video review : Anderson Silva versus Chris Weidman at UFC 162

video review : Anderson Silva versus Chris Weidman at UFC 162

As an Anderson Silva fan; he’s my favorite UFC fighter; the end of this bout is hard to watch, but he sort of brings it on himself. While I disagree with Joe Rogan’s hindsighted claim that “you can’t play games in The Octagon”; Silva’s antics have been successful until this point; The Spider simply goes too far here.

It’s a carryover from his last fight at UFC 153 in which he stood against the cage and let Stephan Bonnar punch him seemingly just to entertain the crowd, but Chris Weidman, led by head coach Ray Longo, isn’t having it. “Punch a hole in his fucking chest,” Longo commands. Weidman aims for the jaw instead.

my rating : 4 of 5

2013

video review : Chris Weidman versus Anderson Silva at UFC 168

video review : Anderson Silva versus Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153

video review : Anderson Silva versus Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153

The bigger they are, the harder they fall… after getting kneed in the solar plexus. Stephan Bonnar talks about taking Anderson Silva “on a ride thru Hell” in his pre-fight monologue, but he gets carjacked in the first round.

Most amusing is how Silva plays with him during the bout, putting his back against the cage and letting him tee off on him as if his 15-0 record isn’t on the line. Joe Rogan wants him to fight Jon Jones. That would be epic.

my rating : 4 of 5

2012

video review : Israel Adesanya versus Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236

video review : Israel Adesanya versus Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236

There’s a point in Round 4 in which Gastelum has Adesanya hurt bad. He lands a kick to the face followed by a jab and another jab. Adesanya retreats and stumbles against the fence, but instead of another strike, Gastelum goes for a takedown and gets it stuffed.

It was a boneheaded decision; a move, perhaps brought on by fatigue, that might’ve cost him the victory. It was either man’s fight going into the final round, but it’s Israel Adesanya who rises to the occasion, knocking Gastelum down and nearly out by the end.

my rating : 4 of 5

2019

video review : Robert Whittaker versus Yoel Romero at UFC 225

video review : Robert Whittaker versus Yoel Romero at UFC 225

Yoel Romero probably would’ve won this fight via decision if he wasn’t so inactive in the first couple of rounds. It’s not until a jab swells his right eye nearly shut that he starts to pick up the pace.

Whittaker lands more strikes; he fights with constant pressure; but Romero’s are more effective. When he connects, he connects with power. Whittaker is knocked nearly limp a couple of times.

my rating : 4 of 5

2018

video review : Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Conor McGregor at UFC 229

video review : Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Conor McGregor at UFC 229

The most interesting part of this fight is what happens at the end. After beating Conor McGregor via a Round 4 neck crank submission, Khabib Nurmagomedov hops the Octagon fence and jumps into the crowd to attack Conor’s crew. Joe Rogan calls it stupid and unnecessary. I call it badass.

He could’ve caused a riot; the crowd has McGregor’s back in the figurative sense; but his antics provide this UFC bout with the kind of over the top entertainment you normally get in WWE, full with members of his crew invading The Octagon to attack an already beaten McGregor.

The fight itself, though nearly overshadowed, provides some excitement of its own when the action isn’t being restrained on the mat with Conor, who’s greatly outmatched when it comes to wrestling. Nurmagomedov also scores a surprise knockdown with a punch to the face.

my rating : 4 of 5

2018

video review : UFC 241

video review : UFC 241

Before UFC fans can get over the shock of Mike Beltran’s missing mustache, Ian Heinisch kicks Derek Brunson in the head. Dominick Cruz thinks it’s an instant knockout; you can hear the crack when it lands; but Brunson, fighting smart for a change, goes on to win via decision.

Decisions also go to Paulo Costa over Yoel Romero and Nate Diaz over Anthony Pettis. The former is the best fight; their muscles are impressive and their power is extraordinary; though it’s the latter, specifically Diaz’s return after a three-year hiatus, that was most anticipated.

Stipe Miocic puts on a surprisingly lackluster performance against Daniel Cormier in their Heavyweight Championship title bout; a rematch from UFC 226. He gets punched in the face repeatedly until he finds DC’s weak spot; the liver area Anderson Silva once exploited; and knocks him out.

my rating : 4 of 5

2019

video review : Jon Jones versus Thiago Santos at UFC 239

video review : Jon Jones versus Thiago Santos at UFC 239

Thiago Santos hurts his left leg in Round 2 and it stays that way for the rest of the bout, which causes him to buckle and fall a few times. Still he gives Jon Jones a tough fight, causing him to endure some leg issues of his own. Santos almost floors him with a kick to the calf and goes on to put a nasty welt on his thigh.

Jon Jones is more distant and inactive than usual; he mostly stalks and stares, knowing Santos has the power to knock him out at any moment; but he manages to win the bout via split decision. I was rooting for him, but I’d vote for Santos. Even with his injury, which Joe Rogan speculates is a torn ACL, I think he won this.

my rating : 4 of 5

2019

video review : Cris Cyborg versus Amanda Nunes at UFC 232

video review : Cris Cyborg versus Amanda Nunes at UFC 232

Declaring her “the greatest women’s mixed martial artist of all time”, as Joe Rogan does here, is a ridiculous overstatement, but you have to give Amanda Nunes a lot of credit. She knocks out Cris Cyborg; a fighter I rank above her; in less than a minute; about the same amount of time it took for her to beat “goat”-contender Ronda Rousey.

Rousey is just a tough woman though. Cris Cyborg is, from the looks of it, a virtual man, which, considering modern society’s delusional coddling of so-called transgenders, shouldn’t be regarded as an insult. That makes this Nunes victory all the more impressive, though a rematch could help remove the feeling of flukiness.

my rating : 3 of 5

2018

video review : Demetrious Johnson versus Henry Cejudo at UFC 227

video review : Demetrious Johnson versus Henry Cejudo at UFC 227

It’s a relatively close fight, sure, but I think Demetrious Johnson is the obvious victor. Why two of the three judges give it to Henry Cejudo is a mystery to me. The wrestler scores some impressive takedowns but doesn’t do much with them. DJ is clearly better on the feet, where most of the fight takes place.

my rating : 4 of 5

2018