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D. FOX: Rapid-fire reactions to UFC Fight Night 74 "Holloway vs. Oliveira"
Aug 24, 2015 - 12:45:02 AM
D. FOX: Rapid-fire reactions to UFC Fight Night 74 "Holloway vs. Oliveira"
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By: Dayne Fox, MMATorch Contributor

This was a card I was greatly looking forward to, largely because of the main event which seemed to promise fireworks. For the minute and a half that it lasted, it seemed like it was going to live up to its promise. Thanks to a freak injury to Charles Oliveira it didn't, as it had about as anticlimactic of an ending as a fight can have. That doesn't mean that the whole card was a complete loss, as there were definitely some good (not great) fights that should have satisfied fight fans. I can't shake the feeling though that I was being promised filet mignon and ended up settling for a hamburger. I like hamburgers… but damn it! I was promised filet mignon!


Max Holloway defeated Charles Oliveira via TKO at 1:39 of the first round

While I certainly feel for Oliveira and hope that his injury isn't severe (as well that he is able to recover quickly), I'm highly disappointed as a fan that the fight turned out the way that it did. Holloway showed his usual impressive footwork, and Oliveira looked as if he had been working on his striking mechanics as well… only for Oliveira to hurt himself in an attempt to get the fight to the ground. As a result, Holloway gets a win that isn't really deserved and Oliveira gets a loss that really isn't a loss. Am I the only one who wishes freak injuries like this could deem the fight a no contest?

Holloway did improve his stock when he called out Frankie Edgar in his post-fight interview, as that would be a highly entertaining affair, in addition to having massive title implications involved. It also proved that Holloway is only interested in fighting the best, which is exactly what fans want to see out of fighters. B.J. Penn may be retired, but Hawaii still has an island boy that will throw down with anyone! Hopefully that fight can be made. Otherwise, I'll settle for a rematch of this bout… so long as Oliveira can recover quickly, though I don't expect that to happen.

As for Oliveira, it seems every time he is set up for a breakthrough performance, something or another seems to bite him in the ass, whether it be no contest finish or being given too much too soon. This time it is the injury. Worse than snapping his four fight win streak, it breaks the momentum that he had built up. If the injury isn't bad, he'd be best served trying to get back into the cage as quick as possible a la Neil Magny (probably not three weeks fast… but you get what I mean). He'll probably end up taking a step back in competition, but I could see a fight between him and Clay Guida being a lot of fun. Perhaps even Cub Swanson.


Neil Magny defeated Erick Silva via split decision

What was the dissenting judge watching? Sure, Silva had his moments where he took Magny down and passed his guard easily and landed a few hard shots, but it was Magny that controlled the pace, landed a lot more takedowns, and landed a much greater volume of strikes. Magny is really learning how to effectively use his jab, as he kept pawing it out there, and it wasn't so much how often he landed it, but how he used it to set up harder strikes like his uppercut. While he still needs to work on his grappling off of his back, Magny has improved perhaps more than any fighter in the UFC in the last 18 months and there is no reason to believe that he won't continue to improve. A fight with the likes of Dong Hyun Kim or Tarec Saffiedine would seem to be appropriate. Silva has received chance after chance to have a breakthrough performance and it hasn't happened and more and more it seems like it isn't going to happen. He should be firmly established as an action-fighting gatekeeper at this point. Don't forget people, Silva is already 31.


Patrick Cote defeated Josh Burkman via TKO at 1:26 of the third round

Is Patrick Cote really 4-1 at welterweight now? What looked like a desperation move to save a career that seemed to be going south seems to be a premonition. While the fight was fought at an odd pace, it was a pretty fun battle in which both competitors rocked each other at times in what was mostly a striking engagement. Burkman had Cote on the ropes at the opening of the final round, but ended up being stopped by strikes for the first time in his 40 fight career, with Cote delivering a never-ending barrage. It seems likely this is the end of the line for Burkman in the UFC, as he has now lost all three of his UFC appearances in his second stint, though one was overturned to a no contest. He turns 35 in a bit over a month, and has a LOT of mileage on his body. He can probably do well in a smaller circuit, but he isn't among the elite anymore. Cote's run of success is surprising, as his once vaunted power seemed to have disappeared. He found it here, and if he can maintain it, he could pick up another win or two before hitting his ceiling.


Francisco Trinaldo defeated Chad Laprise via TKO at 2:43 of the first round

Damn. For the second fight in a row, Trinaldo ripped off a surprising upset over a young international winner of TUF, picking up an early stoppage this time to eliminate any possible controversy that may have arisen. Trinaldo landed a hard straight that sent Laprise sprawling to the ground. Laprise got right back up, but unwisely pulled guard in an effort to tie up the Brazilian. Trinaldo was able to start landing hard shots, leaving Laprise turtling up after a while, and forcing Herb Dean to intervene. What makes this run by Trinaldo (his fourth straight win overall) so surprising is that it is happening as late as it is as Trinaldo turns 37 tomorrow. One would think his progress would start to slow down soon, but he continues to defy Father Time… for now. I'll admit that it is fun to watch while it is happening. Laprise's loss isn't that surprising in retrospect as he had been spoon fed favorable matchups thus far with Trinaldo being the first definitive step up. He'll probably get a step down in competition, but all is hardly lost for him as it seems he simply got caught and was unable to recover.


Olivier Aubin-Mercier defeated Tony Sims via unanimous decision

Your classic striker vs. grappler bout in which the grappler won't allow the striker to do what he does best. Aubin-Mercier completely smothered Sims for the first two rounds, as he didn't allow the former amateur boxer to land a single significant strike the first two rounds, with the frustration growing over every passing moment on the face of Sims. Sims found a little bit of ground in the third round, but never seriously threatened to put Aubin-Mercier away as the Canadian stayed away from the distance striking and picked up a win in a very impressive performance for the youngster. I'm happy to see the UFC has been taking its time with Aubin-Mercier as his striking still has a long ways to go, but his grappling will give anyone issues at this point. Look for another slight step up in competition. Sims will find success against those who are willing to trade or don't have a choice. Otherwise he doesn't have the grappling credentials. If he sticks around, it will be because of favorable match making.


Valerie Letourneau defeated Maryna Moroz via unanimous decision

Moroz's aggression scored her a massive upset victory in her UFC debut. It may have cost her a loss in her sophomore effort. Letourneau had little problem finding her way past the defenses of Moroz, and cracked her with a hard right hand that dropped the Ukrainian upstart and nearly ended the fight. Moroz did recover and even put Letourneau into a unique triangle attempt before the end of the round, but the tone had been set. The second round really could have gone either way with a takedown in the third sealing the deal for the Canadian. The win gives Letourneau a sneaky three fight win streak that will likely prompt an appearance into the top 15. Few expect her to become a contender, but few expected her to win this fight. Moroz is young enough in both age and experience in the sport that she should be able to come back strong from this loss. She may not be ready to contend now, but I'd still expect her to do so in the future.


Frankie Perez defeated Sam Stout via KO at 0:54 of the first round

That was a bit weird. Perez scored an awesome KO on a chinny Stout less than a minute into the bout, catching him with a right uppercut before Stout could land his left hook. Incidentally, it was Stout's third violent KO loss in a row. After a loss like that, many believe that Stout should call it a career, and a career was called… but it wasn't Stout's. Perez announced his retirement in the cage after picking up his first UFC win at the age of 26, a time when one would think he is ready to enter the prime of his career. No one can make the call for Perez, as it is his body and time, but making this decision at a time like this in his career is something you hope he thought about carefully and this isn't a decision he'll regret. Best of luck to him. Stout is someone I do hope hangs it up. Often the biggest thing separating regional fighters from UFC fighters is durability. Stout doesn't have that anymore, and he could cause himself serious long term damage if he continues to push the issue. BUT, it is his decision…


Felipe Arantes defeated Yves Jabouin via submission at 4:21 of the first round

Jabouin was cruising to an early lead in the fight, as he had exercised a brilliant smothering strategy on Arantes just seconds into the fight. He lifted the Brazilian and slammed him to the ground, and kept him there the rest of the way while managing to chip away with elbows and short punches. Arantes stayed cool and waited for the proper opening, and damn sure capitalized once it opened up. Jabouin left his arm for the taking, and Arantes only tightened it as Jabouin tried to stand up and escape, forcing the native of Canada to tap out and make Arantes' debut at 135 lbs. a success. It's hard to predict how much success Arantes will find at his new weight class, but should be a solid gatekeeper at the very least. Jabouin could be on his way out after over five years under the Zuffa umbrella. My guess is he'll get one more chance as he is a Canadian favorite and still seems to be a solid test for young up-and-comers.


Nikita Krylov defeated Marcos Rogerio de Lima via submission at 2:29 of the first round

Believe it or not, but Krylov has now picked up three straight wins in the confines of the Octagon. Krylov survived a bit of danger when de Lima went for a guillotine that he had cinched in deep for quite a while. Once he got free, Krylov took control of the fight, and sunk in a strong rear-naked choke to elicit a tapout from de Lima. He didn't win without controversy, though, as he escaped a de Lima attempt at a heel hook by grabbing onto the fence to maintain his position, but all Herb Dean did was issue a warning. Tough break for de Lima, as the failed attempt led to Krylov sinking in the choke. Krylov will probably get a top 15 opponent next. Though he is sloppy in many aspects, he is scrappy as they come and does have talent. De Lima will certainly survive to see another day, but this is a major setback for him.


Chris Kelades defeated Chris Beal via split decision

About the only thing I knew for sure once the fight was over is that a Chris would win. Beal was able to secure the first round controlling Kelades on the ground, for the majority of the round, and looked as though he was in control of the second round as well since he was able to stuff the takedown attempts of Kelades. Kelades ended up switching gears midway through the round and started swinging for the fences the rest of the way, out-landing a tired Beal and was able to convince enough of the judges that he had done enough in a decision that really could have gone either way. If Kelades continues to fight like that, he'll stick around as his balls-to-the-wall style makes him a favorite with the brass. Beal has no lost two straight and could be cut. I think he'll stick around as he seems to be a favorite of Uncle Dana, but no guarantees.


Shane Campbell defeated Elias Silverio via unanimous decision

If you enjoy chess matches, this was a good one as the entire fight consisted of Silverio trying to implement his gameplan, with Campbell attempting to counter every move. Silverio found lots of success in the first round, but didn't have the energy necessary to continue to implement his wrestling-heavy strategy, and Campbell was able to counter his takedown attempts and use just enough of his range striking to get the judges to see things in his favor. While Campbell isn't much of an athlete, he is a skilled striker, and should end up in some fun striking battles if he is matched up with the right opponent that will have fans standing and cheering. Silverio could be shown the door as lightweight is VERY deep. The fact that Campbell originally appeared to be a favorable opponent for Silverio doesn't help his chance.


Misha Cirkunov defeated Daniel Jolly via KO at 4:45 of the first round

Not a whole lot of surprise in this fight, as Cirkunov's strength and technical grappling abilities allowed him to overwhelm fellow newcomer Jolly, and he was able to dispose of him quickly. Perhaps the fact that he didn't get a submission is the biggest surprise, as Jolly proved to be more slippery than originally thought. While Cirkunov's standup striking is still clunky, his raw power was apparent both in the few times he exchanged strikes on the feet and when he unleashed his ground n' pound. He is a very welcome addition at 205 lbs., and could very well join the top 15 in a year or so, as the division is in desperate need of new blood. Jolly couldn't avoid going into the clinch, where he is at his best, but he was no match there against Cirkunov. He does have solid athleticism, but he'll need to make strides if he wants to win his next fight and hang around.


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