UFC 102 Analysis: Unfamiliar Names Prove UFC's Roster Depth
by Leland Roling on Aug 31, 2009 11:41 AM EDT
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Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and Randy Couture are two names that MMA fans everywhere have heard for the past decade in the same sentence as "unbelievable" or "incredible". On Saturday night, both men proved once again that those two adjectives are still relevant when describing either fighter. Nogueira showed up with an outstanding boxing game coupled with enough defensive awareness to stop Couture in his tracks on the ground. It was truly a fight that will be remembered by fans for quite some time.
While the main event was a great climax to an incredible evening of fights, the outcomes over the course of the event were surprising. The card featured a number of UFC newcomers making their debut while other fighters making their sophomore appearances in the Octagon. Most notably, newcomer Todd Duffee set the UFC record for the quickest finish in UFC history by destroying Tim Hague in 0:07 seconds.
Other bouts included Aaron Simpson's TKO victory over Ed Herman after Herman's knee popped in the second round, Evan Dunham's hard-fought decision victory over PRIDE veteran Marcus Aurelio, Chicago police officer Mike Russow's decision victory over UFC veteran Justin McCully, Jake Rosholt's upset victory over heavy-handed Chris Leben by sinking in an arm triangle in the third round, and Mark Munoz winning via a split decision over Nick Catone.
Most of these wins were within the framework of both the middleweight and heavyweight divisions, two divisions that have been criticized for having a very shallow talent pool in the past. While we've seen a number of fighters in those divisions battle it out, most fans realize that the top of both divisions is dominated by a champion that may sit atop his perch for quite some time. The difference is that the middleweight division was cleared out by its champion while the heavyweight division has suffered from a scarcity of talent worldwide, not just in the UFC.
In order to solve those problems, the UFC went out and grabbed some very enticing names that weren't really that interesting until we looked under the hood. Middleweight Aaron Simpson placed at the Olympic trials in wrestling, but he's shown a knack for knocking opponents out in his short career. He proved that he can not only wrestle, but his striking is, as proven in the past, a real danger. Jake Rosholt is a three-time NCAA champion, the most credentialed wrestler in the UFC, who strangely looked to be winning the stand-up war while losing the ground battle. Unfortunately for Leben, it was only a matter of time before Rosholt won both.
Most fans will probably be talking about Todd Duffee, who had an enormous amount of hype surrounding him if you talked to anyone at HardCore Gym in Athens, GA. He trained there along with making trips to ATT in Coconut Creek. His massive physique and strength coupled with his well-rounded skill-set could truly make him a threat in the long run. The last time we heard this much hype was out of AKA in regards to Cain Velasquez.
UFC 102 proved to not only be a card that could provide entertainment from well-established names, but as with most cards that look a bit disappointing on paper -- UFC 102 provided excitement from newcomers and sophomore fighters as well. It shows that the UFC has the ability to truly find the talent out there that may not be within a major organization just yet, but does have the talent to make an impact. It has also begun the process of re-igniting two divisions that sorely needed some talent toward the bottom of the heap.
-- image via MMAWeekly.com
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
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I didn’t think he had it in him. It was a great fight for him and an awful stoppage. Leben tapped and the ref just watched him go out. Leben has killed enough of his own brain cells, he doesn’t need help in that department.
Leben went to tap then bucked then went to sleep.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
I think he pretty clearly tapped, three times. He was sort of making motions, like he was waiting until just before he went out and then he tapped. He stopped tapping because he went to sleep. It wasn’t the most enthusiastic tap, but it was a clear tap.
This choke calls for the "Tap or Nap" saying
Leben did absolutely nothing to try to get out of the choke once it was locked on. He should have tapped earlier, but he tried to tough it out and went to sleep.
Be a man, not a child-Phil Anselmo
Yes, that is true. He was doing nothing but waiting. He was waiting until the lights went out before he tapped. That’s a mistake on his part. It’s pointless to just sit there and wait to go to sleep unless the round is almost over. He should either make an effort or tap. Even if Eve stopped it at the right time (according to me) Leben may have still gone out.
I disagree , there’s a reason why you should tap repeatedly and not once or twice , Leben started tapping and clearly stopped … actually the man who needs to answer this is Leben himself but I think he just didn’t want to tap.
What I mean is – he started to tap , then stopped and tried to escape (throwing his legs) , that’s what got the ref confused and I can’t blame him . If you want to tap then tap…don’t stop.
I think at the point where his legs came up, he was out. I don’t think he stopped tapping, I think the lack of blood flow to his brain stopped him from tapping more. But to see him tap and watch the ref stand there, then seeing him twitch on the ground? Made me cringe a little because I thought it was a mistake and preventable.
think of it from yves perspective
he was watched closely, and if anything Leben was only out very quickly because he had tossed his legs. Although if anyone knows anything about hanging people, theres a thing when someone whos neck wasnt snapped from the initial fall starts throwing their legs around violently. Its like our bodies final reaction. his legs going up resembled that
by Austin Martin on Aug 31, 2009 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I get why Yves hesitates, but it was a tap and he goes to jump in. Then he pulls back. He has been making this mistake a lot recently. He was one of the best refs, but he has been doing the hesitate thing quite a bit.
It was not a tap, it was a hand motion that wasn’t repeated, Leben then immediately bucks his hips and legs.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
people are saying the buck motion was involuntary though.. but in that case its not the refs position to diagnose what is going on… it could’ve been involuntary or it couldn’t been a buck
by Austin Martin on Aug 31, 2009 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions
That was even less of a tap than Brock's tap when he lost to Mir.
And Brock’s tap didn’t look even vaguely like a tap.
Leben didn’t tap. He tried to tap but failed, and Yves isn’t supposed to stop the fight until the fighter taps or goes out. Leben didn’t tap, so Yves waited for him to go out.
That was good reffing – but dumb fighting.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
Obviously you have never been choked out or almost out.
the “buck” or “kick” he did wasn’t an attempt to escape, it was involuntary. you can tell because he is still convulsing when the choke is let go.
this is yet another horrible mistake made by Yves Lavigne, guys like big john, mario and herb dean have enough experience to judge the situation and look at the fighter.
I watched this with guys I train BJJ with and we all knew as soon as we saw Jake step over the mount, it was over.
by haggardhero on Aug 31, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
in yves defense, hes been criticized of bad stoppages and wanted to make sure of this one.
I think what this says more is that all refs should be trained EMTs and be able to recognize situations like that.
by Austin Martin on Aug 31, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Give me a break…
You’re right in that the buck was likely involuntary, but as stipulated… the tapping motion has to be at least 3 taps, which Leben never completed. Also, since that was involuntary… it’s up to the referee to determine that. I can see no fault in Yves thinking it was a legitimate attempt to escape.
Lavigne did what he could. End of story.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Aug 31, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
THIS.
If Leben felt to tough to actually tap, he went to sleep. It’s almost like in true/ false tests in school when you write something in between. Leben knew he was done, and didn’t want to tap, but he did something resembling it.
If leben isn’t complaining about the stoppage, why are we?
by Austin Martin on Aug 31, 2009 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know. I was yelling at the TV to stop the fight. I thought it was a clear tap and I have never heard of a required 3 taps. Besides, I think he did three, he just tapped air on the second two because he was already on the way out
tapping on air is not tapping.
It’s hard with a choke, because lots of times you go to tap in the same area you’d be grabbing to try to escape.
Shit happens in fights, this was a fine stoppage. If you want to tap, tap like Lesnar did. Make it so it’s known.
If you fall asleep while you’re tapping, the choke’s probably going to last a little longer for the ref to react.
“I felt him tap,” Rosholt said. “It was a tap. In the lobby (the next day), Leben even said, ‘I tried to tap, but I think I went out after that.’ … I knew going into that fight, if I went into the position, he was going to have to go out because he doesn’t tap.”
by Chris Nelson on Aug 31, 2009 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions
"we all knew as soon as we saw Jake step over the mount, it was over"
Exactly. And Leben knew it was gonna be too, which is why he shoulda tapped earlier instead of laying there. By the time he tried to tap he was already going to sleep.
Be a man, not a child-Phil Anselmo
it was refreshing to see a corner tell a fighter they had to finish the fight and then have them follow through.
by Graven Image on Aug 31, 2009 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
that’s a sub i secure pretty frequently in class, but i always call it a side choke. any idea if they are the same thing or have i just been calling it the wrong name?
multiple names for the choke.. i believe arm triangle and side choke are synonymous, as are d’arce and something else, if i’m not mistaken… don’t practice bjj so i don’t know for sure
by Austin Martin on Aug 31, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
That was a side choke. He had his hands clasped together applying the pressure. An arm triangle is when the arm passes under the head and under the shoulder grasping your own bicep.
so is a side choke more brute strength and a arm triangle more technical?
by Austin Martin on Aug 31, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not really qualified to answer that, but I would think so just based on the leverages involved. With the side choke you’re pulling one arm with the other using a lot of strength. With the triangle choke it’s more of a “lock” that’s naturally tight once you sink it in.
by drightler on Aug 31, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Talk about a huge jump in competition. Russow has done what other than lost to Sergei?
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
He was actually doing a very good job until Kharitonov grabbed his arm and transitioned to the armbar. And… even more odd… Russow never actually tapped. It was a bit of a controversy.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Sep 1, 2009 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions
It was preety obvious that Russow tapped. They showed the replay at least 4 times, and everytime Russow was tapping. But yeah, he was doing well
by dancingChicken on Sep 2, 2009 4:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Whats Russow done outside the loss to Sergei? He’s won 12 from 12 and finished 10 of them, via armbar, NS choke, guillotine, kimura, keylock, RNC and a couple of KOs. All that whilst still working a 9-5. And yes, he lost to sergei, but theres no shame in that.
He has beaten who? McCully is his best win.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
McCully and Zentsov are his best wins. You can only beat the guys put in front of you……and thats what he’s been doing! With the exception of the LHK from hell, McCully is probably Napaos biggest win too. Either that or Tuscherer . Napao at 11-4 is 1-4 against top tier competition whilst Russow is 0-1. mma-elo has napao ranked at 14 and russow at 20. Seems like a pretty well balanced matchup to me.
Obviously not your guys potential oversight...
But didn’t Rosholt put Leben to sleep in the 3rd round? Or am I losing my mind?
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
by The_Gaijin on Aug 31, 2009 11:45 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Sorry, should have been clearer – mobile viewing/commenting for BE isn’t the greatest on my BB sometimes.
- I thought at first the write up was attributed to MMA Weekly (but it was just the picture)
- the write up says (paraphrasing) “…Rosholt choked out the heavy handed Chris Leben in the second round via arm triangle…” (Unfortunately I can’t highlight/copy/paste text)
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
by The_Gaijin on Aug 31, 2009 12:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Most of these wins were within the framework of both the middleweight and heavyweight divisions, two divisions that have been criticized for having a very shallow talent pool in the past
Exciting fights don’t necessarily equate to a deeper talent pool. It just indicates good matchmaking where two enthusiastic fighters are at approximately the same level.
Where in that entire statement does it say “exciting fights”?
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Aug 31, 2009 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions
While the main event was a great climax to an incredible evening of fights
While you don’t say ‘exciting fights’ word for word I guess it’s a fair take-away from the quoted statement. What I was saying is an evening of good fights involving less heard of names in the UFC does not imply a deeper talent pool.
I’m talking about this statement:
Most of these wins were within the framework of both the middleweight and heavyweight divisions, two divisions that have been criticized for having a very shallow talent pool in the past
And it doesn’t have to imply a deeper talent pool. They have guys coming in that can fill HALF a card, and perform. I think it does mean they have a deeper talent pool.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Sep 1, 2009 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Let it be known...
BE was on the Duffee train last September
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2008/9/14/614078/todd-duffee-vs-assu%C3%A9rio-si
Who woulda thought the “The Irish [insert explosive here]” would catch on?
by Danny Dangerously on Aug 31, 2009 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Damn good drink at least.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Sep 1, 2009 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions
No mention of Maia/Marquardt in the article?
For shame, Leland! Marquardt’s Silva/Irvin-esque knockout of Maia should be a great set-up to him getting absolutely pasted by Silva.
Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ.
I blog at TangleBones - you should follow me on Twitter here.
Dude!
What about Evan Dunham?? I was really surprised and impressed by that kids tenacity. He was lighting M.A. UP!
I'm the kind of girl who loves to watch a GOOD fight!
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I've become a huge fan of Dunham's
No one really seemed to take notice after he knocked out Per Eklund at UFC 105, and only a few people gave him a chance at beating Aurelio, but it was an excellent performance.
Great use of the butterfly guard too! He was absolutely fine on the ground with Maximus, and he was picking him apart on the feet, although he did get cocky and let his hands drop a bit too much in the 3rd round. Dunham has a ton of upside.
Didn’t Bang Ludwick KO Goulet in like 5 seconds at a Fight Night awhile back? I thought that was the UFC record, not that it really matters…
There was something wrong with the clock stoppage, and it ended up as 11sek. KO, but I don’t remember exactly…
by dancingChicken on Aug 31, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
there was some weird incident that prevented the fight from being documented at its actual time of ending but i love duane and when that fight first came out i watched it over and over. for sure it is the fastest KO in ufc history. everybody should pull that fight off the internet and watch it atleast once its well worth the time considering its only like 3 or 4 seconds but definitely not any more than 4
that todd Duffee ko was sick….marquarts was better, but man ufc record in your first fight is impressive and i hop they throw in back in soon…
"The most used phrase in my administration if I were to be President would be "What the hell you mean we're out of missiles?"
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Al-Turk probably gets another fight due to the eye poke…but they will probably give him to Gonzaga to maul.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
Neil Grove Please... send him packing.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Sep 1, 2009 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions
i would like to see duffee take on gonzaga, mir, russow, barry, a few others realistically though i have no clue lets just say maybe joe silva reads BE maybe he just really does work in mysterious ways heh
Marquardt-Maia KO on Sportscenter's TOP-10
check it out at the top of hour.
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