Brian Barker:Tito Ortiz’s submission victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 132 creates an interesting problem for the UFC, Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva. The truth is that nobody gave Tito a realistic shot to win this fight including the odds-makers …
Tito Ortiz’s submission victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 132 creates an interesting problem for the UFC, Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva. The truth is that nobody gave Tito a realistic shot to win this fight including the odds-makers who had him as a 4:1 underdog.
Even Matt Hughes was getting a few good laughs over Ortiz’s chances of winning at the UFC 132 Q and A. Dana probably believed that he wouldn’t have to deal with Ortiz after tonight and he could finally hand him his walking papers and be done with him.
Tito’s victory creates a little bit of a dilemma for the company because no one really knows where Ortiz is ranked in the light heavyweight division and it also derails the development of Ryan Bader. Just like any other sport, building prospects is an important part for any organization and Tito was thought to be easy prey to get Bader back on track after his loss to Jon Jones.
It will certainly be interesting to see what the UFC decides to do with both men at this point. Bader has now lost two fights in a row and a third would put him in danger of no longer being a can’t miss prospect a la Brandon Vera, Todd Duffee and Houston Alexander.
It will be even more interesting to see what the UFC does with Ortiz. A win may have saved his job, but probably isn’t enough to catapult him into the upper echelon of the division.
An interesting option could be to fight the winner of Rich Franklin and Lil Nog or maybe pair him up with Phil Davis if he happens to get past Rashad. One thing you can bank on is that Dana certainly won’t be giving Ortiz any easy fights.
With all that being said, Ortiz definitely deserves credit for tonight’s victory because he showed his complete game. Tito’s hands never really instilled any fear in opponents but he was able to rock Bader with a solid right hand, he showed a little of his patented ground and pound, and quickly switched to a guillotine.
Overall, it was quite an impressive performance and it will be interesting to see how he looks his next time out.
Bleacher Report’s Nick Caron:Loser: Takeya Mizugaki The back-and-forth win-loss-win-loss for Takeya Mizugaki continued tonight as the Japanese fighter dropped his record to 14-6-1 in his career; but only 3-4 in the WEC and UFC.Mizugaki has done w…
Bleacher Report’s Nick Caron:
Loser: Takeya Mizugaki
The back-and-forth win-loss-win-loss for Takeya Mizugaki continued tonight as the Japanese fighter dropped his record to 14-6-1 in his career; but only 3-4 in the WEC and UFC.
Mizugaki has done well against some of the fighters perceived to be “gatekeepers,” but has not fared as well against the top-level competition, including tonight when he was dominated by Brian Bowles. His other losses have come against Urijah Faber, Scott Jorgensen and Miguel Torres.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the Japanese fighters have struggled mightily, recently, particularly against American wrestlers. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the majority of them are not keen on cutting weight and thus are generally smaller than their opponents come fight time.
Winner Brian Bowles:
Former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles earned his second win in a row by defeating Takeya Mizugaki tonight.
At one point, Bowles was considered arguably the greatest 135-pound fighter on the planet when he defeated former pound-for-pound great Miguel Torres at WEC 42 to become the bantamweight champion.
The win was somewhat shocking at the time given Torres’ long-time dominance over the division, but Bowles has been proving his worth since coming to the UFC with back-to-back wins over Damacio Page and now Mizugaki.
Tito Ortiz is back. He has been on a bit of a losing streak over the past few years, as well as battling many injuries and personal issues. He was a 5-1 underdog in this fight, and while a rare few picked him, virtually none truly believed it. Ryan …
Tito Ortiz is back. He has been on a bit of a losing streak over the past few years, as well as battling many injuries and personal issues. He was a 5-1 underdog in this fight, and while a rare few picked him, virtually none truly believed it.
Ryan Bader is like a young Tito many say. He has now lost two straight. While many may laugh about him losing to Tito, in all truths it is not a bad thing.
Tito has been fighting nothing but top competition while on his losing skid.
The started out with both men attempting to find their range, which led to Tito connecting with a right, which dropped Bader. Tito instantly swarmed him with punches then locked in an arm in guillotine. That move is a wrestler’s weakness a Tito said and Bader eventually tapped out.
So what is next for both men? Ryan Bader needs to take a small break and truly evaluate himself. Starting undefeated and then losing two straight will mess with your mind. His next fight should be against someone like Matt Hamill. This would be a good match up for both men, and with coming off of a loss it makes sense.
Tito Ortiz is a big question mark at the moment. It is hard to even think about who they could give him. The reason that is said is because it is unknown where he is ranked in the “UFC”. He could fight the winner of Matyushenko and Gustaffson, or they can throw him in to the deep end and let him fight the loser of Davis vs Evans. Either way Tito Ortiz is back!
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
