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UFC 153: Anderson Silva, Stephen Bonnar and the Unexpected Thunderstorm

So here’s the story. While UFC 153 was being shown live on ESPN my part of merry old England was hit by an unexpected thunder storm. It was unexpected because such things don’t normally happen at this time of year. For a few brief seconds w…

For a few brief seconds we were hit by a power cut, which meant that my DVD recorder and satellite TV box stopped working. It also meant that I’d lost the preliminary fights and that I’d have to record the repeat showing the following night.

So here, a little bit later than planned, is my look (sans prelims) at UFC 153.

The show began with welterweight action as Demian Maia took on Rick Story.

Story began the fight by swinging for the fences, but within seconds Maia took the fight to the ground. Story managed to get back to his feet a couple of times but Maia managed to keep a hold of him as he powered him back down to the mat.

Maia simply overwhelmed him, and it wasn’t long before he took Story’s back and cranked his man’s neck for the very impressive submission win.

With the Phil Davis/Wagner Prado fight cut from the repeat, more welterweight action followed as Jon Fitch went up against Erick Silva.

Now this was a fight. For three rounds these two put on a great contest in what proved to be a hard test for the young Brazilian.

Fitch basically took Silva to school. There wasn’t much in the way of stand up fighting but when they went to the ground Fitch dominated in all three rounds. From his takedowns through to his submissions and ground and pound, it was a joy to watch.

Silva had his moments, particularly in the second round when he took Fitch’s back and went for a rear naked choke. But the man with the best submission escape record in UFC history added to his number and moments later he went for a submission of his own, although Silva managed to spin out of the armbar attempt.

Fitch cemented his domination in the third round with his brutal ground and pound. There were times when it looked like the referee would stop the action, but Silva managed to survive.

So after three great rounds it came down to the judges as all three scored in favour of Fitch.

Then it was up to light heavyweight as Glover Teixeira faced Fabio Maldonado.

This was one of those fights that was brutal and compelling at the same time.

Teixeira put on a dominating display for the majority of the first round. A left hook sent Maldonado crashing, and it wasn’t long before Teixeira went to work with the ground and pound.

Teixeira’s attack was brutal. It looked like he wanted to obliterate his opponent before he went for an arm triangle.

Then, to the surprise of just about everyone, Maldonado managed to get back to his feet, and moments later, as he staggered around the cage with the fence basically holding him up, he connected with a couple of left hooks that rocked his man.

The second round was pretty much the same, although not as brutal. Teixeira put in some more stellar work on the ground as Maldonado began to look like Rocky Balboa after his first fight with Apollo Creed.

The referee called for a timeout as the round entered its last minute so the doctor could check Maldonado out, and just when it looked like he was going to call the fight he allowed Maldonado to continue.

Maldonado managed to survive the round, but as soon as the doctor saw him, he told the referee to wave the fight off, ending his brave resistance and giving Teixeira the TKO win.

The co-main event featured heavyweight action as Minotauro Nogueira took on Dave Herman.

This was good, and while many thought that Big Nog would take control early on, it was Herman who scored with the early takedown. Nog managed to escape eventually, setting up what became an intriguing first round.

The fight really came alive in the second. Big Nog connected with a big left early on that sent Herman to the ground. Nogueira followed him down for some stellar ground work, and although Herman showed some sound defensive skills at times, especially when he got back to his feet, Nogueira soon took the fight back down.

The end came a few moments later when Big Nog went for an armbar. Herman, who had never been submitted before, tried to fight it for as long as he could, rolling at one point. Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before the inevitable happened as Herman tapped to give Big Nog the more than welcome submission win.

The main event featured light heavyweight action as Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva went up against Stephan Bonnar.

Was there really any doubt about who would win this one?

What we had here was a somewhat eccentric performance from the best in the world. Bonnar came forward early, and after trying for a couple of combinations, he engaged in a long clinch against the cage as he went for the takedown.

It would be a tactic Bonnar would try later on in the round, but when they weren’t clinching Silva stood with his back to the cage, showboating a little and basically calling for Bonnar to hit him. Bonnar managed to get in a few good shots, but it wasn’t long before Silva had the American Psycho back peddling with some crisp striking.

Silva then connected with a knee to the chest that doubled Bonnar over as he slumped to the mat. Silva followed him down for a spot of ground and pound before the referee stepped in to give Silva the TKO win.

I normally like listening to thunder storms. For some reason they help me sleep, and for an insomnia sufferer like me, that’s quite helpful.

But let’s get back to the matter at hand. Did UFC 153 deliver?

It certainly did. I may have missed the prelims and one of the main fights, but overall this was a pretty enjoyable show.

Demian Maia looks like a completely different fight since he moved down to welterweight, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he manages to get into the title picture soon, especially if he continues with his great performances.

It was great to see Big Nog back in the cage and doing what he does best. Just thinking of Frank Mir braking his arm makes me shudder, and it was great to see the big man getting back to winning ways with some nice Brazilian jiu-jitsu. (Slight dig at Dave Herman there!)

As for Anderson Silva, to me it looked like he was treating this like an overexposed sparring session. Don’t get me wrong, it was a pretty good performance, but he’s just a class above everyone else in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. Well, there could be one man who could give him a run for his money. Two if you count a certain welterweight.

“But you haven’t mentioned your fight of the night yet,” I hear you cry. That’s because I’m giving this no-prize to the Jon Fitch/Erick Silva welterweight encounter. Much was expected of Silva going into that fight, but Fitch took him to the proverbial wood shed and taught him a few lessons. Silva is definitely one for the future, and hopefully he’ll learn a great deal from this defeat.

With all that out of the way, let’s wrap this thing up by giving UFC 153 the big thumbs up, and let’s hope that we don’t get an out of season November thunder storm when Rich Franklin takes on Cung Le next month!

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one form or another for over 12 years now!

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Jose Aldo vs. Cub Swanson: Is It Really Time for a Rematch?

Not long after he took Knockout of the Night honors for his win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 152, Cub Swanson said something that caused message board vigilantes everywhere to grab for their six guns. Someone was wrong on the Internet! The teapot …

The teapot thunder started when Swanson told the Sherdog Radio Network that he would “win that fight 10 out of 10 times if we did it again.” “That fight” here apparently meaning a rematch with featherweight champion Jose Aldo. In an even bolder move, Swanson added that his own little brother would be “more of a fair fight” for Aldo. Good God.

See, what made this statement so hilarious and unconscionable were the events of their first fight, an eight-second burst of blood and fury that turned Swanson into a Google Images mainstay thanks to a gash over his eye that looked like it came from an ill-used circular saw.

But wait. Hold the phone a second. Turns out Swanson thought they were talking about Jens Pulver, not Aldo. Oh, OK. And so the Internet vigilantes melted back into the shadows, probably in many cases without even bothering to ask the post-premature-shooting questions that the legends foretold.

And that’s a shame. Because even as he back-pedaled, Swanson said a return engagement between he and Aldo would be “a hell of a fight,” and the first result wouldn’t happen again. He has not been shy about his desire to try and avenge that infamous carnage.

That leads me to want to engage in one of my very favorite activities: wild speculation. As mother’s milk to the suckling babe or sunlight to the mighty Redwood, baseless opinion-mongering is the very lifeblood of the mixed martial arts discourse. Don’t let nobody tell you different!

There is no question Swanson has looked good of late. He is hungry; his devastation of Oliveira—his third straight UFC victory—demonstrated as much. But is it enough to put him back “in the mix” with Aldo?

Not yet. There are quite a few fighters between them. Luckily for us fans, all those fighters also would make good fights.

All of this, of course, rests on the assumption that Jose Aldo gets healthy some time in the foreseeable future. He injured himself a while back after colliding with a motorist while riding his motorcycle. Aldo went on to swear off motorcycles, which is good, though it doesn’t un-injure him. In any event, the goal for now is that he’ll be back by “January at the latest.” This has happened to Aldo before, so you’ll pardon me if I didn’t start tallying up the chickens the moment I heard the news.

Aldo’s first fight upon returning should be Frankie Edgar, his originally scheduled opponent. Camp Aldo already said it still wants Edgar. But it doesn’t end there. A young man named Chan Sung Jung waits in the wings. There may not be a more exciting beltless featherweight than “The Korean Zombie.” And he’s earned his way there.

As for Swanson, he still needs to defeat a unqualified contender. It’s not something the 28-year-old has yet done in his career. How about Dustin Poirier? Dennis Siver? Diego Nunes? I’d definitely clear my schedule to watch Swanson go at it with Nunes.

That gap between being and becoming is not bridged with rainbows and radio interview misunderstandings. Cub Swanson knows this. So let him do it. Let him set to work earning this shot at redemption he so desperately wants. Who knows? Maybe by the time Aldo rides back into town, Swanson will be a member of the welcome party.

For more wild speculation, which is the lifeblood of the Internet, follow Scott Harris on Twitter.

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UFC 153: Where Did It Rank Among This Year’s Pay-Per-Views?

UFC 153 has come and gone, and the hometown fans in Rio de Janeiro couldn’t be more pleased. With big wins from Anderson Silva, Minotauro Nogueira and Demian Maia bringing the Brazilian audience to their feet, it was certainly an electric atmosphere fo…

Now that we have a few weeks until our next UFC event, let’s have a quick look at UFC 153 and how it stacked up to other events this year.

This analysis does not look at the caliber of fighters on the event as much as the quality of fights that fans were treated to. Think of this as a “was it worth your money” sort of read.

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Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg Is a Bad Move for Women’s MMA and the UFC

Dana White is already making the wrong moves with women’s MMA.For the last few weeks, the UFC president has been openly hinting that he’s close to making a superfight between Ronda Rousey and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, arguably one of the biggest possi…

Dana White is already making the wrong moves with women’s MMA.

For the last few weeks, the UFC president has been openly hinting that he’s close to making a superfight between Ronda Rousey and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, arguably one of the biggest possible bouts in mixed martial arts right now.

Even better, it could possibly headline a UFC card, according to statements made during a keynote speech at a recent television industry summit (r elayed by publicist Amy Pfister):

While not committing to it, @danawhite just said @RondaRousey vs. Cris Cyborg could/should be a main event on UFC pay per view. #CTAM

But as attractive as a “champion vs. former champion” match between the world’s two best female fighters may look on paper, it’s the wrong one to make.

As Ronda Rousey herself stated in the aftermath of Cyborg’s positive test for anabolic steroids, the fairest way for this fight to take place is if it happens at the 135-pound bantamweight limit.

More than anything else, the idea is that Cyborg may have been using banned substances for most of her career, and the weight cut will force her to shed some of her advantageous muscle mass. Cyborg’s also had difficulty in the past just trimming down to 145 pounds, so a 135-pound cut may even bring her usual aggressiveness down a notch.

Either way, that fight shouldn’t be happening.

During her reign as the Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion, Cyborg destroyed her entire division in one-sided fights that made every opponent look utterly outclassed. As a result, the 145-pound women’s roster is a wasteland, with no marketable fights to be made outside of Invicta FC and small regional shows.

Considering how long Cyborg’s been suspected of doping, it’s not something that should be rewarded with a starring role in a high-profile UFC or Strikeforce main event.

Moreover, this is exactly the kind of shortsighted matchmaking that’s been plaguing the UFC for the last year. It’s little more than a quick “dream fight” cash-in that kills the luster of the losing fighter—and forgive me for saying so, but that fighter’s going to be Rousey.

Even with the weight cut, Cyborg is too strong, too fast and too aggressive to lose to “Rowdy” in a five-round fight.

Cyborg’s stand-up is light years beyond anything that Rousey has shown in any of her fights. That’s a problem right off the bat, and the former featherweight champion’s sheer strength won’t let her fall prey to an armbar as easily as Sarah Kaufman or many other women have.

Even assuming that Cyborg hasn’t been on performance-enhancing drugs for most of her career, the insane muscle build that’s already etched into her frame hints at a mauling waiting to happen. If I were a betting man, I would put money on Rousey getting beaten worse than Gina Carano.

But none of that needs to happen.

Instead of a matchup between Rousey and Cyborg, Dana White should be thinking of the bigger picture. He should be trying to promote a more diverse stack of fights designed to set up a proper title mix for the female bantamweights.

Why not have Rousey rematch Miesha Tate, and set up another main card fight that same night with Sara McMann?

Rousey and Tate already have a huge rivalry that’s tailor-made for the UFC promotional wagon, and McMann’s status as an Olympic silver medalist practically markets itself.

Just sign Shayna Baszler to the same card, pack in the story of her close split-decision loss to McMann at Invicta FC 2 and you’ve got a deep, multi-angled storyline to set up for weeks with UFC Primetime and a “Countdown” show.

That’s the right way to bring women’s MMA into the spotlight and set up an immediate title contender for the bantamweight belt.

Dana White and the UFC have been playing fast and loose with their main event talent and already paid the ultimate price once for weighing entire cards on a single fight. Doing the same thing with Ronda Rousey’s future will be equally damaging for them and women’s MMA.

[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]

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UFC 153: Memorable Images from the Silva vs. Bonnar Card

Since a picture is said to be worth a thousand words, what better way to recap the weekend’s UFC 153 action than by revisiting some of the most stimulating images produced by the event?Since there was no shortage of blistering action, spectacular finis…

Since a picture is said to be worth a thousand words, what better way to recap the weekend’s UFC 153 action than by revisiting some of the most stimulating images produced by the event?

Since there was no shortage of blistering action, spectacular finishes or meaningful performances, the images presented here are limiting.

Still, the following 10 illustrations do well to reanimate many of the defining moments of UFC 153.

Enjoy.

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Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar: Ranking the P4P King’s Greatest Performances

It’s getting to the stage where we cease to be in awe of Anderson Silva’s ability to seemingly defy the natural laws. His routine, repetitive brilliance has become so utterly predictable that the sublime risks becoming mundane. We all marve…

We all marvelled at the ease with which he disposed of Stephan Bonnar, waxing lyrical about his uncommon physical gifts.

With that said, where does Saturday night’s circus-like exhibition rank in relation to his other celebrated feats?

Without further delay, I present to you Anderson “The Spider” Silva’s top five UFC performances.

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