Issue 123

December 2014

Thrilling tussles, title tilts, and a bromance: it’s your monthly review of MMA action.

BIGGEST UPSET

Rick Story vs. Gunnar Nelson, UFC Fight Night 53

A few days before American wrestler Rick Story fought Gunnar Nelson in the main event of the UFC’s most recent Swedish event, he told media members he’d wondered whether he was supposed to be a sacrificial lamb for his much-hyped opponent. 

The reply is, of course, since when did the UFC start getting into religious slaughter? And if Rick Story resembles any kind of animal it’s not a lamb, it is most certainly an otter.

Granted, it would’ve been more convenient for Nelson’s predicted ascendency to welterweight title contender if he hadn’t lost to the unranked underdog, but he did. 

Over five rounds, Story landed more strikes with more power while the undefeated Icelander failed to drag the fight to the mat and had to stay standing. After three judges’ opinions, Story was the split-decision winner, for one of the bigger upsets of 2014. 

GOAT BFF  

Fabio Maldonado and Anderson Silva, UFC 179

You can’t beat a good old-fashioned bromance. Brazilian light heavyweight Fabio Maldonado enjoyed a special moment with special friend and former champion Anderson Silva in Rio, when ‘The Spider’ joined him atop the Octagon fence at UFC 179.

Just moments earlier, Maldonado had invited referee Marc Goddard to drag him off Hans Stringer after the Brazilian’s relentless ground ‘n’ pound assault left the exhausted Dutchman defenseless in the final minute of the second round. 

The invites from the victor didn’t end there, as he urged Anderson to join him in an Octagon-riding embrace in the aftermath of his victory, much to the delight of the Rio crowd – who evidently love nothing more than a good fence climb.

Thankfully, Anderson’s black leather slacks survived the climb, which was also perhaps the first time a spectator has been allowed to climb onto the cage without retribution. But then, what’s the point in being considered MMA’s greatest of all time if you can’t bend the rules now and again? Maldonado at least appreciated the sentiment. BFF.

KALIB STARNES, IS THAT YOU?  

Anthony Smith and Brian Green, Bellator 129

We’ve seen some strange things in Judges’ Verdict over the years. The latest addition to our list is Anthony Smith and Brian Green’s peculiar battle from Bellator 129. 

It was your classic contest between a soft-waisted tough gun in Green and a ripped-up athlete in Smith. Green stood and absorbed his opponent’s standing shots in round one, but took exception to ‘Lionheart’s new ground ‘n’ pound strategy in the following stanza, begging for a return to the feet. 

Green then became incensed when Smith defended a kneebar and openly mocked his opponent by sticking his tongue out before patting and rubbing his opponent’s rear.  

As Smith continued his canvas attack in the third, Green got desperate for a stand-up and pointed upward from side mount while pleading: “C’mon, ref, one more chance. He’s not doing nothing, man.” 

Third man Rob Hinds didn’t comply and as the final 10 seconds ticked away, Green looked down the camera and moaned: “He’s a kickboxer and he lay on me the whole fight!” Never change, MMA. Never change.

GOING APE 

Rory MacDonald, UFC Fight Night 54

Gorilla. He was trying to be a gorilla. We guess, anyway. What did you think when you saw Rory MacDonald’s celebration after knocking out Tarec Saffiedine at UFC Fight Night 54? When the 170lb’er roared, then kind of pounded his chest as he sort of weirdly jiggled his shoulders. We think he was trying to look like a gorilla. You know, like ejecting the spirit of the beast that just helped him stop the Belgian kickboxer for the first time.

It seems the sort of strange thing MacDonald would do. The Canadian acted the odd-ball for two-and-a-bit rounds of a controlling, clinical performance before ending it via a monster left hook. He also gave Tarec the old 1,000-yard stare as Bruce Buffer went to work and glared at him at the end round one. Quite peculiar considering there was zero bad blood beforehand. We blame that gorilla spirit. 

KNEES²  

‘Tiger’ Sarnavskiy and Dakota Cochrane, Bellator 128

If fights had names like action B-movies (e.g. much of Randy Couture’s filmography) the Bellator 128 scrap between Dakota Cochrane and ‘Tiger’ Sarnavskiy would be ‘A Duel of Knees’, ‘Knee-ssassins’ or ‘Nice and Kneesy’. Because, as we have comprehensively alluded to, there were a whole load of knees thrown in that October scrap. In fact, they hit each other with 15 in 2:32 (on average a blow every 10 seconds).

Fighting at 160lb, Sarnavskiy’s relentless, hard-nosed Russian striking gave late replacement Cochrane (as you may recall, the hopeful from TUF Live in 2012 who’d previously done gay porn) more than he could handle. And wouldn’t you know it, halfway through the first, a jump knee dropped Cochrane, and a short choke finish wasn’t far behind. Looks like someone had a kneed for speed. Damn we’re funny.

COMEBACK KING  

Emanuel Newton, Bellator 130

Doesn’t Emanuel Newton know life is stressful enough without fighters doing their best to push our blood pressure through the roof. Every time Bellator’s 205lb title holder steps in to the cage he flirts with defeat before dragging himself to title retention.

In his previous outing, at Bellator 124, Newton took an absolute pasting from Joey Beltran until he decided it was time for his opponent’s face to meet the canvas by landing his signature move – the spinning back fist.

A month-and-a-half later at Bellator 130, Newton was up to his old tricks again against British submission specialist Linton Vassell. For the first two rounds, Vassell went balls-to-the-wall to try and get a submission, transitioning seamlessly between submission attempts 

For the first 10 minutes it looked like Vassell was going to be the first ever British champion in a major international MMA promotion. However, the champ somehow thwarted choke attempts and roared back against the tiring Brit. 

He even finished things off by giving Vassell a taste of his own medicine, tapping him out in the fifth round with a rear naked choke. The man just can’t have a boring fight, isn’t it great?