UFC 104 Thoughts

I don't think anyone was expecting a fight (or outcome) like we got in the main event. There are a ton of ramifications coming out of this card, and the light heavyweight division just got that much more interesting. Let's not hesitate...

Barry Impressive. I'll admit to not giving Pat Barry the benefit of the doubt going into this fight. He proved me wrong. Convincingly. He used his quickness well to avoid Hardonk's reach and managed to dominate. Hardonk just looked off here. I wouldn't be surprised if he, like the rest of us, took his opponent a little too lightly. It could also be that Barry knew how badly he needed a check in the win column. He didn't disappoint.

Dutch Death Clutch. Stefan Struve looked awesome in his win over Chase Gormley. Unless you're seeing a fight with Nogueira or Mir, it's rare to see any kind of submission attempt let alone a victory in heavyweight contests. Struve has tilted the scales to a 2-1 Octagon record, so he has to be happy.

Spaced by Bader. How Eric Schafer survived the first round with Ryan Bader, I'll never know. The guy must have a Guida-esque chin to withstand that. Bader looked good the first round, but it was clear how much gas he blew during the second. Bader has shown great knockout power, and clearly falls on his wrestling acumen when faced with a guy who won't go down. This wasn't the most exciting fight, but it was an improvement over his semi-final fight on TUF, which I still remember fast forwarding through while yawning. Bader's undefeated thus far, making his immediate post-TUF career the most successful thus far.

Catch This! Anthony Johnson won pretty much how I thought he would: with very heavy hands. It was yet another domineering performance, and honestly, I don't think it'd have been much different if he came in at the proper weight. At least he had a good reason for his failure to make weight. This is, however, his second time he's failed to make weight (the first being his unsuccessful outing against Rich Clementi), and even though he's resolute this won't happen again, sooner or later he really needs to move to 185. Still, I see him being a possible championship contender in either class. As for Yoshida, I don't know what to say. He needs to hope Ed Silva gives him a match with a grappler next time.

Daddy's Home. This was the best I've ever seen Joe Stevenson. I thought Spencer Fisher would be able to control him, but Maestro Greg Jackson is clearly the Jesus Christ to Joe Daddy's Lazarus. If Stevenson keeps on winning like this, it won't be long before he receives his second lightweight title shot. I have a feeling this is in the cards, somehow.

He Finally Made the PPV Broadcast. Can we Shut Up, Now? UFC's resident redheaded stepchild, Yushin Okami, made his first televised appearance since defeating the late Evan Tanner last year. However, he was unsuccessful this go-round. The last guy to beat Anderson Silva looked totally outmatched against a very game Chael Sonnen, who joins Joe Stevenson in having his best career performance to date on the card. Sonnen completely smothered "Lightning," and perhaps quelled the calls of a rematch between Okami and Silva. I hope.

Time for a new Dental Plan. Yes, I know Gleison Tibau came in overweight. However, like the Johnson/Yoshida fight, I don't think it would have affected the result if he was within weight. Tibau's grappling clearly outworked Josh Neer, much like Kurt Pellegrino did back in August. I can't say I'm surprised. I was hoping he'd stick that armbar from the back mount, but no such luck.

Raising Cain. Cain Velasquez looked absolutely dominant in his fight with Ben Rothwell. Color me impressed. Rothwell is no pushover, and he fell prey to a 10-8 round before the stoppage. It's hard to say whether it was premature or not, but I think it was far more justified in the first round. That said, I don't think the outcome would have been any different had the fight went on much longer.

Clearly MMA Judges have Poor Vision Plans. As if to say, "what fight were they watching?" Seriously. I'm not going to say it was an absolute thrashing, because it wasn't. It was close, much closer than this month's spectacular Ben Hendeson/Donald Cerrone fight. But if I were scoring, I'd be calling for a new champion. Like much of the online MMA community, I'm totally baffled by this result. I felt Shogun fought a tactical, strategic fight that should have guaranteed him victory. He easily won rounds 4 and 5. 2 and 3 could go to Machida (though I feel 2 is questionable). That leaves the first round. I found Shogun to be the aggressor for sure. Now I like Machida, and I think he's one of the best out there. But he was outdone Saturday night, plain and simple. Shogun fought wonderfully and became the first fighter to take Machida to the limit. One way or another, Machida lost rounds in Los Angeles, which hasn't happened yet in the UFC. Machida almost looked stunned throughout the course of the fight, as his game had been tactically dissected. For the first time, he looked inferior to his opponent. Some people have said it's not a robbery, but let's be fair... the wrong man won. And he still has the belt that belongs to another. To me, that's robbery. As much as I enjoy Machida's fights, I'll be rooting for the challenger when they meet again. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Well, let's take a look at my record for this event and how it affects my total standing:

Prelims: 1-1 (0.500)
PPV Total: 3-2 (0.600)
Event Total: 4-3 (0.571)
Career Total: 20-12 (0.625)

For what it's worth, I'd rather Machida have lost than have my average buoyed.

PTN, Minutiae...

Gaining Weight. This is the second consecutive PPV that has featured two catchweight fights. Of course, Franklin vs. Belfort was at least planned in advance.

Get the Stopwatch. If Yoshiyuki Yoshida ever is put into a fight with Thiago Alves, I'll begin wondering what he did to piss off Ed Silva.

Jackson is the Man. Now that Brock Lesnar is out of the UFC 106 event, and Jackson has shown what he can do with an on-the-skids contender like Stevenson, I officially predict an upset at UFC 108 when Shane Carwin takes on Lesnar. He's like MMA's answer to Rick Rubin; taking raw talent that seems past its prime and refining it like Rubin did with Johnny Cash and Metallica.

Seriously... Can we stop bellyaching about Yushin Okami? Please?

Another Mazzaggatti Classic. Steve Mazzaggatti continues to baffle beyond belief with his decisions. It seemed like Ben Rothwell was more worse for wear in the first round than when the fight was actually stopped. He must have the same vision plan as the judges...

Joe Rogan, You've Won Me Over Again. I am now more than ever a Joe Rogan fan after his jabs at the guys from "Entourage." I fell out of love with the show hard this season, and hearing him rag on a couple of one-trick pony actors brought a huge smile to my face.

No Gimmicks Needed. Cain Velazquez has some of the absolute best post-fight poses I've ever seen. I already loved the waggling finger and the folded arms as if to say, "And what!" But his shrug after beating Rothwell was priceless.

I'm no Lip Reader... But I think Ben Rothwell said, "What?"

Ha-do-ken! I love that Joe Rogan compared Machida to a character from Street Fighter. I have to say, I do think half his statements are ripped from the Ryu book of philosophy.

He Shouldn't have won, but... I can't fault Lyoto Machida for anything at all. He didn't say or do anything unbecoming of a champion. While I strongly disagree with his assertion that he was the superior fighter, he was also quick to agree to an immediate rematch. I give him a ton of credit for that. A lot of guys would be quick to push aside their most recent challenger. I even predict Anderson Silva would dance around a rematch. He may not have deserved the win, but Machida is still a class act.

OK. Let it be known. He's back. Shogun looked great. Granted, he didn't go out of his way to finish the fight, but given Machida's counterstrike style, he had the perfect gameplan going in. Not only that, but this was confirmation that the Shogun of old is truly back. He looked sharp as ever, had no trouble keeping his gas tank full, and really fought well. It wasn't a blowout, but it was enough to convince the masses. I'm looking forward to this rematch, and he's given me plenty of reason to root for him. Everyone loves a comeback.

So the biggest story coming out of this is the rematch promised by Dana White and agreed to by both Machida and Rua. Many pundits and fans have spoken out about having this be a free match on Spike. Permit me to throw my hat in the ring. I wouldn't be surprised if they listen. As much shit as people like to give Dana White, he has an excellent track record as far as appeasing disgruntled fans. Whether it was Shamrock/Ortiz III for free or nixing Henderson/Franklin II, he tends to do what's right. Given his personal feelings on the fight, I would put good money on him giving this one away and sparking a dynamite rating. Expect it to happen during a Strikeforce event.

I really, really hope Rua wins.

Oh, and please... enough about Yushin Okami.