UFC 161 had some good fights to watch and learn from but if you’re one of the folks who paid the $217.00 or so that UFC pay per views now go for, and if you were drunk (those who do the former are often the latter during bouts) you may have been a bit disappointed with the action. In the main event, Rashad Evans turned up the heat in the third round against Dan Henderson and earned a split decision win.
The fight was close, and fought in spurts, but Evans looked impressive in coming back from being knocked down in the first round and in tiring Hendo and working the former Olympic wrestler over in his own sweet spot – the clinch. Evans gets back on the winning track but looks a long way from being able to challenge champion Jon Jones as he says he wants to once more.
Henderson certainly did not embarrass himself – he never has – but for the second consecutive fight, the forty two year-old looked to be the weaker and slower fighter in losing a close decision. Maybe that has to do with his age, maybe it has to do with the fact that both fights occurred against top light heavyweights.
Put the hard-earned legend of Henderson aside for a moment and remember that the man is a middleweight that, for reasons of crazy ability and guts, fights light heavyweights and heavyweights. Henderson is no where near a title shot at this point, in any division. It will be interesting to see how much motivation he has to keep fighting without more gold in his reach.
UFC 161 had some good fights to watch and learn from but if you’re one of the folks who paid the $217.00 or so that UFC pay per views now go for, and if you were drunk (those who do the former are often the latter during bouts) you may have been a bit disappointed with the action. In the main event, Rashad Evans turned up the heat in the third round against Dan Henderson and earned a split decision win.
The fight was close, and fought in spurts, but Evans looked impressive in coming back from being knocked down in the first round and in tiring Hendo and working the former Olympic wrestler over in his own sweet spot – the clinch. Evans gets back on the winning track but looks a long way from being able to challenge champion Jon Jones as he says he wants to once more.
Henderson certainly did not embarrass himself – he never has – but for the second consecutive fight, the forty two year-old looked to be the weaker and slower fighter in losing a close decision. Maybe that has to do with his age, maybe it has to do with the fact that both fights occurred against top light heavyweights.
Put the hard-earned legend of Henderson aside for a moment and remember that the man is a middleweight that, for reasons of crazy ability and guts, fights light heavyweights and heavyweights. Henderson is no where near a title shot at this point, in any division. It will be interesting to see how much motivation he has to keep fighting without more gold in his reach.
Stipe Miocic (right) lands an uppercut on Roy Nelson | Photo via BloodyElbow
The Fight of The Night came on the under card. James Krause and Sam Stout duked it out for almost three full rounds before Krause caught “Hands of Stone” in a guillotine choke, forcing the submission. Each man was awarded an $50,000 for producing the Fight of The Night.
Krause, who had the card’s only submission, also earned an additional $50,000 for Submission of The Night. UFC 161′s only knockout of the night won, surprise, Knockout Of The Night.
Shawn Jordan used a nasty punch combo to put Pat Barry down early in the first round of their heavyweight clash. Way too many left hand hooks to a grounded Barry brought about the stoppage.
Jordan now has won two straight and is $50,000 richer.
Stipe Miocic just made his future a lot brighter with a dominating win over UFC ranked #5 heavyweight Roy Nelson. The undersized Nelson was never in the fight with Stipe.
Miocic hadn’t fought in nine months, since getting knocked out by Stefan Struve, and both men took this fight on relatively short notice. Miocic controlled the grappling, avoided Nelson’s over hand right and tagged and moved over and again for three rounds, leaving “Big Country” gasping for air and unable to hold his arms up.
Bantamweight women Alexis Davis and Rosi Sexton put on a good scrap for three rounds. The Canadian Davis bested the British Sexton and won a unanimous decision.
The win is Davis’ third straight. Sexton’s loss snapped her own three fight win streak.
(No shoving? No forehead bumping? No repeated demands that one fighter treat the other like a bitch? Come on guys, you gotta give us *something* here. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com)
The UFC makes its first stop in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, tonight, and yes, the lineup is somewhat garbage-ass. That’s what happens when you lose your original main event and then your co-main event due to injuries. But the show must go on, and we’ll be here liveblogging the pay-per-view broadcast all night, whether you join us or not. (Please join us. Please?)
Handling our play-by-play is Anthony Gannon, who will be stacking live results from the UFC 161 main card after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and throw in your own analysis in the comments section.
(No shoving? No forehead bumping? No repeated demands that one fighter treat the other like a bitch? Come on guys, you gotta give us *something* here. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com)
The UFC makes its first stop in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, tonight, and yes, the lineup is somewhat garbage-ass. That’s what happens when you lose your original main event and then your co-main event due to injuries. But the show must go on, and we’ll be here liveblogging the pay-per-view broadcast all night, whether you join us or not. (Please join us. Please?)
Handling our play-by-play is Anthony Gannon, who will be stacking live results from the UFC 161 main card after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and throw in your own analysis in the comments section.
Good evening, Potato Nation. So far this fight weekend has been a winner. Last night’s WSOF event produced a leg kick TKO where the vic, Brian Cobb actually tried to call a time out; one of the nastiest rear naked chokes you’ll ever see by Steve Carl; and of course “The People’s Warrior” Josh Burkman did in 41 seconds what Demain Maia couldn’t do in 15 minutes – put Jon Fitch’s crooked Mohawk having ass to sleep. Oh yeah, one of our favorite fighters, Jacob “Dr. Feelgood” Volkmann got himself another decision win. Just don’t go calling it boring, you fat turd. Anyway, the point is that it was an entertaining event with spectacular finishes. It would be a tough act to follow – especially for this injury-riddled UFC card – if not for the probability that about 17 people actually watched it.
That filthy Gypsy who ravaged last year’s events is back in town, and as always she’s an unrelenting whore. Let’s just hope that moving forward this event is the exception rather than the rule. We lost the main event, Renan Barao vs Eddie Wineland due to a Barao foot injury. They claim it happened in training, but it’s quite possible he smacked his pinky toe stepping out of the shower and is just embarrassed to admit it. A training injury is sexier, of course, but we can all understand the horror of a stubbed toe. It’s a criminally underrated injury that hurts like a sumbitch. So if it was a stubbed toe, dammit admit it was a stubbed toe.
Then we lost Little Nog vs Shogun due to Nog’s back injury, or cowardice, depending on your view. Chael Sonnen volunteered to save the day once again, but could not travel to Canada due to visa complications likely stemming from his 2011 money laundering conviction. Whether he’s making fantastical claims, setting up schemes so elaborate that those who are in on it don’t even know they’re in on it, or plotting to buy an island, declare his own nation and recreate the world in his image, Sonnen has a way of stealing the show. Look at this, he’s not even on the card and I’m rambling on about him. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why he’s the American Gangster. Okay, that’s enough.
So we took some hits here, no big deal. Let us be optimists for a change. Studies have shown that gratitude is the key factor in determining happiness. And it’s true if you think about it. Just because your neighbor has a hot wife, a BMW, and a rockin’ crib, while you got old roofing shingles crashing down onto your Sanford and Son truck and a wife who’s desperately trying to get on the next season of The Biggest Loser, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be happy. Forget that prick, focus on all that you have and bask in the elixir of delusional wealth and success. It’s that simple. This is why the Bible has all that stuff in it about not coveting thy neighbor’s shit. So rather than mocking that which we’ve been denied, let us appreciate the bountiful fight card we do have. Yeah, I did just say that. And no, I don’t really buy it either.
So who will step up and save the day? Pat Barry and Shawn Jordan, perhaps? Barry had a real creepy smile on his face at the weigh-ins, looked like Pyle right before he blew away Gunny Hartman. Ryan Jimmo and Igor Pokrajac? Jimmo was rocking a creepy smile too, and he took way too long to disrobe, kind of like he was doing the crowd a favor by allowing them to view his statuesque physique and pencil eraser nipples. Maybe Alexis Davis and Rosi Sexton steal the show tonight. Or, maybe Rashad Evans decides that he actually likes having fans and abandons his 50 takedowns pledge.
You see, the fans used to consider Rashad, for lack of a better term, kind of a dick. It was always obvious he was a good guy, he just had a way about him that fans didn’t care for. It’s hard to explain. Some things, right or wrong, just paint a guy as a dick, like wearing a visor. That perception has changed somewhat over the past couple of years though. Sure, Rashad still catches some boos, but nothing on the scale of a few years back. It’s a tenuous arrangement, however. Another piss poor performance can turn us into haters again. Rashad needs to perform.
Dan Henderson, on the other hand, will always be loved. He’s a pimp. The dude is 42 years old, has some jacked up ears, and likes to knock bitches stupid. But the true key to Dan’s success is he rolls out to “Lunatic Fringe.” It’s just one of those inspirational songs with the power to put the grossly misguided idea in your head that the Joker can actually beat this animal in a wrestling match; just as the Rocky theme has the power to make an otherwise sensible person put on a stained-ass sweat shirt, guzzle some raw eggs, and run up a bunch of steps, even though that’s the surest route to simultaneously vomiting and shitting yourself.
You can check out all the undercard results here. And in case you were wondering, all that blood on the mat is from Sam Stout’s face.
Kicking off the action tonight we have Pat Barry vs Shawn Jordan.
You cannot deny the appeal of Pat Barry. Rarely will we see a 5-5 UFC fighter who gets as much love as Barry. The reasons are simple: he’s an affable dude who in ten Octagon appearances has only gone to decision once – a kill or be killed type. Not to mention that his presence on a card gives Rogan an incredible boner as he talks about Barry’s “thunderous” leg kicks, which will undoubtedly trigger a Goldberg response to Jordan’s collegiate football background and the fact that he once ran the 40 in 4.6. Yes, Goldy has a fascination with MMA fighters who once played other sports. Some years back he almost popped one off when commenting on the reason why it appears that Marvin Eastman has a football player’s build is in fact because he was a football player. So there ya have it.
Round 1: They touch gloves and it’s on. Barry with a hard high kick, blocked. Barry lands a short right, then a leg kick. Jordan charges forward with insane punches in bunches and holy shit he knocks Barry on his ass and finishes him!
A nice combo put Barry down, and about 20 lefts to the temple forced the ref to step in. Nice win for Jordan, a TKO at the 59 second mark of the first round.
Alexis Davis and Rosi Sexton are next.
So far the ladies have failed to disappoint in the Octagon. This one should be no different.
Props to Davis for coming out to Run DMC’s “It’s Tricky.”
Direct quote from my usually feminist girlfriend – “Fuck that bitch up!” Classy, right? Yeah she’s a keeper. I’ll make sure to remind her of this the next time she flips out after sitting me down for an excruciatingly long conversation about her emotional needs, and when it’s my turn to reveal my deepest intimacies all I can muster is, “more head.”
Round 1: Davis sticks a jab to start things off. Sexton with a good right. Davis tries an elbow, glances. Sexton responds with a right, eats a knee. High paced to start off. Davis lands a real good knee to the body. Sexton lands a few body shots. Davis going for a takedown, Sexton defending well. They’re against the cage working for position, now they split, and Sexton lands a left off the break. Sexton shoots, ends up with Davis on her back. Well that probably wasn’t the plan. Now Sexton is on her back in full guard looking for a triangle. She just locked it up. Sexton landing good shots to the face, but she’s still in that choke. Davis can’t finish it, now she loses it. And now she’s taking some shots to the grill. Got the triangle again, but it aint gonna work. The round ends that way. 10-9 Sexton
Round 2: They come out jabbing, both land. Now they clinch, Davis lands a knee and eats an elbow. Sexton presses Davis against the cage looking for a takedown. She got it, and is in side control. Davis is going for a leg, but instead decides to reverse and ends up on top, ends up in full guard. Davis drops a few shots down. So far Sexton doing a good job avoiding any major damage. Oh, but Davis sticks a decent elbow right on Sexton’s cheek. Now Davis is dropping successive punches down. Davis with a knee to the body, looking for a rear naked choke now. Davis only has one hook in, she let’s go. She’s got Sexton’s back, hooks in, and flattened her out. She’s dropping shots, now elbows, and Sexton will survive. 10-9 Davis
Round 3: Sexton opens with a left jab, Davis with a straight right. They trade a few decent shots center cage. Davis shoots, Sexton sprawls, goes for a leg, but Davis ends up taking her back. Uh oh, lot of time left. Body lock by Davis, looking for that rear naked. Softening Sexton up with punches to the chops. Sexton slips out, but now Davis is fishing for a triangle. Nothing doing , has to settle for full guard. Davis working a high guard. Sexton drops a few to the ribs. Davis doing a good job controlling Sexton’s posture, staying out of trouble. Davis rolls out, Sexton goes for her back, but loses it and ends up in bottom in guard. Davis drops a few to the body, and it ends with an up kick by Sexton. Close round. Could go either way. 10-9 Davis
The official decision is in: 29-28, 29-27, 29-28, Alexis Davis by unanimous decision.
Ryan Jimmo vs Igor Pokrajac is next.
Jimmo does the robot when he wins, and as far as I’m concerned that’s reason enough to root for him. Certain pantomime acts of yesteryear are universally banned and those who perpetuate them deserve to be tortured, such as anyone in this day and age who thinks it’s acceptable to “raise the roof.” It’s not. You see this shameless spectacle a lot with overweight women sitting in the crowd on daytime talk shows. I’m not sure if the producers of these shows encourage this sort of behavior, but it needs to end. Same applies to anyone who does the Arsenio fist pump. Double down on the severity of the torture if they also chant “woof, woof” while doing it. The robot, however, is timeless when properly done, especially when mixed with break dancing.
Igor rolls out to AC/DC, stoic as any self-respecting Croatian should be.
Damn, Jimmo responds with John Fogerty. Respect!
Round 1: Jimmo opens with a leg kick. Igor with a right. Jimmo pushes Igor against the cage, working some knees to the thigh. Wow, Yves Lavigne breaks them up with the quickness. They clinch again. Yves breaks them up yet again. Yves aint havin’ this shit today, man. Jimmo with a good jab. Igor charges in, ducks a punch, and clinches. Jimmo with a few short shots. They get separated again. And they clinch. Igor grabs a neck, Jimmo pops it out. They break and Jimmo sticks an elbow. The clinch again. Jimmo has under hooks but doesn’t seem to be looking for a takedown. Yves busts them up again. Igor with a high kick, misses by a mile. Leg kick by Jimmo. Igor charging in, eats a shot. They trade jabs. Igor with a combination, then lands a solid right. Jimmo with one of his own. They clinch again and the round ends. 10-9 Jimmo
Round 2: Jimmo opems with an inside leg kick. Igor stalking. Jimmo lands a big right, drops Igor. He descends, but Igor gets up. Jimmo takes him down. Jimmo working some decent ground and pound, nothing too devastating. Jimmo’s cornermen are giving him instructions. Igor has a message for them, “Blah, blah, blah.” Igor lands a few shots from bottom position. Jimmo still working the ground and pound, still not landing anything all too significant, although he is winning the round. They’re kinda stalled, and Yves is nowhere to be found. Jimmo with some short elbows. Igor with a couple damn good shots from the bottom and sticks an up kick. Jimmo moves to side control. The round ends. 10-9 Jimmo.
Round 3: Igor lands a good right to the jaw, Jimmo walks through it and clinches. Igor with a nice trip takedown, but he gets reversed and Jimmo is on top in guard. Maybe this round Yves will remember that he’s allowed to stand them up when there’s nothing happening. The crowd is starting to get restless. Jimmo lands a couple good shots, getting active now. Igor going for a guillotine. Jimmo is free. More short elbows from the top. Igor gets up, and here comes the clinch. Yves breaks them up. Dude don’t like the clinch apparently. Pretty bad fight, audience is letting them have it. 10-9 Jimmo
The decision is 30-27 across the board, Ryan Jimmo by unanimous decision. Unfortunately that performance does not warrant the robot.
Roy Nelson and Stipe Miocic are up next.
It’s great that Roy’s been knocking dudes out lately, but I kinda miss the days when he would take a guy down and smother him with his unctuous bosom. Legend has it Roy would stuff a week-old tuna melt under the flap to intensify the suffering. Sly, Big Country. Very sly.
Stipe is a good wrestler/boxer who is looking to find his groove in the heavyweight division. He rolls out to some indiscernible hip hop in a simple t-shirt and a backwards hat. No frills kinda guy, Stipe is.
Big Country comes out to “We Will Rock You” looking about as unkempt as a guy can look walking into the Octagon.
Round 1: Roy misses an uppercut, eats a left. Roy looks like he’s trying to force the overhand right. Stipe with a right. Roy lands one of his own, then a kick. Jab by Stipe. Roy misses the overhand, and eats a nasty combo from Stipe. Roy fakes a shot, eats a right for it. Roy hard to the body. Then eats another combo. Stipe with a nice knee. Uppercut by Roy, misses. Roy lands the right. Tries it again, misses. Stipe lands a good jab, and is peppering Roy up with elbows and punches. Now an uppercut lands. He’s kicking Roy’s ass. Roy clinches, and they separate with nothing happening. The round ends with a Big Country leg kick. 10-9 Stipe
Roy’s cornerman screams at him to get his shit together.
Round 2: Stipe with a powerful right, then a knee. Oof, he lands another good combo. And another. Stipe is crisp tonight. It doesn’t hurt than Roy is already exhausted. Roy throws two rights in a row, definitely forcing them now. Roy is getting beat up again now. Stipe with a couple short elbows in the clinch. Stipe shoots, Roy defends. But Stipe then lands a body kick, then a left jab. Roy paws a couple jabs out there, misses. They trade right hands. Stipe continues to land jabs, but Roy finally lands something solid with an uppercut. Roy is huffing and puffing. Stipe with another jab, then a good straight right. It ends with Roy plodding forward with his arms up looking for a fight. 10-9 Stipe
Round 3: Two jabs followed by a left for Stipe. He lands a good right. And another jab. Leg kick by Stipe, Roy misses a right. Stipe with a right, Roy responds with one of his own but it don’t have much on it. Roy charges forward and misses about five different strikes. Roy with a decent right. Stipe gets a takedown, Roy gets up. They clinch against the cage, and Stipe is working the body. The ref separates them. Roy lands a good uppercut. Good combo by Stipe, and he’s tooling Roy. They clinch again, and Roy looks like he’d rather be somewhere else. It ends, and that’s a bad performance for Roy to go into free agency on.
30-27 across the board for Stipe Miocic.
It’s main event time, Dan Henderson vs Rashad Evans, and these guys really need to save the day here.
Rashad said of Henderson, “He beats everyone. He beats em good too. He just knocks em the hell out, and they sleep for a long time.” I’m not sure why but I find that to be one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard.
Both these guys are coming off shitty losses in horrible fights – Henderson to Machida and Rashad to Little Nog. They could both use the W, no doubt, but they also need impressive showings to stay relevant in the division.
And of course Dan doesn’t come out to “Lunatic Fringe.” Bad sign. Instead he chooses some country western shit.
Round 1: Here we go. Feeling each other out to start. Rashad with a jab to open up. Hendo wades in, gets backed up by a shot. Rashad goes for takedown #1, fails. Rashad with a real nice left. Hendo misses a right. Rashad attempts another takedown, Hendo stuffs it. Now they’re clinched, and they separate without much happening. Hendo misses an overhand right. Jab by Rashad. Great jab by Hendo drops Rashad, he’s rocked. Hendo goes after him, but Rashad seems recovered. Hendo misses a big right to end the round. 10-9 Hendo simply for landing the only significant strike.
Round 2: Rashad opens with a left jab. He gets a takedown, but Hendo is up with Rashad on his back. Hendo straightens things out, and they’re working against the cage. Hendo with a knee to the body. They separate, and Rashad lands a right. Hendo with a knee. They exchange, both landing glancing blows. Straight right misses by Hendo. Rashad with a big right, Hendo ducks it. They trade jabs. Another takedown attempt by Rashad stuffed. Rashad lands a decent combo, then goes for another takedown, can’t get it. Hendo charges in, Rashad backs up and the round ends. Tough one to score. 10-9 Rashad
Round 3: They touch and it’s on. Rashad with a left jab. Hendo wades in and misses a left hook. Rashad comes in and eats a big right, but then responds with a nasty combo that stuns Hendo. Then a jab by Rashad. Hendo with an overhand right, Rashad easily avoids it. Rashad shoots for a single leg, Hendo defends so Rashad pushes him into the cage and looks to be working toward another takedown attempt. Hendo with a couple knees to the body. Rashad goes to the body. They separate. Nice stiff jab by Rashad. Dan closes distance, and they clinch again. Rashad with a few shots, Hendo with a knee. Rashad drops for a leg, nothing doing. Hendo responds with an elbow. This is a grueling round, Hendo looks miserable. Dan misses a huge right, Rashad ends with a jab. 10-9 Rashad
The official decision is in, and it’s 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 and the split decision goes to Rashad Evans
Okay, I’ll say it. Overall that was a pretty suck ass event. Thanks for checking in. I’m out. It’s time for a drink.
We’ve saved the biggest fighters for last in the striking assessment series. Heavyweights end 57% of fights by (T)KO, far more than any other weight class. They also have the highest average power head striking accuracy, possibly because defense is harder when you’re that big.
So let’s see how the whole division stacks up against each other, then look at the winners and losers in each category. A full explanation of the chart and variables is included at the end of this post.
THE WINNERS
Sniper Award: Relative newcomer Shawn Jordan has been a highly accurate striker to date, though he has lacked knockdown power. So let’s focus on the trio of Pat Barry, Dave Herman, and Mark Hunt, who each have four or more UFC appearances and have maintained power head striking accuracy of 38% or more. These are big guys who can also hit their target.
Energizer Bunny Award: Monstrous southpaw Todd Duffee has almost quadrupled the striking output of his opponents with three fights to date in the Octagon, none of which have gone the distance. But with far greater Octagon experience, veterans Cheick Kongo and former champion Junior Dos Santos have managed to almost double the volume of opponents, all while maintain accuracy well above the division average.
(Click chart for full-size version. For previous Databombs, click here.)
We’ve saved the biggest fighters for last in the striking assessment series. Heavyweights end 57% of fights by (T)KO, far more than any other weight class. They also have the highest average power head striking accuracy, possibly because defense is harder when you’re that big.
So let’s see how the whole division stacks up against each other, then look at the winners and losers in each category. A full explanation of the chart and variables is included at the end of this post.
THE WINNERS
Sniper Award: Relative newcomer Shawn Jordan has been a highly accurate striker to date, though he has lacked knockdown power. So let’s focus on the trio of Pat Barry, Dave Herman, and Mark Hunt, who each have four or more UFC appearances and have maintained power head striking accuracy of 38% or more. These are big guys who can also hit their target.
Energizer Bunny Award: Monstrous southpaw Todd Duffee has almost quadrupled the striking output of his opponents with three fights to date in the Octagon, none of which have gone the distance. But with far greater Octagon experience, veterans Cheick Kongo and former champion Junior Dos Santos have managed to almost double the volume of opponents, all while maintain accuracy well above the division average.
Biggest Ball(s) Award: Punch for punch, Shane Carwin has landed the most knockdowns in the fewest strikes. Despite low accuracy and pace, Carwin packed enough power to finish his first four UFC fights all by (T)KO. Like a mortar in high winds, Carwin doesn’t land on target very often. But when he does, he destroys what he hits.
THE LOSERS
Swing and a Miss Award: With just 12% power head striking accuracy, the recently retiredChristian Morecraft is the least accurate heavyweight striker on the list. Though Shane Carwin is a close second, he has made the most of the shots he’s landed. Morecraft outworked opponents by more than 30%, but under-landed them in the long run.
Starnes Award for Inaction: Former kickboxer Alistair Overeem may have seemed invincible prior to his knockout loss to Antonio Silva, but he certainly didn’t press the action inside the MMA cage. Opponents outworked the Reem by throwing more than double his standing strike volume.
Smallest Ball(s) Award: Only three heavyweights shown here have failed to score a knockdown in UFC/Strikeforce competition. But Shawn Jordan has failed to do so in 56 minutes of Octagon time to date. But Jordan did manage to finish two opponents by strikes, showing he’s got power on the ground. Morecraft, however, failed to score a knockdown in four UFC appearances, losing three of those fights by KO himself — so maybe his retirement from competition was a good thing after all.
Also Noteworthy…
Heavyweights hit hard, and collectively the group shown in the graph has scored 82 knockdowns in their fights through 2012. We’re just three months into 2013 and already fighters like Bigfoot Silva and Mark Hunt are putting in performances that will boost their striking assessment position the next time around.
In order to understand standup striking performance, which is more multifaceted in MMA than it is in boxing, I need to boil down a few of the most important variables that determine success as a striker. These are fairly uncomplicated variables in isolation, but together they can summarize a fighter’s overall capabilities. Here, I’ve focused on three fundamental, offensive metrics:
Accuracy: I’ve used power head striking accuracy (as opposed to body or leg strikes, or jabs to the head), where the average for UFC Heavyweights is about 28%. Certainly, great strikers can attack the body and legs, but the most likely way to end a fight by strikes is by aiming at the head. And in order to keep this comparison apples-to-apples, we can’t have a guy that throws a lot of high accuracy leg kicks skewing his accuracy stat. The accuracy of the power head strike is a great indicator of a fighter’s striking prowess, and there’s a wide range within a single division as we’ll see. This is the vertical axis, so more accurate fighters are higher in the graph.
Standup Striking Pace: Prior analysis reveals that outpacing your opponent is a key predictor of success, and certainly correlates with winning decisions as it reflects which fighter is dictating the pace of the fight. Here, I’ve used the total number of standup strikes thrown as a ratio to the same output from a fighter’s opponents. All strikes attempted from a standup position are counted, including body shots and leg kicks. This is the horizontal axis in the graph, and the average for the whole division must be 1, so fighters with superior pace appear further to the right.
Knockdown Rate: The objective of every strike thrown is to hurt your opponent, and knockdowns reflect a fighter that has connected with a powerful strike. I’ve used the total number of knockdowns a fighter landed divided by the number of landed power head strikes to see who does the most damage per strike landed. The size of the bubble for a fighter indicates their relative knockdown rate; the bigger the bubble, the higher their knockdown rate. The very small bubbles indicate fighters who have yet to score a knockdown in their Zuffa fights.
The data includes all UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce fights through 2012, including UFC 155.
MMA Junkie is reporting that heavyweight sluggers Pat Barry and Shawn Jordan are booked against one another for June 15th’s UFC 161. Both men got back in the win column in their last fights with nasty stoppages over Shane Del Rosario and Mike Russow, respectively.
The two share an opponent in Lavar Johnson, the last man to beat Barry (by first round TKO at UFC on FOX 3) and the same that Jordan was able to submit with a second round keylock back at Strikeforce Challengers 18. Undaunted by this fact, Barry and his girlfriend, fighter Rose “The Riveter” Namajunas, took to the streets of Milwaukee to celebrate the booking with their own Harlem Shake video while Dave Begel quietly masturbated off camera. Yeah, yeah, we know – Harlem Shake videos are so, over.
Well, the stocky Barry acting a fool in his underwear never goes out of style, especially now that he’s bringing his girl in on the action. After the jump, more videos of the couple acting goofy.
MMA Junkie is reporting that heavyweight sluggers Pat Barry and Shawn Jordan are booked against one another for June 15th’s UFC 161. Both men got back in the win column in their last fights with nasty stoppages over Shane Del Rosario and Mike Russow, respectively.
The two share an opponent in Lavar Johnson, the last man to beat Barry (by first round TKO at UFC on FOX 3) and the same that Jordan was able to submit with a second round keylock back at Strikeforce Challengers 18. Undaunted by this fact, Barry and his girlfriend, fighter Rose “The Riveter” Namajunas, took to the streets of Milwaukee to celebrate the booking with their own Harlem Shake video while Dave Begel quietly masturbated off camera. Yeah, yeah, we know – Harlem Shake videos are so, over.
Well, the stocky Barry acting a fool in his underwear never goes out of style, especially now that he’s bringing his girl in on the action. After the jump, more videos of the couple acting goofy.
Barry being a dick and rudely waking up Rose:
Rose getting her revenge and rudely waking up Barry/sucker punching him in the fucking mouth while he’s sleeping:
(“Alright folks, we’re about to get these weigh-ins started in a few minutes, but first, please direct your attention to the main stage to see a schizophrenic homeless person doing the robot.” / Photo via CombatLifestyle. To see more pics from this set, click here.)
Leading us through the UFC on FOX 6 prelims is liveblog first-timer Alex Giardini, who will be stacking round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. (Be gentle with him, okay?) Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest results, and feel free to dump your own thoughts into the comments section.
(“Alright folks, we’re about to get these weigh-ins started in a few minutes, but first, please direct your attention to the main stage to see a schizophrenic homeless person doing the robot.” / Photo via CombatLifestyle. To see more pics from this set, click here.)
Leading us through the UFC on FOX 6 prelims is liveblog first-timer Alex Giardini, who will be stacking round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. (Be gentle with him, okay?) Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest results, and feel free to dump your own thoughts into the comments section.
Hello, ‘Taters….I’m popping my live blog cherry right now, so I’m all like, nervous and confident at the same time…anyways, as I tuned into the Facebook portion I was glad to hear that familiar voice once again. Yep, Goldie is back! (umm, should I be this excited though….or you don’t know what you got ’til its gone?!) In all seriousness, I’m glad he’s back; maybe he got some words of wisdom from the singer of Crazy Town or something. The lone fight on Facebook was Simeon Thoresen against David Mitchell and I wish I could tell you what happened in the last three minutes but the stream cut. Hopefully they will rebroadcast the fight at the beginning of the show or at least the conclusion.
Now I’m hearing Anik’s voice so I’m all confused but Goldie and Rogan are yelling at me on my screen and HERE WE GO (yeah, yeah, I know…). BG Tha God just informed me Mitchell defeated Thorensen by unanimous decision. Alright, on to the middleweights…
Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer
Round 1: Arianny gets the usual up and down and Spencer comes out blazing….goes for some punches but cannot connect. Natal with a low kick. Natal working the low kick and pokes Spencer in the eye. He takes a few seconds. Both try to work their jabs and Spencer catches a low kick. Natal moving around well in a southpaw stance. Natal switches his stance. Spencer going for it, mixing it up with punches and kikcs but isn’t landing many strikes. Spencer trying to work a jab-jab-hook but to no avail yet. Natal working his way back and forth with southpaw, switching it up. Natal tries a spinning-back fist and follows up with a landed kick. Superman punch by spencer but misses. Left hook drops Natal but he’s back up and does the Shogun “clear the air” thing. Natal throwing some big ones but doesn’t land. Both trying to find their groove. Spencer hits Natal with a good jab. Natal lands a nice combo, including a right hand. Natal shoots, stuffed by Spencer and Spencer has got him against the fence. He breaks off abd they are in the middle again. Spencer lands a nice right hand. Spencer has got a little cut, nothing too serious for now. Natal lands a spinning-back fist, followed by a right that drops Spencer. Natal mounts him and works but Spencer is fidgeting and survives. 10-9 Spencer.
Round 2: Spencer is pushing the pace, forcing Natal back. Both still working the jab. Spencer lands a nice right. Spencer lands a nice jab but Natal is working well with low leg-kicks. Spencer is landing a few strikes but Natal is working those kicks, with a nice side-kick that leads to a takedown. Spencer has his back up against the cage and Natal tries to mount. They are on their feet as Spencer avoids a choke but Natal is working him against the fence. A bit of stalling here.. Double-under-hooks by Natal and he gets another takedown. Natal in the guard now, and Spencer is giving him the bear-hug. Spencer doing well to avoid damage. Natal punching the ribs a bit. Nice hammerfist by Natal and he is looking to get his opponent’s back. Natal has his back and his punching away at the body. He’s got him flattened out and is working the choke. Spencer is literally saved by the bell. 10-9 Natal
Round 3: Spencer takes a few deep breaths and looks slightly slower. Natal is working backwards with everything Spencer throws at him. Natal gets another takedown and is in side control from the top. Natal’s side-mount is at ninety degrees and Natal is looking for a crucifix. He gets Spencer’s right arm and starts landing a few elbows. Natal now locks up the left arm with his legs. Natal goes for the Americana, doesn’t get it…almost though. Spencer is cut open on the forehead. Natal goes for the arm triangle and after a few seconds, Spencer taps. Natal gets his first submission win in the UFC.
Rafael Natal def. Sean Spencer by Submission (Arm Triangle), Round 3, 2:13.
Natal looks into the camera and says he’s got the best coach in the world, a beautiful body and a great girlfriend. Man, me too bro…me too.
Chicago’s own Mike Russow up next…
Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan
Round 1: Glove touch and things are underway. Russow grapples early but Jordan breaks away. Russow leads in with some strikes and puts Jordan up against the cage. Jordan shifts over and escapes. Russow tags Jordan with a huge right. Russow tags him with a knee and bloodies Russow. Jordan is cut under his right away. Russow working a single and eventually pits Jordan up against the cage again. Jordan tries to escape but Russow keeps pushing him back against the fence. They finally break away and Jordan looks tired. Russow tags him with a right hand. He follows with a few uppercuts and gets a takedown. Russow has double-underhooks from the back but Jordan is keeping his feet grounded. Russow keeps landing the right hand. He goes for a single leg and Jordan rolls out of it. Crowd yells for a knee but Jordan’s hand is down. Now Jordan tags Russow with a good one but Russow is still working the fence game. Jordan throws a couple of strikes in the final seconds but it is all Russow so far. 10-9 Russow
Round 2: Jordan is a little busted up. They touch gloves again and Jordan goes in with an uppercut and right hand. Russow lands a right hand of his own. Jordan goes for a strike and eyepoke, once again. Russow recovers fast. Russow going in with a combo but Jordan gets the better of him with his own combination. Russow is looking very tired. Jordan lands a nice right and goes for the takedown. Jordan mounts Russow and is working with punches and elbows. Jordan switches to back-mount. Jordan keeps Russow down and keeps his weight on Russow’s back. Russow goes for a foot-lock, uses it to sweep and gets up. Russow goes for a front-choke, doesn’t get it. Russow lands a nice knee after Jordan takes his hand off the ground. Jordan gets another takedown and lands a nice short elbow. Jordan works the short elbows as a part of his ground and pound. Russow trying to scramble but Jordan gets full mount and starts to hammerfist. Russow gives him his back and Jordan is landing some big shots. Russow covers up and Herb Dean stops the fight.
Shawn Jordan def. Mike Russow by TKO, Round 2, 3:48.
That was quite the reverse from Round 1…let’s see if Matyushenko can pull off the upset here.
Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
Round 1: I’m going to pull one from the BG liveblog rulebook and abbreviate Matyushenko to Maty. I wonder if his friends call him that. Anyhow Bader looks in phenomenal shape, maybe the best we’ve seen him look. Big John starts things off and both fighters a little hesitant to engage. Maty goes for a jab, misses. Bader lands a big left hook and drops Maty. Bader follows and gets Maty in an arm-choke from the bottom. Maty looks like he’s in mid-summersault. Bader switches to half-guard and chokes out Maty. It’s all over. Poor Maty. Fastest submission in light heavyweight history.
Ryan Bader def. Vladimir Matyushenko by Submission (Guillotine), Round 1, 0:50.
Did Bader just say he was working with Andrei Markov? Sorry, I’m a Habs fan…Stumpf vs. Krauss up next. Before our next fight, there will be an interview with Jones and Sonnen promoting TUF…this should be quite good.
Rogan asks Sonnen what he would call himself…Jones says Chael is “not too bad”. Sonnen looks hella sharp. Sonnen avoids the question about him deserving the fight and promotes the tournament and the next episode. Sonnen 2016, or whenever you guys elect the leader of the world. Chael does the whole “John Holmes” bit and Rogan reminds him that John Holmes is a dead junkie and does not know who Puff Daddy is. Sonnen promoting this tournament like a boss. Nice scripted staredown…. Ok, enough of this then…
Mike Stumpf vs. Pascal Krauss
Round 1: Askren in Krauss’ corner…feel like he should get the shout-out for his eyebrow-raising finish this week. They touch gloves and Krauss starts working the jab but doesn’t land any. They are standing toe-to-toe and Krauss nails a nice low-kick. Stumpf gets in a nice and loud leg-kick and Krauss return the favor. Stumpf tries to land some short strikes and wobbles Krauss with a short leg-kick. Stumpf really going in with kicks and Krauss lands one out of three thrown. Stumpf gets the takedown and is in Krauss’ full-guard. Stumpf trying to gain advantage but couldn’t. They are back to their feet. Nice superman punch/lead uppercut by Krauss. Both are throwing leg kicks and Krauss goes for a takedown but cannot secure. He’s got Krauss clinched up against the cage. They breakaway and Krauss lands another kick. Krauss’ uppercut misses but his leg-kicks are doing well thus far. Big front-kick by Krauss, reminiscent of Anderson. Stumpf misses an uppercut. Krauss hits Stumpf with a big uppercut and drops him but Stumpf regains composure. Stumpf goes for a takedown but nice defense by Krauss. Krauss goes for a standing guillotine but cannot lock it in. The horn sounds. 10-9 Krauss
Round 2: Krauss lands another good kick. Both land nice jabs. Krauss again with the high-kick but not as effective. Krauss lands a nice combination, including an uppercut. Krauss leads in with a leg-kick but misses the uppercut. Stumpf is throwing but missing a lot. Krauss tags him with another right. Nice low-kick by Stumpf. Krauss keep landing the jab. Nice uppercut again by Krauss. Krauss secures the takedown and Stumpf switches, gets his back on the feet and now takes down Krauss. Krauss is sitting up and Stumpf is trying to flatten him out. Stumpf steps over but cannot tie up the legs. Stumpf going for the choke but Krauss is back to his feet. Krauss shifts Stumpf against the fest and starts dirty boxing. Krauss has opened a little cut under Stumpf’s left eye. Another uppercut by Krauss. Stumpf lands an uppercut of his own. Krauss tries the takedown but eventually gets the front head-lock. Krauss has Stumpf clinched and is landing some nice shots. Krauss is landing some uppercuts against the fence. Nice short elbow by Krauss. The round ends with the two breaking away and Stumpf sneaking in a leg-kick. 10-9 Krauss.
Round 3: Krauss starts to jab, works effectively. Krauss is working that right uppercut as Stumpf pushes forward. Krauss lands a good right while Stumpf backs into the fence. Stumpf’s mouthpiece drops but it delays the fight only a second. Krauss lands that superman uppercut again. Krauss pushes Stumpf against the fence with fast combinations including some great right hands. Big swing and miss by Stumpf. Krauss grapples Stumpf against the fence and lands a good knee. Krauss is backing off and landing his shots accurately. Nice knee by Krauss again. Nice right hand by Stumpf. Nice body shot landed by Krauss with the left leg. Krauss starts to turn it up with a big right hand. Krauss is landing those leg-kicks over and over again. Krauss locks up for a takedown but good sprawl by Krauss. Both fighters trade uppercuts but Krauss gets a few more right hands in. Stumpf now trying for a takedown and has Krauss against the cage. Krauss pivots and takes Stumpf down. Krauss in Stumpf’s guard and is trying to sweep. Krauss landing some body shots and some strikes to the head. Krauss is laying on top and Dean asking Krauss to work. Krauss mounts to his feet to land some more shots before the horn sounds.
Pascal Krauss def. Mike Stumpf by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Everyone’s favorite Lebowski is up next, looking like Burt Reynolds if he played in Poison.
Goldie flirts with Rogan a bit and tells him he’s the best comedian ever. Rogan says Goldie is funny too, sometimes unintentionally (!). They share a laugh and potentially an affair. I’m happy for these guys.
Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki
Round 1: Guida is seen running around as Buffer introduces. Madrigal summons them and Guida refuses to touch gloves. Guida opens with the usual frantic pace and lands a right hand. Guida leading in with some leg-kicks. Guida gets in a nice body shot. Hioki not yet falling into Guida’s pace but he is switching stances. Hioki counters with a nice uppercut. Guida shuffling left to right, reminiscent of the Maynard fight but he’s working a lot more. Hioki keeps catching Guida with the counter. Hioki goes for a low kick and misses. Guida goes for the takedown and it gets stuffed. Hioki tags him with a right hand. Both men clinch together briefly and they separate. Hioki lands a nice jab. Guida lands a nice leg-kick. Inside leg-kick by Hioki. Guida is bouncing around but hasn’t landed anything significant. Guida takes him down and Hioki locks up a wrist. Guida breaks free and full-guard for Hioki. Guida hooks a leg and good roll by Hioki. Hioki is sitting up postured against the fence but Guida isn’t letting go. Hioki gets his back and Guida is doing well by stepping over and scrambling. Both men on their feet and Hioki has Guida’s head locked up. Both men break free and start to exchange wild punches, none land. Round 1 ends as both men shuffle back and forth. Very close, but I’ll say 10-9 Hioki.
Round 2: Guida’s getting tighter on the inside and lands a nice leg-kick. Guida picks up Hioki and nice fireman’s carry as he slams him down. Guida is trying to control Hioki’s hips but Hioki has got a leg. Kimura attempt by Hioki. Cannot get it but he is still controlling Guida’s arm. Hioki goes for the triangle. Hioki goes for the armbar but Guida lightly slams him on the ground. Guida in Hioki’s guard and is working well with his strikes. Guida is keeping active on the ground, trying to step over. Good butterfly guard by Hioki. Guida keeps on grounding and pounding. Guida cannot pass guard yet. He keeps working with fists and elbows. Fans are cheering Guida on. Hioki is holding position but cannot really more. Guida briefly goes for the arm-triangle but lets go. Hioki trying to control Guida’s hips. Referee breaks them apart and stands them up (not a great call). Guida throwing some wild combos but nothing landing. Big head-kick by Hioki. Hioki follows up with some more kicks. 10-9 Guida.
Round 3: Both fighters exchanges jabs, nothing really landing. Nice uppercut by Hioki as they both trade. Hioki leading in with some low and high kicks. Guida gets another takedown and again Hioki controls the wrist. Hioki tries to slap on the triangle. Hioki has his legs wrapped up around Guida who has his feet grounded. Guida pushed Hioki back down and is trying to get his right leg free. Guida on top, pushing Hioki towards the fence. Hioki is trying to break free as Guida keeps working. Guida trying to work as Hioki tries to get back to his feet. Guida gives a “yes, sir” as referee warns him to keep working. Guida is trying to secure Hioki’s hips around his waist and the ref stands them up. Hioki lands a head-kick again. Hioki keeping Guida at bay with kicks. Hioki with another kick. Hioki stuffs Guida’s last takedown attempt as the fight ends. This could be a weird one, as both fighters had good moments throughout the fight. 10-9 Guida.
Guida wins in his featherweight debut. Hey, It’s Jason Guida!
TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman
Round 1: Grant with a swing and a miss. Wiman throws a flurry of punches, all miss. Wiman with a nice kick. Wiman working with low kicks. Wiman technical with striking. Good right hand by Grant. Wiman’s short elbow misses. Wiman keeps throwing some uppercuts but none land. Grant with some nice punches to the body and both men throwing wild punches. Grant is landing some nice punches on the inside. Both men very technical, very tight. Wiman misses with the headkick. Grant clinches Wiman and a knee in. Grant rocks Wiman with a strike and follows up with a knee but doesn’t land it. Wiman gets the takedown, saving himself from potential trouble. Grant loosens up and gets on top of Wiman. Grant starts to land some clean shots from the top. Grant backs off and lets Wiman up. Wiman’s face is bloodied. Nice knee to the body by Grant. Wiman is pushed up against the fence and Grant lands a gnarly elbow as Wiman is up against the fence. Wiman drops and Grant follows up before Big John steps in.
TJ Grant def. Matt Wiman by Knockout (Strikes), Round 1, 4:51.
Alright, ‘Taters (never forgive me for that one, ever)…the main card is next which means that is it for me. It was a real pleasure and I loved the Italian jabs as I was eating my chicken parm’. Honestly, I expected worse from you guys. Thanks for letting me share these fights with you. See you soon, Potato Nation…
UFC 149 was the first event to be held in Canada in 2012. Support for the UFC in Canada is surging, and the fans always bring enthusiasm and high spirits to the events. The head.
UFC 149 was the first event to be held in Canada in 2012. Support for the UFC in Canada is surging, and the fans always bring enthusiasm and high spirits to the events. The head of the UFC hope to create a phenomenon there, declaring MMA a top sport in Canada, right after hockey. Events like UFC 149, however, deteriorate the high potential of the sport.
The card was in upheaval from the start. Injury after injury caused numerous fighters to drop out, causing Joe Silva and Dana White to constantly make alterations. The performances at the event were lackluster, and didn’t generate nearly enough excitement to live up to their hype. And most notably, as Dana White notoriously complains about after events, the horrible jobs of the referees. Personally, nothing angers me more than bad calls or timing by the refs. If my favorite fighter loses due to a KO or a fair decision, he wasn’t the best man in the ring that night. But I become infuriated when I see a ref miscall a move, stop a bout too soon, or allow two fighters to wall and stall.
A huge mistake occurred during the first bout of the main event when Matt Riddle orchestrated a kick to Chris Clements’ body. It was completely legal, and Riddle could have potentially finished the fight. However, Josh Rosenthal, the referee for the fight, thought that the body kick was in fact a kick to the groin, and gave Clements time to recovery for the seemingly “illegal move.”
Dana White openly expressed his anger: “It’s a kick to the body, and Rosenthal jumps in the middle because he thought it was a kick to the groin,” White said. “Come on. You’re standing right there. Open your eyes. Pay attention – this is what you’re getting paid to do. You choose to do this. If you don’t want to do it 100 percent, don’t do it. Go do something else. The fight could’ve been ended right there. That’s a situation where he doesn’t see it, stops the action, gets half-assed in there instead of making a clear, decisive decision. And what if Riddle lost the fight after that at a point where he had him hurt to the body with a beautiful kick? And he jumps in the middle.”
Another main event bout between Cheick Kongo and Shawn Jordan created dissatisfaction among fans. Referee Yves Lavigne allowed the two fighters to stand in a clinch for the majority of three rounds without doing any work. The bout ended in a very lackluster decision win that generated a displeased audience. Perhaps the most aggravating referee mishap, was that of a preliminary bout between Ryan Jimmo and Anthony Perosh. Jimmo made his UFC debut Saturday night, and he had one memorable entrance. He knocked out Perosh in 7 seconds, a tie for the fastest knockout in UFC history. The mistake that was made was once again by referee Josh Rosenthal. He was a significant distance away from the fighters, and it took him longer to declare the official end of the fight. Had he been closer like he should have been, Jimmo could have had the record for the fastest knockout. In essence, Rosenthal’s mistake screwed Jimmo out of, hypothetically, the best UFC debut in history.
All in all, what does this mean for the sport? Dana White has stated numerous times that he has no jurisdiction over the calls of the referees or the referees in general. The promotion and state deal with the referees. But how long can the originally criticized sport handle such dissatisfaction by fans? Dana White knows the detrimental effects it has for the fans, and yet he is powerless. I feel as if the sport needs to have more competent referees, or ones that can at least make calls that are fair for the bout. The UFC, being a relatively new promotion in terms of sports, has been scrutinized in the past for numerous reasons, and current issues like this hurt their potentially growing fan base, and their attempt to revitalize the sport. Whatever actions are taken, something needs to be done, because Dana White has been advocating this problem for quite too long.
