facts come back around to meet our narrative.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is not done.
Not yet.
Despite coming into his fight against James Te Huna at UFC Fight Night 33 as the betting underdog (somehow), Shogun thoroughly outclassed his foe, obliterating him with a crisp counter-left hook j…
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is not done.
Not yet.
Despite coming into his fight against James Te Huna at UFC Fight Night 33 as the betting underdog (somehow), Shogun thoroughly outclassed his foe, obliterating him with a crisp counter-left hook just one minute into Round 1.
Te Huna held his hands low, threw an ill-advised lead left uppercut, and Shogun capitalized.
In case you forgot, Shogun’s power is terrifying (gif courtesy of Zombie Prophet).
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
We’ll obviously remember the finish.
The fight only lasted 63 seconds, and Shogun’s finishing blow was the only noteworthy strike.
If we must look past the knockout, Te Huna‘s lifeless flop to canvas and Shogun’s ferocious follow-up shot (that missed) were also pretty memorable.
What We Learned About Shogun
Shogun will brutally finish you if you leave your hands down.
While his body may be worn down and his ceiling may be lower than it once was, his power is still 100 percent intact.
He is no pushover, and he still presents danger to any and all comers.
What We Learned About Te Huna
Te Huna is not a top-10 light heavyweight in the UFC.
The major argument in favor of including Te Huna in the top-10 rankings centered around the fact that he only loses to good opponents.
While that is true, the fact remains that Te Huna has never defeated a fighter of note, either. Te Huna is still a guy who will probably beat anybody outside of the top 15 to 20, but when he faces legitimate, top-10 talent, he crumbles.
We learned that he is not ready to make the leap into contention.
What’s Next for Shogun
Shogun deserves another high-profile fight in his next outing, but I don’t think we need to send him down a path with a title shot in mind.
At this point in his career, Shogun should take fun, interesting matchups that draw a crowd and put on a show.
(Rugby: You’re doing it wrong. I think. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what rugby’s supposed to look like. / Photo via Getty)
The UFC lands in Brisbane tonight for UFC Fight Night 33, and for a free card overseas, this thing is kind of loaded. In the main event, heavyweight contenders Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva slug it out in a match that is scheduled for five rounds but probably won’t last that long. Also on the card, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua‘s continued status as an active UFC light-heavyweight is on the line against New Zealand native James Te Huna, while Pat Barry and Ryan Bader attempt to bounce back from recent TKO losses against Soa Palelei and Anthony Perosh, respectively. Plus: Julie Kedzie will attempt to humiliate Bethe Correia as badly in the cage as she did during yesterday’s weigh-ins.
Our liveblog of the “Hunt vs. Bigfoot” FOX Sports 1 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Get round-round results after the jump, refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section.
(Rugby: You’re doing it wrong. I think. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what rugby’s supposed to look like. / Photo via Getty)
The UFC lands in Brisbane tonight for UFC Fight Night 33, and for a free card overseas, this thing is kind of loaded. In the main event, heavyweight contenders Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva slug it out in a match that is scheduled for five rounds but probably won’t last that long. Also on the card, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua‘s continued status as an active UFC light-heavyweight is on the line against New Zealand native James Te Huna, while Pat Barry and Ryan Bader attempt to bounce back from recent TKO losses against Soa Palelei and Anthony Perosh, respectively. Plus: Julie Kedzie will attempt to humiliate Bethe Correia as badly in the cage as she did during yesterday’s weigh-ins.
Our liveblog of the “Hunt vs. Bigfoot” FOX Sports 1 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Get round-round results after the jump, refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section.
Preliminary Card Results
– Takeya Mizugaki def. Nam Phan via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-28)
– Caio Magalhaes def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Justin Scoggins def. Richie Vaculik via TKO, 4:43 of round 1
– Krzysztof Jotko def. Bruno Santos via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
– Alex Garcia def. Ben Wall via KO, 0:43 of round 1
Hey folks, BG here. It’s 9 p.m., and I’m just waiting for this Arizona State vs. DePaul game to finish up so the UFC broadcast can start. Apparently, it’ll be running on something called a “FOX Sports Too” until then, but I don’t have that goddamned channel, and I don’t think any of my neighbors do either, so I guess I’ll be liveblogging college hoops for a while. Luckily, the first 20 minutes of any free UFC card are dominated by commercials. I think we’ll be alright.
It’s 9:03. I just saw about seven seconds of Julie Kedzie and Bethe Correia shadowboxing at the camera backstage before the screen went black. Huh.
9:13. At least I ordered pizza and wings, so the night’s not a total loss. And I’ve got twitter to entertain me. Poor Julie Kedzie, though, this sucks for her.
9:18, and Fox Sports 1 finally gets its shit together, midway through round 2. Alright, Kedzie and Correia are slugging, and Greg Jackson goes “WOWWWWWW!” Spinning shit is being thrown, my friends. We’ll start the official liveblog in round 3. Both of these fighters have nice, thick legs, and that’s something I would totally mention even if they were men.
Round 3: Correia lands a straight right. She tries a leg kick and eats a counter-right from Kedzie. Correia attacking with long hooks. Kedzie throwing out kicks without much success. Correia lands a hook while flailing some punches. Her punches are still looking sharp in the third round. Hook/cross from Correia. Correia snatches up a body kick from Kedzie and bulls her to the mat. Correia shoves Kedzie to the cage and tries to work to back control, but Kedzie reverses and escapes to her feet. Kedzie fires a wheel-kick. Is Greg Jackson yelling “JUST KIDDING” over and over again for some reason? Correia rushes forward with punches. Correia with another hook. Kedzie lands a side kick and they brawl to the bell. Like I said, I missed most of the first two rounds, but Correia looked damn good in the third.
Bethe Correia def. Julie Kedzie via split-decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29). Kedzie has lost her fourth consecutive fight. She was 0-2 in Strikeforce, and now she’s 0-2 in the UFC.
Dylan Andrews vs. Clint Hester
FYI, these guys were on TUF 17 together.
Round 1: Andrews marching forward, Hester sticking and moving with leg kicks. Hester wobbles Andrews right away with a stiff right hand. Hester clinches up and fires a knee to the body. Andrews scores a nice body-lock takedown and lands in half-guard. Andrews isn’t doing much from the top. He tries to trap Hester’s arm, but can’t do it. Hester tries to work to his feet and Andrews goes for a guillotine. Hester slips out and establishes top position. Another stalemate on the ground. Andrews gets to his feet, then briefly dumps Hester to the mat. Hester gets up, Andrews puts him right back down. Andrews hangs out in side control until the round ends.
Round 2: They trade leg kicks. Hester whiffs a big left hand and Andrews grabs him, but can’t convert the takedown. Hester with a right, Andrews returns a big right hand of his own. Hester rushes forward and drives Andrews to the mat. Hester with a few decent shots from the top, working Andrews to the body with punches. Hard elbows now. Andrews trying to lock Hester down, stalling him, and the crowd boos. Andrews is bleeding badly from his forehead. Andrews gets to his feet and Hester tees off on him. Andrews escapes danger. Hester pops the jab, Andrews returns fire. Hester gets his leg kicked out from under him, but he pops right back up. Leg kick Hester. There’s something wrong with Andrews’s right hand/arm…he’s holding it almost at his waist. There’s the bell. Clear 10-9 for Hester.
And it is all over. Andrews suffered a shoulder dislocation and can’t answer the bell. Hester goes over to him and they embrace as friends. With his one arm that still works, Andrews raises Hester’s arm.
Clint Hester def. Dylan Andrews via TKO (injury/doctor’s stoppage), 5:00 of round 2.
In the replay, we see the moment where Andrews’s shoulder fell apart. Basically, he just missed a punch and his arm swung out of it’s socket. One in a million shot, doc.
Jesus Christ. I feel like I’ve been watching UFC 168 promos for the last eight minutes, and they’re all fucking awful. Yes, yes, Andy, you back. Trust you. You back.
Pat Barry vs. Soa Palelei
My parlay bet begins…now.
Round 1: Palelei pushes Barry into the fence but Barry circles out. Barry whiffs some hard roundhouses. Palelei catches a knee from Barry and takes him to the mat. Off his back, Barry actually looks for an armlock. Wouldn’t that be something? Palelei escapes it and throws a few punches to Barry’s midsection from half-guard. Palelei jumps to mount. Oh boy, this ain’t good. After just a few punches from the top, Barry is totally unconscious. Don’t let a 265-pound man do that to you, bro.
Soa Palelei def. Pat Barry via KO, 2:09 of round 1. Barry’s face looks like he fell off a motorcycle or something. Jesus. Palelei only hit him like five times. Poor dude. Pat’s UFC record just dropped to 5-7, all losses by stoppage.
Ryan Bader vs. Anthony Perosh
Anthony Perosh is 41 years old, you guys. 41. Bader’s got a nice playoff-beard going.
Round 1: Bader takes the center of the cage. Perosh lands a wide hook. Bader grabs a clinch and whips in some uppercuts. Perosh falls to the ground and he looks to be in trouble as Bader pours it on, but Perosh gets to his feet. Bader lands another big uppercut and Perosh is on his heels. But Perosh collects himself and brushes Bader back with a big right hand of his own. Perosh rushes forward and essentially falls on his face. Bader gets on top and slugs down on Perosh. Perosh rolls to his knees, Bader sticks on him. Perosh gets to his feet. The box for a bit, and then Bader grabs Perosh against the fence and takes him down. Big elbow from Bader. Perosh is split open. Bader is briefly kicked off, but then jumps back on with a “Shogun punch,” as Jon Anik says. Bader with a little more GnP as the round ends. Easy 10-9 for Bader.
Round 2: Perosh dashes forward with punches, then follows it up with a leg kick. Bader drags Perosh down and works some knees to the body on the mat. Gnarly elbow from Bader. And some more short elbows. Perosh trying to find a way up, Bader just burying him with strikes. Perosh is totally stuck. Every time Perosh tries to kick Bader off, Bader dives right back in and punches him in the face. More hard elbows. And more, and more, and more. 10-9, bordering on 10-8 for the fact that Perosh did nothing except endure abuse.
Round 3: Bader wants to finish this thing. He swings some nasty left hooks, hard and reckless. At his earliest opportunity, he scores a takedown and puts Perosh right back against the fence. Bader, with those damn elbows. Perosh rolls, desperately. Bader slugs him in the face. Perosh briefly gets to his feet, Bader dumps him right back down and goes apeshit, looking for the stoppage. Perosh is too tough for his own good. He gets up again, Bader drags him back down. Bader’s arm is drenched in Bader’s blood. The entire mat is, actually. 30 seconds left. Bader punching and punching. There’s the last bell. Well, it’s a win, though I’m sure Bader is disappointed that he couldn’t stop an opponent who had nothing for him.
Ryan Bader def. Anthony Perosh via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 30-26). Bader says he hurt his hand in the first round, and Perosh is super tough, etc. By the way, the judges need to start handing out more 10-8′s. That last round was a mauling.
Mauricio Rua vs. James Te Huna
Round 1: Shogun comes forward swinging. He tries a leg kick. Te Huna comes in for a takedown, and Shogun tosses him to the side. Te Huna scrambles back to his feet, and covers up as Shogun swings on him. Te Huna misses a left hook but Shogun lands one of his own and Te Huna goes down, KO’d. He was stiff before he even hit the mat. Well damn, there goes my parlay. It was going so well, too.
Mauricio Rua def. James Te Huna via KO, 1:03 of round 1. Check out the GIF of the stoppage right here. Gnarly stuff. But is Shogun really “back”? Do we have to say that every time he wins a fight now?
They’re replaying Mizugaki vs. Phan from the prelims. I hear it was a good one. I’m just gonna enjoy it like a civilian.
This is a great fight, but I’m constantly checking my phone anyway. Blame it on my ADD.
Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva
All of Bigfoot’s cornermen are texting during the intros. Or Vine-ing. Or some shit. Just put away your damn phones, guys. Silva is booed. Hunt is carrying Oceania on his back right now; it hasn’t gone too well for the home team tonight. Hunt walked out shirtless and has absolutely no sponsors on his trunks.
Round 1: Silva makes first contact with a side-kick to the leg. He tries a front kick. And another side-kick to the leg. Dude thinks he’s Jon Jones or something. Hunt fires a punch over Bigfoot’s head. Silva slips to the mat but pops right back up. Front kick Silva. Hunt engages with a hard punch combo but Silva drops him with counter punches! Silva jumps on but Hunt scrambles to his feet. Leg kick from Hunt. Front kick to the body and a punch from Bigfoot. Leg kick Hunt. Hunt dashes in with a right straight. Silva grabs him against the fence. Hunt reverses him. Knee to the body from Bigfoot. then a body kick from Silva. There’s the bell. 10-9 Bigfoot.
Round 2: Hunt runs forward with punches, Bigfoot evades. Silva with a leg kick that knocks Hunt off balance. Silva clinches up, Hunt shakes out. Low leg kick from Silva. Bigfoot tries a spinning back kick that misses by a mile. Hook and a cross to the body from Hunt. Silva goes high with a kick. Hunt brushes Silva back with a hard right hand. Hunt with an inside leg kick. Sharp body kick from Hunt. Silva tries a front kick to the body. Hunt stalking Silva down. A leg kick from Silva wobbles Hunt, who’s clearly hurt. Hunt switches stance to avoid more damage. Hunt is limping around in southpaw. The bell gives him a moment to recover. 10-9 Bigfoot.
Round 3: Hunt comes out with some urgency, swinging hard. Hunt flies forward with a punch into a takedown. Silva tries to get up, Hunt drags him down, Silva gets to his feet again and stays there. Silva clinches, pushes Hunt against the fence. Hunt escapes, Silva throws a head kick at him. Hunt with an uppercut and right straight. Hunt clinches with Bigfoot against the cage. Silva works some knees. They separate, Hunt lands a right hand, and another one that flattens Bigfoot! Hunt gets on top and starts firing down short elbows. Hunt in half-guard. Silva stuck on his back, Hunt with steady GnP. Hunt raises up and drops some big elbows as the third round ends. We are indeed going to the championship rounds, and Hunt has regained momentum. 10-9 Hunt.
Round 4 (come on): Bigfoot ain’t done yet. He’s throwing kicks like the last round never happened. Hunt grabs him and pushes him against the fence. Bigfoot rolls out and starts attacking with punches. Hunt takes him to the mat. Hunt returns to the elbow show. Bigfoot gets to his feet and both men are slugging now. Oh baby, it’s a heavyweight fight. Bigfoot pushes Hunt against the fence and tees off with punches and knees. Hunt is exhausted. He tries for a takedown and falls on his face. Bigfoot gets on top, Hunt swinging at him from his back. Talk about a gamer. Hunt tries to roll out, and Silva gets full mount. It’s Donkey Kong time. Hunt’s forehead is split open from the abuse, but it looks like he’ll hang on to the bell, and he does. My God. Somehow, we are going to round five, and that’s a good thing. 10-9 Bigfoot.
Round 5 (WTF??): Hunt swings a right haymaker, and lands a stiff one on Bigfoot’s chin. Hunt still has a chance as long as he’s standing. Left hook lands from Hunt. Bigfoot tries for a takedown and doesn’t get it. Hunt lands a sharp standing elbow, and another hook, and a right. Bigfoot’s got a chin on him, but he’s completely gassed, and his face is covered in blood. Hunt backs Silva against the fence and tears him up with punches. The ref pauses the fight and brings the doctor in to clear Silva’s face. It’s a break for Bigfoot, and the crowd boos it. Bigfoot storms back, throwing punches, clinching, trying to stay in it. Silva lands four punches in succession, and Hunt returns the favor. Knee from Bigfoot. Holy shit, what a brawl. Pace slowing in the last minute, but both men still working, firing punches. Hunt stuffs a right hand into Bigfoot’s face as the round ends. Jesus. Hunt did all he could. Maybe he would have won if this was scheduled for seven rounds, but the scores here will likely be in Silva’s favor. Fantastic show of heart from both men.
Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva ends in a majority draw (47-47 x 2, 48-47 Hunt). Whoa…I had Bigfoot winning rounds 1, 2, and 4. But if there’s ever a fight that deserved a draw out of principle, this was it. Bigfoot tells the crowd he injured his back recently, and they rightfully boo him for it. But anyway, good God, what a fight, and for once, the draw actually feels satisfying. I loved it. What did you guys think? And should Hunt and Silva do an immediate rematch?
Regardless of your stance on Street Fighter, we can all agree that the UFC has dropped a relatively stacked card onto our laps tonight. A six fight main card featuring the likes of Mauricio Rua, James Te Huna, Pat Barry, and crazy cat lady Julie Kedzie is a card worth delving a little deeper into, so we decided to break down each fight and rank them according to our own completely unbiased interest level. Oh yeah, and there will be gifs. Big gifs. Small gifs. Scanners gifs. Enjoy them, then make sure to swing by CagePotato at 9 p.m. EST for our liveblog from down unda’.
#6 – Clint Hester vs. Dylan Andrews
We mean no disrespect to these TUF 17 alums, who have both scored impressive KO victories in recent fights (Andrews is actually 2-0 in the UFC, with his last fight ending in a third round knockout of Papy Abedi). But simply put, one of these fights have to be ranked last, and if you think we’re placing these guys over Pat Barry or Julie Kedzie on our “Must Watch” list, you’re dead wrong, son.
Regardless of your stance on Street Fighter, we can all agree that the UFC has dropped a relatively stacked card onto our laps tonight. A six fight main card featuring the likes of Mauricio Rua, James Te Huna, Pat Barry, and crazy cat lady Julie Kedzie is a card worth delving a little deeper into, so we decided to break down each fight and rank them according to our own completely unbiased interest level. Oh yes, there will be gifs. Big gifs. Small gifs. Scanners gifs. Enjoy them, then make sure to swing by CagePotato at 9 p.m. EST for our liveblog from down unda’.
#6 – Clint Hester vs. Dylan Andrews
We mean no disrespect to these TUF 17 alums, who have both scored impressive KO victories in recent fights (Andrews is actually 2-0 in the UFC, with his last fight ending in a third round knockout of Papy Abedi). But simply put, one of these fights have to be ranked last, and if you think we’re placing these guys over Pat Barry or Julie Kedzie on our “Must Watch” list, you’re dead wrong, son.
Whether during their time on the show or in the actual octagon, both Hester and Andrews have proven themselves to be consistently entertaining fighters with above average cardio and serious power in their hands to boot. In fact, the two have only gone the distance 4 times in 33 fights combined, making this fight an early frontrunner for KOTN. Until that KO is overshadowed by at least one of the marquee matchups, that is. Official Ranking:
#5 – Julie Kedzie vs. Beth Correia
How can you not love Julie Kedzie? She’s well-spoken, perpetually pleasant, and more adorable than a thousand kittens in a thousand cups. She does outstanding work as a commentator over at Invicta, and to top it all off, she’s not afraid to kick a bitch in the face when need be (Author’s note: I mean no disrespect, Miesha. That’s just how the saying goes. We good?). Kedzie is the definition of a pioneer and has been throwing down for longer than 90% of her fellow WMMA stars. With her bubbly demeanor and vicious skills hidden just below the surface, Kedzie is essentially the living embodiment of the No Fear logo.
But our love for Kedzie aside, it’s hard to see her sticking around the organization should she lose to UFC newcomer Bethe Correia, a 6-0 Jungle Fight veteran who has scored just one finish in her professional career. Kedzie hasn’t been able to claim victory since 2011 and is currently riding a 3-fight losing streak including a unanimous decision loss to Germaine de Randamie in her UFC debut, so yeah, she could use a win here. But if the weigh-ins were any indication, Kedzie ain’t scurred of Correia’s weak intimidation game (scroll to the 17:30 mark then LOL). Official Ranking:
If it were up to just me, this fight would be ranked a bit higher. I like watching old dudes kick ass, which is why the career resurgence of Anthony Perosh had been one of my favorite stories to follow over the past few years. He’s 4-1 in his past 5, and although you probably won’t see it on any “Best of the Year” lists, I will go on record and say that Perosh’s 14-second humbling of Vinny Magalhaes was not only my favorite KO of the year, but possibly my favorite MMA moment of the year. It was a comeuppance right up there with Stevens vs. McKenzie and Aoki vs. Nagashima, and that Perosh was able to do so after being shut down by Ryan Jimmo in just 7 seconds in his previous fight speaks volumes of his character and toughness.
But Ryan Bader has put down more old dudes than Jack Kevorkian. Vladimir Matyushenko? Choked out in 50 seconds. Jason Brilz? KO’d in just over a minute. Ryan Bader treats senior citizens worse than disgruntled retirement home workers, and if the 41 year-old Perosh doesn’t keep his wits about him, he could end up flat on his back like that time he tried to carry the box of Christmas lights into the attic by himself. Any of these old people jokes doing it for you? Official Ranking:
#3 – Pat Barry vs. Soa Palelei
We don’t like to use the phrase “Loser Leaves Town” when Pat Barry is involved, so let’s call this a “Shit or Get Off the Pot” fight for both men.
After spending some six years trying to erase the memory of his horrendous one-off fight at UFC 79 by crushing the likes of Bob Sappand Sean McCorkle in Australia-based promotions, Palelei was finally granted another shot at UFC 164…and proceeded to put on another Toughman-level fight with Nikita Krylov. Although Palelei would walk away from the fight victorious (and later claim that a rib injury was to blame for his poor performance), there’s no denying that Palelei is on thin ice here. If he is trounced by Barry or fails to impress in victory again, it’ll be back to the minors for this Aussie.
The same can be said for our boy Barry, unfortunately, who has simply never been able to get any momentum going in the octagon. He’s gone win-loss in his past 4 fights and is on the heels of a disappointing first round TKO loss to Shawn Jordan at UFC 161, so look for “HD” to utilize his footwork and speed advantage against the heavy-handed Palelei. If not, he’ll have some splainin’ to do to “Thug” Rose, and brother, that is not a doghouse you want to be in. Official Ranking:
FYI, Ms. Hepburn is saying “Timber,” because Barry is going to chop that vegemite sandwich-eatin’ sumbitch down.
#2 – Mauricio Rua vs. James Te Huna
Speaking of “shit or get off the pot,” Dana White has all but declared this Shogun’s last chance at 205 lbs., offering him the alternatives of either cutting to 185 or retiring should he lose to Te Huna. Personally, I’d rather see Shogun retire without having to risk his life cutting weight, but methinks we’re in for a vintage Rua performance tonight.
Te Huna, on the other hand, is a dynamite-fisted banger (or for short, a “fistbanger”) who presents a mostly one-dimensional but dangerous challenge for Rua. As we’ve seen, Shogun has lost a bit of snap in his punches as of late, and a Shogun without his usual speed and onslaught of leg kicks is a Shogun content to stand in the pocket and trade. This is a terrible strategy to bring against Te Huna. The Australian is not just some swing for the fences, home-run puncher; he is perhaps one of the more technically sound boxers in the light heavyweight division, having set the record for significant strikes landed in a single round against Joey Beltran at UFC on FUEL 4.
All I’m saying is, PRIDE fanboys like myself should start preparing for the possibility of an upset. Official Ranking:
#1 – Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva
The attitude of Mark Hunt is equal parts Roger Murtaugh and Sweet Brown, in that he is both getting too old for this shit and truly never had time for this shit to begin with. When Mark Hunt knocks you out, he does not require a referee’s intervention. He simply struts away, leaving your broken down body in a puddle of urine and knowing that you will do nothing to invalidate his decision. Antonio Silva will tell you that he is going to submit Hunt tonight, and maybe he believes that. He is mistaken.
MARK HUNT WILL REPRESENT. YOU WILL WATCH MARK HUNT PUNT ANTONIO SILVA’S HEAD INTO THE STANDS AND RESTORE THE #RALLYFORHUNT MOVEMENT. MARK HUNT KNOWS NO FEAR. BECAUSE PRIDE. #RALLYFORHUNT. AHHH!! AAAAHHHHH!!! Official Ranking:
UFC Fight Night 33: Hunt vs. Bigfoot goes down tonight in Brisbane, Australia, and the 22 fighters on the card hit the scales yesterday to make the match-ups official. It was a relatively uneventful affair — except for when Bethe Correia tried to spook Julie Kedzie and failed miserably — but if you’re interested, you can watch the highlights above and the full weigh-in video after the jump.
Be sure to come back to CagePotato tonight for our liveblog of the FOX Sports 1 main card, which kicks off at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, and please enter this week’s Scramble fight-picking contest if you haven’t already!
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT)
Mark Hunt (262) vs. Antonio Silva (264)*
Mauricio Rua (205) vs. James Te Huna (205)
Ryan Bader (205) vs. Anthony Perosh (205)
Pat Barry (237) vs. Soa Palelei (264)
Dylan Andrews (185) vs. Clint Hester (186)
Julie Kedzie (135) vs. Bethe Correia (135)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 2, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Takeya Mizugaki (135) vs. Nam Phan (135)
Nick Ring (185) vs. Caio Magalhaes (186)
Richie Vaculik (126) vs. Justin Scoggins (125)
Bruno Santos (185) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (185)
FACEBOOK PRELIM (6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT)
Ben Wall (168) vs. Alex Garcia (170)
UFC Fight Night 33: Hunt vs. Bigfoot goes down tonight in Brisbane, Australia, and the 22 fighters on the card hit the scales yesterday to make the match-ups official. It was a relatively uneventful affair — except for when Bethe Correia tried to spook Julie Kedzie and failed miserably — but if you’re interested, you can watch the highlights above and the full weigh-in video after the jump.
Be sure to come back to CagePotato tonight for our liveblog of the FOX Sports 1 main card, which kicks off at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, and please enter this week’s Scramble fight-picking contest if you haven’t already!
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT)
Mark Hunt (262) vs. Antonio Silva (264)*
Mauricio Rua (205) vs. James Te Huna (205)
Ryan Bader (205) vs. Anthony Perosh (205)
Pat Barry (237) vs. Soa Palelei (264)
Dylan Andrews (185) vs. Clint Hester (186)
Julie Kedzie (135) vs. Bethe Correia (135)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 2, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Takeya Mizugaki (135) vs. Nam Phan (135)
Nick Ring (185) vs. Caio Magalhaes (186)
Richie Vaculik (126) vs. Justin Scoggins (125)
Bruno Santos (185) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (185)
FACEBOOK PRELIM (6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT)
Ben Wall (168) vs. Alex Garcia (170)
There was a lot of doubt and uncertainty surrounding Mauricio Rua heading into his last fight against James Te Huna at UFC Fight Night 33, and “Shogun” silenced those critics in highlight-reel fashion.
