Examining the aftermath from UFC 132 and thoughts on the latest from the world of MMA.
The UFC 132 main event played out just like we envisioned on UFC Connected and on The Showdown but with one exception: Urijah Faber did much better than I had originally anticipated. "The California Kid" looked exceptional against Dominick Cruz and proved why he is still one of the best fighters in the sport today.
I had envisioned a much more dominant performance by Cruz, who did great by all standards, but Faber came to rumble. There was a plethora of talk of how Faber would not be able to match speed and precision with "The Dominator" and instead he did just that. Kudos to him, and to Cruz for putting on that fight of the night performance.
The final result was a unanimous decision victory by Cruz, but three completely different scorecards (50-45, 49-46, 48-47) -- that's a five-round shutout, a four-to-one win, and a narrow victory of three rounds to two. When I scored the fight, I had it three to two for Faber, but nearly each round could have gone either way with the exception being the fifth, which I believe Cruz won hands down.
Certify judges and the media
The fight was close -- but I didn't see it as a shutout by Cruz. He was knocked down on a few occasions, which -- unlike what I was told by a credentialed media member sitting in front of me -- actually means something.
To wit, this gentlemen, whom I had never seen before, was adamant that knockdowns do not count in MMA, as "this is not boxing." I do not want to get into the specifics, but after the fight, a discussion with this party, and a few other members of the media apparently changed his theory, as we broke down "how" an MMA round is truly scored.
So while we blame the judges, perhaps we should also look at some of the media, many of whom may not understand MMA judging/scoring, yet have very large outlets to spout out their (incorrect) opinions. As I've said in the past, akin to a broken record, certification is the key.
Let these appointed judges first prove they understand what is truly happening in an MMA bout, the various techniques, trips, takedowns, submissions, etc., as well as how to properly score the fight, according to the Unified Rules of MMA.
If they can prove this, then they can be put on the "certified list" that should be used by the member organizations of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC). You can also help me by joining by Twitter trend and talking about this sensitive topic by also using the hash tag #certifyallmmajudges.
Silva must reinvent himself or say goodbye
I picked Chris Leben to defeat Wanderlei Silva because history has proven to me that "The Axe Murderer" simply cannot take the punishment he used to. I said this, much to the dismay of many of my friends and media peers; but sadly, we all saw the outcome.
Silva's heart and warrior spirit would have him compete mercilessly, but his brain simply shuts down when a strike lands to his jaw/head. What he used to laugh off now shuts down his system.
There are two options for him: walk away from the only thing he knows, or, if he is cleared and allowed to fight, prove one last time, that he will not brawl, but rather, use a systematic approach to methodically use his Muay Thai skill set to break down his opponents, then go in for the finish, should it present itself.
I concur that the latter is asking a lot from Silva -- it's a completely different style than he is used to -- but don't discount it; it can be done. Who's down for Wanderlei 2.0?
Ortiz is back, but was he ever gone?
I had some virtual fun on Twitter, courtesy of Tito Ortiz, serving up some crow to some parties who took shots at me for my analysis.
I took some online heat for some of my comments on the TV and radio show, where I said Ortiz deserves more credit than he deserves, that he is still relevant at 205 pounds, and that his past performances, be it four losses and a draw, were all close fights, some controversial, versus top-tier talent.
I spent some time with his team on Thursday and Friday of fight week, to get an in-depth perspective of Ortiz's training camp and mental state. Boxing coach Jason Parillo and strength and conditioning coach Michael Giovanni and I, went back and forth about strategy, training and the important fine line of building and breaking down a fighter during training camp.
It's safe to say that Parillo, Giovanni, and BJJ coach Ricardo Abreu did a great job bringing Ortiz back to the winner's circle. If you missed my video interview with Team Punishment, you can check it out here.
Tito proved to everyone that he should still be taken seriously, so here's hoping he gets the winner, or loser, of Forrest Griffin/Shogun Rua II, or a rematch with Lyoto Machida (should he not be fighting Chael Sonnen next).
A long time coming for Guillard
How many of you out there remember, or have heard of "Bad Breed TV"?
In 2003, I was a subscriber to this DVD magazine, and on Volumes 4 and 7 was a young fighter named Melvin Guillard, who was ripping through his opponents... just like he did last Saturday night. Eight years have gone by, and what I saw back then, that golden championship potential is finally coming forward.
Melvin still has a long road to travel before he gets a crack at the lightweight title. He called out top contender Jim Miller, with the N.J. native gladly accepting, should he defeat Ben Henderson on Aug. 14 (or should Benson get injured and Guillard step in and replace him).
He also must prove he has improved his wrestling and submissions, although he boldly stated yet again that it has come a long way, and that he just has not had a chance to prove it yet.
That's the key for "The Young Assassin." Wrestling and subs to match, or at least aid, in getting the fight back to his feet, where I believe he is superior to everyone in the top 10.
Agree or disagree? Who do you believe can (or would) stand and bang with Guillard?
Rapid Fire
-- Carlos Condit's victory could have destroyed the bookies. He was an underdog leading up to the fight. Luckily they changed their tune(s). He is a serious contender at 170 pounds, and defeating the previously undefeated Dong Hyun Kim the way he did was amazing.
-- Denis Siver's controversial victory over Matt Wiman may have set up a rematch with Guillard. I believe Melvin still, and will have his number.
-- Rafael dos Anjos's KO of George Sotiropoulos was a sight to behold. The Australian has gone from eight straight victories to two straight losses.
Miscellaneous MMA news:
-- The Dream 17 card on July 16 continues to take shape, with the additions of Drew Fickett, Trevor Prangley and many others. Can't wait!
-- Remember the story of Nate Marquardt competing in New Jersey vs. Dan Miller while being cleared for TRT? Here's the NJAC's Commissioner Nick Lembo with the details.
-- UFC 138 rumour: Joe Lauzon vs. Charles Oliveira?
-- Former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk aiming to return in the fall.
