Salazar is the 9-3cable guy who was submitted by Mitch Gagnon during his Octagon debut last month at UFC Fight Night 54. He’s a rebound opponent for Yamamoto, plain and simple. Then again, we thought the same thing about Vaughan Lee, so who knows. As Reed Kuhn recently pointed out, even one year of time away from the cage can have a drastically negative effect on a fighter’s win percentage. And you expect Kid Yamamoto to be effective after three years of inactivity, when he wasn’t doing that well in the first place? Let’s keep our expectations reasonable, here.
Side note: One of the unexpected benefits of the UFC’s over-saturated schedule is that veteran fighters seem to have more job security, because they’re needed to fill out main cards. Frank Mir has lost four in a row and was recently booked to fight Antonio Silva. Yves Edwards just ate his fifth consecutive defeat when he was submitted by Akbarh Arreola at UFC Fight Night 57 (although his loss against Yancy Medeiros last November was changed to a no-contest). Josh Koscheck has lost his last three, and he’ll be fighting at UFC 184 as well. So it shouldn’t really be a surprise that Yamamoto has been given another shot. Even if he loses to Salazar, the UFC might still need him for its next Fight Pass card in Japan.
Salazar is the 9-3cable guy who was submitted by Mitch Gagnon during his Octagon debut last month at UFC Fight Night 54. He’s a rebound opponent for Yamamoto, plain and simple. Then again, we thought the same thing about Vaughan Lee, so who knows. As Reed Kuhn recently pointed out, even one year of time away from the cage can have a drastically negative effect on a fighter’s win percentage. And you expect Kid Yamamoto to be effective after three years of inactivity, when he wasn’t doing that well in the first place? Let’s keep our expectations reasonable, here.
Side note: One of the unexpected benefits of the UFC’s over-saturated schedule is that veteran fighters seem to have more job security, because they’re needed to fill out main cards. Frank Mir has lost four in a row and was recently booked to fight Antonio Silva. Yves Edwards just ate his fifth consecutive defeat when he was submitted by Akbarh Arreola at UFC Fight Night 57 (although his loss against Yancy Medeiros last November was changed to a no-contest). Josh Koscheck has lost his last three, and he’ll be fighting at UFC 184 as well. So it shouldn’t really be a surprise that Yamamoto has been given another shot. Even if he loses to Salazar, the UFC might still need him for its next Fight Pass card in Japan.
Tomorrow night in Georgia, former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold returns to the Octagon for the first time since having his face kicked into space by Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 8 last May. Although Belfort was coming off a blistering head kick KO of Michael Bisping at UFC on FX 7, many were still picking and betting on Rockhold to defeat “The Phenom” in his UFC debut, and the betting line surprisingly closed as a pick ‘em.
Things didn’t go Rockhold’s way that night, to say the least. In hindsight it’s not such a bad loss considering what Belfort did to iron-chinned Dan Henderson in his next bout, but it was still incredibly disappointing for the highly-touted Californian to be knocked out in less than five minutes when — on paper at least — the fight with Belfort should have been much more competitive.
Of course, Rockhold isn’t the first UFC fighter who fell short of expectations in his Octagon debut. The question is, will he rebound in his second fight, or fall deeper into “bust” territory? Read on for our list of eight other fighters who didn’t live up to the hype in their first UFC appearances, and let us know if we’ve left out any notable disappointments.
After the IFL collapsed, the promotion’s former heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell made his way over to the UFC and debuted against fast-rising contender Cain Velasquez at UFC 104. Although Rothwell’s aura of invincibility had been cracked by Andrei Arlovski’s limbs at Affliction: Banned the previous summer, there was still hope that he could get back to his winning ways and make a run for the UFC heavyweight title.
But against Velasquez, it was clear that Rothwell was thoroughly outclassed by a far superior mixed martial artist, and “Big Ben” suffered the second true knockout loss of his career. In hindsight, it’s not surprising that Rothwell couldn’t hang with Velasquez, the current UFC heavyweight champion, but at the time it was a harsh reality check for those hardcore MMA fans who believed in Rothwell after his IFL run.
Tomorrow night in Georgia, former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold returns to the Octagon for the first time since having his face kicked into space by Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 8 last May. Although Belfort was coming off a blistering head kick KO of Michael Bisping at UFC on FX 7, many were still picking and betting on Rockhold to defeat “The Phenom” in his UFC debut, and the betting line surprisingly closed as a pick ‘em.
Things didn’t go Rockhold’s way that night, to say the least. In hindsight it’s not such a bad loss considering what Belfort did to iron-chinned Dan Henderson in his next bout, but it was still incredibly disappointing for the highly-touted Californian to be knocked out in less than five minutes when — on paper at least — the fight with Belfort should have been much more competitive.
Of course, Rockhold isn’t the first UFC fighter who fell short of expectations in his Octagon debut. The question is, will he rebound in his second fight, or fall deeper into “bust” territory? Read on for our list of eight other fighters who didn’t live up to the hype in their first UFC appearances, and let us know if we’ve left out any notable disappointments.
After the IFL collapsed, the promotion’s former heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell made his way over to the UFC and debuted against fast-rising contender Cain Velasquez at UFC 104. Although Rothwell’s aura of invincibility had been cracked by Andrei Arlovski’s limbs at Affliction: Banned the previous summer, there was still hope that he could get back to his winning ways and make a run for the UFC heavyweight title.
But against Velasquez, it was clear that Rothwell was thoroughly outclassed by a far superior mixed martial artist, and “Big Ben” suffered the second true knockout loss of his career. In hindsight, it’s not surprising that Rothwell couldn’t hang with Velasquez, the current UFC heavyweight champion, but at the time it was a harsh reality check for those hardcore MMA fans who believed in Rothwell after his IFL run.
For years, North American fans were hoping and praying for Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto to make his way over to the WEC and fight the other top bantamweights in the world. “KID” never fought in the WEC, but after the UFC swallowed up the promotion and transferred their fighters over to the Octagon, the Japanese superstar got his shot at the big show and took on Demetrious Johnson at UFC 126.
But although Yamamoto was a 2-to-1 favorite over Johnson, he was outwrestled by Johnson and ended up losing a very disappointing three-round decision. Yamamoto then followed that up with two more losses to Darren Uyenoyama and Vaughan Lee, and when you think about how bad he looked in all three bouts, it’s clear Yamamoto wasn’t the same guy who was knocking dudes out left, right and center in Japan. Not even close.
Anthony Pettis had just won the last-ever WEC championship with his highlight-reel showtime kick against Benson Henderson at WEC 53 and had earned his way into a UFC title fight against the winner of UFC 125’s Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II. But when Edgar and Maynard fought to a draw, UFC president Dana White told Pettis to take another fight and at the TUF 13 Finale he took on veteran Clay Guida in a fight most expected him to dominate.
But despite Pettis’s flashy striking and Guida’s love of standing and banging with his opponents, “The Carpenter” was able to use a smart wrestling gameplan against Pettis, scoring takedowns and sitting in top control long enough to get the judges’ decision. It was a poor performance by Pettis and he had to win three more fights before he finally got his UFC title shot, but when finally got his crack at the belt he made the most of it, with a submission win over Benson Henderson at UFC 164.
Jake Shields had won 14 fights in a row and was coming off a gigantic win over Dan Henderson to retain the Strikeforce middleweight championship when the UFC decided to sign him and put him on the fast track to a title shot. For his first fight, Shields would take on top contender Martin Kampmann at UFC 121, and the winner would earn a fight against UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
Despite Shields being a sizeable favorite heading into the match, Kampmann and Shields grappled back-and-forth for 15 minutes, and at the end of three rounds it was tough to say who had won. Although many thought Kampmann did enough to secure the victory, Shields ended up getting his hand raised by split-decision. But while the fight went down as a win on his record, it didn’t help him win any fans in his Octagon debut, as his bout with Kampmann was a total snoozer — something that nearly all of Shields’s UFC fights have ended up being.
The UFC is making it’s first trip to Japan since UFC 29, and what a better way to celebrate it than by having this website’s most beloved weekend contributer liveblog the prelims on FX? Unfortunately for you, Chris Colemon is busy- so instead Seth Falvo will be handling the liveblogging duties for the prelims this evening. Oh well, at least it’s something. Can Takeya Mizugaki make it two in a row against Chris Cariaso? Will former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Steve Cantwell stop his four fight losing streak against Riki Fukuda? And what does fate have in store for aging JMMA legends Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and Takanori Gomi? Tune in here to find out as it unfolds.
The UFC is making it’s first trip to Japan since UFC 29, and what a better way to celebrate it than by having this website’s most beloved weekend contributer liveblog the prelims on FX? Unfortunately for you, Chris Colemon is busy- so instead Seth Falvo will be handling the liveblogging duties for the prelims this evening. Oh well, at least it’s something. Can Takeya Mizugaki make it two in a row against Chris Cariaso? Will former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Steve Cantwell stop his four fight losing streak against Riki Fukuda? And what does fate have in store for aging JMMA legends Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and Takanori Gomi? Tune in here to find out as it unfolds.
We are live from Japan and…wait- Did they really just do a “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chant? Those sarcastic bastards. I love this crowd already. The fact that they’re this enthusiastic well before noon is just the icing on the cake.
Oh, and martial arts were born in Japan. Suck it, Pankration.
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso
Round One: Cariaso comes out with a head kick that barely misses. He tries another, and Mizugaki counters with some nice punches. Mizugaki working his jab early. He attempts a takedown, but Cariaso easily stuffs it. Both guys are remaining active, but neither is landing anything significant. They clinch against the cage, and Mizugaki gets a takedown. Cariaso keeps Mizugaki in his guard and attempts an armbar, but Mizugaki escapes. He’s back in Cariaso’s guard, and Chris Cariaso is doing a good job controlling Mizugaki’s posture and throwing elbows from the bottom. Mizugaki breaks free and lands a few elbows, but Chris Cariaso did a great job keeping Takeya in his guard as the round ends.
Tough round to score.
Round Two: Mizugaki blitzes early, and pushes Cariaso against the cage to attempt a takedown. Cariaso breaks free, and we’re back in the center of the cage. Cariaso attempts a head kick, but it lands around Mizugaki’s armpit. Mizugaki pushes Cariaso into the cage and attempts a takedown. Cariaso avoids the initial attempt and tries for one himself, but Mizugaki tries again and gets it. Mizugaki is trying to pass Cariaso’s guard, but he’s having no success. He stands and lands a few punches on Mizugaki, but he’s back in Cariaso’s guard. Cariaso lands a nice sweep, but Mizugaki immediately gets back to his fight. The round ends with both fighters clinching against the cage.
Round Three: Cariaso lands a head kick, and Mizugaki immediately rushes in and presses Cariaso into the cage. A few knees, and Cariaso now gets Mizugaki against the cage. He briefly looks for a takedown, but Mizugaki stuffs it and both fighters are back in the center of the cage. Straight left from Cariaso, and they’re back against the cage with Cariaso landing knees. Cariaso misses with a hook. He attempts another head kick, but Mizugaki counters and ends up in Cariaso’s guard. Cariaso is really neutralizing Mizugaki’s attack with his surprisingly dynamic guard, but he’s doing nothing of significance in return. They get back to their feet, and Cariaso lands a punch as this one comes to an end. Close fight, but Mizugaki should have this one locked up.
I stand corrected. Chris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki by unanimous decision. This crowd is not happy about the decision, but it was a close fight. No complaints from me.
Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell
Round One: Cantwell works his jab early, but Fukuda gets in andearns a quick takedown. Cantwell works for an armbar, but Fukuda escapes and lands some heavy ground and pound. This crowd is loving it, punctuating every blow from Fukuda with an enthusiastic cheer. Cantwell escapes, and both guys are back on their feet. Cantwell lands a nice kick. Fukuda attempts another takedown, but Cantwell stuffs it. Fukuda with a leg kick, and another takedown attempt. Cantwell stuffs that one as well. Cantwell with a nice cross, and lands a knee in the clinch. Fukuda with a 1-2. Cantwell attempts a Superman punch, but let’s just say we’ve seen better today. Cantwell stays aggressive, moving forward and landing a kick as this round ends.
Round Two: Cantwell works his jab early again, but Fukuda lands some leg kicks. Cantwell answers back with one of his own. Fukuda gets a takedown, but Cantwell locks up a guillotine. Even though Cantwell only has him in half guard, it looks tight. He doesn’t have it, so he lets go and we’re back on the feet. Some leg kicks and uppercuts from Fukuda, as he shoots for another takedown. Cantwell stuffs it, and lands a nice left hook. Cantwell already looks tired, as he’s now just freezing up when he’s getting hit instead of trying to move away from the punches. Fukuda now has Cantwell covering up against the cage. Cantwell lands a counter punch and escapes, but he’s not faring much better in the center of the cage. A nice 1-2 from Fukuda gets Cantwell back against the cage, but Fukuda misses with an inside leg kick and catches Cantwell low. We’ve got a quick break in the action, and it appears that Fukuda tripped while he was throwing the kick that caught Cantwell. Cantwell comes out after the break and earns a takedown. Cantwell takes Fukuda’s back as this round comes to an end.
Round Three: Nice leg kicks from Fukuda. Cantwell doesn’t have an answer for them. Cantwell spins and attempts a head kick, but Fukuda has this fight under control. Cantwell’s left leg is visibly Fukuda earns a takedown, and ends up in Cantwell’s guard. Cantwell attempts an armbar and a gogoplata (?!), but Fukuda avoids them both and takes Cantwell’s back. Fukuda moves to side control, but Cantwell manages to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should have tried to get Fukuda back in his guard, because Cantwell is getting picked apart with leg kicks and uppercuts, as he has been all fight. Some hard body kicks from Fukuda have Cantwell covering up, just trying to survive the round. Cantwell is done and both fighters realize it. With ten seconds left, Fukuda is content to land a final body kick and let this one go to the judges.
No surprises here. RikiFukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision. Later, Steve. It’s hard to see the UFC keeping him around after a performance like this, especially considering he’s now lost five straight.
Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Vaughan Lee
Round One: Both guys start out throwing heavy shots, but neither guy landing anything. Yamamoto with a nice body kick. Yamamoto lands with a right hook, but trips as he moves away. Lee pins Yamamoto against the cage and attempts to drag him down after the trip, to no prevail. Yamamoto catches Lee and blitzes him, looking for the finish. This crowd is excited, but Lee escapes. Lee rocks Yamamoto with a huge knee, but seems content to just keep Yamamoto against the cage. Yamamoto escapes and lands an uppercut, but is blatantly still hurt from that knee earlier. Lee rushes Yamamoto again, and gets “Kid” on the ground. Lee attempts a triangle, but he doesn’t have it so he switches to an armbar. He’s got the armbar locked up, and Yamamoto taps.
Vaughan Lee def. Norifumi Yamamoto via submission (armbar), 4:29 of Round One. Great showing from Vaughan Lee tonight with this victory, much to the disappointment of this crowd. You can hear a pin drop while Kid Yamamoto addresses the fans after the loss.
Now for our final (preliminary) bout of the evening.
Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
Round One: Gomi working his jab early, but Mitsuoka is managing to slip inside and land punches. Mitsuoka clinches with Gomi against the cage, but Gomi lands some big knees and Mitsuoka abandons the clinch. Gomi switching stances often, pawing out his lead hand trying to set up the cross. Mitsuoka lands an uppercut, but is picking his spots carefully. Gomi lands a leg kick, and works his jab some more. Mitsuoka lands a huge counter right, and mounts Gomi. Mitsuoka locks in a mounted triangle, but there might not be enough time left. Gomi thinks about tapping, but decides to wait out the round. Turns out to be a good decision, as this round comes to a close with Gomi still awake, albeit barely.
Round Two: Gomi lands some kicks, but Mitsuoka is doing a surprisingly good job at countering Gomi’s unorthodox attack. Gomi blitzes Mitsuoka, but Mitsuoka survives and circles away. Gomi blitzes again, sensing that Mitsuoka is tired. Mitsuoka attempts a single leg, which Gomi avoids by grabbing the cage. Mitsuoka is too tired to do anything, and Gomi takes his back and begins to rain down punches. Mitsuoka covers up, but punches are landing and Mitsuoka is doing nothing to escape as this one gets called off.
What a wild fight. Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via TKO (punches) at 2:21 of Round Two. It’s hard to believe that the same Takanori Gomi who almost tapped at the end of the first round would come back to dominate Mitsuoka like this.
(“I’ve always wanted your autograph.” Alistair Overeem signs his new UFC contract in Lorenzo Fertitta’s office. Props: bawzzzz)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…
– Alistair Overeem Was Offered Immediate Title Shot Before Accepting Brock Lesnar Fight (MMA Fighting)
– UFC 135: Matt Hughes vs Josh Koscheck official for Sept. 24 in Denver (MMA Mania)
– Top 10 Worked Shoot-Fights in Japanese Pro Wrestling (TheFightNerd)
– MMA Comedy Gold: Interviewer ‘Skippy’ (AKA Ed Bassmaster) Discusses UFC 133 Experience, Shouts Out CagePotato (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
– American Top Team Offering a Year of All-Expenses-Paid Training for Middleweights and Above (Five Ounces of Pain)
– Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto Meets Octagon Newbie Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on FOX 1 (5thRound)
– Dan Henderson Wants Jones vs. Rampage Winner, Says Rashad Evans Can Wait (LowKick)
– Your Cubicle Desperately Needs a Foot-Tall ‘MMA Alien’ Collectible (MiddleEasy)
– Lorenzo Fertitta on UFC Fighter Salaries: “All These Keyboard Warriors Have no Idea What They’re Talking About” (FightOpinion)
– Book Review: Stitch Duran’s ‘From the Fields to the Garden’ (MMA Convert)
– Ariel Helwani’s Official MMA Rankings (NBC Sports MMA)
(“I’ve always wanted your autograph.” Alistair Overeem signs his new UFC contract in Lorenzo Fertitta’s office. Props: bawzzzz)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…
– Alistair Overeem Was Offered Immediate Title Shot Before Accepting Brock Lesnar Fight (MMA Fighting)
– UFC 135: Matt Hughes vs Josh Koscheck official for Sept. 24 in Denver (MMA Mania)
– Top 10 Worked Shoot-Fights in Japanese Pro Wrestling (TheFightNerd)
– MMA Comedy Gold: Interviewer ‘Skippy’ (AKA Ed Bassmaster) Discusses UFC 133 Experience, Shouts Out CagePotato (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
– American Top Team Offering a Year of All-Expenses-Paid Training for Middleweights and Above (Five Ounces of Pain)
– Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto Meets Octagon Newbie Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on FOX 1 (5thRound)
(Click the image above to watch some Yamamoto vs. Johnson video hype courtesy of the UFC’s Facebook page. Kid describes his UFC debut as both "cool" and "fun." What can we say, the dude knows how to cut a promo.)
Just like they di…
(Click the image above to watch some Yamamoto vs. Johnson video hype courtesy of the UFC’s Facebook page. Kid describes his UFC debut as both "cool" and "fun." What can we say, the dude knows how to cut a promo.)
Just like they did with the ‘Fight for the Troops 2’ prelims, the UFC has responded to popular demand by hooking fans up with an additional UFC 126 preliminary bout on their Facebook page this Saturday. The bantamweight scrap between Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson will air live at 8:25 p.m. ET / 5:25 p.m. PT at Facebook.com/UFC. (Just click on the "Live Video" tab.) UFC prez Dana White will also be hosting a chat on the page starting at 8 p.m.
After the Kid vs. Mouse appetizer, Spike TV will air two more crowd-pleasing preliminary matches (Michihiro Omigawa vs. Chad Mendes, Donald Cerrone vs. Paul Kelly) at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, leading into the ‘Silva vs. Belfort’ pay-per-view broadcast. Be sure to come back to CagePotato.com for live results all night. S’gonna be a good one…
(Yamamoto def. Federico ‘Kiko’ Lopez via KO, 1:41 of round 1, 5/29/10)
It’s a sad state of affairs when one of the greatest featherweight fighters of all time can arrive in the UFC with virtually zero fanfare, buried on a preliminary card dark-mat…
(Yamamoto def. Federico ‘Kiko’ Lopez via KO, 1:41 of round 1, 5/29/10)
It’s a sad state of affairs when one of the greatest featherweight fighters of all time can arrive in the UFC with virtually zero fanfare, buried on a preliminary card dark-match against a young contender. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto enters the Octagon for the first time this Saturday at UFC 126, and while that would have been a major story three years ago, times have changed.
Yamamoto made his name in K-1’s MMA shows as a lightning-fast knockout artist, but his reputation took a major hit in 2008-2009, when he followed-up a long knee-injury layoff with two decision losses against Joe Warren and Masanori Kanehara. (He also divorced his hot wife in 2009. So, bad times all around.) Last year, Yamamoto dropped to bantamweight for the first time in his career to face journeyman Federico Lopez at Dream.14. Showing flashes of his old self, he finished the fight in less than two minutes, crumpling Lopez with a right hook and smashing him with shots on the ground until the ref intervened.
Of course, it’s too early to say that the Kid is "back" — his opponent, Demetrious Johnson, is a tough customer who’s looked impressive in his last two wins in the WEC, and having a successful Octagon debut is easier said than done. Can Yamamoto jump-start his career in the U.S., or is it too late for him to make an impact? Check out some of his greatest victories after the jump, and remember the good times…
