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Monday, September 24, 2007
More Upsets
I give up. I know 2007 is the year of upsets as far as mixed martial arts (MMA) is concerned, but the past few months have given us...
1) another Cro Cop loss? (Cheick Kongo broke Mirko's rib in the 1st round causing Cro Cop to lose gas and the decision.)
2) accomplished fighter Din Thomas getting TKO'd by a reality televion star in Kenny Florian?
3) Keith Jardine beating the former world light heavyweight champion, Chuck "the Iceman" Liddell?
4) and Forrest Griffin, another reality TV star, beating THE uncrowned number 1 light heavyweight, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua? As in the dude who broke (current under 205 lb champ) Rampage's ribs? The dude who tapped out a steroid-enhanced Kevin Randleman? Shogun from team Chute Boxe joins his once successful teammates in this slump. Wanderlei Silva recently lost his Pride under 205 lb championship to Dan Henderson earlier this year. His brother Murilo "Ninja" Rua lost his Elite XC middleweight title to Robby Lawler just last week. Other than Shogun accidentally breaking his forearm to aging champ Mark Coleman, Forrest Griffin is the only fighter to finish Rua in four years. Since his debut in Pride, Shogun has been 12-1... until meeting Forrest Griffin.
Randy Couture also once correctly predicted the upset here. I know he predicted several before but I really doubted him for choosing Forrest Griffin. Never again.
1) another Cro Cop loss? (Cheick Kongo broke Mirko's rib in the 1st round causing Cro Cop to lose gas and the decision.)
2) accomplished fighter Din Thomas getting TKO'd by a reality televion star in Kenny Florian?
3) Keith Jardine beating the former world light heavyweight champion, Chuck "the Iceman" Liddell?
4) and Forrest Griffin, another reality TV star, beating THE uncrowned number 1 light heavyweight, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua? As in the dude who broke (current under 205 lb champ) Rampage's ribs? The dude who tapped out a steroid-enhanced Kevin Randleman? Shogun from team Chute Boxe joins his once successful teammates in this slump. Wanderlei Silva recently lost his Pride under 205 lb championship to Dan Henderson earlier this year. His brother Murilo "Ninja" Rua lost his Elite XC middleweight title to Robby Lawler just last week. Other than Shogun accidentally breaking his forearm to aging champ Mark Coleman, Forrest Griffin is the only fighter to finish Rua in four years. Since his debut in Pride, Shogun has been 12-1... until meeting Forrest Griffin.
Randy Couture also once correctly predicted the upset here. I know he predicted several before but I really doubted him for choosing Forrest Griffin. Never again.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
2007: The Year of MMA Upsets
(Awet if you haven't watched Pride 33, Pride 34, UFC 69 and later events, don't read this yet.)
I, and many critics, thought that UFC 68 would end with a bloody beatdown by Tim Sylvia on Randy Couture. The Natural, instead overcame a big age, weight and reach disadvantage to become world heavyweight champion. At 43 years of age he obtained a dominating unanimous decision.
Before a rematch with Matt Hughes, the only man to defeat him, George St. Pierre appeared to be given an easy welterweight title defense against Matt Serra, a fighter with a good but non-stellar record of then 8-3. Serra floored GSP with a right then finished him off on the ground for a TKO. New welterweight champion at UFC 69, Matt Serra.
In the last two DSE-owned Pride events (the company was acquired by the Fertitas, owners of the UFC) Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, an African judo champion definitely got himself noticed. At Pride 33, he got an instant knockout in less than 30 seconds over middleweight stand-out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (twin brother of former Pride Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo). At Pride 34 he proved it was no fluke against Ricardo Arona an ADCC submission wrestling champion, middleweight grand prix runner-up and former middleweight championship contender. Sokoudjou stuffed Arona's takedown attempts and after stopping the last try, KO'd the Brazilian Tiger with an uppercut.
Also in Pride 33, Nick Diaz came back from a 1st round knockdown to submit Pride lightweight champion, Takanori Gomi, in the 2nd round by a gogoplata (shin choke). Two things though: 1) This was a nontitle fight. 2) Nick Diaz tested positive for THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) and this bout was declared a no-contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
The latest Holy shit-moment in MMA happened on Saturday night in the United Kingdom, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, last year's Pride open weight grand prix champion, was expected to run over Gabriel Gonzaga in a match to determine Randy Couture's next heavyweight challenger. Since I am discussing this in an article regarding upsets, obviously Cro Cop lost to the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. What's so surprising? Cro Cop, a man with many left high kicks in his highlight reel, was knocked out by Gabriel Gonzaga's right high kick at UFC 70. (See the fight here.) In a moment reminscent of Mirko's own KO of Wanderlei Silva, Cro Cop blocked to the body while Gonzaga's shin hit Filipovic's head. To add insult to injury, it appeared that Mirko's right knee and/ or ankle were twisted as he fell back on his right leg. I know Mirko is one genuine tought SOB, but can any orthopedic surgeon explain to me how he was able to walk out of the octagon on his own two feet afterwards?
Scary thing is: It's only been 4 months into 2007. In how many more PPV's will the unexpected occur?
UPDATE: According to a Croat website, (in English) Mirko Filipovic was limping at a press conference upon arrival at his country.
I, and many critics, thought that UFC 68 would end with a bloody beatdown by Tim Sylvia on Randy Couture. The Natural, instead overcame a big age, weight and reach disadvantage to become world heavyweight champion. At 43 years of age he obtained a dominating unanimous decision.
Before a rematch with Matt Hughes, the only man to defeat him, George St. Pierre appeared to be given an easy welterweight title defense against Matt Serra, a fighter with a good but non-stellar record of then 8-3. Serra floored GSP with a right then finished him off on the ground for a TKO. New welterweight champion at UFC 69, Matt Serra.
In the last two DSE-owned Pride events (the company was acquired by the Fertitas, owners of the UFC) Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, an African judo champion definitely got himself noticed. At Pride 33, he got an instant knockout in less than 30 seconds over middleweight stand-out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (twin brother of former Pride Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo). At Pride 34 he proved it was no fluke against Ricardo Arona an ADCC submission wrestling champion, middleweight grand prix runner-up and former middleweight championship contender. Sokoudjou stuffed Arona's takedown attempts and after stopping the last try, KO'd the Brazilian Tiger with an uppercut.
Also in Pride 33, Nick Diaz came back from a 1st round knockdown to submit Pride lightweight champion, Takanori Gomi, in the 2nd round by a gogoplata (shin choke). Two things though: 1) This was a nontitle fight. 2) Nick Diaz tested positive for THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) and this bout was declared a no-contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
The latest Holy shit-moment in MMA happened on Saturday night in the United Kingdom, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, last year's Pride open weight grand prix champion, was expected to run over Gabriel Gonzaga in a match to determine Randy Couture's next heavyweight challenger. Since I am discussing this in an article regarding upsets, obviously Cro Cop lost to the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. What's so surprising? Cro Cop, a man with many left high kicks in his highlight reel, was knocked out by Gabriel Gonzaga's right high kick at UFC 70. (See the fight here.) In a moment reminscent of Mirko's own KO of Wanderlei Silva, Cro Cop blocked to the body while Gonzaga's shin hit Filipovic's head. To add insult to injury, it appeared that Mirko's right knee and/ or ankle were twisted as he fell back on his right leg. I know Mirko is one genuine tought SOB, but can any orthopedic surgeon explain to me how he was able to walk out of the octagon on his own two feet afterwards?
Scary thing is: It's only been 4 months into 2007. In how many more PPV's will the unexpected occur?
UPDATE: According to a Croat website, (in English) Mirko Filipovic was limping at a press conference upon arrival at his country.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Team Quest Rules MMA
In order for martial arts teams to make money, these clubs need to produce fighters that perform well in the ring or octagon. The more dominant camps out there are run by Greg Jackson (with Diego Sanchez) and Pat Miletich (former UFC champions Matt Hughes, Jens Pulver, Tim Sylvia). Right now though there is likely a lot of focus on Team Quest as the team holds 3 major mixed martial arts championships.
Last Saturday, Dan "Hollywood" Henderson, Pride welterweight champion challenged Wanderlei Silva for the latter's middleweight belt. Henderson knocked out Silva in the third round. He would join Team Quest stablemate Randy Couture as the only fighters to hold belts in two different weight classes. In Dan's case though, he's actually holding both belts at the same time.
Just a few minutes ago, "The Natural" Randy Couture challenged "The Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia for the UFC Heavyweight belt. Most predicted a first or second round knockout by Sylvia due to his overwhelming size and reach advantage. The rather unpopular champ had a 6-inch height advantage and about a foot in reach advantage. In addition he went in about 13 years younger than the 43-year-old Couture. If ever Captain America was to have a chance at winning he'd have to take the fight to the ground with his Olympic-level wrestling. Well Randy Couture won via unanimous decision in a very inspiring performance, and as expected dominated the ground with punches that would eventually swell shut Sylvia's left eye. What nobody expected was for The Natural to dominate the stand-up portion of the match as well. With greatly improved boxing, Couture moved his head up and around taking very few punches from Sylvia for the entire 25 minutes. Hell a few seconds into the first round it looked almost over when Couture floored Sylvia with a huge right.
Pride 33 was a much better card than UFC 68, with only 1 bout going to the judges. The upset-filled show was full of amazing finishes. However, there was just something amazing about the title match at UFC 68 that made it so exciting and so important. Randy Couture's title win was just moving. To make an analogy with the 2007 Oscars, Pride 33 is (so far this year) The Departed (Best Picture) while UFC 68 is The Last King of Scotland (Best Actor).
Anyhow I'm pretty sure Team Quest will have plenty of new recruits. Dan Henderson being the Pride world welterweight and new middleweight champion and former UFC light heavyweight champion Randy Couture becoming the new world heavyweight champion. Dan and Randy are phenomenal wrestlers who also have great striking. These two are sure to tower over their organizations in the US and Japan for now.
Last Saturday, Dan "Hollywood" Henderson, Pride welterweight champion challenged Wanderlei Silva for the latter's middleweight belt. Henderson knocked out Silva in the third round. He would join Team Quest stablemate Randy Couture as the only fighters to hold belts in two different weight classes. In Dan's case though, he's actually holding both belts at the same time.
Just a few minutes ago, "The Natural" Randy Couture challenged "The Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia for the UFC Heavyweight belt. Most predicted a first or second round knockout by Sylvia due to his overwhelming size and reach advantage. The rather unpopular champ had a 6-inch height advantage and about a foot in reach advantage. In addition he went in about 13 years younger than the 43-year-old Couture. If ever Captain America was to have a chance at winning he'd have to take the fight to the ground with his Olympic-level wrestling. Well Randy Couture won via unanimous decision in a very inspiring performance, and as expected dominated the ground with punches that would eventually swell shut Sylvia's left eye. What nobody expected was for The Natural to dominate the stand-up portion of the match as well. With greatly improved boxing, Couture moved his head up and around taking very few punches from Sylvia for the entire 25 minutes. Hell a few seconds into the first round it looked almost over when Couture floored Sylvia with a huge right.
Pride 33 was a much better card than UFC 68, with only 1 bout going to the judges. The upset-filled show was full of amazing finishes. However, there was just something amazing about the title match at UFC 68 that made it so exciting and so important. Randy Couture's title win was just moving. To make an analogy with the 2007 Oscars, Pride 33 is (so far this year) The Departed (Best Picture) while UFC 68 is The Last King of Scotland (Best Actor).
Anyhow I'm pretty sure Team Quest will have plenty of new recruits. Dan Henderson being the Pride world welterweight and new middleweight champion and former UFC light heavyweight champion Randy Couture becoming the new world heavyweight champion. Dan and Randy are phenomenal wrestlers who also have great striking. These two are sure to tower over their organizations in the US and Japan for now.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
UFC Fodder No. 2 for Cro Cop and Suspensions
The UFC is set to have a show at the United Kingdom on April 20 as read on MMA Weekly. Among the matches for UFC 70 is Mirko Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga. This won't exactly be easy as Gonzaga has a 7-1 record and is undefeated in the UFC. His only MMA loss is to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) champion, Fabricio Werdum. Although Cro Cop is already a heavy favorite to win the heavyweight bout in Manchester, England he appears to have another advantage. The BJJ blackbelt on Cro Cop Squad, who coaches his team on grappling is Werdum himself. Expect another KO or TKO win for Mirko after stuffing takedown attempts from Gonzaga.
In other news, a former UFC heavyweight champion has been suspended at least one year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). According to Sherdog, Kevin Randleman provided a fake urine sample at Pride's first US show last October. Also suspended was Thiago Alves, a winner at UFC 66. Meanwhile Gilbert Yvel, a dirty fighter known for holding the ropes, eye gouging and even punching referees was not surprisingly refused a license by the NSAC. For more details check out Sherdog.
In other news, a former UFC heavyweight champion has been suspended at least one year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). According to Sherdog, Kevin Randleman provided a fake urine sample at Pride's first US show last October. Also suspended was Thiago Alves, a winner at UFC 66. Meanwhile Gilbert Yvel, a dirty fighter known for holding the ropes, eye gouging and even punching referees was not surprisingly refused a license by the NSAC. For more details check out Sherdog.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Elite XC Has 1st Show
Elite XC finally debuted on Showtime (the cable channel in the US that airs The L Word and Dexter, among other edgy programs). The main event being hyped for several weeks was supposedly the continuation of a family rivalry. Royce Gracie choked out Ken Shamrock using his gi at the inaugural UFC pay-per-view. Years later, Ken and Royce fought to a time-limit draw. Ken's brother Frank knocked out Cesar Gracie at Strikeforce 11 months ago. Last Saturday night, Elite XC wished to remind viewers of these matches by bringing out Frank Shamrock, former UFC middleweight champion, to fight Renzo Gracie, former ADCC champion and Pride veteran. As the main event started, Frank controlled the stand-up portion until Renzo took him down twice, seemingly with ease and controlled the match from there. This repeated once again in round 2. Unfortunately Shamrock kneed Gracie twice in the back of the head from beneath the side mount. This gave Renzo a concussion but was also illegal in all U.S. state atheletic commissions. Frank Shamrock was subsequently disqualified ending the main event of the first Elite XC show anticlimactically. (Knees and soccer kicks to a downed opponent are legal over in Japan at Pride FC, however.)
Fortunately one of the undercard matches really stood out. For what may be a first in a major US MMA promotion, a women's match was held. The mostly stand-up affair was between Julie Kedzie and a surprisingly easy-on-the-eyes Gina Carano. Carano, a Muay Thai practitioner, won via unanimous decision.
Click here or here for full results and photos of Elite XC Destiny.
Fortunately one of the undercard matches really stood out. For what may be a first in a major US MMA promotion, a women's match was held. The mostly stand-up affair was between Julie Kedzie and a surprisingly easy-on-the-eyes Gina Carano. Carano, a Muay Thai practitioner, won via unanimous decision.
Click here or here for full results and photos of Elite XC Destiny.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Cro Cop's Injuries and Next Fight
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic just debuted in the United States at UFC 67 last weekend, coming out to the opening theme of Pride FC for his own reasons. According to MMAWeekly he had some injuries going into that bout. Around 20 days prior to his match with Eddie Sanchez, Mirko apparently had problems with his feet and left leg which were "nothing too serious" though. He did however, have his left leg (cemetery) drained at a clinic and considered cancelling his U.S. debut. From the looks of that fight at UFC 67, it was clear that the only problems Cro Cop had was securing a clean KO. Sanchez kept running, usually to Eddie's left so as not to get decapitated by Mirko's patented left high kick.
His next fight will be "in Manchester on April 20th." No news yet as to who will be fed to the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix champion.
His next fight will be "in Manchester on April 20th." No news yet as to who will be fed to the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix champion.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Mirko Filipović - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mirko Filipović - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipović (born on September 10, 1974) is a Croatian kickboxer turned mixed martial artist . Filipović is among the few martial artists who have been highly successful in fighting in both K-1 and PRIDE Fighting Championships. On September 10, 2006, he won the PRIDE 2006 Open-weight Grand Prix.
Filipović is perhaps best-known for his left high-kicks, the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal; upon impact with the head, numerous opponents have been knocked out instantly.
He currently lives in Zagreb with his wife Klaudija and son Ivan.
In December 2006, it was announced that he had signed a six-fight contract with the U.S.-based Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts organization, and would make his U.S. debut in February 2007."
TRADEMARK FIGHTING STYLE
Filipović is renowned for his devastating left high roundhouse kick which he has used to knock out many of his opponents. Filipović also employs ferocious low leg kicks, body kicks, and punches to the body and head. His legs are arguably the most dangerous in MMA today. His kicks have become ever stronger over the years, due to working on his thigh muscles with weights and body weight exercises. His thighs have gotten so impressive that he is known in Japan as "Meaty Thighs." He often spurns longer combinations for solitary strikes intended to finish an opponent instantly. Filipović is also a very keen strategist. He often counterstrikes against larger opponents and attacks aggressively against similarly sized or smaller opponents. Submission specialists and wrestlers are considered to pose the greatest threat to Filipović. In defending against those fighting styles, Filipović possesses excellent takedown defense, also making good use of a defensive guard while down. Furthermore, as time has gone on, he has also improved his ground fighting as well as his submission fighting, training with the likes of Fabricio Werdum and members of his Cro Cop Squad Gym.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CAREER
Filipović started his professional career in 1996 as a kickboxer, following the footsteps of his compatriot Branko Cikatić. At the time, Filipović was working as a commando in the Croatian police anti-terrorist unit Alpha (stationed in Lučko near Zagreb), which earned him his nickname Cro Cop. He also fought several times early in his career under the nickname Tigar (Croatian for "tiger").
EXTERNAL LINKS
"Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipović (born on September 10, 1974) is a Croatian kickboxer turned mixed martial artist . Filipović is among the few martial artists who have been highly successful in fighting in both K-1 and PRIDE Fighting Championships. On September 10, 2006, he won the PRIDE 2006 Open-weight Grand Prix.
Filipović is perhaps best-known for his left high-kicks, the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal; upon impact with the head, numerous opponents have been knocked out instantly.
He currently lives in Zagreb with his wife Klaudija and son Ivan.
In December 2006, it was announced that he had signed a six-fight contract with the U.S.-based Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts organization, and would make his U.S. debut in February 2007."
TRADEMARK FIGHTING STYLE
Filipović is renowned for his devastating left high roundhouse kick which he has used to knock out many of his opponents. Filipović also employs ferocious low leg kicks, body kicks, and punches to the body and head. His legs are arguably the most dangerous in MMA today. His kicks have become ever stronger over the years, due to working on his thigh muscles with weights and body weight exercises. His thighs have gotten so impressive that he is known in Japan as "Meaty Thighs." He often spurns longer combinations for solitary strikes intended to finish an opponent instantly. Filipović is also a very keen strategist. He often counterstrikes against larger opponents and attacks aggressively against similarly sized or smaller opponents. Submission specialists and wrestlers are considered to pose the greatest threat to Filipović. In defending against those fighting styles, Filipović possesses excellent takedown defense, also making good use of a defensive guard while down. Furthermore, as time has gone on, he has also improved his ground fighting as well as his submission fighting, training with the likes of Fabricio Werdum and members of his Cro Cop Squad Gym.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CAREER
Filipović started his professional career in 1996 as a kickboxer, following the footsteps of his compatriot Branko Cikatić. At the time, Filipović was working as a commando in the Croatian police anti-terrorist unit Alpha (stationed in Lučko near Zagreb), which earned him his nickname Cro Cop. He also fought several times early in his career under the nickname Tigar (Croatian for "tiger").
K-1
In 1996, at the age of 21, Filipović entered the K-1 Grand Prix elimination tournament. After defeating the previous year's finalist, Jérôme Le Banner, Filipović was stopped in the next round by Ernesto Hoost. He returned to K-1 three years later in 1999, knocking out British fighter, Ricky "Tank" Nicholson, but subsequently dropping a decision against Swiss fighter, Xhavit Bajrami. Despite this, Filipović was given a wildcard into the world tournament where he shocked the kickboxing world by destroying highly regarded K-1 fighter Mike Bernardo in what many K-1 fans regard as one of the biggest upset victories in K-1 history. Filipović then went on to knock out Japanese star Musashi and Australian karate fighter Sam Greco on the same night before being stopped again by Hoost.
Filipović continued to have successes in K-1, winning a number of matches against such top ranked opponents as Peter Aerts, Mark Hunt and Remy Bonjasky He was the first fighter to KO then-undefeated giant, "The Beast" Bob Sapp in 86 seconds, breaking Sapp's orbital bone with a left punch. In 2000 he beat karate fighter Glaube Feitosa and boxer Hiromi Amada to reach the finals of the Nagoya Grand Prix, losing by first-round TKO to Mike Bernardo in a rematch. Once again, previously acquired injuries was the major factor in this loss. Mirko actually entered the ring limping on one leg due to injuries sustained in previous bouts. Bernardo repeatedly attacked Mirko's damaged leg and rendered the Croatian unable to continue due to injuries. Mirko however gained tremendous respect among Japanese fight enthusiasts for his courage and heart. As a finalist he progressed to the final eight for the 2000 Grand Prix, but once again dropped a decision to his nemesis Hoost. In 2001 he was unexpectedly knocked out by Canadian fighter Michael McDonald in the first round. Shortly thereafter, he switched to Pride FC.
PRIDE FC
In 2001, Filipović began his switch to fighting in PRIDE, citing personal challenge, as well as dissatisfaction with K-1 salaries. A year later, he also left his job at the anti-terrorist unit in order to focus fully on his martial arts career. Since then, Filipović maintained a comparably low kickboxing profile, but nevertheless scored some impressive K-1 victories, most notably against Mark Hunt in March 2002 (unanimous decision), Remy Bonjasky in July 2002 (2nd round TKO), and Bob Sapp in April 2003 (1st round KO).
CroCop's string of PRIDE wins secured him a chance to fight for the interim heavyweight champion title against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in November 2003. Filipović's stand-up fighting proved effective in the first round, controlling the fight from his feet. However, Nogueira prevailed in the second round after a successful takedown, forcing Filipović to submit to an armbar after being mounted. Filipović admitted to Bas Rutten in a later interview that he was overconfident against Nogueira.
In 2004, Filipović put his K-1 career on hold, and recruited Fabricio Werdum (a former world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) as his coach, working on improving his ground fighting skills. At the PRIDE GP heavyweight tournament in 2004, he was knocked out in a shocking upset defeat in the first round by Kevin Randleman. Filipović later made up for this loss by submitting Randleman in a rematch at the end of 2004.
Filipović repeatedly requested PRIDE to let him challenge the heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. After winning seven straight matches since his defeat by Randleman, including a knock-out victory against Aleksander Emelianenko (the 6'6", 255 lb brother of the champion), Filipović received a chance to fight Emelianenko for the title on August 28, 2005 at Pride's Final Conflict 2005 event. After three rounds, Emelianenko won by unanimous decision and retained his title. Emelianenko, considered by many to be the best MMA fighter the world has ever seen, admitted Filipović to be his toughest opponent to date. Filipović later said on Croatian national television that he came exhausted to the match, mostly because he couldn't get used to the time difference in Japan and sleeping problems he had. The champion, likewise, was not in his top form. According to Fedor’s official website he was to begin preparations for surgery to reset bones in his previously hurt right hand the morning after the title fight with Mirko. According to Fedor he “could not take full advantage of right hand during the striking exchanges and had to try to close the distance”.
On October 23, 2005, less than two months after the loss to Emelianenko, Mirko stepped back into the ring to rematch open weight King of Pancrase Josh Barnett (at an event fittingly named 'Starting Over'). After three rounds, Filipović received a unanimous judges' decision victory.
On December 31, 2005, Filipović lost his match against Mark Hunt via split decision. Hunt was the more aggressive fighter, an important criterion in Pride judging. Quite unusually Mirko was wearing shoes for this fight, something that had no precedent. This had led to speculation and statements from his camp about Mirko having sustained injuries to his feet before the fight. Filipović himself has never confirmed these speculations. Also, Mirko had displayed considerable problems with his cardio during his fights with Emelianenko, Barnett and Hunt leading to the speculation that he was much too active and a resting period from the ring would work to his advantage.
Filipović re-entered the PRIDE FC ring competing in PRIDE's 2006 Open Weight tournament on May 5, 2006. His first match at the Total Elimination Absolute event was against Ikuhisa Minowa, the lighter but highly acclaimed pro-wrestler and Mixed Martial Artist. Mirko won the fight with devastating punches and ground and pound resulting in a TKO victory in 1 minute 10 seconds of the 1st round. On July 1, 2006 at the Critical Countdown Absolute event Mirko defeated 1992 Olympic judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida when the judoka submitted after a series of brutal leg kicks left him unable to stand.
On September 10, 2006, Filipović won the Open Weight Grand Prix at PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute. In the semi-finals, Filipović knocked out the PRIDE Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva with his trademark left high kick. [1] In the final match, Cro Cop won a third victory over Josh Barnett, who submitted after sustaining an eye injury. With these two overwhelming victories, Filipović became PRIDE's Open-Weight Grand Prix champion, the first widely recognized championship belt he has ever won. In a post-fight interview Mirko stated if he had not won the tournament, it would have been his last night fighting. It was also his birthday.
Move to UFC
After his victory at the OWGP, a rematch between Filipović and Fedor Emelianenko failed to materialize and on December 12, 2006 Filipović pulled out of the New Year's Eve event, citing both a foot injury and Emelianenko's commitment to meet Mark Hunt at the card in question. Through his official website, Mirko revealed, "I still can't kick like I want to. It's the best that we give more time to this injury to heal. I want to be in perfect shape for my next fights." [2]
Also in December 2006, rumors began surface about Filipović entertaining offers from other mixed martial arts organizations; the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was one of the promotions that Filipović confirmed came forward with an offer. [3] Rumors continued to circulate about Filipović's future with the PRIDE FC organization, and soon, media websites were reporting that Filipović had chosen the UFC for his future. [4]
UFC president Dana White and the UFC officially announced on December 30, during the post-UFC 66 press conference at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, that Filipović had signed a two-year, six-fight deal with the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts promoter. [5] It was also announced that Filipović will make his U.S. debut on February 3 at UFC 67 in Las Vegas against Eddie Sanchez, promoting him under the name Mirko "Cro Cop".
SEE ALSOEXTERNAL LINKS
"Mirko Cro Cop - Here Comes The Hammer
UFC® : Ultimate Fighting Championship®:"Mirko Cro Cop - Here Comes The Hammer
By Thomas Gerbasi
His facial expression rarely changes as he stalks his foes, right leg forward in a southpaw stance, left hand cocked for a fast and straight punch that can either knock you out or stun you long enough for his true weapon to be unleashed – the one that you know is eventually coming.
And when that left kick comes, like a Roger Clemens fastball – high, hard, and designed to rattle you – you can do one of a number of things. You can try to run away, but it’s usually too late for that. You can duck, though the size of his leg is never more evident than when the bottom of his calf is destroying your equilibrium by clipping the top of your head. You can try to block it, but that can result in knocking yourself out from the force of the blow.
Your last resort? Take it and pray for the best. But eight times out of ten, taking this left kick to the head provides a first class ticket to the canvas and unconsciousness. If you don’t get knocked out, well, you’re one of the few.
Welcome to the world of Mirko Cro Cop.
Stone-faced and deadly, the 32-year old native of Vinkovci, Croatia is not only one of the most intimidating figures in combat sports today, he is one of mixed martial arts’ premier heavyweights, and on Saturday, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, he will finally bring his talents to the Octagon when he faces unbeaten Eddie Sanchez at UFC 67. For fight fans in the States, it might as well be a national holiday for all the hype and anticipation surrounding his arrival. But Cro Cop (nicknamed as such because of his former day job as a member of the Croatian anti-terrorist unit ATJ LUCKO) is not about to let the stress of his UFC debut get to him.
“No, there’s no extra pressure,” he said. “I'm in shape and ready.”
That’s bad news for Sanchez and the rest of the heavyweight division, because when he’s on top of his game, the results are frightening. A former kickboxer who began training to compete in the K-1 organization back in 1994, Cro Cop made his pro debut in 1996 at the age of 21 and over the next seven years he fought the elite of the sport, beating, among others, Jerome LeBanner, Peter Aerts, Mark Hunt, and Remy Bonjasky.
In 2001, Cro Cop made his first inroads into MMA when he stopped Kazuyuki Fujita, and later that year he entered the Pride organization in Japan and started a reign of terror that saw him compile a 21-4-2 MMA record while knocking out, stopping, or submitting the likes of Heath Herring, Igor Vovchanchyn, Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Mark Coleman, and Kevin Randleman. And though Cro Cop would fall short of the Pride title when he was decisioned by Fedor Emelianenko in 2005, his last stop in Japan saw him win the organization’s Open Weight Grand Prix tournament by walking through Ikuhisa Minowa, Hidehiko Yoshida, Silva, and Barnett in successive bouts.
How do you top that? You come to America and try to repeat your success here, and through the efforts of UFC President Dana White - who describes Cro Cop as “the most devastating striker I’ve ever seen, second to none,” and “a heavyweight Chuck Liddell” - the Croatian has been inked to a six fight UFC deal.
Like Liddell, Cro Cop isn’t the type to be searching for the spotlight or captivating reporters with hours of snappy soundbites. He’s a fighter, he loves fighting, and as far as the other obligations that come with that, he’s a polite but private sort, content to simply train, respect his opponents, and let his performance do the talking.
In the Octagon, Cro Cop will have to adjust from fighting in a ring in Japan, but with his stellar takedown defense, it will take a solid gameplan and world-class wrestling skills
And as far as standup goes, the Zagreb resident has few peers, though against Sanchez he will be facing a young gun with dynamite in his right hand and the knowledge that his life and career will be forever altered in a positive manner if he can catch the Croatian napping and score the upset.
Cro Cop insists that he is wide awake and ready for anything Sanchez brings.
“I have only seen one tape of him,” said Cro Cop of Sanchez. “He is a young fighter with a clean record, waiting for a big break. But I'll never underestimate anyone.”
That means Cro Cop will enter each fight as if he’s fighting Godzilla, regardless of his opponent’s size, skill, power, speed, or pedigree. And as far as he’s concerned, there is no truth to critics’ assertions that the UFC heavyweight division is thin and in need of the type of life only he can bring.
“Who can say that it is a weak division,” said Cro Cop. “There will always be someone totally unknown to appear all of a sudden from somewhere we never expected.”
Just ask Jake O’Brien, who last Thursday came out of nowhere to upset highly regarded Heath Herring, who like Cro Cop, came from great success in Japan and was expected to use his UFC debut as a springboard to big things in the division.
“That is the nature of our business,” said Cro Cop, who in 2003 was elected to the Croatian Parliament. “Especially, the way it is growing, the UFC will be attracting every tough guy in the world to start training for MMA. We'll encounter a new threat every day, and that's what keeps my motivation high to keep on training every day.”
Of course, the tough guy at the top of the UFC ladder is champion Tim Sylvia, who despite criticism for back-to-back decision wins in his defenses against Andrei Arlovski and Jeff Monson, is one of the best heavyweights in the world, has concussive power in his right hand, great stamina, and is underrated on the ground. Plus, you can’t teach 6 foot 8, 260 pounds.
“He is the reigning heavyweight champion of the UFC, and I should respect him for that,” said Cro Cop of Sylvia. “It's not easy to become the champion in any ring or cage. I know that for a fact. He must have worked harder, and spilled more sweat and blood than his rivals, that's why he is there at the top. Nobody should discredit him for his effort and determination and I'm looking forward to meeting him in the Octagon.”
If it happens this year, it may end up being the biggest fight of the year and a career-defining bout for both fighters. Will it happen? Well, Sylvia has Randy Couture to contend with in March and Cro Cop has Eddie Sanchez to deal with this Saturday. Anything after that is purely speculation, but rest assured, the pride of Croatia is ready for his UFC close-up.
“To start fighting in the UFC, especially in the Octagon, is a brand new challenge,” said Cro Cop. “I'm highly motivated because of that.”
It’s going to be a fun year.
Silva Submits Lutter; Cro Cop and Rampage Score TKOs at UFC 67
UFC® : Ultimate Fighting Championship®
By Thomas Gerbasi
LAS VEGAS, February 3 – Travis Lutter not only lost a chance at the UFC Middleweight Championship and disappointed fight fans at the Mandalay Bay Events Center by coming in overweight for his UFC 67 main event bout tonight, he also succeeded in making the champion, Anderson Silva, angry, resulting in a second round submission win for ‘The Spider’, who survived some rocky first round moments to move to 3-0 in the Octagon and 18-4 overall.
“I’m a standup fighter, but my jiu-jitsu skills can stand up to anyone in the weight class,” said Silva, whose first two UFC wins – over Rich Franklin and Chris Leben – were by first round stoppages. “You saw that by what I did to Travis Lutter.”
The fight was no walk in the park for the champion though.
Greeted with boos for his failure to make weight, Lutter stalked and looked for a takedown early on while Silva effortlessly moved away and out of danger. Trying for a flying knee moments later, Silva’s attack was muffled by Lutter, who got the takedown of the off-balance Brazilian. Put to the mat for the first time in his UFC tenure, Silva fought off Lutter’s attack and stood up, only to have the Texan grab his foot and put him down again. This time, Lutter was more aggressive offensively, but so was Silva, as he fought back from the bottom. Eventually, with one minute left, Lutter got to side control and then to the full mount. Lutter pounded away, but Silva weathered the storm and stood up, drawing a roar from the crowd. Lutter stayed on the mat, drawing boos as the round ended.
Lutter opened the second with another takedown, but this time Silva responded with a kick to the head from the ground. Visibly hurt, Lutter fell into Silva’s triangle choke attempt and the champion pounded away with both hands until Luttter was forced to tap out at the 2:11 mark.
With the defeat, Lutter – who blew his guaranteed title shot after winning the fourth season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ reality show by coming in at 186.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the middleweight limit – falls to 12-4.
With the flags of his native Croatia waving in the crowd, heavyweight superstar Mirko Cro Cop made his long-awaited UFC debut and delivered in style for his legion of fans, stopping previously unbeaten Eddie Sanchez in the first round of a scheduled three rounder.
Cro Cop, arriving in the UFC after a stellar career in Japan for the K-1 and Pride organizations, wasted no time getting down to business, landing two stiff left punches and a kick to the midsection as he eluded Sanchez’ initial lunges. The two then traded punches as the Croatian continued to stalk, eventually grazing Sanchez with a left high kick that still made an audible thump.
Looking amateurish with his wild swings, Sanchez continued to backpedal as Cro Cop moved forward with bad intentions. With 1:35 left, Cro Cop stunned Sanchez with a high left kick, and his follow-up attack put the Californian on the mat. Cro Cop quickly got into the mounted position and opened fire, with referee Steve Mazzagatti wisely pulling the 32-year old Zagreb resident off his game foe at the 4:33 mark.
With the win, Cro Cop improves to 22-4-2. Sanchez falls to 8-1
In the other highly-anticipated Octagon debut, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson didn’t announce his arrival to the UFC with one of his trademark slams, but he was on target with his punches, knocking out the first man to defeat him, Marvin Eastman, in the second round of their light heavyweight bout.
“Tonight is the most I’ve ever been nervous in my whole career,” said Jackson, who lost via decision to Eastman in 2000. Since then, the Memphis native went on to great success in Japan’s Pride organization before signing with the UFC late last year.
When Jackson made his initial walk to the UFC Octagon, complete with his trademark howls, the Mandalay Bay crowd roared, but the cheers turned to boos in a mostly tentative first round that didn’t get the fans going again until the final minute, when Jackson finally let his hands go and jarred Eastman twice, first with a right uppercut and then with a left hook.
“That was the first time I’ve ever been booed,” said Jackson. “I’m sorry about that, but I had some jitters to work out.”
In the second, perhaps buoyed by his late round success, Jackson moved in for the finish, landing four right uppercuts to the jaw that sent Eastman down to the canvas hard. Referee John McCarthy quickly stepped in after ‘Rampage’s follow-up, halting the bout at the 3:49 mark.
“Marvin’s my brother, I love him, but now was the time for black on black crime,” joked the always entertaining Jackson, who improves to 26-6. Eastman falls to 13-7-1.
Roger ‘El Matador’ Huerta played the bull in his lightweight swing bout against UFC newcomer John Halverson, halting ‘The Hurricane’ in 19 seconds.
After
a quick scramble, Halverson went to the mat and Huerta landed a knee to the shoulder and quickly grabbed his foe’s back as the Iowan covered up. A series of unanswered blows brought in referee Yves Lavigne for the stoppage. Huerta ups his record to 18-1-1. Halverson drops to 13-5.
Patrick Cote earned his first proper UFC victory in his fifth try, scoring a shutout three round decision over Scott Smith in a middleweight bout.
“I have my first big win in the UFC, finally,” said Cote (10-4), who made it to ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ 4 final last November, but had never won a UFC match outside of the TUF4 series, losing to Tito Ortiz, Joe Doerksen, Chris Leben, and Travis Lutter.
Cote was the aggressor early as Smith (12-3) calmly looked to counter. With two minutes left in the opening round, Cote slammed Smith to the mat and tried to pound out the win, but the Californian survived and quickly got back to his feet. Smith seemed to be one step behind Cote throughout the fast-paced round though, unable to truly get on track.
Keeping the work rate high, Cote staggered Smith badly with a right hand in round two, but the Canadian, wary of rushing in on his hurt foe after seeing Pete Sell getting knocked out last November for the same mistake, back off as Smith got his legs back, showboating to emphasize the point.
With the fight hanging in the balance, Smith made a few last ditch efforts to finish Cote in the third round, hurting him briefly with a punch while the two battled against the fence, but it was to be his last stand as Cote stifled Smith’s final attacks en route to the clear-cut victory.
Former light heavyweight Terry Martin made quite an impression in his middleweight debut, knocking out Jorge Rivera in a mere 14 seconds.
“I’m the hardest hitting 185-pounder out here,” said Martin, 17-2. “I’m coming for my title real soon.”
Rivera (14-6) began the bout with a right high kick, but Martin immediately grabbed his foe’s leg and came over the top with a right to the temple which dropped the New Englander. Martin’s follow-up flurry was halted by referee Herb Dean, and a new name was added to the middleweight mix.
Unbeaten but unheralded lightweight Frankie Edgar handed highly regarded Tyson Griffin his first loss in their preliminary bout, winning a hard fought three round unanimous decision.
Scores were 29-28 (twice) and 30-27 for the 6-0 Edgar. Griffin falls to 8-1.
Though fairly unknown in UFC circles, Edgar made it obvious that he came to win as he took the favored Griffin to the mat and survived a thunderous slam to rack up an impressive first round in the Octagon.
Griffin stunned Edgar on two occasions early in round two, with the New Jersey fighter opting for the takedown to get out of trouble. And while Griffin appeared to be controlling the action on the mat, just when Edgar seemed to be fading, he would come back, ending the round in the full mount position as he attempted to ground and pound his way to victory.
With the crowd firmly in his corner, Edgar again took a visibly winded Griffin down and also opened up with both hands while standing in an attempt to close the show in style. And though Griffin attempted to finish with a submission in the final seconds, as the round ticked away, it was Edgar pounding on Griffin’s leg in time with the clock, drawing a roar with each shot.
Brazil’s Lyoto Machida made a low-key UFC debut with a three round unanimous decision win over Sam Hoger in a light heavyweight preliminary bout.
In an interesting first round, Machida – who owns wins over Rich Franklin, BJ Penn, and Stephan Bonnar - scored the big shot of the frame as he dropped Hoger with a left hand, but ‘The Alaskan Assassin’ shook off the cobwebs and made a fight of it as he tried to control matters on the mat. Machida’s leg kicks started to take a toll in the second as he scored repeatedly and then put his opponent on the mat with a couple of well-placed knees while in the clinch. With under a minute to go in the second stanza, Machida opened up on his foe while on the ground, but again, Hoger was able to weather the storm and make it to the bell. The third was fairly uneventful, with Machida continuing to control the action both standing and on the mat as he pounded out the lopsided decision win.
“It was a satisfying victory and I hope that the American fans liked what they saw,” said Machida, now 9-0. “Sam was very predictable. I spent a lot of time watching tape and that definitely paid off tonight.”
Lightweight prospect Dustin Hazelett opened the UFC 67 festivities in victorious fashion with a shutout three round unanimous decision over late replacement Diego Saraiva.
Scores were 30-27 across the board for Hazelett, who controlled the fight from the outset behind his superior striking - both standing and on the mat, as Saraiva – who stepped in for the injured Melvin Guillard - showed no semblance of an offensive attack over the course of the 15 minute bout.
By Thomas Gerbasi
LAS VEGAS, February 3 – Travis Lutter not only lost a chance at the UFC Middleweight Championship and disappointed fight fans at the Mandalay Bay Events Center by coming in overweight for his UFC 67 main event bout tonight, he also succeeded in making the champion, Anderson Silva, angry, resulting in a second round submission win for ‘The Spider’, who survived some rocky first round moments to move to 3-0 in the Octagon and 18-4 overall.
“I’m a standup fighter, but my jiu-jitsu skills can stand up to anyone in the weight class,” said Silva, whose first two UFC wins – over Rich Franklin and Chris Leben – were by first round stoppages. “You saw that by what I did to Travis Lutter.”
The fight was no walk in the park for the champion though.
Greeted with boos for his failure to make weight, Lutter stalked and looked for a takedown early on while Silva effortlessly moved away and out of danger. Trying for a flying knee moments later, Silva’s attack was muffled by Lutter, who got the takedown of the off-balance Brazilian. Put to the mat for the first time in his UFC tenure, Silva fought off Lutter’s attack and stood up, only to have the Texan grab his foot and put him down again. This time, Lutter was more aggressive offensively, but so was Silva, as he fought back from the bottom. Eventually, with one minute left, Lutter got to side control and then to the full mount. Lutter pounded away, but Silva weathered the storm and stood up, drawing a roar from the crowd. Lutter stayed on the mat, drawing boos as the round ended.
Lutter opened the second with another takedown, but this time Silva responded with a kick to the head from the ground. Visibly hurt, Lutter fell into Silva’s triangle choke attempt and the champion pounded away with both hands until Luttter was forced to tap out at the 2:11 mark.
With the defeat, Lutter – who blew his guaranteed title shot after winning the fourth season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ reality show by coming in at 186.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the middleweight limit – falls to 12-4.
With the flags of his native Croatia waving in the crowd, heavyweight superstar Mirko Cro Cop made his long-awaited UFC debut and delivered in style for his legion of fans, stopping previously unbeaten Eddie Sanchez in the first round of a scheduled three rounder.
Cro Cop, arriving in the UFC after a stellar career in Japan for the K-1 and Pride organizations, wasted no time getting down to business, landing two stiff left punches and a kick to the midsection as he eluded Sanchez’ initial lunges. The two then traded punches as the Croatian continued to stalk, eventually grazing Sanchez with a left high kick that still made an audible thump.
Looking amateurish with his wild swings, Sanchez continued to backpedal as Cro Cop moved forward with bad intentions. With 1:35 left, Cro Cop stunned Sanchez with a high left kick, and his follow-up attack put the Californian on the mat. Cro Cop quickly got into the mounted position and opened fire, with referee Steve Mazzagatti wisely pulling the 32-year old Zagreb resident off his game foe at the 4:33 mark.
With the win, Cro Cop improves to 22-4-2. Sanchez falls to 8-1
In the other highly-anticipated Octagon debut, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson didn’t announce his arrival to the UFC with one of his trademark slams, but he was on target with his punches, knocking out the first man to defeat him, Marvin Eastman, in the second round of their light heavyweight bout.
“Tonight is the most I’ve ever been nervous in my whole career,” said Jackson, who lost via decision to Eastman in 2000. Since then, the Memphis native went on to great success in Japan’s Pride organization before signing with the UFC late last year.
When Jackson made his initial walk to the UFC Octagon, complete with his trademark howls, the Mandalay Bay crowd roared, but the cheers turned to boos in a mostly tentative first round that didn’t get the fans going again until the final minute, when Jackson finally let his hands go and jarred Eastman twice, first with a right uppercut and then with a left hook.
“That was the first time I’ve ever been booed,” said Jackson. “I’m sorry about that, but I had some jitters to work out.”
In the second, perhaps buoyed by his late round success, Jackson moved in for the finish, landing four right uppercuts to the jaw that sent Eastman down to the canvas hard. Referee John McCarthy quickly stepped in after ‘Rampage’s follow-up, halting the bout at the 3:49 mark.
“Marvin’s my brother, I love him, but now was the time for black on black crime,” joked the always entertaining Jackson, who improves to 26-6. Eastman falls to 13-7-1.
Roger ‘El Matador’ Huerta played the bull in his lightweight swing bout against UFC newcomer John Halverson, halting ‘The Hurricane’ in 19 seconds.
After
Patrick Cote earned his first proper UFC victory in his fifth try, scoring a shutout three round decision over Scott Smith in a middleweight bout.
“I have my first big win in the UFC, finally,” said Cote (10-4), who made it to ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ 4 final last November, but had never won a UFC match outside of the TUF4 series, losing to Tito Ortiz, Joe Doerksen, Chris Leben, and Travis Lutter.
Cote was the aggressor early as Smith (12-3) calmly looked to counter. With two minutes left in the opening round, Cote slammed Smith to the mat and tried to pound out the win, but the Californian survived and quickly got back to his feet. Smith seemed to be one step behind Cote throughout the fast-paced round though, unable to truly get on track.
Keeping the work rate high, Cote staggered Smith badly with a right hand in round two, but the Canadian, wary of rushing in on his hurt foe after seeing Pete Sell getting knocked out last November for the same mistake, back off as Smith got his legs back, showboating to emphasize the point.
With the fight hanging in the balance, Smith made a few last ditch efforts to finish Cote in the third round, hurting him briefly with a punch while the two battled against the fence, but it was to be his last stand as Cote stifled Smith’s final attacks en route to the clear-cut victory.
Former light heavyweight Terry Martin made quite an impression in his middleweight debut, knocking out Jorge Rivera in a mere 14 seconds.
“I’m the hardest hitting 185-pounder out here,” said Martin, 17-2. “I’m coming for my title real soon.”
Rivera (14-6) began the bout with a right high kick, but Martin immediately grabbed his foe’s leg and came over the top with a right to the temple which dropped the New Englander. Martin’s follow-up flurry was halted by referee Herb Dean, and a new name was added to the middleweight mix.
Unbeaten but unheralded lightweight Frankie Edgar handed highly regarded Tyson Griffin his first loss in their preliminary bout, winning a hard fought three round unanimous decision.
Scores were 29-28 (twice) and 30-27 for the 6-0 Edgar. Griffin falls to 8-1.
Though fairly unknown in UFC circles, Edgar made it obvious that he came to win as he took the favored Griffin to the mat and survived a thunderous slam to rack up an impressive first round in the Octagon.
Griffin stunned Edgar on two occasions early in round two, with the New Jersey fighter opting for the takedown to get out of trouble. And while Griffin appeared to be controlling the action on the mat, just when Edgar seemed to be fading, he would come back, ending the round in the full mount position as he attempted to ground and pound his way to victory.
With the crowd firmly in his corner, Edgar again took a visibly winded Griffin down and also opened up with both hands while standing in an attempt to close the show in style. And though Griffin attempted to finish with a submission in the final seconds, as the round ticked away, it was Edgar pounding on Griffin’s leg in time with the clock, drawing a roar with each shot.
Brazil’s Lyoto Machida made a low-key UFC debut with a three round unanimous decision win over Sam Hoger in a light heavyweight preliminary bout.
In an interesting first round, Machida – who owns wins over Rich Franklin, BJ Penn, and Stephan Bonnar - scored the big shot of the frame as he dropped Hoger with a left hand, but ‘The Alaskan Assassin’ shook off the cobwebs and made a fight of it as he tried to control matters on the mat. Machida’s leg kicks started to take a toll in the second as he scored repeatedly and then put his opponent on the mat with a couple of well-placed knees while in the clinch. With under a minute to go in the second stanza, Machida opened up on his foe while on the ground, but again, Hoger was able to weather the storm and make it to the bell. The third was fairly uneventful, with Machida continuing to control the action both standing and on the mat as he pounded out the lopsided decision win.
“It was a satisfying victory and I hope that the American fans liked what they saw,” said Machida, now 9-0. “Sam was very predictable. I spent a lot of time watching tape and that definitely paid off tonight.”
Lightweight prospect Dustin Hazelett opened the UFC 67 festivities in victorious fashion with a shutout three round unanimous decision over late replacement Diego Saraiva.
Scores were 30-27 across the board for Hazelett, who controlled the fight from the outset behind his superior striking - both standing and on the mat, as Saraiva – who stepped in for the injured Melvin Guillard - showed no semblance of an offensive attack over the course of the 15 minute bout.
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