[UFC 110]: Nogueira vs Velasquez - Analisi approfondita (21/02/2010)
Following the UFC’s first event in Australia, Sherdog.com analyzes the five main card bouts by looking at what happened and what could be next for the winners and losers.
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Anthony Perosh TKO 5:00 R2
What happened: Four-time ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship qualifier Anthony Perosh took the fight against Cro Cop on just 48 hours’ notice -- something more popular fighters refused to do. He struggled mightily, however, and the bout illustrated the shortcomings of the Unified Rules: Cro Cop defended Perosh’s takedown attempts with textbook sprawls, landing in the perfect position to punish the grappler with knee strikes to the head, which were not allowed. Cro Cop won anyway with punches and elbows from the top that opened a cut.
Forecast for Cro Cop: UFC President Dana White was quick to point out that his company would again try to put together a bout between Cro Cop and Ben Rothwell. Since it was just a stomach virus that prevented Rothwell from fighting at UFC 110 and since Filipovic emerged unscathed at the event, the fight could take place as early as March 31 on the undercard of Florian vs. Gomi. April 10 would be another possibility, with Cro Cop adding some more star power to UFC 112 to make up for the loss of Vitor Belfort. Another very intriguing bout coming out of UFC 110 would be a rematch between Cro Cop and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira as well as Cro Cop vs. Couture, which the promotion has been trying to set up ever since it signed the Croatian.
Forecast for Perosh: The Carlos Machado black belt will likely return to his everyday business, which is teaching jiu-jitsu at Sinosic Perosh Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia, between MMA bouts in his homeland.
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Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine TKO 2:10 R3
What happened: Bader, the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 8,” passed the first serious test of his career by stopping former top 10-ranked light heavyweight Keith Jardine. With the rounds even on the scorecards, the two-time D-1 All-American at Arizona State University exposed Jardine’s suspect chin with a left hook that followed an impressive flying knee to the chest.
Forecast for Bader: If Vince McMahon owned the UFC, he would have booked Bader against Randy Couture a long time ago as the ultimate passing of the torch. Bader has the talent to make the booking worth it. Since McMahon has nothing to do with the UFC, however, Bader’s next opponent could instead be recruited from a group of fighters that include fellow TUF 8 alumnus Krzysztof Soszynski, Brazilian bomber Luis Arthur Cane and powerful wrestler Matt Hamill.
Forecast for Jardine: Jardine has had a tough stretch: four losses in his last five matches, including three by stoppage and the one win coming by split decision. He certainly won’t be cut from the promotion -- he always provides interesting fights -- but he could find himself on the undercard for the first time in more than four years the next time he steps into the Octagon. His next opponent should be somebody like Stephan Bonnar (in a rematch) or James Irvin.
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Sotiropoulos dominated "Daddy."
What happened: For two rounds, Sotiropoulos ran a rare jiu-jitsu clinic on former lightweight title challenger Joe Stevenson. While his ground game was pretty to watch, Sotiropoulos did forget at times that punching is allowed on the mat. The Australian was impressive in his submission attempts, but they may have come too late in the rounds to give him a chance to finish. After losing almost all of the scrambles in the fight, Stevenson eventually took top position in the third, but it was too little, too late and Sotiropoulos won all three rounds on the judges’ scorecards.
Forecast for Sotiropoulos: With the crowd heavily into this fight, the UFC should see that as a reassurance that fans are acquiring a liking for spectacular ground fighting as well. Grappling enthusiasts would love to see Sotiropoulos match his black belt in jiu-jitsu against other submission standouts like Rafael dos Anjos, Joe Lauzon or Cole Miller.
Forecast for Stevenson: Even at 3-4 over the last two years, Stevenson remains a reliable competitor for the UFC lightweight division. With more than 10 years in the game and almost 50 fights under his belt, there are few fighters at 155 pounds that Stevenson cannot deliver a competitive fight against. Some of the few opponents he hasn’t faced already include Mac Danzig, Clay Guida and Jim Miller.
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Wanderlei Silva def. Michael Bisping Unanimous Decision 5:00 R3
What happened: Much to everyone’s surprise, we saw a tactical and reserved Silva for large portions of the fight and a British kickboxer who often tried to take his opponent down. Silva’s punches and kicks had much more snap behind them, and he sank a deep guillotine choke at the end of the second and scored a knockdown at the end of the third. The win marked Silva’s first in 21 months and the first time we saw the “Axe Murderer” shed a tear inside the Octagon.
Forecast for Silva: Silva vs. Akiyama, the fight some expected to be the UFC 110 headliner before Bisping was given the nod, is apparently being targeted by all parties. It could take place at UFC 115 in June.
Forecast for Bisping: With losses to Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and now Wanderlei Silva, some will question whether the likeable Brit is top 10 material at 205 pounds or at 185 pounds. Turning 31 years old this Sunday, the Liverpool native might want to reconsider his training regimen, perhaps even contemplating a move to one of the big camps in the United States. When he returns to action this summer, a good next opponent for him could come from the winner of Nate Quarry vs. Jorge Rivera or Alan Belcher vs. Patrick Cote.
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Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira TKO 2:20 R1
What happened: In his almost 40 career bouts, “Minotauro” had never faced an opponent who was both a powerful kicker and a stronger wrestler than himself. That combination, plus Velasquez’s hands, clearly threw the Brazilian legend off balance. Visibly frustrated that despite his reach advantage he could not land anything significant, Nogueira came forward with more urgency midway through the first round. He was shot down with a picture-perfect left-right combination before being finished with a flurry of punches on the ground.
Forecast for Velasquez: If the American Kickboxing Academy prospect waits on a title shot, that could mean sitting out at least seven months if champion Brock Lesnar fights the winner of Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin in July. If the 27-year-old wrestler wants one more, albeit risky, tune-up bout in the meantime, an opponent could emerge from the Junior dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga bout next month.
Forecast for Nogueira: After the loss to Mir, Nogueira had the justified excuse that he had a serious staph infection. Now, after losing to Velasquez, there are no excuses. At 33 years old and with countless wars under his belt, Nogueira may have lost what it takes to win another title. A rematch with Cro Cop might make the most sense at this point in his career.
