basically what you said, although only some of the take-downs were exciting . . . Evans was pretty boring because of his inability to do anything once he had Silva down. With that said, he totally nullified any offense from Silva.

In my opinion, its like you’re saying clinching should be scored positively in a boxing match because clinches are

a tactical way of controlling the pace of the fight and your opponents ability to gain momentum.

This isn’t a wrestling match, its an MMA fight. You shouldn’t be able to score points or win by simply pinning your opponent.

I won’t say Evans fought like a coward at all. Silva is a bjj blackbelt and was very comfortable off his back. If a fighter avoids striking with a guy like Paul Daley, does that makes him a coward. No, not at all, it just makes him smart enough to avoid his opponents strength by using one of his best weapons.

Boxing = real MMA fighter
Wrestling = cowardice

I completely and utterly disagree with you. Why in the HELL would Rashad want to stand and trade with Thiago? That would be stupid beyong belief.
Just because you don’t like wrestling takedowns doesn’t mean they are cowardly.

So Rashad should of just stood toe to toe with Thiago and exchanged blows? He was a coward because he played to his strengths and his opponents weaknesses? Perhaps you are watching the wrong sport, this is mixed martial arts not boxing.

Please any one who steps in that cage is pretty dam far from a coward. Please just think before you post ! I can’t stand Rashad but a coward he is not. If Silva can’t stop the take down then why stop doing it.

the funny thing is that Rashad DID fell for it, and paid for it. Thiago was just too damn tired to finish the job, he needs to work on his cardio and takedown defense more, and have a heart transplant (he need’s one from either Wandy or Cyborg).

it’s their job, I’ll take a doctors view on my health more seriously than I take my father’s view (he keeps telling me to put some robitussin on it).

I agree and disagree. He made Rashad fight him in the third because Rashad is an idiot. He let the fans affect him. Like I said last night on another site:

I’m giving Thiago a moral victory for actually wanting to fight. He didn’t know what he was doing for the first 10 minutes but he did more in the last five than Rashad did that entire fight. As good as Rashad’s wrestling is, his striking is bad. Very bad. And he knows it. That’s why he went back to his wrestling roots. And he’s very proud. Tremendously proud. And that’s his downfall. Why strike with a guy who’s getting into a rhythm just because he throws his hands up and tells you to strike with him? Rashad is an idiot. Plain and simple. Rampage will kill him. Machida would dehumanize him. And any other 205 striker out there who is at the top of the food chain would send him packing down to 185. That’s where Rashad belongs anyways. I still love how Rashad lets Jardine play the role of tester for him. That’s how I know Rashad is a female body part.

You should be penalized in the scoring for taking flush shots, regardless whether you go down or not.

I don’t see how you can give Thiago a 10-8 in round 3.

Rashad did go down after one of Silva’s punches but that is not how MMA is scored….no automatic 10-8 round from a knockdown.

Couple of points.

1) Data and statistics should never be the entire point. They should be used to support a point. The FightMetric reports are just a tool (and arguably the best one around) for helping make or break arguments regarding judging decisions. Without an explanation or putting the data into a proper context, it’s near useless.

2) “Virtually everbody” scoring the bout 2-1 to Rashad means jack and shit to me. I’m not saying it’s wrong in this case (and I pointed out that Rashad winning the decision is the optimal or penoptimal score in the article), but having majority support doesn’t make something right. Tons of people still think the Patriots made a mistake going for it on fourth and short against the Colts, but Belichick made the correct decision from a win probability outlook.

I don’t know which guy you’re referring to, but I didn’t really get that feeling from either guy last night?

I don’t see a lot of people discrediting his performace, personally I think he did enough to win but you have to admit it was not an impressive display.