Carlos Condit absolutely outclassed Don Hyun Kim in their match up. I interviewed Condit and asked if he felt Kim was ready for an opponent of his caliber, and well…..He say that we would find out Saturday night, and indeed we did. Condit caught h…
Carlos Condit absolutely outclassed Don Hyun Kim in their match up. I interviewed Condit and asked if he felt Kim was ready for an opponent of his caliber, and well…..He say that we would find out Saturday night, and indeed we did.
Condit caught him with a flying and finished him with a few punches. Condit really made a statement in this fight. He said that if he finished Kim that he would request a title shot, well with this impressive victory I personally say that he deserves it.
Post fight, Kim still appeared dazed. He made it to the back, but when you are knocked out for the first time, it is a different experience for you. Condit isn’t a very emotional type person that boasts celebratory emotions after a fight. But again he did make it clear he wanted a title shot.
What is next for Kim? This loss did not hurt his stock at all. He loss to one of the best welterweights of all time. He could be facing the likes of a Rick Story or a Charlie Brennaman. He is still mid level contender and two more wins and he is back.
What is next for Condit? He is ready for the big dogs. In all truths it would be nice to see a rematch with Kampmann, but now that his stock level has risen even more it is time for a guy like Jon Fitch or BJ Penn. He does have a claim to fight for the belt, but that would include a long layoff, which is what he just encountered so odds are he will have 1-2 more fights before a shot at the championship.
Carlos Condit used to have a reputation for submitting his opponents. It seems now he wants to change his rep. For the second time in as many fights, Condit walked out of the Octagon with a first round knock, this time of previously unbeaten Do…
Carlos Condit used to have a reputation for submitting his opponents. It seems now he wants to change his rep.
For the second time in as many fights, Condit walked out of the Octagon with a first round knock, this time of previously unbeaten Dong Hyun Kim.
After what seemed a lackadaisical start to the fight, one that saw Condit get taken down before reversing his position and getting back up, Condit threw a lazy straight right kick before moving in close enough to throw a brilliantly timed flying knee that landed square on Kim’s jaw, dropping him to the canvas.
The additional punches Condit landed after pouncing on a fallen Kim were probably not even necessary, but referee Steve Mazzagatti allowed him to it anyway, further punctuating another impressive win for the former WEC Welterweight Champion.
The question now becomes; what’s next for Carlos Condit? In a division staring for a legitimate threat to Georges St. Pierre’s title, maybe Condit is that threat. It’s true that GSP has a formidable opponent on deck in Nick Diaz, but should that fight end the same way most of St. Pierre’s do, Condit may very well have the best case for a shot at the champ.
Just as impressive as Condit’s ability to end his most recent fights early is who he’s beaten in the process. A left hook KO of Dan Hardy, who’s lone strength seems to be boxing, and now a flying knee KO of Dong Hyun Kim, who had yet to taste defeat and consistently looked a class above those he formerly fought, screams that Condit is as worthy an opponent to challenge St. Pierre’s strap as exists in the UFC.
Will the UFC give it to him? Count me among those who think they should.
First win since 2006? Yeah, we’d probably savor the moment a little longer than we should as well. (Pic: MMAWeekly.com)
Just a few fights into last night night’s card I was looking at my watch. It wasn’t because the fights were boring, nor because my wings had yet to arrive. It was the pace at which the fights, and fighters, were dropping. For the first time ever, I was concerned that the UFC didn’t have enough lame movie and video game promos to spam throughout the event. In more ways than one, time was the theme of UFC 132. The evening’s bouts marked the end of a long run, good and bad, for many of the fighters on the card.
(4 Years, 3 Months) Tito’s last taste of victory
Have you ever seen anyone so elated to win a fight? Rightfully so, as there was no ambiguity as to “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’s” position in the UFC: win, or get the fuck out. Few gave him a chance against Ryan Bader, a guy who seemed to hold every advantage and who’d amassed an impressive 11-1 record, all during Tito’s infamous slide down the rankings. Ortiz quickly connected with a short right hook, dropping his opponent to the mat, and less than two minutes into the fight Bader was quite literally choking in his second consecutive defeat. As much as we give Tito a hard time—and it is almost always deserved—it was nice to see him finally get a win in the organization that he helped carry for many years. Now, can he do it again?
First win since 2006? Yeah, we’d probably savor the moment a little longer than we should as well. (Pic: MMAWeekly.com)
Just a few fights into last night night’s card I was looking at my watch. It wasn’t because the fights were boring, nor because my wings had yet to arrive. It was the pace at which the fights, and fighters, were dropping. For the first time ever, I was concerned that the UFC didn’t have enough lame movie and video game promos to spam throughout the event. In more ways than one, time was the theme of UFC 132. The evening’s bouts marked the end of a long run, good and bad, for many of the fighters on the card.
(4 Years, 3 Months) Tito’s last taste of victory
Have you ever seen anyone so elated to win a fight? Rightfully so, as there was no ambiguity as to “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’s” position in the UFC: win, or get the fuck out. Few gave him a chance against Ryan Bader, a guy who seemed to hold every advantage and who’d amassed an impressive 11-1 record, all during Tito’s infamous slide down the rankings. Ortiz quickly connected with a short right hook, dropping his opponent to the mat, and less than two minutes into the fight Bader was quite literally choking in his second consecutive defeat. As much as we give Tito a hard time—and it is almost always deserved—it was nice to see him finally get a win in the organization that he helped carry for many years. Now, can he do it again?
(4 Years, 4 Months) Wanderlei’s Pride reign of terror ended
We hate to say it, but “Uncle Chael” was right. We all knew it would be a wild brawl with one man going out on his shield, but no one expected (or at least no one wanted) to see a legend crumbled so quickly. Wanderlei Silva, the longtime savior of Japanese bloodlust, has gone a depressing 2-4 since bringing his violent talents stateside, and he’s once again found himself on the business end of a highlight reel knock out. Although he exited Pride on a two-fight skid, he was still considered a savage in his prime; those days are gone. While Tito has likely staved off his pink slip for now, Dana White said that this is “probably the end of the road for Wanderlei” at the post fight presser. As tough as it is to see stars slowly fade away, it’s more painful to see them snuffed out quickly. Silva’s berserker-style isn’t a double-edged sword, it’s a double-edged battle axe, and if this was his last fight it’s been an honor to watch him swing it with reckless abandon.
(4 Years, 3 Months) Cruz waits for revenge
It took a perfect 9-0 stretch to earn Dominick Cruz his first shot at Urijah Faber back in 2007, and less than two minutes for the WEC Featherweight Champ to hand him his first and only loss. Since that time Cruz strung together another eight consecutive wins and picked up a WEC/UFC belt of his own, but until last night he’d have to wait for his revenge. The evening’s “Fight of the Night” was a razor thin, tough-to-call decision in favor of “The Dominator” (50-45? Probably not). The back and forth action lasted the full five rounds, stealing the show on a card chock-full of “holy shit” stoppages. Prior to 132 there was talk of Brian Bowles earning his shot with a win over Mizugaki, and there’s a nice storyline in him challenging the man that took his belt, but there are already murmurs of a rubber match between Faber and Cruz and from where Dana White’s sitting those two may have pre-sold tickets to that event last night.
Main Bouts (On Pay-Per-View):
-Dominick Cruz def. Uirjah Faber by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47), R5
-Chris Leben def. Wanderlei Silva by KO (Punch) at 0:27, R1
-Dennis Siver def. Matt Wiman by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), R3
-Tito Ortiz def. Ryan Bader by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:56, R1
-Carlos Condit def. Dong Hyun Kim by TKO (Strikes) at 2:58, R1
Preliminary Bouts (On Spike/Rogers):
-Melvin Guillard def. Shane Roller by KO (Punch) at 2:12, R1
-Rafael dos Anjos def. George Sotiropoulos by KO (Punch) at 0:59, R1
Preliminary Bouts (On Facebook):
-Brian Bowles def. Takeya Mizugaki by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), R3
-Aaron Simpson def. Brad Tavares by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3
-Anthony Njokuani def. Andre Winner by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26), R3
-Jeff Hougland def. Donny Walker by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27), R3
Melvin Guillard once again showed why he is a top contender. His speed and hands are some of the best in the lightweight division.Shane Roller is a very solid wrestler, but made the mistake of staying on the feet and attempting to trade punche…
Melvin Guillard once again showed why he is a top contender. His speed and hands are some of the best in the lightweight division.
Shane Roller is a very solid wrestler, but made the mistake of staying on the feet and attempting to trade punches. Early on all was well, then Guillard starting landing hard shots which rocked Roller and led to the end for him.
Post fight, both men were respectful. The doctors were attending to Roller who appeared to be OK, while Guillard celebrated and spoke facts. He did not demand a title shot and his post-fight speech truly made him look well in the eyes of the big names of the UFC.
There are many fights that both men could take after this, but one thing is for sure, and that is it is time for Guillard to get a top guy so that we can truly see where he is at in the lightweight division.
Next for Roller? There are a few names that come to mind, but the best that does is the loser of Siver vs Wiman. Wiman would match up pretty well with both guys, and while Siver has superior stand-up, Roller’s wrestling could truly make the difference.
Next for Guillard? He is at the top of his game. A fun match up for him would be Anthony Pettis.Guillard would have the advantage considering his teammate is coming off of a victory over Pettis.
Pettis is healthy and that could be perfect for a meeting in Dallas, TX later this year.
Sotiropoulos vs Dos Anjos had all of the makings for a grappling war, but this fight is the one that you do not need to blink. If you did then odds are you miss the beautiful knockout Dos Anjos scored. This fight was expected to be the fight to put …
Sotiropoulos vs Dos Anjos had all of the makings for a grappling war, but this fight is the one that you do not need to blink. If you did then odds are you miss the beautiful knockout Dos Anjos scored. This fight was expected to be the fight to put Sotiropoulos back in the title hunt, but at the end of the day it boosted Dos Anjos’ stock and put Sotiropoulos in an interesting situation.
There are many fights that could now take place, and a good on for Dos Anjos would be the winner of the Denis Siver vs Matt Wiman fight, while Sotiropoulos could fight the likes of Anthony Njokuani or Anthony Pettis.
This was a solid upset and will really have the potential for interesting match ups. Both men have an excellent ground game, with Dos Anjos having the superior striking, which will benefit for future match ups.
After the fight, Sotiropoulos exited the cage pretty fast and headed to the back as you could see the obvious disappointment on his face, while Dos Anjos and his camp appeared extremely happy as they celebrated loudly on their way to the back. Great early start to the night, this should be sign for even more great fights to come, because this whole card up to now has been nothing less than impressive.
This fight is now the early front runner for knock out of the night, will anyone top this? Stay tuned to find out.
No writer can properly quantify the emotion of a win. How happy are you? We often ask that of pro athletes after a big success, hoping they do it for us. Sometimes they’re “thrilled” or “elated” or “excited” but in reality, words don’t do feelings justice when they’ve put in week after week, month after month in hopes of reaching a moment when they get to celebrate.
Losing is even worse. Fighters are known to fall into bouts of depression after suffering a defeat, locking themselves in darkened spaces, only to relive their bad memories again and again. Imagine then, how Tito Ortiz had suffered before last night. A proud former champion, he had gone winless in five fights over four-and-a-half years, been asked to retire by UFC brass, been forced to beg for another chance.
Imagine then what Tito Ortiz was feeling last night. He didn’t just win a fight; he won back his career. To steal a phrase from the president (Obama, not White), he won the future. He walked into the octagon for what was supposed to be the last time at UFC 132, counted out by the oddsmakers, considered washed-up by the fans, and yes, discounted by the media. Lose, and it was over. And let’s face it, after going winless for nearly five years, his career obituary had been pre-written.
And then on the way to his forced retirement, a surprise. Ortiz stunned Ryan Bader, a borderline top 10 fighter who was considered by many a younger, better version of him.
By the time the fight began, money was pouring in on Bader, who had gone off as a huge favorite, as high as -800 on some sports books. The closest line you could find was about -500.
You couldn’t blame the doubters. It had been 1,726 days between wins for Ortiz. One-thousand-seven-hundred and twenty-six days! When he last won, it was October 10, 2006. Since then, the Los Angeles Lakers won two NBA championships. Randy Couture unretired, won the heavyweight championship, resigned, returned, fought six more times, and retired again. Barry Bonds broke the all-time baseball home run record.
In sports, four-and-a-half years can be an eternity. It is for football players; an average NFL career is just 3.5 years. Even in regular life, it’s a long time. During Ortiz’s stretch, kids went into college and graduated as adults with degrees.
Think about failing for that long, and what that does to the psyche of someone not used to it. It’s easy to fold up shop and fade away quietly, especially when you have money to fall back on, and by all accounts, Ortiz does. When you’re surrounded by nice things, by a comfortable life, it’s hard to make yourself uncomfortable by putting in the extra time that helped you get there. Forrest Griffin once told me, “The extraordinary becomes ordinary pretty quickly.” I suspect he’s not any different than most famous people with money in that belief. Life makes you adapt to what’s around you. That’s especially true when things are good, but it’s also true in times of turmoil.
The referee checks on Wanderlei Silva after his knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
UFC 132 Photos
Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz in their UFC bantamweight championship bout at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
That’s why it would have been easy for Ortiz to keep losing. It wasn’t like he was getting blown out. Aside from a TKO loss to Chuck Liddell, he fought Rashad Evans to a draw, went to decisions with Griffin, Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill. But the injuries seemed to rob him of his explosion and firepower. And we had to wonder what exactly Ortiz could be if he couldn’t be a bully?
Ortiz caught Bader with an uppercut that floored him, then followed him to the mat, where he has always had underrated submission skills. He wasted no time in snatching Bader’s neck when he left it open. As he squeezed, you could see the determination on his face; he held on to that neck like it was his career. And it was. When he got Bader to tap, he ensured his return. There will be at least one more payday, one more time in the spotlight.
Who knows what to make of this win aside from that? Ortiz deserves all the credit in the world for it, but at 36 years old and in a division full of killers, it’s hard to envision him putting together any extended stretch of victories. But in some ways that does not matter. Even in the midst of fading away, every legend deserves one last moment of glory.
Once upon a time, Ortiz was the most predictable fighter in the UFC. Takedown, ground and pound, stoppage, celebration. Losing took that away from him, and time seemed to steal everything else. But it couldn’t take this moment. We watch sports for the unexpected. And long after we figured we could write the ending on his page of history, Ortiz gave us a surprise worth its weight in gold.
For a long time, Ortiz has attracted an audience due to what he said as much as for how he performed. On Saturday night, the win was its own statement. Afterward, he did his gravedigger routine. It was the kind of post-fight show that used to be the norm a few years ago. After so long between wins, it might have been overkill, but after so long between wins, who could blame him? He ran towards the octagon and jumped atop it, straddling the fence as he let out a primal scream of exhilaration. Not a word was necessary.
No writer can properly quantify the emotion of a win. How happy are you? We often ask that of pro athletes after a big success, hoping they do it for us. Sometimes they’re “thrilled” or “elated” or “excited” but in reality, words don’t do feelings justice when they’ve put in week after week, month after month in hopes of reaching a moment when they get to celebrate.
Losing is even worse. Fighters are known to fall into bouts of depression after suffering a defeat, locking themselves in darkened spaces, only to relive their bad memories again and again. Imagine then, how Tito Ortiz had suffered before last night. A proud former champion, he had gone winless in five fights over four-and-a-half years, been asked to retire by UFC brass, been forced to beg for another chance.
Imagine then what Tito Ortiz was feeling last night. He didn’t just win a fight; he won back his career. To steal a phrase from the president (Obama, not White), he won the future. He walked into the octagon for what was supposed to be the last time at UFC 132, counted out by the oddsmakers, considered washed-up by the fans, and yes, discounted by the media. Lose, and it was over. And let’s face it, after going winless for nearly five years, his career obituary had been pre-written.
And then on the way to his forced retirement, a surprise. Ortiz stunned Ryan Bader, a borderline top 10 fighter who was considered by many a younger, better version of him.
By the time the fight began, money was pouring in on Bader, who had gone off as a huge favorite, as high as -800 on some sports books. The closest line you could find was about -500.
You couldn’t blame the doubters. It had been 1,726 days between wins for Ortiz. One-thousand-seven-hundred and twenty-six days! When he last won, it was October 10, 2006. Since then, the Los Angeles Lakers won two NBA championships. Randy Couture unretired, won the heavyweight championship, resigned, returned, fought six more times, and retired again. Barry Bonds broke the all-time baseball home run record.
In sports, four-and-a-half years can be an eternity. It is for football players; an average NFL career is just 3.5 years. Even in regular life, it’s a long time. During Ortiz’s stretch, kids went into college and graduated as adults with degrees.
Think about failing for that long, and what that does to the psyche of someone not used to it. It’s easy to fold up shop and fade away quietly, especially when you have money to fall back on, and by all accounts, Ortiz does. When you’re surrounded by nice things, by a comfortable life, it’s hard to make yourself uncomfortable by putting in the extra time that helped you get there. Forrest Griffin once told me, “The extraordinary becomes ordinary pretty quickly.” I suspect he’s not any different than most famous people with money in that belief. Life makes you adapt to what’s around you. That’s especially true when things are good, but it’s also true in times of turmoil.
The referee checks on Wanderlei Silva after his knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
UFC 132 Photos
Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz in their UFC bantamweight championship bout at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
That’s why it would have been easy for Ortiz to keep losing. It wasn’t like he was getting blown out. Aside from a TKO loss to Chuck Liddell, he fought Rashad Evans to a draw, went to decisions with Griffin, Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill. But the injuries seemed to rob him of his explosion and firepower. And we had to wonder what exactly Ortiz could be if he couldn’t be a bully?
Ortiz caught Bader with an uppercut that floored him, then followed him to the mat, where he has always had underrated submission skills. He wasted no time in snatching Bader’s neck when he left it open. As he squeezed, you could see the determination on his face; he held on to that neck like it was his career. And it was. When he got Bader to tap, he ensured his return. There will be at least one more payday, one more time in the spotlight.
Who knows what to make of this win aside from that? Ortiz deserves all the credit in the world for it, but at 36 years old and in a division full of killers, it’s hard to envision him putting together any extended stretch of victories. But in some ways that does not matter. Even in the midst of fading away, every legend deserves one last moment of glory.
Once upon a time, Ortiz was the most predictable fighter in the UFC. Takedown, ground and pound, stoppage, celebration. Losing took that away from him, and time seemed to steal everything else. But it couldn’t take this moment. We watch sports for the unexpected. And long after we figured we could write the ending on his page of history, Ortiz gave us a surprise worth its weight in gold.
For a long time, Ortiz has attracted an audience due to what he said as much as for how he performed. On Saturday night, the win was its own statement. Afterward, he did his gravedigger routine. It was the kind of post-fight show that used to be the norm a few years ago. After so long between wins, it might have been overkill, but after so long between wins, who could blame him? He ran towards the octagon and jumped atop it, straddling the fence as he let out a primal scream of exhilaration. Not a word was necessary.
No writer can properly quantify the emotion of a win. How happy are you? We often ask that of pro athletes after a big success, hoping they do it for us. Sometimes they’re “thrilled” or “elated” or “excited” but in reality, words don’t do feelings justice when they’ve put in week after week, month after month in hopes of reaching a moment when they get to celebrate.
