UFC 157 Review

UFC 157 Review

Ronda Rousey def Liz Carmouche, submission, R1

If somebody would of given Dana White a piece of paper and pen on Saturday morning and asked him to write down his dream scenario for this fight, nothing he could of imagined would of matched up to this.

It was always going to be historic but the fight was also gripping and highly exciting and will go down as one of the fights of the year.

I’m probably going to write a lot for this fight but I don’t care-I have been singing the praises of Womens’s MMA for years and the fact that it debuted in such a dramatic way makes me very happy!

I wanna talk about the entrances before the fight. Carmouche came down with a gay pride gum shield, I don’t know whose idea it was but whoever came up with it give them a medal! That alone was a great moment for the sport. And then the lights go out and suddenly ‘I don’t give a damm about my reputation’ blasted out-Has there ever been a more fitting walkout song for a fighter? The two entrances set the stage in the most perfect way-Here were 2 women who clearly didn’t concern themselves with ‘proving’ anything, they were who they were and both of them were very comfortable in their own skin.

 

So yes the actual fight itself. The result on paper just doesn’t do it justice. Carmouche’s early choke hold on Rousey was one of the ‘WTF’ moments of the year. When I write before the fight she had to keep the fight on it’s feet for her to get a chance to win I was not expecting her to go one step further and just have it on Rouseys feet! The champion was in real trouble, I honestly thought it was over. Can you imagine if Rousey tapped? I don’t really believe in ‘Luck’ but damm she had a lucky escape there. As predicted by many Rousey soon was in control on the ground but she wasn’t out the woods yet. Carmouche’s legs proved to be nuisance to Rousey, you could clearly see she was getting aggravated by them. Even in a position where she is in theory dominating she found herself frustrated with an opponent who’s heart was the size of the Octagon and more. And then came the moment the world had been waiting for.

 

What was great was the finish was pretty much a pro-wrestling finish; They set up the finish, teased it happening, chance seemed to be lost and then bang she hit it. And then the place exploded with cheers-Women’s MMA had bought 15,000 MMA fans to their feet in crazed excitement. This wasn't just a historic fight, this was an instant classic! Where were YOU when you saw Rousey crank that arm bar?

 

It’s hard to put into perspective and words just what these 2 women achieved on Saturday night. From the moment the fight was announced they had naysayers and bigots, Then they had even more abuse hailed at them when it came clear they would be finishing the show ‘How could 2 women making their UFC debuts headline over 2 former champions?’ was the common comment on twitter, facebook, forums etc. UFC stood by these 2 and they repaid the faith by bringing the house down and setting the world of MMA on fire.

 

So now what for these 2 history making women? From Rousey’s point of view it’s a case of ‘who’s next?’ It’s pretty much been confirmed the winner of Tate v Zingano will get a title shot. Rousey v Tate II is a big money fight and I imagine UFC would do a brilliant job up building up this already plenty of water under the bridge feud, these 2 women have a history and it only seem’s fitting they should come to blows again but this time on the worlds biggest stage. As for Carmouche I doubt there isn’t a person who isn’t a fan of hers after one of the most heartfelt efforts ever seen from a challenger. No matter where she goes next she will now always have a following and if she can get a streak on the go it’s not to hard to imagine her getting another shot at the gold and unlike this time she would probably have a few believers behind her.

 

Very quick note on Rousey’s wardrobe. As Mrs Fight and Write kept pointing out throughout, it really wasn’t the most practical top. Whether it was a decision by her or UFC to wear such appreal I don’t know but I should think we won’t be seeing a return of that top by the champion again.

 

Machida def Henderson, points, split

 

Now I’m going to go against popular opinion here and say I really enjoyed this fight. It was hardly the classic many were anticipating but there was plenty to enjoy. For me personally I thought this was the best outing Machida has had in a long time, he look confident, in control and he was never really in trouble. He came up with the perfect strategy to fight a man like Henderson-you don’t fight him. Why would he want to trade blows with such a celebrated puncher like Henderson? Would YOU? He fought smart and it paid off for him. MMA is a sport based on many different fighting styles and what we saw was a master class in one style-it was a good fight but just not in the usual way.

 

To me Henderson never looked prepared, he was sluggish and his game plan was pretty poor. Looking for the big right hand is the sort of approach underdogs take not celebrated champions like him, he didn’t have a plan B and that’s why he lost the fight. He needs a big win and fast if he still want’s to have his name talked about amongst the contender ranks.

 

In theory Machida now gets a shot at the winner of Jones v Sonnen. I don’t see Machida doing that well against Jones, you could argue he was unlucky last time but Jones has grown since then. I have felt for a long time that the person who beats Jones will be a old fashioned slugger, not unlike Hendo, who can get in his face with punches. That is not Machida and I can see him coming up short again.

 

Quick word on the decision-Spilt decision? Really I don’t think any person in the arena or at home had it any other way except 2-1 round to Machida. The right man won the fight but you got to wonder where they find these judges?

Mr Fight and Write