The Shogun Screwjob
Normal
0
false
false
false
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:”";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
This past Saturday night, my UFC 104 experience began when I entered the
home of former Pride FC play by play commentator Mauro Ranallo. The night
started with pizza, beers and the preliminary bouts. While Berry’s TKO was a good
start, this momentum would diminish following Ryan Bader’s inability to finish
a fight.
Jumping into the main card, an enormous Anthony Johnson absolutely
pulverized Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Although Johnson could not make weight, he
did deliver a performance that left the casuals with their jaws on the
floor. (Thus far Mr. Ranallo was 1-0 in his UFC 104
main card predictions) Up next, Joe Stevenson climbed ranks with
his second straight victory since joining Jackson MMA. (At this point,
Ranallo reminded me that he was 2-0 in his predictions) In the
second catchweight bout of the night, a much larger Gleison Tibau took on Josh
Neer. What I found curious was that Goldberg and Rogan continually sung Neer’s
praises while Tibau displayed his takedown offense. Tibau managed to
spear Neer ten times throughout that fight, I say spear because those takedowns
were so explosive; it looked like something straight out of pro wrestling. (Ranallo
was on fire tonight with a hat-trick, 3-0)
The co-main event saw heavyweight rising star Cain Velasquez put on a
wrestling clinic as he faced the debuting Ben Rothwell. Even with a
significant size advantage, Rothwell seemed like a fish out of water, as
Velasquez was relentless with his takedowns. If you recall the UFC 104
countdown show, Velasquez divulged his game plan and on Saturday night we saw
him carry it out with ease. Rothwell appeared to have been in the best
physical shape of his career; still he did not seem to have an answer for
Velasquez’s merciless takedowns and peppering ground and pound. Though
Rothwell and the fans in attendance objected to what they felt was an early
stoppage, the reality of matter is that Velasquez would have stuck to his wear
down tactics; which would eventually lead to a TKO. The result of this
bout puts Velasquez in the title hunt, while Rothwell questions his abilities
in finishing top caliber opponents. (Suddenly I heard, “Hey remember what
I said on The MMA Show! 4-0 BABY!)
The main event featured two of the biggest names in MMA today. It was
the first time two Brazilians battled for the UFC light heavyweight
title. Regardless of the outcome, it was a match that carried incredible
significance for fans of Brazilian mixed martial arts. All the variables
were in place for an epic encounter and the storyline was budging with
contrasts between both fighters. It was karate versus muay thai, patience
versus aggression and mainstream UFC versus the Pride FC prodigy. Though
I have watched many pay-per-views with Mauro Ranallo, I had never seen him this
anxious for a fight. Ranallo called Shogun’s first fight at Bushido 1 and
watched the Curitiba
native transform into a legend in the Pride Fighting Championships. As
Ranallo put it, “This is it, its Pride’s last chance.”
Would Shogun fall to the UFC’s version of a contemporary Bruce Lee, or would he
be Pride’s redeemer?
Both combatants looked very convincing in their entrances. By watching
each fighter’s body language, one could see that this bout was the apex of
their respective careers. Shogun revealed a different fighter on that
night and in many ways gave Machida
a taste of his own medicine (not talking about the urine). Shogun
demonstrated patience and accuracy, the two qualities that make Machida such a dangerous
opponent. In the opening seconds of the first round, Machida managed to land some effective
strikes to the head and body. Following an exchange, Shogun began to wear
Machida down
with body kicks and successive leg kicks. By the end of the first round, Machida’s corner applied
ice bags to reduce the swelling in the champion’s legs. (Ranallo clenched his fist and said, “That’s the first round Machida has lost in the UFC!”)
As the fight continued, Shogun stuck to his conservative game plan that seemed
to be working. Though there were a few fistic exchanges, Shogun continued
to attack the legs and body of the champion. At the end of the third
round, (which Machida arguably won) Machida’s legs were red
and a big burse had developed on his torso. In the forth round, it was
evident that Shogun had indeed solved what was considered by many to be the
most intricate puzzle in the 205 pound category. By the end of fifth
round, Shogun and his camp raised their arms in celebration. The man who
is known for his aggressive onslaughts, played a patient game of chess in the
octagon, while playing the role of the underdog.
Both fighters stood in the middle of the octagon, Shogun looking upward,
while Machida
looked to the canvas in disappointment, waiting to hear the judges’
decision. At this moment, the Ranallo household was silent, except for
the sounds of incoming congratulatory text messages from various members of the
MMA community (“congradulations my friend, you were the only one who said
Shogun would win”). I put down my beer and
gave Mr. Ranallo props, for accurately predicting all five main card
bouts. Ranallo is a professional unbiased news anchor and commentator,
but sitting right beside him, I could tell he was ecstatic and a little emotional
that Shogun had won this one for Pride.
The verdict was announced and in an instant, the mood changed, not only for
those at the Staples Centre, but also for those sitting in Ranallo’s living
room. Lyoto Machida had retained the UFC light heavyweight title via
unanimous decision. Suddenly I heard, “I can’t fuckin’ believe it,
today the sport of MMA suffers a black eye!” these were the words that
truthfully summed up the outcomes of this main event. Not only was it an
injustice for the fans but more importantly for Mauricio Rua.
Any intelligent mixed martial arts fan knows the true result of the Machida / Shogun
fight. As I mentioned earlier, Shogun stuck to a game plan that allowed
him to pick Machida
apart, it was more than evident that Shogun inflected the most damage and
scored the necessary points. Even an informal spectator would agree
simply by looking at each fighter’s face prior to the bout.
With that in mind, one has to point the finger at the judges. It is
not the first time judges spoil an important fight and although some may
reference the phrase, “finish the fight, don’t leave it in the judges’ hands,”
this argument should not be applicable in a situation where one fighter
controls the entire bout (especially in this scenario). It should be
obvious that when one fighter is constantly landing strikes, he must be awarded
the points. It is essential that these judges be questioned regarding
their decision. Furthermore, it should be mandatory that all judges have
a solid understanding of the regulations; if they are not fit to make
intelligent verdicts then they ought to be removed from the panel. It is
100% unfair for a fighter to sacrifice so much time and be robbed of the
ultimate reward. It’s the same,
as if you were working tirelessly week after week and your co-worker, who does
nothing, gets the promotion and you are left with nothing. If this sport
is to be taken seriously then the days of faulty judging should be behind us,
though controversy can be positive, it should not come from the score
cards.
Although the conclusion of this story was ruined, it certainly makes Machida / Shogun 2 an
easy sell. One can imagine that UFC president Dana White already sees
dollar signs in front of him, and it should only be a matter of time before we
hear set time and date (let’s just hope the judging changes for the sake of the
fighters) In spite of the proceedings, this was still a very important bout for
Brazilian MMA, as it put both men in the eye of the mainstream viewer.
Each of the fighters learned a lot from each other and one can assume they will
only improve upon their return to the octagon. For Lyoto Machida, he
knows he attained this victory by the skin of his teeth and furthermore his
aura of invincibility has been broken. He will have to go back to the
drawing board and reassess his errors. On the other hand, Mauricio Shogun
Rua has put the entire light heavyweight division on notice. Truth be
told, it’s only a matter of time before Mauricio Rua captures the UFC’s 205
pound title. Nonetheless, Shogun can hold his head up high and take
solace in the fact that he has Machida’s
number; but unfortunately for Shogun and his camp, October 24th 2009
will always be remembered as the Shogun screwjob.
All Content © 2011 by Fight Media Inc. | Site Developed by Nautical Progressions
