Though the main event certainly stole the show, there were also some great moments in the preliminary fights as well as the main card on pay-per-view. The UFC just continues to get better and better, and Silva vs. Sonnen 2 proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Here are the most memorable moments from UFC : Silva vs. Sonnen 2. For people who love MMA yet are shamefully queasy, the gruesome eye-poke that Riki Fukuda delivered to Costa Philippou brought us to our knees.
It took place in the third round of a fairly entertaining fight, and for a moment it appeared as if it would be the end of the bout. Fortunately, Philippou was able to continue and finish the fight, which he won by unanimous decision. Guillard fought through some struggles early in the bout, as he found himself mounted at one point and took some damage.
Some crazy strikes from Camoes left open a few opportunities for Guillard, which he nearly finished with. He eventually wrapped up the unanimous decision by controlling the fight with his ground-and-pound. UFC featherweight Chad Mendes has been criticized by many for not being much of a finisher, but "Money" was on tonight. McKenzie threw a body kick that Mendes caught before he landed a perfectly-placed punch to the body.
That shot put McKenzie down to the mat, where Mendes would finish things off with a few hammer-fists. Anderson Silva. Lebe jetzt. Chael Sonnen. Forrest Griffin. Tito Ortiz.
Cung Le. Patrick Cote. Dong Hyun Ma. Demian Maia. Chad Mendes. Cody McKenzie. Ivan Menjivar. Mike Easton. Melvin Guillard. Fabricio Camoes. Gleison Tibau. Khabib Nurmagomedov. Costas Philippou. Riki Fukuda. John Alessio. Those aren't the words of someone thinking fighting is still a long-term option. With his burgeoning literary career and what must be a nice nest egg, perhaps the end is near for Griffin's storied career too? I'm an unabashed supporter of the kind of daring techniques Cung Le brings into the Octagon.
In a sport where most fighters are so incredibly similar, Le bring a distinct style, a nice mix of Taekwondo and Sanshou. It's what makes him one of the most exciting and unique fighters we've seen hit the sport in a long time. Le's UFC debut was a spectacular failure. He delivered excitement in spades, but in the end, Wanderlei Silva knocked him out and forced an appointment with a plastic surgeon to buy a new nose.
This fight with UFC veteran Patrick Cote was a chance for the year-old Le to get redemption and win at least one on the big stage before age forces him to abandon a career that didn't even start until he was Le controlled the action with his beautiful and technically precise striking, mixing in an occasional takedown that shook the cage.
Le's Sanshou background means his takedowns normally happen quickly and violently. Le took a unanimous decision from a game Cote, who came into the fight on a few weeks notice, getting just half a training camp to prepare.
He seemed unafraid of Le's striking power, but was too often just a step slow. For Le, it was a dream accomplished—his first UFC win. Still, he wasn't ready to retire after the bout, despite announcer Joe Rogan giving him an opening to do so in front of the crowd. Le, instead, decided to think a bit about whether he wanted to continue his career.
Had he gone on to beat Carlos Condit in his next fight, he'd have very likely been granted a title shot against the legendary Georges St-Pierre.
Instead, Condit knocked him silly and, tonight, Demian Maia pushed any title dreams back significantly. Kim is settling to his level—and instead of the top of the welterweight division it looks more likely he'll end up dead in the middle of a talented bunch. This was a chance at rebirth for Maia.
Not too long ago, the Brazilian submission ace had made Chael Sonnen tap out. But it was all down hill from there.
Undersized for a middleweight, he knew he needed a change if he wanted a long-term career in the UFC. Tonight was his night to show what he can really do. Cutting weight for the first time in any significant way, Maia made his welterweight debut.
And what a debut it was. He took Dong Hyun Kim down, apparently injuring the Korean star's ribs in the process. A true sportsman, Maia stopped his attack and allowed the referee time to assess Kim and stop the fight. Taking Kim, who has notoriously strong defense, down to the mat was a huge test for the Brazilian. It signals that Maia's comeback may warrant watching carefully.
A run to contention isn't out of the question for one of the best submission fighters in the entire sport. For Mendes and his buddies at Team Alpha Male, this fight was about proving a point. Cody McKenzie trained with them for a time, but his sloth and slovenly ways prevented a permanent connection. Now it was time for Mendes to show the world the value of professionalism and good old-fashioned hard work.
It didn't take long for the wrestler to prove his point. Mendes caught him early, grabbing a kick and landing a straight right hand to the solar plexus that dropped McKenzie. From there, Mendes pounced, landing some vicious ground and pound to force a stoppage. It was great to see Chad rebound after his first career loss, a trouncing at the hands of featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
This was just one step back on the path to title contention. It will take several more for Mendes to walk back into a rematch for the title. We spent the day with Melvin yesterday for what turned out to be an easy weight cut.
0コメント