Well then....... Don't I feel silly......
Looks like I underestimated a lot of people, and gave some others entirely way too much credit.
All in all, I still had a pretty good winning percentage considering. Going 4 and 3 is damn good, especially since one of those fights was a massive upset. I
also gave you the gem that was the Mike Massenzio upset over Steve Cantwell. So technically I went 5 and 3. That puts my over all prediction record at 14-5. Pretty good I think!
9 Things I Learned From UFC 136 (Cause I didn't learn 10)
1. Anthony Pettis has a long way to go before he can be considered a
lightweight contender. He was unimpressive in his razor thin win.
2. Everyone should take trash talking lessons from Chael Sonnen. He's a masterful word ninja.
3. Oh, by the way, Chael Sonnen used Jiu-Jitsu to beat Brian Stann. Contrary
to what he's said in the past, I guess BJJ is effective in a fight.
4. Kenny Florian is just not meant to hold a title in the UFC. It's unfortunate,
but true.
5. Apparently Joe Lauzon is a beast. Who knew?
6. Apparently Melvin Guillard is no longer a beast.
7. Leonard Garcia is a crazy person. And it's awesome!!
8. Fighters should have to come to the UFC and get tested by the best before
they can have a top 10 ranking.
9. Frankie Edgar may in fact be the real life Rocky Balboa.
REACTIONS AND RESULTS
Anthony Pettis def. Jeremy Stephen by Split Decision
This was arguably the most controversial fight of the night. I personally scored rounds two and three for Stephens. So much happened after this fight was over that it was pretty much swept under the rug. I don't know if Stephens just looked very good, or if Pettis' skills are just over valued, but this was not the one sided affair that most expected. It's clear that Anthony Pettis has a ton of potential, but I think he still has a lot of maturing to do as a fighter. I'm interested to see how his performance will play out in his next fight. If he doesn't start putting together some impressive wins though, he's going to get left behind in the title picture. The lightweight division is entirely way to stacked for Pettis to not be killing it in the Octagon.
Demian Maia def. Jorge Santiago by Unanimous Decision
Jorge Santiago joins the long list of fighters who had a top ten ranking outside of the UFC, then got smashed by everyone they fought in the UFC. Don't get me wrong, Jorge Santiago has crazy skills, but the caliber of fighter in the UFC is very different then it is in other promotions. Demian Maia looked impressive in the sense that he did exactly what he needed to do to win the fight. He used his boxing to close the distance and set up takedowns. Once the fight is in his world, it's all over. I would like to see Maia use his Jiu-Jitsu a bit more offensively though. I don't know if he his timid because he doesn't want to give up positions, but it's been a long time since we've seen Maia destroy someone on the ground. Not a bad performance for Maia overall though.
Joe Lauzon def. Melvin Guillard by Submission (RNC) in RD 1
Surprising is not even the word to describe the outcome of this fight. Joe Lauzon took it to Melvin Guillard like I've never seen before. There is a very small percentage of people who predicted the fight would go this way. I have to agree with Dana White though, Melvin Guillard may have beaten himself. He came in to the fight acting like it was already in the bag. Anyone who makes his way to the Octagon dancing like the fight is over is always going to be in for a rude awakening. Not to take anything away from Joe Lauzon, but Guillard was not mentally prepared for this fight. Either way, J-Lau looked more than impressive. I have to applaud the killer instinct this kid has. As soon as he smells blood, he gets in there and finishes every time. Bravo!
Nam Phan def. Leonard Garcia by Unanimous Decision
This fight almost went exactly how I predicted! But Leonard Garcia did not pull the trigger when he needed to. Phan was doing exactly what he needed to do, basically putting on a boxing clinic, when he got caught by a Leonard Garcia signature haymaker. What does Garcia do? He stands there and lets Phan recover. Unbelievable! Regardless, this was one of the most entertaining fights I've ever seen. Leonard Garcia is truly a crazy person. I don't think the guy has ever been in a boring fight. He probably wouldn't even know how to be in one. The show of sportsmanship and camaraderie demonstrated by the two after the fight was especially impressive. That's what MMA is about. Everyone should learn from those guys.
Chael Sonnen def. Brian Stann by Submission (Arm Triangle) in RD 2
(Clearing throat) I guess Chael Sonnen does train Jiu-Jitsu after all. I'm not even sure what to say about this one. Brian Stann was basically dominated by Sonnen from the minute the bell rang. With the exception of a few body punches, he literally did nothing to pose a threat to Sonnen at any point. Once again, we get to listen to Chael insult Anderson Silva every three minutes until Dana White makes that fight happen. As much as I don't like the things he says about the Brasilian people, I have to appreciate the showmanship. If nothing else, he is hands down the most entertaining guy in the business. More importantly, not only does he talk the talk, he most certainly walks the walk. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to see Silva vs. Sonnen II. Bring on the trash talk!!
Jose Aldo def. Kenny Florian by Unanimous Decision
In the first round, Kenny Florian did everything he needed to do to win the fight. He out punched, out kicked, and out grappled the reigning Featherweight champion of the world. Not so much for every round after that. I'm not really sure what the future holds in store for Kenny Florian. This will probably be the last time he'll ever fight for a title. Although he has had an amazingly impressive career, perhaps its time to call it quits. Unfortunately, Kenny Florian will probably go down as the greatest Mixed Martial Artist in the history of the sport to never win a major title. I'm a big K-Flo fan so it pains me to say that, but it's time to be realistic. I'm a little disappointed in Aldo though. For the second fight in a row, he has fought very conservatively. What happened to the Jose Aldo of old that would just destroy people? Hopefully he'll be back to his savage ways soon.
Frankie Edgar def. Gray Maynard by TKO in RD 4
"The winner, and STILL the UFC Lightweight Champion of the World.....Frankie, The Answer, Edgar!!!"
What can I say about Frankie Edgar that hasn't already been said? Nothing, that's what. At first this fight seemed like a replay of the their last meeting. Maynard came out strong in the first round and was able to nail Edgar with a few big shots. Whatever Frankie Edgar's corner said to him in between rounds must have a lit a fire under his ass, because from Round 2 on, he systematically dismantled Gray Maynard. Time and time again Frankie Edgar proves that he has more heart and determination than anyone else in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Not only that, he can take an incredible amount of punishment and keep on coming. For the first time in over two years, Edgar finished his opponent. No leaving this one to the judges. We'll finally get to see Frankie Edgar fight someone other than Gray Maynard or B.J. Penn. Dana White has even hinted at the fact that he would like to see Edgar fight Aldo at 145 lbs. Whether its at Lightweight or Featherweight, Frankie Edgar is going to go out there and put on a show for the fans. Frankly, I don't care which weight class he chooses to fight in as long as he's fighting again soon.
UFC 136 gets a solid A from me. What a great card this turned out to be from top to bottom. Admittedly there weren't a lot of finishes, but every fight was exciting in some way.
Fight of the Night: Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia
Submission of the Night: Joe Lauzon
KO of the Night: Frankie Edgar
____________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks again to everyone for the amazing support. I've been getting some a great response and I really appreciate it.
I'll hopefully be making some big changes soon, as well as doing some promotional contests, so keep coming back.
Check out this great video of Chael Sonnen's post fight interview with Ariel Helwani. I swear, everything that comes out of this guy's mouth is pure gold.
You’re watching Chael Sonnen UFC 136 Post-Fight Interview. See the Web's top videos on AOL Video
Don't forget to follow my on twitter @TheGuardFighter
I'll try to get the videos from last night and post them up by the end of the day. Every single fight is worth watching. I promise.
Until next time, PEACE!
No comments:
Post a Comment