UFC 104, which I admit I was not that excited for, was at the very least interesting. It changed the way we view some top fighters, and that was intriguing to see. I'm not going to break down all the fights, just the main and Spike preliminary cards. Let's jump right into it.
LYOTO MACHIDA VS. SHOGUN RUA
Coming into the fight, it seemed as if the "Machida Era" hype induced a collective amnesia between the fans and Vegas odds-makers, forgetting, not only how impressive Machida had been in the past, but the quality of opposition he had faced(Rampage, Randleman, Overeem(twice), Arona). I thought Rua was going to give Machida problems with his power and size, but I never imagined he would out-technique Machida in the striking department as he did over the course of the fight.
As for the decision, I think it's an example of Eastern Boxing Bias displayed by judges more accustomed to Western/American boxing. Cecil Peoples said that we as fans were outraged only because we "assumed Machida was hurt." Cecil Peoples saw Rua get punched in the face and Machida kicked in the ribs, and figured that the head-shots, though less effective, were more valuable than the more damaging kicks by Rua. As I noted in my previous editorial, I think the Unified Rules need to be revised so that it mandates(instead of merely "suggesting" as it states now) officials/ judges to comprehensive MMA education courses, routinely, as the sport evolves so rapidly.
Immediately after the fight, I had Rua winning the 1st, 4th, and 5th rounds, for a score of 48-47 Rua. At Machida's public request, I re-watched the fight on mute, and actually came up with a different score. I can't seem to find a decisive winner of the fourth round. Like dialing 9-1-1, this should only be done in case of emergencies, but I actually favor a 10-10 scoring for the fourth round as neither fighter did visibly more than the other. That would make the 1st and 5th round for Rua, and the 2nd and 3rd for Machida, resulting in a sensible 48-48 draw. Machida wouldn't have his championship celebration spoiled by justifiably angry fans, and Rua wouldn't feel AS robbed.
(quick side bar: Don't you think it's funny that every MMA journalist says the Machida decision is "in no way a robbery" yet each and every one of them scored the fight in Rua's favor?)
I liked Rua's game plan and his commitment to stick to it throughout the fight, and I have him in the rematch as I don't think he wants this one going to the judges again.
CAIN VS. BEN ROTHWELL
Big Ben Rothwell was supposed to be the seasoned veteran that was going to humble the overhyped, inexperienced Cain Velasquez. Turned out quite oppositely, as Ben looked like the product of hype, while Cain proved he belonged, and looked like a veteran with his all-business approach. I did fear the fragility of Cain's chin, but in the end I thought Cain's athleticism and quickness would be too much for Ben. That was the case as Cain pounced on Ben, take down after take down, bending Ben to his breaking point. I actually didn't have a problem with the stoppage, as Ben had decided early in the first round that he was simply going to rely on his chin and not manufacture any sort of intelligent defense at all.
While merely controlling Kongo, Cain showed he can indeed finish quality opponents larger than himself, and may be in line for a title shot in the near future. You got to figure he'll either get a title shot, after Nogueira, or he may very well just face Nogueria to determine a true title contender (Post Lesnar/Carwin). I'd prefer the latter, in which case I'd have to pick my boy, Big Nog to have the upper hand with his lethal take-down nullifying BJJ. Ben on the other hand is going to have to regroup and, to be frank, face slower competition as he's showed in two of his last three fights that he has problems with quicker heavyweights.
TIBAU VS. NEER
As I thought it was going to be, this was a real snoozer. We didn't really learn much here, as we already knew that Tibau can take a smaller opponent down, and we knew Neer is having trouble with his take down defense against a bigger opponent. I don't know what's going on with Neer's mental state as this was the second time in a row (you'd think he'd be expecting it after what Pellegrino did to him), where he looked offended that his opponent would exploit his take-down defense weakness, over and over. I think they have to feed Neer a can quickly, or he'll be WEC or Strikeforce fighter soon.
Tibau looked just as mediocre as Neer did, as he was pretty much just content with staying on top of Neer while not truly threatening him with submissions or ground-n-pound. I don't see Tibau facing any top ten lightweight, and the best he can hope for is the original matchup of Sherk, in which I'd take Sherk.
JOE DADDY VS. FISHER
Joe Daddy looks reborn and reenergized since pairing with Greg Jackson's camp. It's ironic, since Diego Sanchez, a former Jacksonite, called Joe Daddy out for not evolving his game prior to their fight at UFC 95. Stevenson took the criticism to heart, and began retooling under Diego's former mentor. I think Jackson's tutelage has helped Joe find his true identity as a fighter who utilizes his strong wrestling to set up his striking/submissions.
After losing XXX fights, Joe is now on a two fight win streak, and could actually find himself in the mix with another big win. Joe said post fight that he would not agree to fight Tyson, or Gray, as they are his "boys." If that holds true I'd like to see Joe fight either Roger Huerta or Efrain Escudero, perhaps in the April UFC event being held in Mexico.
Fisher was simply outclassed by a better fighter, and will have to accept a relegated role of gatekeeper, a role of which he is very worthy of. I actually wouldn't be against Fisher vs Tibau, but I think he'd be better suited sticking to gauging young up and comers instead.
ANTHONY JOHNSON VS. YOSHIDA
Anthony Rumble Johnson lived up to his name as he came out guns blazing, and just demolished Yoshida with swift heavy hands. After a monstrous (yet unsuccessful) weight cut of 50lbs, Johnson looked like a zombie during the weigh-in's. Despite being heavily dehydrated, AJ buzz-sawed through Yoshida with ease.
AJ has torn right through his last opponents (Speer, Burns, Fioravanti), and has earned himself a place aside Josh Koscheck in the Co-Main event of UFC 106. I actually wouldn't mind having a 4 man tournament—including Hardy vs Swick—to determine a true title contender for GSP.
I like AJ's world class athleticism and explosiveness, but I have to think Josh's wrestling will take AJ out of his element and earn Koscheck a victory.
OKAMI VS. SONNEN
In the MMA equivalency of watching paint dry vs. watching grass grow in a boredom contest, UFC did its best to take the wind out of one fighter's sails at the expense of having to still market the winner. Sonnen is now officially a UFC executive darling, as he now solved the Okami hypocrisy that was starting to annoy many fans. I was not one of those fans, as I did not think Okami was at that level, but I did however think he was going to handedly win against Chael.
Chael is turning out to be a much better mixed martial artist than I anticipated. Being a former Olympic alternate for the Gretco Roman wrestling team, we know he's always going to have a good base. What surprised me though, was his stand up game. He was using clean and crisp punches on the feet, while keeping up a menacing pace to keep Okami from settling into a comfortable role. While Sonnen will most likely get a top ten middleweight in his next bout, I still think he needs to be tested a bit, and Nate Quarry is the perfect guy to do it. Okami will probably get a new comer as the UFC will look to save its marquee fighter's for more marketable and exciting bouts.
BARRY VS. HARDONK
Barry and Hardonk was a reasonably entertaining bout between two heavyweight sluggers. Hardonk seemed to be the more technical of the two(especially with those leg kicks), but Barry was just flat out quicker. Pure and simple. Even though he'll probably continue until he goes on a losing streak, I think Barry looks too small to be a true force in the growing heavyweight division. I could see him facing Heath Herring or may be Cro Cop if he's still up for this sort of thing.
RYAN BADER VS. SCHAFER
Once again Bader didn't look overly impressive. I wish he would try more of those bombs he lands while punching in the guard. He has yet to lose, but it looks like another recent underwhelming TUF winner in the makings. There is reason for some optimism however, as he does have a great wrestling base, and potential K.O. power, so hopefully we see a little more finishing fighting spirit in his next bout. I don't think he's anywhere near ready for a top ten light heavyweight so maybe fighting Stephan Bonner would serve as a good measuring stick.
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Raw and Spirited Feedback? Send to Bjorn "NorwegianNightmare" Hansen at bjorn.hansen@fiu.edu.
