Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The Morning After Pill: UFC 133 Edition
Article written by: Matt Cooper
Another weekend came and went, another UFC event notched in the books. Why do some of the most seemingly dismal cards tend to deliver more often than not? Is it the lack of great expectations placed on the event’s shoulders that leave the viewer susceptible to being easily satisfied? Is it the fact that the fighters with less buzz-inducing power behind their name are out to prove they belong in the same sentence as the main draws? Whatever the case may be, I’ll take the end results any day. And from the satisfied reactions I’ve seen to last night’s pay-per-view, so will the rest of you.
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Chad Mendes relinquished his title shot in order to shatter his hand in an undercard fight. That pill isn’t as hard to swallow since Mendes not only won, but is still widely viewed as the next contender after everyone’s favorite Weightwatcher’s client Kenflo gets it on with Mendes’ hand was the takedowns of Rani Yahya. He needs to train with more high-level wrestlers if he’s going to rely on getting the fight to the floor. Perhaps a trip to Arizona Combat Sports is in order?
Mike Brown lives to fight another day, but I agree with those who had the fight scored a draw. It’s also clear that Brown will probably never reach the same height again. Nam Phan walks away with another reason to hate the judges; time to try and avenge his last one. I see a rematch with Leonard Garcia happening.
Alexander Gustaffson is a force to be reckoned with. Had he been on the main card we may be hearing his name as much as Rory MacDonald’s. Maybe pair him up with his original opponent, Vladdy Matyushenko, who makes sense as a logical step forward without rushing the young prospect. Matt Hamill looked dreadful. He’ll be kept around and fed a gimme opponent so the UFC can capitalize off of his upcoming film (editor’s note: it looks like Hamill has called it a career. Good for him if he wants to pull the plug. A fighter retiring too early is far better than the opposite option).
Good job Nick Pace and Ivan Menjivar for their entertaining scrap. Same to Johnny Hendricks and Mike Pierce. Pierce could potentially be cut without too much surprise, but I think he’ll live to fight another day.
MAIN CARD:
Rory MacDonald defeats Mike Pyle via TKO (strikes) in Round 1.
Nothin’ like a little peer pressure. Rory MacDonald just put puberty in his rear view mirror not too long ago; now he has much of the MMA community comparing him to the man considered one of the greatest of all time, Georges St. Pierre. What happens in his future remains to be seen, but he’s at least been good enough to turn heads so far, which means something in the contemporary MMA scene for sure. I was never in the loop that believed Pyle was going to maintain his momentum all the way to a title shot, but he has been on quite an impressive roll lately. Although there was some back and forth action in the battle, MacDonald got the best of Pyle and pounded him out. Torch officially passed.
Since no one else is pointing it out, I’ll mention the fact that if there was one weakness I noticed, it was MacDonald’s takedown defense. However, training with GSP should improve this area exponentially over time, so it’s not something worth fretting over just yet. Furthermore, the UFC would be wise to keep Pyle around as an entertaining, tough-as-nails challenge for anyone who brings the fight. There’s nothing wrong with being a gatekeeper at the highest level and Pyle is perfect in that role.
There’s plenty of booking options for Pyle. I could see them pairing him with a number of foes….maybe Dennis Hallman or Mike Pierce. As for MacDonald, I see the winner of Brenneman/Johnson as a logical step forward or even the winner of Paulo Thiago vs David Mitchell. It could be someone totally different if they’re in a reach to stick him on the same card as GSP in October.
Constantinos Phillipou defeats Jorge River via Split Decision
It wasn’t the slugfest that the UFC probably anticipated, but “Costa” was coming off a loss and may have had his back against the wall, short notice or not. He did what he had to in order to win, and I have to say I don’t think it he has to walk away ashamed. He knew it wasn’t his best, but it was a far cry from some of the worst we’ve seen ala Nick Lentz prior to his recent performances. Rivera is intent on not retiring and I can’t blame him. He doesn’t have anything left to accomplish and is already a fan favorite. I think win or lose, he wants to go out on an exciting fight. I think the stubbornness will prevail and the elusive fight with Sakara gets booked. Hopefully the fourth time’s the charm. As for “Costa”, I think he gets the loser of Rousimar “Paul Harris” vs. Dan Miller.
Brian Ebersole defeats Dennis Hallman via TKO (elbows) in Round 1
Though Dennis Hallman’s speedo, or rather, the reactions to it have had full articles dedicated to it and it would be easy for me to spare time, and not mention it….this segment is called, The Morning After Pill. Meaning with a title that appropriate, I feel obligated to comment when a modern day gladiator rocks a banana hammock into battle. Some have called White’s comments on the matter homophobic, but our friends over at Middleeasy.com made it painstakingly clear that “Superman” did indeed have a wardrobe malfunction. Though Silva and GSP’s shorts don’t leave much to the imagination either, this should quell any flak Uncle Dana has taken if you ask me. If Hallman gets cut, this is absolutely another story, but my guess is that if it was going to happen, it would’ve already. Another fun(ny) fact is that Dennis the Menace now has something else in common with good friend, Jeff Monson, other than The Jiu Jitsu Cookbook they cowrote….both combatants have now been nude in some form at a martial arts event. Take that as you wish.
As for the fight itself, it was a momentum-shifter that saw Hallman almost immediately take the back of Brian Ebersole and threaten with the rear naked choke. Ebersole remained calm in spite of the pocket rocket pressed to the small of his back and actually escaped the position. Whether it was pure skill or Ebersole’s pride simply refusing to let him get choked out by a speedo-sporting opponent, it was impressive; as was the sequence of ground and pound that followed. I see Ebersole getting his wish and possibly fighting Matt Serra. I think Matt Brown would make more sense, though. Hallman will get another shot, possibly against the very same opponent (Serra), or maybe Amir Sadollah.
Vitor Belfort defeats Yoshihiro Akiyama via KO (punches) in Round 1
A rather large group of people have been lambasting Belfort for his final two shots to Akiyama in the alleged illegal area. While it’s clear that these were the final nails in the coffin, Akiyama was going nowhere (other than a state of unconsciousness) fast. This foul was not one flagrant “deal-breaker” ala Charles Oliveira on Nick Lentz and absolutely should not call for a restart of pause of action. As some have pointed out, vicious slams or even the standard take down often subject the victim to a more dangerous back-of-the-head shot than anything seen in this fight.
The blitzkrieg finish was vintage Vitor Belfort; a showcase of what exactly to expect from the man they call, “The Phenom.” It’s hard to say how impressed to be, though. On one hand, Akiyama is actually underrated by my estimation. Japan may have overrated him, but U.S. fans may view him as an Asian version of Keith Jardine-a warrior who always comes to fight, but who often comes up short. And for your information, yes, I just compared the sexiest man in MMA with the ugliest…quite appropriately, at that. So it’s become the popular thing to forget that he defeated legit contender, Alan Belcher, who’s been on quite the roll. Or that he was about 30 seconds away from winning what would have been a 30-27 decision against new major player, Chris Leben. The Bisping fight was really the only “Sexyama” fight that was remotely nearing one-sided-yet even that was competitive and showed that Bisping mainly won the fight not because he was outclassing his foe with superior skill, but rather with a reach advantage and better cardio. More on that later.
At any rate, the sexy one came into this bout unfairly devalued. Unfortunately for him, though, Belfort made sure this fight got a bonus, but this time it was the receiving end of KO of the night, not fight of the night. Back to the main point, though, the flipside of the coin for Belfort is that this performance, though undoubtedly impressive, didn’t answer any questions as to whether he wilts when dragged into the deep waters. His striking did look more diverse thanks to his work with Ray Sefo, but I want to see how Belfort fairs against an opponent that’s almost guaranteed to take him into the later rounds before he’s earned another shot at the belt. This won’t be too difficult, as 185 has gone from being horrendously shallow to one of UFC’s premier divisions. The winner of Stann/Sonnen will be getting the next shot, but it’s anyone’s guess after that. The next title eliminator after that ought to be good, no matter what. Assuming the brass doesn’t make Leben vs Munoz a title eliminator, Belfort versus the winner of that fight makes the most sense for the next contender after either Stann or Sonnen gets their chance. Another attractive factor here is that Leben’s difficult to finish early and Munoz’s style may force Belfort into later rounds. Though it is entirely possible that he beats both men early, too. However, if UFC wants to build Belfort up more slowly since he just fought for the belt (as White hinted to at the post-fight press conference), it may be more likely that we see him face Alan Belcher should he defeat Jason MacDonald. Or the winner of Maia and Santiago. All of the possibilities are attractive for different reasons.
As for Akiyama, it’s time for a drop in weight. This would help his only true weaknesses-cardio and reach disadvantage. His style gave many top guys trouble at 185, so he could go from being an exciting guy to standout contender in a short time (see Stann, Brian).
Main Event: Rashad Evans defeats Tito Ortiz via TKO (knee & punches) in Round 2
The scariest part about Rashad Evans 2.0 is the fact that his performance came after two opponent swaps and a massive layoff…..meaning next time we see him he may be even better….Usually if you were to tell me a fighter left Team Jackson’s, I’d probably tell you what a bad idea that’d be. But for Rashad, it seems like the right decision so far. One question that time will answer is whether Evans’ improvements are signs of training even harder to spite Jones and company out of bitterness or whether he had just been at Jackson’s too long, needing new perspectives and style. It seems out of the realm of possibility to assume that Imperial Athletics can devise better gameplans than Jackson & Winkeljohn, but we’ll see how everything plays out in time. For now, I was happy to see Rashad 2.0 and eagerly await his next appearance
Tito has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. He put forth a valiant effort and though I don’t think the result would have been much different in terms of the W versus L column had he underwent a full training camp, it is worth noting how well he performed on two weeks’ notice. As much as fans may love to hate the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” his commitment and dedication to his sport and his company can no longer be denied. For every diva moment, every facepalm-inducing sentence, and each cringe-worthy situation, the man has stepped up to the plate, creating memories that are undeniably etched in stone for as long as the sport exists.
We already know Evans’ next opponent will be the winner of Jackson/Jones, but who knows for Tito? After stunning Bader, the UFC will likely do away with trying to get rid of him in pushing up-and-comers. I see them using him in big-name, marquee fights to help sell pay-per-views. I could see him being used against Rich Franklin next or the loser of Griffin/Rua.
That concludes this edition of the Morning After Pill. Have a better idea for any opponents? Anything you’d like to add? Sound off, Fight Block Groupies!
Another weekend came and went, another UFC event notched in the books. Why do some of the most seemingly dismal cards tend to deliver more often than not? Is it the lack of great expectations placed on the event’s shoulders that leave the viewer susceptible to being easily satisfied? Is it the fact that the fighters with less buzz-inducing power behind their name are out to prove they belong in the same sentence as the main draws? Whatever the case may be, I’ll take the end results any day. And from the satisfied reactions I’ve seen to last night’s pay-per-view, so will the rest of you.
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Chad Mendes relinquished his title shot in order to shatter his hand in an undercard fight. That pill isn’t as hard to swallow since Mendes not only won, but is still widely viewed as the next contender after everyone’s favorite Weightwatcher’s client Kenflo gets it on with Mendes’ hand was the takedowns of Rani Yahya. He needs to train with more high-level wrestlers if he’s going to rely on getting the fight to the floor. Perhaps a trip to Arizona Combat Sports is in order?
Mike Brown lives to fight another day, but I agree with those who had the fight scored a draw. It’s also clear that Brown will probably never reach the same height again. Nam Phan walks away with another reason to hate the judges; time to try and avenge his last one. I see a rematch with Leonard Garcia happening.
Alexander Gustaffson is a force to be reckoned with. Had he been on the main card we may be hearing his name as much as Rory MacDonald’s. Maybe pair him up with his original opponent, Vladdy Matyushenko, who makes sense as a logical step forward without rushing the young prospect. Matt Hamill looked dreadful. He’ll be kept around and fed a gimme opponent so the UFC can capitalize off of his upcoming film (editor’s note: it looks like Hamill has called it a career. Good for him if he wants to pull the plug. A fighter retiring too early is far better than the opposite option).
Good job Nick Pace and Ivan Menjivar for their entertaining scrap. Same to Johnny Hendricks and Mike Pierce. Pierce could potentially be cut without too much surprise, but I think he’ll live to fight another day.
MAIN CARD:
Rory MacDonald defeats Mike Pyle via TKO (strikes) in Round 1.
Nothin’ like a little peer pressure. Rory MacDonald just put puberty in his rear view mirror not too long ago; now he has much of the MMA community comparing him to the man considered one of the greatest of all time, Georges St. Pierre. What happens in his future remains to be seen, but he’s at least been good enough to turn heads so far, which means something in the contemporary MMA scene for sure. I was never in the loop that believed Pyle was going to maintain his momentum all the way to a title shot, but he has been on quite an impressive roll lately. Although there was some back and forth action in the battle, MacDonald got the best of Pyle and pounded him out. Torch officially passed.
Since no one else is pointing it out, I’ll mention the fact that if there was one weakness I noticed, it was MacDonald’s takedown defense. However, training with GSP should improve this area exponentially over time, so it’s not something worth fretting over just yet. Furthermore, the UFC would be wise to keep Pyle around as an entertaining, tough-as-nails challenge for anyone who brings the fight. There’s nothing wrong with being a gatekeeper at the highest level and Pyle is perfect in that role.
There’s plenty of booking options for Pyle. I could see them pairing him with a number of foes….maybe Dennis Hallman or Mike Pierce. As for MacDonald, I see the winner of Brenneman/Johnson as a logical step forward or even the winner of Paulo Thiago vs David Mitchell. It could be someone totally different if they’re in a reach to stick him on the same card as GSP in October.
Constantinos Phillipou defeats Jorge River via Split Decision
It wasn’t the slugfest that the UFC probably anticipated, but “Costa” was coming off a loss and may have had his back against the wall, short notice or not. He did what he had to in order to win, and I have to say I don’t think it he has to walk away ashamed. He knew it wasn’t his best, but it was a far cry from some of the worst we’ve seen ala Nick Lentz prior to his recent performances. Rivera is intent on not retiring and I can’t blame him. He doesn’t have anything left to accomplish and is already a fan favorite. I think win or lose, he wants to go out on an exciting fight. I think the stubbornness will prevail and the elusive fight with Sakara gets booked. Hopefully the fourth time’s the charm. As for “Costa”, I think he gets the loser of Rousimar “Paul Harris” vs. Dan Miller.
Brian Ebersole defeats Dennis Hallman via TKO (elbows) in Round 1
Though Dennis Hallman’s speedo, or rather, the reactions to it have had full articles dedicated to it and it would be easy for me to spare time, and not mention it….this segment is called, The Morning After Pill. Meaning with a title that appropriate, I feel obligated to comment when a modern day gladiator rocks a banana hammock into battle. Some have called White’s comments on the matter homophobic, but our friends over at Middleeasy.com made it painstakingly clear that “Superman” did indeed have a wardrobe malfunction. Though Silva and GSP’s shorts don’t leave much to the imagination either, this should quell any flak Uncle Dana has taken if you ask me. If Hallman gets cut, this is absolutely another story, but my guess is that if it was going to happen, it would’ve already. Another fun(ny) fact is that Dennis the Menace now has something else in common with good friend, Jeff Monson, other than The Jiu Jitsu Cookbook they cowrote….both combatants have now been nude in some form at a martial arts event. Take that as you wish.
As for the fight itself, it was a momentum-shifter that saw Hallman almost immediately take the back of Brian Ebersole and threaten with the rear naked choke. Ebersole remained calm in spite of the pocket rocket pressed to the small of his back and actually escaped the position. Whether it was pure skill or Ebersole’s pride simply refusing to let him get choked out by a speedo-sporting opponent, it was impressive; as was the sequence of ground and pound that followed. I see Ebersole getting his wish and possibly fighting Matt Serra. I think Matt Brown would make more sense, though. Hallman will get another shot, possibly against the very same opponent (Serra), or maybe Amir Sadollah.
Vitor Belfort defeats Yoshihiro Akiyama via KO (punches) in Round 1
A rather large group of people have been lambasting Belfort for his final two shots to Akiyama in the alleged illegal area. While it’s clear that these were the final nails in the coffin, Akiyama was going nowhere (other than a state of unconsciousness) fast. This foul was not one flagrant “deal-breaker” ala Charles Oliveira on Nick Lentz and absolutely should not call for a restart of pause of action. As some have pointed out, vicious slams or even the standard take down often subject the victim to a more dangerous back-of-the-head shot than anything seen in this fight.
The blitzkrieg finish was vintage Vitor Belfort; a showcase of what exactly to expect from the man they call, “The Phenom.” It’s hard to say how impressed to be, though. On one hand, Akiyama is actually underrated by my estimation. Japan may have overrated him, but U.S. fans may view him as an Asian version of Keith Jardine-a warrior who always comes to fight, but who often comes up short. And for your information, yes, I just compared the sexiest man in MMA with the ugliest…quite appropriately, at that. So it’s become the popular thing to forget that he defeated legit contender, Alan Belcher, who’s been on quite the roll. Or that he was about 30 seconds away from winning what would have been a 30-27 decision against new major player, Chris Leben. The Bisping fight was really the only “Sexyama” fight that was remotely nearing one-sided-yet even that was competitive and showed that Bisping mainly won the fight not because he was outclassing his foe with superior skill, but rather with a reach advantage and better cardio. More on that later.
At any rate, the sexy one came into this bout unfairly devalued. Unfortunately for him, though, Belfort made sure this fight got a bonus, but this time it was the receiving end of KO of the night, not fight of the night. Back to the main point, though, the flipside of the coin for Belfort is that this performance, though undoubtedly impressive, didn’t answer any questions as to whether he wilts when dragged into the deep waters. His striking did look more diverse thanks to his work with Ray Sefo, but I want to see how Belfort fairs against an opponent that’s almost guaranteed to take him into the later rounds before he’s earned another shot at the belt. This won’t be too difficult, as 185 has gone from being horrendously shallow to one of UFC’s premier divisions. The winner of Stann/Sonnen will be getting the next shot, but it’s anyone’s guess after that. The next title eliminator after that ought to be good, no matter what. Assuming the brass doesn’t make Leben vs Munoz a title eliminator, Belfort versus the winner of that fight makes the most sense for the next contender after either Stann or Sonnen gets their chance. Another attractive factor here is that Leben’s difficult to finish early and Munoz’s style may force Belfort into later rounds. Though it is entirely possible that he beats both men early, too. However, if UFC wants to build Belfort up more slowly since he just fought for the belt (as White hinted to at the post-fight press conference), it may be more likely that we see him face Alan Belcher should he defeat Jason MacDonald. Or the winner of Maia and Santiago. All of the possibilities are attractive for different reasons.
As for Akiyama, it’s time for a drop in weight. This would help his only true weaknesses-cardio and reach disadvantage. His style gave many top guys trouble at 185, so he could go from being an exciting guy to standout contender in a short time (see Stann, Brian).
Main Event: Rashad Evans defeats Tito Ortiz via TKO (knee & punches) in Round 2
The scariest part about Rashad Evans 2.0 is the fact that his performance came after two opponent swaps and a massive layoff…..meaning next time we see him he may be even better….Usually if you were to tell me a fighter left Team Jackson’s, I’d probably tell you what a bad idea that’d be. But for Rashad, it seems like the right decision so far. One question that time will answer is whether Evans’ improvements are signs of training even harder to spite Jones and company out of bitterness or whether he had just been at Jackson’s too long, needing new perspectives and style. It seems out of the realm of possibility to assume that Imperial Athletics can devise better gameplans than Jackson & Winkeljohn, but we’ll see how everything plays out in time. For now, I was happy to see Rashad 2.0 and eagerly await his next appearance
Tito has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. He put forth a valiant effort and though I don’t think the result would have been much different in terms of the W versus L column had he underwent a full training camp, it is worth noting how well he performed on two weeks’ notice. As much as fans may love to hate the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” his commitment and dedication to his sport and his company can no longer be denied. For every diva moment, every facepalm-inducing sentence, and each cringe-worthy situation, the man has stepped up to the plate, creating memories that are undeniably etched in stone for as long as the sport exists.
We already know Evans’ next opponent will be the winner of Jackson/Jones, but who knows for Tito? After stunning Bader, the UFC will likely do away with trying to get rid of him in pushing up-and-comers. I see them using him in big-name, marquee fights to help sell pay-per-views. I could see him being used against Rich Franklin next or the loser of Griffin/Rua.
That concludes this edition of the Morning After Pill. Have a better idea for any opponents? Anything you’d like to add? Sound off, Fight Block Groupies!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
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