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Yet, from a purely fan entertainment perspective, how can you argue with the UFC staging a final fight to complete the GSP/Hughes trilogy? I think Hughes will be beaten just as convincingly as the last time they met. GSP should just try and avoid the takedown (which he is fairly good at) and stay on his feet to strike with him. Hughes has proved continually, that despite his effort and improvement, he will never be a dominant striker.GSP on the other hand is a beast. He can throw great leg kicks along w/ maniac high kicks, he is elusive, has good footwork and head movement, and can deliver a serious punch and is a dangerous striker.
On a side note, Matt Hughes’ personality threatens to make him a jerk-off. His pompous, “high and mighty” attitude is such a turnoff. I realize the guy has accomplished a lot, but the way he talks about himself and others, makes him sound the like a tool.
Former NFL running back Rickey Waters used to talk about his own skills in such a distasteful, boastful way that his teammates and fans soured on him. Despite all his skills, the guy’s personality turned people off and I feel the same way about Hughes.
Rich Franklin vs. Jason "The Athlete" McDonald: “No Surprise—Franklin Wins; Silva Next?”
I don’t have much to say about a fight with no surprises. It went exactly as I expected, and Franklin looked good. There was a little bit of hesitation on his part, but ring rust wasn’t a problem. After the beating he took at the hands of Anderson Silva, it is understandable that he’d be a little tentative in his return fight. A rematch is most likely in store for him next if Silva gets past Nate Marquardt.
The way I see it, I don’t know if he stands a chance against Silva. The Brazilian is possibly the best striker in MMA; he is an assassin out there. He can drop you with a punch from any direction, and if he gets you in the clinch his knees are deadly. I’m so confident in his abilities I’m going to go as far as to say that I do not believe the UFC has a middleweight in their division that can beat him currently. PRIDE fighters Dan Henderson and Paul Filho are the only two contenders I can see giving him problems. Matt Lindland is also a possibility.
Get on that Dana, let’s make that shit happen.
Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture: “An Octagon Full Of Historic Drama”
This was one of the most compelling and historic fights I have ever watched. A number of my party guests watching UFC 68 were not UFC fans, yet they found themselves mesmerized by the match and fixated on the fighters.
Couture’s legend made him a favorite to the people in the room, but they just couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea of an aging fighter beating such a huge opponent. It was a classic old David vs. big, young Goliath scenario.
The Natural didn’t disappoint—he fought the fight of his life. It was one of those truly special moments in professional sports where everything comes together for the athlete, in a flawless and dramatic performance.
This was the Natural’s equivalent of throwing a perfect game—like when I watched on TV, David Cone’s perfect game on June 18, 1999.
I remember being unable to avert my eyes from his performance. Being rabid New York Yankee fans, my Dad and I frequently watched games together. On this day, when David Cone was on the mound as the game progressed, you felt something special happening; you felt the anticipation of everyone in the stadium watching the drama unfold. Watching Cone pitch, my Dad told me this was something I would remember for the rest of my life, and it was. This was one of the great sports moments of my young life.
On the evening Couture fought Sylvia, I felt the exact same way.
Couture had a game plan. He wanted to use a lot of head movement, avoid getting hit with the big punch, take Sylvia down, and simply perplex him. He executed his plan with deadly precision and fought remarkably well. Couture saw a hole in Sylvia’s game and exploited it beautifully—which was his clumsy lack of movement and the inability to identify what his opponent is trying to do.
In the opening round, Couture set the big, lumbering Silvia up with a fake leg-kick, and then connected with a huge overhand right which dropped Silvia.
Want to know about the emotional pull of UFC? At my party, girls who I had never seen so excited were screaming and hugging one another. I had buddies patting me on the back, ripping down vodka shots, and clanking their beers together in cheers.
It’s moments like these in sports which are unforgettable. It’s moments like these which help explain why America is such a sports driven society. And it’s moments like these which make the UFC and MMA in general, the next big thing in sports.
Kids my age rarely react that way to any sporting event. I, too, couldn’t maintain any semblance of calm and allowed myself to go just as ballistic as everyone else, once Couture was announced the winner.
I took a shot of Patron, grabbed a girl and kissed her as hard as I could, and let out a triumphant scream as if I had just won the heavyweight title.
If you don’t believe the UFC does not offer a new brand of something different and exciting, the phenomenon that took place at my house, is being replicated on campuses nation wide.
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