FASTEST FINISH

Demetrious Johnson, UFC on Fox 9

After knocking out Joseph Benavidez in 2:08, 125lb champion Demetrious Johnson owns both the earliest and latest stoppages in the short history of the UFC’s flyweight division. That Benavidez win also means he probably owns the most impressive ‘W’ too. A few exchanges into the bout ‘Mighty Mouse’ feinted a jab then uncorked a right hook that connected as flush as Dana White at the tables in Vegas exactly as Benavidez was leaning forward to generate a little momentum for his own right haymaker. The Team Alpha Male product was out immediately, with his rear taking an express first-class trip to the canvas. See, flyweights do have show-stopping knockout power.

SEMTEX GO BOOM

Paul Daley, BAMMA 14

It’s worth considering where Romario Manoel Da Silva’s limp body might have ended up had the cage wall not been there to prevent it leaving the BAMMA 14 ring after he was hoofed with a massive uppercut from UFC and Bellator veteran Paul Daley. The Blackzilians product was thrown off his feet (in the style of Vitor Belfort on Dan Henderson) when he stood in front of the high-powered Brit midway through the second, allowing ‘Semtex’ to fake an overhand right which enabled him to load up a left uppercut. Thrusting it with 100% effort into Da Silva’s face pushed the Brazilian into the air, then the fence before crumpling to the floor. At this rate we’re going to have to double the nominations for ‘Knockout of the Year’ at the FO Awards.

STOP, IN THE NAME OF GLOVE

‘Shogun’ Rua, UFC Fight Night 33

At UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia it was former UFC 205lb champ ‘Shogun’ Rua doing some serious stopping on account of his left glove meeting the jaw of opponent James Te Huna. A minute into the first round, New Zealand-born Australia-based Te Huna attacked with a leaping left hook, for which it appeared Rua had spent his entire training camp preparing. Because as soon as the home-card light heavyweight stepped forward for his hit (and before it even landed), the 2005 Pride grand prix champ had turned his hips into a beautiful short left hook, catching Te Huna in the mush and taking his legs and lights out of the fight. Rua still has it.

NATE THE GREAT

Nate Diaz, The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale

UFC lightweight Gray Maynard has been knocked out three times in his last four fights. Which makes you legitimately concerned for his health, and also a little uncomfortable about celebrating the work that caused his latest bout of head trauma. It was the super hands of TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz that had the ‘The Bully’ out on his feet in the first round at The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale in Las Vegas. An awkward straight left which briefly put Maynard on the mat encouraged southpaw Diaz to swarm and unleash close to 30 unanswered power punches in 35 seconds while Maynard tried to regroup against the cage. Hooks, uppercuts, straights: all ploughed their way into the wrestler’s face, several times over. Maynard only finally fell to the canvas several footsteps after referee Yves Lavigne stopped the fight. Extraordinary in two very different ways.

SISTERS OF BATTLE

Jessamyn Duke, The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale

Possibly the best thing to have come out of the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter, coached by Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, isn’t its crop of co-ed 135lb talent but the friendships it has forged. One of which could be seen in the corner of Jessamyn Duke as she fought to an all-round impressive unanimous decision win over Team Rousey comrade Peggy Morgan at the TUF 18 Finale. Show favorite and fellow Rousey pick Shayna Baszler was one of her seconds. Two girls, who otherwise would probably have only been acquaintances at best in the close but ultimately competitive world of female MMA, brought together by a reality show. And only one night prior, elsewhere in Las Vegas, both Duke and Baszler were in the corner of TUF 18 coach Marina Shafir as she picked up the Tuff-N-Uff 145lb amateur title. There’s some reality behind reality TV after all.

PAYBACK

Abel Trujillo, UFC on Fox 9

It took some guts from Abel Trujillo to use a knee to the body to help finish off a downed Roger Bowling at UFC on Fox 9 – considering that was the reason they were rematching in the first place. Back in August he had thrown two knees in a similar situation except they were deemed to have unintentionally made contact with Bowling’s head. Bowling couldn’t continue; a no contest, mutual hatred and return booking resulted. Bowling promised he’d knock Trujillo’s head into the third row, and the Blackzilians lightweight said he’d give fans a bloodbath. Due to the fact Trujillo never ran any kind of bath for the Sacramento fans, he bungled his own prediction, but he did win, due to a blizzard of strikes on the ground and against the cage in the second. That’s what they call payback – probably.

BIGGEST DOMINATION

Urijah Faber, UFC on Fox 9

No one ever got to see the explosive and powerful Michael McDonald in December. That’s because opponent Urijah Faber was doing all the exploding and powering (?) in front of his hometown homies at UFC on Fox 9. Friends turned 15-minute-enemies for the benefit of you fight-hungry fans – except Faber didn’t need all the allotted time, only one round and another three minutes and 22 seconds. The 34-year-old bantamweight was all over his 22-year-old counterpart from the start with takedowns and standing and grounded strikes. In round two he connected with an overhand right that had McDonald on his bike until he was knocked down and Faber wrapped up a guillotine for the victory. Four wins in a row, three of which by stoppage? By Faber standards that’s worth about two title shots, surely.

...

Already Subscribed? | Login