The main thoughts coming out of this great non-UFC weekend of MMA events...
-Urijah Faber's effort in the fight against Mike Brown to adapt without use of his right hand was fascinating to watch. His attempt to knock out Brown with elbows instead, while risking getting hurt as a result by closing the range on Brown's punches, was about as good a B-plan as there is, especially when submissions were out of the question considering he couldn't grip Brown.
-It's hard to imagine Brown didn't notice Faber not using his right hand, so to me, Brown won the fight but lost some stature in not being able to knock out Faber over the course of three rounds with a one-handed fighter who couldn't submit him easily. Obviously a rematch should be booked as this 0-2 record for Faber is tainted by his broken hand this time. Plus, it was such an entertaining fight, especially given the circumstances, that a rematch would draw ratings.
-The most memorable post-fight reactions came from Andrei Arlovski, Brett Rogers, Mike Brown, and Scott Smith. Smith was just bummed out, and rightfully so as Nick Diaz just pelted him over and over for three rounds. The punch count in that fight was incredible, even if there wasn't knockout power. As for Brown, he broke down when talking about his fight camp, showing how strong a bond fighters form with one another when training intensely for big fights. Rogers of course was the "every man" who just moved up to a big future payday with a big win.
-As for Arlovski, the tears welling up in his face told a story of someone who believes he was on the cusp of being a highly paid top heavyweight champion who looked like he was getting the best of Fedor last fight to someone with a confirmed glass jaw. To realize that no matter how hard you train and how big your experience advantage and how much better a technical fighter you are, your jaw can't withstand punches has to be devastating for him on a personal level. Not that he's helpless. Fedor's evaluation of the fight was that Arlovski had the wrong strategy. I'd like to hear what his suggested strategy would be.
-The Arlovski-Rogers fight is the type of fight where I wish the MMA matchmakers booked more rematches. Sometimes one fight just isn't enough to learn any definitive. With a largely unknown entity like Rogers, I'd like to see Arlovski get another shot at him to see how he'd fight differently. In fact, I'd like to see Arlovski get another chance at Fedor given how strong he looked until he made that ill-fated leap into Fedor's fist.
-The angle Strikeforce is taking with Rogers, pushing him as someone who came straight out of changing tires at Home Depot to beating world class heavyweight fighters such as Arlovski, is a dangerous approach to take. Although technically true, it makes winning an MMA fight seem like winning a toughman competition where any tough guy can walk in off the street and beat a world class martial artist. They should at the same time stress exactly what Rogers has done in terms of preparing for the fight and also detail his background in fight training before he was a Home Depot worker. If a guy can walk in off the street and barrel through established top contenders with a barrage of punches, it belittles the larger image that MMA has worked nearly two decades to establish.
-Nick Diaz is weird. I love seeing him fight mid-card fights, but the guy is strange. His fighting style is strange. His personality is strange. HIs post-match interview after beating Scott Smith had my scratching my head. What did he mean when he told people not to believe everything they see on TV? What was more irritating is the interviewer didn't ask for clarification! Too often interviews have their set of two or three questions and they ask them no matter what response to they get to the previous question. Sometimes a follow up is called for. Then again, maybe Strikeforce doesn't want a fighter explaining that pre-fight hype is exaggerated with encouragement by the promoters.
-Speaking of announcers, the Strikeforce team is an ill-fitting mix of non-MMA guys who are "polished professional broadcasters" and MMA vets (Mauro Renallo, Frank Shamrock). Gus Johnson does okay, but he doesn't come across as someone who lives and breaths MMA.
-I do wish Kenny Florian wouldn't refer to Brown and Faber as "little guys" in the middle of a great main event fight.
-I agree with Penick's four-star rating for Faber-Brown. MMATorch senior columnist Shawn Ennis has it at the top of all 230 fights he's seen this year (I'm as impressed he keeps track as I am that he's seen that many) and rated it four-stars-plus. I'm stopping short of four-stars-plus only because we saw a champion unable to finish a handicapped superstar, so it was tainted in that way. It was interesting, but half way into the fight, once his right hand was clearly broken, it took away the sense that if Faber lost it would necessarily mean Brown was the better of the two fighters. But it was an amazing fight and I can't blame anyone for having it at four-stars-plus, especially Shawn who's fight judgment I have a ton of respect for. It is a Fight of the Year contender. I just wish we could count on a rematch late this year to maybe top it.
-As for Strikeforce, I'd have Rogers-Arlovski at ***- (rather than the four-stars Penick gave it). To me a three-star rating is earned here because the fight was historically significant, surprising, and ended with a dramatic quick knockout. I can't go four stars for such a short fight with no back-and-forth drama. I'd have Shields-Lawler at three-stars, as Penick did, for the same reasons, but not tack on a minus because there was more to the fight. The submission win was nearly as dramatic, though.
-Be sure to check out MMATorch editor Jamie Pencik's Take on Strikeforce's identity. I agree completely that they have a problem with depth of talent, and they either need to find a way go "all in" and compete for a few more big name contracts in two or three weight divisions, or else they're going to end up running out of decent match-ups quickly.
A win is a win whether or not it is tainted as you see it The best thing
about sports is the what ifs. If Faber didn't break his hand what would
have happened? Well he did and he lost and that's two. Give Brown some
credit as Faber is a great fighter one handed or not is still better than
just about everyone. Brown was in a no win situation. If he had finished
him the complaints would be he finished a man hurt and would still be
slighted.
Jeff
09 Jun 2009, 10:38
I'm with Tim, a win is a win. I think I saw his hand break when Brown
slammed him to the mat. But if not, if it were because he hit Brown's hard
head, fighters are supposed to know how not to break their hands and where
to hit someone so they don't. Faber is just wild swinging. That's what got
him in trouble the last time and this time. I think Brown knew Faber was
hurt, but didn't put him away simply because it would have been, ...well
he's hurt. Brown is the better fighter. Faber only wins because he comes
out like a mad man. Brown knew how to handle the mad-man and could go toe
to toe with the guy without getting flustered. Brown 2, Faber 0. It speaks
volumes. Faber is a fluke if you ask me. Brown is the real deal.
TOPLEO^^
09 Jun 2009, 12:08
I don't take anything away from Brown- I think he is a great fighter and
champ. BUT- he HAS to have walked out of that ring realizing he as the
Champ was taken to a 5 round decision by a guy with one broken hand and
possibly the other injured as well. A Champions mentality cannot allow him
to feel comfortable about that- even when your opponent is Faber, who I
respect enormously. Browns got the belt and the 2-0 record but I think
Brown/Faber III is a no-brainer.
Jao
09 Jun 2009, 15:13
With regard to Fedor, I am pretty sure that they way you fight a brawler
is, you take him to the ground and submit him. I am pretty sure how Fedor
would end the fight with Rogers, by arm brekage. That's what alrovski
should have done, he knows that Rogers is a heavy puncher, yet Arlovski has
good submissions, so why the hell not use them.
