Issue 101

May 2013

Knockout, knockout, women making mind-blowing MMA history, another knockout, pre-fight dancing, and some more knockouts... 

Wonder Woman: Ronda Rousey, UFC 157

Overcoming the glare of mainstream media, concern of a wardrobe malfunction and one of the most uncomfortable-looking neck/face cranks FO has ever seen (including the exploits of Shinya Aoki), Ronda Rousey truly earned her UFC women’s bantamweight title in February. In Anaheim for UFC 157, her and Liz Carmouche became the first women to fight in, let alone headline, a UFC event. Which was great for the sport, but perhaps even better was the class with which both girls conducted themselves from bout agreement to post-fight presser. And despite the doubters, each proved they had UFC-ready skills and heart – Rousey with her freakishly clinical judo and Carmouche finding advantages in unlikely situations. The result? Rousey by first-round armbar – for the seventh time. Can she copyright that yet? 

Getting the horn: Doug Marshall, Bellator 89

After former WEC light heavyweight champion Doug ‘The Rhino’ Marshall knocked out Andreas Spang at Bellator 89, he declared: “You mess with The Rhino, you get the horn.” Which, it’s probably safe to say, was a premeditated one-liner – although we presume intended without the sexual connotations. Chin tucked, wading forward with hooks was Marshall’s primary MO for the three minutes and three seconds his bout with Spang lasted. And it worked perfectly;

he eventually connected with a right which spun Spang 180 degrees and onto his kisser where referee Dan Miragliotta stopped the contest. Well, you mess with The Rhino... 

Man in Black: James Te Huna, UFC on Fuel 7

It’s no great exaggeration to suggest New Zealander light heavyweight James Te Huna probably put together one of the best entrances in UFC history in London in February. He and his cornermen dressed in suits, ties and shades and danced (synchronized) to the title track of the 1997 Will Smith movie Men in Black. Knowing how tough it is to get cornermen all in one place, let alone have them all wear the same clothing and learn an entire dance routine, Te Huna probably deserves a medal for logistical excellence. He backed it up with a decision win over Ryan Jimmo on the UFC on Fuel 7 main card. Unluckily, however, the event broadcast was on an ad break for the pre-fight strut. But, where TV fails YouTube prevails. 

Never say die: Mark Hunt, UFC on Fuel 8

Under normal MMA logic Mark Hunt shouldn’t be beating top 10 UFC heavyweights, like he did at UFC on Fuel 8 in Japan. He’s already enjoyed a peak in K-1, and had a follow-up mixed martial arts career in Pride. Plus he’s knocking on 40 years old and came into the UFC in 2010 off a five-fight skid. But instead of readying for retirement, he’s pieced together a four-fight win streak, and just knocked out a man over 10 years younger and a foot taller. It was about Hunt’s millionth left hook which put Struve away (and potentially the cause of a broken jaw), after hammering the Dutchman with leaping strikes and hanging with him on the ground throughout. ‘Super Somoan’ is right. 

Samurai spirit, Wanderlei Silva, UFC on Fuel 8

What witchcraft kept Wanderlei Silva and Brian Stann on their feet? Their March light heavyweight bout might have ended late in the second with a knockout win for ‘The Axe Murderer’ (in his old Japanese stomping grounds), but it probably should have finished sooner. Because that first round was like a live-action montage of some of MMA’s great brawls: Don Frye vs Yoshihiro Takayama, Nick Diaz vs Takanori Gomi, Melvin Manhoef vs ‘Cyborg’ Santos (male). Wild exchanges of hooks, uppercuts, each man up and down like a yo-yo – it’s in the running for one of the most exciting single stanzas in MMA history. Brian Stann, Wanderlei Silva: FO salutes you. 

Backhand compliment: Emanuel Newton, Bellator 90

Wow! It’s rare a Hail Mary spinning backfist produces a jaw-dropping knockout. Unfortunately for light heavyweight ‘King Mo’ Lawal, rare became reality at Bellator 90 via Emanuel Newton. An underdog against the heralded former Strikeforce 205lb champ, Newton had been countering Lawal well in the opening minutes of their Bellator tournament bout. But, just past the mid-point of the first round, he needed an exit from an awkward positioning predicament, after Mo had dodged left away his jab and overhand right. With his back to Lawal, Newton elected to throw a left-hand spinning back-fist. And to the entire world’s surprise it connected flush on Mo’s chin, which toppled him forward into a Newton right hand and ultimately out cold. ‘Knockout of the Year’ anyone? 

Lionheart: Tom Watson, UFC on Fuel 7

British middleweight Tom Watson earned himself an extra $100,000 in fighting Stanislav Nedkov at UFC on Fuel 7 in February. How? With some serious heart. Watson had dominated the majority of round one from the Thai clinch until a Nedkov takedown toward the end. Cue ground ‘n’ pound which nearly finished the Brit. Constantly seeking to busy Nedkov’s hands with something other than airmailing hammerfists, Watson survived, thrilling the London crowd, but found himself stunned again at the start of the second. He battled back to the clinch where several heavy knees to Nedkov’s body opened the Bulgarian up to shots to the head which put him away in the last minute of the round. And thus, two $50,000 bank boosters for ‘Fight...’ and ‘Knockout of the Night’. 

Saturday night’s alright for fighting: Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice, UFC 157

Can these guys scrap every weekend? If it wasn’t TUF alumnus Dennis Bermudez collapsing to the floor in round one off a couldn’t-be-more-perfect left hook from two-stint UFC veteran Matt Grice at UFC 157, it was Grice leaning against the cage looking like a drunken dad as he fended off a 10-8-type stand-up rally from Bermudez in the third. Dennis ‘The Menace won a split points decision but they each earned $50,000 ‘Fight of the Night’ bonuses, and rightly so.