Issue 113
April 2014
Russian sambo superiority, messy mic mishaps and a wheely cool kick. FO brings you Judges’ Verdict.
MOST AWKWARD MOMENT
Urijah Faber and Joe Rogan, UFC 169
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan is always on-point, but it can’t be denied that post-fight Q&A with Urijah Faber at UFC 169 was pretty awkward. After a third-straight unsuccessful shot at bantamweight gold, ‘The California Kid’ was asked by Rogan for his thoughts on what appeared to be an early Herb Dean first-round TKO stoppage via champ Renan Barao’s hammerfists. So far so normal. Faber said he gave a thumbs-up when Dean asked to ‘show him something,’ to which Rogan justly stated that’s hard to see in the full-flow of a finish attempt.
Perhaps a little confrontational, but fair. Faber questions what he’s supposed to do instead, and Rogan asks the former WEC king to opine on the ‘intelligent defense’ rule. Things are starting to feel weird.
Faber doesn’t know but gives credit to Barao and Dean anyway and Joe offers his congrats to wrap up the conversation. Not too bad, right? Except Faber asks for the mic to call for a TJ Dillashaw 135lb title shot. Rogan throws Chad Mendes’ name into the hat too. Faber points out that actually he’s in the weight class above. Cringe.
ANTI-THEFT
Gegard Mousasi and Lyoto Machida, UFC Fight Night 36
Warning. Attenzione. Achtung. Hat thieves have returned to the UFC. The public are warned these cap stealers are likely over-excited and over-enthusiastic. What do UFC 105, 115 and 134 all have in common? Rampant lid lifting during fighter entrances. And two fans at UFC Fight Night 36 in Jaragua Do Sul were caught on camera trying to do the same to Gegard Mousasi and Lyoto Machida.
Thankfully, for the sake of both headliners’ sponsors, the delinquents had chosen two of the UFC’s most switched-on strikers to try their luck on. During his walkout Mousasi’s keen defensive instincts allowed him to spot the potential perpetrator and dodge the theft effort.
The middleweight’s opponent, Machida, didn’t recognize the attack until it was too late – although he did break from his entrance to successfully negotiate the safe return of his Bony Acai dome covering. The Brazilian may have decisioned the Dutchman, but they were both winners against crime.
MOST STIRRING PEP TALK
Georges St Pierre and Francis Carmont, UFC Fight Night 36
Give ex UFC king Georges St Pierre less than 60 seconds to repeat the same kind of adrenaline-pumping speech he gave Francis Carmont in Brazil recently and we reckon he make us do absolutely anything. Like run through a wall, or try to start a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. Between the second and third rounds of Carmont’s fight with ‘Jacare’ Souza at UFC Fight Night 36, chief second St Pierre lit a fire under his training partner before what the bout’s deciding round. ‘Rush’ started screaming: “Let’s do this. Last round, let’s go.” Carmont started roaring back in reply, and St Pierre gave him some more: “This is the fight of your life. Five minutes of your life!” And Carmont rose from his stool practically foaming at the mouth. It didn’t win him the third (or the fight) but at least now you know you can call GSP the next time you can’t manage dessert.
JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMN
Daron Cruickshank, UFC on Fox 10
Who knew we’d see the day wheel kicks and other rotary leg flailings would become par for the course?
So it says something about Daron Cruickshank’s wheel kick that it still impressed at UFC on Fox 10 in January. Having already wobbled Mike Rio a couple of times it felt like Cruickshank finishing his TUF 15 housemate was inevitable throughout the second (save for that patch his right leg was subject to a painful-looking Rio torquing).
Toward the end of the stanza Cruickshank caught his opponent
with his guard low with some wheel-age and followed with a blizzard of hooks against the cage that made Rio crumble to the canvas and ended the bout. Wheely good. (We’ll slap our own wrists.)
BEST TAUNTING
Ali Bagautinov, UFC 169
Russian flyweight Ali Bagautinov does not give a fudge. Not about your ‘Hands of Stone’, UFC 169 opponent John Lineker, and certainly not your leg lock attempt in the final seconds of the last round of your 15-minute fight.
No, sir, he’s not even going to defend your pitiful attack, he’s literally going to stand in the Octagon and flex his biceps. That’s because he’s a sambo specialist and lower-appendage holds are the bread to their butter.
And because that’s how ‘pimps’ celebrate their unanimous decision wins; with more swag than hip-hop lyrics circa 2010.
(NOT) SAVED BY THE BELL
Alex Caceres vs. Sergio Pettis, UFC on Fox 10
Sergio Pettis, younger brother of UFC 155lb champion Anthony, was 21 seconds away from what was quite likely to be a favorable judges’ decision when he tapped to Alex Caceres’ rear naked choke at UFC on Fox 10. Perhaps it’s some solace the previous 14:39 was so chock full of action it earned him a $50,000 ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.
Pettis started connecting with punches and head kicks in the first, rocking ‘Bruce Leeroy.’ But a Caceres straight left dropped his 20-year-old fellow bantamweight to open the following round, and several more exciting exchanges through the rest of the bout, both on the feet and floor, culminated in Pettis trying for a leg lock with less than a minute left. However, Caceres converted it into back mount and the aforementioned chokehold. Live by the bonus, die by the bonus – kind of.
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