| 09 May 2010
If there is one event worthy of doing a post-mortem "fallout" article on it would be UFC 113. We had a title change hands, an Oscar-worthy acting job, a cheap shot and a couple of fighters getting shown the door. So, without further ado.
Hoo-Hah!
(no, not that one)
(yeah - that's the one)
So I guess The Machida Puzzle has been solved. Apparently Maurico 'Shogun' Rua had the answers to this test before he even wrote it. While the rest of his past opponents treated Lyoto 'The Dragon' Machida like an unsolvable Rubik's Cube, Shogun solved it with a couple of twists of his wrist. With his ability to get inside on Machida, Rua smothered him, overwhelming the previously unhittable champion and brutally knocking him out. Which, obviously, turns the light heavyweight class on its head. Next up for the new champ should be the winner of the Rashad Evans-Rampage Jackson fight, which, regardless of the winner of that one, makes for an exciting matchup for Rua. And in the big picture of things, Shogun has to be considered one of the best mixed martial artists of all-time when you look at his resume (and he still is in his 20s). As for The Dragon, now that he (and his unusual fighting style) has been proven mortal, what's next for him? Is he flexible enough to adjust his style to get back on the winning track, or is that even necessary? To beat Rua, it appears like it is. He'll probably get the loser of Evans-Jackson and easily get back on the winning track. Getting his belt back, however, won't be quite so easy.
Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out
No one has ever accused Dana White of being timid. In giving Paul Daley and Kimbo Slice their walking papers, the UFC boss made the right moves - but he also cut a couple of guys capable of still making him money. Daley's cheap shot of Josh Koscheck after the match ended is the type of thing that anti-MMA proponents use as ammunition to criticize the sport. But it is interesting (and perhaps a bit hypocritical) that White is willing to let Nate Diaz continue to work for the company despite his role in the Strikeforce: Miami melee, as well as public courting Jake Shields, who helped initiate that whole brawl to begin with. And what about Koscheck's repeated habit of faking being hit by illegal blows in the cage? That could be almost as bad for the sport as Daley's actions were, yet Koscheck seems to be given a pass for it.
As for Kimbo, he showed in his brief UFC career that he truly isn't ready for the big time, and despite the Joe Rogan's of the world claiming that his game is evolving, he continued to show that he is nothing more than a brawler. Add to that his penchant of gassing bad in matches, plus his hands not looking so heavy as they did in the past, and it would have been embarrassing for the UFC to let him fight another match for them. But despair not Kimbo - Japan loves their import fighters to be one-dimensional and stereotypical, so you should fit right in.
Tres Bien, Mes Amis
I'm not just saying this because I'm Canadian, but the fight fans in Montreal have to be the best in the world. The atmosphere was electric in the Bell Centre last night, with the crowd roaring and breaking into European soccer-style chants during the evening. The UFC has to make an appearnce in Montreal a must at least once a year.
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