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MMA-UFC UFC 162: Anderson Silva vs. Weidman
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The Duke
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LOL at those suggesting on some MMA forums that Silva was throwing the fight.
Listening to the press conference, I can't understand why Dana is pushing the "Superfights won't happen now"!
Regardless, well done Chris. Full credit.
Listening to the press conference, I can't understand why Dana is pushing the "Superfights won't happen now"!
Regardless, well done Chris. Full credit.
- Moderator
- #53
the way the fight finished was always going to inspire conspiracy theories because its hard to believe anyone could be that arrogant, i think Silva is at a stage now where he is a little bored and wanted to test himself, either way it was beyond stupid. The post fight interview was incredibly bizarre as well. Awesome card all round well worth the $50
I guess Silva didn't get the memo that Weidman would be a really tough fight. I don't know if it's just because he lost or not but it seems like he had less respect for Weidman's stand up than anyone he's faced in the UFC, which is really really bizarre. Then again, if Silva won in highlight reel fashion we'd all be amazed like every other time.
He combined weird things he's done from other fights and then added more. The come fight me thing he did against Griffin, the back to the cage thing against Bonnar and then the wobbly knees pretending he's hurt thing which lead to the finish. The whole time the fight was standing he showed absolutely no respect for Weidman and he paid for it.
Full credit to Weidman though. He took advantage of the situation and put Silva away. He did well in the first round getting the takedown and being aggressive once he got Silva down. I saw it mentioned elsewhere before the fight and I think alfy mentioned it too; Weidman isn't going to simply control you and land some decent strikes like Sonnen did, he's going to be very aggressive which allows his opponent to escape. Silva escaped the leg lock attempt and got back to his feet.
The second round was going well for Silva aside from the weird stuff he was doing, prior to being caught that is. He stuffed a takedown and was landing more than Weidman and then he got caught.
I decided I was going to stay away from MMA sites after the fight because I knew whatever way it went there'd be lots of stupid s**t posted. This Silva throwing the fight theory is the perfect example of that.
He combined weird things he's done from other fights and then added more. The come fight me thing he did against Griffin, the back to the cage thing against Bonnar and then the wobbly knees pretending he's hurt thing which lead to the finish. The whole time the fight was standing he showed absolutely no respect for Weidman and he paid for it.
Full credit to Weidman though. He took advantage of the situation and put Silva away. He did well in the first round getting the takedown and being aggressive once he got Silva down. I saw it mentioned elsewhere before the fight and I think alfy mentioned it too; Weidman isn't going to simply control you and land some decent strikes like Sonnen did, he's going to be very aggressive which allows his opponent to escape. Silva escaped the leg lock attempt and got back to his feet.
The second round was going well for Silva aside from the weird stuff he was doing, prior to being caught that is. He stuffed a takedown and was landing more than Weidman and then he got caught.
Wow, people are talking about Silva throwing the fight. That's just as stupid as people saying that Uriah Hall lost on purpose to Gastelum. Actually, a lot more stupid because nobody is going to get knocked the * out if they're throwing the fight. If he was throwing the fight (LOL) he would have let Weidman have his leg when he went for it.
I decided I was going to stay away from MMA sites after the fight because I knew whatever way it went there'd be lots of stupid s**t posted. This Silva throwing the fight theory is the perfect example of that.
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Good post.
Maybe he is bored. Either way, I think it's incredibly stupid.
He doesn't need to showboat and take unnecessary risks to build upon or cement his legacy any further. I mean, for me, it's slightly annoying to see him lose his title in such a manner. A heavy focus on the lowering of his guard etc, plus as you stated adding to it, with the knee wobble, makes you wonder how the fight would have ended had he tried to finish it himself sooner.
In saying that, it's something he has done consistently, and we look on in amazement and praise him for it, when he pulls out a victory. I would have preferred to see a ruthless Silva and Weidman go toe to toe.
I read something along the lines of, "the left hook that clipped him wasn't anywhere near sufficient enough, and you can tell by the way in which he dropped (**** me), that he was willing to cop the barrage after it".
Maybe he is bored. Either way, I think it's incredibly stupid.
He doesn't need to showboat and take unnecessary risks to build upon or cement his legacy any further. I mean, for me, it's slightly annoying to see him lose his title in such a manner. A heavy focus on the lowering of his guard etc, plus as you stated adding to it, with the knee wobble, makes you wonder how the fight would have ended had he tried to finish it himself sooner.
In saying that, it's something he has done consistently, and we look on in amazement and praise him for it, when he pulls out a victory. I would have preferred to see a ruthless Silva and Weidman go toe to toe.
I read something along the lines of, "the left hook that clipped him wasn't anywhere near sufficient enough, and you can tell by the way in which he dropped (**** me), that he was willing to cop the barrage after it".
Will be interesting to see what silva does now. Especially if he does have 10 fights still under contract with the UFC.
Hunters Host #3
The Duke
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He would have to take the immediate rematch you would think. He stated at the presser, that he simply wanted 3-4 months away with the family.
Dana on the throwing the fight crap that was raised by reporters.
On Silva being disrespectful, which drew some laughs in between.
Dana on the throwing the fight crap that was raised by reporters.
On Silva being disrespectful, which drew some laughs in between.
Seeing this happen today - kinda feels like somebody has died. Out of Silva, Jones & GSP, Silva was probably my favourite and the P4P fighter I would least have wanted to see go down in a blaze of glory like this.
Where to now? It's hard to market superfights with someone who no longer seems invincible, the fairytale of Jones v Silva is over. all opponents have to do is block out his showboating, it begs the question of how many people actually got close to defeating him but were just shrugged off as irrelevant. Griffin's flurries coming forward springs to mind.
Maybe a no.1 contender with Silva v Belfort shapes as a god match? Belfort v Wiedman for the title would also be great to watch. Vitor may yet hold the MW belt before he retires afterall.
The superfight landscape has changed, I think more towards who Jones could fight at heavyweight ala. Cain/JDS.
Where to now? It's hard to market superfights with someone who no longer seems invincible, the fairytale of Jones v Silva is over. all opponents have to do is block out his showboating, it begs the question of how many people actually got close to defeating him but were just shrugged off as irrelevant. Griffin's flurries coming forward springs to mind.
Maybe a no.1 contender with Silva v Belfort shapes as a god match? Belfort v Wiedman for the title would also be great to watch. Vitor may yet hold the MW belt before he retires afterall.
The superfight landscape has changed, I think more towards who Jones could fight at heavyweight ala. Cain/JDS.
- Moderator
- #59
I agree with the thoughts that the left hook didn't have alot on it, but look at where Silva's head and body are, he relies on being able to absorb punches with his head movement (think of his neck like a rubber pole absorbing the power of the punch so his head and brain dont have to) the left hook that knocked Silva out had Silvas head position as far back as it could possibly go, when the head and neck cant go anywhere it only takes a tap to shake the brain around. Thats exactly what happened, Silva moved thinking Weidman would throw power right hands and he would be out of the way and Weidman threw a left hook, caught Silva right on the chin, Silvas head had nowhere to go and his lights went out, not to mention the punch on the ground would have knocked out a Rhino (or Dan Henderson).
Weidmans hook wasn't a power punch but Silva Zigged when he should have Zagged and paid the price.
Weidmans hook wasn't a power punch but Silva Zigged when he should have Zagged and paid the price.
100action
Norm Smith Medallist
heh I had that feel when Fedor got subbed, I was literally bummed/shocked for a week and went through the whole 5 stages of grief thing.
Blue and Silver
Brownlow Medallist
Exactly this.
He got caught flush on the chin to boot. There is no one who can't be knocked out, they're just usually better at not getting in positions where the job is to be frank is as easy as Silva made it with those sways
Crimson Azure
Premium Platinum
Sadly Widemans win feels hollow. He looked tentative in last minute of the first & the second after a great start to the first round. Silva looked in total control & stuffed two take-downs after Widemans successful first one. But Silva just wouldn't execute, he just kept playing around. I know hes done it before but this was next level stuffing around.
If he went in with the intent he did against Sonnen the second time, I think he wins the fight unless Wideman could keep the fight on the ground, which it was looking like Silva was able avoid the take-downs.
I hate that Widemans win will have an asterisks against it because he didn't actually have his opponent take the fight at all seriously. As was mentioned it really was like he put together all the showy things hes done & was even more ridiculous. But Wideman can only beat whats put in front of him & he did that. Sadly it was someone seemingly not in their right mind.
The way the fight went down left me angry.
Edgar was awesome & saved the night for me.
If he went in with the intent he did against Sonnen the second time, I think he wins the fight unless Wideman could keep the fight on the ground, which it was looking like Silva was able avoid the take-downs.
I hate that Widemans win will have an asterisks against it because he didn't actually have his opponent take the fight at all seriously. As was mentioned it really was like he put together all the showy things hes done & was even more ridiculous. But Wideman can only beat whats put in front of him & he did that. Sadly it was someone seemingly not in their right mind.
The way the fight went down left me angry.
Edgar was awesome & saved the night for me.
- Moderator
- #63
I have to say the card was all round awesome, Swanson v Siver would be fight of the night on most other cards, Kennedy v Gracie was pretty awful granted, Munoz v Boetsch was a good fight and Edgar v Oliviera was a barn burner. Add all that to the Weidman v Silva drama and it was awesome.
On another note, Weidman said in a post fight interview that he abandoned his strategy of wrestling Silva when Silva kept dropping his hands, said Silva got in his head and he decided to sling leather with him.
I don't think any win is hollow, you fight the man in the ring with you and Weidman did that and won, he can't control what Silva does, keep in mind what happened tonight could have happened in the Maia, Leites, Griffin, Bonnar and Sonnen fights, if any of those guys could have managed to do what Weidman did...
On another note, Weidman said in a post fight interview that he abandoned his strategy of wrestling Silva when Silva kept dropping his hands, said Silva got in his head and he decided to sling leather with him.
I don't think any win is hollow, you fight the man in the ring with you and Weidman did that and won, he can't control what Silva does, keep in mind what happened tonight could have happened in the Maia, Leites, Griffin, Bonnar and Sonnen fights, if any of those guys could have managed to do what Weidman did...
Yesterday I just had the main event on my mind; I was so disappointed and couldn't really believe what I’d seen. I'm really looking forward to seeing what’s next for Weidman, whether that be a rematch with Silva or a fight with another contender, probably Belfort if that were the case. The rest of the card was pretty good though.
Edgar/Oliveira was a great fight. The fight seemed like it was made to give Edgar a win after all those close title losses. That’s what happened in the end but it wasn’t easy despite the way the scorecards looked as Oliveira put up a terrific fight.
Swanson/Siver was another awesome fight. The way Swanson finished the fight was as Rogan pointed out, beautiful destruction, which is apparently what Swanson was aiming for.
Kennedy/Gracie was nothing special. Munoz/Boetsch was a good fight. I really enjoyed the back and forth wrestling/grappling exchanges in the first round. From then on Munoz took over and looked really impressive landing vicious ground and pound.
There were some good prelims too. I enjoyed all of them except for Craig/Leben. Parke looked good continually landing punches. Gonzaga dropped Herman and finished him very quickly. Barboza brutalised another person’s leg. Melancon looked great against a pretty good fighter in Baczynski which was a pleasant surprise. And Pierce looked like he was going to win a boring decision until he landed a big shot up against the cage to put Mitchell away.
Edgar/Oliveira was a great fight. The fight seemed like it was made to give Edgar a win after all those close title losses. That’s what happened in the end but it wasn’t easy despite the way the scorecards looked as Oliveira put up a terrific fight.
Swanson/Siver was another awesome fight. The way Swanson finished the fight was as Rogan pointed out, beautiful destruction, which is apparently what Swanson was aiming for.
Kennedy/Gracie was nothing special. Munoz/Boetsch was a good fight. I really enjoyed the back and forth wrestling/grappling exchanges in the first round. From then on Munoz took over and looked really impressive landing vicious ground and pound.
There were some good prelims too. I enjoyed all of them except for Craig/Leben. Parke looked good continually landing punches. Gonzaga dropped Herman and finished him very quickly. Barboza brutalised another person’s leg. Melancon looked great against a pretty good fighter in Baczynski which was a pleasant surprise. And Pierce looked like he was going to win a boring decision until he landed a big shot up against the cage to put Mitchell away.
Crimson Azure
Premium Platinum
Really intriguing fight if he was to face Belfort, I think the rematch is Silva's to take or not but I'd love to see Belfort face Wideman. I thought that Belfort was the second best 185 pound fighter behind Silva but now Wideman has the belt.
I think a Widemen/Belfort fight is a real 50/50 contest & would be an epic fight (TRT excluded please). Since 2007 Belfort has only lost to Silva (GOAT & a much better version than we saw last night) & Jones (at 205). If Belfort was to get the belt from Wideman I think it would give Silva huge motivation to get it back again. Belfort also has 7 KO's from the last 8 fights & all were finishes as the other was a sub.
Who dose everyone think wins Wideman v Belfort title fight?
Jay C
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We have seen that s**t from Anderson before but never to that extreme, he was like a parody of himself and pretty much fought (if you can call it that) like a suicidal mad man.
To me it is like he was looking for new ways to not only challenge himself further (like putting himself at a handicap) but also trying to find another way of shocking everyone that watches him fight. It was like 'ok you fighters and the public think Weidman has a chance, I'll show you why he is not on my level' by mocking him and trying to make him look second rate.
Either way the rematch is pretty much the only fight that makes sense for Silva as there will always be that question of what would really happen if he took the fight seriously.
To me it is like he was looking for new ways to not only challenge himself further (like putting himself at a handicap) but also trying to find another way of shocking everyone that watches him fight. It was like 'ok you fighters and the public think Weidman has a chance, I'll show you why he is not on my level' by mocking him and trying to make him look second rate.
Either way the rematch is pretty much the only fight that makes sense for Silva as there will always be that question of what would really happen if he took the fight seriously.
- Moderator
- #67
If its in Brazil and Belfort gets his TRT exemption Belfort wins IMO.
If its in the states and Belfort doesn't get his TRT Weidman wins IMO.
The fact that he can get a TRT exemption outside of the US but not inside the US makes me think he shouldn't be able to get one at all, but thats a whole other kettle of fish. Belfort is very very good and it would be a great fight but to me if he wins it sullies the belt and gives the UFC a very unpleasant situation, i like watching Belfort fight but he has the same rep for PED's etc as Overeem for me and thats not a good thing.
Aside from the punch that landed and the first takedown, I thought Weidman looked like an ammo standing with a ninja. I was basically counting the second until he wheel kicked him from the top of the cage or some such nonsense.
And then....that. ******* hell. I was torn between laughing because he deserved it (and he did deserve it) and being shattered that his era might be over. Watching a legend get embarrassed like that was shithouse. Can't knock Weidman at all, but he looked so ******* slow and out of his depth until that stupid s**t went down.
Olivera is a star, but happy for Edgar.
Swanson is a joy to watch.
Dennis Siver goes back to the German or Russian serial killer documentary, which is good.
And then....that. ******* hell. I was torn between laughing because he deserved it (and he did deserve it) and being shattered that his era might be over. Watching a legend get embarrassed like that was shithouse. Can't knock Weidman at all, but he looked so ******* slow and out of his depth until that stupid s**t went down.
Olivera is a star, but happy for Edgar.
Swanson is a joy to watch.
Dennis Siver goes back to the German or Russian serial killer documentary, which is good.
I've picked against Belfort lately, then he's gone out there and just about kicked people's heads off. I'd be picking against him again if that fight was made but with absolutely no confidence.
Vitor FTW.
Ok lets get a few things straight. Anderson was ABSOLUTELY taking that fight seriously, the showboating, the clowning, is all part of his game. That is Anderson Silva. His antics are gamesmanship intent to mind-freak an opponent, get his opponent off his game and demoralise him, making them believe that perhaps all this matrix talk is real, and the mystique about him is true. Doing that to Weidman after Weidman's successful first round is high level fight strategy that Anderson is a master of, and has done time and time again successfully. Like poker, its a bluff to suggest to his opponent that "why bother, nothing you can do can hurt me, you've had your best shot and failed", but like any strategy it has risks and can be a weakness. To suggest he was 'bored' is utter nonsense and smacks of drinking too much Zuffa brand koolaid.
Perhaps Silva underestimated Weidman's ability, sure, but these antics are a strength of Anderson's (as has been seen in fights against lesser opponents, where they almost have lost the will to fight, Bonnar, Maia, Griffin, Okami, etc), but this can also be a weakness, and was a very real weakness of Anderson's, that was exposed on the weekend with devastating results. Its not that "he wasn't trying", etc. Absolutely he was trying. And part of what he was doing was mental, it just didn't work out and he paid the price big.
At the highest level, this sport is about inches and whether Anderson has lost a step, or this kind of thing was bound to happen eventually, well that can be argued for days. Like the other greatest of all time - Fedor Emelianenko, sometimes your strengths are turned against you, like Fedor's ridiculously calm terminator-like demenour and seemingly reckless abandon to attack and finish, even where the opponent was strongest was a strength in his prime, but as we've seen if you lose an inch, a slight step, it can get you subbed, like it did Werdum. Whether that was 'bound to happen' or whether Fedor lost a step, again is one for Sherdog debates.
But in the end, the same kinda thing happened to Anderson with Weidman, but no excuses he was beaten by a better man on the weekend.
Perhaps Silva underestimated Weidman's ability, sure, but these antics are a strength of Anderson's (as has been seen in fights against lesser opponents, where they almost have lost the will to fight, Bonnar, Maia, Griffin, Okami, etc), but this can also be a weakness, and was a very real weakness of Anderson's, that was exposed on the weekend with devastating results. Its not that "he wasn't trying", etc. Absolutely he was trying. And part of what he was doing was mental, it just didn't work out and he paid the price big.
At the highest level, this sport is about inches and whether Anderson has lost a step, or this kind of thing was bound to happen eventually, well that can be argued for days. Like the other greatest of all time - Fedor Emelianenko, sometimes your strengths are turned against you, like Fedor's ridiculously calm terminator-like demenour and seemingly reckless abandon to attack and finish, even where the opponent was strongest was a strength in his prime, but as we've seen if you lose an inch, a slight step, it can get you subbed, like it did Werdum. Whether that was 'bound to happen' or whether Fedor lost a step, again is one for Sherdog debates.
But in the end, the same kinda thing happened to Anderson with Weidman, but no excuses he was beaten by a better man on the weekend.
Guy Threepwood
Premium Platinum
I have posted previously (not sure if it was on this site or another I frequent) that I thought Weidman would be a future champ, I just didn't think it would be after this fight. I also never envisioned him KOing Silva! I'm stoked for him as he seems like a humble, hard working guy who has had a tough time of things lately. Anderson on the other hand got what he deserved. I'm a big Anderson fan, but found myself rooting for Chris the longer the fight went. Hopefully this is the wake up call that Anderson needs and he can just get back to being the killer we're used to seeing in his next fight. I expect to see the re-match happen, probably at the superbowl card next year, but if Anderson's against taking it then Belfort is the obvious match up. Vitor's been on a tear of late, but I would heavily favour Weidman to retain his belt if that fight happens.
I had just about given up on Oliveira coming in to yesterday but was delighted to see how well he fought. His losses to Cerrone and Swanson especially lead me to believe that he was a guy who couldn't handle taking punishment, so I fully expected Edgar to catch him early on and finish. His toughness and will really impressed me and to see him not only battle on after taking some big shots but to also give Edgar all he could handle has won me back. I'm glad to see Frankie back in the win column too. Whoever doesn't get the next shot at the winner of Aldo/Jung out of Lamas, Swanson and Mendes would make sense for Frankie next. Oliveira proved he could hang with the top guys and should get another decent test next. Perhaps a re-match with Lentz to settle their old score?
Kennedy and Gracie put on a snoozer. Gracie looked completely out of ideas when Kennedy managed to get back to his feet in the first round and looked spent not long after that. I remember being amazed that he landed 14 total strikes at a clip in the low 40%'s, which means he only threw 30 some odd strikes over 3 rounds! I wouldn't be surprised to see him cut after that showing. Kennedy didn't do much to impress either. He had Roger on the back foot for so much of that fight, but didn't really press for the finish that I think he easily could have gotten. I could see him being matched with a guy like Boetsch next.
Speaking of Boetsch, I thought he started really well against Munoz which I wasn't expecting. Pretty much all of his losses in the UFC have come when he's faced a superior wrestler, so I expected Munoz to do what he did in the 2nd and 3rd rounds right from the get go. Still, it ended up how I expected it would with Munoz taking a dominant decision. He didn't look to have improved much in his time off (which is completely understandable with him going through depression), but his old self was a handful for most guys so I would expect him to get another top 10 fight. Has Bisping got an opponent for his next fight yet? I could easily see that headlining a Fuel TV card in the future.
I expected the Siver/Swanson fight to look a lot like the Siver/Cerrone fight, so to get a back and forth war it ended up as was a pleasant surprise. Siver looked so much bigger than Cub, but I was never confident that his chin would be able to withstand what Swanson would be able to land. Cub was able to achieve his beautiful destruction that he wanted and moves himself even closer to a title shot with that win. I'd like to see him get a re-match against Aldo, but he probably needs to beat a top name (and likely a top grappler) to get there. He's lost to both Lamas and Mendes, so Edgar could be next for him. I'd like to see Siver go against a guy like Elkins next.
I think we can all agree that Leben is done as a relevant fighter after that performance. Craig doesn't appear to be good at any one thing, but he was able to pick Leben apart on the feet, out-wrestle him and rock him badly in the third round. I think/hope that will be the last we see of the Crippler in the Octagon and that he can keep his life in order outside of fighting too. Craig gets a name win in a decent slot for him on the card (lead in fight to a PPV) and managed to rock the iron chinned Leben. I think he'll likely get a guy like Camozzi for his next fight.
Parke and Tokudome turned out to be a fun fight. Tokudome desperately needs to work on his strike defense, but his chin appears to be world class. Some of those shots Parke was able to land on him in the second round....
! Norman looked impressive again, but the fade out in the third round would no doubt concern him.
Gonzaga's KO of Herman was pretty sweet. I expected him to sub Dave due to what he's said about BJJ in the past, but was equally as happy to see the KO. After a promising start in the UFC, Herman will be back in the minors after that. I'm not sure what the UFC do with Gonzaga though... he's not good enough for the top 10 or so, but dominates most of the guys outside of it. It's a step up on his recent competition, but I wouldn't mind him going against Struve next.
Leg kick KO! It was apparently early on that Oliveira was going to struggle with Barboza's kicks and to be honest I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did. Barboza looks like a beast, but really needs to sharpen his striking defense as Oliveira was able to clip him on a few occasions. The disappointing loss to Varner doesn't appear to have effected him, but he still shows the same weakness which is a bit of a concern. Like Gonzaga, I'd like to see him step up in his next fight and think that he and Lauzon would make for a great fight.
Melancon looked great in dismantling Seth. He looks small for the weight class, but showed he has plenty of power (that KO was nasty!) and looked to be reasonably well rounded as well. Baczynski had been on a bit of a roll until he ran in to Pierce, so in losing his second fight in a row likely finds himself in a must win situation in his next fight.
Didn't catch the Pierce fight, but that guy needs a step up immediately! He's a handful for everyone at 170 with his combination of wrestling and power, but he's just not fun to watch.
I had just about given up on Oliveira coming in to yesterday but was delighted to see how well he fought. His losses to Cerrone and Swanson especially lead me to believe that he was a guy who couldn't handle taking punishment, so I fully expected Edgar to catch him early on and finish. His toughness and will really impressed me and to see him not only battle on after taking some big shots but to also give Edgar all he could handle has won me back. I'm glad to see Frankie back in the win column too. Whoever doesn't get the next shot at the winner of Aldo/Jung out of Lamas, Swanson and Mendes would make sense for Frankie next. Oliveira proved he could hang with the top guys and should get another decent test next. Perhaps a re-match with Lentz to settle their old score?
Kennedy and Gracie put on a snoozer. Gracie looked completely out of ideas when Kennedy managed to get back to his feet in the first round and looked spent not long after that. I remember being amazed that he landed 14 total strikes at a clip in the low 40%'s, which means he only threw 30 some odd strikes over 3 rounds! I wouldn't be surprised to see him cut after that showing. Kennedy didn't do much to impress either. He had Roger on the back foot for so much of that fight, but didn't really press for the finish that I think he easily could have gotten. I could see him being matched with a guy like Boetsch next.
Speaking of Boetsch, I thought he started really well against Munoz which I wasn't expecting. Pretty much all of his losses in the UFC have come when he's faced a superior wrestler, so I expected Munoz to do what he did in the 2nd and 3rd rounds right from the get go. Still, it ended up how I expected it would with Munoz taking a dominant decision. He didn't look to have improved much in his time off (which is completely understandable with him going through depression), but his old self was a handful for most guys so I would expect him to get another top 10 fight. Has Bisping got an opponent for his next fight yet? I could easily see that headlining a Fuel TV card in the future.
I expected the Siver/Swanson fight to look a lot like the Siver/Cerrone fight, so to get a back and forth war it ended up as was a pleasant surprise. Siver looked so much bigger than Cub, but I was never confident that his chin would be able to withstand what Swanson would be able to land. Cub was able to achieve his beautiful destruction that he wanted and moves himself even closer to a title shot with that win. I'd like to see him get a re-match against Aldo, but he probably needs to beat a top name (and likely a top grappler) to get there. He's lost to both Lamas and Mendes, so Edgar could be next for him. I'd like to see Siver go against a guy like Elkins next.
I think we can all agree that Leben is done as a relevant fighter after that performance. Craig doesn't appear to be good at any one thing, but he was able to pick Leben apart on the feet, out-wrestle him and rock him badly in the third round. I think/hope that will be the last we see of the Crippler in the Octagon and that he can keep his life in order outside of fighting too. Craig gets a name win in a decent slot for him on the card (lead in fight to a PPV) and managed to rock the iron chinned Leben. I think he'll likely get a guy like Camozzi for his next fight.
Parke and Tokudome turned out to be a fun fight. Tokudome desperately needs to work on his strike defense, but his chin appears to be world class. Some of those shots Parke was able to land on him in the second round....
! Norman looked impressive again, but the fade out in the third round would no doubt concern him. Gonzaga's KO of Herman was pretty sweet. I expected him to sub Dave due to what he's said about BJJ in the past, but was equally as happy to see the KO. After a promising start in the UFC, Herman will be back in the minors after that. I'm not sure what the UFC do with Gonzaga though... he's not good enough for the top 10 or so, but dominates most of the guys outside of it. It's a step up on his recent competition, but I wouldn't mind him going against Struve next.
Leg kick KO! It was apparently early on that Oliveira was going to struggle with Barboza's kicks and to be honest I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did. Barboza looks like a beast, but really needs to sharpen his striking defense as Oliveira was able to clip him on a few occasions. The disappointing loss to Varner doesn't appear to have effected him, but he still shows the same weakness which is a bit of a concern. Like Gonzaga, I'd like to see him step up in his next fight and think that he and Lauzon would make for a great fight.
Melancon looked great in dismantling Seth. He looks small for the weight class, but showed he has plenty of power (that KO was nasty!) and looked to be reasonably well rounded as well. Baczynski had been on a bit of a roll until he ran in to Pierce, so in losing his second fight in a row likely finds himself in a must win situation in his next fight.
Didn't catch the Pierce fight, but that guy needs a step up immediately! He's a handful for everyone at 170 with his combination of wrestling and power, but he's just not fun to watch.
Crimson Azure
Premium Platinum
I thought the rematch might be the new years eve card. Also interested to know your thoughts on why you'd think Wideman would be a heavy favourite?
TBH, I can't split them. I still rate Silva above both but Vitor has been exceptional recently as you mentioned, so wonder why you think Wideman is favoured. One reason would be if the fight took place in the USA, which it should seeing the belt holder resides there.
Crimson Azure
Premium Platinum
You know what I think did it for Wideman, the little backhander (with no power at all but Silva felt the need to avoid it & which put him on his toes despite leaning way too far backwards) he threw before the KO punch, Silva had to adjust a little more than he expected which put him completely on the back foot. And seeing he was already leaning away & tilting his head there was zero capacity to absorb the last standing punch.
You can't be on you toes or the ball of your foot & expect to have any control of head & body whilst leaning backwards.
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