Pet Detective

Matt Wiman, UFC: Fight for the Troops 2

Possibly the most hilarious shout out of all the understandably somber post-fight interviews at Fight for the Troops 2 was from ‘Handsome’ Matt Wiman to his pets. The lightweight, who’d just dominated the usually ruthless Cole Miller, announced he’d left the TV on at home so his animals could watch his fight. A curious mental image of bemused dogs, high on a weekend-long visual diet of Spike TV’s finest televised output, milling about Wiman’s living room waiting for their owner’s return immediately came to mind.

Grooming Standard

Cody McKenzie, UFC: Fight for the Troops 2

Hair-covered and with a flaccid, anti-swoon physique, Cody McKenzie couldn’t look less like the prototypical MMA fighter. The uber-shredded Alistair Overeem he is not. That doesn’t mean the boy can’t fight. Even though the self-confident TUF 12 star was getting lit up in nearly every corner of the Octagon, he still almost managed to scrap-grapple his way to a win over the punishing veteran Yves Edwards. Maybe his never-say-die attitude will make the Alaskan a star and spur a gym trend for looking like an extra from Deliverance.

Hard Luck New Year

Mike Brown, UFC: Fight for the Troops 2

As if losing a close split-decision at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day wasn’t enough, dropping a unanimous judges’ verdict 22 days later at Fight for the Troops means Mike Brown’s UFC career and 2011 couldn’t be off to a worse start. Brown took the most recent fight on two weeks’ notice, too, after Chan Sung Jung pulled out against Rani Yahya. It’s all in stark contrast to a little over 12 months when the American Top Team fighter was the reigning WEC featherweight champion.

Quick, My Parking's Running Out

Amanda Nunes, Strikeforce Challengers 13

Up-and-coming Brazilian female 145lb’er Amanda Nunes made staggeringly fast work of the extolled Julia Budd at Strikeforce Challengers in January. It took just 14 seconds for the 5’ 5” Brazilian to knockout Budd, an established Muay Thai fighter who’d handed Gina Carano her only loss in the ‘art of eight limbs’. Perhaps the 5-1 Nunes is a challenger for dominating middleweight champ Cris ‘Cyborg’ Santos.

GI Janes

Octagon Girls, UFC: Fight for the Troops 2

It’s not like girls to wear one outfit for anything more than a single occasion, so Arianny, Chandella and Brittney were no doubt relieved to finally get their hands on some new threads at Fight for the Troops. Military-themed two-piece outfits, of course completed by the obligatory camo patterning, were the order of the event.

Most Devastating Strike

Mark Hominick, UFC: Fight for the Troops 2

If you didn’t already know that Mark Hominick possessed fight-stopping power in his limbs, consider his 88-second drubbing of the ‘Korean Zombie’-defeating George Roop your notice. The Canadian featherweight legitimized his claim to the UFC featherweight division’s number-one contender spot with only nine significant strikes landed. Any man who can end a fight in nine hits has some power. Jose Aldo might have met his match.

Most Industrious Workers

Daniel Cormier and Ovince St Preux, Strikeforce Challengers 13

Few fighters can match the work rate of Daniel Cormier and Ovince St Preux, who both picked up decision wins at Strikeforce Challengers 13 in early 2011. While big names like Fedor Emelianenko might swan about taking two (or fewer) fights a year, touted AKA heavyweight Cormier and Haitian 205lb’er St Preux (christened OSP by MMA uber-geeks) have pounded out a combined seven wins in just six months.

Back on the Horse

Jens Pulver, XFO 38

Before fighting on the low-key XFO 38 event in Illinois, Jens Pulver had been looking for a redemptive, and possibly career-ending, win since dropping every one of his last six fights – five from the WEC. The former UFC 155lb champion finally had his hand raised for the first time in just over three years after stopping Mike Lindquist in 49 seconds with a rear naked choke. Pulver had spoken of putting ‘Little Evil’ to bed after finding another win, though it looks like the 36-year-old wants to make one last UFC push before hanging ‘em up.

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