Wow, this didn’t turn out the way
Dana White and the rest of the brass at the UFC headquarters wanted it
to. Of the 10 fights at UFC 169, 8 of them went to a decision.
That’s a record. One the UFC surely didn’t wish to set. Casual
fans--and many hard core fans--want to see finishes. They want to see
wicked knockouts and bone-snapping submissions. UFC 169 gave those fans
only two finishes. One was sensational. The other was frustrating.
Let’s talk about the sensational one first. Abel Trujillo knocked Jamie Varner cold with a right hook that looked like it would have dented a two-inch thick steel plate. Varner bounced off the canvas like he had been shot, completely lacking any sign of life.
Varner had his moments before eating that right hook. In fact, he had Trujillo hurt and dazed. By fight’s end, both men looked drunk, their punches wide and looping--easily avoided by someone who wasn’t foggy with brain trauma.
It was the kind of performance that would win no awards for technique, but it delivered drama and excitement in a big way. The knockout was unforgettable. Abel Trujillo’s highlight reel, from now until forever, will be headlined by that murderous right hook demolition of the former WEC champion. If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to watch it. There is little doubt that it will be on everyone’s top knockouts of 2014.
Now let’s talk about the other one. It came in the main event of the evening. The rematch between new undisputed champion and surging Alpha Male, Urijah Faber. Barao caught Faber with punches in the first round, had him rocked, jumped on the fallen fighter, and repeatedly smacked him with light hammer fists.
Referee Herb Dean, one of the best in the business, told Faber to "Show me something." To which Faber gave him a thumbs up with one hand while clinging onto Barao’s leg. That "something" wasn’t enough for Mr. Dean, who stopped the fight, awarding a technical knockout victory to Renan Barao.
I have mixed feelings about the stoppage. Part of me would much rather a fight be stopped too early than too late, and the line dividing the two is a nebulous one. On top of that, the risk for a fighter goes beyond simply losing a fight. It could mean losing their life. Deaths have occurred in combat sports. It’s one of those things we don’t like to talk about, but is a real possibility when a goal of the sport is to knock out your opponent. Simply put, when a brain bounces off its skull, bad things can happen.
With this in mind, I have a hard time faulting Mr. Dean for stopping the fight. After all, Barao had rocked and dropped him twice with rocket right hands. Urijah Faber’s safety was Herb Dean’s top priority. He acted accordingly.
But another part of me hates that he stopped the fight. Urijah Faber is a world class fighter. He is one of the most durable guys to ever fight at 135 pounds in the UFC. And he was fighting for the undisputed championship of the world.
Of.
The.
World.
The stakes don’t get any higher. Consequently, you let that man go out on his shield. He is an adult with a ton of professional experience. He knows the risks. All fighters do. And while fighters often have to be saved from themselves--since many refuse to quit regardless of the beatings they absorb--they also have to be given a chance to turn things around, especially in a title fight, and especially when they are still conscious, still grabbing their opponent’s leg, and still clear-headed enough to give the referee a thumbs-up.
Faber could have helped his case by doing more than holding on and giving a thumbs up. Had he been jockeying for position or firing back at Barao, we wouldn’t be talking about an early stoppage.
With that being said, I don’t feel the stoppage was horrible, but I do wish Herb had let it go a bit longer. I still think Herb Dean is great at his job. No referee can be expected to get it right every time out. I’m quite sure I would make many worse calls than Herb or any other referee has made. Being a referee is likely one of the most thankless jobs in mixed martial arts. My hat’s off to him for doing it and--far more often than not--doing it well.
So how about the battle of heavyweights? Alistair Overeem won a 3 round decision over Frank Mir. While it didn’t surprise anyone that Overeem earned a victory, it did surprise many people that he didn’t finish Mir, especially when considering how many more strikes Overeem landed than Mir did. As hard as Overeem hits, and as brittle as Mir’s chin has sometimes appeared, most expected Overeem to win by knockout.
Instead, Overeem played it safe and didn’t go for the kill. Afterwards, he called out Brock Lesnar, who doesn’t even fight for the UFC anymore. This, as you might expect, drew the ire of UFC president, Dana White, who said Overeem gave "a crappy performance, in my opinion."
Though it was hardly the demolition many expected, it’s hard to fault Overeem’s safety first game plan. Another loss would have likely meant his UFC run was over. Other fighters have done the same thing. What’s more, fighters will continue to do this for as long as the UFC continues their practice of releasing fighters after a few losses rather than allowing them to finish their contracts.
It makes for scared fighters. They are not scared of fighting, of getting hurt, or of being humiliated in front of the whole world--they are scared of losing their jobs. And after hearing Dana White’s comments, Overeem should be scared. He’ll need to keep winning if he wants to stick around. Otherwise he’ll be following in the footsteps of fellow K1 and Pride veteran (and former opponent), Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic, whose UFC run was less than spectacular and led to his return to kickboxing.
Overall, UFC 169 will likely be remembered as one of the worst UFC pay-per-views of the year. For me, however, it was pretty darned good. Not because the fights were great, but because I correctly predicted the winner in every fight on the main card. Not too shabby, eh? Keep that in mind the next time you’re wagering on the fights. You may wish to make a pit-stop at the old MMA Booth before laying down your hard earned money.
Until then, check out my short fiction collection, Big Blue. Available in paperback and Kindle digital edition. It has thrills, chills, and spills. Plus, if you don’t like it you can always use it for target practice.
Until next time, touch gloves and come out fighting.
Billy Joe Booth
Let’s talk about the sensational one first. Abel Trujillo knocked Jamie Varner cold with a right hook that looked like it would have dented a two-inch thick steel plate. Varner bounced off the canvas like he had been shot, completely lacking any sign of life.
Varner had his moments before eating that right hook. In fact, he had Trujillo hurt and dazed. By fight’s end, both men looked drunk, their punches wide and looping--easily avoided by someone who wasn’t foggy with brain trauma.
It was the kind of performance that would win no awards for technique, but it delivered drama and excitement in a big way. The knockout was unforgettable. Abel Trujillo’s highlight reel, from now until forever, will be headlined by that murderous right hook demolition of the former WEC champion. If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to watch it. There is little doubt that it will be on everyone’s top knockouts of 2014.
Now let’s talk about the other one. It came in the main event of the evening. The rematch between new undisputed champion and surging Alpha Male, Urijah Faber. Barao caught Faber with punches in the first round, had him rocked, jumped on the fallen fighter, and repeatedly smacked him with light hammer fists.
Referee Herb Dean, one of the best in the business, told Faber to "Show me something." To which Faber gave him a thumbs up with one hand while clinging onto Barao’s leg. That "something" wasn’t enough for Mr. Dean, who stopped the fight, awarding a technical knockout victory to Renan Barao.
I have mixed feelings about the stoppage. Part of me would much rather a fight be stopped too early than too late, and the line dividing the two is a nebulous one. On top of that, the risk for a fighter goes beyond simply losing a fight. It could mean losing their life. Deaths have occurred in combat sports. It’s one of those things we don’t like to talk about, but is a real possibility when a goal of the sport is to knock out your opponent. Simply put, when a brain bounces off its skull, bad things can happen.
With this in mind, I have a hard time faulting Mr. Dean for stopping the fight. After all, Barao had rocked and dropped him twice with rocket right hands. Urijah Faber’s safety was Herb Dean’s top priority. He acted accordingly.
But another part of me hates that he stopped the fight. Urijah Faber is a world class fighter. He is one of the most durable guys to ever fight at 135 pounds in the UFC. And he was fighting for the undisputed championship of the world.
Of.
The.
World.
The stakes don’t get any higher. Consequently, you let that man go out on his shield. He is an adult with a ton of professional experience. He knows the risks. All fighters do. And while fighters often have to be saved from themselves--since many refuse to quit regardless of the beatings they absorb--they also have to be given a chance to turn things around, especially in a title fight, and especially when they are still conscious, still grabbing their opponent’s leg, and still clear-headed enough to give the referee a thumbs-up.
Faber could have helped his case by doing more than holding on and giving a thumbs up. Had he been jockeying for position or firing back at Barao, we wouldn’t be talking about an early stoppage.
With that being said, I don’t feel the stoppage was horrible, but I do wish Herb had let it go a bit longer. I still think Herb Dean is great at his job. No referee can be expected to get it right every time out. I’m quite sure I would make many worse calls than Herb or any other referee has made. Being a referee is likely one of the most thankless jobs in mixed martial arts. My hat’s off to him for doing it and--far more often than not--doing it well.
So how about the battle of heavyweights? Alistair Overeem won a 3 round decision over Frank Mir. While it didn’t surprise anyone that Overeem earned a victory, it did surprise many people that he didn’t finish Mir, especially when considering how many more strikes Overeem landed than Mir did. As hard as Overeem hits, and as brittle as Mir’s chin has sometimes appeared, most expected Overeem to win by knockout.
Instead, Overeem played it safe and didn’t go for the kill. Afterwards, he called out Brock Lesnar, who doesn’t even fight for the UFC anymore. This, as you might expect, drew the ire of UFC president, Dana White, who said Overeem gave "a crappy performance, in my opinion."
Though it was hardly the demolition many expected, it’s hard to fault Overeem’s safety first game plan. Another loss would have likely meant his UFC run was over. Other fighters have done the same thing. What’s more, fighters will continue to do this for as long as the UFC continues their practice of releasing fighters after a few losses rather than allowing them to finish their contracts.
It makes for scared fighters. They are not scared of fighting, of getting hurt, or of being humiliated in front of the whole world--they are scared of losing their jobs. And after hearing Dana White’s comments, Overeem should be scared. He’ll need to keep winning if he wants to stick around. Otherwise he’ll be following in the footsteps of fellow K1 and Pride veteran (and former opponent), Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic, whose UFC run was less than spectacular and led to his return to kickboxing.
Overall, UFC 169 will likely be remembered as one of the worst UFC pay-per-views of the year. For me, however, it was pretty darned good. Not because the fights were great, but because I correctly predicted the winner in every fight on the main card. Not too shabby, eh? Keep that in mind the next time you’re wagering on the fights. You may wish to make a pit-stop at the old MMA Booth before laying down your hard earned money.
Until then, check out my short fiction collection, Big Blue. Available in paperback and Kindle digital edition. It has thrills, chills, and spills. Plus, if you don’t like it you can always use it for target practice.
Until next time, touch gloves and come out fighting.
Billy Joe Booth
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