#UFC153 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cagesidecommentary-blog · 12 years

Text

UFC 153: Brazilian Beatdowns & the Master Mesmerizes

Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. Towards the end of his career, every game had a familiar narrative – cherish these awe-inspiring moments watching MJ, because they will soon be gone. Now with the greatest MMA fighter of our sport entering his twilight years, every fight Anderson Silva has is being treated with the same reverence. The wordless poetry Silva displayed last Saturday at UFC153 must be treasured and relished because one day soon it will be gone.

UFC 153 was a card devastated by injury and hastily thrown together with replacement fighters. With an obvious mismatch in the main event and a dearth of undercard star power, the card was viewed with skepticism and trepidation. Yet MMA is amazing in that the seemingly worst cards can deliver the best action, and UFC 153 proved this point and provided us with one of the best events of the year.

Now, let’s tackle the good, the bad, and the ugly of UFC 153.

Big Winner – Anderson Silva

How can you be the big winner of the entire fight card, when you were the heaviest favorite we’ve seen in MMA since… well, when Jon Jones fought Vitor a couple of weeks ago, but that’s beside the point. When you are expected by almost everyone in the world (except Bonnar and Joe Rogan apparently) to win, how can one be the biggest winner on the card simply by doing what everyone expected? Simply put, you do it in a way that no one envisioned.

First, you must enter the mind of Anderson Silva. You become death, you become the destroyer of men. Then you have to realize that not only does the world expect for you to win, but they also expect you to put on a show. Finally, you have to then decide to allow your opponent to implement his game plan, fight the fight on his terms, and still destroy him with your will.

Mostly likely you won’t do any of those steps. That’s why you read MMA blogs and don’t train twice a day while taking pointers from the great merchant of death, Steven Seagal. You simply don’t have the willpower or great Hollywood connections needed or the ability to enter into other people’s minds and that is okay.

But seriously, Anderson Silva and the legend that is invoked with the mere mention of his name grow exponentially with this fight. Silva broke Bonnar’s spirit and at the same time seemed to be testing himself, measuring himself against the other fighter by seeing if he could withstand the best Bonnar could bring. Silva was more than up to the task.

Silva stuffed every takedown Bonnar through at him. As he was pressed into the cage, he remained calm and composed slowly working underhooks and peppering Stephen with shoulder strikes and quick hands. At some point against the cage, Anderson silenced his corner letting them know he was in full control despite appearances to the contrary.

After a break in the clinch, Silva willingly chose to remain against the cage, as if to tell Bonnar, “Here. I’ll fight to YOUR advantages. I’ll beat you in this fight on whatever terms you want to dictate.” It was an electric moment like when he let Okami punch him in the face and then began dodging (which he did here as well), or when he matrixed Griffin, or tapped Chael. It was legendary. He showed that bit of greatness that compels writers like us to declare his the greatest over and over. His greatness is so large that it cannot be overstated.

Fans in the arena surged with energy as they saw Silva decide to end the fight. It was a clear moment. You saw a bit of silent resolution creep over his face. And just like that Silva was dodging Bonnar’s fist with speed that made Stephen look fossilized, and Silva was throwing fists that scored at will. As he surged forward to deliver another highlight reel finish, everyone knew the end was a foregone conclusion. The punches to a downed Bonnar seemed unnecessary and almost vulgar, as if the referee just had to smudge a Michelangelo masterpiece.

And just like that, the fight was finished. And the more cerebral and introverted amongst us were left to wonder how many more times we will get to see this amazing fighter do his art. Martial arts are supposed to not just elevate a person physically, but also create men of great character, people who inspire passion and allow others to see the untapped potential within themselves. In this way, Anderson Silva is the true embodiment of a martial artist and it is an honor to watch him fight. (AML)

Rising Stock – Jon Fitch

Jon Fitch has been one of the more divisive figures in the UFC for a long time. He’s the guy fans love to hate. With his blue-collar, wrestling-based, grinding style, his performances are not always the most aesthetically pleasing, and fans often shake their heads with exasperation after his bouts. Even so, Fitch was a fixture atop the welterweight division for years. That was until he managed a lackluster draw against an undersized BJ Penn, suffered several injuries, and then took a dirt nap courtesy of a well-placed Johnny Hendricks left hook.

It looked as though Fitch had begun his descent from perennial contender to faded star. That is, until Saturday night. Fitch was given the difficult assignment of facing rising star Erik Silva, on Silva’s home turf, coming off a long period of inactivity. The odds did not bode well for Fitch, and it looked as though he was being used as a springboard to propel an up-and-comer into the limelight.

Fitch, though, had other ideas. In arguably the greatest performance of his career, Fitch used Silva as a sacrificial lamb to boldly declare, “I’m not done yet.”

Bucking the odds and emphatically reasserting himself into the division’s elite, Fitch brought the fight to Silva in a back-and-forth war of attrition that saw Fitch eventually break the will of Silva. Never before had a Fitch fight so obviously endeared him to fans, but even the Brazilian crowd showed respect for his performance.

Fighting like a man with no tomorrow, Fitch displayed an unwavering resolve that only champions possess. Will Fitch ever obtain that sought after belt? We don’t know. But, we’ll be damned if we ever count Fitch out again. This win puts Fitch back “into the mix” and with revitalized spirit; don’t expect this to be the last you read of him defying the odds. (JK)

Career Revival – Demian Maia

Great magicians have the ability to make things disappear, only to further amaze you when those same things reappear some time later. Demian Maia is the David Copperfield of MMA, except instead of making beautiful women disappear, Maia’s BJJ was the thing blinking in and out of existence.

Demian Maia burst onto the UFC scene by utilizing his breathtaking jiu-jitsu to contort five straight opponents. Maia was a cerebral fighter who fought by utilizing his strengths: grappling and submissions. He knew he wasn’t a great striker and never tried to be. In each match up, he would take the fight to the ground and submit his opponent. Simple, but effective.

But, then something strange happened. The Maia of old disappeared and was replaced with something entirely different. This new incarnation of Maia was bizarre – he fought stand-up wars he couldn’t possibly hope to win with his rudimentary striking. He abandoned his wrestling and forgot about his slick jiu-jitsu. Maia, who was once a feared ground technician, became a beatable shell of his former self. And just like that, Maia the contender vanished.

Sure Maia was still around, but no one clamored to see him fight and worst of all, he was no longer feared. The new Demian Maia wasn’t taken seriously. He became an able body that the UFC could feed to rising contenders like Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman. After his defeat to the latter, Maia decided to make the drop from 185 to 170. Most pundits saw it for what it was, a last ditch effort to save a flailing career. But, given his previous performances, few expected Maia to make waves as a welterweight.

A magician may bore you with a dull trick or two, but the great ones can always reel you back in with one captivating, magnificent performance. In an instant, the Maia that disappeared had suddenly re-emerged in his first fight at 170. Against Dong Hyun Kim, Maia reverted back to what made him successful in the first place, by using his grappling and submissions.

And again on Saturday, Maia repeated the same trick that had originally made his magic so potent. He immediately took down a tough Rick Story and quickly submitted him with an improvised face crank that jettisoned blood from Story’s nose and mouth. Neither the Kim fight nor the Story fight was remotely competitive, and with back-to-back wins against solid opposition, Maia looks to have found himself once again. The magician is almost 35-years-old, but he appears primed for one last dazzling finale. (JK)

Clown of the Night – Stephen Bonnar

Though we realize that this distinction might infuriate some of you out in the bizarre world of the internet, the fact remains, Stephen Bonnar leaves Rio de Janiero not on a 747 airplane, but rather scrammed inside of the tiniest car you’ve ever seen. This time around we decided that he could use some company in that tiny car. But let’s not confuse things; Bonnar is at the wheel of this clown car.

Largely, this award is not his fault. Most clowns earn their distinction with braggadocio and the unfailing need to say the dumbest thing that pops in their head constantly. But this clown act was forced by the behest of one Anderson Silva.

Like a savage, brutal warlord who is not just content with annihilating his enemies, but also wants to see them humiliated and demoralized, Silva painted poor Stephen’s clown make up on his face with every moment inside the cage. Silva powdered Bonnar’s face white as he stuffed every takedown attempt, rouged his cheeks a fine, bright red when he slipped back against the cage, and stuck a big red foam nose on him with a brutal knee to the body which destroyed a man who was said to be unstoppable.

None of this is Stephen Bonnar’s fault. Anderson Silva can turn the greatest challenger into a mere clown. In fact if Clown of the Night awards can be given posthumously (to use a word that really doesn’t belong, but somehow works), CageSide Commentary would like to award one to every opponent who has ever faced Anderson Silva in the UFC. Also, we would like to bestow one to Anderson Silva as well, for the silly shit he pulled in Abu Dahbi. That was clownish.

But in summation, Stephen Bonnar will be spending the next week or so, painfully staring at the mirror, looking morose and depressed, slowly wiping off the thick layers of clown make up like so many of Anderson’s victims before. Our heart goes out to him. (AML)

Clown of the Night #2 – Dave Herman

Typically, the Clown of the Night is reserved for one truly deserving individual that exemplifies a comedic mishap deserving of shame and scrutiny. However, on this evening, we felt it necessary to call out not one, but two clown-like characters. The second Clown of the Night is proudly awarded to heavyweight doormat, Dave Herman.

Long before Herman was talking trash about Brazilian jiu-jitsu (and then proceeding to get submitted), he was a college wrestler at Indiana University, my alma mater. As an MMA enthusiast, I had the opportunity to see Herman compete on the local circuit several times. More importantly, I got to see one of the most quintessential tough guy moments from this circus act.

While attending a frat party, I noticed Herman drinking himself into a stupor. Towards the end of the night, Herman was staggering, mumbling, and looking for trouble. He found it in the form of one unfortunate fraternity brother who asked him to leave the party.

That night, I learned that nobody tells Pee Wee Herman to leave parties. He doesn’t take kindly to those requests. With a quick 1-2 combination, Herman dispatched the offending frat brother and an all-out brawl ensued. It was the entire frat versus Herman, and I had front row seats. The next few moments were a whirlwind of violence, as Herman threw kicks, head butts, elbows, and hip-tosses as he slowly downed six or seven guys by himself. Just before leaving with beers in hand.

The point of the story is to paint an accurate picture of the Dave Herman I witnessed in college; a legitimate tough guy, who also happened to be a buffoon. Sure, at times he could be an affable nitwit, but from my perspective, the guy was a goon. Which is why we at CageSide Commentary were so happy to see him forced to eat his words.

I can’t be submitted, claimed Herman. Big Nog begged to differ. After beating up on Herman for a round in a half, Nog mercifully tapped the “untappable” Herman, thus forcing him to eat his words with a helping of shame and embarrassment. (JK)

Notables:

Phil Davis outclassed Wagner Prado in their rematch of the great eye poke incident. Critics like Rashad Evans said that Davis looked like he might have been in trouble in their first match up and he might have been saved with that eye poke. That seems silly now, after seeing Davis eat Prado alive with a second round submission. He was so dominate, he silenced the Rio crowd and even earned some sincere applause from the Brazilians as the decision was read. This was a nice showcase for Davis, who displayed his unrelenting wrestling and ever improving submissions. With a seemingly endless motor and physique that us two fat guys envy, Davis has all the makings of a future champ. However, if he wants to reach that lofty expectation, he will need to continue developing his striking, which remains the weakest part of his well-rounded game.

Glover Teixeira is a beast. After destroying the indestructible man, Fabio Maldonado (with a doctor’s stoppage that saved ten years of his life), it became clear to anyone paying attention that this guy needs to fight top tier opponents. The light heavyweight division is thin and Glover infused some much-needed excitement. The hype was swelling after his first UFC fight and with the brutality of his latest performance, the hype is sure to reach a fever pitch. Give him a top tier opponent and if victorious, throw him in the deep waters (Jon Jones) and see if he sinks or swims.

Minatauro Nogueira is still our hero. He outclassed “Clown Act” Pee-Wee Herman in a vintage performance that brought Anderson Silva to tears. One CageSIde Correspondent was also brought to tries, but he was also very high so take that one with a grain of salt. But, what does the legendary Big Nog have left to prove? Here’s to hoping he retires, going out on top in front of his countrymen like the hero that he is.

#ufc153 #anderson silva #stephan bonnar #clown #Big Nog #demian maia #jon fitch #MMA #GOAT

0 notes