I'm not sure what more we can learn from Randy Couture at this stage of his career. He is what he is, and that's pretty amazing. Even if you're the cynical type that's not impressed with a victory over a 45-year-old opponent, you have to give Couture a tip of the cap for competing three times in the last seven months. That's hard to do when you're 26, let alone 46.
Couture aside, here are my takeaways from UFC 109.
1) Who's driving the Phil Davis bandwagon?
Chalk up another exciting contender to world's light-heavyweight ranks.
It's always dangerous to draw conclusions from one fight, but the former Division I wrestling champion completely dominated a very good fighter in Brian Stann.
Not surprisingly, Davis is quite dependent on his takedowns, but he's only two years removed from his collegiate wrestling days, so that's to be expected. But he's spent time training with top strikers like Brandon Vera and the staff at American Kickboxing Academy. From the size of his legs, he looks like he can generate a ton of power as his technique improves (the kinetic chain of a punch starts from the legs).
If his standup gets anywhere close to the level of his wrestling, look out world.
2) Paulo Thiago is no fluke
When Thiago beat Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 with a seldom seen in MMA uppercut knockout, many people thought it was a lucky punch. You would think some of the doubters would have been silenced when he went the distance with the ever-tough Jon Fitch at UFC 100, but now there should be no question about it.
Thiago hurt Mike Swick and then finished him in the blink of an eye. He showed great finishing instinct, and after beating his second top 10 opponent, don't be surprised to see Thiago crack the welterweight top 10 rankings himself.
3) Chael Sonnen backs up his words
Two years ago, Sonnen was more on his way to journeyman than champion, but yet here he is now one win away from having UFC gold strapped around his waist.
Who knows where this recent surge came from? Sonnen was always a solid fighter, but in his first run in the UFC in 2005-'06, he was 0-2, and he'd never before had a winning streak longer than five fights in his career.
His transformation seemed to come with his new outspoken attitude. Much of what Sonnen says can probably be taken with a grain of salt, but at the same time, he's put a lot more pressure on himself to come through in the cage after drawing so much attention. He's talked the talk, but he's walked the walk, too. His effort against Nate Marquardt was downright inspired. Well done.
4) You can't please everybody
Though Mark Coleman is beloved for his longevity, he hasn't always won fans over with his grinding style (most MMA watchers prefer standup over grappling). Against Randy Couture, Coleman basically abandoned his usual wrestling attack in favor of a standup fight.
It eventually backfired as Couture got the better of the striking, and eventually he dragged Coleman down to the mat and choked him out. People questioned his strategy, but I understand it.
It's quite possible he realized that any wrestling battle would end in a stalemate, and given his stamina problems in the past, all the effort would leave him with negative returns. He did have a power advantage against Couture, and possibly felt the chances of knocking him down were better than the chances of taking him down. He did rock Couture once in the fight, so he might have had the right idea but simply couldn't execute it. At 45, don't blame him for going for broke.
5) Melvin Guillard might have turned the corner
In the past, we've seen Guillard look lost on the ground. Most of his losses have come via submission, and before the fight, I thought Ronnys Torres had a very good chance of adding another tapout to his ledger.
But this time, Guillard looked like a different fighter on the ground. Though he found himself in a few dangerous positions against the black belt, he never came close to being submitted.
Guillard recently switched camps to train with the vaunted Greg Jackson team, and maybe it would be making too much to credit Jackson with the sudden improvement, but sometimes things just click for a fighter, and maybe Guillard (who is still only 26), has figured things out.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
well, i don't know if i see things the same way.
and not in any particular order but for me, there was a few things that stood out a little more...however, let's take yours first:
1- phil davis does indeed look to be a great "prospect", but beating stann doesn't show much. stann has no ground game and is better suited for sf than ufc.
2- your right thiago looks awesome....i'd love to see him against alves or a rematch with koshchek.
3- talk of sonnen being number 1 contender....eh....i personally think he should have to face maia again and show that he could beat him first.
and i also believe he has more of a shot against belfort than silva.
of which, i think he really won't beat either.
4- randy beating coleman really means nothing. yeah, it's sad to watch how coleman has turned into a rocky-esque charateur type fighter. and you could even tell dana feels the same way, as his interview with ariel will attest. although throwing him one more payday with tito probably will happen....which he probably won't get hurt too much, so why not let the hall of famer get one last cash-out. yeah, tito sux and is an self-absorbed "me" guy and unfortunately will have no problem beating the hammer in a 3 round fight.
5- i have to be honest i really don't care about guillard, unless he has changed his attitude as a person...unless he does that, he will never truly take the next step as a fighter.
now, what stuck out most to me....was that unfortunately it really was a lame card.
sonnen and thiago shined.
capt america did what he was supposed to do, but was still stunned from a couple of shots from coleman, so with that fact in mind, it's hard to tell one way or the other, where randy fits. most believe vera should have gotten the decision against him as well. but, alternatively, it would come as no surprise to see couture beat machida, rua, page, etc...and win the title again. in other words, what has always made randy great is you can never count him out.
serra/trigg had no relenvancy what so ever. so serra knocking trigg out...who cares?
probably the biggest thing that stood out, was seeing how sloppy and pathetic rolles gracie looked. he really was embarrasing to watch. i can't believe he is a gracie. god he looked horrible, talk about heavy feet. his legs were like sand bags. is he really a world class bjj guy, ouch!
however, i am really looking forward to ufc 110. i really think that card is solid. this one i knew going in would suck and unlike 108 which i thought going in was weak, but, actually turned into a really good night of fights....this one (109) couldn't overcome the suckiness on paper.
-Rolles Gracie was a joke last night. They gave him a tomato can opponent and he still lost.
-Saying Stann is better suited for SF is a dick move, that was some unnecessary trolling right there and you know it. I said coming into the fight (on the forums) that Phil Davis is one of the best prospects in MMA. However, compare his striking to someone like Mo Lawal and you know he has a LOOOOONG way to go. Lawal would completely dominate at this point and they're both green. Stann is a tough guy and a good first test for Davis, now lets see a step up in competition ... maybe someone like Stephan Bonnar or Matt Hammil.
-Matt Serra showed me something last night. I thought he should've won the decision against Hughes and I think in terms of guys fighting at 170 I'd like to see him step up and fight a big name guy to see if he still belongs there or not. How about Serra vs Swick or Alves? I think Serra needs to fight at 155, personally. But, I'm still a big fan of his because he seems like a genuinely good dude. Have him fight Rumble Johnson and market it as David vs Goliath.
-Paulo Thiago is just a good fighter who can hit hard. He isn't great and will never be a title contender. Let's see him fight someone like Paul Daley, Rumble Johnson or Dan Hardy (big strikers) and see if he can take a punch from them. Fitch basically controlled him and I don't see him as even a top 10 WW at this point. Just my opinion but beating two tv fighters (Swick and Koscheck) who are overhyped by UFC marketing doesn't mean anything to me.
- The UFC needs to pit Couture against a good LHW fighter like Rashad Evans or Rampage Jackson before we consider him a title contender. However, they'll match him up with the Ortiz vs Liddell winner for marketing purposes and then give him an undeserved title shot because he's a big draw.Have Anderson Silva move up to LHW so he can fight Couture.
- Coleman is a joke and it just shows how desperate the UFC is to get Couture in the title picture when that matchup. Coleman isn't good enough to fight in SF, Bellator, Dream or Sengoku and has no business fighting in the UFC. It was a con and everyone with a brain knows that. This is a tomato can to give Couture an easy win on his way to a LHW title fight.
- Sonnen is another C level fighter who will lose to Silva. Marquardt is still a better fighter and a better talent but in MMA styles make fights and from a style standpoint Nate had the wrong game plan. He doesn't even deserve a title shot and no way he beats either Belfort or Silva. It's a complete sham that he even gets consideration for a title shot in the MW division when he hasn't earned it. Belfort didn't earn a title shot either and realistically none of those guys could beat Dan Henderson. The UFC doesn't have anyone at MW who is a legitimate challenge to Silva (once Henderson left) and thats why GSP needs to move up and take that fight. No other fight matters.
- The card as a whole was terrible, the fights sucked, it was anti-climactic and I'm losing confidence in the UFC brand at this point. The free SF card on Showtime last weekend was a better card with better fights. The UFC is really slipping hard and they better watch it with this mediocre events. That was seriously the best they could do on Superbowl weekend? What a terrible joke and a lame event.
Here's what I want: Dana, put your money where your mouth is: If you say SF doesn't have as good of talent lets do a SF vs UFC event once a year on New Years eve. Doesn't have to be title fights but how about we get to see Diaz vs St.Pierre, Melendez vs Penn, Overeem vs Lesnar, Fedor vs Couture, Fedor vs Lesnar, Mousasi vs Anderson Silva, Mousasi vs Machida, Shields vs Sonnen, Henderson vs Couture, King Mo vs Jon Jones, Del Rosario vs Dos Santos, Lashley vs Kongo ... who cares about politics or titles let's just see some awesome fights. Doesn't have to be all the top stars on one card, it can be a handful or them facing off and then some of the other guys on the entry events.
UFC 110 has potential to be good but will probably suck, UFC 111 looks really good and could be the best card of the year to this point, UFC 112 is going to be epic only because Penn and Silva are on the same card but the fights are mismatches and thats about all we know. Here's the problem with the UFC wanting to go global: UFC 110 (Autralia), 112 (Abu Dhabi) & 113 (Montreal) will all be PPV re-broadcasts because of time differences. We'll already know the results before the fights happen. UFC 111 is in the States (Jersey) and we'll get to see that one live. Makes me not want to pay for them if I already know the results.
johnny the tiger,
you make some great points and a couple i disagree with.
first off, you and pippy have got to realize that sf vs ufc aint happening any time soon, if ever. there is no up-side for the ufc, period. dude, it is just a business thing. it has nothing to do with anything else.
i knew i would get your feathers in a ruff with the stann comment, ha-ha.
i was almost going to pre-face that comment with a mention to you and pippy.
hey, no disagreement with you on lawal, actually, i think if lashley wants to prove something let him go against king mo. but, as i've said before as much as i like lashley he won't fight king mo or rosario, because it just looks like he will only accept fights he knows he can win.
sonnen on the other hand, you are definately short changing, he is definately higher than a C level. as i said, i don't think he can be belfort or silva but, stranger things have happened. his wrestling is definately world class. but, i would rather see him prove he can beat maia first.
as far as thiago, like i said i want to see more of him. but, he did shine last night.
i agree last night was lame, but, i also thought sf miami was too.
we've already been through this, i know you liked it.
and yes sf miami was hair better, but that is only because of our boy diaz.
so as far as a grade:
ufc 109 D
sf miami C-
just my opinion.
ohh, last thing, the only thing ufc has to worry about is how are they going to gratiously back out of trying to charge $45 for wec.
they are going to get hammered on that one.
i really believe they will change something in regards to that event, before it goes to air.
Well I know we won't see a SF vs UFC event but it would still be awesome and as a fan its something I want to see and am really yearning for. I can understand Lashley wanting to build himself up slowly like anyone else with a handful of fights but I agree he needs to step up and fight a good opponent. Coker even hinted that it would happen. But, as far as Stann, you can't say he belongs in SF when the UFC is throwing guys like Trigg and Coleman out there on the televised portion of a PPV event, and in the main event no less. I've seen Sonnen fight for years now and I'm telling you the guy is an average fighter at best. Calling him the number 1 contender is a joke in it of itself. He never finishes fights and is pretty easily submitted, his only game is to take you down and lay on top of you for 15 minutes. Sorry but I just don't see him being that skilled of a fighter. He's good enough to beat other C level fighters and get an occasional upset over someone better than him but he just isn't anything above mediocre. Sure, Sonnen can talk a big game but he has never beaten someone at the caliber of an Anderson Silva or Vitor Belfort and in my opinion never will. He's basically the UFC version of Thomas Denney. Good but will never be good enough to be anything but an average fighter. Basically, he's an overachiever.
That UFC card deserves an F- in my opinion. One of the worst cards they've ever put on PPV. The Versus card with Jones vs Vera & Dos Santos vs Gonzaga is 10000000X better than that treash from last night.
Ok, I have said it so many times, and here we go again. First rank your fighters, be it Strickforce or UFC. Match the Champ to the #1 contender. #2 to #3 and so on down to the top 16 fighters in that weight division and all the weight divisions. Somebody gets hurt then everyone below him moves up in ranking. Everyone fight the same night. At the end of the night everyone that won moves up in ranking and everyone that lose moves down or out. At the end of the night everyone knows who they fight next. You want a shot at the title you earn it. Tired of this shit of The Champ fighting #4,5,6, or 7. The only reason this crap keeps going on is people keep paying for it on PPV. Every month that they are going to have an event, there should be a Title event. Thats not what we get. Top contenders fight, then 2 or 3 months later the Champ fights. Now we have to wait 6 to 8, even 1 year later for the fight to happen. In the mean time we have to watch shit like last night? I love to watch Randy fight, but lets get real, in the 205 class there are too many guys there that are gonna make him have to retire. Everytime that UFC needs someone to fill in because they have a fighter get hurt or can't pass a drug test( Lesner, what a mirical that was that you can heal yourself, and the doctors couldn't, you must be God) They Have to throw Randy for a big payday for Dana. Getting really tired of this. Rank your fighters and let the furr fly. First ones to do this and maintain it will be the KINGS OF MMA. Until that it is what Dana said he didn't what," A FREAK SHOW" and he don't care because he still makes money if it is. This way we, the stupid people that pay these guys, get to see the best fight, the up and commers, the has beens and the champs, all in one night. Come on Dana, grow some balls and see if you can put Strikeforce out of business, before they do it to you.
mike,
dude, i love your concept!
obviously, there would be an occasional glitch....but, i totally think that could be worked out.
i hate when guys come up with great ideas, that actually make sense.....only to realize it probably will never happen.
sort of like, a college football playoff.
awesome concept though.....and i am totally for it.
Sort of laughable to still say that Sonnen is a "C-Level" fighter. Really? Totally untrue. Sonnen beat up Marquardt for 3 whole rounds. Even when Nate M. got a few licks in, he couldn't capitalize on anything none-whatsoever. Sonnen is better than Nate M, and he showed it. Just because Nate M. didn't come with a better game plan, doesn't give anyone the right to discredit Nate M. Heck, as bad as Nate M. looked in this fight, he should be 2 more fights away from getting a title shot.
Sonnen is a C level fighter, or, at best he is a very low B level fighter. Everyone knows the MW division is the weakest in the UFC right now and I'd bet you if those two fought again it'd be a different outcome. Sonnen can't finish fights and has some of the worst submission defense in all of MMA. The guy can't really do anything except secure a takedown and lay on your for 3 rounds. There is nothing special about him and Anderson Silva is going to give him that lesson the hard way. Go and look at his win-loss record and you'll see every time he faces a uper echelon fighter he loses. Marquardt was probably his only career win against one of the top guys in the division at the time they fought, and even then he had no answers for the submissions just got kind of lucky that Marquardt blew his arms out before he went to sleep, which Sonnen admitted in the post fight interview ... his only answer was to beg God for a breath. LOL. The guy is an overachiever who has only gotten this far from hard work but he just doesn't have the ability to contend with the top tier guys on a consistent basis.
I thought Mark Coleman was going to fight, instead grandpa Coleman showed up.
Her is the problem with UFC and Strikeforce. Neither of them want to put the best against the best. The Champ should not be fighting someone that should be ranked 4,5,6 or 7th. All this does, is drag s**t on, and make Dana money.
Here is a format that would really bring in the ratings and have some really good fight.
Rank your fighter. Every month, starting with Lightweight, the Champ fights the #2, 3v 4, 5v 6, and so on. Top 16 fighters in that division fight, all the same night. You win you move up, you lose you move down, or out. At the end of the night you know who you fight next. Pay the fighter based on their ranking, or winner gets the higher pay.
This way we see the Champ, all the Up and Comers, and all the Has beens fight. Depending on how many weight classes you have, you get to see everyone fight every 5 or 6 months. Not maybe 1 time a year. The Champ should not hold on to his belt for 5 years and only have fought 4 times, and those fight against someone that had no reason to be in the ring anyways.
I think and I think that alot of the fan like myself, would really love to see this format.
Mark Coleman is a washed up has been!
Tigre,
You sound so retarded when you call chael a "c" to low level "b" fighter. It just shows how ignorant you are of the sport. A "c" level fighter does not go in and destroy, not get lucky with one punch, but destroy a "A" figher that is ranked top 5 in the world. And this is coming from someone that can't stand chael all though I respect him a lot more based on his last performance.
Give a rest it's not an valid argument unless you are trolling which in that case you are doing a magnificent job.
UFC needs to stop milking fans and put on more free shows. This was a bad card and they wanted $50. Just not right, sometimes bad cards=awesome nights but this time. Most working fans w/ families can't pony up $50 a month, greed may lead to demize.