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The Morning After Pill: UFC Rio
Article written by Matt Cooper
As the big day finally came, there were questions aplenty for the participants of UFC: Rio. How would the Brazilian crowd react? Is Anderson Silva showing any signs of slowing down? Is Minotauro done? Can Forrest Griffin pull a second rabbit out of his hat? Buy or sell the Brendan Schaub hype? And the list goes on….As the night drew close, fans were met with answers to nearly every one of these questions. It also didn’t hurt that the card was one of the most thrilling in recent memory. Where the last pay per view outperformed expectations, Rio lived up to the great hype it had been built upon.
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Thiago Tavares got the best of Spencer Fischer. Nothing else needs to be said. At this point in his career, Fischer may want to consider following the path of fellow entertaining gatekeeper, Chris Lytle.
On the same token, to say Erick Silva got the best of his opponent would be a gross understatement. Silva seems to have great speed, KO power, and athleticism, not to mention he trains with Team Nogueira…I hear those guys are pretty okay…and guys with the last name Silva seem to do okay for themselves more often than not.
Paulo Thiago picked up a much-needed win over a game David Mitchell. The Dave Terrell pupil’s gameplan spelled trouble for the scorecards. Preferring to fight off of your back doesn’t win over the judges if you don’t submit your opponent. Thiago’s black belt credentials ensured this wasn’t going to happen. Not to mention, conceding that many takedowns to get in position gets you down on the scorecards. That being said, this was supposed to be a sacrificial lamb fight for Thiago. The same guy who was supposed to be perennial title challenger after thrashing two of the three AKA musketeers looked very sluggish at times against Mitchell. Perhaps now that Jardine’s in Strikeforce, Thiago can take solstice in officially being the ugliest man on the roster.
Rousimar Palhares seems to forget he’s there to fight, not referee the matchups. It cost him dearly against Marquardt and it nearly cost him against Miller. Still, though, Palhares showed his stand-up has improved leaps and bounds. At times, this seemed to be the most dominated we’ve seen Dan Miller in the UFC (aside from maybe Sonnen). Palhares really is the dark horse of the potential middleweight contenders; it’s time UFC gave him another step up. He seems to be ready for it this time. Some have suggested the loser of Bisping and Miller and I see no problem with that.
MAIN CARD:
Stanislav Nedkov defeats Luiz Cane via TKO (Punches) in Round 1
One of the questions that could’ve been added to the list would have been, does Luiz Cane suck? That may sound harsh and while I don’t think so, it is a question that has been bluntly put by many fans. Cane has a strong skillset but his defense is truly lagging. He also is not always the most likeable fellow, i.e. blaming James Irvin for exaggerating his injury after Cane illegally kneed him in the face while he was downed. Final call for now is that Cane is good enough to keep around, but may forever be a gatekeeper who wins against most, but goes down in a blaze of glory whenever it counts. Don’t be surprised if he’s on the chopping block, though. If he doesn’t get fired, the UFC may match him against the likes of Karlos Vemola.
Nedkov got hit plenty, but persevered with that overhand right like a true wrestle-boxer would. If he wants to go places, he’s going to have to throw more than that one punch. It was enough against Cane, but Nedkov looked like a stiffer version of Ryan Bader out there. All the same, props for making Cane do the gnarliest stanky-leg dance I’ve ever seen, which included a brutal flying kick to the cage. Predicted next fight: Kyle Kingsbury
Antonio Rodriguo Nogueira defeats Brendan Schaub via KO (Punches) in Round 1
Well, I was right about Schaub, but boy was I wrong about Nogueira…and you know what? I’m glad. By that I mean that I questioned just how good “The Hybrid” was. He was on his way to losing a decision to Cro Cop before he clipped him behind the ear. I wondered why the UFC would waste sacrificing legendary names to build the reputation of a prospect who was far from the being the next big thing. In being correct that Schaub wasn’t that great, I overlooked the fact that it was going to be Big Nog who reminded us that “The Hype” might be a more fitting name than “The Hybrid” for Schaub. While I admit, my heart made me pick Nogueira, I can’t take full support of my pick because my brain still told me Schaub would likely pull it off. Minotauro’s win was by far the most emotional on the card and meant the most to the fans both casual and hardcore alike.
Schaub goes back to the drawing board against the loser of Barry/Struve or the loser of Kongo/Mitrione. If the UFC really wants to rebuild him, they may toss him Christian Morecraft since he’s still on the roster, apparently. The future is a bit cloudy for Big Nog, though…he finds himself in a place where he just defeated a man considered to be towards the high end of the B-listers. But I’m not so sure competing against some of the A-listers is where Nogueira should be, either.
He wants a rematch against Frank Mir which most likely won’t bode well for the resurgent legend if it happens. There’s talk of using him to welcome Overeem into the UFC should he be signed, but I for one don’t want to see Nogueira pitted against a devastating heavy-hitter, at least not until he wins at least one more. Although he has the chops to knock Nog out, a trilogy fight against Barnett on the discussed UFC Japan card seems to be the best A-list fight to make, should the card come to fruition. I know Barnett is Strikeforce and has his hands dirty with the tournament presently, but Nogueira’s post-fight parting words were that he was going to take some time off to help his teammates, so anything’s possible at this point. All of this withstanding, the fight that actually makes the most sense is one for the fans. A potential swan-song bout against Cro Cop is a fight that both men have eagerly requested. It makes sense at this point in each respective career and would serve as a fitting, yet rewarding loser leaves town match.
Edson Barboza defeats Ross Pearson via Split Decision
I second the sentiments that Pearson won, but not the ones that he got robbed. This was a fight that elevated both fighters’ stock in the eyes of fans and UFC brass alike. It was a close fight in all fairness to Barboza; by no means was it a terrible decision like Hamill/Bisping. I’m beginning to think that this may be Pearson’s most memorable fight, and that’s a good thing, loss aside. His name deserves to be right up there with Bisping and Dan Hardy’s as far as UK imports are concerned. If he doesn’t retire, the UFC could easily book Pearson against Fischer or perhaps against Yves Edwards. There’s plenty of lightweights available for Barboza, but I’m predicting the UFC gives Barboza somewhat of a step sideways rather than a step up, considering the controversial nature of the decision. Maybe Sam Stout or Donald Cerrone.
Mauricio Rua defeats Forrest Griffin via KO (punches) in Round 1
Four years is a long time to wait to avenge a loss. Less than two minutes is all it took for Shogun to show the world what should have happened the first time around. He was quick to assure the main card got back on track to the first round knockout theme, brutally squashing Forrest Griffin until the referee had seen enough. With this win, Rua proves he can still be a champion when he’s on his game. Rumors of an injury during his camp were rampant, though I couldn’t notice whether during the fight (maybe someone can point it out to me in his movement). Either way, Rua didn’t let the fight go on long enough for us to know. An injury free Shogun means a Shogun who is on point with his movements and cardio….the problem is we still can’t guarantee that Shogun is the one we’ll get. Because of that, I’m not going to invest stock into whether he can regain the title, but it’s safe to say that a healthy Shogun is still one of the top four light heavyweights in the world.
The UFC has options aplenty for Shogun. He could serve as a test for up-and-comer, Phil Davis, who is waiting to take a step up in competition. A rematch against Rampage Jackson could be booked if Jones defeats Rampage at 135. A welcome back bout against Dan Henderson would be a fantastic matchup that never happened despite the fact that both men have competed in both Pride and UFC at the exact same time. Henderson’s stock is high enough to warrant an immediate title shot, though, so it depends on if they want him to take a number after Rashad or keep busy.
While Shogun questions involve who people want to see him fight next, a substantial portion of fans are questioning whether Griffin should fight again. I strongly disagree with this notion that Griffin needs to retire, though. If revenge was the story for Shogun going into this fight, validation was that of Forrest Griffin. He was out to prove that it wasn’t cardio and/or a knee injury for Shogun that earned himself the W….unfortunately for Griffin, he never quite got off. He looked slow and sluggish on the feet compared to usual, and never even hinted as if he was going to go for the gameplan that he used to win the first fight; no takedowns to speak of. I have to feel for Griffin. He fought in a foreign country on the very week that his wife was due to have a child. There’s no way he was focused purely on the task at hand.
Unfortunately, there are more serious questions to answer for Griffin. Self-admittedly, his motivation is at an all-time low. This nasty loss capped off a forgettable victory over Rich Franklin and a squeaked-out split decision over Tito Ortiz. If Forrest is looking for motivation, it should be in protecting his legacy. As of now, both of his biggest wins are doing bigger and better things and in Shogun’s case, he proved his excuse for losing the first time was legitimate. Whether Rampage’s meltdown the following week played a factor in his loss to Griffin remains to be seen, but Griffin should hang around, health permitting, to do what he does best: create memories. He’s already a future hall of famer, but I’d like to see him do his best to be regarded as one of the elite, rather than a fan favorite before he calls it a career. Predicted next fight: Winner of Bader/Brilz, Vladimir Matyushenko, Lil Nog, or a trilogy with Tito Ortiz.
Anderson Silva defeats Yushin Okami via TKO (strikes) in round two to retain the UFC Middleweight Chamionship
Death. Taxes. Anderson Silva. The three constants in this crazy world. If you were to watch most Anderson Silva fights as your first exposure to MMA, you might think the sport wasn’t that difficult he makes it look so damn simple. Just as if he’s folding laundry, he’ll just as easily fold his legs over in a triangle choke to strangle the life out of an opponent. Or much like bringing his hand up to hit a crosswalk button, he’ll shoot his hand up from his waist and drop a fellow prize fighter. Too bad we can’t find a way to clone the man and give him his wish.
They say that fighters traditionally don’t try many crazy, unpredictable moves unless they truly believe they have their opponents timing and rhythm (or riddum if you’re GSP) figured out….yet this has become commonplace for Silva. Even in his most lackluster performances, there’s a least one flash of creative brilliance that floats to the surface. Saturday was no different as Silva showed he was on another level yet again by unleashing his patented, “gotcha” hands down stance with brutal results.
Okami finally got his shot but fell short like so many others before him. There’s no shame in losing to the best at this point, but it has to be disheartening to reach the peak and then get shut down hard. Many of Fedor’s opponents have never been the same after getting crushed by the last man before Silva to be considered the best. I’m not sure why Okami was hesitant to stick to his gameplan of clinch work mixed with a healthy dose of dirty boxing.
Here’s hoping Okami realizes his mistakes and goes back to the drawing board to become more motivated rather than less. He’s a fine 185’er. One of the best, no doubt. But if it took this long for him to get a shot in the first place, he did little in this fight to make anyone want to see him get another fight against the champ for a long time. His best hope is to keep piling up the W’s as he did before and hope that Silva retires by the time he earns another shot. He should continue his recent trend of being more exciting, though, otherwise no one will buy into a potential rematch. Predicted next fight: Demian Maia or perhaps someone like Constantinos Phillipou if UFC wants to make him start from the ground up. The loser of the Belcher/MacDonald fight makes sense, too.
We’ve gotten used to talk of GSP and the light heavyweight division in the wake of each Anderson Silva fight. That’s all well and good IF it happens, but the most likely situation is the winner of Stann and Sonnen. Some have correctly pointed out that if Silva does take off (retirement or divisionally speaking) before Sonnen has his number one contender’s bout, that he will gloat for life about how Silva would rather disappear than face him again. Rather than let the talk go ala Bas Rutten and Kevin Randleman, I know Silva will want to protect his legacy and is willing to stick around at 185 for a bit longer to do so.
As the big day finally came, there were questions aplenty for the participants of UFC: Rio. How would the Brazilian crowd react? Is Anderson Silva showing any signs of slowing down? Is Minotauro done? Can Forrest Griffin pull a second rabbit out of his hat? Buy or sell the Brendan Schaub hype? And the list goes on….As the night drew close, fans were met with answers to nearly every one of these questions. It also didn’t hurt that the card was one of the most thrilling in recent memory. Where the last pay per view outperformed expectations, Rio lived up to the great hype it had been built upon.
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Thiago Tavares got the best of Spencer Fischer. Nothing else needs to be said. At this point in his career, Fischer may want to consider following the path of fellow entertaining gatekeeper, Chris Lytle.
On the same token, to say Erick Silva got the best of his opponent would be a gross understatement. Silva seems to have great speed, KO power, and athleticism, not to mention he trains with Team Nogueira…I hear those guys are pretty okay…and guys with the last name Silva seem to do okay for themselves more often than not.
Paulo Thiago picked up a much-needed win over a game David Mitchell. The Dave Terrell pupil’s gameplan spelled trouble for the scorecards. Preferring to fight off of your back doesn’t win over the judges if you don’t submit your opponent. Thiago’s black belt credentials ensured this wasn’t going to happen. Not to mention, conceding that many takedowns to get in position gets you down on the scorecards. That being said, this was supposed to be a sacrificial lamb fight for Thiago. The same guy who was supposed to be perennial title challenger after thrashing two of the three AKA musketeers looked very sluggish at times against Mitchell. Perhaps now that Jardine’s in Strikeforce, Thiago can take solstice in officially being the ugliest man on the roster.
Rousimar Palhares seems to forget he’s there to fight, not referee the matchups. It cost him dearly against Marquardt and it nearly cost him against Miller. Still, though, Palhares showed his stand-up has improved leaps and bounds. At times, this seemed to be the most dominated we’ve seen Dan Miller in the UFC (aside from maybe Sonnen). Palhares really is the dark horse of the potential middleweight contenders; it’s time UFC gave him another step up. He seems to be ready for it this time. Some have suggested the loser of Bisping and Miller and I see no problem with that.
MAIN CARD:
Stanislav Nedkov defeats Luiz Cane via TKO (Punches) in Round 1
One of the questions that could’ve been added to the list would have been, does Luiz Cane suck? That may sound harsh and while I don’t think so, it is a question that has been bluntly put by many fans. Cane has a strong skillset but his defense is truly lagging. He also is not always the most likeable fellow, i.e. blaming James Irvin for exaggerating his injury after Cane illegally kneed him in the face while he was downed. Final call for now is that Cane is good enough to keep around, but may forever be a gatekeeper who wins against most, but goes down in a blaze of glory whenever it counts. Don’t be surprised if he’s on the chopping block, though. If he doesn’t get fired, the UFC may match him against the likes of Karlos Vemola.
Nedkov got hit plenty, but persevered with that overhand right like a true wrestle-boxer would. If he wants to go places, he’s going to have to throw more than that one punch. It was enough against Cane, but Nedkov looked like a stiffer version of Ryan Bader out there. All the same, props for making Cane do the gnarliest stanky-leg dance I’ve ever seen, which included a brutal flying kick to the cage. Predicted next fight: Kyle Kingsbury
Antonio Rodriguo Nogueira defeats Brendan Schaub via KO (Punches) in Round 1
Well, I was right about Schaub, but boy was I wrong about Nogueira…and you know what? I’m glad. By that I mean that I questioned just how good “The Hybrid” was. He was on his way to losing a decision to Cro Cop before he clipped him behind the ear. I wondered why the UFC would waste sacrificing legendary names to build the reputation of a prospect who was far from the being the next big thing. In being correct that Schaub wasn’t that great, I overlooked the fact that it was going to be Big Nog who reminded us that “The Hype” might be a more fitting name than “The Hybrid” for Schaub. While I admit, my heart made me pick Nogueira, I can’t take full support of my pick because my brain still told me Schaub would likely pull it off. Minotauro’s win was by far the most emotional on the card and meant the most to the fans both casual and hardcore alike.
Schaub goes back to the drawing board against the loser of Barry/Struve or the loser of Kongo/Mitrione. If the UFC really wants to rebuild him, they may toss him Christian Morecraft since he’s still on the roster, apparently. The future is a bit cloudy for Big Nog, though…he finds himself in a place where he just defeated a man considered to be towards the high end of the B-listers. But I’m not so sure competing against some of the A-listers is where Nogueira should be, either.
He wants a rematch against Frank Mir which most likely won’t bode well for the resurgent legend if it happens. There’s talk of using him to welcome Overeem into the UFC should he be signed, but I for one don’t want to see Nogueira pitted against a devastating heavy-hitter, at least not until he wins at least one more. Although he has the chops to knock Nog out, a trilogy fight against Barnett on the discussed UFC Japan card seems to be the best A-list fight to make, should the card come to fruition. I know Barnett is Strikeforce and has his hands dirty with the tournament presently, but Nogueira’s post-fight parting words were that he was going to take some time off to help his teammates, so anything’s possible at this point. All of this withstanding, the fight that actually makes the most sense is one for the fans. A potential swan-song bout against Cro Cop is a fight that both men have eagerly requested. It makes sense at this point in each respective career and would serve as a fitting, yet rewarding loser leaves town match.
Edson Barboza defeats Ross Pearson via Split Decision
I second the sentiments that Pearson won, but not the ones that he got robbed. This was a fight that elevated both fighters’ stock in the eyes of fans and UFC brass alike. It was a close fight in all fairness to Barboza; by no means was it a terrible decision like Hamill/Bisping. I’m beginning to think that this may be Pearson’s most memorable fight, and that’s a good thing, loss aside. His name deserves to be right up there with Bisping and Dan Hardy’s as far as UK imports are concerned. If he doesn’t retire, the UFC could easily book Pearson against Fischer or perhaps against Yves Edwards. There’s plenty of lightweights available for Barboza, but I’m predicting the UFC gives Barboza somewhat of a step sideways rather than a step up, considering the controversial nature of the decision. Maybe Sam Stout or Donald Cerrone.
Mauricio Rua defeats Forrest Griffin via KO (punches) in Round 1
Four years is a long time to wait to avenge a loss. Less than two minutes is all it took for Shogun to show the world what should have happened the first time around. He was quick to assure the main card got back on track to the first round knockout theme, brutally squashing Forrest Griffin until the referee had seen enough. With this win, Rua proves he can still be a champion when he’s on his game. Rumors of an injury during his camp were rampant, though I couldn’t notice whether during the fight (maybe someone can point it out to me in his movement). Either way, Rua didn’t let the fight go on long enough for us to know. An injury free Shogun means a Shogun who is on point with his movements and cardio….the problem is we still can’t guarantee that Shogun is the one we’ll get. Because of that, I’m not going to invest stock into whether he can regain the title, but it’s safe to say that a healthy Shogun is still one of the top four light heavyweights in the world.
The UFC has options aplenty for Shogun. He could serve as a test for up-and-comer, Phil Davis, who is waiting to take a step up in competition. A rematch against Rampage Jackson could be booked if Jones defeats Rampage at 135. A welcome back bout against Dan Henderson would be a fantastic matchup that never happened despite the fact that both men have competed in both Pride and UFC at the exact same time. Henderson’s stock is high enough to warrant an immediate title shot, though, so it depends on if they want him to take a number after Rashad or keep busy.
While Shogun questions involve who people want to see him fight next, a substantial portion of fans are questioning whether Griffin should fight again. I strongly disagree with this notion that Griffin needs to retire, though. If revenge was the story for Shogun going into this fight, validation was that of Forrest Griffin. He was out to prove that it wasn’t cardio and/or a knee injury for Shogun that earned himself the W….unfortunately for Griffin, he never quite got off. He looked slow and sluggish on the feet compared to usual, and never even hinted as if he was going to go for the gameplan that he used to win the first fight; no takedowns to speak of. I have to feel for Griffin. He fought in a foreign country on the very week that his wife was due to have a child. There’s no way he was focused purely on the task at hand.
Unfortunately, there are more serious questions to answer for Griffin. Self-admittedly, his motivation is at an all-time low. This nasty loss capped off a forgettable victory over Rich Franklin and a squeaked-out split decision over Tito Ortiz. If Forrest is looking for motivation, it should be in protecting his legacy. As of now, both of his biggest wins are doing bigger and better things and in Shogun’s case, he proved his excuse for losing the first time was legitimate. Whether Rampage’s meltdown the following week played a factor in his loss to Griffin remains to be seen, but Griffin should hang around, health permitting, to do what he does best: create memories. He’s already a future hall of famer, but I’d like to see him do his best to be regarded as one of the elite, rather than a fan favorite before he calls it a career. Predicted next fight: Winner of Bader/Brilz, Vladimir Matyushenko, Lil Nog, or a trilogy with Tito Ortiz.
Anderson Silva defeats Yushin Okami via TKO (strikes) in round two to retain the UFC Middleweight Chamionship
Death. Taxes. Anderson Silva. The three constants in this crazy world. If you were to watch most Anderson Silva fights as your first exposure to MMA, you might think the sport wasn’t that difficult he makes it look so damn simple. Just as if he’s folding laundry, he’ll just as easily fold his legs over in a triangle choke to strangle the life out of an opponent. Or much like bringing his hand up to hit a crosswalk button, he’ll shoot his hand up from his waist and drop a fellow prize fighter. Too bad we can’t find a way to clone the man and give him his wish.
They say that fighters traditionally don’t try many crazy, unpredictable moves unless they truly believe they have their opponents timing and rhythm (or riddum if you’re GSP) figured out….yet this has become commonplace for Silva. Even in his most lackluster performances, there’s a least one flash of creative brilliance that floats to the surface. Saturday was no different as Silva showed he was on another level yet again by unleashing his patented, “gotcha” hands down stance with brutal results.
Okami finally got his shot but fell short like so many others before him. There’s no shame in losing to the best at this point, but it has to be disheartening to reach the peak and then get shut down hard. Many of Fedor’s opponents have never been the same after getting crushed by the last man before Silva to be considered the best. I’m not sure why Okami was hesitant to stick to his gameplan of clinch work mixed with a healthy dose of dirty boxing.
Here’s hoping Okami realizes his mistakes and goes back to the drawing board to become more motivated rather than less. He’s a fine 185’er. One of the best, no doubt. But if it took this long for him to get a shot in the first place, he did little in this fight to make anyone want to see him get another fight against the champ for a long time. His best hope is to keep piling up the W’s as he did before and hope that Silva retires by the time he earns another shot. He should continue his recent trend of being more exciting, though, otherwise no one will buy into a potential rematch. Predicted next fight: Demian Maia or perhaps someone like Constantinos Phillipou if UFC wants to make him start from the ground up. The loser of the Belcher/MacDonald fight makes sense, too.
We’ve gotten used to talk of GSP and the light heavyweight division in the wake of each Anderson Silva fight. That’s all well and good IF it happens, but the most likely situation is the winner of Stann and Sonnen. Some have correctly pointed out that if Silva does take off (retirement or divisionally speaking) before Sonnen has his number one contender’s bout, that he will gloat for life about how Silva would rather disappear than face him again. Rather than let the talk go ala Bas Rutten and Kevin Randleman, I know Silva will want to protect his legacy and is willing to stick around at 185 for a bit longer to do so.
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