Tag: Travis Browne

‘UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans’ — Live Preliminary Card Results & Commentary

It’s finally almost time for UFC 145, which means we have some preliminary fights on FX to make snarky comments through. We have a fight between TUF champions turned gatekeepers Mac Danzig and Efrain Escudero, a matchup between Anthony Njokuani and John Makdessi, we find out if Matt Brown will live to fight another day against Stephen Thompson, and we get a heavyweight bout between Travis Browne and Chad Griggs to keep us entertained before the main card tonight. Grab a sammich and a bottle of the finest flavor of Night Train Express that the nearest gas station sells and join us for round-by-round results.

Live, round-by-round results from the UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans preliminary broadcast will be collecting after the jump starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, courtesy of CagePotato’s ultimate (weekend) warrior, Seth Falvo. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section. Please stand by.

It’s finally almost time for UFC 145, which means we have some preliminary fights on FX to make snarky comments through. We have a fight between TUF champions turned gatekeepers Mac Danzig and Efrain Escudero, a matchup between Anthony Njokuani and John Makdessi, we find out if Matt Brown will live to fight another day against Stephen Thompson, and we get a heavyweight bout between Travis Browne and Chad Griggs to keep us entertained before the main card tonight. Grab a sammich and a bottle of the finest flavor of Night Train Express that the nearest gas station sells and join us for round-by-round results.

Live, round-by-round results from the UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans preliminary broadcast will be collecting after the jump starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, courtesy of CagePotato’s ultimate (weekend) warrior, Seth Falvo. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section. Please stand by.

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Before we kick things off, does anyone want know why I chose a fan-made UFC 145 poster as the featured image for this liveblog? It’s because that poster took twice as much effort as the real poster and is about fifty times more terrifying. I chose to believe that it’s an indication of things to come tonight, be it devastating knockouts, arm-snapping submissions or just how badly I can misspell basic words of a language I’ve been speaking for my entire life while attempting to keep you all up to date on the action. Just thought I’d share that before we go live.

Cue the cheesy “This may be awesome” disclaimer, because WE ARE LIVE! Seriously though, FX, come up with something less terrible. And someone may want to tell Mike Goldberg how to pronounce “Hecho en Mexico” before the start of his fight against Mac Danzig.

Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero

Too late.

Round One: They touch gloves, and we’re underway. They clinch up and exchange knees, with Danzig immediately pushing Escudero into the cage. Escudero reverses position and looks for a takedown, but Danzig reverses and earns a takedown of his own. Escudero works for a heel hook, and appears to have Danzig in trouble, but Mac escapes and takes Escudero’s back. Mac lets him back up, and Escudero lands a leg kick. Nice cross by Danzig. Danzig is landing some punches and doing a good job of avoiding Escudero’s, but Efrain doesn’t appear hurt by any of them. They clinch against the cage with Mac Danzig looking for a takedown. Danzig has Escudero’s back, but Efrain is doing a good job of staying on his feet. A “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chant breaks out as they separate and we’re back in the center of the cage. Escudero now rushes Danzig, trapping him against the cage looking for a takedown with twenty seconds left in the round. He is unsuccessful, and the round comes to an end.

Round Two: They touch gloves, and after aboutforty seconds of feeling each other out, Escudero lands a nice right hand. Danzig counters with a hard leg kick, and presses Escudero against the cage, kneeing Escudero in the thighs. Nice 1-2 from Escudero as he breaks free. The fans begin to boo the lack of action, as both guys are throwing heavy shots that are easily being avoided. Danzig has a much stronger clinch than Escudero, and has him back against the cage with ninety seconds left in the round. Escudero lands a knee from the clinch in the center of the cage, so naturally, Danzig pushes Escudero into the cage and works his wall-and-stall. Escudero unsuccessfully looks for another takedown as this round comes to an end.

Round Three: Danzig’s right ankle is jacked up, which explains his wall-and-stall heavy offense (if it can be called that). Nice leg kick from Danzig, followed by an attempted Superman punch. Escudero is back up against the cage, and lands a knee before Danzig works to take his back. He gives it up temporarily, and we’re back against the cage, with Danzig attempting to take Escudero’s back. You know what, I think I’ll just copy that sentence and paste it accordingly for the remainder of this one. Okay, now they’re free with ninety seconds left. Danzig is landing some nice punches to Escudero’s body, and doing a good job of avoiding Escudero’s wild striking. And we’re back against the cage, care to guess who has dominant position? This one mercifully comes to an end. It wasn’t pretty, but it looks like Mac Danzig has this one.

He does. Mac Danzig def. Efrain Escudero via unanimous decision, 30-27 x2, 29-28 x1. Let’s put this one behind us ASAP.

Anthony Njokuani vs. John Makdessi

Round One: They touch gloves and immediately exchange kicks. Njokuani is throwing a lot of head kicks to start this one off, and Makdessi throws a front leg side kick. And another. Nice leg kick by Njokuani. Makdessi returns with one of his own. Njokuani rushes in with a combo that doesn’t quite land, but the leg kick he punctuates it with does. Makdessi keeps throwing the front leg side kick, but it isn’t landing. Njokuani seems to have Makdessi wobbled by a left hook with two minutes left in the round, but doesn’t capitalize from it. Huge head kick attempted by Njokuani, but Makdessi blocks it. With one minute left in the round, Njokuani lands a head kick, but Makdessi doesn’t seem hurt. Makdessi throws the side kick again, as both men are playing it safe as this round comes to an end.

Round Two: Makdessi throws the side kick straight at Njokuani’s head, but it’s blocked. Nice body kick by Makdessi. Spinning back kick from Makdessi, but Njokuani avoids it. Njokuani throws a head kick, but it’s blocked. That’s pretty much the story of this fight so far, come to think of it. They clinch up with three minutes left, and Makdessi lands some good strikes. Nice leg kicks now from Njokuani. Makdessi checks a leg kick, and this crowd begins to boo. Another leg kick from Njokuani, and Makdessi’s left leg is bright red. Njokuani catches a kick and looks to rush Makdessi, but Makdessi lands a counter punch and Njokuani backs away. Makdessi attempts a takedown as this round comes to an end.

Round Three: Makdessi is told by his corner that he’s behind on the scorecards, but he isn’t being overly aggressive as the round begins. We’re one minute into this round, and the crowd begins to boo as Njokuani lands another leg kick. Njokuani jabs at Makdessi’s body, and Makdessi throws a leg kick. Makdessi lands a spinning backfist, but doesn’t capitalize on it. Joe Rogan sounds bored as Makdessi keeps attempting the front kick that isn’t landing at all, and lands a spinning back kick to Njokuani’s body that had zero power behind it. Body kick Njokuani. Only thirty seconds left, and Makdessi has to start trying to look for the knockout. He attempts a wheel kick that completely misses, the crowd boos loudly and this one comes to a close.

Sheesh, that disclaimer looks more ridiculous by the second. It’s tough to say that either fighter deserves a victory here, but Njokuani will probably win this one.

He does. Anthony Njokuani def. John Makdessi via unanimous decision, 30-27 x3.

Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson

Round One: They touch gloves, and Wonderboy immediately throws a kick. Brown attempts a takedown, which Thompson stuffs easily. Thompson stuffs another takedown, as Brown pushes Wonderboy into the cage looking for another takedown. He eventually gets it, and winds up in Thompson’s guard. Brown throws some heavy punches, but they miss Thompson entirely. Thompson’s corner yells for an upkick, as Brown attempts a leg lock. He gives up on it, as Thompson is back on his feet. Brown keeps Thompson against the cage, as Thompson reverses the position. Brown earns a takedown, and takes Thompson’s back. Wonderboy does a nice job of getting back to his feet, but Brown holds on and eventually drags him back down. Brown looks for a calf crank, and Thompson throws hammerfists in order to get out. Brown ends up in Thompson’s half guard, and throws punches to Wonderboy’s body as this round comes to an end.

I wasn’t expecting Thompson to have a great ground game or anything…but damn.

Round Two: They touch gloves, and Thompson begins throwing punches to keep Brown outside. Brown gets Thompson against the cage and earns a takedown, but Thompson gets up immediately. They clinch, and Brown attempts an extremely telegraphed takedown that actually gets Thompson down. They’re back up, and Thompson lands a head kick. Brown is hurt, with Thompson looking for the finish. Nice spinning back kick from Thompson. Brown is wobbled and tired, and desperately attempts a takedown that momentarily gets Wonderboy down. Joe Rogan wonders out loud “How does Thompson manage to get taken down by this?” as Thompson gets back up. Brown is badly hurt, and his counter kicks are coming at laughably slow speeds. Thompson is too tired to put him away though. Brown lands a HUGE counter elbow than drops Thompson, and Brown is now in Thompson’s guard dropping elbows. Thompson is cut and Brown is raining down punches from side control as this round comes to an end. Didn’t see that one coming.

The crowd gives a loud ovation for the only action they’ve seen so far tonight. Can’t wait to see how this one plays out.

Round Three: Brown comes out looking to finish Thompson, but Thompson breaks free. Wonderboy falls down after landing a leg kick, and both men are clearly exhausted. Another laughably slow head kick from Brown. Dare I call it a Brazilian kick attempt? It kind of looks like that’s what he just tried. Thompson now rocks Brown with a 1-2 combo, and Brown gets Wonderboy against the cage and immediately earns a takedown. They’re back up, and Brown lands a nice knee with 2:30 left. They clinch, and Brown earns a leg trip, elbowing Thompson in the head. Brown earns side control, looking for a crucifix. With one minute left, Brown gets the crucifix and works for a mounted triangle. He throws some punches to Thompson’s head, which is bleeding like crazy as this fight comes to an end.

Gutsy performance from Matt Brown. He easily takes this one.

Official Decision: Matt Brown def. Stephen Thompson by unanimous decision, 30-27 x2, 29-28 x1

Time for our last bout of the evening. At least our last preliminary bout.

Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs

Round One: Leg kick Griggs. Browne with a huge flying knee, and throws some more knees to the body. Browne looks for a takedown, but Griggs shows good takedown defense. At least for a few seconds, as Browne slams Griggs and ends up in side control. Browne mounts Griggs, and works for an arm-triangle. Browne gets it, and Griggs throws some punches before going completely out. Total domination by Travis Browne.

Browne looks into the camera and asks us: “A submission? A SUBMISSION? THAT’S a submission.” Yes it is, Travis. Yes. It. Is.

Travis Browne def. Chad Griggs via submission (arm-triangle choke), 2:29 of Round One.

Looks like my work here is done. Enjoy the main card.

UFC 145 Exclusive: Travis Browne Discusses Chad Griggs, Facial Hair, Dogs, Fatherhood + More

After compiling a 3-0-1 record in the UFC, heavyweight contender Travis “Hapa” Browne will welcome Strikeforce standout Chad Griggs into the Octagon at UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans (April 21st, Atlanta). CagePotato video-correspondent Sal Mora caught up to the undefeated slugger at the Jackson’s MMA camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to chat about his upcoming match — which will close out the UFC 145 preliminary card broadcast on FX — as well as Browne’s life outside of the cage. Check out the exclusive video after the jump, and let us know how you think this one will go down. Some highlights from the interview…

– On deserving a “step up” after four fights in the UFC: “I can’t worry myself with that. Joe Silva lines ’em up, I knock ’em down. Whoever he decides to put in front of me, it’s none of my business. I’m just out there to put on a show and keep winning my fights. It doesn’t matter who I fight, or where I stand in the rankings. I’m not somebody who gets caught up in that. I don’t even know where I stand right now, actually.”

– On what his sons think of their dad’s MMA career: “I think right now it’s not something that they have fully grasped. Before I came to camp, my last dinner with my kids…we’re all sitting down to dinner, and the waiter comes over and says, ‘Can I get you guys anything to drink?’ and my son stands up on the bench that he’s sitting on and says, ‘Hey! My dad’s in the video game!’…It was really cool to see my son happy about that. I just want my kids to be proud of me, and I think I’m doing that.”

After compiling a 3-0-1 record in the UFC, heavyweight contender Travis “Hapa” Browne will welcome Strikeforce standout Chad Griggs into the Octagon at UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans (April 21st, Atlanta). CagePotato video-correspondent Sal Mora caught up to the undefeated slugger at the Jackson’s MMA camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to chat about his upcoming match — which will close out the UFC 145 preliminary card broadcast on FX — as well as Browne’s life outside of the cage. Check out the exclusive video after the jump, and let us know how you think this one will go down. Some highlights from the interview…

– On deserving a “step up” after four fights in the UFC: ”I can’t worry myself with that. Joe Silva lines ‘em up, I knock ‘em down. Whoever he decides to put in front of me, it’s none of my business. I’m just out there to put on a show and keep winning my fights. It doesn’t matter who I fight, or where I stand in the rankings. I’m not somebody who gets caught up in that. I don’t even know where I stand right now, actually.”

– On what his sons think of their dad’s MMA career: “I think right now it’s not something that they have fully grasped. Before I came to camp, my last dinner with my kids…we’re all sitting down to dinner, and the waiter comes over and says, ‘Can I get you guys anything to drink?’ and my son stands up on the bench that he’s sitting on and says, ‘Hey! My dad’s in the video game!’…It was really cool to see my son happy about that. I just want my kids to be proud of me, and I think I’m doing that.”

– On Griggs’s style: “Chad comes out and sets a pretty high pace. He’s a smaller heavyweight, so he can get away with that…No matter what, you have to be just as intense as your opponent, if not more. Otherwise, that can help sway the momentum their way.”

– On dog-training: ”I had my own dog and I was too poor to get her trained, so I started apprenticing under a trainer, and since [then], I just grew fond of training dogs, and saw what difference you can make in people’s lives when they have a dog that’s actually trained and well behaved…I haven’t been training dogs for the last couple years since I started in the UFC, that way I can focus fully on my training and make sure I come out on top in my fights, but it’s definitely something I want to get back to once I’m done.”

– On the possibility of his kids following in his fighter-footsteps: “I think it would be tough for me. I love my boys, and anybody who truly knows me knows I’m a big softie. I hate watching my friends fight; that’s stressful for me because I don’t have any control over it. I would rather take an ass-whippin’ instead of letting them take one. You know what I mean? If they’re catching one, I would rather catch it for them. But I think watching my kids do something like that, I think I would be proud of their accomplishments, and I would be there for them if they ever had any disappointments in their career. But I’m just here to support them, I’m not pushing MMA on them…I’m letting them learn themselves and see what they like and what they want to develop into.”


UFC 145 Video Interview with Travis Browne – Watch More Funny Videos

[Ed. note: I specifically asked Sal to throw in that question about the four-year-old Yorkie. I was hoping that Travis would reveal some pro tips that I could use to control my dog’s separation anxiety, but I guess there’s no such thing as free advice when it comes to dog training. – BG]

Chad Griggs vs. Travis Browne Booked for UFC 145 in Montreal


(Travis Browne makes Stefan Struve do his fainting cat impression at UFC 130. / Photo via MMAFighting)

A little update to our “Hell yeah, Chad Griggs is coming to the UFC” story from last week: The UFC has announced that Griggs’s Octagon debut will come against Travis “Hapa” Browne, the towering up-and-comer whose 3-0-1 UFC record includes first-round knockouts of Stefan Struve and James McSweeney, and a recent decision win over Rob Broughton. (He also had that ugly draw against Cheick Kongo, but the less said about that fight the better.) Griggs and Browne will meet at UFC 145, March 24th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

In other words, Griggs won’t be developed slowly against hand-picked opponents — it’ll either be sink or swim against one of the most talented heavyweights coming up the ranks. Then again, Griggs made his name in Strikeforce by beating up guys who were supposed to be better than him, so really, who knows. As of now, the only other fight slated for UFC 145 is a welterweight feature between Rory MacDonald and Che Mills.


(Travis Browne makes Stefan Struve do his fainting cat impression at UFC 130. / Photo via MMAFighting)

A little update to our “Hell yeah, Chad Griggs is coming to the UFC” story from last week: The UFC has announced that Griggs’s Octagon debut will come against Travis “Hapa” Browne, the towering up-and-comer whose 3-0-1 UFC record includes first-round knockouts of Stefan Struve and James McSweeney, and a recent decision win over Rob Broughton. (He also had that ugly draw against Cheick Kongo, but the less said about that fight the better.) Griggs and Browne will meet at UFC 145, March 24th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

In other words, Griggs won’t be developed slowly against hand-picked opponents — it’ll either be sink or swim against one of the most talented heavyweights coming up the ranks. Then again, Griggs made his name in Strikeforce by beating up guys who were supposed to be better than him, so really, who knows. As of now, the only other fight slated for UFC 145 is a welterweight feature between Rory MacDonald and Che Mills.

Unbeaten UFC Heavyweight Travis Browne Aims to Be Crowd-Pleasing Contender

Filed under: UFCComing off his Knockout of the Night performance in a win over Stefan Struve in the spring, Travis Browne came to UFC 135 surrounded by big expectations. But there would be no flashy highlights this time around. His durable opponent Rob…

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Coming off his Knockout of the Night performance in a win over Stefan Struve in the spring, Travis Browne came to UFC 135 surrounded by big expectations. But there would be no flashy highlights this time around. His durable opponent Rob Broughton made the fight a battle of attrition, and Browne had to settle for a workmanlike unanimous decision.

With the win, Browne kept his record unbeaten at 12-0-1. And perhaps just as importantly, he showed he could win a different kind of fight, a tough, slow grind. For his long-term future, that meant just as much to Browne as a spectacular knockout.

“It wasn’t my most fulfilling win but it was a win nonetheless,” Browne said. “And especially in the UFC, it’s something you have to be grateful for. I put in some hard work. I beat a tough guy. Do I think I could have done better? Definitely. But you have to tip your hat to him. He’s a tough guy who took a shot. That’s his game, the grind match. I beat him at his own game, so I can’t be that upset. But at the same time, I felt I could have done better.”

To Browne, “better” includes a finish. A powerful and athletic striker with a 6-foot-7, 255-pound frame, the native Hawaiian who now trains with Team Greg Jackson says he always enters fights with a knockout mind set. Nine of his wins have ended in that fashion. But as he progresses, he knows that there will be opponents who resist being put away. That’s why to him, defeating Broughton over three rounds really meant something.

Browne said that in his entire career, he’s never hit someone so hard and not had them go down. On more than one occasion, he hit Broughton and felt the impact reverberate up his arms past his elbows. By the time the fight was over, his knuckles were sore and shin was bruised from all the strikes, but there was still no KO.

That led to some criticism of Browne’s performance. More criticism also came at him for conditioning, as the fight slowed in Denver’s mile-high thin air.

But Browne said any negative words will only serve to motivate him to get better and fight to a more decisive finish next time around. The win may have lacked style points, but he fought through the altitude issues, out-muscling and out-lasting Broughton.

“I try to to be a pleaser, to please the fans,” he said. “I don’t want to just go out there and win. I want people to be like, ‘Holy s—, did you see what Travis Browne did?’ That’s my style, that’s how I like to fight. I like to please the fans. Go out, knock somebody out, choke them out, break an arm. Something. I’m trying to be on SportsCenter every single fight. So to have a fight like that? That was a learning curve.”

To Browne, continuing to round out his skill set is the short-term and long-term goal. Because in order to beat the top echelon fighters, he can’t simply rely on his striking or ground skills or any one thing. Evolution is the key.

To that end, when asked who he would like to face next, Browne doesn’t name any of the division’s biggest names. Instead, he names Mike Russow, a 6-foot-2, 260-pounder with a wrestling background and a propensity to turn fights into slow grinds. Though he’s not a huge name in the UFC, Russow is 14-1-1 overall, and hasn’t lost in three octagon fights, stopping Todd Duffee and Jon Madsen in his most recent bouts.

“I think that would be a great fight for me and him,” Browne said. “I respect the guy a lot for what he’s done in the heavyweight division. You have to respect his power. You have to respect his wrestling and his strength. I think it’d be another grinding match, but it’d be definitely a great one.”

If it happens, that match could turn out to be a 15-minute struggle. But in order to move forward, these are the tests that Browne knows he has to pass. And if he can pass them in SportsCenter-fashion, well, that’s all a bonus. It will mean his plan is taking shape.

“Those are the guys who if you can create those moments against those guys, then you know you’re ready,” he said. “For me, I want to mentally know I’m ready to take the next step to go chase the title. Yeah, I want these fights where people are going to stand in front of me and I’m going to knock them out. But is that going to be best for me in the long run? Probably not. I want those situations and knockouts and submissions against guys who won’t just give them to me.”

 

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Falling Action: Best and Worst of UFC 135

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Jon JonesIn the UFC 135 pre-fight press conference UFC president Dana White said he could tell the Jones-Jackson main event was a “breakthrough fight” because of all the celebrities who were willing to fly to Denver — Denver, of all places! — just to see it.

I’m not saying that’s not true, but I am saying that maybe you don’t want to spit out the name of the host city like you can’t believe any famous people would be willing to go there. Denver’s actually a pretty great city — one with pro sports teams and all that jazz. Maybe the nightclubs don’t stay open as long as the David Spade types would like, but the fact that they might be willing to make the flight anyway is maybe not as important to John Q. Fight Fan as it is to White. Like any main event, it’s a big deal because it’s a good fight, not the other way around.

But now that another UFC event is in the books and the dust has settled on the tiny, godforsaken hamlet of Denver, it’s time again to sort through the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.

Biggest Winner: Jon Jones
No surprise here. The champ defended his belt in dominant fashion, showing that he could do just about anything he felt like to ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Crawling around on all fours? Sure. Tossing Jackson over his back after the end of a round? Why not. Jackson could hardly lay a glove on Jones until he went to pat him on the shoulder and give him his respect after it was all over. The scary thing is he’s only 24 years old. If I were a light heavyweight in the UFC, I’d either want to fight him right away, before he has a chance to get any better, or else much further in the future, after stardom may have taken its toll on him. If you get him somewhere in the middle, as Rashad Evans probably will, it could be big trouble. Now that the mere mention of Evans’ name seems to upset Jones, psychological warfare could be “Suga’s” best hope against the champ.


Biggest Loser: Takanori Gomi
Not only did he lose his second straight fight and his third in four UFC attempts, but he got absolutely throttled by Nate Diaz. In a lot of ways it was reminiscent of his loss to Nick Diaz, only without the brief period of effective offense in the beginning (or, hopefully, the eye-popping drug test results later). It’s hard not to wonder where this leaves the 33-year-old Gomi. His UFC run has been a disappointment and it’s starting to look like his Pride glory days were as good as it’s ever going to get for him. The UFC may or may not keep him around just long enough to fight in the Tokyo event, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a long-term future in the UFC. It’s a shame, but it’s not terribly surprising. The game has changed a lot since 2005, and very few fighters have managed to successfully change with it all the way into the present.

Most Improved: Mark Hunt
I’m not sure when Hunt learned to wrestle, but it must have been very, very recently. He didn’t just escape the mount and stuff a couple of Ben Rothwell’s takedowns, he even got a couple double-legs of his own. Who saw that coming? I’ve heard some people grumbling about his cardio down the stretch, but after hitting Rothwell with everything but a paternity suit, I don’t blame him for being tired. I’m a little amazed that Rothwell took so many bombs from the heavy-handed Hunt, but I’m even more amazed at Hunt’s overall improvement as a fighter in the last year. You factor in the feel-good story about him turning down a UFC payoff for a chance to earn a spot on the roster, and you’ve got a heavyweight who’s very quietly earned the admiration and respect of his peers.

Best Worst Use of Ambiguous Phrasing: Matt Hughes
He’s not retiring. No way. He just wants to be put on the shelf, whatever that means for a nearly 38-year-old ex-champion. Dana White’s known Hughes for a long time, so I’m inclined to go with his translation: Hughes just can’t bring himself to say the word ‘retirement,’ even after his second straight first-round knockout loss. You don’t ask to be put on the shelf if you’re dying to fight soon. And if you’re not trying to squeeze a couple more fights in before Father Time does even more of a number on you, doesn’t that mean you’re basically easing into retirement like a senior citizen into a water aerobics class? Probably, yeah. And that’s okay. If Hughes doesn’t want to say the words, he doesn’t have to. Not right now, anyway. But six months from now when he dozes off in a recliner while watching a fishing show in the middle of the day, that’s when it’s going to hit him: my God, this is what retired people do. Maybe by then it won’t seem so bad.

Most Impressive in Defeat: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
It might have been hard to tell while he was standing in the cage with Jones, but Jackson hasn’t looked that good for a couple years. We’ve seen many different versions of ‘Rampage’ over the course of his career, from the hungry, driven one to the plodding, barely interested variety. This time he moved well, was in excellent shape, and stayed in attack mode even when Jones was sticking him at will. It’s just a shame that it took a huge title fight to bring out that level of interest in him, and that it did him little good against an opponent as talented as Jones. But look on the bright side: maybe this will show Jackson how good he can be when he puts forth the effort. He says he wants ‘Shogun’ Rua in Japan, even though Rua already has a date with Dan Henderson coming up. But the mere fact that he’s asking for specific names and locations for his next fight at least tells us that he’s interested in MMA again. Let’s hope that lasts.

Least Impressive in Victory: Travis Browne
By the third round of his heavyweight tilt with Rob Broughton, Browne was content to get the top position and move only as much as was absolutely necessary in order to stay there. He already had the decision locked up, plus he was pretty tuckered out, so there was some logic to it all. That’s cool — and, hey, it’s better to win a fight like that than lose it — but it doesn’t exactly propel you up the heavyweight ranks. Browne’s knockout wins over Stefan Struve and James McSweeney have established his bona fides as an action fighter, so what gives? Maybe he ran out of gas or simply felt like he had to play it safe against Broughton, but either way this wasn’t exactly one for the highlight reel.

Most Surprising: Takeya Mizugaki
Judging by pre and post-fight appearances alone, I don’t know if anyone at UFC 135 enjoyed themselves as much as Mizugaki. I guess it helps when you win your fight, especially via dominating second-round TKO. Oddsmakers gave Mizugaki the slight edge coming into the fight, but he had Escovedo’s number early and managed to strike a perfect balance between recklessness and strategic aggression. Good thing too, since Mizugaki needed that win. It was the first time he’s finished a fight since 2008 and his most impressive performance yet in the UFC. Plus he just seemed to be having so much fun, and who doesn’t like to see that?

Biggest Matchmaking Headache: Josh Koscheck
Koscheck may very well be the second-best welterweight in the UFC, but there is absolutely zero interest in seeing him fight Georges St-Pierre a third time, so what now? He’s open to a temporary move to middleweight for the sake of a just-for-the-hell-of-it fight with Chris Leben, and maybe that’s the best thing the UFC can do with him. But once that’s over you still have a guy who’s probably too small to make a run at middleweight, but will only knock off potential contenders if you leave him at welterweight. The good news is that, with his abrasive personality and willingness to alienate people, Koscheck can always talk himself into new rivalries. And who knows, maybe he can tread water that way until GSP eventually moves up to middleweight and it’s open season in the UFC’s 170-pound class again. You know he can’t be the only fighter waiting for that day to come.

 

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Jon JonesIn the UFC 135 pre-fight press conference UFC president Dana White said he could tell the Jones-Jackson main event was a “breakthrough fight” because of all the celebrities who were willing to fly to Denver — Denver, of all places! — just to see it.

I’m not saying that’s not true, but I am saying that maybe you don’t want to spit out the name of the host city like you can’t believe any famous people would be willing to go there. Denver’s actually a pretty great city — one with pro sports teams and all that jazz. Maybe the nightclubs don’t stay open as long as the David Spade types would like, but the fact that they might be willing to make the flight anyway is maybe not as important to John Q. Fight Fan as it is to White. Like any main event, it’s a big deal because it’s a good fight, not the other way around.

But now that another UFC event is in the books and the dust has settled on the tiny, godforsaken hamlet of Denver, it’s time again to sort through the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.

Biggest Winner: Jon Jones
No surprise here. The champ defended his belt in dominant fashion, showing that he could do just about anything he felt like to ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Crawling around on all fours? Sure. Tossing Jackson over his back after the end of a round? Why not. Jackson could hardly lay a glove on Jones until he went to pat him on the shoulder and give him his respect after it was all over. The scary thing is he’s only 24 years old. If I were a light heavyweight in the UFC, I’d either want to fight him right away, before he has a chance to get any better, or else much further in the future, after stardom may have taken its toll on him. If you get him somewhere in the middle, as Rashad Evans probably will, it could be big trouble. Now that the mere mention of Evans’ name seems to upset Jones, psychological warfare could be “Suga’s” best hope against the champ.


Biggest Loser: Takanori Gomi
Not only did he lose his second straight fight and his third in four UFC attempts, but he got absolutely throttled by Nate Diaz. In a lot of ways it was reminiscent of his loss to Nick Diaz, only without the brief period of effective offense in the beginning (or, hopefully, the eye-popping drug test results later). It’s hard not to wonder where this leaves the 33-year-old Gomi. His UFC run has been a disappointment and it’s starting to look like his Pride glory days were as good as it’s ever going to get for him. The UFC may or may not keep him around just long enough to fight in the Tokyo event, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a long-term future in the UFC. It’s a shame, but it’s not terribly surprising. The game has changed a lot since 2005, and very few fighters have managed to successfully change with it all the way into the present.

Most Improved: Mark Hunt
I’m not sure when Hunt learned to wrestle, but it must have been very, very recently. He didn’t just escape the mount and stuff a couple of Ben Rothwell’s takedowns, he even got a couple double-legs of his own. Who saw that coming? I’ve heard some people grumbling about his cardio down the stretch, but after hitting Rothwell with everything but a paternity suit, I don’t blame him for being tired. I’m a little amazed that Rothwell took so many bombs from the heavy-handed Hunt, but I’m even more amazed at Hunt’s overall improvement as a fighter in the last year. You factor in the feel-good story about him turning down a UFC payoff for a chance to earn a spot on the roster, and you’ve got a heavyweight who’s very quietly earned the admiration and respect of his peers.

Best Worst Use of Ambiguous Phrasing: Matt Hughes
He’s not retiring. No way. He just wants to be put on the shelf, whatever that means for a nearly 38-year-old ex-champion. Dana White’s known Hughes for a long time, so I’m inclined to go with his translation: Hughes just can’t bring himself to say the word ‘retirement,’ even after his second straight first-round knockout loss. You don’t ask to be put on the shelf if you’re dying to fight soon. And if you’re not trying to squeeze a couple more fights in before Father Time does even more of a number on you, doesn’t that mean you’re basically easing into retirement like a senior citizen into a water aerobics class? Probably, yeah. And that’s okay. If Hughes doesn’t want to say the words, he doesn’t have to. Not right now, anyway. But six months from now when he dozes off in a recliner while watching a fishing show in the middle of the day, that’s when it’s going to hit him: my God, this is what retired people do. Maybe by then it won’t seem so bad.

Most Impressive in Defeat: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
It might have been hard to tell while he was standing in the cage with Jones, but Jackson hasn’t looked that good for a couple years. We’ve seen many different versions of ‘Rampage’ over the course of his career, from the hungry, driven one to the plodding, barely interested variety. This time he moved well, was in excellent shape, and stayed in attack mode even when Jones was sticking him at will. It’s just a shame that it took a huge title fight to bring out that level of interest in him, and that it did him little good against an opponent as talented as Jones. But look on the bright side: maybe this will show Jackson how good he can be when he puts forth the effort. He says he wants ‘Shogun’ Rua in Japan, even though Rua already has a date with Dan Henderson coming up. But the mere fact that he’s asking for specific names and locations for his next fight at least tells us that he’s interested in MMA again. Let’s hope that lasts.

Least Impressive in Victory: Travis Browne
By the third round of his heavyweight tilt with Rob Broughton, Browne was content to get the top position and move only as much as was absolutely necessary in order to stay there. He already had the decision locked up, plus he was pretty tuckered out, so there was some logic to it all. That’s cool — and, hey, it’s better to win a fight like that than lose it — but it doesn’t exactly propel you up the heavyweight ranks. Browne’s knockout wins over Stefan Struve and James McSweeney have established his bona fides as an action fighter, so what gives? Maybe he ran out of gas or simply felt like he had to play it safe against Broughton, but either way this wasn’t exactly one for the highlight reel.

Most Surprising: Takeya Mizugaki
Judging by pre and post-fight appearances alone, I don’t know if anyone at UFC 135 enjoyed themselves as much as Mizugaki. I guess it helps when you win your fight, especially via dominating second-round TKO. Oddsmakers gave Mizugaki the slight edge coming into the fight, but he had Escovedo’s number early and managed to strike a perfect balance between recklessness and strategic aggression. Good thing too, since Mizugaki needed that win. It was the first time he’s finished a fight since 2008 and his most impressive performance yet in the UFC. Plus he just seemed to be having so much fun, and who doesn’t like to see that?

Biggest Matchmaking Headache: Josh Koscheck
Koscheck may very well be the second-best welterweight in the UFC, but there is absolutely zero interest in seeing him fight Georges St-Pierre a third time, so what now? He’s open to a temporary move to middleweight for the sake of a just-for-the-hell-of-it fight with Chris Leben, and maybe that’s the best thing the UFC can do with him. But once that’s over you still have a guy who’s probably too small to make a run at middleweight, but will only knock off potential contenders if you leave him at welterweight. The good news is that, with his abrasive personality and willingness to alienate people, Koscheck can always talk himself into new rivalries. And who knows, maybe he can tread water that way until GSP eventually moves up to middleweight and it’s open season in the UFC’s 170-pound class again. You know he can’t be the only fighter waiting for that day to come.

 

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Travis Browne Apologizes to Fans After His UFC 135 Performance

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DENVER — MMA Fighting caught up with Travis Browne after he earned a unanimous decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 135. Browne talked about his fight, why he wasn’t able to knock Broughton out and a potential shopping trip in the future.

 

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DENVER — MMA Fighting caught up with Travis Browne after he earned a unanimous decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 135. Browne talked about his fight, why he wasn’t able to knock Broughton out and a potential shopping trip in the future.

 

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