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By: Marc Patching, MMATorch Contributor Welcome to the first UFC Fan Bar of this New Year with your host, Marc Patching. After a two week hiatus, The UFC Fan Bar returns with a look at last week’s monster PPV, I’ll also give my thoughts on what should be next for some of the fighters after last week. So pour yourself a soda, grab an extra handful of napkins, and we shall begin.
Nacho Supreme - A look back at UFC 92.
This show was all about three fights, plain and simple. Most people I talked to leading up to the event could name the three big marquee matches taking place, but didn’t have the slightest clue who else was participating on the card. I think that is probably a fair reflection of the way the card was put together, so let’s take a look back at matches that really counted.
"Rampage" Jackson looks back to best as he destroys "The Axe Murderer."
This was another huge dent to the legacy of some of PRIDE’s biggest Fighters. We’ve witnessed the demise of Mirko Cro Cop, Heath Herring has hardly made any kind of impact, and now all the aura surrounding Wanderlai has pretty much disappeared. If it wasn’t for the likes of "Rampage" Jackson and Anderson Silva, you would wonder what all the fuss about PRIDE exactly was. This however is not an attack on PRIDE by any means, though you have to wonder what it was that made it feel so special. There aren’t many former PRIDE stars left who haven’t given the UFC a try, and in all honesty there is only one real big name left. did I hear someone say Fedor?
As for this fight, I actually was going for a Silva win, mainly due to all the personal issues that Jackson had been dealing with. I didn’t know if he still had it in him, but he proved he definitely still has it. He looked confident, and totally dominated Silva.
One thing that stood out for me was when Joe Rogan mentioned how vulnerable fighters like Silva now are, due to all the battles they have been through in MMA. Just look how far the sport has come in recent years, maybe the day of fighters lasting until their late thirties has passed. Maybe the shelf life of a fighter is not as long as it once was; take note Ken Shamrock, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, and others.
Frank Mir upsets Nogueira in a masterful display of stand-up fighting.
WOW! If Frank Mir’s victory over Brock Lesnar didn’t convince people that he is back, then this victory should. This was such an impressive display from Mir, just like Jackson’s earlier in the evening. The prospect of Mir vs. Lesnar II is almost too good to be true; it has the potential to smash any previous number garnered by the UFC.
When it comes to Antonio Nogueira, just see Wanderlei Silva. It’s such a shame to see a legend of the sport beaten in such a convincing manner, yet again is it the sign of the times? How much of a beating can one fighter take over a period time, before the consequences are deadly serious?
Despite this, credit has to go to Mir once more, he was simply amazing. I actually wanted Nogueira to win, mainly down to Mir’s cocky attitude on this past season of The Ultimate Fighter than anything. At the end of the fight, when Mir covered his face with his cap, I was more than happy for him. You could see the journey taken since that motorbike accident has been a long and painful one for Mir, and his time has come once again.
Rashad Evans wins the Light Heavyweight Title after defeating Forrest Griffin.
No matter what you may think of Evans, he is a talented fighter, just ask Liddell, Ortiz, and now Griffin. Even when the chips looked down, and Griffin seemed to be in control, Evans was always a threat. He endured the opening two rounds, and pulled out an impressive stoppage in the third.
You have to feel somewhat sorry for Griffin, as he only just won the title, hardly enough time to savor it all in. The added pressure of "not being a true champion until you have successfully defended your title" didn’t help. You can’t fault Griffin in anyway; he seemed to be in charge for the majority of the fight.
The UFC have another money match in Evans vs. Jackson, if things, hopefully, work out with "Rampage." It would be such an interesting fight, and will prove further evidence if Evans is for real. I personally think he is for real. Yeah he’s cocky, arrogant, comes across as a prick, but the boy’s got talent. It must have pissed so many people off that both Evans, and Mir, won their respective fights. What really matters though?; personality or fighting ability?
Steak Burrito - What should happen to Silva, Nogueira, and Griffin?
This is my own personal opinion in what I think should happen, and not necessary what will happen. You can call it MMA fantasy booking.
Wanderlai "The Axe Murderer" Silva: If there is just one more fight left for Silva in the UFC, then it should be against either Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida, or Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
It all comes down to what happens in January. If Machida defeats Thiago Silva, then his next fight should be Wanderlei. Without doubt, Machida should be getting a title shot, yet that won’t happen with the prospect of Evans vs. Jackson as mentioned previously in this article. It might not be the best match-up on paper, yet it will prove if Silva is still a force in the UFC. A win for Machida would propel him further up the ladder, and a deserved shot at the title.
If the Machida match is not on the cards, then Rua should be the one to face Silva. "Shogun" faces Mark Coleman in January in a fight he should win. If Rua does than the UFC could go pair Rua off in a re-match with Forrest Griffin or a possible match-up with Silva, either fight makes sense.
It would be crazy for the UFC just to let him go, Silva has at least one more fight in him, maybe more.
Antontio "Minotauro" Noguiera: Much like Silva, there is at least one more fight in Nogueira. Again like Silva, two possibilities stand out; Cheick Kongo, and Randy Couture. If you want the "money" match, then you would go with Couture, yet the fight that should happen is the one against Kongo.
A fight against Couture, whilst it has money written all over it, shouldn’t happen. Who wants to see two fighters at the end of their game, lumbering around for fifteen minutes, certainly not me. I would rather see someone with potential, in Kongo, get a chance and possibly earn the biggest win of his career. It would also show that he is better than his defeat suffered at the hands of Heath Herring early last year.
It wouldn’t be a Fan Bar if I didn’t rant on Couture, you already know that I feel he should retire and protect his legacy, yet that probably won’t happen.
I’m still shocked how easy it was for Mir to stop Nogueira, and I’m truly worried that this could be the end of the road for "Minotauro."
Forrest Griffin: Griffin should be one victory away from another shot at the title he just lost. That would help set-up Griffin vs. Evans II, or Griffin vs. Jackson II, both great matches. So if I were to pick Griffin’s next opponent it would be Chuck Liddell. Yeah I said it, Chuck Liddell.
Chuck Liddell is looking for that next big fight; he needs to prove himself once again. There is still some money to be made in Liddell, milk it now whilst you have the chance. No one wants to see Liddell vs. Jardine, or Liddell vs. Silva, this is a fresh match-up.
Granted, there is a lot of damage in Liddell right now. He has suffered three nasty defeats in his last four fights, but this could be built up as his last chance at glory.
It would be a good fight for Griffin, as it would be a stand-up fight, and he wouldn’t have to worry about it going to the ground, like he would if faced someone like Machida.
Maybe a fight against Luiz Cane could be on the card down the road, but right now Griffin needs a fight against a bigger name fighter.
Well that’s it for this week’s edition of the Fan Bar, I’m now off to the in-laws for a (hopefully) nice steak dinner.
Until next week’s feast,
Marc Patching.
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