Issue 098
February 2013
Yet more mind-melting knockouts, ankle-crushing locks, and face-distorting feet. Just another month on Planet MMA.
COOLEST CUSTOMER
Benson Henderson, UFC on Fox 5
Benson Henderson comprehensively defeated UFC lightweight title challenger Nate Diaz at UFC on Fox 5, and he did it with a damn toothpick stuffed in his mouth, according to some inter-round television pictures. Not even Diaz’s trademark bird flipping and trash talking could ruffle Henderson’s Fonze-like cool while he punished with ground ‘n’ pound and kicks to Nate’s lead leg en route to a decision win. In fact, so impressive was Henderson that if he could win awards for ‘Best Corner Banner’ (rocking the borderline Jheri curl look on the old self-portrait) and ‘Best Mid-Fight Splits’ (while defending a leg lock attempt) he should. Just because.
EAT DA FEET
Jason Fischer and David Rickels, Bellator 82
Jason Fischer couldn’t actually make Bellator 82 opponent David Rickels eat defeat (Fischer lost by unanimous decision), but with his unique armbar defence he did force ‘The Caveman’ to eat the feet. Trying to wriggle out of a Rickels third-round armbar attempt from guard, Fischer stepped (not stomped, and therefore legal despite Rickel’s grounded state) on his aggressor’s jaw with his right foot. FO predicts this will be the new Anderson Silva front kick of MMA fads within the year. You wait and see.
BIGGEST WIN
Rory MacDonald, UFC on Fox 5
So, Rory MacDonald’s a bit handy in a fight isn’t he? What with the sick body shots, and a sneaky fake-low, hit-high head kick which helped give him a supremely confident, Ali-shuffling unanimous decision win over an outweighed BJ Penn in December. He more or less dominated the former welterweight and lightweight UFC champion with calm, technique and game plan for 15 minutes at UFC on Fox 5. Now if MacD could do something about those mic skills he’d be the hottest commodity since around about forever. To appraise his post-fight call-out of Carlos Condit as wooden might be generous – but then he’s more about impressing in fights than making them, and he does the former rather well wouldn’t you agree?
MOST PAINFUL SUBMISSION
Mamed Khalidov, KSW 21
Look at Kendall Grove’s face there. Just look at it. If you’ve ever experienced an Achilles lock, you’ll be familiar. But then respected Polish middleweight Mamed Khalidov, probably the best 185lb’er not in the UFC, didn’t apply the hold’s weird, acute compressing pain to your Achilles tendon. Would you want the middleweight badass cranking on your heel in the full flow and adrenaline of a fight? No, you would not. Grove, a late replacement for Dutch kickboxer Melvin Manhoef, fell victim to it during a scramble in the second round of the pair’s bout at KSW 21 in Poland in December. That face there is why he was trying to escape.
WORST TAKEDOWNS
Jonas Billstein, Bellator 81
Sorry to be blunt, but Jonas Billstein’s takedown attempts at Bellator 81 in November were terrible. So terrible all three of them were botched and then ended with Billstein having to defend from his back – not the typically desired outcome from a double-leg shot. The first instance was a belly-to-belly suplex attempt on opponent Perry Filkins in the opening round, where instead of tossing Filkins up and over, he threw him up and on top. In the third he tried for two standard double-legs but was shut down to his back both times. To be fair to Billstein, he fights out of Germany which, like most of Europe, isn’t a haven for wrestling excellence. As you might have guessed, Billstein’s argument to the judges for the win was not a success.
WALK ON, WALK OFF
Daron Cruickshank, UFC on Fox 5
Have you ever wondered how the son of a kickboxing mother and mixed martial artist father might perform in the Octagon? Well, UFC lightweight Daron Cruickshank is exactly that, and he near enough took Henry Martinez’s head off with a kick knockout at UFC on Fox 5. He’d taken it to Martinez all through round one with straights, kicks, knees and ‘spinning s**t’ both in the pocket and at range. Then in the second, Martinez got some shin to chin when he blocked a Cruickshank head kick from going direct to his ribs. Cue Martinez hitting the deck, and Cruickshank strutting off like a champ.
MOST SURPRISING GAME PLAN
Xavier Foupa-Pokam, BAMMA 11
So, you’re Xavier ‘Professor X’ Foupa-Pokam. An experienced mixed martial artist not especially known for your double-leg ability, but rather your striking skills, and you have a visible reach advantage over your opponent. Do you A) Stick and move. Or B) Ground ‘n’ pound. Apparently you go for the latter. Equal parts mental and genius, that’s exactly what ‘Professor X’ did to hardy boxer Jack Marshman at BAMMA 11 in Birmingham, England, in December. But Marshman has some sneaky BJJ skills, which made his opponent’s game plan that much riskier, as Xavier discovered after fending off horrendously deep submission attempts. Foupa-Pokam got the decision though, after bloodying and bruising Marshman from the top, so perhaps there’s something to be said for bonkers tactics.
BEST COMEBACK
Doug Marshall, Bellator 82
Not only was Doug Marshall, former WEC light heavyweight champion, returning to the cage, at Bellator 82, nearly seven months after a flying knee KO loss in India to Zelg Galesic. But less than 20 seconds into his bout with Hawaiian puncher Kala Hose he was back-pedalling trying to recover from a heavy knee. Then he swung at Hose with a clubbing left that forced Kala to an early shower at 22 seconds. Now that, friends, is a comeback.
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