Post-UFC 87 Thoughts And Commentary
While things did not play out exactly as I imagined on Saturday night (see Brock Lesnar), I must admit that for the first time in a good while, I feel like I really got my moneys worth out of a UFC pay-per-view. Even my older brother, who doesn’t know jack about squat when it comes to MMA, blurted out at one point “Man, this sh*t is pretty exciting, E.†Let’s break it down, shall we.
Demian Maia def. Jason MacDonald via submission
I probably couldn’t have been more wrong about this one. I seriously under-estimated Demian Maia so if he is reading this, my apologies buddy. But I honestly thought that if pushed, Maia would gas out and be unable to work his jiujitsu magic. Though Jason MacDonald didn’t exactly execute what one would call a winning game plan, as he proceeded to get himself into trouble so quickly I almost applauded when he managed to get out of the first round without tapping faster than Gregory Hines. Suffice to say I think Demian Maia is ready for some of the better competition at 185lbs, so let’s make it happen Dana, or should I say Joe Silva.
Kenny Florian def. Roger Huerta via unanimous decision
First of all what was with the order of this bout? I’m sitting on my chaise last night and suddenly Roger Huerta and Kenny Florian grace my screen for their highly anticipated lightweight meeting. Given, I was happy enough to see the bout earlier than I thought, but tell me that this lesser-billing didn’t have something to do with Huerta’s recent not-so-nice words regarding UFC brass. Yea, I thought so.
As for the fight, well I suppose I can gloat a little bit since I was almost dead on about how this one would play out. I am however disappointed that the pacing as a tad bit slower than I imagined, but it was a good three rounds nonetheless. At first I was admittedly aggravated that Huerta didn’t deliver the brand of fireworks I’d come to expect, but I speculate he was heavily coached to remain calm and not attack as wildly as he had in the past.
Either way, KenFlo had his number and until Huerta is evolved enough to develop a gameplan suitable for someone on Florian’s level, he doesn’t have any business calling out Dana White and Co. Tito Ortiz style and asking for outrageous pay days. Roger Huerta could indeed remain a strong draw for the UFC, but he is going to have to play nice in terms of office politics if he plans to make another go of things in the UFC’s lightweight division.
Rob Emerson def. Manny Gamburyan via KO
Boy did I underestimate Rob Emerson, and probably overestimate Manny Gamburyan a little as well. Not only did I pick Manny to destroy him, but I really thought that Rob Emerson was, for lack of a better word, unworthy. I never saw anything terribly convincing from him in any of his fights or from his time on TUF, but the man proved that he can, if nothing else, throw a solid counter shot. Emerson was also aggressive enough to land the big left from his knees before Manny had a chance to recover. Very smart thinking. I think Manny Gamburyan could still have a big future in MMA, but he might be better suited for the WEC’s 145-pound class by the looks of him.
Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen via TKO
I had no idea who Dan Evensen was prior to UFC 87, but he certainly didn’t look very impressive against Cheick Kongo who seemed to have a field day with this soft looking Norweigan. During the pre-fight intro they mentioned that Evensen was a champion kickboxer in Norway…really? Maybe its just that Kongo’s stand up is that good. Regardless, Kongo is a heavyweight who is also ready for a bigger challenge, and it might even be Brock Lesnar from the tone of the latest rumor mill. Whether or not Kongo vs. Lesnar is a logical match up remains a matter for a later article.
Brock Lesnar def. Heath Herring via unanimous decision
Like many others in the MMA blogosphere I must now eat my words with a big slice of humble pie, and painfully state that Brock Lesnar proved me very, very wrong. I honestly felt that Brock was nothing more than a one trick pony who could never get by on size and strength alone, but Lesnar was simply dominant over a very experienced, focused, and game Heath Herring. Brock floored Herring with a massive right hand early on, and simply brutalized him for 15 minutes until there wasn’t very much left. I thought that Herring would work off his back and submit Lesnar once Lesnar jumped on top of him, but it just wasn’t so.
Now that I’ve thoroughly praised Lensar’s performance, I must proceed to nitpick his faults. First off, any MMA grappler worth their salt would have submitted Herring about a dozen times during that fight. I can’t even explain how many times I yelled at the television, asking it to just put the damn hooks in and sink the choke already. But as we all know, that never happened. Given, Lesnar is a giant dude and it probably isn’t the easiest thing for him to hit an armbar like some of the more nimble heavyweights, but the man could have at least attempted a choke, or god forbid maintained back control instead of giving it up for ground and pound time after time.
Additionally, Lesnar came off as a bit of a jackass both during and following his victory, imitating a lassoing cowboy roping in his opponent, as well as a bull rider atop Heath Herring, if you will. His post fight comments weren’t of the most humble and modest nature either, but what can you expect from a guy whose biggest previous accomplishment was hitting a moonsault on Rob Van Dam at SummerSlam. Some might say Brock’s heel-ish attitude could be a good thing for the UFC, who are always on the lookout for marketable stars, be they jerks or saviors. But something about Lesnar’s persona just seems a bit premature given oh I don’t know, the fact that he’s only 2-1 in his MMA career. I say give Brock a couple more quality opponents and if he rips through them, he will have at least earned the right to gloat a bit.
Georges St-Pierre def. Jon Fitch via unanimous decision
First and foremost, the hats must go off to Jon Fitch. Though Fitch was thoroughly dominated, he truly brought out the best in George St. Pierre, pushing the champion to his very limit for 25 straight minutes. I think it’s safe to say that Jon Fitch is without contest the number two welterweight in the world, which is saying a lot when the number one is someone as talented and unstoppable as GSP. While I indeed picked Jon Fitch to lose on Saturday night, he still surprised me by landing a few nice shots on “Rushâ€, and surviving through every moment on the ground where it seemed a TKO was merely imminent. As for who’s next for one George St. Pierre, well…
BJ Penn entered the octagon after GSP finished bloodying up Jon Fitch’s face, and aggressively asked the crowd (again) if they would like to see him and St. Pierre do battle once more. Personally, I don’t know that I want such a rematch to happen just yet, as I’d prefer to see Penn clean out the 155lb class. On the other hand, there really isn’t anyone on the planet, let alone the UFC, who can hold a candle to George St. Pierre- the man who displayed an almost scary competence in every facet of the MMA game just the other night. Many folks speculate that a rematch between the two UFC champions would take place at a blowout pay-per-view event in December, which would be fine by me. But does anyone else feel like both St. Pierre and Penn should defend their respective titles at least one more time before this “mega re-match†happens? I imagine I might be alone on this one, but I just thought I’d ask.
-And lastly, I have a side note to mention regarding “Seek And Destroy.†This time it’s about the post-fight chats with Joe Rogan. I don’t know whose decision it is/was, but why did Rogan have to cut GSP off during his post fight interview? If it was a broadcasting issue regarding the pay-per-view I can sort of understand, but they certainly let BJ Penn crash the party for a good while, yet couldn’t devote enough microphone time to St. Pierre, our undisputed champion who never really says that much anyway. Yea, that seemed fair.
Once again I cannot stand that Rogan does not speak with some of the losers in the post fight. As lovely as it was hearing Brock Lesnar speak his mind about being seen, it would have been just a little nice to hear from Heath Herring, or even Jon Fitch or Roger Huerta. You know, since those folks fought as well and just might have something interesting to add to the conversation.
See you next time.
Great follow up Eric. I especially liked your Florian/Huerta comments about playing “nice.”
good read but your comments about lesnars antics are wrong in my opinion. i dont think he has recieved too much respect since entering mma so i dont think he feels he should give it either.
lesnar deserves so much credit for not taking the easy road and fighting top guys straight away.
bjs blood licking, titos grave digger and a lot of other guys have done far worse than lesnar just he gets bad press because of his wwe past.
thanks kouch! belly- Don’t get me wrong I believe Lesnar deserves his respect for proving himself worthy inside the octagon, but from a character standpoint his antics just made me feel angry and awkward at the same time. I know Tito and BJ have put own their own brand of antics in the past, but those guys were at least champions in the sport before they broke out the blood licking and grave digging.
First of all about lesnar, I wouldnt have been that upset about the lasso pose if he had not jumped up and down like a 5 year old girl laughing and pointing at heath right after the bell. I dont care how you justify that, it is just straight up a bushleague move.
Eric, I def agree with you on the post-fight interviews. Rogan used to interview both fighters on all of the main card fights.
definitely was impressed by yves lavigne poking herring in the eye right before the match ebgan… haha
I agree with you, JB, regarding Lesnar’s “jumping up and down” antics. It was childish and unsportsmanlike. He should try and develop a little bit of class before the next time he steps into the ring. Granted, the man’s a beast — and I was happy to see him dominate the way he did — but immediately after his post-fight interview, I turned to my friend and said “you know, after acting like *that*, I hope he loses his next fight”. Which is a pity, because up until that point I had been wanting him to succeed.
Regarding the Penn/St-Pierre super-fight… I’m not especially excited about it. For my money, the ultimate super-fight would be Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva (even though Dana said it would never happen). Size-wise both are relatively large for their respective weight-classes, so I could almost see GSP moving up (just like Anderson did last month) to make the fight happen. You never know — after GSP has dominated BJ, the UFC might change its mind!
I couldn’t agree more about the post fight interview,or lack there of.I’m always curious to see there demeaner after the fight,winner and looser i’m a big fitch fan although i didn’t think he was going to win i still wanted to here his take on such a good fight.Joe rogan in past championship fights has interviewed the loosers.I’m guessing it’s just air time.
st.pierre vs silva would draw the largest gate and ppv audience all time for a organized fight, they are crazy for not doing it
A good read Eric and echo my thoughts too.
I dont think it would Del i dont think Silva is much of draw compared to a Penn, Liddell, Griffin, Hughes, Wandi, Rampage and GSP himself.
For Silva to draw big it could only be show down between Liddell.
Eric,
I posted it on another topic/article/press release/email whatever the F I should call it but:
Brock’s bad sportsmanship was a result of pressure, excitement, a sense of proving himself worthy etc…..ROOKIE MISTAKE. I am not excusing his actions because he was wrong. He was just caught up in the moment of “Oh my god I beat a reputable fighter!” I explained better on the other post but I have to go now. Have a good day
and once again thanks for your frquent MMA updates and news.
I wonder how Kimbo will act if he ever beats someone repuatable?
Eric,
I enjoyed your analysis. You’re not afraid of being wrong, which is rare in today’s game. I would like to ask all of the fans out there one question: Is there any welterweight who could potentially take GSP’s belt? I am a huge fan of GSP (even before he was champ) and I’m just trying to exhaust my brain. I can’t even think of one. Any thoughts?
Good writeup Eric. I do have to say, I think GSP vs Penn II is the greatest fight of this century! Dont get me wrong, Anderson Silva is a beast and i’m sure would put on a great show (i also dont think the Middleweights in the UFC are up to snuff)…but lately BJ Penn has had great conditioning, and looks like the prodigy of old. These are the two greatest fighters ever.
KOuch,
Totally agree with you. 1. He was in front of his home crowd. 2. It was his first MAJOR MMA victory against a reputable fighter. 3. He’s been a showman, first and foremost, for most of his career. Its in his nature to entertain, get a reaction, and hear the crowd cheer and roar. 4. It was blatantly obvious the guy was flat out excited. He proved himself worthy in that fight and he knew it.
Next time he fights, he needs to keep that $hit to a minimum (its definitely bushleague), but I totally understand his reasons for being thrilled. But stand in front of 15,000 fans from your hometown screaming your name, after you just beat the hell out of Heath Herring, and tell me you wouldn’t feel the biggest rush of your life.
Dan Mergliotta did the eye poke not Yves Lavigne (I know I’m butchering the spelling of their names). Yves seems like a pretty good ref but Dan… after watching him on CBS and then poking Herring in the eye… you gotta wonder how he has a job.
One more note on Lesnar’s antics… if you watched the post-fight press conference he seemed MUCH cooler. Gotta wonder if someone didn’t tell him he was acting like a 4 year old on a sugar high.
Regardless it was an awesome fight and I can’t wait to see him fight again. After watching him punch Herring in the face… I tried to imagine what it would feel like to be punched in the face by that guy and almost cried. It looked like that one shot completely destroyed Herring’s orbital bone. Yeeeeesh…
i actually think being champions means that they should at least act a little more responsible not give them the right to pretend to dig graves or lick blood off people. lesnar has had 3 fights and those champions have the experience to know better.
I think Lesnar thought he was back in the WWE or something. While he did dominate and make me think who could beat someone of his size/strength, I couldn’t respect him less after seeing the way he acted. Ryan, I didn’t get to see the post fight interviews, so I’ll take your word on it. We’ll see if he improves come next time.
While I would love to see GSP dominate BJ, even though I love Penn, I agree with Matt that GSP vs. Silva would be much bigger. Goat, I don’t know how you can say Silva doesn’t have drawing power, did you see the ratings for him to steamrole Irvin? Him and GSP would be (as Rogan would say) CRAZY! All in all, great night of fights, and I agree with other posts that say Florian looked Machida like.
I agree with much of the comments posted about
Lesnar thus far. I don’t think laying on top of an
opponent for three rounds displays much fighting
skill. Lesnars mocking attitude is bs. Fedor, Noguiera
and several others would whip Lesnar with no
hassle. He needs to learn how to fight (and laying
on top of Heath Herring for three rounds hardly
counts). Lesnar is setting himself up for sound
thrashing!
I didn’t necessarily have a problem with the post-fight interview after Fitch/GSP for two reasons. First, after the interview was done the telecast ended with everyone still in the cage…no undercard fights, no post-event wrap up with Goldberg and Rogan like usual. So airtime had to have been an issue. Second, BJ just had to run in and get his face time and call out GSP. In my opinion, if you want to blame anyone for GSP getting cut short or Fitch not getting interviewed (which I also really wanted to see), then blame BJ and whoever decided to let BJ in the cage to mouth off. Doesn’t seem to me like this one can be laid at Rogan’s feet considering he almost always interviews the loser as well as the winner of the main event.
i want to see bj vs gsp so badly i cant wait…lets go bj!!!!!!!!!!! just scrap
JL I don’t think anyone is blaming rogan.I think it’s just the structure of the event.all 3 of the top fights on the card went the distance. So i guess they had no time to spare.
Lesnar needs to fight mir again. The first fight should have been over in 10 seconds. When mir turtled the fight should have been stopped. I know every other fight when a guy turns his head away the fight is stopped. Of course Brock hit him in the back of the head he was swinging away and Frank turtled. No warnings and they took a point away. What a rib. Sure Brock got caught but it shoulf of been stopped right then. Aside from fedor Barnett and minotauro no one will beat this guy. And just wait till he has more experience.
Titos grave digger kicks a$$
Lesnar needs to fight someone his own size and weight pluse he needs to end a fight first not sit it out or should i say lay it out
I agree completely with the article’s stance on GSP vs Penn. Not interested in seeing it, plus Penn hasn’t earned his chance.
Another question, isn’t UFC admitting they don’t have anything else in the welterweight division? For organization that claims to have all the talent cornered why is so tough to find a plausible challenger for GSP or Anderson Silva?
The UFC’s WW division isn’t an issue. If push comes to shove, they’ve got the winner of Diego Sanchez/Thiago Alves to give to GSP. Hell even Koscheck thinks he deserves a shot. Let GSP teach him a lesson. Penn is his biggest challenge at 170.
Middlewieght on the other hand is not the most talent rich pool. Hence why a lot would love to see GSP move up, or have Silva move up to 205 which he says he won’t challenge the title there because friend/training partner Machida is headed that way. The only other option would to get Kung Lee from XC. I hadn’t heard about the UFC admitting they didn’t have anything else in WW. Maybe they just don’t think anyone else can handle GSP because he’s separated himself that much from any other competition.
How about lesnar vs congo?It may be a mirror image of what we just saw but you never know,maybe congos take down defense is much improved.doubt it though
SNIPER gsp already taught koscheck a lesson.
terry i agree with u about penn just because hes champ at light wieght he doesnt deserve a chance already he hasn’t beat any one at welter wieght for a long time if he a few top guys then ya he defenitly deserves a chance and it sounds like a good fight!
and if kung lee cam to ufc i think he could beat anderson silva! i think hes the best P4P fighter if he was 5 years younger i think he would dominate silva!
RJA, I know Kos already had a shot at GSP, and his best submission defense was holding onto his own shorts to prevent a kimora. But Kos recently did an interview, I think with FIGHT! magazine but not certain, that he wants a title shot at either 155, 170, or 185.
Also, I think Congo/Lesnar would result in the same way it did on Saturday. Congo has absolutely no ground game and even worse take down defense. Lesnar is nothing more than the heavyweight version of Kos as the human blanket.