We’re just one day out from watching knockout artist Jordan Mein take on the resurgent Matt Brown in a bout that appears to have an end of the night bonus all but locked up. Even though Mein is stepping in to fight on short notice, his impressive knockout over Dan Miller during his UFC debut last month has helped make him a 3-1 favorite to win. While we personally think that Brown has a better shot at winning than the oddsmakers are giving him, we wouldn’t be surprised if Mein picked up his eighteenth first round stoppage tomorrow night, either.
What would surprise us is if “The Immortal” got starched as quickly as Hollis Huggins did when he fought Jordan Mein back in 2008. At the time, Huggins was a former minor league football running back who transitioned from being one of the more competent semi-pro footballers to being a horrifically incompetent semi-pro fighter. Huggins spent the first fifteen or so seconds leading with his head while holding his hands around his nipples in a manner that suggested he didn’t realize that Mein was allowed to throw the head kick that should have ended the fight. It took a few completely unnecessary follow-up punches for the referee to finally waive off the action just twenty seconds into the first round.
Video is after the jump
We’re just one day out from watching knockout artist Jordan Mein take on the resurgent Matt Brown in a bout that appears to have an end of the night bonus all but locked up. Even though Mein is stepping in to fight on short notice, his impressive knockout over Dan Miller during his UFC debut last month has helped make him a 3-1 favorite to win. While we personally think that Brown has a better shot at winning than the oddsmakers are giving him, we wouldn’t be surprised if Mein picked up his eighteenth first round stoppage tomorrow night, either.
What would surprise us is if “The Immortal” got starched as quickly as Hollis Huggins did when he fought Jordan Mein back in 2008. At the time, Huggins was a former minor league football running back who transitioned from being one of the more competent semi-pro footballers to being a horrifically incompetent semi-pro fighter. Huggins spent the first fifteen or so seconds leading with his head while holding his hands around his nipples in a manner that suggested he didn’t realize that Mein was allowed to throw the head kick that should have ended the fight. It took a few completely unnecessary follow-up punches for the referee to finally waive off the action just twenty seconds into the first round.
Since that fight, things have played out predictably. Mein would continue to absolutely terrorize hapless foes, but this fight remains his quickest victory during his professional career. Huggins, meanwhile, would go on to lose six more times and retire from MMA with an 0-9 record (although to be fair, MixedMartialArts.com has him at 2-11), with all loses coming by stoppage; most of them in the first round. Sorry, bro: You are not the next Bo Jackson.
(Pikeew pikeew! I got you! Nu-uh! I totally got you first!)
In the past three years, Thiago Silva has been knocked out by Lyoto Machida, out-grappled by Rashad Evans, suspended from the UFC for attempting to mask his roid-filled urine after his fight with Brandon Vera, and out struck by Alexander Gustafsson. Needless to say, Silva is probably going to get axed if he doesn’t win big against Stanislav Nedkov at the pair’s upcoming duel at UFC on FUEL 6. The undefeated Nedkov has also spent more time on the shelf than off lately, battling injuries and visa issues for the better part of his two-year UFC career, but barring any last minute issues, these two will clash on November 10th in Cotai, Macau. And based on their finishing ratios, we’re fairly certain that this one will end inside of three rounds.
So in honor of the occasion, we’ve dug up Silva’s last official victory — which came over Keith Jardine via knockout (I know, you’re shocked too) at UFC 102 in August of 2009 — and placed it after the jump for your enjoyment. Because it is Halloween after all, and who won’t sleep better knowing that the scary monster in your closet can easily be felled with a solid left hook?
(Pikeew pikeew! I got you! Nu-uh! I totally got you first!)
In the past three years, Thiago Silva has been knocked out by Lyoto Machida, out-grappled by Rashad Evans, suspended from the UFC for attempting to mask his roid-filled urine after his fight with Brandon Vera, and out struck by Alexander Gustafsson. Needless to say, Silva is probably going to get axed if he doesn’t win big against Stanislav Nedkov at the pair’s upcoming duel at UFC on FUEL 6. The undefeated Nedkov has also spent more time on the shelf than off lately, battling injuries and visa issues for the better part of his two-year UFC career, but barring any last minute issues, these two will clash on November 10th in Cotai, Macau. And based on their finishing ratios, we’re fairly certain that this one will end inside of three rounds.
So in honor of the occasion, we’ve dug up Silva’s last official victory — which came over Keith Jardine via knockout (I know, you’re shocked too) at UFC 102 in August of 2009 — and placed it after the jump for your enjoyment. Because it is Halloween after all, and who won’t sleep better knowing that the scary monster in your closet can easily be felled with a solid left hook?
A little over a year ago, Georges St. Pierre was riding high. He had defended his belt for the sixth straight time against Jake Shields at an event that both obliterated North American attendance records and satisfied his home country’s need for bloodshed without having to sacrifice his first born child, as is tradition. Although he was being bashed by some critics for his apparent lack of finishing power, “Rush” would quickly meet a challenger that would bring out the inner killer his fans had been waiting for since UFC 83. Needless to say, things were going well for old GSP.
Yes, after blowing out his ACL, the welterweight kingpin was forced out of action for so long that even his stand-in championwent missing in an apparent attempt to find him. In the time since we last saw St. Pierre, his beloved homeland of Canada eeked out a respectable 36th place in the Summer Olympics, celebrated the 60th anniversary of one of their biggest television programs, and even closed the book on one of the most bizarre crimes in the country’s history. So overall, it was a decent year for any Canadian not named Georges St. Pierre.
But come November 17th, all that will change for at least one man, as GSP is set to finally make his triumphant return to the cage at UFC 154. And to celebrate his return, we’ve decided to dig up the fight that started it all. It took place in January of 2002 in Montreal and pitted the future champ against future UFC/WEC bantamweight (sheesh) Ivan Menjivar in his professional debut.
A little over a year ago, Georges St. Pierre was riding high. He had defended his belt for the sixth straight time against Jake Shields at an event that both obliterated North American attendance records and satisfied his home country’s need for bloodshed without having to sacrifice his first born child, as is tradition. Although he was being bashed by some critics for his apparent lack of finishing power, “Rush” would quickly meet a challenger that would bring out the inner killer his fans had been waiting for since UFC 83. Needless to say, things were going well for old GSP.
Yes, after blowing out his ACL, the welterweight kingpin was forced out of action for so long that even his stand-in championwent missing in an apparent attempt to find him. In the time since we last saw St. Pierre, his beloved homeland of Canada eeked out a respectable 36th place in the Summer Olympics, celebrated the 60th anniversary of one of their biggest television programs, and even closed the book on one of the most bizarre crimes in the country’s history. So overall, it was a decent year for any Canadian not named Georges St. Pierre.
But come November 17th, all that will change for at least one man, as GSP is set to finally make his triumphant return to the cage at UFC 154. And to celebrate his return, we’ve decided to dig up the fight that started it all. It took place in January of 2002 in Montreal and pitted the future champ against future UFC/WEC bantamweight (sheesh) Ivan Menjivar in his professional debut.
As was the case in Jon Jones’ UFC debut against Andre Gusmao, we can see a similar yet less refined fighter in GSP here. Watch in awe as he tests out the superman punch that would eventually find it’s way onto the Sportscenter top 10 when he used it on BJ Penn at UFC 94. Marvel at his superhuman ability to thwart a takedown as he would against Josh Koscheck at UFC 74. But we’ll give Menjivar credit where credit is due; his experience surely helped, but couldn’t possibly make up for his definitive size disadvantage, yet he still managed to take GSP down. Sean Connery approves.
But once St. Pierre is able to capitalize on a Menjivar trip around the 8:40 mark, he unleashes a hailstorm of punches and elbows that, while not enough to put Menjivar out, are apparently enough to get the ref to jump in and call the bout. Definitely an odd ending to an otherwise great bout. St. Pierre would go on to win his next six bouts before being armbarred just before the bell by Matt Hughes at UFC 50 in his first ever welterweight title shot.
St. Pierre would get his revenge not once, but twice on Hughes, and it would be smooth sailing from there on out. Mostly.
