In my last post, I talked about how age catches up to all of our heroes and transforms them into mere mortals. Big Nog--also known as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira--played heavily in that post. He was the man in 2002! But it's 2014, and I prayed that he could roll back the clock long enough to put on a great show against Roy Nelson.
That didn't happen.
If you missed it, here is what happened:
Talk about mixed emotions. I like Roy Nelson. I like Big Nog. And I love knockouts! But I hate seeing my heroes getting knocked out. They're supposed to be invincible. Forever.
Oh, well. So what's on the horizon? Tonight, the Ultimate Fighter Nations (Canada VS Australia) finale is on. The main event pits former Ultimate Fighter, Michael Bisping, against Tim Kennedy, a solid fighter and a man who can honestly be described as a killer. You see, Kennedy served as a sniper for the U.S. Army. In fact, when The Deadliest Warrior needed an American to demonstrate the lethality of U.S. weapons, they called in Tim Kennedy. He performed as well as anyone I've ever seen on the show. In case you can stream it on some service or another, he was on episode #25 (Army Rangers vs North Korean Special Forces).
In a Sports Illustrated article, Tim talked about his service overseas, and was candid about killing. You can read that article HERE. Whether you read this or not, understand that Kennedy has killed a lot of people. He has seen his friends--his fellow soldiers--die. While that doesn't necessarily make him a better mixed martial artist, it does provide him with perspective. He rarely gets worked up emotionally for a fight. Win or lose, he seems stoic about it all. Detached. After all, a sporting event doesn't carry quite the emotional impact of making an enemy's head explode. Nor does a knockout match the terrible finality of a comrade's death.
Except he was uncharacteristically emotional when he headlined the UFC's Fight For the Troops in a building filled with members of the U.S. military. After winning with a devastating left hook, Kennedy was fighting back tears. Speaking into Joe Rogan's microphone and addressing the crowd, he said, "You guys are my heroes. You guys are my idols. I'm a Christian, I give the glory to God, but I worship you guys. I worship you guys. I love every one of you."
This stands in stark contrast to his usual demeanor. You see, Kennedy is usually joking. He spends a lot of time on Twitter, calling out other fighters and talking smack. In fact, he goaded Bisping into a match back in December when he posted a fake fight contract he wrote and signed, stating he would fight Bisping any place and any time. HERE is a link to the contract.
Bisping, one of the best smack talkers in the sport, didn't take kindly to Kennedy's antics. In typical Bisping fashion, he has been amped up and angry in the days leading up to their fight. "I'm excited to get in there and just f--k this idiot up, honestly," he told reporters on Monday. "He thinks that he's played mind games and he thinks that he really got the upper hand. I'm a pretty intense individual and all he's done is made me more and more intense. I'm more in the zone, if you will. He's going to pay the price on Wednesday night."
So who wins this fight? Bisping has an army of detractors--probably a result of his tendency to run his mouth, his gift decision over Matt Hamill, and his penchant for winning by decision. But he is a legitimate top five middleweight contender. He has faced some of the best competition at 185 and 205 pounds, and he has won far more than he has lost. Kennedy, too, has faced some top competition, and usually comes out on the winning side of things.
Their match comes down to styles. Bisping likes to stick and move. It's a style that doesn't endear him to fans who prefer blood-n-guts, but it has proven effective against some of the UFC's best. He relies on solid takedown defense to keep the fight standing. Only Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen have been able to impose their wrestling against him, and they didn't find it easy. He has a solid chin, too. Only knockout artists Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort have knocked him out, while other renowned bangers like Wanderlei Silva, Brian Stann and Chris Leben failed to stop the loud-mouthed Brit.
Kennedy, on the other hand, has shown a cast-iron jaw. Even murderous punchers like Robbie Lawler and Melvin Manhoef have been unable to stop the Army Ranger. His jiu-jitsu has proven equally impervious. In fact, he has faced arguably the two most dangerous submission fighters in the sport--Jacare Souza and Roger Gracie--and neither of them could force Kennedy to tap. So chances are, Tim Kennedy finishes this fight without Bisping knocking him out or submitting him.
Though Kennedy doesn't have a ton of finishes on his record, he has improved since making it to the big leagues. Since joining Strike Force (which was bought by the UFC), he has stopped 6 of his 10 opponents. 5 of those 6 finishes have been by submission, but his last win was the crushing left hook I mentioned earlier, so he has some pop in his punches, too.
Ultimately, I think Bisping's takedown defense will win him the fight. Kennedy's best shot is to take Bisping down and work for a submission, but Bisping isn't likely to let that happen. He'll keep the fight standing and keep Kennedy at the end of his jabs and kicks. The fight won't likely win any awards, but Bisping will likely show off strong technical skills en route to a unanimous decision win.
My Pick: Bisping by Unanimous Decision.
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