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By Wade Keller, MMATorch supervising editor -First, big thanks to MMATorch editor-in-chief Jamie Penick and senior columnist Shawn Ennis for their great coverage of UFC 92 last night. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'll put our live PPV coverage against anyone's out there. Thanks also to all of the contributors for setting the stage for MMA fanatics and novices alike with the pre-event coverage all week. It's going to be a busy January here at MMATorch with so many big events from now until Jan. 31 and we'll all be with you ever step of the way.
-One thing I enjoy doing after a UFC PPV is rewatching key moments with the knowledge of hindsight to put them in perspective - not just the finishes, but the demeanor before fights. I know fighters put on their best face before a fight no matter what, with rare exception (Tim Silvia always looks like he's trying to talk himself into thinking he can win). Wanderlei Silva's pre-fight demeanor, though, rivaled only the always supremely confident Rashad Evans. In retrospect, it's fascinating, because that could have been the end of Silva's career, or at least his last big UFC fight of that stature, given his record the past couple years. There was not an ounce of doubt in himself that I noticed during the pre-fight Octagon entrance.
-Joe Rogan talked about how once a fighter has been knocked out once, it becomes easier to knock them out a second time. After three times, it's much easier than the first. Not only is that bad for Silva, but it also applies to Nogueira. Will this be the beginning of a streak of KO losses for Nogueira, too?
-The finish of Mir-Nog is a big deal for UFC fans who have watched the ups and downs of Mir's UFC career, but the finish was much more amazing for those who followed Nog's career in Pride. Seeing him knocked out for the first time given all of the monsters who haven't accomplished that in the past is just draw-droppingly historic and monumental. It's one of the bigger moments in MMA history.
-A moment many people might have missed while watching on PPV was Brock Lesnar's reaction to Mir's knockout. It wasn't shown live, but it was part of the great montage that UFC put together to close out the event. They had a camera focused on Lesnar the whole fight, apparently, as they showed a few seconds before the KO punch and then his standing up with a dropped jaw in shock at the knockdown, then absolute shock when the fight was stopped. He tapped Rena, his wife, and looked at her to be sure she was aware of what just happened. It was a cool moment and shows what a fan of his new sport Lesnar is.
-Rogan's insight into Lesnar's life in Minnesota was fascinating. He said he lives in the woods in Minnesota and only has a TV to watch hunting shows. I'm not sure if Lensar is the person I'd feel most safe walking down the most dangerous alley in the world with, but Lesnar's top three for sure.
-Mir's post-fight inteview was one of the most memorable UFC moments ever. His burying his head in his baseball cap to just bawl was a special moment. There were times he came across as a jerk as coach during The Ultimate Fighter series, but between that promo and his excellent commentary on WEC (which Rogan put over big time during this show), I'm a fan. I am definitely looking forward to Mir-Lesnar. That's a big box office fight.
-What happened to all of the Pride bigshots from the early 2000s? The dream "merger" of the two rosters took another lopsided beating in favor of UFC last night. It's something that should actually concern UFC fighters in their primes today, as it does appear more than ever that fighters should be judged on ring-time and tough minutes logged, not age or record. Those UFC fighters with a lot of tough minutes (such as Forrest) may not be fighting into their 40s like Randy Couture. Nog, at just 32, appears potentially on the downturn of an amazing career, while others are just getting rolling at 32.
-I really enjoy Rogan's role on UFC PPVs. His enthusiasm, communication skills, passion, and growing knowledge really add to the show. Now I just wish he'd refine his original UFC role of doing post-fight interviews and actually always ask an actual question. Fighters are usually exhausted and not professional communicators, so a precise, leading question is always preferred over the general "great fight, you looked good out there, what a knockout punch" followed by the mic being put in front of their face. Sometimes Rogan asks that question we're all wanting the answer to, but other times he just utters some random thoughts on the fight without an actual question and it's frustrating because the fighters usually just ramble and talk about sponsors and after-fight parties.
-Rampage Jackson challenging Rashad Evans is obviously the other huge match-up set up based on tonight's events along with Lesnar-Mir. Cheick Kongo vs. Nog would be another possible fight. If Cheik lost, UFC would lose a marketable fight with him facing the MIr-Lesnar winner, but Nog has enough of a resume to be worth giving a quick chance to get back into the title picture. Who wouldn't want to see Nog get a rematch against Mir knowing what he knows now? Or see him face Lesnar, whose submission defense hasn't been tested yet? And if Cheik won, it'd legitimize him going into his title fight much more than sitting on the sidelines waiting for Lesnar-Mir to take place.
[Rampage Jackson art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.
