As always, the UFC and its fighters pulled through with another solid card, and this time is was free! Obviously, there's only so much you can expect from a free card, but all in all I think it was a raging success. Although overall, there wasn't a ton of excitement, there were plenty of exciting moments and enough finishes to keep everyone talking for a few days. 9 THINGS I LEARNED FROM UFC ON VS 6 (Cause I didn't learn 10)
1. I watched the undercard on Facebook, and it was awesome. Had I just watched the main event, I might not have been so impressed with this event. Those guys really know how to put on a show.
2. Paul Sass proves that English fighters can do more than just box.
3. Standing elbows from the clinch are an underused and very effective technique. Both Josh Neer and Matt Wiman used them en route to their respective wins.
4. Speaking of Matt Wiman. That guy's chin is made of granite. Mac Danzig was throwing everything he had at him and couldn't knock him down.
5. Sometimes watching a straight up grappling match can be more fun than watching two guys throw haymakers all night. Shane Roller vs. T.J. Grant is a great example.
6. Power Bombs and Suplexes and headkicks oh my! Counting the undercard, this event featured 2 Suplexes, 1 Power Bomb, and 2 headkick KO's.
7. Pat Barry is truly undersized for the Heavyweight division. This wouldn't be a problem if his overall skill set was world class. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
8. Charlie Brenneman is not a welterweight contender (not that I ever thought he was).
9. Although is wasn't the greatest performance I've ever seen, Dominic Cruz really impressed me last night. He showed that he can adapt his game plan when necessary and do whatever it takes to get the W. Plus, he suplexed Mighty Mouse........Twice!
REACTIONS AND RESULTS
I just want to point out that not only did I go 4 for 4 on my picks last night, I also went 3 for 4 on my predictions of how the fight was going to end. The only one I got wrong was predicting that Matt Wiman would win by submission instead of by decision. So that makes me 9 x 2 overall on my picks since instituting the betting odds.
Are you ready to start listening yet?
Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig by Unanimous Decision
This was easily the best fight on the card. Wiman and Danzig came out with every intention of putting on a show, and boy did they deliver. There was not a dull moment for the entirety of the 15 minutes that were fought. What really surprised me was how great of a chin Matt Wiman has. I mean, I knew he had a good chin, but wow. Mac Danzig clipped him with at least 4 or 5 shots that would have put out a Heavyweight, and he still kept coming. I'm not a huge fan of Mac Danzig, but he showed an amazing will in this fight. You could tell that he really wanted to win. Matt Wiman was just the better man last night. Kudos to both of them for putting on a great show.
Anthony Johnson def. Charlie Brenneman by TKO (Headkick) in Rd 1
I really couldn't believe the betting odds for this fight when I first saw them. I don't know if the odds makers were drunk that day or what, but Anthony Johnson should have been a 10 to 1 favorite, not 2 to 1. At one point, he was literally holding Brenneman down with one hand and punching him with the other. Not to say that Charlie Brenneman doesn't have a ton of heart, because its evident that he does, but he's just not at that level. The ending to this bout was somewhat controversial because Brenneman looked like he was still lucid after the headkick. I honestly had no problem with the stoppage. It's the ref's job to protect the fighter and that's what Yamasaki was doing. Brenneman got up doing the "stanky leg" from the first knock down and then took a full power kick to the front of the face. If I was the referee, I would have stopped it too.
Stefan Struve def. Pat Barry by Submission (Triangle/Armbar) in Rd 2
Oh boy was I right about his one! The first round of this fight was kind of boring, I have to admit. Both fighters obviously had a lot of respect for each others abilities and just circled the ring for 5 minutes, seldom engaging. The second round, was a completely different story. After playing the same circle game for a few minutes, Struve caught a punch square to the jaw and I guess it woke the beast inside him. He bull rushed Barry and after the scramble they ended up on the ground. What happened next was pure entertainment gold. Struve ended up locking in a pretty tight Triangle and Barry, in a last ditch effort to shrug him off, picked him up like an old school "Rampage" and power bombed him to the canvas. Unfortunately, the desired effect was not what he expected as it only made the choke tighter. Barry was forced to tap out seconds later. I'm sure the powerbomb will be on highlight reels for years to come, but this fight proved that Pat Barry still has a long way to go before being considered an elite heavyweight.
Dominic Cruz def. Demetrious Johnson by Unanimous Decision
To no ones surprise, Dominic Cruz is still the undisputed UFC Bantamweight Champion of the world. What is surprising is that he didn't have as easy a time as everyone thought he would winning this fight. Demetrious Johnson may be a bit undersized for 135lbs and will probably find greater success when the Flyweight division is instituted, but there's not denying that he is an impressive fighter. Cruz was not able to use his usual footwork and awkward boxing style to frustrate Johnson like he does with everyone else. The reason? Might Mouse is lightning fast and doesn't seem to ever slow down. The champ had to resort to out wrestling Johnson. Speaking of which.... When is Dominic Cruz going to start getting the respect he deserves as a wrestler? He suplexed Johnson twice! Anyway, it wasn't the most entertaining title defense I've ever seen, but it showed that Dominic Cruz is definitely the real deal. His skill set is not limited to boxing and kickboxing. Conversely, Demetrious Johnson is also a badass, although of a smaller variety.
(Update: It had since been reported that Dominic Cruz broke his left hand early in the fight. He basically fought 5 rounds with a broken hand. That's tough)
Fight of the Night: Matt Wiman vs. Mac Danzig
Submission of the Night: Stefan Struve
KO of the Night: Anthony Johnson
All in all I give this event from top to bottom a solid B. Good stuff!!
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If you weren't able to watch the fights, check out the post below for full fight videos of the main card.
Here's a bonus too. This was my favorite finish from the undercard.
Paul Sass vs. Michael Johnson
As always, don't forget to follow me on twitter @TheGuardFighter.
Last night was only the first of the many belts that will be defended over the next few weeks, so get excited!
I'll be doing my usual BETTING ODDS, BREAKDOWNS, AND PREDICTIONS next week so come back and maybe you'll make some money.
Thanks for the support this week by the way. My page views quadrupled!
Until next time, Stay Classy San Diego.........
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