It’s a good thing I didn’t get around to posting any picks for this event because I was wrong about every single fight on the main card. After the first three fights, I turned to my buddy and said, “I feel bad for Shogun Rua and Chuck Liddel.” And lo, their asses were kicked.
Forest Griffin impressed with his first big win over a top contender, and Keith Jardine proved what everyone has been saying since the Rampage fight: Chuck is a good kick-boxer who can eat whatever wrestler Dana White spoon-feeds him alive, but he doesn’t like getting punched in the face, and his odd (to be kind) fighting style is easily picked apart by anyone with a technical striking game. Evolve or retire Chuck, for your own good. I mean, aren’t you glad that he found this out before Wanderlai Silva had a chance to make him each knees for 15 minutes?
The one thing I think I can add to the internet clamor about the fights is that I wasn’t really impressed by John Fitch or Tyson Griffin. They won their fights, by the traditional measures, but mostly they just seemed to stay out of trouble without working to finish the fight. Griffin’s fight was great to watch, but mostly because of the BJJ clinic that Thiago Tavares was putting on. Fitch did a great job escaping from Diego Sanchez’s many submission attempts while delivering the occasional “monkey punch,” but it was the submissions that made the fight great.
They both won on the basis of superior wrestling, but never really put their opponents in any real danger. I’m not saying that Sanchez or Tavares won those fights, just that they did more to win them. Call it “Sprawl and Stall,” call it “Lay and Pray,” I don’t care: I don’t like watching wrestling, and I certainly don’t want to watch it when I’m paying to watch a fight.
Again, they were clearly more athletic than their opponents, and clearly had great hip control, but let’s seem some fighting. Is that too much to ask?
Well, my picks weren’t nearly as good as last time, mostly because I underestimated both French fighters and refused to pick another fighter because he’s so annoying. Let’s run it down:
Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Henderson
My prediction: Rampage: bigger, meaner, and better than ever.
Actual result: Rampage by decision in 5 rounds.
This was a pretty even match, both in terms of ability and style. Both fighters were ducking and throwing overhand rights, both fighters did most of their striking in brief flurries, and both men took turns taking each other to the canvas and working from side control. But Rampage was more dominant every round except the first, and was obviously better conditioned - no mean feat for the larger fighter.
Marcus Davis vs. Paul Taylor
My prediction: Davis wins it because we’re sure he’s actually a fighter.
Actual result: Davis wins by submission in the first round.
I didn’t have a lot of respect for Taylor going into the fight, calling him “The Busboy” during the fighter interviews, but he was right about one thing: he has a hell of a high kick that nearly ended the fight early. But Davis proved me right by staying composed while taking some severe punishment and pulling out an armbar for the win.
Mirko Filipović vs. Cheick Kongo
My prediction: Cro Cop wins by tap out in the first 5 seconds.
Actual result: Kongo by decision in 3 rounds.
It seems that Kongo has been working out in Big Bear with Rampage and his trainer Juanito Ibarra. I wasn’t aware that Kongo had developed beyond the one-dimensional kick-boxer that we’d seen in the past. He came in with a great game-plan, backing up Mirko and keeping him on the defensive, and looked relatively comfortable on the ground. I think Mirko may be heading back to law enforcement after these last two defeats.
Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill
My prediction: Bisping wins because this isn’t a wrestling match.
Actual result: Bisping eeks out a split decision because two of the judges had difficulty seeing the match with their heads so far up their asses.
I liked Hamill on The Ultimate Fighter 3, but found him to be entirely one-dimensional. Last night he showed that he’s figured out how to turn his explosive wrestling shot into a lunging punch and worked well in the clinch. He spent the entire match chasing Bisping down and turning his face into a lumpy mess. But I guess in London they follow the Pride rules where unless the local fighter is completely knocked out, he wins the decision. Disappointing.
Fightlinker comes up with the best quote:
You’d think [Judge Cecil] Peoples would have been sympathetic to Hamill because they both have disabilities. Hamill of course is deaf, but not many seem to know that Peoples is blind.
Houston Alexander vs. Alessio Sakara
My prediction: If I had to put down money on this fight, I’d bet that Alexander wins, but he keeps opening his mouth. Sakara just because if he babbles a bunch of bullshit, it’ll probably be in Italian and I won’t have to care.
Actual result: Alexander knocks Sakara out in the first round.
Alexander proved himself to be just as dominant as he was in his win over Keith Jardine, but also proved that he’s still just as annoying, announcing to the London croud that “Nebraska is in the building,” leaving many confused about which tube station they had arrived at. I guess I’ll call this a missed prediction for me, since I wanted so badly for Alexander to lose, but I still want him to have lost.
I can’t find the preliminary bouts on the internet yet, so there will be no snappy commentary for the rest of these fights.
Terry Etim vs. Gleison Tibau
My prediction: Tibau because somebody cared enough to make him a Wikipedia entry.
Actual result: Tibau by unanimous decision.
Anthony Torres vs. Jess Liaudin
My prediction: Torres because while he’s Chamorro, Spanish and Irish, he isn’t French.
Actual result: Liaudin by TKO in the first round.
Thiago Silva vs. Tomasz Drwal
My prediction: Silva will knock him out.
Actual result: Silva by TKO in the second round.
Dennis Siver vs. Naoyuki Kotani
My prediction: Siver by decision.
Actual result: Siver by KO in round two.
So that’s 6 right and 3 wrong, though one of the fights I got wrong I knew I would get wrong, and one of the fights I got right was won by crap judging and home court advantage, so I feel okay about my results. Ultimate Fight Night is in 10 days, so I can get my average back up then if I start doing my extremely thorough research now. Step one: compare nicknames..
On a separate note, watching the UFC for free: awesome. Watching the UFC tape-delayed with commercials: crap. So, another night of awesome crap, but at least it didn’t cost me 40 bucks.