Issue 053
August 2009
With so many events taking place around the world it’s impossible to feature them all, but here is our selection of outstanding moments from recent action.
Flawless Result
Jose Aldo vs Cub Swanson
How exciting is Jose Aldo? A badass striker, this was Aldo’s fifth fight in the WEC and it was his fifth straight stoppage win. Unbelievably, Aldo landed a huge flying knee to Cub Swanson’s head, dropping the Californian fighter to his knees for Aldo to finish him off. Aldo had hardly broken a sweat. Unreal.
Fight of the Year contender
Mike Brown vs Urijah Faber
With a strong as hell champ like Brown and a gutsy former title-holder eager to get his belt back in Faber, this was destined to become a classic. Even though he badly broke his right hand in the first round, Faber gamely hung in and took the fight to Brown. He was running uphill the entire time though, as Brown was just too strong and too good to be beaten. Brown, representing Florida, managed to out-grapple and out-gun the ‘California Kid’ over five intense rounds.
Most Shocking KO
Arlovski vs Rogers
Brett Rogers isn’t exactly what you would call a world-class heavyweight, whereas Andrei Arlovski is a former UFC heavyweight champion. While Arlovski is notorious for having a glass jaw, he’s been making noises about furthering his professional fighting career to take in the noble art of boxing. Rogers made all the training that Arlovski has been doing with Freddie Roach useless though, stopping him in only 22 seconds. No longer the underdog, Rogers has asked for a chance at Alistair Overeem’s Strikeforce heavyweight title.
Saddest Result
Jens Pulver
When a legend like Pulver drops his fourth straight fight (and has won only one of his last seven bouts), it’s hard not to feel sad for him. Once upon a time, Pulver was one of the best lightweight fighters in the world. Now, at 35 years old and at his preferred fighting weight of 145lb, Pulver is struggling to keep up with the young guns. When he was choked out cold by Josh Grispi, collective hearts across the globe broke watching Jens deal with the anguish of another bad loss. Even Grispi looked uncomfortable.
Freshest Face
Dan Hardy
Marcus Davis looked like ET’s cousin, whereas Hardy still had his film star good looks. No doubt who deserved to win that fight then.
Best Game Plan
Joe Riggs
The word on the street is that Joe Riggs is one of the best fighters out there who has never quite managed to reach his full potential. Reportedly, he possesses Fedor-like skills in the gym, but Riggs is yet to show us exactly what he’s got to offer. Still, that’s not to say he’s not a very handy fighter, as he showed against the tough-as-nails boxer / brawler Phil Baroni. Riggs played it smart by tiring Baroni out in the first round, forcing him to grapple and take away his explosive energy. Riggs just picked Baroni apart in the second and third rounds, landing shots almost at will. Could this be the Riggs we’ve always hoped to see?
Fight Most Likely To Have You Screaming At The TV
Nick Diaz vs Scott Smith
If you weren’t jumping up and down hollering at Nick Diaz’s crazy boxing style (or Scott Smith’s willingness to stand there and absorb massive amounts of punishment), you might want to get checked out by a doctor. You may actually be dead.
Nastiest Cut
Cub Swanson
Aldo’s devastating flying knee left Swanson with a huge cut over his eye and a smaller one just underneath. It is amazing how just one shot can cause so much damage.
Biggest Crowd Support
Wanderlei Silva
It seemed like every fan was at UFC 99 purely for Wanderlei. When ‘The Axe Murderer’ came to the Octagon, the sound of the crowd stomping their feet and cheering was almost deafening, proving Silva still has the ability to entertain.
Biggest Grudge Match
Dan Hardy vs Marcus Davis
Hardy called Davis a ‘plastic paddy’, which Davis took plenty of offense to. There was no love lost between these two men, and they fought to a tantalizingly close three-round split decision, with Hardy just about squeaking out the win.
