Issue 115
June 2014
Our knockouts bring all the boys to the yard. Judges’ Verdict packs a punch this month...
BACK FROM THE DEAD
Dan Henderson, UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2
Having lost three straight (the last of which being a KO courtesy of Vitor Belfort), it looked like Dan Henderson was headed for retirement at March’s UFC Fight Night in Brazil. Because going limp then waking up a few times under ‘Shogun’ Rua’s ground ‘n’ pound blitz is never a good thing.
The American was in the predicament, just before the end of the first round in their rematch of that 2011 five-round classic, because he’d got dropped by left and right hooks while swarming on a shaky Rua. Remarkably ‘Hendo’ managed to clamber to his feet, then got felled again in the second round, via a powerful Rua right uppercut.
But while everyone was prepping the obituary they’d retell to gym/bar/work pals the next day Henderson fed a mother of a nose-breaking right to Rua as the Brazilian separated from successfully stuffing a takedown attempt in the third. It made the former UFC champ do a full backward roll ending with him on his knees, in time for his face to absorb another thudding right. Giving Henderson the TKO win. As Pearl Jam once sang, ‘Oh, oh, oh, comeback.’
I SAID SIT DOWN
Godofredo ‘Pepey’, UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2
If nothing else, Godofredo ‘Pepey’ was considerate when he knocked Noad Lahat out with a brutal-yet-beautiful flying knee at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 in Natal in March. His Israeli rival couldn’t have ended up in a more convenient position after absorbing the blow during the opening round of the Brazilian card’s first fight. The airborne strike stopped Lahat from finishing whatever attack he clumsily ducked right into Pepey’s rising knee for, and sent his unconscious body backward into the fence where he slumped into a neat, seated position. How proper.
DOGGY STYLE
Patricky ‘Pitbull’, Bellator 113
Was Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire pretending to be a chihuahua after starching Dave Rickels at Bellator 113? It was when he beckoned the camera over as he crawled on all fours during his post-win celebration. Although to some it may have appeared Patricky’s motor skills suddenly regressed 27 years, he was actually making a reference to Rickels’ assertion that Freire was more like the diminutive hound than his more menacing namesake. Because how can a chihuahua rock a man with left and right hooks, then stalk his prey to land a clean left and single grounded right for a second-round KO? He can’t, good point, Mr Freire. Although, come to think of it, a pitbull can’t either. Someone needs to take these dog analogies for a walk.
RIGHT HAND MAN
Josh Burkman, World Series of Fighting 9
Right from the opening bell, Josh Burkman was trying to home a monster of a right hand on Tyler Stinson’s face at World Series of Fighting 9
The 170lb UFC vet swung and missed four times but made contact on the fifth not even half way through round one. Although ‘made contact’ is underselling it. ‘Detonated a small explosion’ would be more illustrative of the leg-crumbling effect it had on Stinson, who immediately and forcibly adopted a reclined posture on the canvas
And he probably should have stayed there, instead of trying to sit up in his dizzied state, because it only helped Burkman post another perfect right to his mush. And you thought Burkman had peaked back when he was dating UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste.
TOUGHEST COOKIES
Kendall Grove and Brett Cooper, Bellator 114
There were some grand trouser grapes on display in this one (not literally). Yeah, Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Kendall Grove got knocked out at Bellator 114, but did you see how many shots he endured first? Several clipping punches on the feet, the right uppercut and hook that dropped him, and all but the final shots of a ground ‘n’ pound barrage that got Cooper the second-round TKO win. Which was his reply to a first round where he had to ask referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy if he’d stopped it. McCarthy having broken up the fighters at the horn, after Grove had spent several minutes hunting for a rear naked choke from a body triangle then raining heavy strikes. We’ll avoid a joke about making champions and crushing grapes. That would be painful – for everyone.
KICKSTARTER
Nicolas Dalby, Cage Warriors 66
Sometimes it’s not the action it’s the reaction. Sergei Churilov looked like a drunken member of Team America after being caught on the chin by a kick from FO ‘On The Radar’ pick Nicolas Dalby in the fourth at Cage Warriors 66.
The Ukrainian’s head wobbled side-to-side, his knees buckled and he tried to get his hands up, or at least move them in the direction his rattled melon thought was north.
He only lasted a few uncoordinated backward steps before he fell to the floor, allowing Dalby’s fists to secure him the Cage Warriors welterweight belt. Looks like UFC veteran Martin Kampmann won’t be Denmark’s most famous mixed martial artist for very much longer.
SADDEST KNOCKOUT
Roy Nelson, UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
If this was the final fight of Rodrigo Nogueira’s storied, title-winning career, what a sad way for the big Brazilian heavyweight to go. For so long, he has been revered for an ability to absorb punishment while taking the scalps of other elite fighters. Which is probably why ‘Big Nog’s potential swansong at UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi was 50% him trying to recover from the effects of Roy Nelson’s brick fists.
The tubby, right-hand-inclined grappler clubbed Nog to the ground inside the first minute, and afterward if Rodrigo wasn’t being outmaneuvered by the American he was getting clipped or rocked. On his feet again, having been dropped once more by Nelson, ‘Minotauro’s unprotected chin was an easy target for ‘Big Country’s haymaker. And just like that, for the first time in his 15-year career, he was incontestably knocked out cold.
SHOUTING MATCH
Johnny Bedford, UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
Weird. So weird. April’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi got off to an odd start when bantamweight opponents Johnny Bedford and Rani Yahya had an on-mic shouting match.
From the beginning: Yahya and Bedford got separated 39 seconds into their fight when the former fell to the floor limply following a striking exchange. Bedford thought he’d just got a check-winning KO with his win bonus and celebrated accordingly.
Meanwhile, everyone else watched the replay and spotted an accidental clash of heads was the culprit. As Yahya couldn’t continue after the illegal strike, the bout was a no contest. Problem was, Bedford only discovered this morsel of news when the official result was called.
The result? He lost his mind: shouting at Yahya, the referee and everyone, all while poor ole Dan Hardy’s trying to interview him. Yahya of course got involved and officials had to step in. Weird. So weird.
