Tag: MMA

Barao vs. Faber 2: Early Stoppage or Not, Faber Had Nothing for Barao

Make no mistake: Renan Barao was on his way toward his third consecutive title defense and another win over Urijah Faber, regardless of referee Herb Dean’s premature stoppage.
Let’s not blur the lines between controversy and reality. Sure, …

Make no mistake: Renan Barao was on his way toward his third consecutive title defense and another win over Urijah Faber, regardless of referee Herb Dean’s premature stoppage.

Let’s not blur the lines between controversy and reality. Sure, Faber has every right to be upset considering the fight was stopped while he was giving a thumb’s up sign and intelligently defending himself. It’s a tough way to lose any fight, especially a UFC title bout.

Boos echoed throughout the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey as Barao was declared the winner by TKO at 3:42 of the first round. What has followed is nothing short of overdramatic nonsense all centering on the UFC’s darling child and a referee attempting to do his job.

In reality, Faber showed nothing to convince anyone he was actually in the fight. He spent a large chunk of the first round fighting on instinct after getting tattooed with a straight right hand from Barao, who once again proved to be the more fluid and dynamic striker.

Is it Dean’s fault Faber was on wobbly legs throughout most of the fight? Did Dean throw the straight right hand or massive overhand right that sent Faber face first into the canvas?

Perhaps there is another story lying underneath all of the “controversy.” Could it be that Barao is just that good?

When listing the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, people tend to push Barao’s name to the back of the list behind every other UFC champion. Barao, who has yet to show any weaknesses, is riding a 32-fight win streak, minus a no-contest back in December 2007.

A three- or four-fight win streak is typically a big deal in MMA, but the mere notion that a fighter could win 32 fights consecutively in such an unpredictable sport is mind-blowing. Barao may be the most underappreciated champion in the UFC.

Early stoppage or not, Faber had nothing for Barao. He never showed anything in the rematch to suggest he had made the necessary adjustments to finally oust the Brazilian. If anything, the bout was already shaping up to be the fifth consecutive letdown in “The California Kid’s” bid for MMA gold.

The UFC 169 main event had everything to do with what Renan Barao did right, not what Herb Dean did wrong.

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5 Things We Learned from UFC 169

If UFC 169 did not exist, we would have to invent it as an example.
UFC 169 flopped from the first online prelim to the last title fight. Of 12 fights, 10 went to decision, the most in UFC history. The most important, a rematch between bantamweight cha…

If UFC 169 did not exist, we would have to invent it as an example.

UFC 169 flopped from the first online prelim to the last title fight. Of 12 fights, 10 went to decision, the most in UFC history. The most important, a rematch between bantamweight champion Renan Barao (33-1-0) and former champ Urijah Faber (30-6-0), ended with a premature stoppage by referee Herb Dean. 

Barao clearly controlled the fight. He dropped Faber with an overhand right and pounded him on the ground. Faber stayed in belly-down side control, and the California Kid was only able to turtle up and cover his face against the barrage of punches Barao threw. Though Faber gave a thumbs up to signal he was surviving, Barao pled with Dean to end the fight. 

UFC president Dana White called the whole night a travesty:

I think [Dean] is the best referee in the business. He rarely ever makes mistakes, but he made a mistake tonight. Barao gets screwed and Faber gets screwed. It’s the cherry on the 10-decision, record-breaking catastrophe this evening.

More than just a boring card, UFC 169 shed light on some issues the promotion will have to deal with moving forward. 

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Violence in the Stands: 2 Fans Stabbed at UFC 169

According to James Queally of The Star-Ledger, two fans were stabbed during UFC 169, which was held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.Neither victim’s wounds were life-threatening, and their identities were not disclosed to the …

According to James Queally of The Star-Ledger, two fans were stabbed during UFC 169, which was held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Neither victim’s wounds were life-threatening, and their identities were not disclosed to the press. Police arrested a Pennsylvania man (Angel Pereira, 36) for the assault.

In fact, there was little information that could be disclosed—not even where the attack took place, save for that it happened somewhere in the stands around 8 p.m.

Fan violence has often had a knee-jerk effect on the public; the idea of being assaulted at a professional sporting event reflects negatively on the sport associated with such acts, and this will not change anytime soon.

But in this piece, the segue was a little obvious; it was noted that just four days prior, the Prudential Center had hosted Super Bowl 48’s Media Day, which occurred without incident.

A media day and an actual sporting event are drastically different animals, but one can see why the association was made in the piece. The owners of the Prudential Center wanted to show that they are associated with big-name events and that such events can still happen safely.

They wanted to provide a positive association with their namesake to counter-balance the negative—and two stabbings at any event are a big negative.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of these unfortunate events is their ripple effect. In this case, the ripples will reach New York and may make the sanctioning of the sport in The Empire State harder than it ever has been.

And as of now, it has been too hard for the UFC or its attorneys to overcome.

Thankfully, the two men were not seriously injured.

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Barao vs. Faber 2: Why a Referee’s Job Is Thankless

UFC 169 pulled in the most decisions for a single event at 10 and ended with a bit of controversy as well. All things considered, it was not the UFC’s greatest showing.
The main event was a rematch for the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Renan&nbs…

UFC 169 pulled in the most decisions for a single event at 10 and ended with a bit of controversy as well. All things considered, it was not the UFC’s greatest showing.

The main event was a rematch for the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Renan Barao defended his title against Urijah Faber with a first-round TKO performance. The controversy revolves around the stoppage of that fight.

Faber was holding onto Barao’s leg and blocking hammerfists to the side of his head when referee Herb Dean stepped in. The crowd booed, social media was angry, and UFC president Dana White didn’t agree with the stoppage either.

With all of that said, Dean’s stoppage was justified.

That is not the popular opinion, but one has to step back and look at the fight again.

Barao had already dropped Faber previously in the round. The fight was firmly in his control, and Barao went for the finish. Faber recovered and stayed in the fight to that point. Barao continued to pour it on.

Then he dropped Faber again. This time Faber was flat on his stomach briefly. Barao pounced for the finish, and that is when Faber grabbed a leg to try and recover.

Dean asked Faber to show him something. Faber gave a thumbs-up, but Dean stopped the bout anyway. The thumbs-up is why many disputed the stoppage, but that is not a 100 percent surefire way to show you are intelligently defending yourself.

All it shows is that you are still conscious.

The thumbs-up is best saved for submission defense. In that instance, a fighter is not taking hammerfists to the side of the head, partially blocked or not.

The referee’s job is thankless. Stop a fight too early, and everyone is upset; stop a fight too late, and you are an irresponsible official.

In this case, it was a no-win for Dean. The way that the fight played out had some saying Faber was taking too much punishment, while others said he had recovered and deserved to continue battling.

Realistically, Dean could have stopped the bout the moment Faber was flat on his stomach after Barao dropped him for a second time.

The accumulation of damage that he suffered in such a short span justified the stoppage. Fans and fighters alike want to see fighters get more time in title fights, but after someone is dropped to the canvas twice, the referee is likely to have a shorter threshold before stopping the bout.

These decisions are made in the blink of an eye in real time. It is why no two fights are the same. If Dean had been in a different position, he may held back from stopping the fight. Perhaps he immediately regretted the decision.

In the immortal words of Gus Johnson, “These things happen in MMA.”

This is not a case of a judge’s bad decision. Dean had to make this call on the spot. Sometimes, that requires stopping a fight just a hair shorter than maybe it should have been.

Dean is one of the best referees in the game, if not the very best. One can argue that the fight could have gone on longer, but the bottom line is that in the interest of fighter safety, the call he made at UFC 169 was completely justified.

Thank you, Mr. Dean.

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UFC 169: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card

At UFC 169, Renan Barao made his first appearance as the undisputed bantamweight champion. 
Following another injury to Dominick Cruz, who was originally supposed to meet him on Saturday, Barao dropped his interim tag and faced Urijah Faber in a r…

At UFC 169, Renan Barao made his first appearance as the undisputed bantamweight champion. 

Following another injury to Dominick Cruz, who was originally supposed to meet him on Saturday, Barao dropped his interim tag and faced Urijah Faber in a rematch. In the first round, Barao floored the fighter he defeated at UFC 149 to earn UFC gold and finished the fight with hammerfists.

While there was some controversy because it looked as though Faber could have continued fighting, Barao successfully established himself as the better fighter, putting “The California Kid” on the ropes for much of the first round.

Jose Aldo, a Nova Uniao teammate with Barao, also defended his featherweight championship over the weekend. The Brazilian picked challenger Ricardo Lamas apart with leg kicks and cruised to a decision victory.

With another UFC event in the books, here are the matchups that should be next for Barao, Aldo and the rest of the UFC 169 competitors. 

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Frank Mir: If He Doesn’t Retire, What Makes Sense for Former Champ?

UFC 169 featured a big heavyweight fight between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir.
The bout was not big because it was highly anticipated, or because the two fighters were battling for a title shot. It was big because all signs pointed to the …

UFC 169 featured a big heavyweight fight between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir.

The bout was not big because it was highly anticipated, or because the two fighters were battling for a title shot. It was big because all signs pointed to the fighters nearing the end of their UFC run with a loss.

Overeem came out on top, and he dominated Mir for three rounds.

Heading into the evening, UFC president Dana White was adamant that the two heavyweights needed to perform, per MMA Weekly. Mir did not.

So, what is next for the former UFC heavyweight champion?

Mir loves the fight game, but his UFC days may be numbered. There are no clear indications that the UFC will cut him, but it is a possibility. There are not a lot of options for aging heavyweights.

If the UFC keeps him on the roster, matchmakers have two prime options: Put him in favorable matchups to rebuild him or throw him against young heavyweight prospects as a gatekeeper.

Each one is a fine option for the UFC. The heavyweight division is not littered with talent, and the promotion may need someone like Mir to play the role of gatekeeper for the remainder of his career. And on the off chance that he is able to put together a run, then the UFC has another heavyweight who can sell a big fight.

There is the likelihood that the UFC will instead pit Mir against other non-contender heavyweights who are marginally exciting. Potential opponents include the likes of Mark Hunt and Gabriel Gonzaga.

But that is not what the UFC should do. It benefits no one.

Mir is one of the few fighters on the roster who can sell a fight with his mouth as well as his skills. He is a talker, and that is great in the promotion business. However, it is hard to ignore his recent in-cage performances, and the UFC would be justified in cutting him loose.

If the UFC does release him, he would have ample opportunities in smaller organizations.

Bellator has not gone after every recent UFC castoff, but the No. 2 promotion would be foolish not to contact Mir. As previously mentioned, he can sell fights with his mouth. He would make a good addition to the Bellator roster, as the promotion needs more exposure.

Although he is scheduled to participate in the upcoming light heavyweight tournament at Bellator 110, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson could complete as a heavyweight, and Jackson vs. Mir could help Bellator sell a pay-per-view when it moves to that market.

The fight has little-to-no consequence, and it would hurt the loser moving forward. However, if Bellator moves to the PPV business, Jackson vs. Mir could be a one-off that sells better than the current list of potential bouts between fighters no one knows or cares about.

Mir is still a serviceable heavyweight fighter with quality skills. That is why the UFC should keep him on the roster. He is a fixture of the company’s heavyweight division, and until more quality big men are signed, there is little reason to release him.

Mir has options whether he stays in the UFC or not. There are still going to be paydays on the table for the former champion.

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