A UFC Connected host's perspective and experience at the long-awaited event in his Toronto hometown.
It was a long time coming, but the Ultimate Fighting Championship finally held an event in the very city I have lived in for my entire life.
UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields in Toronto exceeded all of my expectations. Throughout the lead-up during fight week to the recap episode of UFC Connected, I feel as if I have reached the apex of my career in MMA. Then again, I'm sure there will be plenty more highs that I will feel over the next few years.
The bouts themselves were classic. The athletes, incredible. Many moments inside the Octagon at UFC 129 stand out like the flash of a camera, too many of which had me feeling headaches on Friday and Saturday night. More on this later.
The main event between welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Jake Shields took a turn for the worse for two reasons. One was the injury suffered by GSP, which forced him to fight the second half of the fight with vision in only his right eye. The second was Shields' game plan. I thought the American would have executed a more robust Greco-Roman wrestling style as the fight continued.
Perhaps time an entry where he would exchange taking a punch for an under hook (or two), then force the ground fight. Maybe jump to guard, and work his stellar sweeps and reversals. Either way, I'm sure he's regretting not trying more; but he still deserves credit for going five rounds.
And where are all the naysayers who said he does not have cardio? Oh that's right; the fight vs. Martin Kampmann was an anomaly. I said it then, and I'll say it again ... cue the broken record.
As for the criticism that the champ could not finish the challenger, I wonder how these critics would do against a stud like Jake Shields after they have been poked/punched in the eye. I wonder how they would have performed with their depth perception out of whack.
Think about it people. You are in a mixed martial arts contest wearing an eye-patch trying to defend takedowns, while your opponent, a grappling and submission wizard, is trying to punch you, after spending over eight weeks improving his striking skills. But I digress.
So what's next for GSP? A superfight with Anderson Silva or a scrap with Nick Diaz? Either works for me.
If it's Silva, make it at a catchweight of 178 pounds, in between welterweight and middleweight. Heck, "The Spider" even stated he would do it at 170 pounds.
If it's Diaz, fine, although Diaz has not defeated anyone in the top 10 (other than Takanori Gomi in 2007 at 160 pounds), I can understand why this match-up would take place. The Stockton, Calif., native's stock has risen to an all-time high. It makes sense for the promotion. It's a marquee and money-making fight.
Diaz brings a different style that can play fits with GSP. His punches-by-numbers style is mean. His body shots are incredible. His submission game is top-notch. It is the ultimate good guy vs. bad guy match-up. Dare I say "UFC Primetime" again?
Then there was the co-main event, where many in the media were mocking Mark Hominick before his UFC featherweight title shot vs. Jose Aldo, saying he did not belong in the same cage as the Brazilian. Their theories were proven in the first three rounds, as I sat there patiently waiting for "The Machine" to figure out the champ.
They, along with the fans around us, made fun of the Thamesford, Ont., warrior as the hematoma grew on his head. But there were only a handful of us who waited for referee Big John McCarthy to halt the bout and bring in the doctor, who did a stellar job making sure Hominick's vision was not blocked, especially peripherally.
While we ignored the negative energy around us, three of us looked at one another and said the momentum will now switch, as Aldo, who was reportedly ill before the fight and had a difficult time making weight, was fading. On the flipside, Hominick never fades as his stamina is the stuff of legend. He worked valiantly, in the final round, easily the longest five minutes of his life, but came up short, putting on one of the most inspirational, comeback performances I have ever witnessed in person.
The critics, ironically enough, now feel that he is worthy of sharing the same cage as the champion. Disgusting, yet comedic, at the same time.
Like Shields, Aldo's performance is an anomaly as well. I sincerely believe that, but take nothing away from the Canadian, whose stock has risen to an all-time high. The rest of the 145-pound division has taken notice, as has the UFC and many, many sponsors.
As for Randy Couture's final fight inside the Octagon, in which he was straight knocked out: it happens. As "Captain America" has always said, if a loss is the worse thing that can happen to him, so be it.
Father Time has been knocking on the door of Randy's career since he made his debut in 1997. That's 14 years of dodging; but at age 47, he simply could not catch up to his younger foe. Lyoto Machida's speed was too much for the living legend to handle. He bowed out gracefully, crane kick or not. As I said on UFC Connected, Randy, thank you for the memories inside the Octagon, and the many personal ones, outside of the cage. May Tinsel Town feed your competitive spirit, and satisfy you with every role you choose to audition for.
With the win, Machida does not deserve a title shot. He's back in the win column, so it's time to avenge one of three losses before he gets a crack at the gold. I believe he should defeat either Mauricio (Shogun) Rua, Quinton (Rampage) Jackson or (Suga) Rashad Evans before he gets a chance to fight for the belt.
Oh, and the Steven Seagal story... I'm not buying it.
As for the rest of the card, allow me to skim right through this. I'll go more in-depth on Thursday night's radio show on Sportsnet Radio The Fan 590:
-- Don't sleep on Vladimir Matyushenko. A rematch with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira should happen, or give him Stephan Bonnar.
-- To the mainstream eyes, Ben Henderson proved he is UFC worthy. Many of us already knew this. Perhaps Jim Miller should be next? And how about Mark Bocek vs. George Sotiropoulos now?
-- I said it over two years ago with Jon (Bones) Jones, and I'm telling you now: Rory MacDonald will wear UFC gold one day. And Nate Diaz proved he can only be finished if his opponents are allowed to bring a kitchen sink into the cage.
-- It was tough to see Sean Pierson lose, but it just goes to show you how tough Jake Ellenberger is. There is dynamite in those fists.
-- For all those fans that boo when fighters are in the clinch, please watch the Ivan Menjivar vs. Charlie Valencia fight. Wrong hand positioning can equal a broken nose.
-- Jason MacDonald's triangle choke set-up vs. Ryan Jensen will be featured on a "Fight School" segment on UFC Connected soon. Stay tuned.
-- If you are a UFC lightweight and you do not know who John Makdessi is -- you should change your name to Forrest Gump, because "stupid is, as..."
-- Pablo Garza's victory over Yves Jabouin is what MMA is all about. If Plan A doesn't work, go to Plan B.
-- Claude Patrick told me after his victory over Daniel Roberts he will not act like that inside the Octagon. He considered it a lesson learned.
In closing, I want to thank all the fans who came out and visited our booth at the UFC Fan Expo, the people who stopped me while I attempted to walk the floor, those who attended the Q&A with Tom Wright and I, as well as the hundreds who took time to visit our set on Saturday night. The kind words and support made all of the camera flashes worth it. The fumes from the sharpie markers paled in comparison to your support. You make this job the best on the planet and allow me to live out my dream.
The UFC Connected team all pulled in 18-20 hour days, with Saturday being the longest. In the end, running on fumes or not, it was well worth it for each and every one of us
And this was Toronto -- I can just imagine what it's going to be like when we visit Las Vegas for UFC 130 and Vancouver in June for UFC 131. Coffee anyone?
