Showdown on UFC 139: Unforgettable
Posted November 20, 2011 8:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s being dubbed “The Greatest Fight of All Time.”
UFC president Dana White stated, “It’s our Ali – Frazier III.”
Light heavyweights Mauricio (Shogun) Rua and Dan (Hendo) Henderson put on what may be the greatest main event in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
One can argue that many other bouts in UFC and MMA history were more thrilling and compelling than the main event for UFC 139, but in the end, the world was treated to one of the finest displays of the human spirit. The relentless pursuit of victory by Rua coupled with the resolve of Henderson may never be duplicated again.
Flip-flopping scorecards
I watched the bout three times. My initial viewing scored the bout for Shogun. My second a draw, but leaned towards Henderson. My third made my final scorecards crystal clear. Dan Henderson was deserving of the victory.
In a nutshell, the former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion won rounds 1 and 2 by a score of 10-9. The third round saw him nearly finish off Shogun, with the latter not doing enough to swing the judging balance from my round score of a 10-8. But that was it for Hendo; Rua turned the tide in round 4, winning it 10-9, then dominating in the final frame to score a 10-8. My final decision: 47-46 Henderson.
The talk after the bout was that Hendo can fight for a title at 185 pounds or at 205 pounds. He is far more deserving of a shot at light heavyweight, and so it would be fitting that he face the winner of the UFC 140 main event between champion Jon Jones and challenger Lyoto Machida. Any talk of a rematch with Anderson Silva can only be justified if Hendo can defeat a top contender in the weight class. He has not won a fight at middleweight since defeating Michael Bisping at UFC 100. That was over two years ago.
Teaching an old dog new tricks
Prior to Wanderlei Silva’s co-main event bout vs. Cung Le, I had the pleasure of talking not only with The Axe Murderer but with his coach, Master Rafael Cordeiro. Our discussion took place at Mark Munoz’s Reign Training Centre and it centred around the fact that I firmly believed that Silva could no longer fight like his younger self. The brawler from Curitiba, Brazil, had taken far too much punishment, and his electrical system was shutting down far quicker than anyone cared to see. We saw it against Chris Leben, and I feared we would see it again vs. Le.
Cordeiro and Silva assured me two things: Wanderlai would work to be patient vs. Le, picking and choosing when and where to attack, but the caveat was as primal as Silva’s DNA. Once he got hit, there would be a second fight, a mental one within his own self and the corner to assure he would not respond in his typical manner, which is to engage in MMA warfare.
I begrudgingly smiled, virtually convinced internally that I would see Silva compete for the last time in the Octagon at UFC 139. My theory, their game plan and its execution came true, and today, Silva is celebrating a stunning second-round TKO victory over Le. He did it in vintage Axe Murderer fashion, but now the question remains: can he continue doing it? If he can, the road to glory will continue. If he cannot, retirement will be knocking on the door.
Truly appreciating Faber’s skill set
The majority of headlines have been focusing on the results of the main and co-main events, but I will also remember UFC 139 for Urijah Faber’s incredible execution of his game plan. If there was ever MMA eye candy, Faber’s timing, precision and authority would be it. His explosiveness is almost unmatched. His defeat of Brian Bowles was sheer greatness, and the time has come for him to square off against UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz again.
Let the haters complain all they want — Faber deserves this shot vs. “The Dominator.” In a perfect world, the organization would make these two coaches on Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter. Promote this fight with the two of them as coaches on the popular reality show. Their personalities will shine on camera and when it’s all said and done, let them finally, once and for all, have their trilogy bout to determine who IS the Alpha Male, who does deserve final bragging rights and who IS the baddest 135-pound fighter on the planet. The winner of this epic tilt would not only deserve the belt, he would be considered the undisputed best.
Miscellaneous thoughts
1. Believe this: Middleweight Chris Weidman is the real deal. Undefeated in MMA, 3-0 in the UFC, NCAA wrestling victories over Phil Davis and Ryan Bader and an ADCC veteran. He is still green, and when he matures into a prospect, he will evolve into a contender very quickly. Mark my words.
2. The story of Rick Story (pun intended) is a strange one. Fighters will always tell you their occupation is filled with the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. Today, I can’t help but believe Rick is experiencing that right now. He was on a tear at welterweight, now appears torn up after two straight losses. He will be back, and hopefully a version 2.0 will emerge. Far too much talent in my opinion.
3. After his victory over Kyle Kingsbury, light-heavyweight Stephan Bonnar cleared the air and hopefully squashed his beef with Josh Koscheck.
4. Ryan Bader’s punch that pretty much put an end to Jason Brilz’ night was sweet, but not as crisp as the counter right thrown by Michael McDonald vs. Alex Soto. That was vicious and filled with bad intentions. One can now understand why the call this youngster “Mayday.” And it won’t be long until “Mayday” will be making headlines soon. That siren you hear during emergency situations — yup, it will be his calling card to the masses.
5. In closing, if you have not had a chance to watch Saturday’s Bellator lightweight championship bout between Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler, it’s up on Bellator’s YouTube page. It may be the best 22 minutes that you spend this year. And word to new champion Michael Chandler (as well as Shogun, Hendo and so many others) — we are not worthy. You are an inspiration to all. These performances should be made mandatory viewing for every man and woman who wants to be a prize fighter. If they can replicate your performance, this sport will be bigger than soccer, cricket and all others combined, in no time.
