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By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist Many people love Junie Browning. More people hate him. All of them had some interest or at least were a little curious to see him fight on 'The Ultimate Fighter' finale, and our first fight of the night just happened to feature the brash kid from Kentucky. This opening bout was the one that no one wanted to admit that they cared about but secretly had a lot of folks perched on the edge of their seats.
A large portion of the audience probably wanted to see him get his ass kicked, but many were hoping to at least see something positive from him. For far too long he had been nothing but a glass throwing nuisance who clearly wanted out of that house and off of the show. He headed out west and took up training at Xtreme Couture and suddenly we were hearing good things about this season's bad boy. This bout on the finale was going to be a way for us to decide once and for all if we should even care about him or utter his name ever again.
"Diamond" Dave Kaplan made his way to the Octagon to the strains of David Bowie's "Modern Love," and was sporting some sunglasses to go with his new mop of platinum blonde hair and some dance moves learned from watching episodes of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.' His entrance was an absolute blast and it was so refreshing to see a guy not take himself so damned seriously. Glowering and trudging out to the refrains of the latest gangster rapper does nothing to make me imagine that a guy is a bad ass. Kaplan certainly didn't look like a hardened criminal but rather more like the goofy guy who appeared on NBC's 'The Singing Bee' on "Girl Power" night. He was loose and relaxed and having a good time.
Call me crazy but I would rather experience a David Kaplan walk out once more than sit through Chuck Liddell coming out to the same tired DMX song. It should feel good to walk out with an entire arena awaiting your arrival and knowing that there is a large audience at home anticipating your fight. The switch should be flipped and it should be all business from the moment the referee asks if you are ready; but up until then it shouldn't be a crime to maybe act like this is something you might actually enjoy for once.
Dave Kaplan had fun, and for once it was fun that didn't come at the expense of someone else as he was not taunting anyone but rather just having a good time and excited to be fighting in the UFC. I could not stand the man from what I had seen of him on 'The Ultimate Fighter' but suddenly I found myself imagining him to be not so bad of a guy. Anyone who doesn't take themselves so damned seriously wins in my book and if you have taken the time to seek out his 'Singing Bee' clips you would know he most certainly does not take himself seriously at all.
Junie Browning chose to enter to Eminem, and the song definitely fit on every possible level. To a certain point I would have to imagine that if Junie got under your skin that a good reason for this is because he reminds you of all of the dopes you had to deal with who had seen '8 Mile' and suddenly imagined themselves to be Eminem and Cheddar Bob as they hung outside the doors of the mall. Suddenly every asshole had a book of rhymes and aspirations to battle rap in the hood when the reality is they were more like Flip from the movie 'White Boys.' Browning became larger than life because of his time on the show, which made him look more like a sociopath than a professional fighter, and now was the time to see just what he is truly capable of doing.
The first round of this fight was one of the best rounds I have seen all year. The electricity in the air made this one not feel like an opening bout and both men came in shape and determined to win this fight to earn some respect back after their time on the show. While this may not have been the most technically proficient round or the most violent one, it was tremendously fun to watch and this is why I rate it so highly.
David Kaplan does have a chin. He took many flush shots from Browning that made it look as if Junie were smacking a bull on the skull with a two by four and not even causing the beast to flinch. Browning can hit really, really hard and this was more of a credit to Kaplan than it is to be taken as proof that Junie doesn't pack enough power. The Junie we saw on the television show was not even throwing punches half as crisp as the ones he was tagging Kaplan with in this fight.
We had a moment of excitement as Kaplan went for an ankle lock and were treated to quite a sight as Junie fought out of it and used a headstand to allow him to pass. Browning would attempt to choke Kaplan out twice and "Diamond" successfully escaped both. The round ended and I scored it 10-9 for Junie, but this one was a win for both men as the two redeemed themselves nicely in this opening round.
When Junie Browning has a full gas tank you will be in trouble and he was in tiptop shape on this night. The second round was merely an extension of the first round and Browning's punches still had pop and he got into a nice rhythm. Browning would finish this one off at 1:32 of the second round with one of the most technically sound arm bars you will ever see. This one was picture perfect and Kaplan was forced to tap out.
I had predicted Junie Browning to win the entire thing all season long and I still feel he is one of the two best fighters from the entire cast. I was a big fan of his before from tapes I had seen, and it was embarrassing to see him act like a clown on the show and not really show what he is capable of doing. He clearly didn't want to be in the house with all of the other fighters and it would have been in the best interest of all if he had been dismissed and not allowed to fight Efrain at all.
While the man did deserve to be punished for his actions this was not the way to go about it; and if anyone gave a damn about this kid as either a future UFC fighter or just as a human being, they would have sent him home to regroup. Jesse Taylor was sent home for actions similar to Browning's and given the chance to get his life together, and Browning would have benefited from the same without the need to be embarrassed on television against Escudero to prove some kind of point.
Junie Browning will be a star in the UFC lightweight division and it was nice to see him slow it down and fight like he always could. I wish him the best of luck in the future and I certainly will be watching. I firmly admit that I am biased but believe me it cannot be denied just how talented he really is, and he has only begun to scratch the surface. His personality is a bit polarizing but his ability is more than enough to turn his detractors into those who can at least respect him. His future is as bright as any contract winner's shall be as long as he keeps his head on straight and doesn't lose focus.
Dave Kaplan gave a great account of himself and he really didn't fare too poorly against the buzzsaw that is Browning. I hope we get to see the "Diamond" once more and can at least enjoy one more fun walk to the octagon from the Lloyd Irvin product with a very solid chin. This fight took home UFC Fight of the Night honors and both men pocketed 25K extra for their efforts. For an opening bout this one did more than set the table for the rest of the evening and helped this show start with a bang. Or at least a happy little dance.
The next fight would not bring much joy at all as it was not much of a contest and certainly not a fight. We got the chance to take a look at one of the preliminary bouts and this one was a light heavyweight bout between Eliot "The Fire" Marshall and Jules Bruchez. This fight was atrocious and Jules Bruchez does not belong in the Octagon at all. The glasses Junie shattered in the house put up more of a fight than Bruchez, and this was really Marshall against a grappling dummy for a minute and a half.
Eliot landed a few shots, took his man down and mounted him before taking his back and choking him out with little effort at all. Penny Marshall could have beaten Jules Bruchez, and I'd even give the guys who played Lenny and Squiggy on 'Laverne and Shirley' a fair shake as well. Marshall is a very talented young fighter who gave a much better showing in this fight than he did against Ryan Bader, but Bruchez really didn't look like he even wanted to be in there. Obviously getting tagged in the face a few times could make anyone wish for a way out of the Octagon but that isn't what did it for Bruchez. There is a huge divide between those who are truly talented fighters with a chance to make it in the UFC and those who just happened to get selected for the show and Bruchez belongs in the latter group. I'd like to see Marshall again but sincerely hope it would be against someone who might actually fight back.
Thankfully we were back to the live broadcast and set to watch two of the busiest UFC middleweights wage war with one another. Jason MacDonald vs. Wilson Gouveia was a fight I was definitely interested in seeing and I was just thankful the fight was still on after Gouveia failed to make weight. Gouveia weighed in at 189 lbs. and surrendered 20% of his purse to MacDonald, which means those extra cheeseburgers he ate suddenly became as expensive as Kobe beef as he took a paycut for not cutting the weight.
It made perfect sense for MacDonald to agree to take the fight as it was in his best interest to proceed and take full advantage of a bout in a prominent place on an important card being televised nationwide. Wilson Gouveia has not failed to make weight before, so clearly this was a mistake, and the loss of 20% of his purse is more than enough punishment for his misstep. This fight in particular was the fourth fight of the year for both men and a very intriguing match up between two fighters looking to break free from the pack in the middleweight division.
This one did not take long at all and Jason MacDonald was forced to tap out at 2:18 of the very first round due to strikes. Gouveia landed an excellent right hand and actually dropped him with a stiff left jab before jumping on top of him and raining down a barrage of vicious elbow shots. Wilson Gouveia's elbows treated Jason MacDonald's head like it was a melon from the "Dave & Buster's" television commercial as it was just split in half with ease. The bigger man landed the bigger shots and these elbows were just way too much for MacDonald to be able to fight out from under.
Tapping out to strikes has got to be one of the most peculiar moments for a fighter. Most times a fight gets stopped due to strikes because either the fighter is knocked out cold or the referee steps in to protect a fighter who is incapable of even moving himself into a defensive position. In this case you had MacDonald, who was clearly of sound mind but understanding that things were about to get much worse, having to make the choice of either getting knocked unconscious or making it stop. This was the smart thing for him to do and I commend him for having the guts to realize that it would be wiser to come back and fight another day than to go out on his shield by eating another four or five elbows.
My opinion would be different if this were a fighter looking for a way out but in MacDonald's case it was a sign of intelligence from a man who wants to get back in there quickly and not have to take months to recuperate from injuries. Both fighters will be back and I am especially interested to see what will be next for Wilson Gouveia and if he can succeed against the elite of the division.
The next bout of the evening was a rematch between Kevin Burns and Anthony Johnson from their controversial bout in July. Burns got the win over Johnson when the fight was stopped after an unintentional poke to the eyes and Steve Mazzagatti ruled it a TKO victory for Burns. Johnson appealed this decision but it was not overturned; and this was an injustice to say the least as this fight should have gone down as a no contest rather than a victory for loss for Johnson. Kevin Burns has stated that due to suffering three broken hands in an 18 month span that he punches with a much looser fist and this seems to make it more likely that he would inadvertently poke someone in the eye as he did Johnson. Regardless of the outcome in July it was a fun fight to watch until it ended in the manner it did and this rematch between the welterweights looked to be a good one.
Kevin "The Fire" Burns is our second fighter to sport a groan inducing nickname that is a play on his last name and has to do with fire. Personally I would prefer that Kevin go by either "Indian Rug" Burns or "When I Pee It" Burns but I suppose we will have to do with "The Fire." Anthony Johnson chose the moniker of "Rumble," and with the way this guy kicks and punches I am not even going to think of any other nickname for him as the one he selected works just fine.
This fight was all about the size and strength of Johnson and the aggressive defense of Burns. The first round was almost all Johnson but Burns did attempt a nice looking triangle before both fighters ended the round with a crisp exchange but it was clear who the stronger fighter was in this fight. The second round proved to be more of the same and with Burns working hard on defense and trying hard to pull off a submission only this time by way of kimura.
The main thing that stood out in this fight was the inability for Kevin Burns to generate any offense at all and the high motor of Anthony Johnson. Johnson was aggressive but not once did he make a mistake that his opponent could really capitalize on; and in all honesty Burns just wasn't strong enough to secure any of his submission attempts.
At the :28 mark of round number three it was all over as Anthony Johnson uncorked a kick that looked capable of decapitating many a man, and served to render Kevin Burns unable to continue. "The Fire" was extinguished with a highlight reel kick that puts Johnson back on the winning track, and serves notice to all of those in the welterweight division that "Rumble" is quite possibly poised to become a force to be reckoned with, and is going to be a dangerous opponent for anyone. Johnson also picked up an extra 25K as he was awarded the UFC Knockout of the Night honors for his devastating head kick.
Our first of two bouts for the "six figure contract" was upon us as Ryan Bader took on Vinny Magalhaes in the light heavyweight finals match up. Most everyone including myself had favored Bader to win the entire thing from the moment the show began, but Magalhaes really established himself as a major player and the darkhorse in the competition. Vinny's proficiency in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seemed to give him the edge over the decorated collegiate wrestler from Arizona State. While we weren't sure just how this would turn out it seemed to be a lock that Magalhaes would be capable of getting more of a fight out of Bader than Eliot Marshall.
Vinny not only got a fight but he got himself knocked for a loop as a clipping right hand ended the night at 2:18 of round number one and your light heavyweight winner of 'The Ultimate Fighter 8' is Ryan Bader. This punch grazed Magalhaes and hit him just behind the ear, and one can only imagine the results had this one landed flush. Not only is Ryan Bader one hell of a wrestler but he has got some power; and I am surprised he didn't run around the Octagon shouting "I got power too" as Krzysztof Soszynski did after showing off a little jiu-jitsu. The real Ryan Bader was not the one who fought an unmotivated fight against Eliot Marshall and took the boring decision, but rather the beast we witnessed against Vinny on Saturday.
Bader's wrestling and Magalhaes' BJJ never even came into play as this one was all about the striking. Vinny's only success came when he dropped Ryan early on with a kick but this really had no effect at all on Bader and looked like more of a loss of balance. Ryan Bader not only needed to win this fight but he also needed to impress and make up for his abysmal showing against Marshall and he succeeded on both counts. "Darth" Bader is a solid light heavyweight fighter with world class wrestling skills and a little bit of pop behind his punches who it looks like will make a little bit of noise in the stacked 205 lb. division in the UFC. This certainly will not be the last we see of Vinny Magalhaes but we are going to be seeing a lot of Ryan Bader and it is nice to see that the best light heavyweight from the show was able to make good on his promise and win the whole thing.
The early ending to the Bader-Magalhaes fight meant that we were going to get the chance to see yet another of the preliminary fights and this would be the light heavyweight bout between Krzysztof Soszynski and Shane Primm. Soszynski was another favorite going into the season and certainly was the most experienced of all the fighters on the show. The former IFL fighter came up short against Vinny Magalhaes but looked to bounce back against the unheralded Shane Primm who was also looking to give a better account of himself and possibly audition for a spot on a future UFC card.
The first round of this one was all Soszynski and Primm looked incapable of matching or even handling the "Polish Experiment." The only "Polish Experiment" I can recall involves college girls and a kielbasa and has nothing to do with a bald, tattooed man named Krzysztof. An interesting nickname and on Saturday it was Shane Primm as the subject of an experiment to see if he could get in some offense against the tough Soszynski.
Krzysztof worked for the kimura throughout the first round but was finally successful in securing it in the second and he simply shredded Primm's shoulder with the hold. Primm was forced to tap out at 3:27 of round two, and this one was nasty to watch as I could only imagine the kind of pain Shane was feeling. I hope he wasn't injured too terribly, but I predict that Shane Primm is going to have a bit of trouble wiping his own ass for a couple of weeks until his shoulder heals. Soszynski looked good and the Team Quest product who trains under Dan Henderson looks to have a bright future in the sport and should at least get another chance to show us what he can do in the Octagon.
It was finally time for the main event and if you had listened to all of the hype you would have imagined that Phillipe Nover had not only already won the bout but also took President-elect Obama's seat in the senate. There was still a fight to take place and it was the battle of the undefeated fighters between Phillipe Nover and Efrain Escudero. While no one had ever intimated that Escudero was any sort of a slouch, this fight was all about being a showcase for Nover and not many gave Efrain a chance to win at all.
Efrain Escudero goes by the nickname of "Hecho en Mexico" and this nickname is also shared by both my sweatshirt and my bath towel. I can tell you that my bath towel put up more of a fight on Saturday night in trying to dry my ass after stepping out of the shower than Escudero did against Nover. I'd have to say that Escudero is more like a blanket, and he really did nothing more than lay atop Nover and neutralize him for the duration of the fight. On one hand it is great that he was able to keep Nover from getting anything off but at a certain point you need to be a little bit more offensive and not be so content to coast to the decision that your fighting still becomes offensive in and of itself.
The first round was the only round in which Escudero put up a fight, and he looked really good while landing a few shots on Nover. Efrain hits very hard and it is a shame that he didn't go back to this as the fight progressed, as he could have taken steps to ensure that it didn't make it to the scorecards where he could risk losing a decision. You never want to leave it in the hands of the judges as everyone watches fights in a different way and usually it is the judges who see things in a manner not consistent with anyone else.
The second round was all Escudero and all about his considerable advantage in terms of strength and his impressive wrestling ability. Near the end of the round it was Nover who finally got off and landed a terrific kick to the body, but it was Escudero who went one better by slamming the "Filipino Assassin" to the ground in a manner usually reserved for Matt Hughes. It was clear that the first two rounds had to have been scored for Escudero and that Nover was going to need to finish things off in the third in order to win this one.
Phillipe Nover almost pulled this one off, and he was ever so close to securing an omoplata which would have certainly ended this fight in short order. Efrain Escudero worked very, very, very hard to escape, and realistically it was due to Nover being so close to the cage that Escudero even had a chance to break free. The omoplata is all about positioning, and it just so happened that Nover could never get himself in the right one to successfully secure this maneuver. Give Escudero a lot of credit but he had an ally in the cage and he was also very lucky that this one was only a three round bout. Nover won this third round but it was too little too late and everyone knew that it was only a formality for the decision to go to Escudero.
All three judges scored it 29-28 just as I did at home for Efrain Escudero who became the lightweight winner of 'The Ultimate Fighter 8' and joins Ryan Bader in earning the "six figure contract". One has to wonder if the hype got to Phillipe Nover and if the lack of hype allowed Escudero to go into this fight with a better mindset and with less fear of defeat. It is conceivable that Nover imagined he was invincible and perhaps Escudero realized he didn't really have too much to lose. Nover was said to be "the next Anderson Silva" and "the next GSP" but he fell to the first Efrain Escudero in a relatively boring fight that did nothing to back up any of the bold claims made in regards to the "Filipino Assassin'.
Efrain Escudero is going to need to do a lot more in his fights if he expects to take on and defeat top competition at lightweight. I really believe that Nover may have gone into this fight a bit full of himself and maybe not as hungry and focused as he needed to be and that Efrain got lucky. I also feel that Escudero is lucky to have faced an apathetic and out of shape Junie Browning on 'The Ultimate Fighter' and not the version who showed up to win 'UFC Fight of the Night' for his victory over Dave Kaplan. I sincerely hope we get to see an Escudero rematch with Browning, and this is a solid fight as well as a marketable one which they could offer in the next year or so. It all depends on how they really feel about Escudero and what Browning does in his next fight or two. Because the UFC was definitely ready to hitch their cart to Phillipe Nover and it would not appear as if they are as ready to do so for Efrain.
Nover is still going to be a star as his future is bright and his potential cannot be denied, but he is going to need to work hard and maybe even harder if he hopes of making good on everyone else's promises. Nover will be fighting in the UFC again along with Junie Browning, and either one of them could end up being bigger stars or at least more marketable ones than Escudero. Junie stated on 'The Ultimate Fighter' that the UFC does not need another "boring ass wrestler" and I agree.
This has nothing to do with being a wrestler but everything to do with being boring, and by this I mean lacking aggression. No one will ever be content to watch a wrestler snuff out his opponent like a blanket to a fire; and proof positive is Josh Koscheck who entered as such a fighter and is now one of the more exciting welterweights to watch. Perhaps Escudero can evolve and add a few wrinkles to his game and become more than he is but there is a risk that he will go with what got him to the dance and for his sake let us hope that I am wrong.
'The Ultimate Fighter 8' ended on a high note, and this finale was the best one since the very first; and this is quite an achievement for a show that many people had said was fast running out of unproven fighters worth watching. It is very true that it is becoming harder and harder for the UFC to find such talent as they did early on in the series but with what we have seen this year it shows much promise and serves as proof that the show may not be done after all. We were introduced to fighters such as Ryan Bader, Efrain Escudero, Phillipe Nover and Junie Browning and these four along with Vinny Magalhaes and Krzysztof Soszynski could wind up being around the UFC for quite a while and possibly become future stars for the organization. While we probably will never again see a cast as stellar as the first one it is possible that we will happen along a fighter or two just as special and this season showed us the promise of such a happening.
Fights such as the ones on Saturday night are almost enough to get the bad taste out of our mouths which was left there by the urine and semen consumed by the fighters during the season. This show may have sunk to new lows in terms of pranks and possibly jumped the shark along the way but is still a vehicle for introducing talented fighters to the masses. Perhaps a star wasn't born on Saturday but the potential is there and potential is a beautiful thing. The UFC is absolutely loaded in just about every division and it is nice to know that there could possibly be fighters capable of replacing them who are waiting in the wings for their opportunity. MMA is a very young sport but it is wonderful to know that there isn't a shortage of talent out there in the world and that tomorrow could be even better than today.
Hopefully the next edition is unable to top the gross out antics of this past season's fighters but I sure hope they prove to be capable of fighting even half as well as these men. For those who may have stated that 'The Ultimate Fighter' was dead, I point to Saturday's finale and say not so fast. This show may not be the only vehicle to put fighters on the fast track to stardom but it is still one of the very best. Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans are proof positive that this show can produce some super talented fighters and who knows; maybe a couple of years from now we can put Ryan Bader in the same category. For now they are all winners of 'The Ultimate Fighter' and this category isn't such a bad one at all.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
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