Issue 107
November 2013
Stunning comebacks, a sub-minute annihilation, and super submissions. The MMA madness never ends.
MOVES LIKE SILVA
Travis Browne, UFC Fight Night 26
What on Earth has happened to Alistair Overeem? The former K-1 killer added a second consecutive KO loss to his résumé at UFC Fight Night 26 in August in Boston.
He’d been battering Travis Browne with some deliciously brutal knees to the body to the point that Browne could no longer disguise the discomfort caused and dropped to the canvas, only to find a Dutch heavyweight pummeling him with right hands wanting the TKO victory.
On the plus side, for the big Hawaiian, the onslaught seemed to sap Overeem’s stamina, which meant the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion was a much slower and less explosive target for the last of Browne’s snap kicks to the Dutchman’s face.
As the first round entered its final minute, Browne popped Overeem in the jaw with his rear foot to drop the big kickboxer (a mirror image of what Anderson Silva did to Vitor Belfort in 2011) then closed it out with some hammer fists.
Overeem has gone from heavyweight title contention to the back of the queue in no time. Stunning – literally.
BEST LEG OBLITERATION
Marlon Moraes, World Series of Fighting 4
You know legs, right? Good for standing on, not really necessary when you’re sitting down; but really necessary when you’re fighting. Muay Thai murderer Marlon Moraes knows that a great way to gazump the opposition’s game plan is to kick their lead leg to bits. So that’s what he did to Brandon Hempleman for three rounds at World Series of Fighting 4. One roundhouse after another meant Hempleman couldn’t even use it for standing, let alone striking, and showed his desire to get his weight off his reeling right thigh, starting mid-way through round one. But kudos to him for gutting it out and taking Moraes to the judges. It begs the question, however, is Moraes the bantamweight José Aldo? Could be.
SNOOZE YOU LOSE
Rory MacDonald vs. Jake Ellenberger, UFC on Fox 8
Good grief, how boring was Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger’s staring contest at UFC on Fox 8? So much trash talk, so little done to back it up. MacDonald’s very attractive jab masterfully kept Ellenberger on the outside and unable to land with his potentially fight-finishing power for three full rounds. And while the promising Canadian could have shown some more killer instinct, Ellenberger has been criticized for not pursuing a double-leg (and ultimately a ground assault) with more urgency. This is, of course, the problem with men jawing each other because of genuine animosity. The very idea of losing to the other man is so detestable they go to great lengths to avoid it and so develop an aversion to dangerous situations – i.e. exciting viewing. New rule: the next time there’s legit heat between two guys, an alligator goes in the ring with them. Any attempt to team up against the alligator is penalized with another alligator. Don’t look at us like that.
SLICK JITS
Sergio Moraes, UFC 163
About bloody time one of the many heralded jiu-jitsu champions in the UFC put on the grappling equivalent of a Jimi Manuwa stand-up smashing.
Multi-time BJJ worlds gold medal winner Sergio Moraes made UFC 163 opponent Neil Magny look like a white belt (note, he’s a purple belt), subbing him with a triangle in only 3:13.
To get there he used some beautiful moves, such as turning Magny’s half-guard escape attempt into side control on the opposite side, a sneaky jump into mount, and then to a triangle that Moraes inched tighter and tighter as the trapped American tried to defend against a rally of bonus elbows.
Magny was a step behind in front of the partisan Rio crowd and could only tap out when Moraes finally sunk the choke in completely. On his UFC.com profile, Magny says triangles are his favorite grappling technique.
That’s irony, folks.
NEXT!
Michael Chandler, Bellator 97
No two ways about it, David Rickels got absolutely torched by Michael Chandler at Bellator 97.
Bellator season eight 155lb tournament winner ‘Caveman’ Rickels was unfortunate to face a top-of-his-game Chandler at Bellator 97 for the latter’s lightweight belt. Only 40 seconds in, Chandler’s right straight connected when Rickels’ left hook didn’t. That rocked Rickels and a Chandler flurry left the challenger stiff as a board and on his back.
Such big things are expected of Chandler’s talents that a similar performance against Eddie Alvarez later this year could make the wrestler-boxer a big 155lb fish in a very small pond.
