Watching two separate events tonight was fantastic, as there was rarely a moment when there wasn’t a fight going on. On the flip side of that is the fact that there were few fights that I could watch closely, so I know I missed some things. You can catch the full results here. Some observations from the evening:
Good gosh almighty, Fedor was amazing. He was frighteningly calm going into the ring, but the second that bell rang, Tim Sylvia’s night was over. He had textbook striking, a perfect takedown, and a perfect rear naked choke.
My favorite body part of the evening was Andrei Arlovski’s knee. That flying knee to Ben Rothwell’s head was the beginning of the end for Rothwell.
For Affliction being a clothing company, there were many wardrobe malfunctions. First, Mike Whitehead’s shorts were ripped in a very odd way. DH and I were very concerned that we were going to see a little bit too much of Mr. Whitehead. One friend said he looked like he got fired from Chippendales. Also, Josh Barnett’s shorts looked one size too small, causing Barnett to have a muffin top. Mixed martial artists should not have a muffin top.
When Anthony Johnson suffered that bizarre eye poke that caused him to lose, one of the guys at my table yelled “He poked him in the brain!” That’s pretty accurate.
I was so happy to see C.B. Dollaway win, and with the Peruvian necktie, nonetheless.
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Nascimento was the all-ugly fight of the night. Nascimento looked like an elephant. Or a bat. Or a rhinoceros.
I was very happy to see Brandon Vera get comfortable in a new weight class. With Anderson Silva’s win, I wonder if he is going to stick around at light heavyweight.
Joe Rogan needs a new shirt. I think I’ve seen this one about four times.
Because I was in a bar, it was tough to judge the overall Affliction production. I like the cage better than the ring, and Michael Buffer just doesn’t seem to fit. However, I enjoyed the overall show. It will be interesting to see where they go from here.
In the discussions I’ve read of this weekend’s fights, I keep reading the same theme. Those who watch Affliction are hardcore MMA fans, those who watch UFC Fight Night are only UFC fans, and not real MMA fans. Can’t a person be both?
I was introduced to MMA through the UFC, and most of my live MMA watching is limited to the UFC. I’ve watched plenty of Fedor on Youtube and DVDs, and am excited to see him fight in a non-circus match-up. On the other hand, I am familiar with many of the other Affliction fighters because of their experience with the UFC. Does that make me a bad MMA fan?
Though Saturday’s UFC fights are hardly blistering match-ups, some great fighters are going to be showcased. No matter who he fights, I always enjoy watching Anderson Silva’s all around dominance. Brandon Vera is in a must-win situation, and I am thrilled to get a chance to watch Cain Velasquez. Does this make me a bad MMA fan?
There is a tendency in the MMA world to vilify the UFC as the Evil Empire, which I guess would make Dana White Darth Vader. And possibly the Fertittas the Emperor, who looked a lot like my great-grandmother. Anyway. The reason that they’ve lasted so long is because no matter what, the product in the Octagon is, by and large, good. Is there anything wrong with an MMA fan watching that product instead of paying for Affliction?
By no means am I saying that the UFC is perfect, and competition is a good thing. Like I said, I am watching both shows this weekend. But can we stop with the subtle digs at the people who don’t?
