UFC 134: Intern Edition
Editor’s Note: Thanks to a friend’s decision to continue with their nuptials in New York despite the small matter of Hurricane Irene this post has been delayed. Still, please welcome Tyler Richardson, who has been foolish enough to sign on as our new intern for the fall. Tyler will contribute to a number of projects around here and hopefully help elevate our MMA coverage as well. Send him your condolences here.
Brazilian pride was on full display Saturday night at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. A crowd UFC boss Dana White called “the best I’ve ever seen” sang and danced as seven Brazilian fighters had their hands raised.
Brazil, which had not hosted a UFC event in 13 years, was the perfect backdrop for one of the most electrifying nights in the sport’s history. Anderson Silva (right) (31-4) cemented his legacy as arguably the greatest mixed martial artist ever by retaining his middleweight belt with a second round TKO of Yushin Okami (26-6, 10-3 UFC). From the start it was clear Silva was in full control. He welcomed Okami into the clinch, as if to prove to the Japanese strongman that there was no way he could win.
As the horn for round one sounded Silva landed a hard leg kick to the back of Okami’s head. Anyone who has seen Silva fight before knew this was the beginning of the end. In round two Silva lowered his hands and stuck his chin out, daring Okami to try and solve his confounding head movement. The crowd became louder as Silva bobbed and weaved his way through Okami’s strikes.
Suddenly, like a flash, Silva struck, dropping Okami with a short right jab. Okami quickly returned to his feet only to be met with a thundering right hook that sent him to the canvas for the final time. After a knee to the body and a flurry of punches, referee Herb Dean stopped the fight 2:04 into the round.
The win not only moved Silva’s mark to 14-0 in the UFC and a record 9-0 in title defenses, it avenged his 2006 disqualification to Okami for an illegal up-kick. As blood streamed from Okami’s right eye, the humble champion kneeled before his defeated opponent to say thank you. Nobody in the history of MMA may be better or classier than Anderson “The Spider” Silva.
Revenge was the only thing on Maurico “Shogun” Rua’s (20-5 4-3 UFC) mind as the two former light heavyweight champions faced off in the co-main event of the evening.
Griffin (18-7 9-5 UFC), who submitted the former prize jewel in 2007, was not on the top of his game this time around as he was savagely KO’d in the first round. Everyone knew Griffin was more comfortable with Shogun on the ground but his pride would keep him on his feet. Shogun connected with a combination of punches that sent Griffin sprawling to the mat.
Shogun pounced and landed a barrage of hammerfists that bounced Griffin’s head off the canvas like a rubber ball. The fight was over before it began and Shogun had made a definitive statement that he is back in the hunt for the light heavyweight title.
It can never truly be called an upset when a Nogueria (33-6-1 NC 4-2 UFC) comes out on top, but “Minotauro’s” first round KO of up and comer Brendan Schaub (8-2 4-2 UFC) definitely raised a few eyebrows.
Many thought Minotauro’s career was in jeopardy after an 18-month hiatus from MMA and two major surgeries, but he proved he’s one of the toughest fighters to ever enter the octagon on Saturday night. Fighting a much younger and more athletic man didn’t seem to matter to the seasoned Brazilian vet. Minotauro looked sharp as he escaped from clinches and exchanged strikes.
Schaub, who was hoping to use this fight as a stepping stone to a title shot, was knocked down by a quick combination that dropped him face-first to the canvas at 3:09 of round one. Clearly Schaub had been knocked out but Minotauro landed another clean left that ended the former Colorado football player’s evening in dramatic fashion.
An already stacked lightweight division just got heavier (no pun intended) as the undefeated Edson Barboza (9-0 3-0 UFC) displayed the strikes that have some in the MMA world calling him the “next big thing.” Barboza’s wide arsenal of strikes looked like poetry in motion as Ross Pearson (12-5 4-2 UFC) struggled to defend the various attacks.
Whether it was a swift spinning heel kick or a stiff jab, Barboza showed why people around the UFC are buzzing with excitement about his fighting style. His split decision win over the ever-tough Pearson is a huge step in the right direction for the 25-year-old. Pearson circled Barboza all fight, and even won the first round. However Barboza’s improved takedown defense and the massive hematoma he left over Pearson’s eye proved to be too much for the veteran to overcome.
UFC 134 had every thing a fight fan wants. Heroes and villains. Knockouts and gruesome injuries. Energy and passion. There were legacies cemented, a star (Shogun) resurrected and a new phenom (Barboza) born. Most important a country was reunited with the highest level of a sport it spawned.
After watching 134 it is clear that Brazil is not only the birthplace of this great sport, but its true home. Tickets for the event sold out in 74 minuets and the crowd never sat down. Minotauro had one of the most emotional victories a man in this sport can ever have and in front of his people to boot. Dana White is far from stupid when it comes sales, so my guess is Brazil wont have to wait 13 years before it sees the UFC again.