Issue 063
June 2010
Our resident experts preview three upcoming fights in their own very different ways.
First, Andrew Garvey takes a look at the bigger picture. What are the career implications for the combatants? Where are they coming from, and what will victory or defeat hold for them? Next, Fighters Only’s technique expert Peter Irving breaks down the strategic and tactical considerations.
Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ (26-7-2; 1NC) vs Pat Barry (5-1-0)
UFC 115, June 12, 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
18
Number of kickboxing fights on Barry’s record.
23
Number of kickboxing fights on Cro Cop’s record.
20
Of Cro Cop's 26 wins, 20 have been by way of KO or TKO. He has only been the distance six times in his MMA career.
3
Cro Cop (6’2”) will have a three-inch height advantage over Barry (5’11”).
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The UFC is finally welcome in Vancouver, and one of the more intriguing fights on the card pits whatever is left of Pride FC legend ‘Cro Cop’ against one of the most devastating strikers in the UFC heavyweight division.
A former K-1 fighter (though he never reached the same heights as the Croatian), Barry has more than a little in common with Cro Cop (or at least, the Cro Cop of old). Still just 5-1 in MMA, Barry made his debut in May 2008 and, unusually, made his UFC debut after just three fights. Very few fighters get that kind of opportunity so early in their careers and Barry certainly made an impact on his company debut.
In murderous form, Barry annihilated Dan Evensen with leg kicks in the opening fight at UFC 92, scoring a first-round TKO when his opponent was unable to stand up. Able to generate tremendous power with great technique, Barry’s career so far is a shining example of how effective leg kicks can be in finishing fights (you hear that, Cecil Peoples?). Evensen was the third such victim of Barry’s MMA career and can add himself to a longer list of kickboxers Barry has finished off in the same way.
Barry’s second UFC fight was shorter, clocking in at 102 seconds, and even more explosive. Sadly for the Duke Roufus protégé and former two-time US Open san shou champion, it ended with a vivid reminder of just how one dimensional he is. Despite blasting Tim Hague with a thunderous kick to the head and messing up his nose with his fists, Barry was quickly taken down and finished with an easy guillotine choke in a scene that looked like something straight out of 1994. Clearly Barry was way out of his depth on the mat. Five months later at UFC 104, Barry’s ground skills were unlikely to be an issue as he faced Dutch kickboxer Antoni Hardonk. Dwarfed by the 6’4” Hardonk and extended beyond the opening round for the first time, Barry looked superb in destroying Hardonk on the mat midway through the second round, earning hefty bonuses for both Knockout and Fight of the Night.
While Barry is a devastating striker on the rise, his opponent is clearly and unarguably on the slide. Often described as a shadow of his former self, Cro Cop’s post-Pride FC career has been bitterly and sadly disappointing, as the 35-year-old has posted an ordinary 5-3-0 (1NC) record since his emotional and triumphant 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix victory.
His wins have all been against overmatched opponents in fights where he’s nonetheless managed to look sluggishly unimpressive. Plodding after his opponents, there’s been little of the fire and the vindictive finishing instinct he used to show. His most recent loss, to Junior Dos Santos at UFC 103, was actually one of his better outings as he hurt the Brazilian and looked good in the first round before taking some punishment, particularly in the clinch, and verbally submitting.
Coming off another unimpressive win against the game (but woefully outclassed and extremely late replacement) Anthony Perosh at UFC 110, Cro Cop looks headed for another painful night in the Octagon here. Barry may be inexperienced and lacking on the ground, but Mirko isn’t going to take him down or want to fight on the mat. These days, he just isn’t good enough or fast enough to keep up with the likes of Barry. This could get ugly – look for Barry to relentlessly punish Cro Cop’s legs and end it inside the distance.
TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN
Cro Cop’s tried and tested formula of stalking, cutting off the ring and unleashing the gigantic left kicks and left straights to body and head has began to falter. Recently, Filipovic has entered the ring seeming physically diminished and lacking interest in the task at hand. In his last bout against Perosh, The Croatian K-1 veteran seemed to rediscover the vigor that always served him so well and delivered a classic Cro Cop performance: Ambling forward patiently and casually, stepping rather than sliding, unleashing the ferocious strikes and sprawling and pushing off to return the action to the feet.
Cro Cop’s sprawl, a very basic front headlock or guillotine attack, has only once led to a finish (Kevin Randleman – Pride Shockwave 2004), but has proved effective countless times in stopping the action from progressing on the mat. Cro Cop’s ground game remains largely unexplored, and while he is not averse to chasing up a grounded opponent with a few strikes, he is rarely lured into engaging with the guard, always preferring to take a step back and reset the action on his own terms.
50%
Cro Cop’s success rate in the UFC. He has won 3 of his 6 appearances
In Barry’s last outing, he faced up to perhaps the only other heavyweight in MMA with comparable kicking skills to Cro Cop in Holland’s Antoni Hardonk. Barry held his ground admirably, even daring to throw back a few effective kicks of his own. Stymied by his short stature, it would be surprising to see Barry land a head kick, but his leg kicks and body kicks should be respected. While Barry does not shin-check a great deal, he shares out the wear from leg kicks by switching stance regularly, the right hand remaining an effective weapon as a jab or lead-side hook. It is that formidable right hand that is Barry’s real power shot, and he makes no secret of it, waving the hand out there, goading his opponent. Expect to see Barry use a right hand lead and left hook combination.
Gilbert Yvel (36-14-1; 1NC) vs Ben Rothwell (30-7-0)
UFC 115, June 12, 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
89
Total number of fights on their combined records: Yvel has 52, Rothwell 37.
13
From 2005-2008, Rothwell was on a 13-fight win streak, with wins over Krzysztof Soszynski (x 2) and Roy Nelson.
3
Rothwell (6’5”) will have a three-inch height advantage over Yvel (6’2”).
4
Yvel began fighting MMA in 1997, four years before Rothwell, who debuted in 2001.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
While the impressively-tattooed Dutchman isn’t quite the clueless grappler of popular imagination, there’s a good reason why this view of the one-dimensional Yvel is so widespread and persistent. A destructive kickboxer with little love for (or interest in) grappling, Yvel is also the dirtiest player in the game and given his biting, eye-gouging, groin-kicking and referee-flattening ways, he’s lucky to be so mystifyingly employed by the UFC. Hyped as a huge signing, his UFC debut was a predictable battering at the fists of a genuine rising star in Junior Dos Santos. Now five months later, he takes on another experienced big man with a 0-1 UFC record.
Hard-working slugger Rothwell is five years younger than Yvel and coming off a TKO loss to another legitimate title contender, Cain Velasquez. Like Yvel, Rothwell arrived in the Octagon via Affliction (his contract was one of the many the UFC acquired) and he will be desperate to avoid going a contract-threatening 0-2. Somebody could be headed for the unemployment line after this one, a fight that looks destined for all kinds of fun and a conclusive finish – and since Yvel is involved, some kind of controversy, too.
TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN
Hailing from Holland’s renowned Vos gym, Yvel brings with him a wealth of experience in Muay Thai and kickboxing, as well as extensive experience in MMA’s biggest promotions. Surprising then that he flouts convention so flagrantly, with his hands down, chin up fighting-style. Yvel is apt to leap in from the outside, eating up his own distance, and try to land a couple of short shots from the inside before tying up, only to push off in an effort to strike again. What he lacks in technique and strategy he makes up for with raw physical power and explosiveness (and the attitude to match). His flying knees have delivered some spectacular KO’s. No surprise then that Yvel’s record tells the tale of a fighter who easily overwhelms poorer opposition, but is in turn so easily outwitted each time he steps in to the A-league.
86%
Percentage of fights Yvel has won by KO or TKO
Rothwell’s flat footed stance leaves him susceptible to eating leg kicks on his lead side, as was cruelly highlighted against Arlovski in 2008. He habitually leans over to the right as he jabs and occasionally rushes with a flurry of shortened straight punches, looking to establish an advantageous, high tie-up from where he can work short punches and low knees, often content with simply chipping away and rarely pushing for anything decisive. His disappointing UFC debut ought to be forgiven because of the depth of quality that Velasquez possesses.
Martin Kampmann (16-3-0) vs Paulo Thiago (13-1-0)
UFC 115, June 12, 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
11
Number of fights Thiago went undefeated until meeting Jon Fitch.
3
Number of AKA members Thiago has fought; Koscheck (win), Fitch (loss) and Swick (win).
5
Five of Thiago’s wins have been by choke.
6-10
Places in the rankings each man holds. Thiago is ranked sixth, while Kampmann comes in tenth.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
BJJ and judo black belt Thiago is often cited as one of the sport’s top 170lb fighters. A superb grappler who specializes in chokes, his UFC 95 KO of Josh Koscheck was a stunning upset – partly as his striking technique is, to put it mildly, unrefined and sloppy. Manhandled by human blanket Jon Fitch in a dire fight a few months later, the Brazilian bounced back with two straight wins, and will likely be the clear favorite against Las Vegas-based Dane Kampmann (16-3).
One of Europe’s best fighters, ‘The Hitman’ is 6-2 in the UFC, has improved greatly since moving Stateside and, after years competing as an undersized middleweight, has found a home at welterweight. A far neater striker than Thiago, Kampmann has more than enough skill to pull off the upset if he can keep the fight standing. While Koscheck, Fitch and Thiago Alves are all ahead of these two in the hunt for a shot at Georges St Pierre, all three have already lost to the peerless champion, and an impressive win here could pitch either Thiago or Kampmann into the title picture.
TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN
Well schooled in Muay Thai, Kampmann is always good to watch on his feet, with sound footwork and a neat, measured style. He possesses a dangerous kick, particularly his left body kick, which he has used to great effect in the past. More recently, Kampmann has grown more conservative with his kicks in favor of his hands. Thiago likewise prefers to punch, but is stylistically very different, although no less effective. The calm, upright Kampmann should contrast strongly with Thiago’s animated crouching style. Where Kampmann looks to pick accurate counter punches and neat combinations, Thiago flashes out a series of slow, tentative jabs, looking for the one big shot to end the fight.
87.5%
Percentage of fights Kampmann has finished by (T)KO or submission
Kampmann is content to give up a little ground, boxing comfortably off the back foot, always circling. He uses his long arms to stay on the inside of high tie-ups, pushing away as he steps back out of the clinches in order to strike again. With a background in jiu-jitsu and judo, the Brazilian typically hits his takedown from a high tie-up with a well-practiced selection of trips and throws. Kampmann, in contrast, rarely initiates a takedown. Thiago’s ground game, although not flashy in any respect, is very solid, tight and active. He combines striking and passing the guard well and sticks to the opposition, smothering them until the opportunity for a submission arises. When it comes, he wastes no time – much like Kampmann, who is always ready to grab the neck. All of Thiago’s submissions to date have come from a variety of chokes.
